Brooks Audio Design

An inability of the ear to hear important characteristics of sound under certain conditions. Characteristics that can be affected include pitch, level, clarity, presence and direction. Consumer Format (Consumer DIF) A standard adopted by IEC for sending and receiving digital audio based on The AES Professional Interface. Brooks Cinema Series Delay (Digital, Analogue) 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. Interface Any device that allows one unit to work, drive or communicate with another unit when they cannot do so by just feeding each other often because the units are manufactured by different companies. Brooks GT 44 Arc The visible sparks gen...

Abbreviation of Central Processing Unit (The main "brain" chip of a computer or the main housing of a computer that contains the "brain" chip). 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 VT-50 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. Leakage Sounds from other instruments and sources that were not intended to be picked up by the microphone. Brooks TA 60 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. Electromag...

A style of music with roots in Spanish and Arabic culture. Inductance The property of an electric circuit by which a varying current in it produces a varying magnetic field that introduces voltages in the same circuit or in a nearby circuit. It is measured in henrys. Brooks Speakers Final Mix The two track stereo master tape which was mixed from the multitrack master. Compressor 1) Effect used to squash the sound together. Used properly, it can take the edge off or your sound. Used improperly, it can take the life right out of your system and make it sound like an MTV mix. 2) A piece of sound processing equipment that ensures all wanted signals are suitably placed between the noise and distortion levels of the recording medium. It evens out the unwanted changes in volume you get with close-miking, and in doing so, adds punch to the sound mix. A Limiter is used to stop a signal from exceeding a preset limit. Beyond this limit, the signal level will not increase, no...

A double cymbal on a stand which can be played with a foot pedal or by the top cymbal being hit with a stick. In-Line Console A console with modules that have controls for all console sections in one long strip. Brooks KM 77 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. Level Sets output volume of individual PA input channels. Usually positioned as sliders at the bottom of the soundboard. Brooks Cinema Projectors Foot Pedal 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. Feed To send an audio or control signal to. Crossover, Active A rack mountable unit used to separate frequencies leaving the soundboard into high...

An device with several slides controlling the gain of audio signal present which is within one of several evenly spaced frequency bands (spaced according to octaves). 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. Brooks Cinema ZL 44 Current The amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time. First Generation A descriptive term meaning original (as opposed to a copy). Brooks KS-55 Flat 1) Lower in musical pitch. 2) A slang term used to describe the sensitivity to frequency of a microphone, amplifier, etc., as being even at all frequencies, usually within 2 dB. 3) Refers to the frequencies on the EQ when they are arranged in centred neutral positions. Condenser An older term meaning the same thing as Capacitor (an electronic device which is composed of two plate...

Integer multiples of a fundamental frequency, the fundamental itself being the first harmonic, its first overtone the second harmonic, etc. Attributing to instruments, voices, etc. their distinctive timbre. Analog (Analogue) Representative, continuous changes that relate to another quantity that has a continuous change. Brooks M 44 High Impedance Mic A microphone designed to be fed into an amplifier with input impedance greater than 20 k ohms. Driver See transducer. Dynamic Range �" The range between the quietest and the loudest sounds a device can handle (often quoted in dB). Brooks Speakers Crossover 1) A route leading from one side of the stage to the other, out of the audiences view. 2) An electronic filter in a sound system that routes sound of the correct frequency to the correct part of the speaker system. Different speakers handle high frequencies (tweeters) and low frequencies (woofers). Sometimes known as a crossover network. An active crossov...

A wire carrying signals to some place, usually fed from several sources. 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". Brooks M 44 Flamenco A style of music with roots in Spanish and Arabic culture. Capo A clamp-like device that is placed vertically across the guitar neck. It is used to change the pitch of the guitar, acting as a moveable nut. Brooks VT-50 Inverse Square Law Simply stated, the fact that in an un-obstructed area (like an open field) the sound pressure level will drop to half-pressure (-6 dB) every time the distance to the sound source is doubled. Amplifier (Power amp, Head) It's the part of the sound system that actually magnifies or "amplifies" the sound. In other words, it makes stuff louder. In-Line Console A console with modules that have controls for all console sections in one long strip. ...

A small optical disk with digital audio recorded on it. 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. Brooks Cinema TZ 505 Infinite Repeat A function on some delay lines that establish enough feedback so that the repeat echo will last forever, but not so much as to cause a howling sound. Compact Disc Recordable CDR A blank Compact Disc that can be recorded on one time. Brooks Cinema Series ADAT A trademark of Alesis Corporation designating its modular digital multitrack recording system released in early 1993. Blending 1) A condition where two signals mix together to form one sound or to give the sound of one sound source or one performance. 2) Mixing the left and right signal together slightly which makes the instruments sound closer to the center of the performance stage. 3) A method of panning during mixing where instruments are not panned extremely left or right. ...

