APPENDIX F-2
Glossary

16 bit A common wordlength used for digital audio. The CD standard is 16 bit.

360 deal Deals created to encapsulate and draw from all aspects of an artist’s income. A label might insist on a percentage of an artist’s live merchandise income, for example.

44.1 kHz A common sample rate used for digital audio recording. The CD standard is 44.1 kHz.

AAC See “MP4.”

Abbey Road Possibly one of the most famous studios in the world. Owned by EMI, this legendary studio in North London was where the Beatles recorded, among many others.

ADT Artificial Double Tracking, the process of doubling a track without the need for a second performance. Most commonly used on vocals and guitars in order to thicken the sound and texture. ADT can be achieved via effects processors or by manually copying the audio to a second track and delaying and modulating the copied audio. It was famously developed and used by George Martin and Geoff Emerick on John Lennon’s vocals.

Advance When an artist or producer enters into a contract with a label, they may be provided with an advance of money. This advance, for producers, will often be for paying studio fees and so on in the case of all-in budgets.

AES Audio Engineering Society.

AES/EBU Collaboration between the Audio Engineering Society and The European Broadcast Union to develop a digital audio protocol used in professional audio applications.

AIFF Audio Interchange File Format, a non data-compressed audio file format common to the Apple Mac.

AIM The Association of Independent Music, a nonprofit trade organization for independent record companies and distributors in the U.K.

Akai Manufacturer of audio and hi-fi equipment. Akai is most renowned for the series of samplers, such as the S1000 and S1100.

Algorithm An algorithm is code, a little like a program, that achieves a certain task. For example, the reverberation algorithm for each setting on a digital effects unit.

All-in deal A type of deal made between a record label and a producer. The all-in deal involves the producer receiving a recording budget/lump sum out of which all recording costs (studio, musicians, engineer, etc.) and their own personal fee will be paid. This requires a high degree of budget management from the producer but gives greater control over how the money is distributed and spent. Any money that is left over from the initial sum can be kept by the producer on top of their personal production fee. This deal can therefore be beneficial to the producer depending on how efficiently the budget is managed.

Ambience The space around a recording. Can also be considered as a type of reverberation, or the depth in a mix and the atmosphere it can provide.

Analog A term used to describe audio recording formats prior to digital where the movement of a stylus was analogous to the waveform movement, for example.

APRS Association of Professional Recording Services.

Arrangement The organization of the musical structure and instrumentation used within a song or composition. The choice of instrumentation and its harmonic voicing forms a major part of an arrangement.

Arranger Someone brought in to orchestrate parts for session musicians, normally ensembles such as orchestras, chamber orchestras, and horn sections.

Artist & Repertoire Artist and Repertoire (more commonly known as A&R) is the department within a record label assigned with the duty of seeking out, recognizing, and signing talent.

Artist development The process of guiding the artist (also known as the talent) to become a unique artist. This development could be musical, stylistic, performance skills, and so on. Artist development can also refer to a department within a label charged with this function.

Assistant engineer In a traditional studio hierarchy the assistant engineer is considered to be one up from the tape op. This role involves a variety of duties in order to assist the main engineer on the recording. Among others these may include the setting up and recall of settings on the mixing desk, the organization of inputs and rerouting or patching, the patching in of outboard equipment such as effects units and dynamics processors, and so on, and the set up and positioning of microphones for tracking. If using analog tape, the assistant engineer or tape op may also set up the reel-to-reel machine ready for tracking.

Auratones A common nearfield monitor popular in the 1980s. A pair would adorn many a meter-bridge. The Auratones were small speakers that imitated some of the lower cost audio equipment on the market.

Automation Refers to the ability for a mixing desk, or the Digital Audio Workstation equivalent, to be controlled remotely. This remote control is plotted against time so that levels can be automatically managed and maintained. Automation is now an integral part of modern mixing.

Automation modes Refers to the types of passes that can be managed when using an automation system. Write refers to a complete overwrite of any previously recorded data, a good place to start; touch refers to the ability for the faders to continue to track previously recorded automation but be updated when the fader is touched by the user; latch is where the fader can be moved and it does not resume its old automation as it would with touch.

