Midterm Review - Signal Processing

Part 1: Filters & EQ

1. What is the definition of a filter?

2. What are the 6 most common filter types, and how do each of them
function? How are they visually represented?

3. What are the 1st 3 harmonics and 1st 3 octaves of 750Hz?

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4. What are the two factors used to identify a high=pass or low=pass filter?
How do they affect the filter?

5. What is an EQ?

6. What is the difference between an active EQ and a passive EQ?

7. What are the 5 main types of equalizers?

8. Why would you use a linear phase EQ over a normal (minimum phase)
EQ?

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9. What are the 3 main parameters on an equalizer? How do they work?

10. True or false: EQ can only be applied to an individual channel within a

mix.

True / False

11. What is pink noise? How does it differ from white noise?

12. What is a crossover?

Part 2: Dynamic Processing

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13. Define the following terms:

Headroom -

Signal-To-Noise Ratio -

Dynamic Range -

14. Is a larger or smaller signal-to-noise ratio better? Why?

15. What are the 3 audio metering systems discussed in class?

16. What are the 4 types of Dynamic Processors discussed in class?

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17. Define the following dynamic processor parameters:

Threshold -

Ratio -

Attack -

Release -

Knee -

Make-Up Gain -

18. What is a limiter? Can a compressor be used as a limiter? If so, how?

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19. What is a multi-band compressor?

20. What is a de-esser?

21. What is the difference between a gate and an expander?

22. What is a transient designer?

23. What is the loudness war?

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Part 3: Modulation & Time-Based Effects

24. What are time based effects? What are the 4 main types of time based
effects?

25. What is Reverb?

26. What is delay?

27. Define the following reverb/delay parameters:

Pre-Delay -

RT60 -

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Wet/Dry Balance -

28. Define the following types of modulation:

Flanger -

Phaser -

Chorus -

29. What is an impulse response?

30. What is a convolution reverb?

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31. What is a pre-verb effect? How would you create this?

Part 4: Advanced Dynamic & Harmonic Processing

32. What is saturation? What piece of analog gear does saturation have its
origins in?

33. True or false: Harmonic distortion in transformers is caused by two

effects - Hysteresis in high level signals and Saturation in low level

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signals.

True / False

34. What are the 3 types of Vacuum tubes discussed in class? What types
of harmonics do they produce?

35. Define the following types of processing:

Series Processing -

Parallel Processing -

Bus Processing -

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36. What is clipping?

37. Define the following types of distortion:

Overdrive -

Distortion -

Fuzz -

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38. What is the function of an “exciter”?

39. How does a transient designer detect and react to signals? Is this
different from how a compressor reacts? If so, how?

40. Describe the routing process for “New York Style” drum compression.

41. What is “side-chaining”? How is it routed? How can it be applied in a

mix?

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42. What is a stereo enhancer, and how does it function?

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