Brooks Audio Design

1) A term for the electrical resistance found in a/c circuits. Affects the ability of a cable to transmit low level (e.g. sound) signals over a long distance. Measured in Ohms. Speakers are rated according to power handling capabilities (Watts, W) and impedance (Ohms). 2) The total opposition offered by an electric circuit to the flow of an alternating current of a single frequency. It is a combination of resistance and reactance and is measured in ohms. Remember that a speaker's impedance changes with frequency, it is not a constant value. 3) The opposition to alternating current. Line Out (Output, Send) Where a signal leaves the board or component. Brooks XT 20 Cycle 1) An alternation of a waveform which begins at a point, passes through the zero line, and ends at a point with the same value and moving in the same direction as the starting point. 2) On a Solid State Logic Console, a command to have the console computer control the tape machine to play and repl...

Abbreviation of Integrated Circuit (A miniature circuit of many components that is in small, sealed housing with prongs to connect it into equipment). Active/Inactive Microphones Scientific definitions aside, active microphones generally sound better than inactive ones, but they generally cost more. They also require the use of either a battery or phantom power while inactive mics need only be plugged into the mic cord in order to work. In most playing situations, the subtle improvement in sound quality from an active mic isn't worth the extra cost and hassle. One possible exception it the headset mic. Put simply, inactive headset mics just plain suck. Active headset mics put out a much stronger signal and feed back much less. Brooks Cinema Series Input Monitor A switch position and operational mode of the electronics of a tape machine where the signal at output of the electronics will be the same as the signal coming into the electronics. In this mode, the tape machi...

1) An effects device where the amount of the effect can be controlled by a musician with his foot. 2) The beater mechanism of a foot drum that is activated by the drummer's foot to play the drum. 3) Any device, like a volume control, that can be operated by the foot. Haas Effect Simply stated, a factor in human hearing where delay has a much bigger effect on human perception of direction than level does. Brooks Cinema TX 509 House Sync A synchronization signal such as SMPTE time code that is used by all recorders in the control room. Equalization 1) The process of adjusting the tonal quality of a sound. A graphic equalizer provides adjustment for a wide range of frequency bands, and is normally inserted in the signal path after the mixing desk, before the amplifier. See Feedback. 2) Any time the amplitude of audio signals at specific set of frequencies are increased or decreased more than the signals at other audio frequencies. Brooks GS 15 Amplitude ...

Effects devices separate from but working with the recording console. I/O Short for "Input/Output' and referring to: 1) An in-line console module that contains controls for the input section, output section and monitor section. 2) A module in electronic gear containing input and output amplifiers for the device. 3) A digital port (connector) able to both receive digital data and output digital data. Brooks Cinema NZ 60 Cable, XLR A balanced cable used for low impedance microphones and sometimes for connections between some parts of the PA. Commonly referred to as a "mic cord". Echo Send Control A control to send the signal from the input module to the echo chamber or effects device via the echo buss. Brooks TM-22 Cancellation A shortening of the term Phase Cancellation (the energy of one waveform significantly decreasing the energy of another waveform because of phase relationships at or close to 180 degrees). High Hat A double c...

The portion of the sound that comes from the surrounding environment rather than directly from the sound source. Input 1) The jack or physical location of where a device receives a signal. 2) The signal being received by a device. 3) The action of receiving a signal by a device. Brooks KM 77 Auxiliary Input or Return A route back into the sound desk for a signal sent to a piece of outboard equipment via an auxiliary send. Distortion Usually undesirable result of overloading sound equipment. Reducing the levels can remedy the situation. Brooks Cinema Series Critical Distance The point a distance away from the sound source where the direct sound and the reverberant sound are equal in volume. Auxiliary Output or Send An additional output from a sound desk that can be used for foldback or monitoring without tying up the main outputs. Each input channel will have a path to the Aux buss. Also used for feeding a signal to an effects processor. See Auxiliary...

