See ohm.

Microsecond.

An 8-bit codec compression format for sending speech via digital telephone lines; used in North America and Japan. See also a-law.

See wavelength.

The surround-sound format incorporating five discrete full-frequency audio channels and one discrete channel for low-frequency enhancement. See also 7.1 and surround sound.

The surround-sound format incorporating seven discrete full-frequency audio channels and one discrete channel for low-frequency enhancement. See also 5.1 and surround sound.

The format used in high-definition video where the camera is substituting for film. The 24 refers to the standard frames-per-second rate; the p stands for progressive.

Limit listening through headphones to no more than one hour per day at levels below 60 percent of maximum volume.

The encoding algorithm used in Dolby Digital data compression. AC stands for audio coding. See also Dolby Digital.

See active combining network.

Used to pick up instruments in an ensemble when they solo. It is, in effect, a relatively close-miking technique but used when distant microphones are picking up the ensemble’s overall sound and a solo passage needs to stand out. Also called off-miking. See also ambience miking, close miking, and distant miking.

See MPEG.

See contact microphone.

The time relationship between two or more sound waves at a given point in their cycles.

The science that deals with the behavior of sound and sound control, including its generation, transmission, reception, and effects. The properties of a room that affect the quality of sound.

An amplifier at which the outputs of two or more signal paths are mixed together before being routed to their destination.

A loudspeaker that is powered internally. See also passive loudspeaker.

Allows amplification control of each audio source and usually includes other processing features as well. See also passive microphone mixer.

A ribbon microphone that uses an amplifier system requiring phantom power.

Compression format that records the differences between samples of sound rather than the actual sound itself, compressing original data to one-fourth its size.

See complex interactivity.

When the ambience of each track becomes cumulative in mixing a multitrack recording.

See adaptive differential pulse code modulation.

See automated dialogue replacement.

See sound envelope.

Internationally accepted professional digital audio interface transmitted via a balanced-line connection using XLR connectors, specified jointly by the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and the European Broadcast Union (EBU). See also Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF).

Client software that uses a Web feed to retrieve syndicated Web content such as podcasts, blogs, and mass media Web sites and, in the case of a search aggregator, a customized set of search results. Aggregators reduce the time and the effort needed to regularly check Web sites for updates. Also called podcatcher.

An 8-bit codec compression format for sending speech via digital telephone lines, used worldwide, except in North America and Japan. See also μ-law.

Sounds such as reverberation, noise, and atmosphere that form a background to the main sound. Also called room tone and presence and, in Great Britain, atmos.

Used along with distant miking, attempts to reproduce the aural experience that audiences receive in a live venue by recording in an acoustically suitable studio or concert hall. Microphones are positioned far enough from the ensemble where the later reflections are more prominent than the direct sound. See also accent miking, close miking, and distant miking.

See ampere.

The basic unit of electric current. Also called amp.

A device that increases the amplitude of an electric signal.

The magnitude of a sound wave or an electric signal, measured in decibels.

A signal processor that affects a signal’s loudness. The effects include compression, limiting, de-essing, expanding, noise gating, and pitch shifting. Also called dynamic processor.

A method of recording in which the waveform of the recorded signal resembles the waveform of the original signal.

The evaluation of the content and the function of sound. See also critical listening.

A room that prevents all reflected sound through the dissipation or absorption of sound waves.

See binaural microphone head.

The width-to-height proportions of a video image. For the standard video screen, it is 4 × 3 (1.33:1); for HDTV it is 16 × 9 (1.78:1). For wide motion picture screens, aspect ratios are between 5.55 × 3 (1.85:1) and 7 × 3 (2.35:1).

In an interactive video game, a discreet piece of sound data that is referenced by the game software and made to execute at the proper time and with the proper dynamics.

Console in which the dynamics, in addition to other functions depending on the model, are grouped in a separate module and can be assigned to individual channels selectively.

Short for atmosphere, the British term for ambience. See ambience.

A microphone system for surround-sound pickup consisting of an adjustable surround-sound microphone and a console for controlling the output assignment and the panning of the various surround configurations.

(1) The way a sound begins—that is, by plucking, bowing, striking, blowing, and so on. (2) The first part of the sound envelope—how a sound starts after a sound source has been vibrated.

The length of time it takes a compressor to respond to the input signal.

See fader.

The relationship between sampling frequency and quantization. When audio is converted to digital, it becomes data. The data rate is computed by multiplying bit depth times sampling frequency.

The software/asset combination that controls the entire sound design for an interactive video game.

When the sound of the incoming scene starts before the corresponding picture appears. Also called L-cut. See also split editing and video-leading-audio.

See temporary threshold shift.

See psychoacoustic processor.

A technique used to rerecord dialogue in synchronization with picture in postproduction. The picture is automatically replayed in short loops again and again so that the performers can synchronize their lip movements with the lip movements in the picture and then record the dialogue. Also known as automatic dialog recording and looping.

See automated dialogue replacement.

Controls a group of live microphones in real time, turning up a mic when someone is talking and turning down the mics of the participants who are not talking.

A method of subtracting the time of a program segment from the total time of a program so that the segment and the program end simultaneously.

A pair of ungrounded conductors whose voltages are opposite in polarity but equal in magnitude.

A filter that attenuates above and below a selected bandwidth, allowing the frequencies in between to pass.

The difference between the upper and lower frequency limits of an audio component. The upper and lower frequency limits of AM radio are 535 kHz and 1,605 kHz; therefore, the bandwidth of AM radio is 1,070 kHz.

The curve shaped by the number of frequencies in a bandwidth and their relative increase or decrease in level. A bandwidth of 100 to 150 Hz with 125 Hz boosted 15 dB forms a sharp, narrow bandwidth curve; a bandwidth of 100 to 6,400 Hz with a 15 dB boost at 1,200 Hz forms a more sloping, wider bandwidth curve.

One of two types of interactive-sound design, characterized by a simple relationship between user actions and audio playback. See also complex interactivity.

The low range of the audible frequency spectrum; usually from 20 to 320 Hz.

In surround sound, the redirection of low-frequency content from each of the full-bandwidth production channels to the low-frequency enhancement channel.

Attenuating bass frequencies. The control—for example, on a microphone—used to roll off bass frequencies.

See proximity effect.

See diaphragmatic absorber.

See Blue-ray Disc.

A microphone that picks up sound to its front and back and has minimal pickup at its sides.

Hearing with two ears attached to and separated by the head. See also binaural microphone head.

Two omnidirectional capacitor microphones set into the ear cavities of an artificial head, complete with pinnae. This arrangement preserves binaural localization cues during recording and reproduces sound as humans hear it: three-dimensionally. Also called artificial head or dummy head (Kunstkopf) stereo.

See word length.

See pop filter.

Plotting performer, camera, and microphone placements and movements in a production.

High-density optical disc format developed to enable recording, playback, and rewriting of high-definition television.

Audio mixing console. See also console.

A microphone whose capsule is mounted flush with or close to, but at a precise distance from, a reflective surface so that there is no phase cancellation of reflected sound at audible frequencies.

Beats per minute.

A compressor that acts on the dynamic range of the input signal across the entire frequency spectrum. See also split-band compressor.

A mixing network that combines the outputs of other channels.

Adjusting equipment—for example, a console and a recorder—according to a standard so that their measurements are similar.

A handheld video camera with a built-in or dockable video recorder.

See electrostatic loudspeaker.

A microphone that transduces acoustic energy into electric energy electrostatically. Also called condenser microphone.

A unidirectional microphone with a heart-shaped pickup pattern.

See recordable compact disc.

See rewritable CD.

In peak/dip equalizing, the frequency at which maximum boost or attenuation occurs.

One channel (usually input) of a console.

