Answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible. Be clear and specific in your answers.

Assume the reader knows nothing about any of these subjects.

Answers should be in paragraph form, and should (at a minimum) address the keywords provided.

All should be typed and free from grammatical and spelling errors. It should go without saying that answers should make sense, and that each sentence should follow logically from the one preceding it.

These are to be submitted as hard copy. Electronic submissions will not be accepted.

While it is expected that students will work together on these reports, all submissions should be in a your own words. If identical answers are submitted from more than one student, all these answers will be given zero credit.

When you look at the oscilloscope plot of an audio file in a program like Sound Studio or Audacity, what physical phenomenon does the plot represent?

Keywords:

• air pressure levels

What is a sample in digital audio? How do samples allow audio to be represented as a collection of numbers?

Keywords:

• Instantaneous amplitude

How can you change the amplitude level of an audio file in Sound Studio or Audacity? What is being done to the samples when you do this?

Keywords:

• Menu for implementing the effect
• multiplication

Explain the Nyquist theorem.  When you download an audio file and check its sampling rate, what does this tell you about the file?

Keywords:

• Sampling rate
• Highest frequency

What is bit depth? Why is it important? When you download an audio file and check its bit depth, what does this tell you about the file?

Keywords:

• binary numbers
• Accuracy
• file information

Imagine you are saving an audio file for Internet use, and you want to reduce the file size. You have the option of reducing the sampling rate or the word size (bit depth). Explain the consequences of each.

Keywords:

• Nyquist frequency
• distortion

What is a wavetable? Does it determine a sound's frequency, amplitude, or timbre?

Keywords:

• Sample collection
• Wave shape

Describe the four basic filter types. Sketch the frequency response of each, and explain the parameters used to describe each. Describe a specific plug-in in Logic Express (or an equivalent program) that implements each filter type.

Keywords:

• Filter name (x 4) [0.25 point each]
• Frequency response sketch (x 4)
• Explanation ( x 4)

What is the difference between an insert effect and a bussed effect in Logic Express? Describe how to implement each. What is the difference between a pre-fader send and a post-fader send?

Keywords:

• wet vs. dry mix

What does the resonance setting in a filter plug-in refer to? How does it affect the sound?

Keywords:

• feedback level
• frequency response

Define one of the following. Describe a Logic Express plug-in (or a plug-in from an equivalent program) that implements it, and how you've used this plug-in.

• Phase shifter
    (Keywords: cascade, allpass, oscillate, delay time, example)
• Flanger
    (Keywords: feedback, comb, oscillate, delay time, example)
• Chorus
    (Keywords: feedforward, comb, oscillate, delay time, example)

What is "reverb"?  What are the three basic parameters of sound propagation, and what cues do they give the auditory system about a space? Describe where can they be found in one of the reverb plug-ins in Logic Express (or an equivalent program).

Keywords:

• Natural simulation
• Direct
• Early reflection
• Diffuse
• Location
• Size
• Room filter
• Logic Express example

In MIDI Channel Voice messages, what differentiates a status byte and a data byte? What type of information is contained in each?

Keywords:

• Status MSB
• Data MSB
• type
• channel
• value
• nibble1
• nibble2
• 7 bits

Give an example from Logic Express' Event List of a single message. How is the information displayed there distributed in one of the Channel Voice message types?

Describe all types of MIDI Channel Voice messages.  Describe the number of  bytes in each, the type of information contained in each byte, and the range of values that are possible for each piece of information contained in the message. Include an example of how each message type may be entered into Logic Express (or an equivalent program), either from a synthesizer or from within Logic Express, and how or where it will be displayed. Arrange your answer in a table formatted like so:

Message type		Type of information	Value range	Explanation
	Data byte one
	Data byte two
	Data byte one
	Data byte two
	Data byte one
	Data byte two
	Data byte one
	Data byte one
	Data byte one
	Data byte two
	Data byte one
	Data byte two

What are the characteristics of General MIDI?  How is it important outside the area of basic music production? What software used in this class can play General MIDI files?

Keywords:

• Patch standardization
• Drum channel
• General multi-media
• Software example