CMP Audio Mixing Techniques 3

Question 1

What does the 'attack' parameter on a compressor control?

Accepted Answer

How quickly the compressor reduces gain after the threshold is exceeded

Answer

The attack time determines how fast the compressor responds and begins reducing gain once the signal crosses the threshold.

Question 2

In EQ, what does a 'bell curve' (peaking filter) allow you to do?

Accepted Answer

Boost or cut a specific frequency range with an adjustable bandwidth (Q)

Answer

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.

Question 3

What is 'pre-delay' in a reverb plugin and why is it useful?

Accepted Answer

A short time gap between the dry signal and the onset of reverb, helping preserve transient clarity

Answer

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.

Question 4

When would you typically use a multiband compressor instead of a standard broadband compressor?

Accepted Answer

When you need to control dynamics independently across different frequency ranges

Answer

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.

Question 5

What is the 'Haas effect' and how is it applied in mixing?

Accepted 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

Answer

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.

(CMP) Certified Music Producer Practice Test

(CMP) Certified Music Producer Practice Test

CMP Audio Mixing Techniques 3