See speed-up pitch-shifting.

Recirculating the doubling effect to make one sound source sound like several. See also doubling.

See clapslate.

A slate used in synchronizing sound and picture during filming and editing. The slate carries such information as scene and take number, production title, location of shot—e.g., indoors or outdoors—and time code. On top of the slate is a clapstick, which is lifted and then snapped closed to produce a loud sound that is used to synchronize picture and sound. Also called slate, clapboard, or sticks. See also slate.

Audible distortion that occurs when a signal’s level exceeds the limits of a particular device or circuit.

Placing a microphone close to a sound source to pick up mostly direct sound and reduce ambience and leakage. See also accent miking, ambience miking, and distant miking.

A psychoacoustic effect that allows humans to localize the sources of sounds around them.

A device that encodes a signal at one end of a transmission and decodes it at the other end. The word codec is a contraction of encoder/decoder.

Employing two matched microphones, usually unidirectional, crossed one above the other on a vertical axis with their diaphragms. See also X-Y miking.

The effect produced when a signal is time-delayed and added to itself, reinforcing some frequencies and canceling others, giving sound an unnatural, hollow coloration.

Descriptive sound that makes a comment or an interpretation. See also descriptive sound and narrative sound.

A contraction of the words compressor and expander that refers to the devices that compress an input signal and expand an output signal to reduce noise. Also called a noise reducer.

A contraction of the words compressing and expanding that refers to wireless mics’ increasing dynamic range and reducing noise inherent in a transmission system.

Taking the best part(s) of each recorded track and combining them into a composite final version.

Equalizing sounds that share similar frequency ranges so that they complement, rather than interfere with, one another. See also cumulative equalization and subtractive equalization.

One of two types of interactive-sound design, characterized by user actions that result in more than just simple audio sprite playback. Also called adaptive sound and interactive sound. See also basic interactivity.

(1) Reducing a signal’s output level in relation to its input level to reduce dynamic range. (2) The drawing together of vibrating molecules, producing a high-pressure area. See also rarefaction.

The ratio of the input and output signals in a compressor.

The level at which a compressor acts on an input signal and the compression ratio takes effect.

A signal processor with an output level that increases at a slower rate as its input level increases.

See capacitor microphone.

An electronic device that amplifies, balances, processes, and combines input signals and routes them to broadcast or recording. Also called board, mixer, or, in Europe, mixing desk. See also mixer.

When sound waves are partially out of phase and partially additive, increasing amplitude where compression and rarefaction occur at the same time.

A microphone that attaches to a sound source and transduces the vibrations that pass through it. Also called acoustic pickup mic.

Sound that emanates from and duplicates a sound source as it is. See also diegetic sound.

Juxtaposes narration and action to make a statement not carried by either element alone.

Provides tactual means of controlling various console-related functions. Generally there are no actual audio signals present inside a simple control surface, only control circuitry that sends digital instructions to the device doing the actual audio signal processing. Also called work surface.

Changes analog signals into discrete digital numbers in analog-to-digital converters, and changes discrete digital numbers into analog signals in digital-to-analog converters.

A sample-based process that multiplies the spectrums of two audio files, providing a virtually infinite range of acoustic spaces.

See wireless microphone system.

The off-axis angle or point at which the loudspeaker level is down 6 dB compared with the on-axis output level.

Cycles per second. See hertz.

The evaluation of the characteristics of the sound itself. See also analytical listening.

Fading in one sound source as another sound source fades out. At some point the sounds cross at an equal level of loudness.

The frequency at which the high frequencies are routed to the tweeter(s) and the low frequencies are routed to the woofer(s).

An electronic device that divides the audio spectrum into individual frequency ranges (low, high, and/or middle) before sending them to specialized loudspeakers such as the woofer(s) and the tweeter(s).

Any type of form used in recording, editing, or mixing audio that lists dialogue, music, or sound-effect cues and their in- and out-times.

Too much boost of the same frequency in various tracks in a multitrack recording, which could unbalance the overall blend of a mix. See also complementary equalization and subtractive equalization.

(1) An instantaneous transition from one sound or picture to another. (2) To make a disc recording. (3) A decrease in level.

See hard sound effect.

See hertz.

See digital audio workstation.

See decibel.

See decibel full-scale.

An electrical measure of power referenced to 1 mW as dissipated across a 600-ohm load.

See sound-pressure level.

A unit of measurement for expressing the relationship of decibels to voltage—0.775 V. The u stands for unterminated.

See dBu.

A measure of voltage with decibels referenced to 1 V.

Direct current.

See digitally controlled amplifier.

Starting a recording with the fader turned down all the way. Also called deadrolling.

See deadpotting.

How fast a sound fades from a certain loudness.

See reverberation time.

A relative and dimensionless unit to measure the ratio of two quantities.

A unit of measurement for the amplitude of digital audio signals.

Reduces the high-frequency noise at the receiver.

A compressor that reduces sibilance.

The time interval between a sound or signal and each of its repeats.

The amount of time between delays. In a digital delay, delay time regulates how long a given sound is held.

Describes sonic aspects of a scene not connected to the main action. See also commentative sound and narrative sound.

An effect that must be created because it does not exist in nature.

Editing that permanently alters the original sound or soundfile. It changes the data on the disk by overwriting it. See also nondestructive editing.

When sound waves are partially out of phase and partially subtractive, decreasing amplitude where compression and rarefaction occur at different times.

Short for dialogue normalization. An attenuation signal designed to normalize the loudness levels among different distribution sources such as television and DVD and from program to program, using speech as the common reference.

A flexible panel mounted over an air space that resonates at a frequency (or frequencies) determined by the stiffness of the panel and the size of the air space. Also called bass trap.

Sound that comes from within the story space, such as dialogue and sound effects. See also contextual sound and nondiegetic sound.

The spreading of sound waves as they pass around an object.

The scattering of sound waves to a uniform intensity.

See ripping.

A multifunctional hard-disk production system, controlled from a central location, that is integrated with and capable of being networked to other devices, such as audio, video, and MIDI sources, within or among facilities. Generally, there are two types of DAW systems: computer-based and integrated.

See word clock.

An electronic device designed to delay an audio signal.

The assembly of disk-based material in or out of sequence, taken from any part of a recording and placed in any other part of the recording almost instantly. Also known as nonlinear editing.

An amplifier whose gain is remotely controlled by a digital control signal.

A microphone that converts an analog signal into a digital signal at the mic capsule.

High-density optical format disc that can store between 22 and 32 GB of data, with the potential for 100 GB of storage space. Successor to the fluorescent multilayer disc.

Reporting and gathering news from the field using digital equipment.

A method of recording in which samples of the original analog signal are encoded as pulses and then decoded during playback.

Provides various manipulations of sound in a digital format. The term is generally used to refer to signal processing using computer software.

A lossy data compression format that reduces the bit rate to roughly 1.4 Mbps.

A compact disc providing massive data storage of digital-quality audio, video, and text.

A surround-sound miking technique using a stereo microphone array for the left-right frontal pickups, plus a center mic for the center channel and a stereo microphone array for the left- and right-rear surround pickup. See also direct surround-sound miking.

See unidirectional microphone.

Describes what is being seen or heard. See also indirect narration.

Sound waves that reach the listener before reflecting off any surface. See also early reflections.

A surround-sound miking approach that uses a microphone array especially designed for surround-sound pickup. See also direct/ambient surround-sound miking.

Placing a microphone far enough from the sound source to pick up most or all of an ensemble’s blended sound, including room reflections. See also accent miking, ambience miking, and close miking.

The appearance of a signal in the reproduced sound that was not in the original sound. See also harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, loudness distortion, and transient distortion.

Multiple-antenna receiving system for use with wireless microphones. See also non-diversity receiver.