The electronic dohickey under the knobs that increases or reduces the strength of the signal running through it. When these get old and dirty, they can make popping noises or rumbles in your PA (As in "my pots are dirty"). Assign Tochoose to which place an output is going to be sent. High Impedance Cord (High Z) 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. Brooks TA 60 Ground Adapter Plug Adapts a three pronged electrical plug to a two pronged wall outlet. This bypasses the ground and may create a hum in the system. A lack of a good ground can cause mild electrical shock when touching a microphone. Balanced input/output A "balanced" connection is one that has three wires to move the signal. One is a ground, and the other two (called conductors) carry signals of equal value. This is why they are called balanced. Low Z cables and connections ...

A jack on a MIDI device or computer that will accept an incoming data signal. Electromagnetic Theory A statement of the principles behind electromagnetic induction: When a conductor cuts magnetic lines of force, current is induced in that conductor. Brooks XB 22 Crossover, Passive Used inside of full range speaker cabinets to separate highs, mids, and lows and send them to their respective speakers within the each cabinet. These are not as efficient as active crossovers because they require all frequencies to draw from the same source of amplification. Frequency The number of cycles of a waveform occurring in a second. Brooks Cinema Projectors Acoustic Amplifier The portion of the instrument which makes the vibrating source move more air or move air more efficiently; this makes the sound of the instrument louder. Examples of acoustic amplifiers include: 1) The body of an acoustic guitar, 2) The sounding board of a piano, 3) The bell of a horn and 4) Th...

Any output that sends out a line level signal, such as the output of a console that feeds a recorder. Headstock The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned. Brooks Cinema Series Charge The electrical energy of electrons. The energy is in the form of a force that is considered negative and repels other like forces (other electrons) and attracts opposite (positive) forces. Clicking Pressing and immediately releasing the switch on a computer's mouse. Brooks Cinema KP 30 Graphic Equalizer An device with several slides controlling the gain of audio signal present which is within one of several evenly spaced frequency bands (spaced according to octaves). Insulator A substance such as glass, air, plastic, etc., that will (for all practical purposes) not conduct electricity. Atom The smallest particle which makes up a specific substance. It's composed of a center around which electrons revolve. Input/Output Module ...

These are divided into two separate categories. Input channels are those channels coming into the soundboard such as microphones and direct lines. Output channels are those leaving the board such as monitor and main outputs. 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. Brooks Speakers 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). 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 QS 70 Electret Mic A condenser microphone where the capacitor plates are given a charge during manufacture which they retain, therefore requiring no external power supply. Ground In electronics, a place (terminal) that ha...

A hearing limitation shown by Fletcher Munson Equal Loudness Contours (as music is lowered in volume, it is much more difficult to hear bass frequencies and somewhat harder to hear very high frequencies). Automatic Gain Control (Automatic Volume Control) A compressor with a very long release time used to keep the volume of the audio very constant. Brooks Cinema XR 607 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). Barrier Micing A method of placing the head of a microphone as close as possible to a reflective surface, preventing phase cancellation. Brooks Cinema ZL 44 Level Sets output volume of individual PA input channels. Usually positioned as sliders at the bottom of the soundboard. Cue 1) The signal fed back to the musicians through headphones. 2)...

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. High Impedance Mic A microphone designed to be fed into an amplifier with input impedance greater than 20 k ohms. Brooks Cinema XR 607 Integrated Circuit (IC) A miniature circuit of many components in a small, sealed housing with prongs to connect it into equipment. LED 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. Brooks Cinema KP 30 Analog (Analogue) Representative, continuous changes that relate to another quantity that has a continuous change. 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. Full A quality of the sound of having all frequencies presen...

A jack on a MIDI device or computer that will accept an incoming data signal. Chorus Common type of effect that makes sounds fuller and thicker. Brooks Cinema TX 509 File A collection of digital data stored in a computer's memory bank or on a floppy disc. 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 XT 20 Intermodulation Distortion Distortion caused by one signal beating with another signal and producing frequencies that are both the sum and the difference of the original frequencies. Distortion Usually undesirable result of overloading sound equipment. Reducing the levels can remedy the situation. Electromagnetic Induction or Pick Up The generation of electrical signal in a conductor moving in a magnetic field or being close to a changing magnetic field. Electrostatic Charge The excess or deficiency of electr...

A rack mountable unit used to separate frequencies leaving the soundboard into high's, mids, and lows with different outputs for each. High Frequencies The audio frequencies from 6000 Hz and above. Brooks GT 44 Capacitor 1) A device consisting of two or more conducting plates separated from one another by an insulating material and used for storing an electrical charge. Sometimes called a condenser. 2) An electronic device that is composed of two plates separated by an insulator. 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). Brooks Speakers Echo Chamber 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. Ampli...

