redacted interview

---------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
---------------------------------------------------------
Hello! My name is Ketchup901 and I will be your interviewer today.
In this interview, your knowledge will be tested to see if you qualify to become a member of RED.
You may take bathroom breaks, but please alert me in advance. And don't take too long!
For all questions, please answer with the question number. Do not put more than one answer on the same line. After you've finished answering, put my nick (Ketchup901) on a separate line below your answers.
This interview may take up to 90 minutes. If you are unable to fulfill this time requirement, do not proceed with the interview as it will count as a failed attempt. Remember, you only get 3 attempts!
Make sure you've accumulated enough knowledge to take this interview. If you aren't ready, please disconnect and re-queue in #red-invites whenever you feel comfortable. This will not count as a failure.
If you have any questions about the interviewing process itself, please ask them now.
When you've finished asking, type Ketchup901 to catch my attention. If you don't have any questions, and have read through this entire section thoroughly, type Ketchup901 to continue.
---------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
---------------------------------------------------------
1. Have you had an account at Redacted (RED) before?
2. Is this your first interview at RED? If not, who interviewed you before, and when?
3. Where in the world do you live? Are you using your home connection?
4. What is your email address?
5. Are you comfortable with an English interview?
6. Where did you find out about the interview process?
7. Have you ever traded or sold invites? You won’t be denied an invite if you say yes, but you will be banned if you say no and we find out that you lied.
8. Are you a member of any private torrent sites? List all of them (rutracker counts).
When you're ready, type Ketchup901 to continue.
---------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 2 - SCREENSHOTS
---------------------------------------------------------
Please take a screenshot of each of your profile pages on your private trackers. If you do not know how to take one, you are allowed to visit this link, before taking the screenshots: https://www.take-a-screenshot.org
Each screenshot must follow these rules:
1. Please close any unnecessary browsers and browser tabs, messenger applications/programs, notes, documents and any other applications/programs that are not related to this interview.
2. Screenshots must be of your full screen, including Dock (macOS), Taskbar and hidden tray icons (Windows) or equivalents (Linux) including all connected monitors, everything fully visible.
3. This IRC chat and all its tabs/networks must be fully visible.
You are allowed to redact your passkey and IRC key. This is the only editing you are allowed to do on the screenshots. Resizing, cropping or blurring/editing, is strictly prohibited.
4. Screenshots must be uploaded to either https://imgur.com or https://linx.li, and you should only post full links, meaning links that end with a .jpg, .jpeg or .png - or as a gallery (for multiple screenshots) - No other host is acceptable.
Here are example screenshots that you may look at, and close before taking your own:
Windows: https://ptpimg.me/5v689i.png
macOS: https://ptpimg.me/8mpi8r.png
Linux: https://ptpimg.me/h76lf6.png
When you're ready, type Ketchup901 to continue. In the next section, the real interview will begin, and leaving after that will count as a failed attempt.
---------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 3 - INTERVIEW RULES
---------------------------------------------------------
• Use your own words. This interview is intended to gauge your knowledge. You don't need to sound like Wikipedia.
• External research, including the interview prep site, is NOT allowed for this interview. Please close all notes and browser tabs now.
• POSTING THE CONTENTS OF THIS INTERVIEW OR SHOWING IT TO ANYONE WILL COST YOU YOUR ACCOUNT AND/OR YOUR CHANCE AT INTERVIEWING AGAIN.
If you agree to these rules, type Ketchup901 to continue.
---------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 4 - FORMATS I: GENERAL AUDIO KNOWLEDGE
---------------------------------------------------------
Here's where the real fun begins (hopefully). From this section onward, questions will be testing the knowledge you have gathered from the prep site.
1. What is ‘lossless’?
2. What is ‘lossy’?
3. Which of the following formats are lossy?
--- a) MP3 320 (CBR)
--- b) WAV (PCM)
--- c) FLAC
--- d) MP3 V3 (VBR)
--- e) AAC 256 (CBR)
--- f) DTS
4. What does LAME do? Out of the formats listed in question 3 (a-f), which ones can it output?
5. What is VBR and how does it work?
6. What is CBR? How is it different from VBR?
7. What is ABR?
When you're ready, type Ketchup901 to continue.
---------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 5 - FORMATS II: REDACTED
---------------------------------------------------------
1. What is the lowest-quality bitrate allowed on RED in a CBR MP3?
2. What is the lowest-quality preset allowed on RED in a VBR MP3?
3. Under what circumstances may you upload an AAC 256 iTunes release?
4. Which of the following formats are allowed on RED?
--- a) FLAC
--- b) WAV (PCM)
--- c) MP3 160 (CBR)
--- d) MP3 V0
--- e) AAC 128
--- f) MP3 320 (CBR)
When you're ready, type Ketchup901 to continue.
---------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 6 - TRANSCODES
---------------------------------------------------------
1. What is transcoding?
2. What makes a transcode good/bad?
3. Which of the following examples are good transcodes?
--- a) Retail CD → MP3 320 (CBR) → MP3 V2
--- b) FLAC → MP3 192 (CBR) → MP3 320 (CBR)
--- c) Retail Vinyl → WAV (PCM)
--- d) Retail CD → AAC 256 (CBR) → FLAC
--- e) WAV (PCM) → MP3 320 (CBR) → MP3 320 (CBR)
--- f) Retail Vinyl → FLAC → MP3 V2
When you're ready, type Ketchup901 to continue.
---------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 7 - RIPPING/UPLOADING
---------------------------------------------------------
1. What is a log file? Under what circumstances may you edit one?
2. What program do you plan to use to rip CDs?
3. What is the difference between a WEB release and a web rip? Out of these, which kind is allowed on RED?
4. Tell me an example of an analog source that's allowed on RED.
When you're ready, type Ketchup901 to continue.