Sound Techniques Quiz (text version)

This is the textual version of the "Technical Quiz" from LaSonotheque. To play the interactive version, go to this page. The answers to the questions are at the bottom of the page.

• Level Easy
• Level Intermediate
• Level Difficult
• Level Expert
• Answers

Have fun !

Easy

Question 1

How fast does sound travel through air?

1. 34 meters per second
2. 340 meters per second
3. 3,400 meters per second

Question 2

What is the frequency spectrum audible to humans?

1. 20 kHz à 20 MHz
2. 20 Hz à 20 kHz
3. 20 Hz à 20 MHz

Question 3

What do you call headphones that don't let much outside sound through?

1. Blocking headphones
2. Closed headphones
3. Hard hat
4. Cap

Question 4

What does the value “44,100 Hz” correspond to?

1. A random number
2. A commonly used sampling frequency
3. The frequency of a high 'A' (10th octave)
4. The number of pieces composed by Hans Zimmer (Hz)

Question 5

I provide sound for a group. The singer has a microphone problem.

1. I run away
2. I'll help him
3. I pretend not to see him

Question 6

How do you call a speaker that incorporates a power amplifier?

1. A passive speaker
2. An active speaker

Question 7

The sound cannot travel...

1. In the tea
2. In wood
3. In stone
4. In space
5. In metal

Intermediate

Question 1

What does the acronym “H.F.” mean?

1. Hydrophone Fluoré
2. High Frequency
3. Highly Fragile

Question 2

What directionality characterizes a microphone that picks up everything around it in the same way?

1. Omnidirectional
2. Cardioid
3. Supercardioid
4. Hypercardioid

Question 3

A 19" rack, a 24" screen, an 18" speaker... But how many centimeters is 1"?

1. 1,27 cm
2. 2,45 cm
3. 2,54 cm

Question 4

An audio file intended for a 5.1 setup contains how many channels?

1. 5 channels
2. 5.1 channels
3. 6 channels
4. 51 channels

Question 5

In this list, which format is "lossy"?

1. WAVE (Waveform Audio File Format)
2. AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format)
3. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding)
4. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec)

Question 6

Which microphone picks up sound mainly in front of it?

1. Omnidirectional Microphone
2. Cardioid Microphone
3. Bidirectional Microphone

Question 7

What unit is used to measure sound pressure?

1. Hertz
2. Watt
3. Decibel (dB)
4. Volt

Difficult

Question 1

What does “D.I.” mean?

1. Dj Inspired
2. Disconnection Input
3. Direct Injection

Question 2

In a balanced XLR, there is a hot spot, a cold spot and?

1. A warm point
2. A neutral point
3. A ground
4. A dot is all

Question 3

How much is 80 dB + 80 dB?

1. 83 dB
2. 88 dB
3. 160 dB

Question 4

A mono jack is 'TS', a stereo one is 'TRS', there are even 'TRRS' jacks. What does 'TRS' mean?

1. Total Range Sound
2. Inventor Teddy R. Simpson
3. Tip, Ring & Sleeve

Question 5

What happens when two sound waves are in phase?

1. They cancel each other out
2. They increase in intensity
3. They change frequency
4. They become inaudible

Question 6

What is sampling in digital audio?

1. Reading speed
2. Analog-to-digital conversion
3. Frequency measurement
4. Capturing sound fragments at regular intervals

Question 7

What does "SPL" mean in audio?

1. Sound Phase Level
2. Signal Processing Level
3. Sound Pressure Level
4. Sound Pan Level

Question 8

I am a stereo sound recording technique created by a renowned French institution. I use two microphones spaced 17 cm apart, with a precise angle of 110 degrees between them. My name is an acronym. Who am I?

1. AB
2. XY
3. MS
4. ORTF
5. OSS

Expert

Question 1

The sound frequency of my horn is 520 Hz when stationary. I activate it from my car while driving towards you at 50 km/h. What is its frequency then?

1. 478 Hz
2. 520 Hz
3. 541 Hz

Question 2

“Cannon” is also the nickname of what connection?

1. XLR
2. Jack
3. Cinch

Question 3

In what year was the first (carbon) microphone invented?

1. 1868
2. 1878
3. 1888

Question 4

How much does one minute of a stereo WAV file, recorded at 48,000 Hz/24 bits, weigh?

1. 11,69 MB
2. 16,48 MB
3. 17,67 MB
4. 20 MB

Question 5

What is "crosstalk" in a stereo recording?

1. Inverting left and right channels
2. Superimposing two sounds
3. Leaking from one channel to the other
4. Signal compression

Question 6

What is the influence of air temperature on the speed of sound propagation?

1. It has no influence
2. The higher the temperature, the higher the speed of sound
3. The higher the temperature, the lower the speed of sound
4. The temperature only affects the frequency of sound

Question 7

What is the effect of bit quantization on the dynamics of a digital audio signal?

1. It improves the sampling frequency
2. It determines the maximum dynamic range
3. It affects stereophony
4. It has no impact on quality

Question 8

If my sample rate is 44.1 kHz, what is the maximum audio rate I can theoretically record?

1. 22,05 kHz
2. 44,1 kHz
3. 88,2 kHz

Question 9

In theory, what is the dynamic range of a 24-bit encoded audio signal?

1. 24 dB
2. 107 dB
3. 144 dB
4. 240 dB

Answers

Easy - remonter ↥

Q1 : 340 meters per second / Q2 : 20 Hz à 20 kHz / Q3 : Closed headphones / Q4 : A commonly used sampling frequency / Q5 : I'll help him / Q6 : An active speaker / Q7 : In space /

Intermediate - remonter ↥

Q1 : High Frequency / Q2 : Omnidirectional / Q3 : 2,54 cm / Q4 : 6 channels / Q5 : AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) / Q6 : Cardioid Microphone / Q7 : Decibel (dB) /

Difficult - remonter ↥

Q1 : Direct Injection / Q2 : A ground / Q3 : 83 dB / Q4 : Tip, Ring & Sleeve / Q5 : They increase in intensity / Q6 : Capturing sound fragments at regular intervals / Q7 : Sound Pressure Level / Q8 : ORTF /

Expert - remonter ↥

Q1 : 541 Hz / Q2 : XLR / Q3 : 1878 / Q4 : 16,48 MB / Q5 : Leaking from one channel to the other / Q6 : The higher the temperature, the higher the speed of sound / Q7 : It determines the maximum dynamic range / Q8 : 22,05 kHz / Q9 : 144 dB /