Outboard sound equipment that can momentarily stores a signal being sent to part of a P.A. system so that delayed reinforced sound reaches the audience at the same time as live sound from the stage. 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 of a recorded tone due to speed fluctuations in a recorder or playback unit. Brooks Cinema XR 607 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 machine's meter will read the input signal. ADAT A trademark of Alesis Corporation designating its modular digital multitrack recording system released in early 1993. Brooks QS-70 Folded Horn A speaker design where the speaker points back into th...

1) A slang term with the same meaning as the term IC (a miniature circuit of many components that is in small, sealed housing with prongs to connect it into equipment). 2) The thread cut away from the master lacquer to make the groove, while disc recording. Clean Describes a distortion free sound with few effects. Brooks Cinema xm 808 Acoustic Amplifier The portion of the instrument which makes the vibrating source move more air or move air more efficiently; this makes the sound of the instrument louder. Examples of acoustic amplifiers include: 1) The body of an acoustic guitar, 2) The sounding board of a piano, 3) The bell of a horn and 4) The shell of a drum. First Generation A descriptive term meaning original (as opposed to a copy). Brooks RM 80 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...

Sets output volume of individual PA input channels. Usually positioned as sliders at the bottom of the soundboard. Cable, 1/4 inch An unbalanced cable most often used for instruments and patch cords. Commonly referred to as "guitar cords". Brooks Cinema NZ 60 Ground In electronics, a place (terminal) that has zero volts. 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. Brooks XB 22 Amplifier (Power amp, Head) It's the part of the sound system that actually magnifies or "amplifies" the sound. In other words, it makes stuff louder. Fletcher Munson Effect A hearing limitation shown by Fletcher Munson Equal Loudness Contours (as music is lowered in volume, it is much more difficult to hear bass frequencies and somewhat harder to hear very high frequencies). Compander 1) A two section device that ...

To send an audio or control signal to. Compander 1) A two section device that is used in noise reduction systems. The first section compresses the audio signal, before it is recorded, and the second section, expands the signal after recording. 2) In Yamaha brand digital consoles, a signal processing function that applies both compression and expansion to the same signal. Brooks Cinema KP 30 Linear The condition of obtaining a change at the output of the device which is proportional to the change occurring at the input. Amplitude The extreme range of a signal. Usually measured from the average to the extreme. Brooks Speakers Boost To increase gain, especially to increase gain at specific frequencies with an equalizer. High-Pass Filter A device that rejects signals that are below a certain frequency (called the cut-off frequency) and passes signals with frequencies that are higher. Clean Describes a distortion free sound with few effects. Binar...

A double cymbal on a stand which can be played with a foot pedal or by the top cymbal being hit with a stick. Group Faders The VCA faders of individual channels that are all controlled by a Group Master Fader (a slide control used to send out a control voltage to several VCA faders in individual channels). Brooks XT 20 Harmonics Integer multiples of a fundamental frequency, the fundamental itself being the first harmonic, its first overtone the second harmonic, etc. Attributing to instruments, voices, etc. their distinctive timbre. 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 Return. Brooks Cinema xm 808 Bottom The bass frequencies (as in "needs more bottom end"). Jack 1) Anywhere you plug something in. 2) Segmented audio con...

To send an audio or control signal to. Compander 1) A two section device that is used in noise reduction systems. The first section compresses the audio signal, before it is recorded, and the second section, expands the signal after recording. 2) In Yamaha brand digital consoles, a signal processing function that applies both compression and expansion to the same signal. Brooks Speakers Acoustic/Acoustical Having to do with sound that can be heard by the ears. AcousticsThe behaviour of sound and its study. The acoustics of a room depend on its size and shape and the amount and position of sound-absorbing and reflecting material. CPU Abbreviation of Central Processing Unit (The main "brain" chip of a computer or the main housing of a computer that contains the "brain" chip). Brooks XT 20 Diaphragm A thin flexible membrane or cone that vibrates in response to electrical signals to produce sound waves. Distortion is usually referred to in ...

Exact replacement of lost information bits in digital audio. Coincident Microphones (Coincident Pair) 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. Brooks GT 845 Frequency Response How sensitive an electronic device (mic, amplifier, speaker, etc.) is to various frequencies; often communicated with a graph. Hard Disk Recording The recording of digital audio onto a hard disc. Brooks Cinema NZ 60 Group Faders The VCA faders of individual channels that are all controlled by a Group Master Fader (a slide control used to send out a control voltage to several VCA faders in individual channels). Fidelity The recording or reproduction quality. Action In guitar playing, action refers to how far the strings sit off of the guitar neck. When strings are close to the neck, it is referred to as "Low Action". When the str...