Stands for dialogue, music, and sound effects.

See digital news gathering.

A lossy data compression format that reduces the bit rate to roughly 400 Kbps. See also AC-3.

In mixing audio for a spot announcement, fading the music after it is established to create a hole for the announcement and then reestablishing the music at its former full level.

The perceived increase or decrease in frequency as a sound source moves closer to or farther from the listener.

Filming sound and picture simultaneously but separately with a camera and a recorder.

Mixing slightly delayed signals (15 to 35 ms) with the original signal to create a fuller, stronger, more ambient sound. See also chorus effect.

A way to handle surround sound whereby the surround signals are mixed to stereo. See also upmixing.

See dynamic range control.

A program that allows the transfer of audio signals to and from an audio interface.

(1) A sudden attenuation of sound or loss of picture. (2) Sudden attenuation in a wireless microphone signal due to an obstruction or some other interference.

A sound devoid of reverberation or signal processing. See also wet sound.

See digital signal processing.

See Digital Theater System.

Transferring sound from tape or disk to another tape or disk. Also called transfer.

See binaural microphone head.

How long a sound lasts.

See digital versatile disc.

A digital versatile disc format with extremely high-quality audio.

The phase of DVD production when the user decides what goes onto the DVD and then applies the appropriate software to implement the process.

A DVD format allowing users to record one time but to play back the recorded information repeatedly. The format writes its data differently from DVD+R making the two record formats incompatible. See also DVD+R.

A DVD format allowing users to record one time but to play back the recorded information repeatedly. The format writes its data differently from DVD-R, making the two record formats incompatible. See also DVD-R.

A DVD format that can be recorded on, erased, and used again for another recording. It employs a phase-change technology. A primary application for this format is authoring media for DVD-V.

A DVD erasable format using phase-change technology that was developed to compete with DVD-RAM.

A microphone that transduces energy electromagnetically. Moving-coil and ribbon microphones are dynamic.

Composing the numerous sonic variables in interactive-sound design into a continuum that balances the need for realism with a visceral emotional experience so that each user experiences the appropriate sound mix for individual actions being performed.

See amplitude processor.

The range between the quietest and the loudest sounds that a sound source can produce without distortion.

See dynamic range control.

See dynamic range control.

A gain control signal applied during decoding that allows different amounts of overall dynamic range. Also called dynamic range compensation and dynamic range compression.

See interactive sound.

Reflections of the original sound that reach the listener within about 40 to 50 ms of the direct sound. Also called early sound. See also direct sound.

See early reflections.

Consists only of an earpiece cable (with no headband) connected to a microphone.

Sound reflections delayed by 35 ms or more that are perceived as discrete repetitions of the direct sound.

The point in time at which an echo is perceived, generally between 1 and 30 ms following the direct sound.

A list of edits, computer-generated or handwritten, used to assemble a production.

The finished program on videotape, film, or disc.

See edit decision list.

See electronic field production.

The resonance of sound at particular frequencies in an acoustic space. May add unwanted coloration to sound. More commonly known as room modes.

The capacity to return to the original shape or place after deflection or displacement.

A capacitor microphone which, instead of requiring an external high-voltage power source, uses a permanently charged element and requires only a low-voltage power supply for the internal preamp.

The electrical manipulation of acoustics.

Video production done on-location, involving program materials that take some time to produce.

Creating sound effects electronically using MIDI and devices such as synthesizers and computers.

News production done on-location, sometimes recorded and sometimes live, but usually with an imminent deadline.

A loudspeaker that uses minimal moving mass and obtains its driving force by applying an electric field to a charge trapped in the diaphragm. Also called capacitor loudspeaker.

See electronic news gathering.

In music two different notes that sound the same, for example, C# and Db, G# and Ab.

Equalization. See equalizer.

The principle that confirms the human ear’s nonlinear sensitivity to all audible frequencies: that midrange frequencies are perceived with greatest intensity and that bass and treble frequencies are perceived with lesser intensity.

A signal-processing device that can boost, attenuate, or shelve frequencies in a sound source or sound system.

See self-noise.

Designing an engineering system with human comfort and convenience in mind.

Stands for enhanced versatile disc.

An amplifier whose gain decreases as its input level decreases. It increases dynamic range.

See nondiegetic sound.

A transition usually indicating a marked change in time, locale, continuity of action, and other features. It is effected by gradually decreasing the loudness of a signal level to silence (or to “black” in video) and then gradually increasing the loudness of a signal level from silence (or from “black”).

A device containing a resistor that is used to vary the output voltage of a circuit or component. Also known as an attenuator, a gain or volume control, or a pot or potentiometer.

Monitoring sound at the listening position from large, powerful frontal loudspeakers several feet away and usually built into the mixing-room wall. See also near-field monitoring.

A computer file in a standardized format that lists addresses and information about the podcasts available on a server. It is also made available on the server in a semi-permanent location known as the feed URI or feed URL.

When part or all of a system’s output signal is returned into its own input. Feedback can be acoustic or electronic. A common example of acoustic feedback is the loud squeal or howl caused when the sound from a loudspeaker is picked up by a nearby microphone and reamplified. Electronic feedback is created in digital delay devices by feeding a proportion of the delayed signal back into the delay line. Also called regeneration.

A device that removes unwanted frequencies or noise from a signal.

A technology that enables isosynchronous service while providing the bandwidth needed for audio, imaging, video, and other streaming data. Isosynchronous service means it guarantees latency—the length of time between a requested action and when the resulting action occurs. FireWire offers a standard, simple connection to all types of electronics, including digital audio devices, digital VCRs, and digital video cameras as well as to traditional computer peripherals such as optical disc drives and hard-disk drives. FireWire can support up to 63 devices on a single bus.

See fundamental.

An equalizer with several fixed frequencies usually grouped in two (high and low), three (high, middle, and low), or four (high, high-middle, low-middle, and low) ranges of the frequency spectrum.

A wireless system assigned to one frequency. See also variable-frequency wireless microphone system.

See plant microphone.

See Free Lossless Audio Codec.

Combining a direct signal and the same signal slightly delayed and continuously varying their time relationships, using a time delay.

Frequency response in an audio system that reproduces a signal between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz (or between any two specified frequencies) that varies no more than ±3 dB.

Echoes between parallel walls that occur in rapid, even series.

See wireless microphone system.

The system in a multichannel console that permits the routing of sound through a headphone monitor feed to performers in the studio.

Producing and recording sound effects in the studio in synchronization with picture.

A frequency band in a voice or musical instrument that contains more energy and loudness than the neighboring area.

A loudspeaker system with three crossover networks.

Frames per second.

The number of film frames that pass in 1 second of real time—frames per second (fps).

An open-source, cross-platform file format that achieves lossless compression rates of 40 to 50 percent for most musical material.

The number of times per second that a sound source vibrates, expressed in hertz (Hz); formerly expressed in cycles per second (cps).

See variable-frequency wireless microphone system.

A measure of an audio system’s ability to reproduce a range of frequencies with the same relative loudness; usually represented by a graph.

Magnetic film in which the oxide coating covers most or all of the film width. See also stripe coat.

The lowest frequency a sound source can produce. Also called first harmonic and primary frequency.

Stands for forward versatile disc.

See fader.

A collection of all useful information about a video game at any given point during play.

See gigabyte.

1,024 megabytes (2³⁰ bytes).

An equalizer with sliding controls that gives a graphic representation of the response curve chosen.

A sound reflection arriving up to 30 ms after the direct sound must be about 10 dB louder to be audible, resulting in the direct and reflected sounds’ being perceived as one. See also temporal fusion and precedence effect.

