Brooks Audio Design

1) In video, one half of a frame. 2) In computer-controlled devices a window display with functions and choices that the operator can make Foldback A European term for the signal sent to the stage monitors in a live performance. Brooks Cinema ZL 44 Electret Condenser A condenser microphone that has a permanently polarized (charged) variable capacitor as its sound pressure level sensor. Formant An element in the sound of a voice or instrument that does not change frequency as different pitches are sounded. Brooks QS-70 Librarian Program A computer program allowing the storage of the parameters of sound patches outside of a synthesizer. 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. Guitar Processor A unit that will add effects to a direct guitar signal, including a simulated instrument amplifier sound and (often) delay and reverb effects. C...

A speaker design where the speaker points back into the cabinet and bounces around finally coming out large ports in the front. It is intended to maximize low frequencies in a relatively small cabinet. Central Processing Unit 1) The main "brain" chip of a computer that performs the calculations and execution of instructions. 2) The main housing of a computer that contains the "brain" chip as opposed to other pieces of the computer system such as keyboards, monitors, etc. Brooks TM-22 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. Integrated Circuit (IC) A miniature circuit of many components in a small, sealed housing with prongs to connect it into equipment. Brooks Speakers Linear The condition of obtaining a change at the output of the device which is proportional to the change occurring at the input. Active Crossover Uses active devic...

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. Amplifier Sound equipment that converts the low voltage, low current signal from a tape deck, mixer etc. into a higher current signal suitable for driving speakers. See Power Amplifier, Crossover. Brooks XB 33 Electromagnetic Theory A statement of the principles behind electromagnetic induction: When a conductor cuts magnetic lines of force, current is induced in that conductor. Field 1) In video, one half of a frame. 2) In computer-controlled devices a window display with functions and choices that the operator can make Brooks Cinema XS - 45 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 ou...

The acoustic power delivered for a given electrical input. Often expressed as decibels/watt/meter (dB/w/m). ESL �" Abbreviation for electrostatic loudspeaker. 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. Brooks Cinema NZ 60 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. Delay 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. Brooks TM-22 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. Cue 1...

1) On a tape machine, the housing for and the channel circuitry which processes the signal to be fed to the heads, provide bias, and playback. 2) The branch of science dealing with the behaviour of electrons/charges in vacuums, gases, semiconductors and special conductors. Gate A dynamic processing device that turns a channel off or down when the signal drops below a certain level. Brooks QS 70 Effects Track 1) In film production audio, a recording of the mixdown of all the sound effects for the film ready to be mixed with the dialogue and music. 2) In music recording, one track with a recording of effects to be added to another track of a multitrack recording. 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 ZL 44 Kick (Ki...

Refers to the speakers that face toward the audience. Also called the "main" speakers. Chorus Common type of effect that makes sounds fuller and thicker. Brooks Audio Design QS 70 Delay 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. 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 XB 33 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. Ground Lifter An adapter that takes a three prong power cord and plugs into a...

1) Relative measurement for the volume (loudness) of sound. Also used to measure the difference between two voltages, or two currents. See Zero dB. 2) A numerical expression of the relative loudness of a sound. The difference in decibels between two sounds is ten times the common logarithm of the ratio of their power levels. 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. 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. Hypercardioid Pattern A microphone pick up sensitivity pattern where the least sensitive pick up point is more than 90 degrees but less than 150 degrees off axis (usually 120 degrees). Brooks KM 22 Full A qu...

A collection of digital data stored in a computer's memory bank or on a floppy disc. AES An abbreviation of Audio Engineering Society. Brooks Speakers Chorus 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. Imaging To make a representation or imitation of the original sonic event. Brooks Cinema Series Error Message A prompt on a computer screen telling the operator that an error has occurred. Electromagnetic Field Magnetic energy put out because of current travelling through a conductor. Hypercardioid ...

Sending too high of a signal level into a device so that the first amplifier of the device overloads. Bass Roll Off An electrical network built into some microphones to reduce the amount of output at bass frequencies when close-micing. Brooks VT-50 Limiter A device which reduces gain when the input voltage exceeds a certain level. 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 QS - 95 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 are available in 2 sizes : quart...

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. Foot Switch A switch placed on the floor and pressed by a musician to do various functions. Brooks M 44 Electromagnetic Theory A statement of the principles behind electromagnetic induction: When a conductor cuts magnetic lines of force, current is induced in that conductor. 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 Cinema Projectors 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 ...

A more formal term meaning the same as the term Current (the amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time). Direct box Used in line to convert a high impedance signal into a low impedance signal. Brooks TM-22 Keynote Number A number assigned to each key of a synthesizer or controller keyboard that is transmitted in the MIDI signal. Foot Switch A switch placed on the floor and pressed by a musician to do various functions. Brooks QS 70 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). 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. Early Reflections The first echoes in a room,...

