Music & Audio Advice Mixing and Mastering Fundamentals 2

Question 1

What does a high-pass filter do when applied to a track?

Accepted Answer

Removes low frequencies below the cutoff

Answer

A high-pass filter attenuates frequencies below its cutoff point, letting higher frequencies pass.

Question 2

What is the purpose of a de-esser in mixing?

Accepted Answer

To reduce harsh sibilant 's' and 't' sounds in vocals

Answer

A de-esser is a frequency-specific compressor that tames excessive sibilance in vocal recordings.

Question 3

Which compressor parameter sets how quickly gain reduction is applied after the signal exceeds the threshold?

Accepted Answer

Attack

Answer

The attack time determines how fast the compressor responds once the signal crosses the threshold.

Question 4

What is gain staging in a mix?

Accepted Answer

Managing signal levels at each stage to avoid noise and clipping

Answer

Gain staging keeps levels healthy through the signal chain to preserve headroom and avoid distortion.

Question 5

What does panning control in a stereo mix?

Accepted Answer

The left-right placement of a sound

Answer

Panning positions a sound across the stereo field between the left and right speakers.

Music & Audio Advice Practice Test