Auxiliaries A control on a channel strip on the mixing console. Its function is to send a small submix out to allow some of the signal to be used either for an effects unit (typically post fader auxiliary) or for a headphone mix (pre-fader auxiliary).

Balance A term used in the studio to describe the mixing process. Getting the balance will be an engineer moving faders and making a balance of the recorded music. Balance can often also mean the difference in power from left to right like a pan control on one channel.

Board See “Mixing console.”

Booth Refers to a soundproof small room that is acoustically treated to sound a certain way. Drum booths are common as they isolate the drummer’s performance from spilling over the rest of the microphones in a live studio recording.

Bottom end A term used to describe the bass frequencies.

Buss compression Compression placed across a buss. An example could be a stereo compressor placed across a drum kit sent via a group buss.

Cans See “Headphones.”

C.A.P. See “Producer’s C.A.P.”

Chorus (song section) The centrepiece of any song, which serves to deliver the main lyrical and melodic refrain or hook. The chorus is generally considered to provide the release point relative to other sections that may build tension within the song. The chorus provides the peaks in terms of the emotional architecture of a song or track. It is the chorus section that most songwriters and producers would want the listening public to remember.

Click track A track used to maintain strict tempo during the recording process. Sometimes used when tracking drum parts. The click can be generated from a number of sources, and can either be recorded to a track of its own as audio or can be sent as a MIDI signal to an external device such as a sound module.

Commit to tape A phrase still used today to describe recording something, even though open reel tape is not necessarily the most widespread format used in studios today. The expression still lives on.

Comping From the word “compiling.” This abbreviated terminology refers to the compiling of various sections from various takes in order to compile one complete successful take. Can be used across many parts and instrumentation but most commonly used with vocals and drums, hence the expressions vocal comp or drum comping.

Compressor A device that reduces the dynamic range of audio signals.

Conductor An orchestra or ensemble of musicians looks toward the conductor for musical direction while performing an orchestrated piece.

Control room The room in the studio where the mixing console and studio equipment is housed.

Costs deal A type of deal or agreement made between a record label and a producer. The costs deal involves the producer receiving a production fee from the label for producing the songs or the album, but all recording costs (studio, musicians, engineer, etc.) are paid for by the label. The production fee is therefore left intact as the producer’s payment.

CRM Client Record Management system. Commonplace these days in all types of business. The recording industry has a whole host of specialized systems. One of the early versions was Session Tools developed by Apogee with Bob Clearmountain. Current popular systems are headed by Studio Suite (www.altermedia.com).

Cue mix Also known as the headphone mix. This is a mix specifically created using pre-fader auxiliaries to provide personalized headphone mixes to musicians.

CV and gate The connections used for analog synthesizers before the introduction of MIDI. The control voltage would provide the pitch while the gate would signal when a note should be produced or not.

DAT Digital Audio Tape. DAT was introduced in the 1980s originally as a consumer format to replace the analog cassette. Protests from the phonographic industry over cloning CDs prevented the format taking off. However, given its potential to record CD quality digital audio, it soon became a 2-track format within the studio.

Data compression The method by which the full data is reduced in a digital file. See formats such as MP3 or AAC for more details.

DAW The abbreviation for Digital Audio Workstation. A DAW is a computer (Mac or PC) usually running some form of audio recording and MIDI editing software such as Digidesign’s Pro Tools, Apple’s Logic Pro, and Steinberg’s Cubase (there are many others).

Depth The space around a recording or mix. In other words, does the music have many layers to it and can some of those parts be heard far away (virtually) while other things are more up front, creating a sound stage as it were? Depth is also referred to as a measure of quality when it comes to the capture of sound. For example, does the instrument have depth and character?

Desk See “Mixing console.”

Digital audio A method of capturing an analog waveform by measuring its amplitude against time. The measurement is then held in binary digits and can be then processed within digital signal processing and recorded on computers.

Drum booth See “Booth.”

Drums up A description of the order an engineer uses to mix. In this case the engineer will begin with the drums and perhaps work through the rhythm section and end the mix with the vocals.

