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Student Version L E S S O N
P L A N #41
Per.
Name:
CLASS: Computer Repair, Maintenance, Upgrade and Management
DATE: Monday January 3rd, 2011
TOPIC: Sound
AIM: What are some sound card issues we may encounter as PC Technicians?
OBJECTIVES:
1) Students will know the different types of sound.
2) Students will understand the different components that make sound work.
3) Students will know how to install sound cards.
4) Students will be able to fix command sound card problems.
H.W. # 41:
1) What is Nyquist’s Theorem
2) How do WAV and MIDI files differ?
3) State the purpose of the various ports and connectors on a sound card.
4) What is the purpose of DirectX?
DO NOW:
1) Previous versions of Windows used a utility called Dr. Watson, which is a debugger than can help troubleshoot error conditions.
Windows Vista replaced Dr. Watson
with
Problems
reports
and
solutions.
Sample Test Question:
1) Windows Vista comes with a
utility to designed to troubleshoot
error conditions. This utility is
called
A) Windows Debugger
B) Problems Reports and Solutions
C) Windows Solutions
D) Dr. Watson
2) Look up Nyquist’s Theorem at http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=Nyquisttheorem and
http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/Multimedia/node149.html
and answer the following questions:
A) What was the highest frequency range believed that humans could hear?
B) According to Nyquist’s Theorem, in general, how many samplings of the analog sound should be taken per second?
C) To create CD quality sound, why is the sound sampled at 44100 times per second?
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3) Look up the term sampling. What is sampling?______________________________________________________________
4) Look up pulse code modulation. What is PCM?
PROCEDURE:
Write the AIM and DO NOW.
Get students working!
Take attendance.
Go Over HW
Collect HW
Go over the Do Now
Assignment #1:
Look up WAV file at http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=WAV+file. What is the highest-quality
sampling rate for this type of file? __________________. How much storage is required for 1 second of this type of file?
__________. For 5 minutes of this type of file? ______________
Assignment #2:
Look up the term MIDI at http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=midi. What is this type of file used for?
Could this type of file be used for voice? Why or why not?
Assuming that the system has the necessary software, the average sound card has the hardware to perform the following functions:
- Record and play waveform files
- Record and play MIDI files
- Enable recording via microphone or auxiliary input (to record from analog CD player, vinyl record, or tape)
- Assist the playing of analog CD-ROMs from the CD-ROM drive
Assignment #3:
What is the difference between FM synthesis and Wave Table Synthesis?
Assignment #4:
Go to http://www.computerhope.com/help/sound.htm and list 5 other functions of sound cards.
Assignment #5: Go to http://www.computerhope.com/help/sound.htm and in the right hand column
read about some ports you might find on a sound card.
- MIDI / Game port –
-
Line In connector –
-
Line Out connector –
-
Volume control –
-
Microphone –
Assignment #6: Go to http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/itemdetails.asp?EdpNo=3594531&CatId=2771 . What are some 3D audio features of this sound card?
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In the ad, you might see SNR. What is this?
Assignment #7:
Go to www.tigerdirect.com and check out the speakers. What is the difference between 5.1 and 2.1 speakers?
Assignment #8:
Go to www.techweb.com/encyclopedia. Look up Dolby Digital. What is this?
Assignment #9:
Go to Device Manager on your computer and list the sound devices you have (if you have, they are probably all integrated within
your sound card)?
Assignment #10: Once you have installed your sound card, you can then go to the Sounds applet in Control Panel to quickly test
your sound card making sounds through your speakers.
Assignment #11:
Adjust your volume by going to Start Programs Accessories Entertainment Volume Control.
Assignment #12: If you have sound coming in from multiple sources, you may have to go to the Multimedia applet in Control
Panel to select which device to use. Or you can set properties for Video, MIDI
Assignment #13: WAV files are big, averaging about 10MB per minute of sound. As a result sound compression algorithms
appeared. The hardware or software that compresses and decompresses audio files is called a CODEC. Look up CODEC at
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=codec. What do CODECS do?
What are some types of CODECS?
Assignment #14: Read about one of the popular CODECS, namely MP3. How have MP3 files affected the music industry?
What is ripping?
Assignment #15: Early on, when Windows came out, software game programmers had a difficult time accessing hardware via
Windows, so Windows decided to provide full access to hardware, especially for game programmers. Microsoft came out with a
broad family of products lumped together under the name DirectX. To get a better understanding, look up DirectX at
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=directx. List 3 DirectX interfaces and their purpose.
