How Recording Changed Music · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
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How recording changed music

Arts & Music · Music · ages 15-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________
  1. What does a microphone produce from sound?

    • An electrical signal
    • A stored sequence of audio measurements
    • Sound waves produced during playback
  2. Before sound recording, what was needed to hear a song again after a performance?

    • Another performance of the song
    • A stored sound copy of that same performance
    • A saved audio file containing that performance
  3. A speaker converts an electrical audio signal into sound.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A producer samples another artist's record and names that artist. Which statement is supported by the naming alone?

    • Credit is given; permission and payment still need checking
    • Credit is given; permission follows, but payment still needs checking
    • Credit is given; payment is settled, but permission still needs checking
  5. A singer has separate drum and vocal tracks. The singer wants a replacement vocal with the original drums and no old vocal in the mix. Which plan achieves this?

    • Record drums and vocals together again, then use that new take
    • Add a new vocal to a mix that still contains drums and old vocals
    • Keep the drum track, record a new vocal, then mix those tracks
  6. A band copies only a .cda entry onto a computer, then removes the audio CD. Why is that entry not a portable copy of the song?

    • It holds compressed song audio that needs conversion before playback
    • It points to a CD track rather than storing its audio
    • It holds uncompressed audio that needs the disc during playback
  7. An unsigned musician uses a distributor to deliver a recording to a streaming service. A friend calls this direct artist uploading. Which conclusion fits the route described?

    • The distributor's delivery shows that the artist uploaded directly to the service
    • The release reaches the service without a record deal, through a distributor
    • The service's acceptance shows that the artist signed a record deal for the release
  8. A writer wants listeners to hear the hook before deciding whether to skip a stream. Which plan addresses that aim without assuming streaming requires short intros?

    • Shorten the whole song by cutting material after the hook
    • Bring the hook forward, treating the intro length as a choice
    • Keep the hook's place, but save a smaller audio file for streaming
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

How recording changed music W1-mt_CP9uGPaeez-s1

  1. An electrical signal · A microphone converts sound into an electrical signal. Digital recording equipment stores measurements, while a speaker produces sound during playback.
  2. Another performance of the song · Memory or notation could preserve the song, but hearing it again required another performance rather than replay.
  3. True · Playback equipment supplies an electrical audio signal. The speaker converts that signal into sound.
  4. Credit is given; permission and payment still need checking · Naming the artist establishes credit. It supplies no evidence that permission was granted or payment agreed.
  5. Keep the drum track, record a new vocal, then mix those tracks · Keep the original drum track and mix it with the replacement vocal track, leaving the old vocal out. This preserves the drums without retaining the earlier vocal.
  6. It points to a CD track rather than storing its audio · A .cda entry points to a CD track and contains no song audio. Ripping reads the disc's audio and saves a separate playable file.
  7. The release reaches the service without a record deal, through a distributor · The musician remains unsigned and uses a distributor. That supports release without a record deal, not direct artist uploading or an inferred record deal.
  8. Bring the hook forward, treating the intro length as a choice · Moving the hook earlier addresses the opening listeners hear before skipping. Cutting later material or shrinking the file does not move the hook forward. Intro length remains a choice.
Worksheet · LightMySky