Music & Audio Advice Audio Interfaces and Connectivity 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What sample rate is the standard for CD-quality audio?
- 44.1 kHz (Correct answer)
- 48 kHz
- 96 kHz
- 22.05 kHz
Correct answer: 44.1 kHz
CD audio is standardized at 44.1 kHz, while 48 kHz is more common in video work.
Question 2: Increasing the buffer size in your audio interface settings will generally do what?
- Increase latency but reduce CPU load (Correct answer)
- Decrease latency and CPU load
- Increase the sample rate
- Disable phantom power
Correct answer: Increase latency but reduce CPU load
Larger buffers give the CPU more time to process, lowering load but raising latency.
Question 3: Why are balanced cables preferred for long audio runs?
- They reject electromagnetic interference and hum (Correct answer)
- They carry more volume
- They are cheaper to make
- They transmit digital data faster
Correct answer: They reject electromagnetic interference and hum
Balanced connections use differential signaling to cancel out noise picked up along the cable.
Question 4: What is 'bit depth' responsible for in digital audio?
- The dynamic range and noise floor (Correct answer)
- The frequency range captured
- The number of input channels
- The cable connector type
Correct answer: The dynamic range and noise floor
Higher bit depth (e.g., 24-bit) increases dynamic range and lowers the noise floor.
Question 5: A guitar plugged directly into a line-level input often sounds thin because the input lacks what?
- High-impedance (Hi-Z/instrument) matching (Correct answer)
- Phantom power
- A digital clock
- A MIDI converter
Correct answer: High-impedance (Hi-Z/instrument) matching
Passive guitar pickups need a high-impedance DI/instrument input to be loaded correctly.
Question 6: What does the 'gain' knob on an interface preamp control?
- The amount the input signal is amplified (Correct answer)
- The output speaker volume
- The sample rate
- The stereo pan position
Correct answer: The amount the input signal is amplified
Gain sets how much the preamp boosts the incoming mic or instrument signal.
Question 7: Clipping in a digital recording occurs when the signal does what?
- Exceeds 0 dBFS, the maximum digital level (Correct answer)
- Drops below the noise floor
- Changes sample rate mid-recording
- Loses phantom power
Correct answer: Exceeds 0 dBFS, the maximum digital level
Digital clipping happens when the signal goes past 0 dBFS, producing harsh distortion.
Music & Audio Advice Audio Interfaces and Connectivity 3
What sample rate is the standard for CD-quality audio?