Dynamic processors Outboard processors (or plugins) which work with the dynamics in signals. Gates, compressors, and limiters are all good examples of dynamic processing.

Dynamics Refers to the loudness of the music. If the music is dynamic, it would mean that there is a range of amplitudes from very low to very high. A track lacking dynamics would refer to something that might have been compressed or limited by a dynamic processor.

EBU European Broadcast Union.

Echo An effect where the whole sound is reflected back to the listener after a period of time. Should further delays be added, this is referred to as delay.

Effects processing Effects are applied to signals to provide further character and realism. Reverberation, chorus, and delay are all common effects.

Emotional architecture A term used to describe the emotional profile or shape of a track and includes the peaks and toughs, highs and lows, and moments of tension and release. The emotional architecture of a track is closely linked to various other production elements such as structure, instrumentation, texture, and dynamics.

Engineer The person concerned with the capture and recording of instrumentation and balancing throughout the recording session. The term can be expanded to be an engineer in different parts of the production process such as a mix engineer, mastering engineer, or assistant engineer.

EQ See “Equalization.”

Equalization Also known as EQ, equalization is a powerful tool to shape the tonal characteristics of an audio signal. These are commonly found on most audio mixers, both software and hardware varieties.

Expression A term used in music to highlight certain aspects of the performance. In MIDI, expression is a controller that allows you to change the character of the sound to express something within the performance.

Fader A sliding control that governs the amount of level outputted from that channel to the mix (or other selected output).

Far field Refers to sound that is being delivered from a distance. Soffit mounted studio monitors are far field monitors and require more attention to studio acoustics than simply using near field monitors would.

Filter A filter is an audio circuit or plugin algorithm designed to attenuate a certain range of frequencies within the audio spectrum. In its most basic form a filter appears as an LP (low pass) filter where low frequencies are allowed to “pass through” the circuit unaffected while higher frequencies are attenuated or totally blocked from the cutoff frequency. Conversely, an HP (high pass) filter allows high frequencies to pass through the circuit unaffected, while lower frequencies are attenuated or totally blocked. There are other varieties of filter commonly used in both synthesis and EQ applications, such as the band pass and peak/notch filter.

Fix it in the mix An expression commonly used to explain how it is often perceived that a recording can be magically improved in the mix stage alone.

Flange An effect originally created by synchronizing two analog tape machines together with the same audio material playing. By touching the flange (the outer part of the tape reel) and slowing one machine, the audio is temporarily delayed and brought back to speed. This is the origin of flange, and hence its term. Nowadays, we use digital versions to recreate this effect.

Genre A style of music which not only has a musical form, but also a culture. Rock music and folk music are both examples of musical genres.

Get-in The time before the recording session starts where you’re able to cart the instruments and amplification into the studio and set up for action.

Get-out The time needed to pack up your gear and move out of the studio complex.

GIFT Get It First Time, or getting the take you want first time you record. For example, always record the guide or scratch vocal as it could simply be the best you’ll ever get.

Headphones Often referred to as cans within the studio, a studio slang that most likely comes from the fact that they resemble a pair of cans off the side of the wearer’s head.

Hearing loss Refers to possible deafness and the issues professionals should be aware of. Exposure to loud sound pressure levels over prolonged periods can induce hearing loss. (See Chapter A-2, Analyzing It.)

High Frequency Also referred to as HF or treble. High Frequency indicates those frequencies above approximately 10 kHz which make up the treble aspects of what we hear.

Holistic listening A way of hearing the whole material at once, with little or no particular focus on any particular element. Being able to switch into this can be beneficial to ensure that an overall and objective picture can be sampled of the mix or recording you’re working on.

Inserts These allow the engineer to insert a process into the signal flow through a channel strip of a mixing console. One can insert a compressor, for example, into the channel using inserts. Each channel on an analog console has its insert brought out to a patchbay so the signal can be interrupted to insert a gate or compressor, for example.

ISRC International Standard Recording Code. A unique identifier attached to every recording (where applied). Can be placed within the CD subcode. ISRC codes are useful for linking up royalty payments.

