Correct answer: Digital Audio Workstation

A DAW is used to record and edit audio on a computer. In modern DAWs, all steps of music production are possible – from songwriting, recording and mixing to mastering.

Correct answer: balanced

With balanced signal transmission, two signals are transmitted with equal impedance to ground. At the receiver, one signal is subtracted from the other, which cancels out interference.

Among the cables used for balanced transmission are in particular XLR and patch cables (also stereo jacks).

Correct answer: A stereo signal usually consists of two channels, a mono signal of one channel.

A mono signal consists of only one channel. This means that all audio information is transmitted via this one channel. As a result, even on a stereo monitoring system, the signals on both speakers are identical.

A stereo signal consists of two or more different channels that can contain different audio information. Depending on the level and the panning, the result is a wide, spacious sound.

Pure mono mixes have no stereo width, as left/right positioning with one channel is not possible. In a stereo mix, a mono signal can be positioned in the mix via panning.

Correct answer: 12

An octave contains 12 semitones. The initial and final notes have the same name (e.g. C1 and C2) but a different pitch.

The position and number of semitones can be visualised on a keyboard.

Correct answer: Brickwall Limiter

A brickwall limiter limits the level of the input signal to the selected value. This way, louder sections are attenuated – thus limiting the dynamic range.

Correct answer: 48 kHz

The common sample rate for film productions is 48 kHz. This is the case for both cinema and DVD productions. The CD standard is a sample rate of 44.1 kHz, which is why most audio productions are converted to 44.1 kHz during mastering.

Higher sample rates (88.2 kHz and higher) are still quite uncommon.

Correct answer: Condenser microphone

Condenser microphones have the advantage that they can reproduce a linear frequency response. This results in less colouration in the sound. However, they are not as sturdy as dynamic microphones and usually need an external supply voltage (48 volt phantom power).

Correct answer: 180°

The cardioid polar pattern is designed to pick up sound mainly from the front. The most masking happens at 180° (off-axis).
Due to this directional effect, it is commonly used for directed signals (e.g. vocals).

Correct answer: No

Glass mastering is necessary for CD, DVD or Blu-ray manufacturing, where the glass master serves as a template for replication.
The master is produced in a process similar to burning a CD using laser technology under optimised conditions.
Vinyl records are made from a hard lacquer master disc.

Correct answer: Dithering adds noise to the signal to minimise quantisation errors.

Dithering is mainly used in mastering.
Noise is added to the signal to compensate for quantisation or rounding errors that occur during bit reduction.
Without dithering, audible distortions can occur during quiet sections of a song.

Correct answer: Diffusors reflect sound waves in different directions.

A diffusor reflects sound waves in many different directions. This is important to create a homogenous, natural reverberation and to avoid flutter echoes.

In order to optimise the frequency response and reverberation of a room, different absorbers are used.

Correct answer: 17 cm

ORTF is a special stereo microphone technique. It features two microphones with a cardioid polar pattern at a distance of 17 cm and an opening angle of 110°.
The name ORTF is derived from French radio (Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française).

Correct answer: One of the channels is out of phase.

The correlation meter provides information about the phase relationship of stereo signals and thus about the stereo width.

If a signal is mono, i.e. if the same signal is present on the left and right channel, the meter shows a correlation of “1”.
If both signals are completely uncorrelated, the meter shows “0”.
If the signal on one channel is out of phase, the meter shows “-1”. This is usually a fault that can be caused by defective cables, for example.

Correct answer: Tremolo

If an LFO (low frequency oscillator) controls a VCA (voltage controlled ampflifier), the result is a tremolo effect.

The resulting level differences are controlled by (rapid) swelling and decay of the signal.
Vibrato, on the other hand, is a difference in pitch.

Original:

Master:

Please use headphones or studio monitors to evaluate the sound.

Correct answer: The master has a louder low end, and a limiter and MS tool were used.

After limiting, the volume was reduced to allow an objective comparison of the two takes, so the LUFS value is almost the same.

A shelving EQ was used to boost the low frequencies at 125 Hz by 2.5 dB, and an MS compressor was used to compress and enhance the side signal.