Using a hard-disk computer system as the recording medium. Data storage and retrieval are random, quick, and nonlinear; storage capacity is considerable; and data can be nondestructive.

Abrupt gain reduction at the start of compression. See also knee and soft knee compression.

Begins and ends cleanly, requiring little adjustment in editing to remain in sync with the picture. Also called cut sound effect. See also soft sound effect.

Nonlinear distortion caused when an audio system introduces harmonics to a signal at the output that were not present at the input.

Frequencies that are exact multiples of the fundamental.

High definition.

The filtering capacities of the head, outer ears, and torso in locating a sound in three-dimensional space. See also diffraction and reflected sound.

The amount of increase in loudness level that a recording medium, amplifier, or other piece of equipment can take, above working level, before overload distortion.

A microphone attached to a pair of headphones; one headphone channel feeds the program and the other headphone channel feeds the director’s cues.

A resonator designed to absorb specific frequencies depending on size, shape, and enclosed volume of air. The enclosed volume of air is connected to the air in the room by a narrow opening, or neck. When resonant frequencies reach the neck of the enclosure, the air inside cancels those frequencies. Also called Helmholtz resonator.

See Helmholtz absorber.

Unit of measurement of frequency; numerically equal to cycles per second (cps).

See human interface device.

A trademark of Earthworks, Inc., referring to its line of very high-quality mics and their proprietary technology.

The treble range of the frequency spectrum.

A filter that attenuates frequencies below a selected frequency and allows those above that point to pass.

High-density optical disc that uses two lasers in a single beam and can hold up to 3.9 TB of data.

A microphone used for surround-sound pickup consisting of seven or eight miniature omnidirectional microphone elements housed in an ellipsoid shaped like a giant teardrop.

See head-related transfer function.

A hands-on device, such as a mouse, keyboard, joystick, or touchscreen, that facilitates control of computer functions.

A circuit built into a microphone to reduce hum pickup.

See holographic versatile disc.

See hertz.

See in-ear monitor.

See interruptible foldback system.

See interaural intensity difference.

See intermodulation distortion.

The measure of the total resistance to the current flow in an AC circuit; expressed in ohms.

Describes something other than what is being seen or heard. See also direct narration.

Sound waves that reflect from one or more surfaces before reaching the listener.

Used by musicians in live concerts to replace stage monitors.

A microphone that allows fine adjustments to any on-axis response from omnidirectional through bi- and unidirectional pickup patterns.

The range below the frequencies audible to human hearing.

Pitches that are not exact multiples of the fundamental. See also overtones.

In the sound envelope, the point at which the attack begins to lose amplitude.

A console in which a channel’s input, output, and monitor functions are placed in line and located in a single input/output (I/O) module. See also input/output (I/O) module.

The part of the ear that contains the auditory nerve, which transmits sound waves to the brain.

On an in-line console, a module containing input, output, and monitor controls for a single channel.

On a console the section into which signals from a sound source, such as a microphone feed, are routed to the output section.

A public telephone service that allows inexpensive use of a flexible, wide-area, all-digital network for, among other things, recording simultaneously from various locations.

Media such as computer games that allow a user to be a participant in the viewing experience—to directly manipulate and control the picture and the sound.

A sound track that reacts to user input and is designed to never play back in the same way twice. Also called dynamic sound and complex interactivity.

The difference between signal intensity levels at each ear. Also known as interaural level difference.

See interaural intensity difference.

The difference between signal arrival times at each ear.

Nonlinear distortion that occurs when different frequencies pass through an amplifier at the same time and interact to create combinations of tones unrelated to the original sounds.

The method used to send data from one computer to another over the Internet.

A standard based on the Internet Protocol (IP) for linking data storage devices over a network and transferring data by carrying SCSI commands over IP networks. See also Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) and Internet Protocol.

A communications system that allows communication from the producer or director and selected production personnel with the on-air talent. See also mix-minus.

Using small headphones instead of stage monitors to feed the sound blend to on-stage performers.

Sound level so quiet that it barely “kicks” the VU or peak meter.

Sound level so loud that the VU meter “rides” over 100 percent of modulation.

The acoustic situation in which the sound level changes in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from the sound source.

See input/output (I/O) module.

Stands for Internet Protocol electronic news gathering.

See Internet SCSI.

See Integrated Services Digital Network.

See interaural time difference.

Receptacle or plug connector leading to the input or output circuit of a patch bay, a recorder, or other electronic component.

A variation in time from sample to sample that causes changes in the shape of the audio waveform and creates adverse sonic effects such as reduced detail, harsher sound, and ghost imaging.

In digital editing, moving the mouse from side to side to direct control of an audio track. See also scrubbing and shuttling.

See kilobit.

See kilobyte.

Kilobits per second.

Kilobytes per second.

See kilohertz.

1,024 bits.

1,024 bytes.

A measure of frequency equivalent to 1,000 hertz, or 1,000 cycles per second.

The point at which a compressor starts gain reduction. See also hard knee compression and soft knee compression.

Measurement system developed by Bob Katz that integrates measures of metering and monitoring to standardize reference loudness.

See local area network.

The period of time it takes for data to get from one designated point to another. In audio the signal delay through the driver and the interface to the output.

Microphone that used to be worn around the neck but is now worn attached to the clothing. Also called mini-mic.

When many sounds occur at once, layering involves making sure that they remain balanced, in perspective, and intelligible in the mix.

See audio-leading-video, split editing, and video-leading-audio.

See low-frequency enhancement.

A compressor with an output level that does not exceed a preset ceiling regardless of the input level.

Having an output that varies in direct proportion to the input.

A pronounced dulling of the auditory senses, inhibiting perceptual judgment.

A walk with a concentration on listening. See also soundwalk.

A computer network configured for a small, localized area such as a home or business.

(1) Placement of a sound source in the stereo or surround-sound frame. (2) The direction from which a sound source seems to emanate in a stereo or surround-sound field. (3) The ability to tell the direction from which a sound is coming.

A form of SMPTE time code. A high-frequency signal consisting of a stream of pulses produced by a time code generator used to code tape to facilitate editing and synchronization. Also called SMPTE time code.

People who provide the background sound for a crowd scene and various vocal utterances that it would be too expensive to hire an A-list actor to perform.

Repeating a sound continuously. See also automated dialogue replacement.

Stands for left-only/right-only. The more common of the two methods for downmixing surround sound to stereo. It adds the center channel to the front-left and front-right channels, the left surround to the left channel, and the right surround to the right channel. See also Lt/Rt.

A data compression process during which no data is discarded. See also lossy compression.

A data compression process during which data that is not critical is discarded during compression. See also lossless compression.

The relative volume of a sound.

Distortion that occurs when the loudness of a signal is greater than the sound system can handle. Also called overload distortion.

Frequency range between roughly 20 Hz and 80 Hz, the lowest two octaves in the audible frequency spectrum.

The bass range of the frequency spectrum.

In a surround-sound system, using a separate channel and a subwoofer loudspeaker to reproduce low-frequency sounds.

A filter that attenuates frequencies above a selected frequency and allows those below that point to pass.

See longitudinal time code.

Stands for left-total/right-total. The less common of the two methods for downmixing surround sound to stereo. It adds the center channel to the left and right channels. The surround channels are summed to mono and added to the left and right channels with the right channel 90 degrees out of phase, enabling those using Dolby Pro Logic to reproduce the left, center, right, and surround signals. See also Lo/Ro.

See Multichannel Audio Digital Interface.

Sprocketed film containing sound only and no picture. See also full coat and stripe coat.

A compression control that allows adjustment of the output level to the desired optimum. Used, for example, when loud parts of a signal are so reduced that the overall result sounds too quiet.

The hiding of some sounds by other sounds when each is a different frequency and they are presented together.

