Audio Engineering Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real CEA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Audio Engineering Principles flashcards as text
What is the 3:1 rule in microphone placement for multi-microphone setups?
Answer: The distance between mics should be at least 3 times the distance from each mic to its source
The 3:1 rule states that the distance between any two microphones should be at least three times the distance from each mic to its source to minimize phase cancellation.
What is 'masking' in psychoacoustics?
Answer: When a louder sound makes a quieter sound at a similar frequency inaudible
Auditory masking occurs when the presence of a louder sound prevents the human ear from perceiving a quieter sound at a nearby frequency.
Which impedance relationship between a source and load is optimal for maximum power transfer in audio systems?
Answer: Load impedance should be much higher than source impedance (voltage bridging)
Modern audio uses voltage bridging where the load impedance is 10x or more higher than source impedance, maximizing voltage transfer rather than power transfer.
What is the purpose of a de-esser in audio processing?
Answer: To selectively compress or reduce harsh sibilant sounds like 'S' and 'T' in vocals
A de-esser is a frequency-selective compressor that detects and attenuates excessive sibilance (high-frequency consonants) in vocal recordings.
When recording in a home studio with parallel reflective walls, what acoustic problem is most likely to occur?
Answer: Flutter echo from repeated reflections between the parallel surfaces
Parallel walls create flutter echo — a rapid series of distinct reflections that cause a metallic coloration and smearing of the recorded sound.
What is 'inter-sample peaking' in digital audio mastering?
Answer: True audio peaks that occur between digital samples and exceed 0 dBFS after digital-to-analog conversion
Inter-sample peaks are amplitude peaks that exist between measured digital samples and can cause clipping in the D/A converter even when the digital signal reads below 0 dBFS.
What does LUFS stand for and what is it used to measure?
Answer: Loudness Units Full Scale — measuring perceived loudness for streaming normalization
LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) is a standardized loudness measurement used by streaming platforms to normalize content to target integrated loudness levels.