ASSIGN To switch or route a signal to a specific signal path.
ATTENUATE To reduce or make quieter.
AUX / AUXILIARY An additional means of sending a signal to external equipment generally
without affecting what is going on in the main mix.
BALANCE The relative level of signals. Also refers to the left / right position in a stereo
mix.
BALANCED A 3 wire system for connecting audio which has 2 wires for the audio (HOT
and COLD) and a totally separate connection for the screen. Balanced
circuitry is widely used in audio equipment from inexpensive dynamic
microphones to top quality studio devices. The balanced system is used as
it cancels interference in the connecting cables resulting in a clearer signal.
BANDWIDTH Bandwidth is the range of frequencies that will pass through a piece of
equipment. Audio signals typically contain frequencies from 20Hz to 20kHz.
BUS A common conductor that carries a signal, or number of signals, through a
mixing console.
CLIPPING Distortion caused by a signal exceeding the maximum level that the
equipment can accommodate.
COLD The negative phase of a signal. With a simple unbalanced two wire signal
one wire is positive (HOT) and the other is negative (COLD).
COMPRESSOR An electronic device used to control the rate that the level of a sound
increases above a set threshold point. A compressor can usually also be
used as a limiter to keep signal levels from overloading the input of a piece
of equipment.
D.I. Direct Injection. Often a small ‘D.I. box’ is used to send a signal directly from a guitar or bass
into the mixer to avoid the need for a microphone to capture the sound. It
also ensures a high quality signal into the mixer.
DECIBEL (dB) A logarithmic ratio used to represent voltage or power gain. The reference to
which the ratio is made is usually stated. 0dB means that the input and the
output are at the same level.
DECIBEL (dBA) A logarithmic measure of sound intensity. In this case 0dB is the lower
threshold of human hearing. 100+dBA is ‘loud’. Long term exposure to high
level sound can ultimately cause hearing damage. Normal speech, such as
in a quiet office is typically around 60dBA. 120dBA is normally quoted as the
threshold of pain.
DELAY An effect – now normally produced by digital means e.g. DDL (Digital Delay
Line) or DSP (Digital Signal Processing). The effect unit ‘samples’ the signal
and ‘replays’ it later. The delay time can be adjusted to give widely different
effects.
DETENT A soft ‘click’ in the travel of a rotary control usually indicating the centre
point.
DRY A signal which has not been processed by an effects unit.
ECHO The effect produced when sound is reflected off hard surfaces. Often
reproduced artificially using electronic equipment (see DELAY).
EFFECTS SENDS Any outputs from a channel or console that can be connected to external
equipment for extra sound processing. Usually effects sends are post fader
so any level changes to the main mix also affect the signal sent for
processing.
EFFECTS Any device that alters a sound. Can be anything from a simple foot pedal to
a sophisticated studio effects processor.
E.I.N. Equivalent Input Noise. A technical specification used to measure the noise
of a gain stage, usually the microphone preamplifier.
EQUALISATION (E.Q.) Tone controls. Also in the case of analogue tape recording and vinyl records,
frequency dependent gain used to correct limitations of the recording /
playback process.
FADER Volume control, often a linear or slider type volume control.
FEEDBACK The deafening squealing sound produced when a microphone picks up its
own amplified sound from a loudspeaker.
F.O.H. Front Of House. The speaker system which is used to project the sound from
the stage to the audience. It is also used to describe the position in the
venue, where the main mixing console is situated.
FLAT (E.Q.) When the signal has not been adjusted using the equaliser (e.q.) controls.
FOLDBACK Sound which is sent from the main mixing position back to the stage so that
performers can hear it. Often with a large sound system a totally separate
foldback (or monitor) system with a dedicated console is located on one side
of the stage so the performers can communicate easily with the operator.
GRAPHIC Graphic equaliser. An equaliser that uses a row of slider controls to adjust
the sound. Each of the sliders will adjust one part of the frequency spectrum
giving a visual display of which areas have been cut or boosted.
GROUND Earth.
HIGH PASS FILTER (HPF) A filter that cuts only the sound below a pre-determined frequency. Usually
used where the only contribution that sound below that point will make is
rumble or hum.
HOT The positive phase of a signal. With a simple unbalanced two wire signal one
wire is positive (HOT) and the other is negative (COLD). Also a ‘hot’ signal is
a term used to indicate a signal with an unusually large level.
HERTZ (Hz) A measurement of frequency. 1Hz =1 cycle per second.
HEADROOM The amount of level (above the nominal operating level) that the equipment
can accommodate before distortion occurs.
IMPEDANCE Similar to resistance, but includes the effect of circuit capacitance and
inductance which affects a.c. signals like audio.
INSERT A point in the signal chain where external equipment can be attached or
‘inserted’. A basic send/return on a single socket uses a cable with a t
three-pole (stereo) TRS jack split off to a pair of two-pole (mono) TS jacks,
often called a Y-cable (see Appendix for wiring details). A signal can be sent
to the input of a processor and returned to the channel before it is routed to
the main mix. Processors connected to insert points tend to be ‘serial’
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
12
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