Brooks Audio Design

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. 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. Brooks Audio Design KM 77 Amplitude The height of a waveform above or below the zero line. Lift 1) To boost gain of audio at a particular band of frequencies with an equalizer. 2) An elevation device in the star trek series of TV programs. Brooks Cinema xm 808...

The unit that feeds a sound pressure wave into the throat of a horn (in a horn loudspeaker). Binary A numbering system based on two. In binary there are two symbols used ("l" and "0"). Brooks Cinema xm 808 Electric Current 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). Byte A grouping of eight information bits. Brooks VT-50 Keyboard 1) Any musical instrument controlled by pressing a key. 2) The part of the computer that has the keys. 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). 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 cur...

The visible sparks generated by an electrical discharge. Earth The British version of the term Ground (In electronics, a place that has zero volts). Brooks Audio Design SS 81 Input Impedance The opposition to current flow by the first circuits of a device. ID An index signal (digital data that gives the machine information of where selections start, their selection number, etc.) on a DAT or CD. Brooks Audio Design GT 845 Initialize To prepare a digital storage medium (like a floppy disk) so that it will accept and store digital information bits. Headphones Devices that can be worn on the head with small speakers that fit over the ears (or sometimes into the ears). Level The amount of signal strength; the amplitude, especially the average amplitude. 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).

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. Floor Toms The large toms to the right of the drummer. Brooks Audio Design KM 77 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). Icon A visual picture or symbol on a computer screen that represents a file, program or disc that can be used. Brooks Audio Design GT 845 House Sync A synchronization signal such as SMPTE time code that is used by all recorders in the control room. Critical Distance The point a distance away from the sound source where the direct sound and the reverberant sound are equal in volume. Echo Send...

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. 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 XS - 45 Feedback 1) The delayed signal sent back to the input of a delay line, used in repeat-echo effects. 2) The pickup of the signal out of a channel by its input or the howling sound that this produces. 3) In an amplifier, the phase reversed output signal sent back to its input, reducing gain but also distortion and noise. 4) This occurs when the sound coming out of the speakers goes back into the microphones, then back out the speakers, then back into the mics…and so on. This can build very quickly to a point where everyone in the room is holding their ears and sc...

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). 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. Brooks Cinema KM 22 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 activ...

A storage unit for digital data that has rigid disks coated with magnetic material in a housing that includes the drive mechanism. Line In (Input, return) Where a signal enters the board or component. Brooks TM-22 Electrostatic Charge The excess or deficiency of electrons in a given area. 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. Brooks XB 33 Electric Current 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). Head 1) In tape recording, the transducer (energy converter) that changes the audio energy from electrical energy to magnetic energy and back; also the devices that apply magnetism to the recording tape for other purposes such as in the era...

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. 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. Brooks Speakers Ground Loop A double grounding of a line or electronic device at two different "ground" points of differing voltage. 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 Cinema Series Analog Recording A recording of the continuous changes of an audio waveform. Jack Bay A series of jacks which have connections for most of the inputs and ou...

Distortion of a signal by its being chopped off. An overload problem caused by pushing an amplifier beyond its capabilities. The flat-topped signal has high levels of harmonic distortion which creates heat in a loudspeaker and is the major cause of loudspeaker component failure. ID An index signal (digital data that gives the machine information of where selections start, their selection number, etc.) on a DAT or CD. Brooks Cinema QS - 95 Distorted The way your PA sounds just before it blows up. Fuzzy and scratchy. If you hear this, it either means you have something hooked up wrong, or something in the system is going bad. It could be anything from your super expensive soundboard to a five dollar patch cord. Far Field The area from 3 feet away from the sound source up to the critical distance. Brooks Cinema Projectors Inductance The property of an electric circuit by which a varying current in it produces a varying magnetic field that introduces voltages in t...

The amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time. 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 QS 70 Floor Toms The large toms to the right of the drummer. Chase The automatic adjusting of the speed of a recorder (or sequencer) to be time with another recorder. Brooks Cinema GT 845 Corner Frequency Same as Cut-Off Frequency (the highest or lowest frequency in the pass band of a filter). (NOUN) 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 ...

