Music Technology
Name 3 DAWs (Digital Audio Workstation)
Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Cubase, Reaper, Studio One, Reason, GarageBand, Bitwig Studio, LUNA,...
This classic music theory visual diagram displays the relationships between the 12 tones of the chromatic scale?
What is The Circle of Fifths?
What does ADSR stand for?
What is Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release?
Spring, plate, and hall are all types of this common audio effect used to create echo-like reflections and simulate acoustic space
What is Reverberation?
This basic tool allows a mixer to balance the frequency spectrum of a track by boosting or cutting frequency bands (i.e., bass, mids, or treble)
What is an Equalizer (EQ)?
This universal digital protocol, established in 1983, transmits performance data like note values, timing, and velocity from a physical hardware keyboard to your virtual instrument plugins inside a DAW
What is MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)?
Name any 3 types of musical scales (or modes).
Major (Ionian), Natural Minor (Aeolian), Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Chromatic, Whole-tone, Pentatonic, Lydian, Mixolydian, Phrygian, Dorian, Locrian
This type of fundamental sound wave consists of a single frequency, with no harmonics or overtones
What is a Sine Wave (Pure Tone)?
The process of adjusting parameters of a track over time (e.g., volume, panning, effects)
What is Automation?
This control determines where an audio signal sits horizontally in the left and right speakers in a stereo mix
What is Panning?
This digital audio setting determines the maximum frequency that can be accurately recorded (ie. the number of times per second your system measures the amplitude of an analog wave)
What is Sample Rate (in Hz / kHz)?
You are producing a track in the A minor key. What is its relative major key—meaning the key that shares the exact same key signature and sharp/flats?
What is C Major?
In this type of synthesis, the timbre of a sound is altered by using the output of one signal (modulator) to rapidly change the frequency of the primary signal (carrier)
What is Frequency Modulation (FM) Synthesis?
Name two types of distortion/saturation
Tape saturation, Tube overdrive, Clipping, Bitcrushing, Fuzz, Diode saturation, Phase distortion
This audio routing path workflow allows engineers to blend processed duplicate signals, like a shared reverb or delay channel, back into the main mix
What is a Send and Return (Aux Bus/Send) Track?
With its units, what is the term to describe the difference in volume between the quietest and loudest sound?
What is Dynamic Range (in dB)?
What is the term for rearranging the vertical order of notes within a chord to create smoother voice leading and transitions? (e.g., E-G-C instead of C-E-G)
What is Chord Inversion?
This type of sub-audible oscillator (below 20 Hz) is used to modulate parameters like pitch or volume, rather than creating an audible tone?
What is a Low-Frequency Oscillator (LFO)?
What modulation effect splits an audio signal, delays one copy (by less than 15 ms), and varies that delay time with an LFO to create a "jet-plane" comb filter sound?
What is a Flanger?
What is the name for the curves that map out human hearing, showing how sound pressure levels must change across different frequencies for our ears to perceive them as equally loud?
What is the Equal Loudness Contour (Fletcher-Munson Curve)?
If your project is overloading your CPU while mixing, should you increase or decrease the buffer size?
What is Increase buffer size?
Make three adjustments to the C Dominant 7th Chord (C - E - G - B♭), to make it a Fully Diminished 7th chord. (Hint: The bass note C stays the same!)
1. Lower the E to E♭
2. Lower the G to G♭
3. Lower the B♭ to B♭♭ (or A)
Because it requires an infinite number of odd harmonics, what is the name of the basic waveform that can never be perfectly generated digitally without causing harsh distortion?
What is a Square Wave (Pulse Wave)?
This technique blends a dynamic audio signal with a heavily compressed copy of the same track to achieve punch and body
What is Parallel Compression?
Streaming platforms like Spotify use this modern, integrated loudness measurement unit—which accounts for human hearing perception—to normalize track volumes
What is LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale)?
Spotify/Youtube Music/Tidal: -14 LUFS
Apple Music: -16 LUFS