1) An Echo Chamber (a room designed with very hard, non-parallel surfaces equipped with a speaker and microphone so that when dry signals from the console are fed to the speaker, the microphone will have a reverberation of these signals that can be mixed in with the dry signals at the console). 2) A program in a delay/reverb effects device that simulates the sound of an Echo Chamber. Howlback British term for the term Feedback (the pickup of the signal out of a channel by the input of the channel or the howling sound that this produces). Brooks XT 20 Bulk Dump Short for System Exclusive Bulk Dump (a method of transmitting data, such as the internal parameters of a MIDI device to another MIDI device). Frequency Shift Key / FSK The full name for FSK (A simple clock signal that can be used to run a sequencer in time with an audio tape). Brooks TM-22 DC Abbreviation for direct current. Axis A line around which a device operates. Example: In a microphone, t...

A switch that does different things depending on the operational mode that the machine is in: 1) If a computer-controlled transport is in "Stop," pushing the "Edit" switch deactivates the computer-controlled tension system and allows the reels to be moved by hand to find the exact spot desired on the tape. 2) If the machine is in "Play", the "Edit" switch makes the take-up reel cease taking up the tape and it falls to the floor. 3) If the machine is in a fast-wind mode, the tape lifters are defeated so the tape is in contact with the reproduce head and the engineer can hear where the selections begin and end. Generation A term used to describe the number of times that the recorded audio signal has been copied. Brooks TM-22 A/D An abbreviation of Analog to Digital Conversion (the conversion of a quantity that has continuous changes into numbers that approximate those changes), or Analog to Digital Converter. Joystick 1) A...

A device that has a power amplifier and speaker in a case (or in separate cases) to reproduce the signal put out by an electric instrument (such as an electric guitar) and to allow the instrument to be heard. Electret Mic A condenser microphone where the capacitor plates are given a charge during manufacture which they retain, therefore requiring no external power supply. Brooks Cinema RM 909 Assistant Engineer A less elevated version of the term Second Engineer. Experienced seconds often place microphones, operate tape machines, break down equipment at the session end and keep the paperwork for the session. Hi-Z An abbreviation of the term High Impedance (Impedance of 5000 or more ohms). Brooks XB 22 Board 1) Another, less formal, term for Console. 2) A set of controls and their housing which control all signals necessary for recording and for mixing. 3) A slang shortening of the term Keyboard Instrument. LFO Low-Frequency Oscillator (an oscillator ...

1) Effect used to create echo…echo…echo…echo…echo… 2) In more advanced systems used in very large venues, delay can be used to time the arrival of the signal to the speakers in the back of the room so that people in the back hear the sound coming from those speakers at the same time that the sound coming from the speakers in the front of the room arrives. Electricity Electrical current (the amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time) or voltage (the force pushing electrons to obtain electrical current). Brooks M 44 Cascade To set and interconnect two mixers so that the stereo mixing buss(es) of the first mixer feeds the stereo buss(es) of a second mixer. Front Loaded A speaker cabinet where the speaker faces out toward the front. Brooks Cinema TZ 505 Horn 1) The part of the speaker that emits midrange and higher range frequencies. 2) A speaker or speaker enclosure where sound waves are put into a narrow opening (by a speaker ...

A microphone pick up pattern, which has maximum pick up from the front, less pick up from the sides, and least pick up from the back of the diaphragm. Bank 1) A collection of sound patches (data as to the sequence and operating parameters of the synthesizer generators and modifiers) in memory. 2) A group of sound modules as a unit. Brooks Cinema TX 509 Beat 1) The steady even pulse in music. 2) The action of two sounds or audio signals mixing together and causing regular rises &.falls in volume. Dolby Trade name for a series of noise reduction systems that have become standard on many tape playback machines. Many film soundtracks are produced using this process. Different varieties are found from Dolby B on most personal cassette players, to Dolby SR and Digital, the current state of the art for cinema. Brooks M 44 Icon A visual picture or symbol on a computer screen that represents a file, program or disc that can be used. Error Correct Exact re...

