CEA Audio Post-Production & Mixing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which mixing technique uses a single channel to carry both left and right signals equally, reducing stereo width?
- Mid-side processing
- Mono summing (Correct answer)
- Parallel compression
- Stereo widening
Correct answer: Mono summing
Mono summing combines left and right channels into a single signal, eliminating stereo differences and reducing width. It is used to check mono compatibility of a mix.
Question 2: In audio post-production, what does ADR stand for?
- Automated Dialogue Replacement (Correct answer)
- Audio Dynamic Range
- Amplitude Delay Response
- Adaptive Digital Recording
Correct answer: Automated Dialogue Replacement
ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) is the process of re-recording dialogue in a studio to replace production audio that is noisy, unintelligible, or poorly recorded on set.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a de-esser in post-production mixing?
- To boost high-frequency presence
- To remove low-frequency rumble
- To reduce harsh sibilant sounds in vocal tracks (Correct answer)
- To add harmonic saturation
Correct answer: To reduce harsh sibilant sounds in vocal tracks
A de-esser is a frequency-selective compressor that targets the sibilance frequency range (typically 5–10 kHz) to reduce harsh 's' and 'sh' sounds in vocal recordings.
Question 4: What mixing approach involves blending a heavily compressed signal with the original dry signal to retain transient detail?
- Side-chain compression
- Parallel compression (Correct answer)
- Mid-side compression
- Dynamic EQ
Correct answer: Parallel compression
Parallel compression (also known as New York compression) mixes a compressed version of a signal with the uncompressed original, adding density and sustain while preserving the punch of natural transients.
Question 5: In a 5.1 surround mix, which channel is specifically designated for low-frequency effects (LFE)?
- Center channel
- Left surround
- Right front
- .1 subwoofer channel (Correct answer)
Correct answer: .1 subwoofer channel
The '.1' in 5.1 refers to the dedicated LFE (Low Frequency Effects) channel, which carries bass-heavy sound effects and is routed to the subwoofer. It is band-limited to approximately 120 Hz.
Question 6: What does 'mix buss compression' typically accomplish in a post-production session?
- Increases the dynamic range of individual tracks
- Glues elements of the mix together and controls overall dynamics (Correct answer)
- Removes noise from dialogue
- Increases the sample rate of the session
Correct answer: Glues elements of the mix together and controls overall dynamics
Mix buss (stereo buss) compression applies gentle gain reduction across the entire mix, helping blend individual elements into a cohesive sound and controlling peak dynamics before delivery to mastering.
CEA Audio Post-Production & Mixing 2
Which mixing technique uses a single channel to carry both left and right signals equally, reducing stereo width?