KICUKIRO DISTRICT COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT

EXAM TITLE: SOUND REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM

CLASS /TRADE: L5 MULTIMEDIA
Date: …………………………………
DURATION: 3HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS:
The paper contains three (3) sections:
SECTION I: Twelve (12) questions, all compulsory 55 MARKS
SECTION II: Five (5) questions, choose any three (3) 30 MARKS
SECTION III: Two (2) questions, choose any one (1) 15 MARKS

SECTION I: Attempt all question /55 MARKS

Question 1: What is a loudspeaker? /2marks

A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer; a device which converts an

electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. The most widely used type
of speaker is the dynamic speaker.

Loudspeaker, also called speaker, in sound reproduction, device for converting

electrical energy into acoustical signal energy that is radiated into a room or
open air.

Question 2: What is a Microphone? /2marks

A microphone is a device that captures audio by converting sound waves into

an electrical signal.
Microphone: an instrument for converting sound waves into electrical energy
variations which may then be amplified, transmitted, or recorded.

Question 3: What does studio masters mean in audio production? /? /2marks

Studio master is completely uncompressed audio files

Question 4: What does Decay mean in sound system? /2marks
Decay is the time taken for the subsequent run down from the attack level to
the designated sustain level. Sustain is the level during the main sequence of
the sound's duration, until the key is released. Release is the time taken for the
level to decay from the sustain level to zero after the key is released.

Question 5: Define /2marks

a. Woofer: is a technical term for loudspeaker driver designed to produce low

frequency /1mark
b a mixer is audio device which takes two or more audio signals, mixes them
together and provides one or more output signals.?. /1mark
Question 6: /5marks
a) The sound equipment can generate sound in form of electrical signals
where the sound that can heard with person comes as a sound wave,
give and differentiate the type of sound waves that everyone can hear.
/3marks
Longitudinal Waves: A wave in which the particles of the medium
vibrate back and forth in the ‘same direction’ in which the wave is
moving. Medium can be solid, liquid or gases. Therefore, sound waves
are longitudinal waves.
Transverse Waves: A wave in which the particles of the medium
vibrate up and down ‘at right angles’ to the direction in which the
wave is moving. These waves are produced only in a solids and liquids
but not in gases.
b) Differentiate disturbance to variation? /2marks
Disturbance: a state in which normal mental or physical functioning is
disrupted.
Variation: a change or slight difference in condition, amount, or level, typically
within certain limits.
Question 7: Write the full word for the following terms /5marks
a) dB: Decibel /1mark
b) MIDI: Musical Instrument Digital Interface /1mark
c) MADI: Multichannel Audio Digital Interface /1mark
d) XLR: External Line Return /1mark
e) TS: Tip Sleeve /1mark
Question 8: The PA system refers to the system of installing different sound
equipment to provide the sound to the audience, in that installation of the PA
system also Sound cable can be used as the equipment. What the Sound cable
mean in PA system and what are the main functions of sound cables in PA
system? /5marks
Sound Cable: is cable used to transfer analog or digital signals from audio
source to amplifier or powered speaker cable are identified by their plugs and
sockets than by the shape or color of the wire that is used. /2.5marks
A sound cable used to transfer analog or digital signals from an audio source
to an amplifier or powered speaker. Cables are identified more by their plugs
and sockets than by the shape or color of the wire that is used. See analog
audio and audio connections. /2.5marks
Question 9.Hearing level refers to the way audience can receive the sound
through the ears and also there is different types of hearing levels that can
describe more what is hearing levels, describe those four (4) types of hearing
levels /5marks

Symbolic level: If you describe an event, action, or procedure as

symbolic, you mean that it represents an important change,
although it has little practical effect.
Aesthetic levels: is a branch of philosophy that deals with the
nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (itself a
subdivision of philosophy and branch of aesthetics). It examines
subjective and sensor-emotional values, or sometimes called
judgments of sentiment and taste.
Aesthetics covers both natural and artificial sources of aesthetic
experience and judgment. It considers what happens in our minds
when we engage with aesthetic objects or environments, such as
viewing visual art, listening to music, reading poetry, or exploring
nature.
The definition of aesthetic is being interested in how something
looks and feels.
Warning levels: Warning levels are compiler warnings, the code
you have written is analyze and problematic code will generate
warnings (that can be treated as errors). There are four levels, with
four being the strictest level and also the default level. 0 Turns off
emission of all warning messages.
Primitive levels: A low-level object or operation from which
higher-level, more complex objects and operations can be
constructed. In graphics, primitives are basic elements, such as
lines, curves, and polygons, which you can combine to create more
complex graphical images

Question 10. Saving and exporting is one of the process that can be done after
producing audio, in that process of saving and exporting the audio there is the
way of choosing audio file format be used in export and saving process of the
audio, explain clearly what is an Audio file format and give two examples of
audio file format you know? /5marks
An audio file format is a file format for storing digital audio data on a
computer system. The bit layout of the audio data (excluding metadata) is
called the audio coding format and can be uncompressed, or compressed to
reduce the file size, often using lossy compression.
Mp3
.3gp
.aa
aac
flac
Question 11: Based on the figure below define the term shown on the
figure /5marks

Frequency

a) Peak (also, crest) highest point of a wave.

b) Trough lowest point of a wave.
c) The amplitude of a wave is the height of a wave as measured from the
highest point on the wave (peak or crest) to the lowest point on the wave
(trough).
d) Wavelength refers to the length of a wave from one peak to the next.
Wavelength is directly related to the frequency of a given wave form. 
e) Frequency sometimes referred to as pitch, is the number of times per
second that a sound pressure wave repeats itself. The units
of frequency are called hertz (Hz).

