Ss

Sample Dump - See MIDI Sample Dump.

Sampler - A digital recording device capable of capturing and storing audio signals which can be later manipulated and played back from RAM (random access memory).

Sampling Frequency - The number of digital snapshots or samples taken of an analog audio signal in one second necessary to produce a digital interpretation of the original signal. The industry standard sampling frequency for CD-quality audio is 44.1 kHz. Also referred to as Sample Rate.

Scratch - A turntable mix technique that involves rocking the record back and forth by hand with the phono cartridge in the playing position, creating a variety of rhythmic sound patterns.

Send - An output control and signal bus used to route input channel signals to outboard effects and signal processing gear such as digital delays, equalizers and reverb units.

Sequencer - A digital device which can be programmed to play a collection of musical patterns, samples and tones to a preset tempo at programmed time intervals.

Series Connection - To join electrical devices so that their terminals are connected in sequence (plus "+" to minus "-") to allow a common flow of current to all the devices.

Servo-Controlled - A control system used to regulate motor speed by referencing its revolutions per minute to a timing signal.

Shielded Cable - A cable with braided wire or metallic foil wrapped around the inside wire conductor(s) to "shield" against radio frequency interference (RFI) or other unwanted electrical noise.

Shock Mount - A mounting or suspension system designed to prevent or reduce vibration that can have unwanted effects on a microphone or playback system such as a turntable or CD player.

Short (Short Circuit) - An unwanted or accidental connection made between two points in a circuit.

Short Delay - Delay times under 20 milliseconds.

Shuttle Control - A feature found on video and audio tape editing systems that enable the engineer to unlock the tape transport in order to manipulate the tape reels by hand to locate a desired edit or cue point.

Sibilance - An undesirable vocalization that occurs when sounds such as "s", "sh" or "ch" are over accentuated resulting in high-frequency distortion.

Sidechain - An insert jack found on compressor/limiters which enable the use of an outboard equalizer for frequency dependent signal processing.

Signal Processing - Any active processing performed on an audio signal designed to alter or enhance its sonic characteristics.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio - A measure of how quiet an audio device is when no signal is present. Also referred to as Hum and Noise or Residual Noise.

Sine Wave - The waveform produced by a signal source at a specific frequency.

Slide - A control device, such as a potentiometer, which is operated by moving it in a straight line.

Slip Cue - A record cue technique that involves rocking the record back and forth by hand to locate the desired start position. Once located, the DJ holds the record in position by hand and then releases it on cue to achieve near instant start up.

Slipmat - A circular piece of felt-type material used by DJs in place of the rubber mat to provide slippage for slip cueing and scratching techniques.

SMPTE Time Code - A standardized timing and sync signal specified by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.

Solo Switch - A monitor switch enabling an engineer to listen to selected mix channels via the studio monitors or headphones without effecting the mixdown product.

Sound File (Soundfile) - A digital audio recording which can be stored on a computer hard drive or other digital storage medium such as a Zip disc.

Sound Level Meter - A device used to measure sound and music loudness as expressed in decibels. See also sound pressure level.

Sound Module - The signal-generator used in a synthesizer or MIDI sampler unit that generates audio tones from incoming MIDI signals. Sound Pressure Level (SPL) - The measure of sound level or loudness expressed in decibels (dB).

Source - Usually refers to the audio device, microphone, CD player, turntable or tape machine, connected to the input channel of a mixing console or recorder. Also commonly called sound source.

S/PDIF - Stands for Sony/Phillips Digital Interface. A data protocol developed by Sony and Phillips for sending and receiving digital audio signals using a standard RCA connector.

Spin (Spinning) - Slang terms for DJ mixing. Square Wave - A waveform where voltage instantly rises to a level, holds there, instantly drops to another level and holds there and instantly rises to its original level to complete one cycle. This waveform pattern is characteristic of a severely clipped sine wave.

Stage Monitor -Speakers placed on stage so that each performer can hear themselves and hear what the other musicians are playing.

Stanton - World leading manufacturer of magnetic phono cartridges and headphones for professional DJs.

Step Program (Step Mode/Step Time) - Programming a sequencer one note or sequence at a time.

Stereo Image - A listener's perception of the left, right and center placement of sound sources in a stereo recording. Stylus - The small needle-like part of the phonograph cartridge that comes in contact with the record's grooves.

Subcode - Playback control information that is recorded along with the digital audio data and can be used for controlling the playback deck and information display.

Submix - A mix of audio signals that can be adjusted through a single (mono) or dual set (stereo) of level controls.

Sum - An audio signal that is the combination (mix) of two stereo channels at equal levels and in phase.

Super-Cardioid Pattern - A microphone with maximum pickup sensitivity on axis and minimum sensitivity approximately 150 degrees off axis.