ISWC International Standard Musical Work Code is a unique reference number to identify a composition.

Limiter Similar to a compressor although the compression ratio is typically 20:1 and very little signal will go above the set threshold level. Very useful for ensuring levels do not increase over a certain level when recording to digital, perhaps in a live concert recording.

Listening analysis Refers to the art of listening and how we choose to dissect the things we hear. Listening analysis can be a fantastic tool to gauge what has been recorded before and how you may be able learn from others and emulate their styles or tricks within the studio environment.

Live room The space in a studio complex where the musicians are set up to perform. This space is often sound proof and used for recording drums and other loud instruments; it is sonically treated on the inside to ensure an even acoustic response.

Loop The term used to describe a piece of audio that can be repeated over and over in order to make one continuous loop. This can be made up from a huge variety of instruments or parts. Common examples could include a one-bar drum loop or an 8-bar guitar riff.

Lossless A data compression format that does not take away any information from the audio. Lossy A kind of data compression that deducts data from the original before encoding. When decoded, this information is lost.

Loudness How loud something is in discussion, or a misleading control in hi-fi which increases the bass and treble in the signal. This is in an attempt to overcome the effects of the Fletcher and Munson Equal Loudness contours at lower volumes. Loudness also relates to the perceived loudness in a piece of audio as opposed to its peak value. VU meters are often employed to see how loud a signal actually is.

Low frequency The bass end of material, typically below 120 Hz.

LSD (Lead Singers Disease) A fun, but frequently used, term to describe arrogance, inflated importance, and over-confidence in a lead singer.

Macro listening Listening to the whole track in a certain way to ensure the mix is balanced. Contrast with micro listening (see below).

Meter bridge The block above the top of the channel strips typically containing the VU meters and on which the near field monitors are often balanced.

Micro listening The ability to focus in on certain instruments or frequencies within broadband material (a whole song’s mix, for example).

Microphone A transducer that translates acoustic sound into electronic waveforms for use in audio equipment.

Mid field Mid field monitors are those speakers that are not soffit mounted at some distance, but also do not sit in the near field position such as on the meter bridge.

MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface, a digital communications protocol between sequencers, synthesizers, and samplers which was incredibly well-designed and is the backbone communication protocol within Reason, Logic, and Pro Tools to speak to its internal synths.

Mix engineer A person who specializes in mixing tracks. The mix engineer is not involved in the recording process and will only have the multitrack sessions sent to them in order to create the final mix (the physical tapes, in analog terms).Depending on the track and what is required, the mix engineer may or may not have some creative input, such as adding kick or snare samples or creating new textures with chorus, delay, and reverbs, for example. The mix engineer usually comes from a recording engineer background where they have worked closely with various producers.

Mixing console Also known as a board, or desk. The mixing console is the central place for all signals to be blended. It accepts signals from the live room from microphones and can route these to a multitrack and then receive that signal back for mixing.

MP3 Also known as MPEG 1, Layer 3, or MPEG 2, Layer 2. A data compression format working on auditory masking principles to reduce digital audio file sizes. This is a common format used for all portable music players. In recent years MP4 has become more prevalent.

MP4 MPEG 4, layer 14 is an audio format that improves on the MP3 data compression format.

MPC An Akai product (Music Production Centre) that was very common for many programming duties, particularly in R’n’B as well as other genres.

MPG Music Producers Guild.

Multitrack The ability to have more than one parallel track on the tape at the same time. We’re now familiar with 24 track 2-inch open reel tape machines such as the Otari MTR90, for example. This has 24 individual tracks on the tape and can allow therefore 24 individual streams of audio recorded at different points. Multitrack has taken on a new form now insomuch as modern systems such as Pro Tools have many more track counts than this.

Music production The art of developing and capturing mainly popular music for broadcast or sale. The onset of recording technology has expanded possibilities, and the music producer develops, directs, and guides the music to the best recorded outcome. This book provides a better explanation in its entirety.

Near field Refers to sound that is produced near to your ears. In most cases this refers to near-field monitors, which are normally placed on a meter bridge in front of you and are considered to be near to your field of hearing. Near field monitors are good in that they reduce the need to acoustically treat the room you’re working in.