A recording of the continuous changes of an audio waveform. 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 Cinema XS - 45 Frequency Response How sensitive an electronic device (mic, amplifier, speaker, etc.) is to various frequencies; often communicated with a graph. Ground Loop A double grounding of a line or electronic device at two different "ground" points of differing voltage. Brooks GT 845 Automation In consoles, a feature that lets the engineer program control changes (such as fader level) so that upon playback of the multitrack recording these changes happen automatically. Crossover, Active A rack mountable unit used to separate frequencies leaving the soundboard into high's, mids, and lows with different outputs for each. Leakage Sounds from other instruments and sources that were no...

Having or converting the output impedance of a device so that it matches the impedance of the input it will feed. 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 TM-22 Far Field The area from 3 feet away from the sound source up to the critical distance. Boost To increase gain, especially to increase gain at specific frequencies with an equalizer. Brooks GT 845 Filter 1) A device that removes signals with frequencies above or below a certain point called the cut-off frequency. 2) An equalizer section, used in this sense because filters are used with other components to give an equalizer its frequency response characteristics. 3) The action of removing signals of some frequencies and leaving the rest. 4) A mechanical device to smooth out speed variations in tape machines called a Scrape Flutter Filter- more usually called a Scrape Flutter Idl...

An abbreviation of Beat Per Minute (the number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute and therefore defining the tempo). 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 Audio Design KM 77 Hertz The unit of frequency. Equivalent to cycles per second. Abbreviation: Hz. Crisp Describes a good clean high midrange sound. It can be good or bad depending on the look on the face of the guy who said it. Brooks GT 845 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 a...

The strength of a vibrating wave; in sound, the loudness of the sound. 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 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. Brooks Cinema KM 22 Audio Most often referring to electrical signals resulting from the sound pressure wave being converted into electrical energy. 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 rela...

A making smaller: reduction of electrical or acoustic signal strength. 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. Brooks Cinema Series 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). Kilo A prefix meaning 1000. Brooks Audio Design TM-22 Far Field The area from 3 feet away from the sound source up to the critical distance. 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. Amplitude The extreme range of a signal. Usually measured from the average to the extreme...

A storage unit for digital data that has rigid disks coated with magnetic material in a housing that includes the drive mechanism. Electric Instrument Any musical instrument that puts out an electrical signal rather than an acoustic sound. Brooks VT-50 Clean Describes a distortion free sound with few effects. Fader A control to control the gain of a channel on the console, thereby determining the level of the signal in that channel. Brooks GT 845 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 : quarter inch and eighth inch. 3) A conne...

The device which does the conversion of a quantity that has continuous changes (usually of voltage) into numbers that approximate those changes. 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. Brooks GT 845 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. 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. BROOKS AUDIO DESIGN ID An index signal (digital data that gives the machine information of where selections start, their selection number, etc.) on a DAT or CD. Consumer Format (Consumer DIF) A standard adopted by IEC for sen...

Distortion caused by one signal beating with another signal and producing frequencies that are both the sum and the difference of the original frequencies. 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. Brooks Cinema GT 845 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 ...

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. Imaging To make a representation or imitation of the original sonic event. Brooks Cinema NZ 60 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. Baffles Sound absorbing panels used to prevent sound waves from entering or leaving a certain space Brooks Audio Design SS 81 Diaphragm A thin flexible membrane or cone that vibrates in response to electrical signals to produce sound waves. Distortion is usually referred to in terms of total harmonic distortion (THD) which is the percentage of unwanted harmonics of the drive signal present with the wanted signal. Generally used to mean any unwanted change introduced by the device under question. Input/Output Module A set of contr...

Another name for Bass Drum (the largest drum in the Drum Kit which puts out bass frequencies and is played with a foot pedal). Generating Element The portion of the microphone that actually converts the movement of the diaphragm into electrical current or voltage changes. Brooks Cinema Projectors 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. Frequency Range The range of frequencies over which an electronic device is useful or over which a sound source will put out substantial energy. Brooks Audio Design KM 77 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...