Surround Sound - Recording and playback systems used in theatres to add a directional quality to sound so that the listener is able to perceive the direction or movement of the sound source.

Sustain - To hold or prolong the sound of a note played by an instrument.

Sweetening - Musical parts mixed into a recording, such as effects, strings and horns, to create a richer more melodic sound.

Synchronization (Sync) - To run two or more recording or playback devices so that all transport operations on each machine function at the same time and in perfect unison.

Synthesizer - An electronic musical instrument that uses multiple tone generators (oscillators) to create a wide range of instrument sounds and sonic effects.

Tt

Talkback - A feature that enables the engineer to use a console microphone in the control room to talk to vocalists and musicians over studio monitors or headphones.

Talkover - A control switch, usually on a mixer, which lowers program volume for use during vocal announcements.

Tape - A popular term for magnetic recording tape. A narrow, thin plastic tape with a fine coating of magnetically active particles capable of holding a magnetic charge for recording audio and digital data.

Tape Hiss - Unwanted high-frequency noise associated with analog magnetic tape recording.

Tape Loop - An endless loop of recording tape used to provide continuous recording or playback.

Tapeless Recording - See Hard Disk Recording.

Techno - A dance music style with early roots in Europe and black dance clubs in Detroit. It typically has higher BPMs than house, loads of synthesized sounds and barely any vocals.

Tempo - See Beats Per Minute Terminal - 1) A metal post or screw used for wire connection of two electrical devices such as speakers and amplifiers. 2) A keyboard control and video display used to enter and access data from a computer.

THD - The abbreviation for Total Harmonic Distortion. See also Harmonic Distortion Three Way Speaker - A speaker system design which features three separate drivers to reproduce the bass, midrange and high frequencies.

Threshold Control - The control on a signal processing device that adjusts the signal level at which signal processing takes place.

Threshold of Pain - The sound pressure level at which a listener feels pain 50% of the time. This corresponds to a sound pressure level of 140 dB in a frequency range from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. Trip-Hop - A hybrid combination of Hip Hop and Techno with heavy electronic sounds and hard bass line.

Throat - The small opening at the base of a horn through which sound waves from the driver element pass on to the horn.

Throw - A term used to describe the amount of excursion or movement that a speaker or microphone diaphragm can travel to create or recreate a sound.

Thru Port - A jack on an instrument or device which outputs the same MIDI signal received at the MIDI input.

Timbre - The tonal characteristics of an instrument that give it its own distinct sound which distinguishes it from other instruments.

Time Code - Short for SMPTE Time Code. An industry standard timing and sync signal specification established by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. See also MIDI time code.

Tiny Telephone Jack/Plug - (See TT) Tone - 1) An audible sound at a fixed frequency. 2) The sound characteristics of an musical instrument or recording as it relates to pitch and sonic quality.

Tone Arm - The pivoting support arm located at the rear of the turntable base used to hold the cartridge and stylus during record playback.

Tone Generator - 1) An electronic device capable of generating test tones at various frequencies for testing and trouble shooting applications. 2) An oscillator circuit in a synthesizer used to generate audio signals and tones similar in sound to various instruments.

Touch Sensitive - 1) A switch or control which can be activated by touch. 2) An electronic instrument capable of generating velocity MIDI signals. (See velocity sensitive).

Track - 1) A single portion of a multitrack tape used to record a one mixdown channel. 2) The information recorded from a single mixdown channel on one portion of multitrack tape. 3) A portion of a CD used to record a musical selection.

Track Log (Track Sheet) - An index sheet kept with a multitrack track that identifies the recorded contents of each track.

Tracking - 1) The ability of a stylus to faithfully trace the grooves of a record. 2) The pressure applied to the stylus by the counterweight of the tonearm.

Tracking Error - The measure of a phonograph stylus' ability to accurately retrace the grooves on a record. The lower the tracking error, the more accurate the stylus.

Transducer - A device which converts input energy of one form into another.

Trance (Ambient/Trance) - A term that loosely describes a hybrid flavor of techno-styled music with long playing repetitive loops and breaks reminiscent of trance-inducing ambient music of the Far East.

Transformer - An electrical component consisting of two or more coils of wire used to transfer electric current from one AC circuit to another through magnetic coupling.

Transient - The sudden energy rise occurring at the start of a waveform such as those generated by a drum hit, string pluck or cymbal strike.

Transient Response - How quickly a microphone diaphragm, speaker or other vibrating mass reacts to an input waveform.

Transmit - To send data or a signal from one device to another.

Transpose - To rewrite a musical composition in an alternate key

Transport - The drive section of a tape machine that moves the recording tape past the heads from the supply to the take-up reels.

Transport Controls - The controls used to perform all start, stop, play, and rewind functions, etc., of a recording or playback device.

Treble Frequencies - Audio signals that occupy the upper end of the audio frequency spectrum.