An abbreviation of the term High Impedance (Impedance of 5000 or more ohms). Amplifier A device which increases the amplitude (level) of an electrical signal (making it louder). Brooks Cinema Series Early Reflections The first echoes in a room, caused by the sound from the sound source reflecting off one surface before reaching the listener. 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). Brooks Speakers 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 selection switching functions and record ready/safe status of each track. 3) Any device generating a control voltage or signal fed to another device's control input. ...

A "balanced" connection is one that has three wires to move the signal. One is a ground, and the other two (called conductors) carry signals of equal value. This is why they are called balanced. Low Z cables and connections are the most common example. 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 cone or driver) and the narrow opening flairs out to a larger opening. Brooks Cinema TX 509 Ground Loop A double grounding of a line or electronic device at two different "ground" points of differing voltage. Contact Microphone A device that senses vibrations and puts out an audio signal proportional to the vibrations. Brooks RM 80 Line 1) Short for line level. 2) A cable. Bi A prefix meaning two. Crossover, Passive Used inside of full range speaker cabinets to separate highs, mids, and lows and send t...

1) A mixdown of a song without the lead vocal or without the lead and background vocals. 2) A term with the same meaning as the term Rhythm Track. 3) The recording of the rhythm instruments in a music production. Crossover, Passive Used inside of full range speaker cabinets to separate highs, mids, and lows and send them to their respective speakers within the each cabinet. These are not as efficient as active crossovers because they require all frequencies to draw from the same source of amplification. Brooks GT 44 Gain 1) Knob usually found at the top of each input channel on the soundboard. Used to set input levels of the separate channels to relatively equal positions. 2) The amount of increase in audio signal strength, often expressed in dB. Foot (Foot Drum) Another name for Bass Drum (the largest drum in the Drum Kit which puts out bass frequencies and is played with a foot pedal). Brooks TM-22 Capacitance That property of a capacitor which determi...

The recording of digital audio onto a hard disc. Hz (Hertz) 1) An abbreviation for the term Hertz (the unit of frequency). 2) Unit of frequency equivalent to the number of cycles per second. Brooks Cinema XR 607 Buss (Bus) A wire carrying signals to some place, usually fed from several sources. Channels These are divided into two separate categories. Input channels are those channels coming into the soundboard such as microphones and direct lines. Output channels are those leaving the board such as monitor and main outputs. Brooks M 44 Infinite Repeat A function on some delay lines that establish enough feedback so that the repeat echo will last forever, but not so much as to cause a howling sound. Cable, 1/4 inch An unbalanced cable most often used for instruments and patch cords. Commonly referred to as "guitar cords". Frame 1) A division of one second in synchronization and recording coming from definition two. 2) The amount of tim...

A line around which a device operates. Example: In a microphone, this would be an imaginary line coming out from the front of the microphone in the direction of motion of the diaphragm. 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 xm 808 Ground Lift A switch that breaks the connection between the ground point in one circuit and the ground point in another circuit. Full Step A change in pitch that occurs when moving up...

1) A hand-held, telescoping pole used to hold the microphone in recording dialogue in film production. 2) A telescoping support arm that is attached to a microphone stand and which holds the microphone. 3) Loosely, a boomstand. Formant An element in the sound of a voice or instrument that does not change frequency as different pitches are sounded. Brooks SS 81 LFO Low-Frequency Oscillator (an oscillator that puts out an AC signal between .1 Hz and 10Hz used for a control signal). Face The front or body of the guitar. Brooks BA 71 Echo 1) One distinct repeat of a sound because of the sound reflecting off a surface. 2) Loosely, used to mean reverberation (the continuing of a sound after the source stops emitting it, caused by many discrete echoes closely spaced in time). Fader A control to control the gain of a channel on the console, thereby determining the level of the signal in that channel. Infinite Baffle A baffle so large that the sounds co...

1) Controlling the gain of several individual channels with a Group Fader. 2) The mixing together of several individual audio signals to send a mixed signal out of the console to record a track on a multitrack tape machine. Charge The electrical energy of electrons. The energy is in the form of a force that is considered negative and repels other like forces (other electrons) and attracts opposite (positive) forces. Brooks KM 77 Error Correct Exact replacement of lost information bits in digital audio. Automatic Gain Control (Automatic Volume Control) A compressor with a very long release time used to keep the volume of the audio very constant. Brooks XT 20 Cue Send Control A control that will adjust the amount of signal sent to a cue buss from a console channel. In Short For "in the circuit," in other words "active." Electric Instrument Any musical instrument that puts out an electrical signal rather than an acoustic sound. ...