Audio & Science in the Service of Art
Intro to Audio History and Professional Practices of the Audio Engineer
Test
by Ric Wallace ©2008
1. The first sound wave produced in our solar system came from what?
B. The Sun. Which still has a 4.5 billion year old oscillating sound-wave within it. The study of this wave is known as Helioseismology.
2. The first moving coil transducer was invented by whom in 1874?
C. Ernst W. Siemens invented the concept but failed to patent it as a sound reproducing device. Alexander G. Bell recognized the mistake and patented his device for use in his phone.
3. In 1926 Bell Labs made the first sound systems for what application?
D. Movie Theaters. They where rapidly changing from "movies" to the "talkies" in that era.
4. Who invented the theory of stereo?
B. Alan Blumlien of EMI, England in 1931.
5. Name a material used for recording sound before tape was available?
D. All of the above. Acetate disc cutters were very precise instruments. Recording studios were insanely expensive.
6. Where was plastic based, ferrite coated recording tape developed?
D. Germany. The Germans were way ahead of everyone else in developing high end electronics for audio.
7. Name the Company that pioneered the development of the cardioid dynamic mic.
B. Shure Bros. Yes, you can drive a freaking 16 penny nail through a 2X4 with an SM58 and it will still work fine. Although they pioneered the cardiod dynamic mic in 1938 with the original Unidyne Model 55. The 58 didn't come untill 1966.
8. Ampex was originally formed to produce what for the Army?
C. Electric motors. Precise control over capstan motors is very important to tape deck operation. I don't know if that really played a role in their choice to make tape machines but it was obviously fortuitous.
9. How were the first tape decks developed in America?
A. An Army major absconded with two machines from Germany during WWII. In other words he stole them! Shipped them home to himself and when he returned from the war he reassembled them and started shopping for a developer. Bing Crosby's show was all recorded and mixed direct to acetate disc and then broadcast on radio. The sound sucked. Crosby and his producer helped pave the way for Ampex to develop their own design based on those two machines. The story goes that there was only one 1200 foot real of tape when he found the machines and they had to use it over and over again on Crosby's show until 3M could reverse engineerBASF's formula!
10. Les Paul invented what technique by modifying his recorder with an extra playback head?
B. Sound-on-Sound. Which is the conceptual idea behind "playing and sing along with oneself". This of course led him to envision his "Sel-Sync" method of multi-track recording.
11. In 1969, the largest sound system built to date was installed for what?
C. Woodstock . It was mud powered apparently. And it doesn't really look all that massive . Don't believe the hype!
12. Which band developed a sound system that had hundreds of speakers placed behind them?
C. The Grateful Dead . And it's an absolutely beautiful thing to see pictures of . It must have been a real bitch to haul around and setup though.
13. Self Powered speaker cabinets are highly efficient because?
A. The amplifiers in the cabinet are optimized for the various transducer's individual performance specifications. Modern efficiency ratings for speakers exceed 1% with extremely low harmonic distortion ratings.
14. L-Acoustics V-Dosc "Wave Sculpture Technology" is based on the theories of what 19th century physicist?
C. Augustin-Jean Fresnel. Specifically his theories involving multiple waveforms from multiple sources and how they combine and interact through destructive & constructive interference.
15. Specifically, what theories are L-Acoustics applying to speaker cabinet architecture?
B. Wave functions of light. More specifically his theories of light and optics. He invented the Fresnel Lens .
16. Future sound systems might be effected by current research on what scientific endeavor?
D. All of the above. Meta materials and the hypersonic sound stuff is fascinating to read about. these fields of research will an impact on the live audio industry someday soon I'll bet.
17. The most basic description of the job of a live sound engineer during a music performance is what?
C. Relative audio balancing . Probably the single hardest skill to learn as a FOH engineer. Being able to stand back and see the whole picture as a sum of it's parts.
18. Besides training your ear with tones, what is another example of ear training?
D. All of the above. Skills that take years of training to develop.
19. How focused on the stage should you be during a performance?
C. Totally, you're the fifth wheel of the band and your performance is as critical as a band member.
20. Indicate which of these concepts apply to a FOH sound engineer
D. All the above
21. Controlling the mix output to remain within a set dynamic range is achieved by?
B. Use a compressor/limiter to control the output. Dynamic range is the most misunderstood concept in live audio.
22. The human ear is most sensitive in what frequency range?
C. 1000Hz-3000Hz. Why do you think guitar players and drummers wear earplugs? Because they play their own instruments with total disregard to the impact they have on other peoples hearing. A major failure of ethics if you ask me. If they didn't wear the plugs they would go deaf themselves. Evil!
23. Hearing damage of any type is?
B. Cumulative. That's right, hearing damage CANNOT BE REPAIRED. Nor does it heal spontaneously. Be kind to yours and other's auditory health and well being.
24. What is an important tool for any live sound engineer?
D. All of the above, It's a mostly thankless task. Find comfort and pride in doing your job well!