Assignment 16: Use the DirectX Diagnostic tool to check for your version of DirectX. Go to Start Run and type dxdiag. What is
your version of DirectX? ___________________
If your game requires you to update your DirectX, go to
www.microsoft.com/directX.
Assignment #18
Look up EAX at www.techweb.com/encyclopedia. What is this? _______________________________________________
Assignment #17:
To understand 3-D sounds for games a little better look up
1) 3D Audio
2) 3D Positional Sound
3) Dolby Digital
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Assignement #18
Check the program you use to play sound files (in the class, most likely Windows Media Player). Which program is used?
What version?
If necessary get an update.
Assignment #19:
Examine Windows program to record sounds (Start, Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, Sound Recorder)
Sample Test Questions:
1) Which of the following file formats can store a human voice most accurately?
A) MIDI
B) WAV
C) VOICE
D) FM
2) Why do sound cards sometimes need two separate sets of I/O addresses and DMA channels?
A) To separate 8-bit and 16-bit sound
B) Each set creates different sounds for mixing
C) To support both the WAV and MIDI components of the sound card
D) No sound card does this
3) On the back of most sounds cars is a 15-pin, female DB connector. This is for what type of peripheral connection? (Choose all
that apply)
A) A mouse
B) A joystick
C) A MIDI controller
D) A WAV controller
4) In Windows 9x, where would you change the system resources for a sound card?
5) What does a subwoofer provide?
6) After installing a sound card, the system locks up when a parallel port tape backup is also used. What is the most likely
problem?
A) IRQ Conflict
B) DMA Conflict
C) Defective LPT port
D) Defective Tape Driver
7) How would you check which version of Direct X you have?
A) Go to Start, Run, then type ScanDisk
B) Go to Start Run, then type DirectX
C) Go to Start Run, then type DirectXV
D) Go to Start, Run, and type dxdiag.
8) If you have various programs that play audio files, what is an easy
way to change the default program that plays your type of audio
file?
A) Go to Device Manager and change the Sound Card properties
B) Start Programs Accessories, Entertainment, Sound Recorder
C) Start, Control Panel, Sound and Audio Devices
D) Right-Click on the audio file, Properties, then Change Program
9) How many speakers are in a Dolby Digital 5.1 Setup?
A) 5 speakers plus 1 subwoofer
B) Six speakers plus a subwoofer
C) Seven speakers plus a subwoofer
D) Eight speakers plus a subwoofer
10) Which of the following connectors supports 5.1 Sound?
A) Mini-Audio
B) Composite
C) S/PDIF
D) DVI
11) The two most common built in sound formats are…
A) MPEG and MIDI
B) WAV and MIDI
C) WAV and MPEG
D) MOD and WAV
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12) What is the process by which computers capture (record) sounds waves into an electronic format?
A) Sampling
B) Testing
C) Playing
D) Sounding
13) Which is the most famous Sound Card model?
A) Motorola Sound Creator
B) Creative Labs Sound Blaster
C) Microsoft Wave Synthesizer
D) Toshiba Tone Analyzer
14) What is the number of bits used to sample sound used for?
A) To create a log file
B) To capture the characteristics of the sound
C) To determine the size of the file
D) To determine the speed at which the sound is replayed.
15) The granddaddy of all sound formats is PCM, which was developed to carry telephone calls over the first digital lines. The
PCM format is used in PCs today. What is PCM better known as in PCs?
A) MP3
B) MIDI
C) TONE
D) WAV
16) The human ear can’t hear frequency levels at 44.1 KHz, so some sound
quality can be eliminated, thereby compressing the sound file. There are
programs that compress and decompress (codecs) the files. What is the
most famous of these codecs?
A) WAV B) MIDI
C) MP3
D) PCM
17) What can the program at right be used for?
A) To play sound files
B) To play Solitaire
C) To play 2-player video games
C) To Edit audio files
18) What is a MIDI file?
A) A file that records only midrange sounds
B) A file that stores all types of sounds, including human voice
C) A file that is equivalent to a WAV file
D) A file that tells the sound card what notes to play, how long, how loud and
which instruments.
19) Which sound file is the smallest (given that they play the same amount of time)?
A) WAV
B) MP3
C) PCM
D) MIDI
20) Which is Apple Computer’s proprietary sound format?