(Said of compressors and dynamic processing units.) To combine the control input signals of two channels of a compressor (o Echo Send Control A control to send the signal from the input module to the echo chamber or effects device via the echo buss. Brooks XT 20 Images The squaring of the waveform that happens in the conversion of digital audio bits into analog signals. Fader A control to control the gain of a channel on the console, thereby determining the level of the signal in that channel. Brooks Cinema RM 909 Jack 1) Anywhere you plug something in. 2) Segmented audio connector. Mono Jacks have two connections �" tip and sleeve, and are unbalanced. Stereo jacks have three connections �" tip, ring and sleeve. B-type jacks (also known as Bantam jacks) were originally designed for use in telephone exchanges and provide a high quality (and expensive) connection in jackfields. A-type jacks are cheaper and more common, but more fragile. A type jacks ...

1) Changing the sequence of a recording by cutting the recording tape and putting the pieces together in the new sequence with splicing tape. 2) Punching in and then punching out on one or more tracks of a multitrack tape recorder to replace previously recorded performances. 3) Changing the sequence of a digital recording's playback by computer program. Cable, TRS A less common balanced cable that has 3 different contacts on its 1/4 inch connectors. Most headphone jacks are a good example of a TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) connector. These are sometimes used instead of the more common XLR connection. Brooks Cinema xm 808 Feedback Control The control on a delay line or delay effects device that controls the amount of feedback. Information Bits The bits in the digital signal that make up actual values or commands being communicated as opposed to bits that are used for checking & correcting data or other purposes. Brooks M 44 BPM An abbreviation of Beat Per M...

The control on a delay line or delay effects device that controls the amount of feedback. Bar A term meaning the same thing as the term Measure (the grouping of a number of beats in music, most-often four beats). Brooks XB 22 Buss (Bus) A wire carrying signals to some place, usually fed from several sources. Cut-off Rate (Slope) The number of dB that a filter reduces the signal for each octave its frequency past the filter's cut-off frequency (outside of the pass band). Brooks TA 60 Error Detection The process of discovery that sonic information bits have been lost in digital audio. Ground Lifter An adapter that takes a three prong power cord and plugs into a two prong outlet, used to disconnect the third (ground) pin of the power outlet. WARNING: It can be VERY DANGEROUS to have no ground connection to the case by using a ground lifter and not grounding the unit by other means. Line Out (Line Output) Any output that sends out a line level sign...

The area from 3 feet away from the sound source up to the critical distance. Format 1) The number of tracks, their width, spacing and order for tape recording. 2) To prepare a digital storage medium so that it will accept and store digital information bits. Brooks Cinema Projectors Barrier Micing A method of placing the head of a microphone as close as possible to a reflective surface, preventing phase cancellation. Clean Describes a distortion free sound with few effects. Brooks RM 80 Full Range Describes a sound which covers all audible frequency ranges. As in "full range speaker cabinets." Linearity The extent to which any signal handling process is accomplished without amplitude distortion. Hybrid A product created by the marriage of two different technologies. Meant here as the combination of a dynamic woofer with an electrostatic transducer. Headroom 1) The level difference (in dB) between normal operating level and clipping...

A signal processing device that does not allow as much fluctuation in the level of the signal above a certain adjustable or fixed level. Hall Program A setting of a digital delay/reverb effects unit that approximates concert halls. Hall programs are characterized by pre-delay of up to 25 ms. Brooks GS 15 Line Out (Output, Send) Where a signal leaves the board or component. Bridge The bridge assembly, or just "bridge" is an area on the face of the guitar where the string meet or are connected to the face. Brooks XB 22 Consumer Format (Consumer DIF) A standard adopted by IEC for sending and receiving digital audio based on The AES Professional Interface. Input Impedance The opposition to current flow by the first circuits of a device. Flutter 1) High-frequency variations in pitch of a recorded waveform due to fast speed variations in a recorder or playback machine. 2) Originally, and more formally, any variations (fast or slow) in pitch o...