The unit that feeds a sound pressure wave into the throat of a horn (in a horn loudspeaker). 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 QS-70 Current The amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time. Analog To Digital Converter The device which does the conversion of a quantity that has continuous changes (usually of voltage) into numbers that approximate those changes. Brooks M 44 Early Reflections The first echoes in a room, caused by the sound from the sound source reflecting off one surface before reaching the listener. 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. Ground Lift A switch that breaks the connection between the ground point in one circuit and the ground point in another circuit. High ...

A control on a stereo amplifier that when moved clockwise will make the right channel louder (and the left channel softer) and will do the reverse when moved counter-clockwise. Baffles Sound absorbing panels used to prevent sound waves from entering or leaving a certain space Brooks Cinema KP 30 Electrostatic Charge The excess or deficiency of electrons in a given area. Attenuator (Pot) 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. Brooks QS 70 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. Lev...

The range of frequencies over which an electronic device is useful or over which a sound source will put out substantial energy. 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. Brooks TA 60 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). Bottom The bass frequencies (as in "needs more bottom end"). Brooks GT 44 Balance 1) The relative level of two or more instruments in a mix, or the relative level of audio signals in the channels of a stereo recording. 2) To make the relative levels of audio signals in the channels of a ster...

The signal put out by a circuit that generates steady even pulses or steady codes used for synchronization. Crossover Frequency 1) The frequency that is the outer limit of one of the bands of a crossover. 2) In the Lexicon 480L delay/reverberation effects unit, the frequency at which the bass frequency reverb time is in effect rather than the mid frequency reverb time. Brooks TA 60 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. Current The amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time. Brooks XB 22 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 B...

An element in the sound of a voice or instrument that does not change frequency as different pitches are sounded. Face The front or body of the guitar. Brooks Cinema XB 33 Impedance 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. Foldback A European term for the signal sent to the stage monitors in a live performance. Brooks GT 845 Impedance Matching Having or converting the output impedance of a device so that it matches...

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 crossover splits the signal from the mixing desk into high, mid and low frequencies which are then sent to three separate amplifiers. 3) An electrical circuit that divides a full bandwidth signal into the desired frequency bands for the loudspeaker components. Coax Two-conductor cable consisting of one conductor surrounded by a shield. Brooks BA 71 File A collection of digital data stored in a computer's memory bank or on a floppy disc. Amplification An increasing of signal strength. Brooks Cinema xm 808 Compact Disc CD A small optical disk with digital audio recorded on it. Ground In electronics, a pla...

1) A way of optimizing the efficiency of a speaker system by separately amplifying the High Frequency (HF) and Low Frequency (LF) portions of the sound signal and sending them down two pairs of cables to the speaker. Multipin Speakon connectors have been developed to do this. 2)The process of having of having low-frequency speakers and high-frequency speakers driven by separate amplifiers. Kick (Kick Drum) Another term for Bass Drum. Brooks M 44 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. Effects 1) Various ways an audio signal can be modified by adding something to the signal to change the sound. 2) Short for the term Sound Effects (sounds other than dialogue, narration or music like door closings, wind, etc. added to film or video shots). Brooks Speakers...

A route back into the sound desk for a signal sent to a piece of outboard equipment via an auxiliary send. Impedance 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. Brooks Cinema GT 845 Buss (Bus) A wire carrying signals to some place, usually fed from several sources. Binary A numbering system based on two. In binary there are two symbols used ("l" and "0"). Brooks QS-70 Full A quality of the sound of...

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. AC 1) Abbreviation for alternating current. 2) An abbreviation of the term Alternating Current (electric current which flows back and forth in a circuit; all studio signals running through audio lines are AC). Brooks KM 77 Dynamic Mic Robust type of microphone which picks up the sound on a diaphragm connected to a coil of wire which moves within a magnet. An alternating current is induced into the wire which provides the electrical output. Most dynamic mics have low output impedance of 200 Ohms. See Condenser Mic. Group 1) A number of channels or faders that can be controlled by one Master VCA slide. 2) A shortening of the term Recording Group (a buss or the signal present on a buss). Brooks RM 80 Layering The recording (or playing) of a musical part with of several similar sound patches playing simultaneous. CD (Compa...

A microphone designed to be fed into an amplifier with input impedance greater than 20 k ohms. Analog To Digital Converter The device which does the conversion of a quantity that has continuous changes (usually of voltage) into numbers that approximate those changes. Brooks KM 77 Active Crossover Uses active devices (transistors, IC's, tubes) and some form of power supply to operate. Capacitance The property of being able to oppose a change in voltage or store an electrical charge. Brooks QS 70 Clock Signal The signal put out by a circuit that generates steady even pulses or steady codes used for synchronization. Echo Send The output of a console used to send a signal to an echo chamber or delay effects device. Group Master A slide control used to send out a control voltage to several VCA faders in individual channels, thus controlling the gain of several channels. Format 1) The number of tracks, their width, spacing and order for tape re...