A) AAC
B) ASX
C) AU
D) WMA
21) What is the 15-pin D-shaped connector on the sound card used for?
A) Microphone
B) CD Player
C) Speakers
D) Joystick or external MIDI device
22) What is the name of one of the connectors that connects your sound
card to your CD-ROM drive?
A) MPC2
B) Line Out
C) Line In
D) SPDIF
23) In meters, what is the maximum length between two full-speed USB
devices using 20-gauge shielded cables?
A) Six
B) Five
C) Three
D) Two
on
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24) The arrow is pointing to what part of the sound card?
A) The game converter
B) The Optical Drive connector
C) The sound card processor
D) The Microphone drum
25) If you want to enjoy your DVDs in full surround sound on your PC, you must purchase a full _________ speaker system
A) 2.1
B) 3.1
C) 4.1
D) 5.1
26) You have been called to install a 2.1
speaker for a customer. Where on the
sound card do you plug in the cable from
the speakers?
A) Into the S/PDIF port
B) In the microphone port
C) In the Line In port
D) In the Front Out Port
27) If you connect the Front speakers to Front
Out, the back speakers to Rear out and the
center speakers to Center, and the
subwoofer to all center or simply use the single connection the SPDIF In port, what speaker system have you set up?
A) 5.1
B) 3.1
C) 2.1
D) 4.1
28) What refers to the number of characteristics of a particular sound captured when sampling?
A) Sample rate
B) Kilohertz
C) Bit Depth
D) Quality rating
29) All recorded sounds used in PCs today are derived from which format?
A) WAV
B) Fraunhoffer
C) MP3
D) PCM
30) What is the name of the extensions to DirectSound3D standard developed by Creative Labs?
A) EAX
B) MP3
C) Positional Audio D) Reverberation
31) What is the name of the standard digital connection that replaces many analog connections on some sound cards?
A) CD audio connector
B) AUX connector
C) TAD connector
D) S/PDIF connector
32) Which sampling rate would produce the highest quality sound?
A) 8 Hz
B) 8KHz
C) 128 Hz
D) 128 KHz
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33) What must be installed on your system to
decode a sound file?
A) The proper codec
B) Sound application software
C) Speakers
D) Universal Audio Cables
34) To hear music from the CD-ROM drive,
you would connect the audio cable from the
CD-ROM drive to which connector on the
sound card?
A) Line In
B) Mic In
C) TAD
D) CD_IN
35) When you install a sound card, what drivers
should you install?
A) The ones Windows provides
B) The ones that came with the sound card
C) No drivers are needed for a sound card to
work
D) Go to CMOS and enable sound. That is all you
need to do
36) After installing a sound card and installing the
drivers, what should you do next?
A) See if the uninstall works
B) Put the speaker at maximum volume to test sound
card
C) Disable the onboard video.
D) Check the manufacturer’s website to see whether
your sound card has any driver updates.
37) In the external USB sound card at right, what is the DIN jack used for?
A) Speaker
B) Microphone
C) Game port
D) Video connection
38) After installing the sound card, what is the purpose of going to Device Manager?
A) To install the driver
B) To remove the onboard sound card
C) To make sure everything installed correctly
D) To raise the volume of the sound card.
39) Which of the following are valid audio file formats?
A) ASF, WMA, ASP
B) PCI, MP3, ASX
C) WAV, MP3, AU
D) MID, MPEG, AVI
40) Which term describes stereo speakers in a 2.1 sound system?
A) Woofers
B) Satellites
C) Subwoofers
D) Twins
41) A customer calls tech support and you answer. The customer states that she can’t hear sound. What would you do first to
help out the customer?
A) Ask if she has a sound card installed
B) Ask what time she turned on the computer
C) Ask if she has the volume raised on the speakers and through Windows
D) Ask her the model number of the sound card.
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42) How can we get to the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties
Windows at right?
A) In Start Programs Accessories Entertainment
B) In Sounds and Audio Devices Control Panel Applet
C) In the Volume Control Program
D) Through Windows Media Player Properties
43) Which of the speaker set up options listed should you select if
you have 2 speakers that connect to your sound card.
A) Desktop Stereo speakers
B) Quadraphonic speakers
C) Surround Sound Speakers
D) 5.1 Surround sound speakers
44) What is the Sounds in the Window below used for?
A) To control the Volume
B) To Access DirectX controls
C) To add customized sounds to Windows events, such as
ShutDown
D) To see the Codecs installed on your computer