The fader that controls the combined signal level of the individual input channels on a console.

In a multichannel production console, the section that routes the final mix to its recording destination. It usually houses, at least, the master controls for the mixing bus outputs, reverb send and reverb return, and master fader.

The final preparation of audio material for duplication and distribution.

The level at which a microphone’s output signal begins to distort, that is, produces a 3 percent total harmonic distortion.

See megabit.

See megabyte.

Megabits per second.

See mini disc.

1,048,576 (2²⁰) bits; sometimes interpreted as 1 million bits.

1,048,576 bytes (2²⁰ bytes); sometimes interpreted as 1 million bytes.

A measure of frequency equivalent to 1 million cycles per second.

A nonvolatile memory that can be electrically recorded onto, erased, and reprogrammed, such as Flash memory. It does not need power to maintain the stored information.

A digital recorder that has no moving parts and therefore requires no maintenance. Uses a memory card as the storage medium.

See megahertz.

See microphone.

A transducer that converts acoustic energy into electric energy. Also called mic.

A device or plug-in that emulates the sound of various microphones.

The part of the ear that transfers sound waves from the eardrum to the inner ear.

Consists of two mic capsules housed in a single casing. One capsule, usually cardioid, is the midposition microphone. The other capsule, usually bidirectional, has each lobe oriented 90 degrees laterally.

See Musical Instrument Digital Interface.

Translates SMPTE time code into MIDI messages that allow MIDI-based devices to operate on the SMPTE timing reference.

The part of the frequency spectrum to which humans are most sensitive; the frequencies between roughly 320 Hz and 2,560 Hz.

A unit of length equal to one thousandth (10^–3) of a meter, or 0.0394 inch.

One thousandth of a second.

A unit of power equal to one thousandth (10^–3) of a watt.

Boosting the level of an audience’s sound during laughter or applause and/or reinforcing it with recorded laughter or applause.

See millimeter.

Magneto-optical disc 2 1/2 inches wide that can store more than an hour of digital-quality audio.

Short for miniature microphone. Any extremely small lavalier mic designed to be unobtrusive on-camera and which can be easily hidden in or under clothing or on a set.

The point, usually in postproduction, when all the separately recorded audio tracks are sweetened, positioned, and combined into stereo or surround sound.

A small, highly portable device that mixes various elements of sound, typically coming from multiple microphones, and performs limited processing functions. See also console.

See console.

A program feed through an interruptible foldback circuit minus the announcer’s voice. See also interruptible foldback (IFB) system.

Any of a number of different portable devices capable of storing and playing digital audio, video, and images, such as cell phones, iPods, cameras, PDAs, and laptop computers.

A car, van, or tractor-trailer equipped to produce program material on-location.

The section in a console that enables the signals to be heard. The monitor section in multichannel production consoles, among other things, allows monitoring of the line or recorder input, selects various inputs to the control room and studio monitors, and controls their levels.

The continuous, seamless transformation of one effect (aural or visual) into another.

A loudspeaker with a moving-coil element.

A mic with a moving-coil element. The coil is connected to a diaphragm suspended in a magnetic field.

See MPEG-2 layer 3 technology.

See MPEG-4 AAC with SBR.

Stands for Moving Picture Experts Group. A compression format for film established by the film industry and the International Standards Organization (ISO). Uses an analytical approach to compression called acoustic masking.

Compression format that is approximately a 30 percent improvement over the MPEG-2 layer 3 technology (MP3), considered 100 percent better than AC-3.

Compression format considered excellent for sound effects, speech, and most music. Commonly known as MP3.

The most recent coding system from MPEG that provides near-CD-quality stereo that can be transmitted over connection speeds as low as 48 Kbps.

See millisecond.

See middle-side microphone.

See MIDI time code.

See multiple.

The standard used when interfacing multichannel digital audio.

Microphone with more than one pickup pattern. Also called polydirectional microphone.

In wireless microphones, when more than one radio frequency (RF) signal from the same source arrives at the receiver’s front end, creating phase mismatching.

(1) On a patch bay, jacks interconnected to each other and to no other circuit. They can be used to feed signals to and from sound sources. Also called mults. (2) An amplifier with several mic-level outputs to provide individual feeds, thereby eliminating the need for many. Also called a press bridge, presidential patch, or press mult box.

A mic that has more than one opening for sound waves to reach the transducer. Most of these openings are used to reject sound from the sides or back of the microphone through phase cancellation. Each port returns a different frequency range to the mic capsule out of phase with sounds reaching the front of the mic. Also called variable-D.

A protocol that allows synthesizers, drum machines, sequencers, and other signal-processing devices to communicate with or control one another or both.

A DVD-based format marketed by Warner Music Group.

A recorded montage of natural sounds often electronically modified and presented as a musical composition.

See Music Video Interactive.

See milliwatt.

Sound effects that add more to a scene than what is apparent and so perform an informational function. See also commentative sound and descriptive sound.

See noise criteria.

A stereo microphone array in which the mics are separated horizontally but the angle or space between their capsules is not more than several inches. See also X-Y miking.

Monitoring with loudspeakers placed close to the operator, usually on or just behind the console’s meter bridge, to reduce interference from control room acoustics at the monitoring position. See also far-field monitoring.

Any unwanted sound or signal.

Headphone that detects ambient noise before it reaches the ears and nullifies it by synthesizing the sound waves.

A microphone designed for use close to the mouth and with excellent rejection of ambient sound.

Contours of the levels of background noise that can be tolerated within an audio studio.

See compander.

An expander with a threshold that can be set to reduce or eliminate unwanted low-level sounds, such as room ambience, rumble, and leakage, without affecting the wanted sounds.

A digital signal processor that reduces or eliminates pops, clicks, and background noises.

See sound absorption coefficient.

Editing that does not alter the original sound or soundfile, regardless of what editing or signal processing is affected. It changes only the pointers, not the data on the disk. See also destructive editing.

Sound that is outside the story space, such as music underscoring. Also called extra-sound. See also diegetic sound.

See omnidirectional microphone

Single-antenna receiving system used with wireless microphones. See also diversity reception.

The property of not being linear—not having an output that varies in direct proportion to the input.

See digital editing.

A digital editor that facilitates accessing any part of an audio (or video) recording; cutting, pasting, and copying the edit; and restoring any change in the edited material to its original waveform at any time, quickly and seamlessly—all without endangering the master audio (or video).

A filter capable of attenuating an extremely narrow bandwidth of frequencies.

See sound absorption coefficient.

The interval between two sounds that have a frequency ratio of 2:1.

Not being within the optimal pickup pattern of a microphone; off-axis.

See accent miking.

An open-source multimedia container format, comparable to MPEG program stream or QuickTime.

A professional audio encoding and streaming technology.

A unit of resistance to current flow.

Microphone that picks up sound from all directions. Also called non-directional microphone.

Being within the optimal pickup pattern of a microphone; on-axis.

A device that generates pure tones or sine waves.

The portion of the ear that picks up and directs sound waves through the auditory canal to the middle ear.

In a mixer and console, the section that routes the signals to a recorder or broadcast or both.

Recording instruments or sections of an ensemble separately. One or a few instruments are first recorded and the other voicings are added separately or in groups to the previously recorded tracks.

Feeding a component or system more amplitude than it can handle and thereby causing loudness distortion.

See loudness distortion.

On a console, a light-emitting diode (LED) that flashes when the input signal is approaching or has reached overload and is clipping. Also called peak indicator.

Recording ambience after recording narration or dialogue by letting the recorder continue to run.

Harmonics that may or may not be multiples of the fundamental. Subjective response of the ear to harmonics. Also called inharmonic overtones.

An attenuator inserted into a component or system to reduce level.

