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Testing1212 - terms for sound engineers Category: Electronics and Engineering > Audio Date & country: 05/11/2007, UK Words: 1151

Throat
The small opening in a horn or in a driver through which the sound pressure wave passes from the driver to the horn.

Throw
In speakers and in microphones, the amount of movement that the diaphragm can make (without restriction) to produce or pickup the sound wave.

Thru Box
A unit with one MIDI In Port and several MIDI Out Ports; each MIDI Out Port has the same signal as the MIDI In Port but with a delay of the signal (usually about 4 ms).

Thru Port
A connector that puts out a MIDI signal that is the same as the Input MIDI signal.

Tie Lines
Cables with connectors at both ends, usually run through walls or floors, so that a signal can be sent or picked up from some remote location.

Tight Sound ("Hyped" Sound)
The sound obtained by close-micing, well isolated instruments.

TIM
Abbreviation for transient intermodulation distortion. (See Distortion)

Timbre
The timbre of the instrument is what makes an instrument sound like that instrument and not another, even though the other instrument may be playing the same pitch.

Time Base
The number of pulses/advances per beat in a simple clock signal.

Time Code
Short for SMPTE Time Code (a standardized timing and sync signal specified by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers).

Time Code Generator
A unit that generates SMPTE time code signals.

Time Compression- Expansion
The speeding up or slowing down of an audio recording without pitch change.

Time Constant
In a circuit that has reactance, the time it takes for the current or voltage to substantially stabilize in the circuit when the voltage or current is changing.

Timing Clock
1) An even pulse signal used for sync.
2) Same as MIDI Clock (time data in the MIDI signal that advances one step each 1/24 of a beat and can be used to sync two sequencers together).

Timing Tape
Plastic leader tape with marks every 7.5 inches used to edit silence between selections.

Tinny
Used to describe a sound with too many highs and mids and not enough lows.

Tiny Telephone Jack-Plug
A smaller version of the phone jack/plug (.173 inch diameter instead of .250 inch), used in many patch bays.

Toms
The small drums (as little as 10 inch diameter) that mount on racks above the foot drum and the large drums (as big as 20 inch diameter) that sit on metal feet on the floor to the right of the (right-handed) drummer.

Tone
1) One of several single-frequency signals at the beginning of a tape reel at the magnetic reference level that will be used to record the program.
2) Any single-frequency signal or sound.
3) The sound quality of an instrument's sound relative to the amount of energy present at different frequencies.
4) In some synthesizers, a term meaning the audio signal that will be put out by the unit which would be similar to the sound of an instrument.

Tone Arm
The pivoting arm mounted to the base of a turntable to hold the phono cartridge and allow it to advance across the phonograph record during playback.

Tone Generator
1) A device, which puts out test tones at various frequencies to align a tape machine or for other testing purposes.
2) The circuits in a synthesizer that make the audio signal that is put out by the unit and which would be similar to the sound of an instrument.

Tonguing
Controlling the start of a note in a brass or woodwind instrument with the tongue.

Torque-Limit Switch
A switch that reduces torque (rotational force) to the reel motors for small reels and allows full torque for larger reels.

Touch Sensitive
Capability of a synthesizer keyboard to generate a velocity MIDI signal. Not all synthesizer keyboards are touch sensitive.

Track
1) One audio recording made on a portion of the width of a multitrack tape.
2) One set of control commands in a sequencer recorded in a similar manner to an audio track and often controlling one synthesizer over one MIDI channel.
3) A term with the same meaning as the term Band Track (the part of a song without the lead vocal or without the lead and background vocals).
4) A section of the magnetic surface of a disc consisting of a circular band at a fixed distance from the centre.

Track Log (Track Assignment Sheet)
A sheet of paper kept with a multitrack tape which tells which instrument was recorded on each track.

Track Signal
The signal sent to or coming back from one track of a multitrack tape recorder.

Tracking
Recording the individual tracks of a multitrack recording.

Tracking Error
The difference in movement of a playback stylus across the face of a phonograph record compared with the cutting stylus on the disc recording machine.

Trailing Edge
The edge of the gap last contacted by the tape, which is the place on the record head where the recording actually takes place.

Transcription
A disc recording (usually on a 16 inch lacquer) of a radio program.