Networking Networking has two meanings. First it refers to the art of making contacts in public situations and we cover this in detail in Chapter B-1, Being A Producer. Networking can also refer to the physical connections and network made between computers within an environment such as a studio.

NS-10M The Yamaha NS-10Ms have become quite synonymous with many studios. Their white woofers can be seen adorning mixing consoles across the world. These speakers have become popular over the years as they challenge engineers to work hard to make their work sound good. The NS-10s were adopted by the studio community as they reflected the hi-fi quality of the time.

Overdub The process of recording an audio track while other previously recorded tracks are playing back, thus allowing differing parts to be layered over one another without the need for multiple performers, for example the overdubbing of a lead vocal along to a backing track.

P&E Wing Producers and Engineers Wing of the Grammys.

Pan Pan pots, as the controls are often referred to, describe where you’d like a particular channel’s output to be placed within the stereo spectrum. The pan will be marked L to R indicating left to right.

Parallel recording Referred to in this book as the choice to record as many instruments at once within the studio, as if it were a live performance by the band. Overdubs can later be added to firm up performances. This is an efficient way of recording if the band are well-rehearsed.

Pass This is the term we use to describe every time the track is played. It refers to the amount of times a piece of tape passes the play head in a tape machine, hence passing the tape head.

Patchbay A set of sockets, usually Bantam within many studios, where all the audio signals in the studio terminate and allow the engineer to patch to pretty much anywhere else. This is a fantastically flexible tool within the studio.

PCM Pulse Code Modulation, the transmission method by which non data-compressed digital audio file formats are communicated such as the CD. PCM is at times used to refer to non data-compressed audio as opposed to MP3 which is data compressed.

Peak The loudest point of a waveform.

Peak meter Illustrates for the user the peak part of the waveform. In the world of digital audio, peak meters are very relevant as they provide a clear indication if you’re going to exceed the 0 dB ceiling into digital distortion. However, in earlier times VU meters were more common as analog tape machines could accommodate peaks of in excess of 15 dB, dependent on tape quality.

Perceived production A concept by which the listener can hear a new piece of music and in some way anticipate what the composition will do next. Many rock and pop ballads pull at the same strings. Successful chart-topping material can often follow this style of production.

Phase Often denoted as ø. Phase refers to the polarity of the waveforms. For example, a snare drum can be miked from the top and the bottom. If two microphones face each side of the drum, the top mic’s diaphragm will be pulled as the snare skin is hit, while the bottom mic’s diaphragm will be pushed in as the snare’s bottom skin will push outwards. In real terms this will mean the signal for the bottom snare will be out of phase with the top mic. It is often good practice to record the bottom snare out of phase to rectify this. Phase is also very important to keep an eye out for when working, and correlation meters can provide information about the phase of your material.

Phase effect Where the original signal is merged with a duplicate which is out of phase to the original. This provides a whooshing sound, which is where certain frequencies are in phase and others are not. The whooshing is caused by a low frequency oscillator which dictates the amount of phase and the frequency of the dynamic effect.

Post fader A term used to describe the listener hearing the sound after it has been processed through the channel strip and after the fader.

Postproduction A term used to explain the process that mixes go through after they leave the mix engineer. Also known as mastering (see “Mastering”). Postproduction also describes the pulling together of all the elements in a film production.

PPL Phonographic Performance Limited, now referred to as PPL. PPL manages royalties from recorded music in videos, public performance, and broadcast.

Pre chorus As the name suggests, the pre chorus is the section immediately before the chorus, usually following a verse. However, a verse may lead straight to the chorus section without the use of a pre chorus. Generally speaking, the pre chorus is used to set up the chorus section, helping to build tension and heighten the sense of expectation. (A word of warning: the pre chorus is sometimes referred to as the bridge in Europe! But do not confuse this with the American use of the term bridge which describes the mid section or mid-8!)

Pre-delay The amount of time between the sound source appearing and the first reflection from a reverberation. This can be set creatively and in time with your music, or can be manipulated to provide a sense of how large a space is.