Tremolo - A musical effect produced by the steady, rapid alternation of two different tones.

Triangular Wave - A waveform with a steep rise and decay time resembling the shape of a triangle.

Trigger - To signal the start of an event, such as a recording, by activating a control signal or switch.

Trim Control - An input channel control for making signal level adjustments over a certain range.

Troubleshooting - To locate the source of a system malfunction through a logical series of test procedures.

TRS - Short for tip, ring and sleeve. A term commonly used to refer to a stereo 1/4-inch phone plug.

Truncation - An editing method, usually with sampled material, which involves moving the start or end point of the sample so that only the desired portion is played.

TT - The trademark of Switchcraft for its Tiny Telephone Jack/Plug. A smaller version of the standard 1/4-inch phone jack/plug.

Tuned - Refers to a circuit or device which is most sensitive to a specific frequency.

Turntable - A more popular term for phonograph player. Also "tables" is the popular slang term for turntables.

Turnover Frequency - The same as Cut-Off Frequency. The point or frequency limit in a filtering circuit at which signals are allowed to pass.

TV Interference - TVI for short. Unwanted RF (radio frequency) interference from television stations that can introduce "hum" and "buzz" into audio lines.

Tweak - A slang term for critical fine tuning or calibration of a system to achieve optimum performance.

Tweeter - A speaker driver designed to reproduce only the upper frequency range.

Uu

u - The English variant of the Greek letter "mu" which is the symbol for one millionth.

Unbalanced - An audio connection method that uses two-conductor cable.

Unidirectional - Refers to thepick-up pattern of a microphone that is more sensitive to sound arriving from one direction than from any other.

Unity Gain - When the signal level at the output of an amplifier or device is equal to the original input signal strength.

Upper Midrange - Audio frequencies between 2 kHz and 6 kHz.

Vv

VCA - (See Voltage Controlled Amplifier)

Velocity Message - A MIDI message produced by a MIDI synthesizer or that provides data on how hard the key was struck.

Velocity Sensitive - Also the same as Touch Sensitive. The ability of a MIDI instrument, such as a synthesizer keyboard, to generate a MIDI velocity message, providing information on how hard the key was struck.

Virtual Tracking - A feature that enables a MIDI sequencer to operate in sync with a multitrack tape recorder.

Voice - A term used to describe a synthesizer pitch or sound that can be played simultaneously with other pitches or sounds

Volatile Memory - Temporary computer memory that is purged or lost when the computer is turned off.

Volt Meter - A device used to measure voltage levels and electrical current.

Voltage - The flow of electrons through a conductor to obtain electrical current.

Voltage Controlled - A device that is controlled by voltage changes received from a control current.

Voltage Controlled Amplifier - An audio device that uses changes in a control voltage sent to it to adjust audio signal levels.

Voltage Controlled Fader - A fader which incorporates a VCA so that fader movement adjusts the control voltage used to change the audio level.

Volume - 1) A popular term which loosely refers to the sound pressure level produced by a sound system at any given time. 2) The output gain setting of an amplifier.

Volume Control - A control used for the adjusting the output gain of an amplifier.

Volume Unit (VU) - A numerical value used to represent perceived changes in loudness of an audio source.

VU Meter - A device that provides a continuous reading of changes in audio voltage levels as they pass in or out of a piece of audio equipment.

Ww

Watt - A unit of electrical power. To calculate wattage consumption, multiply the line voltage by the number of amps that the device consumes (110 volts times 2.5 amps equals 275 watts).

Wave - The oscillation of an energy source in amplitude from one point to another or for a given period of time.

Waveform - The shape of an audio wave, with all of its fluctuations, over a given period of time.

Wavelength - The length of a complete audio cycle in feet, inches, etc.

Wet - Refers to a recording that is rich in reverberation or ambience.

White Noise - A random noise component which increases in level with frequency.

Wide Band Noise - Noise components that are present over a wide range of frequencies.

Windscreen - A device used with microphones to prevent the unwanted pick up of wind noise and breath blasts.

Wireless Microphone - A microphone system that uses a mic transmitter to provide cordless audio transmission to a separate receiver unit.

Woofer - A speaker designed to reproduce only low frequency sound waves.

Wow - Low pitch changes in a recorded program due to slow and gradual changes in the speed of the record or playback device.

Write Mode - Similar to record mode. The operating mode in which a data recording device is ready to "write" or store information onto a floppy disc or hard drive.

Write Protect - A tab on a floppy disc or a function in a unit which protects recorded or stored data from being damaged or erased by writing over it.

Xx

XLR Connector - 1) A 3-conductor microphone connector used for balanced audio connections. 2) A standard 3-pin microphone cable.

Yy

Y-Cord - A "Y" shaped cable with three connectors so that two input sources may be fed the same output signal.