Question 12.
a) What does the term sampling mean in Sound system? /1mark
Sampling involves taking snapshots of an audio or video signal at very fast
intervals, usually tens of thousands of times per second. The quality of the
digital signal is determined largely by the sampling rate, or the bit rate the
signal is sampled at.

b) speed of sound at standard world temperature (15 degrees Celsius)

is 340m/s

SECTION II: Attempt all question /30 MARKS

Question 13. The mixer console, cables and sound equipment has connectors
and Jack, as you are technician to connect and install different equipment of
sound in PA system, identify the different types of connectors and give
examples for each connector /10 marks
1. Balanced connectors: uses three conductors to carry the audio signal. Two
of conductors carry negative and positive signals (audio AC signal) and the
third is used as the grounding. /3marks

Example
External line return(XLR) /1mark
Tip Ring Sleeve (TRS) /1mark
2. Unbalanced connector: There are only two conductors. One carries
positive, other carries the negative and also is used as ground. /3marks
Tip-sleeve (TS) /1marks
Radio corporation of America(RCA) /1mark

Question 14. The image below shows different parts that build the sound
cable, Name the parts of the cable as shown on the image and give the role of
each parts in the cable construction /5
marks
a.
 c.

d.

e.

b.

(each has /2marks)

a. Brand
b. Copper conductor core
c. Cotton yarn
d. Shield
e. PE Insulation

Question 15.
a) Differentiate the types of audio channels? /6marks

MONOPHONIC /2marks

In monophonic sound systems, the signal sent to the sound system encodes
one single stream of sound and it usually uses just one speaker.
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction (often shortened to mono) is
sound intended to be heard as if it were emanating from one position.
STEREOPHONIC /2marks

Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound

reproduction that creates an illusion of multi-directional audible perspective.
"Stereophonic" applies to so-called "quadraphonic" and "surround-sound"
systems as well as the more common two-channel, two-speaker systems.
POLYPHONIC /2marks

Polyphony, in music, the simultaneous combination of two or more tones or

melodic lines (the term derives from the Greek word for “many sounds”). Thus,
even a single interval made up of two simultaneous tones or a chord of three
simultaneous tones is rudimentarily polyphonic.
 b) By using a diagram differentiate properly the attack, decay, sustain and
release as the sound envelop

/4marks

Attack: when you first press a key the Attack refers to the time it
takes for your sound to go from silent to the loudest level
The decay time controls how long it takes for your sound to go from
the initial peak of your attack to the sustain level.
Sustain refers to the level during the main sequence of your sound.
It’s the level that your sound maintains when you hold a note.
Release controls how long it takes your sound to return to silence
after the key is released. A longer release time means a longer fade
out.

Question 16. In the installation of PA system, the Main and Stage speaker will
be installed to output the sound that comes from the Mixer console and in the
power amplifier, As the technician to install that PA system explain properly
the difference between stage monitoring speaker to the main speakers and
show simply the steps that can be used in the installation of Stage Monitoring
system. /10 marks

Main Speakers: are speaker that are usually used in PA System to face the
audience in order to produce the good output to the audience in other hands is
what the audience can listen to
Stage monitor Speaker: is referred as the speaker that are facing the
performer in order to help performers to know exactly what they are performing
to.

Question 17. /10 marks

 c) Differentiate lossless to lossy compression? /5marks
Lossless compression formats include the common FLAC, WavPack,
Monkey's Audio, ALAC (Apple Lossless). They provide a compression
ratio of about 2:1 (i.e. their files take up half the space of PCM).
Development in lossless compression formats aims to reduce
processing time while maintaining a good compression ratio.
/2.5marks
Lossy compressed audio format: Lossy compression enables even
greater reductions in file size by removing some of the audio
information and simplifying the data. /2.5marks

SECTION III: Choose one (1) question /15 MARKS

Question 18. /15 marks

MARKING SCHEME:
 a) Differentiate input transducer from output transducer
Input transducer Output transducer
Takes a form of physical energy and Takes electrical (audio) signal into
convert into signal which can be mechanical energy that can be
read. heard
For example Microphone takes /1mark
physical sound waves and turns
those into an electrical signal which
can be transferred through wires to
the amplifier/1mark
Example: Microphone /1mark Example: Speaker /1mark

b) Differentiate outdoor speakers to indoor speakers /4marks

MARKING SCHEME:

SOUND QUALITY Indoor are made to be Outdoor are made to project

used in enclosed small effective sound over a large
space area
 Indoor are made to  Outdoor reach very high
reach the lower volume volume without interference
/1mark /1mark

DESIGN Are small compared to outdoor speakers have a

outdoor Speaker unique design that
/1mark concentrates towards
durability
 They are made using a hard
and study material
considering they are large
and heavier too.
/1mark

ALL Weather can get easily damage Made with durable water
Resistance Indoor are made with resistance materials to
material that prevent wearing out fort
/1mark /1mark

INPUT POWER  Doesn’t overcome the  Outdoor can be divided into

obstacles active and passive categories
 /1mark Can use high input power
because of sound obstacles
/1mark

c) Differentiate Tweeter to woofer loudspeakers /3marks

A tweeter or treble speaker is a special type of loudspeaker that is designed
to produce high audio frequencies, typically from around 2,000 Hz to
20,000 Hz. /1.5marks
WOOFER: or Bass speaker is a technical term for loudspeaker driver designed
to produce low frequency sound typically 20HZ to 3 KHZ /1.5marks
Question 19. Name the parts of the mixing console as shown on the figure
below

/15 marks

MARKING SCHEME:

a) Equalizer (EQ)
b) Master Output
c) Master Faders
d) Channel faders
e) Mute
f) Panorama (Pan)
g) Auxiliary Sends
h) Gain
i) Inputs
j) Insert