The excess or deficiency of electrons in a given area. 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. Brooks QS 70 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. 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 XB 22 Edit A switch that does different things depending on the operational mode that the machine is in: 1) If a computer-controlled transpor...

A grouping of eight information bits. 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 Cinema Series 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. Headroom 1) The level difference (in dB) between normal operating level and clipping level in an amplifier or audio device. 2) A similar level difference between normal tape operating level and the level where the distortion would be 3%. 3) The difference, in decibels, between the peak and RMS levels in program material. Brooks Cinema xm 808 Bulk Dump Short for System Exclusive Bulk Dump (a method of transmitting data, such ...

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. High Impedance Impedance of 5000 or more ohms. Brooks Cinema xm 808 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. Floor 1) An alternate tam meaning Range (a limit on the amount the signal is reduced when the input signal is low by an expander or gate). 2) A shortening of the term Noise Floor (the level of the noise). Brooks Cinema KP 30 Analog (Analogue) Representative, continuous changes tha...

See transducer. Dynamic Range �" The range between the quietest and the loudest sounds a device can handle (often quoted in dB). Atom The smallest particle which makes up a specific substance. It's composed of a center around which electrons revolve. Brooks BA 71 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). Baffles Sound absorbing panels used to prevent sound waves from entering or leaving a certain space Brooks QS 70 Gain Structure The way in which the gain varies in the stages or sections of an audio system. Line 1) Short for line level. 2) A cable. Key The control of a dynamics processing device by an external audio signal. Ambient Field A term with the same meaning as the term Reverberant Field (the area away from the sound source where the reverberation is louder than the direct sound).

The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned. Line 1) Short for line level. 2) A cable. Brooks Cinema Projectors 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). Generation A term used to describe the number of times that the recorded audio signal has been copied. Brooks Cinema TZ 505 Bass 1) The lower range of audio frequencies up to approximately 250 Hz. 2) Short for Bass Guitar. 3) Lower end of the musical scale. In acoustics, the range (below about 200 Hz) in which there are difficulties, principally in the reproduction of sound, due to the large wavelengths involved. 4) The lower frequencies...

A synchronization signal such as SMPTE time code that is used by all recorders in the control room. Bass 1) The lower range of audio frequencies up to approximately 250 Hz. 2) Short for Bass Guitar. 3) Lower end of the musical scale. In acoustics, the range (below about 200 Hz) in which there are difficulties, principally in the reproduction of sound, due to the large wavelengths involved. 4) The lower frequencies. 5) On the soundboard this should refer to the bass guitar channel, not the bass drum. 6) The lowest frequencies of sound. Bi-Amplification uses an electronic crossover or line-level amplifiers for the high and low frequency loudspeaker drivers. Brooks Cinema Projectors Early Reflections The first echoes in a room, caused by the sound from the sound source reflecting off one surface before reaching the listener. Chord Three or more musical pitches sung or played together. Brooks GT 845 BPM An abbreviation of Beat Per Minute (the number of s...

Sending too high of a signal level into a device so that the first amplifier of the device overloads. 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. Brooks Speakers Crossover, Active A rack mountable unit used to separate frequencies leaving the soundboard into high's, mids, and lows with different outputs for each. Error Detection The process of discovery that sonic information bits have been lost in digital audio. Brooks BA 71 Condenser An older term meaning the same thing as Capacitor (an electronic device which is composed of two plates separated by an insulator and can store charge) but sill in common use when referring to a microphone's active element. Equipment Rack A cabinet with rails (or free standing rails) that have holes to accept screws at standard spaces and used to house outboard gear. Critical Distance The poi...

Any musical instrument that puts out an electrical signal rather than an acoustic sound. Kick (Kick Drum) Another term for Bass Drum. Brooks Cinema RM 909 Electrons Negatively charged particles, which revolve around the centre of atoms. The movement of such electrons down a conductor causes electrical current. Central Processing Unit 1) The main "brain" chip of a computer that performs the calculations and execution of instructions. 2) The main housing of a computer that contains the "brain" chip as opposed to other pieces of the computer system such as keyboards, monitors, etc. Brooks Cinema NZ 60 High Hat A double cymbal on a stand which can be played with a foot pedal or by the top cymbal being hit with a stick. Isolation A containing of the sound wave in a certain area so that it will not leak into other areas and/or unintended mics. Fader A control to control the gain of a channel on the console, thereby determining the l...