Brooks Audio Design

The unit of current, abbreviated Amp. 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. Brooks Cinema QS - 95 Byte A grouping of eight information bits. 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). Brooks KM 22 Hi-Z An abbreviation of the term High Impedance (Impedance of 5000 or more ohms). Hertz The unit of frequency. Equivalent to cycles per second. Abbreviation: Hz. 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 sou

A technique of placing a microphone close to the sound source (within one foot) in order to pick up mainly the direct sound and to avoid picking up leakage or ambience. 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 matter how loud the input becomes. A Limiter is often used to protect speaker systems (and human ears) by preventing a system from becoming too loud. Brooks KM 22 IM Distortion An abbreviation of the term In

A device which increases the amplitude (level) of an electrical signal (making it louder). 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 Gt 44 Frets Vertical metal wires which sit vertically on the guitar neck. Face The front or body of the guitar. BROOKS HI fi Ampere The unit of current, abbreviated Amp. Basic Session The First session in recording an audio production to record the Basic Tracks. 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. Line Out (Line Output) Any output that sends out a line level signal, such as the output of a console that feeds a recorder.

The smallest unit of digital information representing a single "0" or 1. 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. Brooks XM 204 Band Track 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. Cue 1) The signal fed back to the musicians through headphones. 2) To set the tape or disc so that the intended selection will immediately play when the tape machine or player is started. 3) A location point entered into a computer controlling the playback or recording of a track or tape. 4) In MCI brand tape machines, a term meaning the same thing as Sync Playback (where the record head is used as a playback head for those tracks already

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. 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 XM 204 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'

The number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute and there fore defining the tempo of the song. 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 string sit far above the neck, it is called "High Action". Guitars with low action are easier to play, but make sure they are not too close, or it could causing buzzing. Brooks Cinema DESIGN ZL 44 Kick (Kick Drum) Another term for Bass Drum. 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. Brooks XB 33 Golden Section A ratio of height to width to length of a room to achieve "good acoustics" and first recommended by the ancient Greeks. The ratio is approximat

The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned. 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 AUDIO reviews Capacitance The property of being able to oppose a change in voltage or store an electrical charge. Line Out (Output, Send) Where a signal leaves the board or component. BROOKS HI fi Balance Control 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. Critical Distance The point a distance away from the sound source where the direct sound and the reverberant sound are equal in volume. Amplification An increasing of signal strength. Dry Describes a sound comi

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. Insert 1) A punch in of the all of the tracks being recorded in a recording session. 2) On Solid State Logic consoles, placing an outboard piece of gear in the channel by patching and activating a switch. Brooks GT 845 Digital Recording 1) ADAM : (Akai Digital Audio Multitrack). 12 track recording onto Video 8 tape. 16 bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz sampling rate. 2) DAT (Digital Audio Tape) Cassette-like system which has much higher quality than standard audio cassettes. Widely used in gathering sound effects, for news gathering, and for playback of music. 3) DCC (Digital Compact Cassette) Rival to DAT which also plays standard audio cassettes. 4) MiniD

The control on a delay line or delay effects device that controls the amount of feedback. Isolation Booth/ Isolation Room 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. Brooks Cinema DESIGN ZL 44 Hearing Limitation 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. Ambience The portion of the sound that comes from the surrounding environment rather than directly from the sound source. Brooks QS-70 Link (Said of compressors and dynamic processing units.) To combine the control input signals of two channels of a compressor (o 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 (cal

1) Any musical instrument controlled by pressing a key. 2) The part of the computer that has the keys. 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 Cinema KM 22 Chorusing 1) A term meaning the same thing as Chorus (Definition 3 or 4). 2) In some delay effects devices, a term used to mean the term Depth (the amount of change in the controlled signal by the control signal). 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". Broom RM 909 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. Bandwidth 1) The range of frequencies over which a tape record

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). Link (Said of compressors and dynamic processing units.) To combine the control input signals of two channels of a compressor (o Brooks Gt 44 Bottom The bass frequencies (as in "needs more bottom end"). Frame 1) A division of one second in synchronization and recording coming from definition two. 2) The amount of time that one still picture is shown in film or video. Brooks Speakers 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. Atom The smallest particle which makes up a specific substance. It's composed of a center around which electrons revolve. Line 1) Short for line level. 2)