A setting of a digital delay/reverb effects unit that approximates concert halls. Hall programs are characterized by pre-delay of up to 25 ms. Clip The action of deforming a waveform during overload. Brooks BA 71 Headstock The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned. Crossover (Crossover Network) A set of filters that "split" the audio signal into two or more bands (two or more signals, each of which have only some of the frequencies present). Brooks XT 20 Amp 1) An abbreviation of the term Amplifier (A device which increases the level of an electrical signal. 2) An abbreviation of Ampere (the unit of current). 3) An abbreviation of amplitude (the height of a waveform above or below the zero line). Initialize To prepare a digital storage medium (like a floppy disk) so that it will accept and store digital information bits. Hum The 60 Hz power line current accidentally induced or fed into electronic equipm...

The smallest particle which makes up a specific substance. It's composed of a center around which electrons revolve. Fly In 1) To add sounds into a mix or recording that have no synchronization. 2) An application of this where a performance from one part of a tune is recorded and then recorded back into the recording at a different time in the recording. Brooks Speakers Instrument Out Direct Feeding the output of an electric instrument (like an electric guitar) to the recording console or tape recorder without using a microphone. Initialize To prepare a digital storage medium (like a floppy disk) so that it will accept and store digital information bits. Brooks Cinema ZL 44 Channel 1) In multitrack tape machines, this term means the same thing as the term Track (one audio recording made on a portion of the width of a multitrack tape). 2) A single path that an audio signal travels or can travel through a device from an input to an output. I/O Shor...

Short for the term Acoustical Absorption (quality of a surface or substance to take in, not reflect, a sound wave). Half Step A pitch difference of the amount that is present between adjacent keys on a piano. Brooks BA 71 Link (Said of compressors and dynamic processing units.) To combine the control input signals of two channels of a compressor (o Gain Control A device that changes the gain of an amplifier or circuit, often a knob that can be turned or a slide that can be moved up arid down. Brooks TA 60 Effects Electronic boxes (usually rack mounted) added to a PA system to subtly change and enhance the signals going through it. Examples include; Reverb, Delay, Compressor, Chorus. I/O Short for "Input/Output' and referring to: 1) An in-line console module that contains controls for the input section, output section and monitor section. 2) A module in electronic gear containing input and output amplifiers for the device. 3) A digital port...

A unit used in the measure of frequency, equivalent to Hertz. Cycles Per Second is an outdated term replaced by Hertz in 1948. Linearity The extent to which any signal handling process is accomplished without amplitude distortion. Brooks GT 44 In-Line Console A console with modules that have controls for all console sections in one long strip. Capacitance That property of a capacitor which determines how much charge can be stored in it for a given potential difference between its terminals, measured in farads, by the ratio of the charge stored to the potential difference. Brooks RM 80 Initialize To prepare a digital storage medium (like a floppy disk) so that it will accept and store digital information bits. Analog Recording A recording of the continuous changes of an audio waveform. Intermodulation Distortion Distortion caused by one signal beating with another signal and producing frequencies that are both the sum and the difference of the origi...

1) One selection (one song) on a pre4ecorded music format. 2) A term with the same meaning as Mute (to turn off a channel or a signal). 3) To reduce gain of a particular band of frequencies (with an equalizer). 4) To not pass a particular band of frequencies (said of a filter) Current The amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time. Brooks XB 22 House Sync A synchronization signal such as SMPTE time code that is used by all recorders in the control room. Initialize To prepare a digital storage medium (like a floppy disk) so that it will accept and store digital information bits. Brooks GT 44 Generation A term used to describe the number of times that the recorded audio signal has been copied. Cable, XLR A balanced cable used for low impedance microphones and sometimes for connections between some parts of the PA. Commonly referred to as a "mic cord". A/D An abbreviation of Analog to Digital Conversion (...

