Mixing and Mastering Fundamentals Flashcards
7 cards from real Music & Audio Advice practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Mixing and Mastering Fundamentals flashcards as text
What is headroom in the context of mastering?
Answer: The gap between the loudest peak and 0 dBFS
Headroom is the unused level below digital maximum, giving processors and limiters room to work.
What is dithering used for when exporting a master?
Answer: Reducing quantization distortion when lowering bit depth
Dither adds low-level noise to mask quantization errors when reducing from 24-bit to 16-bit.
What does a mid/side EQ let you do that standard stereo EQ cannot?
Answer: Process the center and the sides independently
Mid/side processing separates the mono center from the stereo sides for targeted adjustments.
Why should the bass and kick drum often be panned to the center?
Answer: Low frequencies are less directional and keep the mix balanced and stable
Low-end energy centered avoids lopsided level and keeps vinyl and mono playback stable.
What is a 'true peak' meter measuring that a sample peak meter may miss?
Answer: Inter-sample peaks that can exceed the ceiling on conversion
True peak metering reconstructs the analog waveform to catch peaks between samples that cause clipping.
What is the main goal of the mastering stage?
Answer: Optimizing tonal balance and loudness for consistent playback everywhere
Mastering polishes the final mix for cohesion and translation across all playback systems.
What does a spectrum analyzer help a mixer identify?
Answer: Frequency buildup or gaps across the spectrum
A spectrum analyzer visualizes energy across frequencies, revealing muddiness or harshness to address.