1. Name and describe five types of production tasks that ProTools can be used for.
Audio processing, MIDI sequencing, mixing, scores and notation, audio for video.
2. What’s the frequency range of human hearing?
Human hearing frequency range: 20 Hz-20 kHz.
3. What does the frequency of a sound wave affect in terms of how we perceive the sound? How is frequency measured?
The frequency of a sound wave directly affects the pitch of the sound, and is measured in hertz, Hz.
4. What does the amplitude of the sound wave affect? How is amplitude measured?
The amplitude of a sound wave affects the loudness perceived, measured in dB (decibels).
5. How does the sample rate of a system relate to the frequency of audio it can capture? What is the name of the law that specifies the relationship between sample rate and audio frequency?
The relationship between the audio frequency and the sample rate is described by the Nyquist Theorem which states that for an accurate representation each cycle of the sound’s vibration must be sampled at least twice, which considering the human hearing frequency range, leads to a required sample rate of minimum 40kHz.
6. How does the bit depth relate to the dynamic range of audio it can capture. How can you estimate the dynamic range of a system?
The bigger the bit depth, the greater the dynamic range of the audio (more discreet levels of amplitude). A good way of estimating the dynamic range capability of a system is by multiplying the bit depth by 6.
7. What are some common digital connections available on Pro Tools audio interfaces? What type of connector jack does each use?
Common digital connections include S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface), which uses RCA jacks (also called coaxial jacks), and AES/EBU (Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcast Union), which uses XLR-type connectors.
8. Name some audio interfaces that are compatible with standard Pro Tools software.
Any audio interface that includes a supported Core Audio (Mac) or ASIO (Windows) driver or peripherals such as Komplete Audio (Native Instruments), Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.
9. Name some Avid audio interfaces that are compatible with Pro Tools | Ultimate software.
Pro Tools|HD OMNI, Pro Tools|HD I/O, Pro Tools|HD MADI.