Two microphones whose heads are placed as lose as possible to each other so that the path length from any sound source to either microphone is for all practical purposes, the same. Electrostatic Charge The excess or deficiency of electrons in a given area. Brooks GS 15 Frequency Range The range of frequencies over which an electronic device is useful or over which a sound source will put out substantial energy. DC Abbreviation for direct current. Brooks BA 71 Fade 1) A gradual reduction of the level of the audio signal. 2) A gradual change of level from one pre-set level to another. Bottom The bass frequencies (as in "needs more bottom end"). Attenuation A making smaller: reduction of electrical or acoustic signal strength. Contact Microphone A device that senses vibrations and puts out an audio signal proportional to the vibrations.

The squaring of the waveform that happens in the conversion of digital audio bits into analog signals. Amplification An increasing of signal strength. Brooks XT 20 In-Line Console A console with modules that have controls for all console sections in one long strip. Amplitude The extreme range of a signal. Usually measured from the average to the extreme. Brooks Cinema ZL 44 Capsule 1) The variable capacitor section of a condenser microphone. 2) In other types of microphones, the part of the microphone that includes the diaphragm and the active element. Boundary Mic A microphone mounted on a flat plate that acts as a reflective surface directing sound into the mic capsule. Used for general pick-up over a large area. See PCC, PZM. Final Mix The two track stereo master tape which was mixed from the multitrack master. Input Monitor A switch position and operational mode of the electronics of a tape machine where the signal at output of the elec...

An adapter that takes a three prong power cord and plugs into a two prong outlet, used to disconnect the third (ground) pin of the power outlet. WARNING: It can be VERY DANGEROUS to have no ground connection to the case by using a ground lifter and not grounding the unit by other means. Compact Disc, Interactive CDI A Compact Disc, usually containing audio, video, and text, which the user can interact with in that the display or playback changes after the user performs some action. Brooks GT 44 Baffles Sound absorbing panels used to prevent sound waves from entering or leaving a certain space Error Detection The process of discovery that sonic information bits have been lost in digital audio. Brooks GS 15 Instrument Out Direct Feeding the output of an electric instrument (like an electric guitar) to the recording console or tape recorder without using a microphone. Dynamic Mic Robust type of microphone which picks up the sound on a diaphragm connected to...

1) The part of The song that is repeated and has the same music and lyrics each time; the chorus will usually give the point of the song. 2) A musical singing group that has many singers. 3) A delay effect that simulates a vocal chorus by adding several delays with a mild amount of feedback and a medium amount of depth. 4) A similar effect created in some synthesizers by detuning (reducing the pitch of, slightly) and mixing it with the signal that has regular tuning and with a slight delay. Figure Eight Pattern Another name for Bi-directional Pattern (microphone pickup pattern picking up best from the front and back of the diaphragm and not picking up from the side of the diaphragm). Brooks M 44 ADSR The letters A, D, S &R are the first letters of: Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. These are the various elements of volume changes in the sounding of a keyboard instrument. Crossover, Passive Used inside of full range speaker cabinets to separate highs, mid...

Most often referring to electrical signals resulting from the sound pressure wave being converted into electrical energy. Earth The British version of the term Ground (In electronics, a place that has zero volts). Brooks Cinema TZ 505 Instrument Out Direct Feeding the output of an electric instrument (like an electric guitar) to the recording console or tape recorder without using a microphone. CD (Compact Disc) : 1) Digital sound storage medium. Provides a high quality source of music, sound effects etc. Also used as a playback medium for sound effects etc. by large theatres with long running shows, although CDR (Recordable CD) is becoming more affordable by the day. 2) An abbreviation of the term Compact Disc (a small optical disk with digital audio recorded on it). Brooks Cinema Projectors Electricity Electrical current (the amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time) or voltage (the force pushing electrons to obtain electri...