Pre-fader A signal that is heard or monitored (such as pre-fader listen) before the fader has had a chance to attenuate the signal. A good example of this is pre-fader auxiliaries where the musicians do not wish to hear the changes the engineer makes in the control room when performing.

Pre-production A term used to describe the planning and preparation, whether in the studio or not, in advance of a recording session. Pre-production is the activity that comes prior to the main recording session. This period is often used to hone the songs and prepare the musicians, studios, and so on for the remaining project.

Presence Refers to whether something is heard up front in a mix, or can be a feature on many pieces of audio equipment such as a guitar amplifier; provides additional presence to the instrument by boosting high mid frequencies.

Printing The term printing to tape is often used to describe the rerecording of material that has already been recorded and has been treated. So, for example, committing some guitar effects to tape. Let’s print it to tape!

Pro Tools operator A growing profession taking over from the tape operator. A Pro Tools operator is someone who manages the session on the computer. Most engineers will take this duty on unless their attention is completely required on the desk, say in an orchestral session, for example.

Producer agreement An agreement made between the record label and the producer for the production of an artist’s record. Essentially the producer is contracted or employed by the label to produce and deliver a set number of tracks from the artist. These can be referred to as master recordings or masters. (A master usually refers to a song on an album.) A producer agreement will involve either a costs deal or all-in deal with the label.

Producer’s C.A.P. The three pillars of production: Capture, Arrangement and Performance. See Chapter C-4, The Desired Outcome.

Production agreement An agreement entered into by the artist and a production company (usually set up by the producer involved). This acts as a form of recording contract between the artist and production company and producer to make a record. If the project is completed successfully the artist and producer will agree to sell or license the recordings to a third-party label for release.

Production meeting A meeting between the engineering team and producer about the sessions and project. Other people such as A&R person and the musicians might also attend. These may not be formalized and might simply be a chat in the studio complex corridor. A production meeting will usually deal with planning or decision-making.

Project management The intricate planning many businesses engage in when rolling out change or a large project. In music production terms, this is a different flavor, but the skills can be used to assist in the overall success of the project. Many producers will engage in their own variety of this. See Chapter C-3, Project Management.

PRS for Music The name the Performing Rights Society adopted following its merger with MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society). Mechanical royalties refer to the sales of an artist’s (or composer’s contribution to) CDs but also when their music is used for television, film, or an advert. Performance rights refer to royalties paid to the artist (or composer) of a piece of music each time it is played.

Pulse Code Modulation See “PCM.”

Record deal A contract between a record label (usually) and the artist that stipulates what the artist will produce for the label and what the label will provide financially in an advance to make this possible. See Chapter C-1, What’s The Deal.

Recouping A term used to describe the process of regaining money spent by a record label on recording and other associated costs. These sums are usually taken out of the artist’s royalty share and therefore the artist will not start to receive any income from their work until they have recouped all the costs for their label.

Reference mix A rough mix produced by the recording engineer or producer and sent to the mix engineer in order to give a direction or flavor as to where the track needs to go sonically. It is intended as a guide to the final mixing process.

Reverb time Also known as the reverberation time, it dictates the time it takes for the reverberation to reduce by 60 dB. This indicates to the listener how big the reverberation is. It might signal that the room is large, in conjunction with the pre-delay.

Reverberation A natural phenomenon of sonic reflections from surfaces in a room or elsewhere. These characterize the sound and the environment they’re placed in. Modern digital reverberation units allow us to electronically place any instrument in any space and tailor it to the music we’re working on.

Rhythm section The group of instruments that typically contains the drums, bass, and percussion, plus any other rhythmical backing instrumentation. This describes the backline in the recording, or the backing band if you like.

Royalties Refers to the income generated by the various streams of revenue for the record label, artist, songwriters, producer, and musicians.

RT60 Often referred to as T 60 (see “Reverb time”).

Serial recording Refers to the choice to record each instrument one by one, or similarly as opposed to all at once. This is common practice when writing in the studio, or building up music for a singer songwriter without a band, for example.