Short for panoramic potentiometer. A volume control that shifts the proportion of sound from left to right between two output buses and, hence, between the two loudspeakers necessary for reproducing a stereo image; or it shifts the proportion of sound among the six (or more) surround-sound channels, and loudspeakers, necessary for reproducing a surround-sound image.

A system that uses a concave dish to focus reflected sound into a microphone pointed at the center of the dish.

An equalizer that combines the features of a parametric and a graphic equalizer.

An equalizer in which the bandwidth of a selected frequency is continuously variable.

A laser-based microphone, still in the experimental stage, designed to eliminate distortion.

A loudspeaker that is powered externally. See also active loudspeaker.

Combines individual inputs into one output without amplifying the signal. See also active microphone mixer.

An assembly of jacks to which are wired the inputs and the outputs of the audio components in a console and/or sound studio. Also called patch panel.

A short cord or cable with a plug at each end, used to route signals in a patch bay.

See patch bay.

See protein-coated disc.

See overload indicator.

A meter designed to indicate peak loudness levels in a signal.

A meter designed to indicate transient peaks in the level of a signal.

The percentage of an applied signal in relation to the maximum signal a sound system can handle.

Establishing through mic-to-source distance the audio viewpoint in relation to the performers and their environment in screen space.

See solo.

Operating voltage supplied to a capacitor microphone by an external power source or mixer, thereby eliminating the need for batteries.

The time relationship between two or more sounds reaching a microphone or signals in a circuit. When this time relationship is coincident, the sounds or signals are in phase and their amplitudes are additive. When this time relationship is not coincident, the sounds or signals are out of phase and their amplitudes are subtractive.

See polarity reversal.

The phase relationship of two signals at a given time, or the phase change of a signal over an interval of time.

An effect created by splitting a signal in two and time-delaying one of the signal portions, using a phase shifter.

A dimensionless unit of loudness level related to the ear’s subjective impression of signal strength.

See polar response pattern.

When the needle of the VU meter hits against the peg at the right-hand side of the red. Pinning is to be avoided because it indicates too high a loudness level and it could damage the meter.

Wideband noise that maintains constant energy per octave. See also white noise.

The subjective perception of frequency—the highness or lowness of a sound.

A signal processor that varies the pitch of a signal. The basic parameter for pitch shifting is transposition.

A stationary mic positioned on the set to cover action that cannot easily be picked up with a boom mic or a body mic or to provide fill sound. Also called fixed mic.

An add-on software tool that gives a hard-disk recording/editing system signal-processing alternatives beyond what the original system provides.

A development in Internet technology that allows users to create and distribute their own audio (and video) productions over the Web. The term podcasting is a combination of pod, referring to the iPod sound player, and casting, short for broadcasting.

See aggregator.

The relative position of two signal leads—the high (+) and the low (–)—in the same circuit.

The control on a console that inverts the polarity of an input signal 180 degrees. Sometimes called phase reversal.

The indication of how a loudspeaker focuses sound at the monitoring position(s).

The graph of a microphone’s directional characteristics as seen from above. The graph indicates response over a 360-degree circumference in a series of concentric circles, each representing a 5 dB loss in level as the circles move inward toward the center. Also called pickup pattern.

See multidirectional microphone.

Foam rubber windscreen placed inside the microphone head. Particularly effective in reducing sound from plosives and blowing. Also called blast filter. See also windscreen.

A sound absorber made up of porous material whose tiny air spaces are most effective at absorbing high frequencies.

Short for postproduction.

Short for potentiometer. See fader.

See fader.

See peak program meter.

The tendency to perceive the direct and immediate repetitions of a sound as coming from the same position or direction even if the immediate repetitions coming from another direction are louder. See also Haas effect and temporal fusion.

The amount of time between the onset of the direct sound and the appearance of the first reflections.

Boosts the treble range in transmission by 6 dB per octave, starting at 2.1 kHz (in the United States) or 3.2 kHz (in Europe).

See solo.

The stage in postproduction when dialogue, music, and sound effects are prepared for final mixing.

(1) Perception of a sound as being close and realistic. (2) Also used as a synonym for ambience and room tone. See ambience.

See press bridge.

An amplifier with several mic-level outputs to provide individual feeds, thereby eliminating the need for many. Also called a multiple, presidential patch, or press mult box.

See press bridge.

See fundamental.

Recording dialogue on the set, thereby preserving the sonic record of a production, regardless of whether the dialogue is to be rerecorded.

Music that emanates from an on-screen singer or ensemble and is produced live during shooting or in postproduction.

In development, the PCD uses a theoretical high-density optical disc technology that would provide up to a 50 TB capacity.

Increase in the bass response of some mics as the distance between the mic and its sound source is decreased. Also known as bass tip-up.

Used for body miking; tends to add presence to close dialogue and reject background sound. See also transparent mini-mic.

Signal processor that adds clarity, definition, overall presence, and life, or “sizzle,” to recorded sound.

The study of human perception of and subjective response to sound stimuli.

A single frequency devoid of harmonics and overtones. Also called sine wave.

A measure of the bandwidth of frequencies that an equalizer affects.

Converting a waveform that is infinitely variable into a finite series of discrete levels. radio microphone See wireless microphone system.

Temporary drawing apart of vibrating molecules, causing a partial vacuum to occur. See also compression (2).

Mode of operation in an automated mixdown when the console controls are operated automatically by the data previously encoded in the computer. Also called safe mode. See also update mode and write mode.

Proprietary system that uses a compression method called CELP at low bit rates for speech. For music it uses the AC-3 codec developed by Dolby with higher bit rates.

A device that shows the total energy present at all audible frequencies on an instantaneous basis. See also spectrum analyzer.

A CD format allowing users to record one time but to play back the recorded information repeatedly.

See release time.

Reflections of the direct sound that bounce off one or more surfaces before reaching the listener.

See feedback.

In the sound envelope, the time and the manner in which a sound diminishes to inaudibility.

The length of time it takes a compressor to return to its normal level (unity gain) after the signal has been attenuated or withdrawn. Also called recovery time.

Any broadcast done away from the studio.

An inspection of a production location by key production and engineering personnel and the written plan they draft based on that inspection. Also called site survey.

The final stage in postproduction, when the premixed tracks or stems—dialogue, music, and sound effects—are combined into stereo and surround sound and sent to the edit master.

See word length.

Transmitting a vibration from one body to another when the frequency of the first body is exactly, or almost exactly, the natural frequency of the second body.

See reverberation.

See reverberation.

Multiple blended, random reflections of a sound wave after the sound source has ceased vibrating. The types of reverberation in current use are digital, convolution, plate, and acoustic chamber. Also called reverb and reverberant sound.

The length of time it takes a sound to die away—the time it takes a sound to decrease to one-millionth of its original intensity, or 60 dB-SPL. Also called decay time.

A CD format that can be recorded on, erased, and used again for another recording.

The sonic time pattern.

A loudspeaker that uses a ribbon as the transducer. The ribbon principle in a loudspeaker today is usually employed in the high-frequency tweeter.

A microphone with a ribbon diaphragm suspended in a magnetic field.

Continually adjusting controls on a console or other audio equipment to maintain a more or less constant level.

When a dialogue line ends with the ambient ring of a room and another line begins with that ring decaying under it.

The process of copying audio (or video) data in one media form, such as CD or DVD, to a hard disk. To conserve storage space, copied data are usually encoded in a compressed format. Also called digital audio extraction.

See eigentones.

See ambience, presence.

A method of distributing data about a podcast, blog, or news feed to a widespread group of Internet subscribers.

See real-time analyzer.

See sound absorption coefficient.

See Super Audio Compact Disc.

See read mode.

See word clock.

