Grade 10 media technology – Audio Production Quiz

Dynamic microphones are durable and often have directional pickup patterns that reduce background noise, making them a practical choice for busy Kenyan radio studios.

CD audio uses a sample rate of 44.1 kHz, which captures the audio bandwidth needed for high-quality music playback.

CD-quality audio uses 16-bit depth, providing enough dynamic range for music while keeping file sizes moderate.

Gain staging means setting levels carefully at each device (microphone preamp, interface, DAW) so signals are strong but do not clip, keeping noise low.

Phantom power (usually 48V) provides the DC voltage required by condenser microphones' internal electronics; dynamic mics do not need it.

Balanced wiring carries the same signal on two conductors with opposite polarity, which helps reject noise when combined at the input; this is essential for longer cable runs in Kenyan studios.

Latency is the delay caused by converting, processing, and routing audio in digital systems; low latency is important for live monitoring and recording.

Omnidirectional microphones capture sound uniformly from 360 degrees, useful for round-table interviews but less effective at rejecting background noise.

Clipping occurs when an amplifier or digital converter is overdriven and cannot reproduce peaks, producing harsh distortion; preventing clipping is crucial during Kenyan broadcast and recording.

EQ lets you adjust bass, midrange, and treble frequencies to balance elements in a mix or fix problematic tones before broadcast or mastering.

A pop filter diffuses the strong air blasts from plosives so the microphone doesn't overload or record unpleasant pops, common practice in Kenyan studio voiceovers.

A DAW (like Audacity, Reaper, or Pro Tools) runs on a computer and is the central tool for producing audio projects in schools and studios.

Dynamic range measures how much variation a recording or system can handle between soft and loud sounds without unwanted noise or distortion.

Stereo places sounds across left and right channels to give a sense of space, while mono sums everything into one channel—Kenyan newsreaders often use mono, while music is usually stereo.

Foley artists reproduce everyday sounds in a studio to match on-screen actions, widely used in Kenyan film and TV post-production to improve realism.

Normalization scales the entire waveform up or down so the highest peak reaches a set level; it doesn't change the relative differences between loud and soft parts.

Placing the mic near the 12th fret balances the warmth of the body and the clarity of the strings; placing it on the sound hole is usually too boomy for a clear recording.

XLR connectors provide balanced audio and secure locking for professional microphones, and are standard in Kenyan studios and broadcast environments.

Compression controls levels so a voice or instrument sits more consistently in a mix; properly used, it helps broadcasts and music sound professional on Kenyan radio and streaming.

An audio interface connects microphones and instruments to a computer, handling A/D and D/A conversion and offering clean mic preamps for recording lessons and projects.

Impedance is an electrical characteristic; matching microphone impedance to the preamp input helps maintain signal quality and minimizes noise in recordings.

Acoustic treatment (absorbers, diffusers) improves recording quality by controlling reflections; full soundproofing is different and more costly but treatment helps Kenyan school studios significantly.

Panning positions instruments and voices between left and right channels to create a sense of space and separation in a stereo mix.

Video and film typically use 48 kHz because it's the standard for audiovisual sync and broadcast; Kenyan producers and broadcasters follow this convention.

Headroom is the safety margin engineers leave so unexpected peaks don't clip; maintaining headroom is important when recording live events or broadcasts in Kenya.