CMP Audio Mixing Techniques 2

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of a high-pass filter (HPF) on most non-bass instruments during a mix?

Accepted Answer

To remove low-frequency rumble and muddiness

Answer

To add brightness to the top end

Answer

To boost the fundamental frequency

Answer

To increase perceived loudness

Question 2

In audio mixing, what does the term 'gain staging' refer to?

Accepted Answer

Managing signal levels at each point in the signal chain to avoid noise and clipping

Answer

Setting the master fader to unity gain

Answer

Applying gain only to the first insert on a channel

Answer

Using a gain plugin as a final limiter

Question 3

Which mixing technique uses a fast attack and slow release on a compressor to help a snare drum punch through the mix?

Accepted Answer

New York compression

Answer

Parallel compression

Answer

Transient shaping

Answer

Sidechain compression

Question 4

What is 'masking' in the context of audio mixing?

Accepted Answer

When two sounds occupy overlapping frequency ranges and one obscures the other

Answer

Muting a track temporarily during editing

Answer

Applying a noise gate to reduce bleed

Answer

Hiding automation changes with volume rides

Question 5

What does a de-esser primarily target in a vocal track?

Accepted Answer

Harsh sibilant frequencies (typically 4–10 kHz) caused by 's' and 'sh' sounds

Answer

Low-frequency proximity effect

Answer

Room reflections in the mid-range

Answer

Clipping distortion above 16 kHz

Question 6

What is the function of send/return (aux) routing in a DAW mix?

Accepted Answer

To apply one instance of an effect (like reverb) to multiple channels simultaneously

Answer

To route audio directly to the master bus without processing

Answer

To merge two mono tracks into a stereo pair

Answer

To bypass all insert effects on a channel

Question 7

Which panning law setting compensates for the perceived volume increase when a signal is panned to center in a stereo mix?

Accepted Answer

-3 dB panning law

Answer

0 dB panning law

Answer

+6 dB panning law

Answer

-6 dB panning law