Audio Mixing Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real CMP 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 Mixing Techniques flashcards as text
What does the 'attack' parameter on a compressor control?
Answer: How quickly the compressor reduces gain after the threshold is exceeded
The attack time determines how fast the compressor responds and begins reducing gain once the signal crosses the threshold.
In EQ, what does a 'bell curve' (peaking filter) allow you to do?
Answer: Boost or cut a specific frequency range with an adjustable bandwidth (Q)
A bell (peaking) filter boosts or cuts a frequency with a center point and variable Q (bandwidth), making it the most versatile EQ shape for surgical corrections.
What is 'pre-delay' in a reverb plugin and why is it useful?
Answer: A short time gap between the dry signal and the onset of reverb, helping preserve transient clarity
Pre-delay creates a brief gap before reverberation begins, allowing transients to remain clear and the source to be perceived as distinct from the room sound.
When would you typically use a multiband compressor instead of a standard broadband compressor?
Answer: When you need to control dynamics independently across different frequency ranges
A multiband compressor splits the signal into frequency bands and compresses each independently, allowing targeted control over problem areas like a boomy low end without affecting the high end.
What is the 'Haas effect' and how is it applied in mixing?
Answer: A psychoacoustic phenomenon where a sound delayed by up to ~40 ms is perceived as coming from the same direction as the original, used to create width
The Haas effect exploits the brain's precedence effect: a delayed copy under ~40 ms is fused with the original and perceived as wider, not as a separate echo.
What does 'oversampling' in a plugin do during the mixing process?
Answer: Temporarily processes audio at a higher sample rate to reduce aliasing artifacts from nonlinear processing
Oversampling runs the plugin internally at a multiple of the project sample rate, pushing aliasing artifacts above the audible range before downsampling back.
What is the purpose of automation in a mix?
Answer: To dynamically change parameters like volume, pan, or effects over time during playback
Automation records and plays back parameter changes over time, allowing the engineer to make dynamic adjustments that bring the mix to life.