how many components in a DAW - correct answer 3
what are the three components - correct answer Audio Sources, signal
flow/bussing/processing topology, hardware
Audio system - correct answer governs the way the computer records and processes
the audio signals
Native system - correct answer uses computers CPU to process audio
Native system pros - correct answer cost efficient, more portable
Native system cons - correct answer relies on cpu for processing, latency, greater
potential for inconsistent performance
DSP system - correct answer Digital Signal Processing, uses dedicated hardware to
process audio signals. connected via PCI slot
DSP pros - correct answer lower latency, CPU isn't doing the processing, greater
consistency
DSP cons - correct answer cost, usually not as flexible as native systems
Audio interfaces - correct answer purpose is to get audio in and out of computer
Firewire - correct answer faster, better choice for larger I/O options
, USB - correct answer most common in 2 in/2 out configurations
PCI Interfaces - correct answer connects via PCI bus directly into motherboard, I/O
can be part of the card or attached via a cable to an interface
Analog Interfaces - correct answer analog signal must be converted into a digital
signal, upon output signal must be converted D/A
Digital Interfaces - correct answer assumes only digital connection, no need for D/A,
A/D. must be conscience of clocking as improperly clocked digital signals introduce unwanted artifacts
such as ticks
PCMCIA - correct answer Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.
Laptop version of PCI connections w/same benefits as PCI. need a PCMCIA-PCI adapter
PCMCIA in Apple/future - correct answer removed from current laptops in favor of a
flash memory SD card, probably be replaced by thunderbolt
Drivers - correct answer Glue between hardware & software, as well as between
applications
Benefit of drivers? - correct answer allows programmers to write software
independently of a specific hardware device, which leads to better interfacing
API - correct answer Application Programming Interface - allows audio to pass
between applications
ASIO Driver - correct answer steinberg's low latency, high performance audio
standard
Core Audio - correct answer introduced in OSX10, handles all aspects of audio. used
to write standalone applications