CMP Mixing and Mastering Principles Questions and Answers

Question 1

A mastering engineer is working on a dense electronic track and notices the kick drum is causing the main bus compressor to 'pump' excessively, ducking the high-frequency synths and hi-hats with every hit.
Which of the following is the MOST effective technique to address this issue while maintaining overall dynamic control?

Accepted Answer

Use a multiband compressor to apply compression only to the low frequencies.

Answer

Apply parallel compression to the entire mix bus.

Answer

Increase the attack time on the full-band bus compressor.

Answer

Use a de-esser to target the kick drum's transient.

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of using Mid-Side EQ during the mastering stage?

Accepted Answer

To apply equalization to the mono (center) and stereo (side) information of a mix independently.

Answer

To adjust the volume balance between the left and right speakers.

Answer

To automate EQ changes throughout the duration of the song.

Answer

To correct phase cancellation issues between the kick and bass.

Question 3

When mixing, a primary goal is to create a sense of depth and space. Which of the following is a common and effective technique for achieving this?

Accepted Answer

Using a high-pass filter on reverb returns to remove low-frequency mud and create clarity.

Answer

Applying the same long-tailed reverb to every track in the session.

Answer

Panning all instruments to the center to increase mono compatibility.

Answer

Maximizing the gain on every channel to achieve the highest possible signal-to-noise ratio.

Question 4

A producer is preparing a final master for submission to major streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. What is the primary reason for mastering to a specific integrated LUFS target (e.g., -14 LUFS)?

Accepted Answer

To prevent the streaming service's loudness normalization algorithm from turning the track down and potentially altering its dynamics.

Answer

To ensure the track is louder than all other songs on the platform.

Answer

To meet the technical requirements for high-fidelity audio formats like FLAC.

Answer

To automatically add compression and limiting during the upload process.

Question 5

In a typical mastering signal chain, what is the logical order for the three most fundamental processors?

Accepted Answer

EQ -> Compressor -> Limiter

Answer

Limiter -> Compressor -> EQ

Answer

Compressor -> Limiter -> EQ

Answer

Limiter -> EQ -> Compressor

Question 6

Which of the following describes the technique of 'serial compression'?

Accepted Answer

Routing a signal through two or more compressors, one after the other, in the same signal chain.

Answer

Blending a dry, uncompressed signal with a heavily compressed version of the same signal.

Answer

Using a compressor's sidechain input to trigger gain reduction from an external source.

Answer

Applying different compression settings to different frequency bands of the audio.