How sensitive an electronic device (mic, amplifier, speaker, etc.) is to various frequencies; often communicated with a graph. 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 Speakers 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). 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 XB 33 Feedback Control The control on a delay line or delay effects device that controls the amount of feedback. Absorption Short for the term Acoustical Absorption (quality of a surface or substance to take in, not reflect, a sound wave). Current The amount of electr

A microphone which converts sound pressure changes into changes of capacitance. The capacitance changes are then converted into electrical voltage variations (an audio signal). Humbucker Pickups that are coupled together to get a certain sound. Brooks Cinema DESIGN ZL 44 Absorption Short for the term Acoustical Absorption (quality of a surface or substance to take in, not reflect, a sound wave). 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. Brooks Cinema GT 845 LFO Low-Frequency Oscillator (an oscillator that puts out an AC signal between .1 Hz and 10Hz used for a control signal). Line Out (Output, Send) Where a signal leaves the board or component. Beats Per Minute BPM The number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute and there fore d

A switch placed on the floor and pressed by a musician to do various functions. 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 Hi Fi reviews 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. 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 Cinema

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). 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. Brooks Cinema GT 845 IC Abbreviation of Integrated Circuit (A miniature circuit of many components that is in small, sealed housing with prongs to connect it into equipment). Barrier Micing A method of placing the head of a microphone as close as possible to a reflective surface, preventing phase cancellation. Broom RM 909 Earth The British version of the term Ground (In electronics, a place that has zero volts). FOH (Front of House) Ref

A device which reduces gain when the input voltage exceeds a certain level. Audio Most often referring to electrical signals resulting from the sound pressure wave being converted into electrical energy. Brooks Cinema ZL 44 Automatic Gain Control (Automatic Volume Control) A compressor with a very long release time used to keep the volume of the audio very constant. Ground In electronics, a place (terminal) that has zero volts. Brooks Cinema XS - 45 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). Hertz The unit of frequency. Equivalent to cycles per second. Abbreviation: Hz. Bi A prefix meaning two. Inductor A device designed primarily to introduce inductance into an electric circuit. Sometimes called a choke or coil.

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. Feed To send an audio or control signal to. BROOKS AUDIO reviews 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). Full Step A change in pitch that occurs when moving up or down two piano keys Brooks Cinema GT 845 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. kHz An Abbreviation of kilo-Hertz. Level Sets output volume of individual PA input ch

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. Foldback A European term for the signal sent to the stage monitors in a live performance. Brooks Cinema Projectors 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. Electrostatic Charge The excess or deficiency of electrons in a given area. Brooks Cinema DESIGN ZL 44 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). Cascade To set and interconnect two mixers so that the

A slide control used to send out a control voltage to several VCA faders in individual channels, thus controlling the gain of several channels. Hum The 60 Hz power line current accidentally induced or fed into electronic equipment. Brooks XB 33 Centre Frequency The frequency of the audio signal that is boosted or attenuated most by an equalizer with a peak equalization curve. Face The front or body of the guitar. Brooks Cinema GT 845 Amplifier A device which increases the amplitude (level) of an electrical signal (making it louder). Front Loaded A speaker cabinet where the speaker faces out toward the front. 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. F

A term meaning the same thing as the term Measure (the grouping of a number of beats in music, most-often four beats). Input Impedance The opposition to current flow by the first circuits of a device. Brooks QS - 95 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. 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. Bro

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). 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. Brooks XM 204 Digital Recording 1) ADAM : (Akai Digital Audio Multitrack). 12 track recording onto Video 8 tape. 16 bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz sampling rate. 2) DAT (Digital Audio Tape) Cassette-like system which has much higher quality than standard audio cassettes. Widely used in gathering sound effects, for news gathering, and for playback of music. 3) DCC (Digital Compact Cassette) Rival to DAT which also plays standard audio cassettes. 4) MiniDisc : Uses computer disk technology, rather than tape. A laser heats an area of magnetic disk which is then written to by a magnetic head. When cooled, the magnetic information is read from the disk by laser. Tra

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. Balls 1) The depth and thickness of a sound, usually on the bottom end of the EQ (as in "needs more balls"). 2) The strength of the voice on the mic (as in "check it like you have some balls"). Brooks Cinema DESIGN ZL 44 Equal Loudness Contours A drawing of several curves showing how loud the tones of different frequencies would have to be played for a person to say they were of equal loudness. 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 XB 33 ID An index signal (digital data that gives the machine information of where selections start, their selection number, etc.) on a DAT