Transducer
1) A device which converts energy from one medium to another.
2) Any of various devices that transmit energy from one system to another, sometimes one that converts the energy in form. Loudspeaker transducers convert electrical energy into mechanical motion.

Transfer Curve
A graph of the energy supplied verses the energy stored by a storage medium (often magnetic tape).

Transformer
An electrical device that has two coils that are magnetically coupled.

Transformer Matrix
A device which uses transformers to take two audio channel inputs and change them to a sum signal (a mix of the signals on the two channels) and a difference signal (the mixture of the two signals with one channel phase reversed so that any signal exactly the same in both channels will be cancelled).

Transient
1) Applies to that which lasts or stays but a short time. A change from one steady-state condition to another.
2) The initial high-energy peak at the beginning of a waveform, such as one caused by the percussive action of a pick or hammer hitting the string, etc.

Transient Response
Response to signals whose amplitudes rise very quickly, such as drum beats and waveforms from percussive instruments.

Transmit
In MIDI, to send a MIDI command to another device.

Transport
The portion of a tape machine, which moves the tape from the supply reel, past the heads, to the take-up reel.

Transport Controls
The tape machine controls to activate or stop tape movements.

Transpose
The act of changing the musical key of an entire piece of music by an interval.

Trap
A filter designed to reject audio signals at certain frequencies.

Trash Can
A place in a computer program where digital information can temporarily be stored before it is discarded.

Treble Frequencies
The higher audio frequencies.

Tremolo
1) An even, repeated change in volume of a musical tone.
2) The tremolo is a bar connected to the bride of the guitar. By moving the tremolo bar up or down, you can move the bridge, thus changing the pitch.

Triangular Wave
A waveform that looks triangular.

Trigger
1) The signal or the action of sending a signal to control the start of an event.
2) A device, which puts out a signal to control the start of an event, including a device that puts out such a signal when struck.

Trim
1) Same as 'Trim Control' (see below).
2) To make a small adjustment to any control.

Trim Control
A device that reduces the signal strength in an amplifier, often over a restricted range.

Trim Status
Solid State Logic's console-automation mode that operates as follows: When a slide is at its trim point, the gain variations (fader movements) last programmed in the computer will be in effect. When the slide is moved from the trim point, gain or loss is added to or subtracted from the program.

Tripe (bundle)
Bunch of cables tied or taped together into a single unit.

Troubleshooting
In audio equipment servicing, the act of locating the source of the trouble in a malfunctioning device or system.

Truncation
The editing of a sample playback so that just the desired portion of the sample is played by moving the start and end point of the sample playback.

Truss Rod
A metal rod within the neck of the guitar which can be adjusted. Used to straighten the neck.

TT
A trademark of Switchcraft and meaning Tiny Telephone Jack/Plug (A smaller version of the phone jack/plug).

Tube
A shortening of the term Vacuum Tube (an amplifying device that has elements to send and control current through a vacuum in a glass or metal tube).

Tuned
Regarding a circuit or device, which is most sensitive to a certain frequency.

Tuned Cavity
A cavity that, because of its physical dimensions, will resonate at a particular frequency (tend to reinforce the energy at certain frequencies of vibration).

Tuned Pipe Instrument
An instrument that uses a pipe of certain dimensions as a sound generator.

Tuning Fork
A metal fork with two prongs that tend to vibrate and put out a fairly pure tone of one frequency.

Turnover Frequency
A term with the same meaning as Cut-Off Frequency (the highest or lowest frequency in the pass band of a filter).

Turntable
1) A device to support and rotate a phonograph record during playback.
2) One of the round disc platters that holds a reel and reel lock and is driven by a reel motor.

TV Interference
The induction (generation of current by magnetic lines of force cutting a conductor) of RF signals broadcast by television stations into audio lines causing hum and buzz.

Tweak
A slang term for calibration (a setting of all operating controls and adjustments for optimum performance of a device) especially very precise calibration.

Tweeter
1) A speaker designed to reproduce the higher frequencies only.
2) A small driver unit designed to produce only high frequencies.
3) Part of a speaker system designed to handle the high frequency part of the signal.

Two Way Speaker
A speaker system with separate speakers to reproduce the lower frequencies (woofer) and to reproduce the higher frequencies (tweeter).