Session management Refers to a number of points, namely the management of the session and the personnel involved in aspects such as timings, personnel, equipment, and so on. Session management also encompasses things such as taking notes, taking responsibility for the data you’ll need later, such as who contributed to which part, who performed what where, and so on.

Session musician A musician hired to perform on a record or performance who may not be part of the band or be associated with the act. Session musicians are usually very highly adept on their instrument and can be extremely versatile and creative within the studio.

Session notes Any notes you feel pertinent to take down during a session. There will be decisions you make which you’d like to keep for later on during the recording process. Or you may wish to note down why things have happened the way they have. Anything you need to take down and perhaps share.

Sight reading Classical musicians spend many years training to a very high level to be able to read musical scores and to perform them live. This ability, while not essential for the producer of popular music, is essential for that of a classical music producer. Session players usually have highly tuned sight-reading skills and some more classical players may insist on a score before playing.

Solo in place A feature on many mixers where when you solo a particular channel, say an acoustic guitar, the effects associated with that track remain in place so you can hear the amount of reverb on that instrument.

Sound Pressure Level Also referred to as SPL, Sound Pressure Level is how loud something is in the air as opposed to within audio equipment.

Spill A term used to express the sound of other instruments captured by another microphone. For example, the acoustic guitar microphone might pick up spill from the piano within the same room.

Studio complex The suite of recording studios and rooms that make up the whole studio facility, which might contain four recording studios, a mastering suite, and some programming rooms.

Studio time The term used to refer to a studio booking, or the amount of time scheduled to take place in the studio session.

Sub Woofer A speaker employed to deliver just the very lowest frequencies going down to 20 Hz in a monitor system. Systems that denote 2.1 or 5.1 indicate they have a subwoofer by the “.1”.

Take A capture of a performance. We speak of take 6 being the best. This would be the 6th recording of a particular track (on tape). Engineers document takes on take sheets, although modern recording devices such as Pro Tools and Logic, for example, do not require this so much, as the notes can be made on screen.

Take sheet A document used to list the takes and when they start.

Tape operator (tape op) A Tape Operator’s responsibility is to manage the analog or digital tape through a recording session. Their role is to choose which track to record on and operate the machine’s transport controls. This role has been phased out over the years and replaced by simply assistant engineer or Pro Tools operator.

The Big Four Refers to the big four record labels (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, EMI Group, and Warner Music Group).

Tie line The connection made across a building. For example, there may be tie lines in a studio complex that link Studio 1’s live room to Studio 3’s control room for maximum flexibility.

Total recall The ability to save the various settings and positions of all the controls on a mixing console, thus saving the huge amount of time that was once required to set up or reset a desk before or during a session. SSL was one of the first desk manufacturers to introduce a total recall function in the 1980s.

Track The song or each track of a multitrack tape, or channel on a console.

Track sheet This was useful to tell engineers what tracks were recorded on each open reel tape (or digital tape, DTRS). In the days of the analog tape, the back of the box often provided the best space for this.

Transport/transport controls The term used to describe the movement of tape, whether analog or digital. Tape transport controls, for example, refer to the play, stop, record, fast forward, and rewind controls. The transport mechanism refers to the motors, spindles, and so on that drive the tape through the machine. In modern times, transport controls are the same, but no longer refer to the movement of tape.

Vocals down A description of the order an engineer starts to mix. In this case the engineer will begin with the vocals and perhaps work down, ending with the rhythm section.

VPL Video Performance Limited, set up to collect royalties for music videos played on TV stations such as MTV.

VU Volume Unit, a measurement of loudness used on many mixing consoles and audio equipment. Peak meters are more common these days, but increasingly VU is becoming an ally as it illustrates the average loudness of a signal rather than just its peak.

Wall of sound The watermark of producer Phil Spector, who created large and lush performances from a wide range of musicians using careful arrangements and placements of musicians within the live room.

WAV The .wav format is a non data-compressed digital audio file format used on computers.

Width Often refers to the stereo field and the width across this.

XLR The connector on most professional microphone cables. XLR plugs come in female and male varieties and are commonplace for microphone cables and AES/EBU digital audio connections.