Representative, continuous changes that relate to another quantity that has a continuous change. Capacitance The property of being able to oppose a change in voltage or store an electrical charge. Brooks Gt 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. Chamber 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. Brooks XM 204 House Sync A synchronization signal such as SMPTE time code that is used by all recorders in the control room. Electronics 1) On a tape machine, the housing for a

See transducer. Dynamic Range �" The range between the quietest and the loudest sounds a device can handle (often quoted in dB). Ambience The portion of the sound that comes from the surrounding environment rather than directly from the sound source. Brooks Gt 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. Efficiency The acoustic power delivered for a given electrical input. Often expressed as decibels/watt/meter (dB/w/m). ESL �" Abbreviation for electrostatic loudspeaker. Brooks GT 845 Analog Recording A recording of the continuous changes of an audio waveform. Gain Structure The way in which the gain varies in the stages or sections of an audio system. 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

A round flat object (usually housed in a protective sleeve) coated with material that can be magnetized in a similar manner to tape. Error Concealment Putting replacement information bits into a digital audio signal to replace lost bits when the digital recording or processing system cannot verify whether the lost bits were l's or 0's but can make a good guess by comparing the known bits that were close in position to the lost bits. Brooks Hi Fi reviews Circuit 1) One complete path of electric current. 2) Similar to definition 1, but including all paths and components to accomplish one function in a device. 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. Brooks XM 204 Fat Having more than a normal amo

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. Headstock The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned. Broom RM 909 Active Crossover Uses active devices (transistors, IC's, tubes) and some form of power supply to operate. Fundamental The tuned frequency and (almost always) the lowest frequency that is present in the sounding of a pitch by a musical instrument. Brooks Speakers Keyboard Controller A device that has the standard music keys of piano but puts out MIDI signals Clipping 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. IC Abbreviation of Integrated Circuit (A miniature circuit of many components

A style of music with roots in Spanish and Arabic culture. Line Out (Line Output) Any output that sends out a line level signal, such as the output of a console that feeds a recorder. Brooks Cinema DESIGN ZL 44 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 Input Overload Sending too high of a signal level into a device so that the first amplifier of the device overloads. Brooks Cinema KM 22 In Port A jack on a MIDI device or computer that will accept an incoming data signal. Input/Output Module A set of controls, on one housing, for an in-line console that has two channels (one for recording and one for monitoring) and has controls for all console sections. 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). In-Line Console A con

A device which increases the amplitude (level) of an electrical signal (making it louder). 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. BROOKS AUDIO reviews Axis 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. Expansion The opposite of compression; for example, an expander may allow the signal to increase 2 dB every time the signal input increased by 1 dB. Brooks KM 22 Isolation A containing of the sound wave in a certain area so that it will not leak into other areas and/or unintended mics. Hi-Z An abbreviation of the term High Impedance (Impedance of 5000 or more ohms). Line Out (Output, Send) Where a signal leaves the board or component. Driver See transducer. Dynamic Range �" The range

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. Hum The 60 Hz power line current accidentally induced or fed into electronic equipment. Brooks XB 33 Audio Most often referring to electrical signals resulting from the sound pressure wave being converted into electrical energy. Direct box Used in line to convert a high impedance signal into a low impedance signal. Brooks Cinema Projectors 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). Electronics 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

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. Clipping 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. Brooks Cinema XS - 45 Fidelity The recording or reproduction quality. Hum The 60 Hz power line current accidentally induced or fed into electronic equipment. Brooks Cinema KM 22 Driver See transducer. Dynamic Range �" The range between the quietest and the loudest sounds a device can handle (often quoted in dB). 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

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. Hi-Z An abbreviation of the term High Impedance (Impedance of 5000 or more ohms). Brooks XM 204 Capacitance The property of being able to oppose a change in voltage or store an electrical charge. 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 Cinema QS - 95 Icon A visual picture or symbol on a computer screen that represents a file, program or disc that can be used. Electret Mic A condenser microphone where the capacitor plates are given a charge during manufacture which they retain, therefore requiring no external power supply. Analog (Anal