| A | B |
|---|
| compression wave | sound wave |
| amplitude | same as loudness |
| wavelength | the distance from one crest to another |
| frequency | the rate at which the waves pass a given point (number of vibrations per second) |
| decibel | (dB) a common measurement of loudness |
| pitch | note of a sound that we experience is determined by its wavelength or its frequency; the shorter the wavelength the higher the frequency becomes and the higher the pitch that we hear |
| sampling rate | refers to the number of times per second a device records a sample of the sound wave being created; the higher the sampling rate the higher the quality of the audio-Commercial CDs are recorded at 44.1 kilohertz (kHz) (44100 samples per sec) |
| sample size | also known as audio resolution or bit depth refers to the number of bits of data in each sample; the more bits the better the sound quality of the recording |
| audio channels | individual recordings and sound |
| monaural | 1 channel |
| stereophonic | 2 channels |
| surround sound | 5 channels |
| cutting | cutting an audio track into clips |
| splicing | combining audio clips |
| mixer/audio board | a device that allows you to control the input and output audio levels during recording or live performances |
| vu meter | a visual representation of the output level of an audio board in real time. VU stands for Volume Unit. |
| track level | the volume level of an individual track |
| master fader | a set of sliders on an audio board that controls the output signal level; |
| equalizer | a part of the audio board that alters the output sound often with settings for low mid and high frequencies |
| audio gain | a set of sliders or knobs on an audio board to adjust the audio signal |
| streaming | the process of transmitting audio/video files over the Internet that begin playing as the remaining data is being transferred to the user’s computer; first developed by Real Audio |
| compression | a process used to reduce the size of a file |
| codec | compression/decompression software used to compress the file before transmitting and to decompress it at the receiving end; different codecs use different algorithms and are not necessarily compatible. |
| transcoding | converts incompatible or obsolete data into a more suitable format works like a translator or interpreter to adapt files so that different playback devices can be used to access the file by translating the file into a raw format then translated to the format compatible with the user’s device |
| bandwidth | the rate of data transferred in a given amount of time over a network usually measured in bits per second (bps) is affected by how many people are using it at one time |
| dynamic microphone | uses electromagnetic induction (a diaphragm which is similar to your eardrum inside the mic is connected to a coil that rests inside the magnetic field of a permanent magnet when the coil moves a signal is generated then amplified) very durable somewhat resistant to moisture power provided by audio mixer |
| condenser microphone | type of microphone that uses changes in an electrical current to product a strong signal; requires an external power source (phantom power) and usually used in studio environments not very durable and are susceptible to moisture |
| piezoelectric microphone | contain ceramic or quartz crystals linked with a diaphragm or directly exposed to acoustic waves; susceptible to handling noise from the microphone itself and from the connecting cable |
| lavalier microphone | a small mic typically attached to the talent’s clothing |
| wireless microphone | a microphone without a physical cable connecting it directly to the sound recording or amplifying equipment with which it is associated |
| ribbon microphone | mic that uses the velocity of air molecules passing over a thin corrugated ribbon of aluminum placed over a magnet good sound quality but very fragile best for studio use when shock-mounted |
| RCA | common audio and video connector which has been around since the 1940’s and is still used in modern electronics red typically carries the right |
| XLR | type of audio connection offers the best audio quality and is the choice for profession applications typically carries an analog signal |
| mini | type of audio connection typically offers a decent signal for no-professional application but has poor audio quality often used for modern audio players and consumer electronics also known as TRS (tip ring sleeve) with the number of rings telling the user if the plug is stereo (two rings) or mono (one ring) |
| phono | a type of connection used by professionals but not the preferred connection; widely used in the music industry to connect some microphone applications connect speakers amplifiers and guitars; the number of rings tell how many channels the cable is capable of handling; also known as a ¼” plug |
| firewire | most common way to connect digital audio and video to a computer has very fast data transfer rates and is often used to connect portable hard drives; it is a brand name from Apple Inc. and is known internationally as IEEE 1394 High Speed Serial Bus. |
| MP3 | (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3) standard audio format for music on the Internet |
| WAV | (Waveform audio) a standard audio file format for Microsoft and IBM PCs not as compressed as MP3 |
| MIDI | (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) a format for recording music from a keyboard controller; does not include actual musical notes |
| AIFF | (Audio Interchange File Format) a standard audio file format for Apple computers |
| AAC | (Advanced Audio Coding) a standard audio file format for portable devices such as phones and gaming systems; one of the audio compression formats defined by the MPEG-2 standard and boasts higher quality audio reproduction than MP3 and requires 30% less data to do so. |
| WMA | (Windows Media Audio) a Windows streaming audio file format use the “.wma” file extension can be of any size compressed to match many different connection speeds or bandwidths |
| trim | allows each individual channel (or track) on an audio board to be balanced with the others regardless of differing input levels or microphone sensitivities |
| gain | volume |
| fader bar | slides up and down or side to side (GB); used to adjust volume |
| overmodulate | to exceed standard or prescribed audio levels; pinning VU needle |
| distortion | an alteration of a sound waveform resulting from overmodulation; often done intentionally |