Unbalanced
A method of interconnecting recorders, amplifiers and other electronic gear using two-conductor cable.

Undo
A command in some computer software that reverses the last command entered.

Uni
A prefix meaning One.

Unidirectional
A pick-up pattern which is more sensitive to sound arriving from one direction than from any other.

Unison
Several performers, instruments or sound sources that are sounding at the same time and with the same pitch.

Unity Gain
No increase or decrease in signal strength at the output of an amplifier or device compared to the signal strength at the input.

Update
By Absolute Solid State Logic name for re-writing the settings for an automated console control.

Update Mode
A mode of operation of console automation allowing modification of the programming of a channel of a console so that when the slide of the fader is at a predetermined point (usually the point marked '0') the gain variations (fader movements) last programmed in the computer will be in effect, but when the engineer moves the slide up or down from this point gain or loss is added to or subtracted from the programmed level.

Upper Midrange
The frequencies between 2 kHz and 6 kHz.

Upper Toms
Another name for rack toms (small to medium-size drums usually 10 - 14 inch diameter, that are mounted to a rack over the foot drum in a drum kit).

Vacuum Tube
An amplifying device that is a tube.

Vacuum Tube Volt Meter
A device that measures the electrical voltage and uses a vacuum tube to drive the indicator so that testing the circuit does not load the circuit.

Vamp
The repeating part of a tune at its end, usually the chorus or part of the chorus.

Vamp and Fade
A method of ending a recording of a tune where the music has a repeating part and the engineer reduces volume until the music is out.

Vari-Speed
A Control on a tape machine that changes the play speed.

Variable-D
A patented invention (and trademark) of Electrovoice where several port are put down the case of the microphone. The ports are less and less sensitive to high frequencies as they are further away from the diaphragm, reducing proximity effect.

VCA
Abbreviation for Voltage Controlled Amplifier (an amplifier that will change gain according to the level of control voltage sent to it).

VCA Automation
A system of computer control of channel gain (or other functions) by use of voltage controlled amplifiers that change gain according to the level of control voltages sent to them by the computer.

VCA Fader
A fader with a VCA in its case arranged so that in manual operation the slide of the fader controls how much control voltage is sent to the VCA and therefore controls the channel gain.

VCA Group
Several VCA faders that are fed control voltages from a group master slide.

VCA Master
One slide feeding control voltages to several VCA's to control the gain in several audio channels.

VCA Trim
One control in an audio system (such as a console) which can adjust the control voltage feeding all VCA's, usually with limited range.

VCO
An abbreviation for: 1) Voltage Control Oscillator (an oscillator that generates an AC control voltage, usually a low-frequency oscillator putting out a signals between .1 Hz and 10 Hz).
2) Voltage Controlled Oscillator (an oscillator that changes its frequency according to a control voltage feed to its control input).

Velocity
Message In synthesizers and keyboard controllers, a MIDI message giving data on how hard the key was struck.

Velocity Microphone
Another name for Pressure Gradient Microphone (a microphone whose diaphragm is exposed front and back and its movement is caused by the small pressure differences between the front and back of the diaphragm).

Velocity Sensitive
A term with the same meaning as the term Touch Sensitive (capability of a synthesizer keyboard to generate a MIDI velocity message, giving data on how hard the key was struck).

Vertical Interval Code SMPTE
Time code that is recorded as part of the video signal (in the black area between picture frames) so that the time code numbers can be displayed on screen during editing.

VGD
An abbreviation of 'very good take', used when writing down the takes recorded on a tune.

Vibrato
A smooth and repeated changing of the pitch up and down from the regular musical pitch, often done by singers.

Virtual Tracking
Having a MIDI sequencer operate in sync with a multitrack tape and controlling the playing of synthesizers along with the recorded parts.

Voc
An abbreviation for Vocal used on track sheets.

Vocal Booth
An isolation room used for the vocal so that other instruments in the studio do not leak into the vocal microphone or to reduce ambience and reverberation in the vocal recording.

Vocoder (trademark)
An effects device that will modulate (control) one signal with another.

Voice
1) In synthesizers, a pitch that can be played at the same tine as other pitches are sounded.
2) In Yamaha synthesizers, a term meaning the same thing as Sound Patch (one sound that can be created by the synthesizer).