An audio device that records a short sound event—such as a note or a musical phrase—into computer memory. The samples can be played by triggering them with a MIDI signal from a MIDI controller or a MIDI sequencer.

(1) Examining an analog signal at regular intervals defined by the sampling frequency. (2) A process whereby a section of digital audio representing a sonic event, acoustic or electroacoustic, is stored on disk or into electronic memory.

The frequency (or rate) at which an analog signal is sampled. Also called sampling rate.

See sampling frequency.

See storage area network.

A mic system that uses two omnidirectional capacitor capsules flush-mounted on either side of a sphere, with two bidirectional mics, one on each side of the sphere, facing front and rear.

In hard-disk editing, moving the play cursor through the defined region at any speed to listen to a sound being readied for editing. See also jogging and shuttling.

See Small Computer Systems Interface.

(1) Cutting from one effect to another with nothing in between. (2) Playing two recordings one after the other, with no announcement in between.

The electrical noise, or hiss, an electronic device produces. Also called equivalent noise level.

(1) A measure of the voltage (dBV) a microphone produces, which indicates its efficiency. (2) The sound-pressure level directly in front of the loudspeaker, on-axis, at a given distance and produced by a given amount of power.

An electronic device that can be programmed to store and automatically play back a repeating series of notes on an electronic musical instrument such as a synthesizer.

A computer dedicated to providing one or more services over a computer network, typically through a request-response routine.

See sound effects.

Refers to the need for all parts of a video game—sound control and playback, picture display, game-play and game control, and control of various hardware components—to use simultaneously the same finite set of system resources.

Maximum boost or cut of a signal at a particular frequency that remains constant at all points beyond that frequency so the response curve resembles a shelf.

A device that isolates a microphone from mechanical vibrations. It can be attached externally or built into a microphone.

A highly directional microphone with a tube that resembles the barrel of a rifle.

In digital editing, moving the mouse to change the scrubbing speed. See also jogging and scrubbing.

Devices used to alter some characteristic of a sound. See also amplitude processor, noise processor, spectrum processor, and time processor.

The ratio, expressed in decibels, of an electronic device’s nominal output to its noise floor. The wider the S/N ratio, the better.

Film carrying picture only, with no sound information.

A fundamental frequency with no harmonics or overtones. Also called pure tone.

See single-entry-port microphone.

A directional microphone that uses a single port to bring sounds from the rear of the mic to the capsule. Because these sounds from the rear reach the capsule out of phase with those that reach the front of the capsule, they are canceled. Also called single-D microphone.

Recording picture and sound in a film or video camera simultaneously.

See remote survey.

The effect created when an original signal repeats as distinct echoes that decrease in level with each repetition.

The part of a talkback system that feeds sound to a recording. It is used for verbal identification of the material being recorded, the take number, and other information just before each recording. See also clapslate.

The standard for hardware and software command language that allows two-way communication between, primarily, hard-disk and CD-ROM drives. Pronounced “scuzzy.”

A reference in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames used for coding to facilitate editing and synchronization. Pronounced “sempty.” Also called longitudinal time code.

See signal-to-noise ratio.

A term used with picture when a shot change is brief but not quite as abrupt as a cut or as deliberate as a dissolve. The effect can be used in audio for transitions that need a quick yet aesthetically graceful change.

Smooth gain reduction at the start of compression. See also knee and hard knee compression.

Does not have a defined beginning and ending and does not explicitly synchronize with the picture. See also hard sound effect.

A control on a multichannel console that automatically cuts off all signals feeding the monitor system except those signals feeding through the channel that the solo control activates. Sometimes called prefader listen (PFL).

The consumer version of the AES/EBU interface calling for an unbalanced line using phono connectors. See also AES/EBU.

A measure of the sound-absorbing ability of a surface. This coefficient is defined as the fraction of incident sound absorbed by a surface. Values range from 0.01 for marble to 1.00 for the materials used in an almost acoustically dead enclosure. Also known as noise reduction coefficient (NRC).

Computer hardware necessary to input, manipulate, and output audio.

The audio components that carry a signal from its sound source to its destination.

The process of creating the overall sonic character of a production (usually in relation to picture).

The individual responsible for a production’s overall sonic complexion.

Anything sonic that is not speech or music.

Changes in the loudness of a sound over time, described as occurring in four stages: attack, initial decay, sustain, and release (ADSR).

Four capacitor microphone capsules, shaped like a tetrahedron and enclosed in a single casing, that can be combined in various formats to reproduce sonic depth, breadth, and height.

A sound stored in the memory of a hard-disk recorder/editor.

Film carrying both picture and sound.

The range of frequencies audible to human hearing: about 20 to 20,000 Hz.

A measure of the pressure of a sound wave, or sound-pressure level (SPL), expressed in decibels (dB).

The sonic environment; any portion of the sonic environment regarded as a field for study; or abstract constructions, such as musical compositions and audio montages, particularly when considered as an environment.

A rating that evaluates the effectiveness of barriers in isolating sound.

The exploration of a soundscape using a score as a guide. The score consists of a map, drawing the listener’s attention to unusual sounds and ambiences to be heard along the way. See also listening walk.

A vibrational disturbance that involves mechanical motion of molecules transmitting energy from one place to another.

Background music from an on-screen source, such as a stereo, radio, or jukebox. It is added during postproduction.

Two, sometimes three, microphones spaced from several inches to several feet apart, depending on the width of the sound source and the acoustics, for stereo recording.

See Sony/Philips Digital Interface.

A device that, among other things, displays the frequency response of an electrical waveform in relation to the amplitude present at all frequencies. See also real-time analyzer.

Using a sonogram view of an audio file to facilitate ultrafine surgical editing.

A signal processor that affects a sound’s spectral range, such as equalizers, filters, and psychoacoustic processors.

Using a pitch shifter to change the timbre and the pitch of natural sounds. Also called chipmunk effect.

See sound-pressure level.

A compressor that affects an input signal independently by splitting the audio into multiple bands and then recombining the outputs of the bands into a single mono or stereo broadband signal. See also broadband compressor.

(1) Editing the same sound into two or more separate tracks to facilitate control of its length and in editing transitions. In dialogue, for example, this makes it easier to extend lines that may have been cut too short during picture editing, to overlap voices, and to carry over lines from one scene to the next. (2) A type of transition where the audio or video leads or lags a portion of the previous edit. See audio-leading-video and video-leading-audio.

Recording two separate sound sources on two separate tracks on a stereo recorder, camcorder, or disk recorder.

Going through a script or work print and deciding on the placement of music and sound effects.

Indicates the music or sound-effect cue and whether it is synchronous or nonsynchronous, its in- and out-times, and its description.

In a wireless microphone system, a process of signal reception at the receiver that silences or mutes the receiver’s audio output when there is no radio signal.

See sound transmission class.

One-dimensional sound that creates the illusion of two-dimensional sound.

Two directional microphone capsules, one above the other, with separate outputs, encased in one housing.

Ensuring that a recording made in stereo is reproducible in mono without spatial or spectral distortion.

See clapslate.

Can be likened to the common flow of data in a personal computer that is shared by different kinds of storage devices. It is designed to serve a large network of users and handle sizeable data transfers among different interconnected data storage devices.

Magnetic film that contains two stripes of oxide coating, a wide stripe for recording single-track mono and a narrow balance stripe to ensure that the film wind on reels is smooth. See also full coat.

Sound track development that is not deterministic; rather it is a probability-based expression of variable and predictable user actions and random elements.

Attenuating, rather than boosting, frequencies to achieve equalization. See also complementary equalization and cumulative equalization.

Sony’s proprietary extremely high-quality CD audio format intended for the audiophile market.