The rate the sound begins and increases in volume. BPM An abbreviation of Beat Per Minute (the number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute and therefore defining the tempo). Brooks M 44 Condenser Mic (Capacitor Mic) A microphone that uses the varying capacitance between two plates with a voltage applied across them to convert sound to electrical pulses. Condenser microphones need a power supply to provide the voltage across the plates, which may be provided by a battery within the case of the microphone, or it may be provided from an external phantom power supply. A condenser mic is more sensitive and has a faster reaction to percussive sounds than a Dynamic mic and produces a more even response. See Electret Mic. Controller 1) In MIDI, a device that generates a MIDI signal to control synthesizers, sound modules or sample playback units. 2) A remote control unit for a multitrack tape machine which controls transport functions as well as monitor s...

Another name for Bass Drum (the largest drum in the Drum Kit which puts out bass frequencies and is played with a foot pedal). Aliasing A sampler mis-recognizing a signal sent to it that is at a frequency higher than the Nyquist Frequency. Upon playback, the system will provide a signal at an incorrect frequency (called an alias frequency). Aliasing is a kind of distortion. Brooks GS 15 Electret Mic A condenser microphone where the capacitor plates are given a charge during manufacture which they retain, therefore requiring no external power supply. Hi-Z An abbreviation of the term High Impedance (Impedance of 5000 or more ohms). Brooks SS 81 Barrier Micing A method of placing the head of a microphone as close as possible to a reflective surface, preventing phase cancellation. I/O Short for "Input/Output' and referring to: 1) An in-line console module that contains controls for the input section, output section and monitor section. 2) A modu...

The area from 3 feet away from the sound source up to the critical distance. Electricity Electrical current (the amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time) or voltage (the force pushing electrons to obtain electrical current). Brooks Cinema Series Isolation A containing of the sound wave in a certain area so that it will not leak into other areas and/or unintended mics. Head Amp British name for Preamplifier (A low-noise amplifier designed to take a low-level signal, such as the output of a tape head, and bring it up to normal line level). Brooks TM-22 Amplification An increasing of signal strength. Acoustic Echo Chamber A room designed with very hard, non-parallel surfaces and equipped with a speaker and microphone; dry signals from the console are fed to the speaker and the microphone will have a reverberation of these signals that can be mixed in with the dry signals at the console. Capacitance That property of a ...

1) A room designed with very hard, non-parallel surfaces and equipped with a speaker and microphone. 2) Any artificial or electronic device that simulates the reverberation created in a room. Byte A grouping of eight information bits. Brooks BA 71 Earth The British version of the term Ground (In electronics, a place that has zero volts). Floppy Disk (Floppy Disc) A round flat object (usually housed in a protective sleeve) coated with material that can be magnetized in a similar manner to tape. Brooks SS 81 Frets Vertical metal wires which sit vertically on the guitar neck. Light Emitting Diode A light that allows current to flow in one direction only and emits light whenever a voltage of a certain level or beyond is applied to it. Line In (Input, return) Where a signal enters the board or component. Boost To increase gain, especially to increase gain at specific frequencies with an equalizer.

A big word for instrument cable. These cords generally have quarter inch male ends. they tend to loose signal strength at lengths longer than 25 feet. Full Step A change in pitch that occurs when moving up or down two piano keys Brooks TA 60 Atom The smallest particle which makes up a specific substance. It's composed of a center around which electrons revolve. Librarian Program A computer program allowing the storage of the parameters of sound patches outside of a synthesizer. Brooks XT 20 Clip The action of deforming a waveform during overload. Feedback Control The control on a delay line or delay effects device that controls the amount of feedback. Equalizer (Parametric, Graphic) This is used to filter out and adjust specific frequencies in the PA. This is the part of the PA where you have the most control over the band's overall sound. It is also the number one weapon against feedback. Controller 1) In MIDI, a device that generate...