Outboard sound equipment. Combination of a Compressor and an Expander. Headstock The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned. Brooks Audio Design TM-22 Kilo A prefix meaning 1000. 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 XS - 45 Aux Send Short for the term Auxiliary Send (a control to adjust the level of the signal sent from the console input channel to the auxiliary equipment through the aux buss. Contact Microphone A device that senses vibrations and puts out an audio signal proportional to the vibrations. Earth The British version of the term Ground (In electronics, a place that has zero volts). Haas Effect Simply stated, a factor in human hearing where delay has a much bigger effect on human perception of direction than level does.

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. 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. Brooks QS-70 Analog Recording A recording of the continuous changes of an audio waveform. Limiter A device which reduces gain when the input voltage exceeds a certain level. Brooks TM-22 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. Flat 1) Lower in musical pitch. 2) A slang term used to describe the sensiti...

An abbreviation of the term 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 present). Comb Filter 1) The frequency response achieved by mixing a direct signal with a delayed signal of equal strength especially at short delays. 2) Loosely used to also describe effects that can be achieved with comb filtering as part of the processing. Brooks Cinema Projectors Hi-Z An abbreviation of the term High Impedance (Impedance of 5000 or more ohms). Compressor A signal processing device that does not allow as much fluctuation in the level of the signal above a certain adjustable or fixed level. Brooks Cinema NZ 60 CD-ROM An abbreviation of the term Compact Disc, Read Only Memory (A Compact Disc used to store digital data, such as large programs, that can be read by a computer). Feed To send an audio or control signal to. Delay...

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. 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 Audio Design GT 845 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. 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 r...

A slide control used to send out a control voltage to several VCA faders in individual channels, thus controlling the gain of several channels. Cue Send Control A control that will adjust the amount of signal sent to a cue buss from a console channel. Brooks KM 77 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. Dry Describes a sound coming from the PA with no effects on it. Brooks Audio Design GT 845 Frequency Range The range of frequencies over which an electronic device is useful or over which a sound source will put out substantial energy. Hard Disk Recording The recording of digital audio onto a hard disc. 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 frequen...

To send an audio or control signal to. Keyboard Controller A device that has the standard music keys of piano but puts out MIDI signals Brooks Cinema XB 33 Grouping 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. 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. Brooks TM-22 Automation In consoles, a feature that lets the engineer program control changes (such as fader level) so that upon playback of the multitrack recording these changes happen automatically. 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 m...

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. Flamenco A style of music with roots in Spanish and Arabic culture. Brooks KM 22 Gain Reduction The working of a limiter or compressor reducing gain during high-level passages. IM Distortion An abbreviation of the term 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 present). Brooks Cinema XS - 45 Isolation A containing of the sound wave in a certain area so that it will not leak into other areas and/or unintended mics. Diaphragm A thin flexible membrane or cone that vibrates in response to electrical signals to produce sound waves. Distortion is usually referred to in terms of total harmonic distortion (THD) which is the percentage o...

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. Clock Signal The signal put out by a circuit that generates steady even pulses or steady codes used for synchronization. Brooks Audio Design TM-22 Far Field The area from 3 feet away from the sound source up to the critical distance. Ampere The unit of current, abbreviated Amp. Brooks Cinema KM 22 Haas Effect Simply stated, a factor in human hearing where delay has a much bigger effect on human perception of direction than level does. 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. Headphones Devices that can be wo...

A wire carrying signals to some place, usually fed from several sources. Error Correct Exact replacement of lost information bits in digital audio. Brooks Audio Design KM 77 Keying Input (Key Input) An input on a dynamics processing device to control the device by an external audio signal. Analog Recording A recording of the continuous changes of an audio waveform. Brooks Cinema QS - 95 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. Bouncing Alternate name for Ping-Ponging (playing several tacks with sync playback through a console to mix them together and record them on an open track). Clip The action of deforming a waveform during overload. Bar A term meaning the same thing as t...

A room that prevents loud sounds from other instruments from leaking in: an isolation booth is usually a smaller room that could be used for only one musician. Ambient Micing Placing a microphone in the reverberant field (where the reverberation is louder than the direct sound) so as to do a separate recording of the ambience or to allow the recording engineer to change the mix of direct to reverberant sound in recording. Brooks Audio Design GT 845 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. 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). Brooks Audio Design TM-22 Impedance Matching Having or converting the output impedance of a de...