Multichannel sound, typically employing six or more channels, each one feeding to a separate loudspeaker that expands the dimensions of depth, thereby placing the listener more in the center of the aural image than in front of it. See also 5.1 and 7.1.

In the sound envelope, the period during which the sound’s relative dynamics are maintained after its initial decay.

In control room monitoring, the designated listening position, which is the optimal distance away from and between the loudspeakers.

Enhancing the sound of a recording in postproduction through signal processing and mixing.

Locking two or more devices that have microprocessor intelligence so that they operate at precisely the same rate.

Interchangeable microphone capsules of various directional patterns that attach to a common base. The base contains a power supply and a preamplifier.

The inherent noise that an electronic device or a system generates.

Computing power and asset (data and file) management available to a video game. System resources can be either dedicated or shared, depending on the architecture and the design of the game.

Studio-address intercom system that permits communication from a control room microphone to a loudspeaker or headphones in the studio.

See terabyte.

Stands for technical director.

The speed of a sound.

When reflected sound reaches the ear within 10 to 30 ms of the original sound, the direct and reflected sounds are perceived as a single sound. This effect gradually disappears as the time interval between direct and reflected sounds increases from roughly 30 to 50 ms. See also Haas effect and precedence effect.

A reversible desensitization in hearing that disappears in anywhere from a few hours to several days. Also called auditory fatigue.

1,024 gigabytes (2⁴⁰ bytes).

See total harmonic distortion.

A guideline used to reduce the phasing caused when a sound reaches two microphones at slightly different times. It states that no two mics should be closer to each other than three times the distance between one of them and its sound source.

A loudspeaker system with two crossover networks.

120 dB-SPL.

The lowest sound-pressure level at which sound becomes audible to the human ear. It is the zero reference of 0 dB-SPL.

The sound-pressure level at which the ear begins to feel pain, about 140 dB-SPL, although levels of around 120 dB-SPL cause discomfort.

Facilitates the interconnecting of outboard devices and patch bays in a control room or between studios.

The unique tone quality or color of a sound.

The unique SMPTE time code number that identifies each 1/30 second of a recording.

Shortening the time (length) of material without changing its pitch.

Increasing the time (length) of material without changing its pitch.

A signal processor that affects the time interval between a signal and its repetition. The effects include reverberation and delay.

After prolonged exposure to loud sounds, the ringing, whistling, or buzzing in the ears, even though no loud sounds are present.

See transmission loss.

A specification that compares the output signal with the input signal and measures the level differences in harmonic frequencies between the two. THD is measured as a percentage; the lower the percentage, the better.

A device that converts one form of energy into another.

See dub.

A sound that begins with a sharp attack followed by a quick decay.

Distortion that occurs when a sound system cannot reproduce sounds that begin with sudden, explosive attacks.

The amount of sound reduction provided by a barrier such as a wall, floor, or ceiling.

See wireless microphone system.

Used for body miking; tends to add an open, natural sound and pick up more ambience. See also proximity-prone mini-mic.

Frequency range between roughly 5,120 Hz and 20,000 Hz, the highest two octaves audible to human hearing in the sound frequency spectrum.

(1) To attenuate the loudness level in a component or circuit. (2) The device on a console that attenuates the loudness level at the microphone/line input.

See temporary threshold shift.

A capacitor microphone using a tube circuit in the preamp.

The informal name of a loudspeaker that reproduces high frequencies. See also woofer.

A loudspeaker system with one crossover network.

High-density optical disc format in two versions that can store up to 60 GB and 120 GB, respectively.

Frequencies above the range of human hearing.

A line (or circuit) with two conductors of unequal voltage.

Nondiegetic original or library music that enhances the informational or emotional content of a scene.

Adding background music that enhances the content of a scene by evoking a particular idea, emotion, point of view, or atmosphere.

A microphone that picks up sound from one direction. Also called directional microphone.

When the board operator is late in responding to the first few utterances of a speaker, thereby missing the words or having them barely audible.

Mode of operation in an automated mixdown when an encoded control can be recorded without affecting the coding of the other controls. See also read mode and write mode.

A way to handle surround sound by taking two-channel stereo and synthesizing it to multichannel pseudo-surround. See also downmixing.

Frequency range between roughly 80 Hz and 320 Hz.

Frequency range between roughly 2,560 Hz and 5,120 Hz.

A digital microphone developed for those who want to record directly into a computer without an audio interface, such as a console, control surface, or mixer. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus.

See USB microphone converter.

Device that makes it possible to connect any dynamic or capacitor XLR microphone to a computer via USB. Also known as a USB microphone adapter.

See volt.

See multiple-entry-port microphone.

A wireless microphone system that can use more than one channel. Also known as frequency-agile system. See also fixed-frequency wireless microphone system.

See voltage-controlled amplifier.

The speed of a sound wave: 1,130 feet per second at sea level and 70°F.

When the picture of a new scene starts before the sound of the old scene has finished. Also called L-cut. See also audio-leading-video and split editing.

In hard-disk recording, a track that provides all the functionality of an actual track but cannot be played simultaneously with another virtual track.

See voice-over.

See voice processor.

Taking the words off the page and conveying meaning, making them believable and memorable.

An announcement or narration to which other materials, such as music, sound effects, and visuals, are added.

Technology that allows interactive video game users who have a headset and a microphone to speak with each other, give and receive instructions, and play in a team environment against others using the same technology.

A device that can enhance, modify, pitch-correct, harmonize, and change completely the sound of a voice. Also called vocoder.

See Voice over Internet Protocol.

The unit used to measure potential difference or electromotive force. The potential generated by 1 ampere of current flowing through 1 ohm of resistance.

An amplifier used to decrease level. The amount of amplification is controlled by external DC voltage.

See fader.

A meter that responds to the average voltage on the line, not true volume levels. It is calibrated in volume units and percentage of modulation.

See volume-unit meter.

See watt.

A nonsense word that used to be spoken by film extras to create ambient crowd sound without anything discernable actually being said.

See wide area network.

The unit of power equal to the expenditure of 1 ampere passed through a resistance of 1 ohm for 1 second.

A graphic representation of a sound’s characteristic shape displayed, for example, on test equipment and hard-disk editing systems.

(λ) The length of one cycle of a sound wave. Wavelength is inversely proportional to the frequency of a sound; the higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength.

A filter used for weighting a frequency response before measurement.

A sound with reverberation or signal processing. See also dry sound.

A wideband noise that contains equal energy at each frequency. See also pink noise.

A computer network configured for a large geographical area.

Foam rubber covering specially designed to fit over the outside of a microphone head. Used to reduce plosive and blowing sounds. See also pop filter.

System consisting of a transmitter that sends a microphone signal to a receiver connected to a console or recorder. Also called cordless, FM, radio, and transmitter microphone.

Informal name for a loudspeaker that produces the bass frequencies. See also tweeter.

A synchronization signal that is used to control the rate at which digital audio data is converted or transmitted. Also called sample clock or digital clock.

Describes the potential accuracy of a particular piece of hardware or software that processes audio data. In general, the more bits that are available, the more accurate the resulting output from the data being processed. Also called bit depth and resolution.

See control surface.

Recording room sound to add the sound of that space to a dry recording or to use it to enhance or smooth ambient backgrounds that are already part of the dialogue track.

Starting a recorded sound before it reaches full speed.

The mode of operation in an automated mixdown during which controls are adjusted conventionally and the adjustments are encoded in the computer for retrieval in read mode. See also read mode and update mode.

Common male and female microphone plugs with a three-pin connector.

Coincident or near-coincident miking that places the microphones’ diaphragms over or horizontal to one another. See also coincident miking and near-coincident miking.

The point where the waveform crosses the centerline, denoting a value of zero amplitude. It divides the positive (upper) and negative (lower) parts of the waveform.