Sound Engineering Glossary
Sound Engineering Glossary
20 terms
My name is Émile and next fall, I will start my sound engineering program. This glossary is made for all the people that want to do the same thing that I want do in life. Sound engineers are the people that process the sound in everything that you may watch on your television, cellphone, etc. If you want to become one, this glossary will teach you 20 terms so that you can have a headstart to your future career. Most of these definitions were found on wikipedia, if not, that means that the wikipedia definitions wasn't clear enough.
- accoustics
- Science of sound, including its production, transmission, and effects, including biological and psychological effects. Those qualities of a room that, together, determine its character with respect to auditory effects. The study of acoustics revolves around the generation, propagation and reception of mechanical waves and vibrations.
- audio interface
- An audio interface is a device that connects your computer to musical instruments, microphones, and other audio equipment, allowing you to record, play, and process sound with your computer. It acts as a bridge between the analog and digital worlds of audio.
- audio signal
- An audio signal is a representation of sound, typically using either a changing level of electrical voltage for analog signals or a series of binary numbers for digital signals. Audio signals have frequencies in the audio frequency range of roughly 20 to 20,000 Hz, which corresponds to the lower and upper limits of human hearing.
- decibel
- The decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit used to measure sound level.
- digital audio
- Digital audio is a representation of sound recorded in, or converted into, digital form.
- dynamic range compression
- Dynamic range compression (DRC) or simply compression is an audio signal processing operation that reduces the volume of loud sounds or amplifies quiet sounds.
- effects unit
- An effects unit, effects processor, or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
- microphone
- A microphone, colloquially called a mic (/maɪk/),[1] or mike,[a] is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal.
- midi
- Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and related audio devices for playing, editing, and recording music.
- mixing console
- A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems.
- multitrack recording
- Multitrack recording (MTR), also known as multitracking, is a method of sound recording developed in 1955 that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources or of sound sources recorded at different times to create a cohesive whole.
- music sequencer
- A music sequencer (or audio sequencer[1] or simply sequencer) is a device or application software that can record, edit, or play back music, by handling note and performance information in several forms.
- noise gate
- A noise gate or simply gate is an electronic device or software that is used to control the volume of an audio signal. Comparable to a limiter, which attenuates signals above a threshold, such as loud attacks from the start of musical notes, noise gates attenuate signals that register below the threshold.
- pitch
- Pitch is the quality that makes it possible to judge sounds as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies. Pitch is a perceptual property that allows sounds to be ordered on a frequency-related scale.
- post-production
- Part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments. Contrary to the name, post-production may occur at any point during the recording and production process.
- pre-delay
- Pre-delay is a parameter found in reverb processors. It refers to the amount of time between the original dry sound, and the audible onset of early reflections and reverb tail.
- preamplifier
- A preamplifier, also known as a preamp, is an electronic amplifier that converts a weak electrical signal into an output signal strong enough to be noise-tolerant and strong enough for further processing, or for sending to a power amplifier and a loudspeaker. Without this, the final signal would be noisy or distorted.
- raw audio file
- A raw audio file is any file containing un-containerized and uncompressed audio. The data is stored as raw.
- recording studio
- A recording studio is a specialized facility for recording and mixing of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds.
- reverberation
- In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then decay as the sound is absorbed by the surfaces of objects in the space.