Brooks Audio Design

The recording of digital audio onto a hard disc. 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 RM 909 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. Input 1) The jack or physical location of where a device receives a signal. 2) The signal being received by a device. 3) The action of receiving a signal by a device. Brooks RM 909 reviews 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 ...

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. 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 RM 909 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. Cancellation A shortening of the term Phase Cancellation (the energy of ...

A jack on a MIDI device or computer that will accept an incoming data signal. Images The squaring of the waveform that happens in the conversion of digital audio bits into analog signals. Brooks Hi Fi reviews Distortion Usually undesirable result of overloading sound equipment. Reducing the levels can remedy the situation. Barrier Micing A method of placing the head of a microphone as close as possible to a reflective surface, preventing phase cancellation. Brooks HI FI projectors Frequency Practically speaking, high frequency means high pitch and low frequency means low pitch. 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). 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...

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). Half Step A pitch difference of the amount that is present between adjacent keys on a piano. Brooks RM 909 reviews Level Sets output volume of individual PA input channels. Usually positioned as sliders at the bottom of the soundboard. Input Overload Sending too high of a signal level into a device so that the first amplifier of the device overloads. Brooks RM 909 Editing 1) Changing the sequence of a recording by cutting the recording tape and putting the pieces together in the new sequence with splicing tape. 2) Punching in and then punching out on one or more tracks of a multitrack tape recorder to replace previously recorded performances. 3) Changing the sequence of a digital recording's playback by comput...

The portion of the microphone that actually converts the movement of the diaphragm into electrical current or voltage changes. 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 HI FI projectors Front Loaded A speaker cabinet where the speaker faces out toward the front. 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). Brooks RM 909 reviews 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. Fletcher Munson Effect A hearing limitation shown by Fletcher Munson Equal Loudness Contours (as music is lowered in...

1) Changing the sequence of a recording by cutting the recording tape and putting the pieces together in the new sequence with splicing tape. 2) Punching in and then punching out on one or more tracks of a multitrack tape recorder to replace previously recorded performances. 3) Changing the sequence of a digital recording's playback by computer program. Contact Microphone A device that senses vibrations and puts out an audio signal proportional to the vibrations. Brooks RM 909 Binary A numbering system based on two. In binary there are two symbols used ("l" and "0"). Face The front or body of the guitar. Brooks Hi Fi speakers Clip The action of deforming a waveform during overload. 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). Input/Output Module A set of controls, on one...

Representative, continuous changes that relate to another quantity that has a continuous change. 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 Hi Fi speakers High Impedance Mic A microphone designed to be fed into an amplifier with input impedance greater than 20 k ohms. 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 HI FI projectors Earth The British version of the term Ground (In electronics, a place that has zero volts). Frets Vertical metal wires which sit vertically on the guitar neck. Linearity The extent to which any signal handling process is accomplished without amplitude distortion. Aux Send Short for the term Auxiliary Send (a control to adjust t...

A Compact Disc, usually containing audio, video, and text, which the user can interact with in that the display or playback changes after the user performs some action. Ampere The unit of current, abbreviated Amp. Brooks RM 909 Distortion Usually undesirable result of overloading sound equipment. Reducing the levels can remedy the situation. Keynote Number A number assigned to each key of a synthesizer or controller keyboard that is transmitted in the MIDI signal. Brooks Hi Fi speakers 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. 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. Fade 1) A gradual reduction of the level of the audio signal. 2) A gradual change of level from one pre...

A device which reduces gain when the input voltage exceeds a certain level. 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. Brooks HI FI projectors 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. High Frequencies The audio frequencies from 6000 Hz and above. Brooks Hi Fi speakers Console A set of controls and their housing, which control all signals necessary for recording and mixing. Integrated Circuit (IC) A miniature circuit of many components in a small, sealed housing with prongs to connect it into equipment. Floor Toms The large toms to the right of the drummer. Com...

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. Gain Reduction The working of a limiter or compressor reducing gain during high-level passages. Brooks HI FI projectors Diffraction The breaking up of a sound wave caused by some type of mechanical interference such as a cabinet edge, grill frame, or other similar object. 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. Brooks Hi Fi reviews Hard Disk (Hard Disc) 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. Amplificat...