Page 37 - Zone Magazine Issue 020

E
Encode: Encoding is the act of converting one audio format to another. This is most commonly seen as converting from an Uncompressed format such as WAV to a Compressed format such as MP3.
Exciter: This can also be referred to as an Enhancer. It is a process used to replace high frequencies that might have been lost during the production stage.
FireWire: Most audio interfaces will be sold using either a FireWire or USB connection. FireWire supports a higher bandwidth than USB, however many computers do not support a FireWire connection unless it is added by the user .
Fletcher Munson Curves: This is the psychological effect where the human ear perceives less bass frequencies compared to higher frequencies, when the volume is being lowered.
G
GUI: Standing for Graphical User Interface, the GUI is the visual graphics on a program that allows the user to modify parameters such as Knobs and Sliders. Any visual elements of the program will more commonly be referred to as the GUI.
Gain Staging: This is the process of maintaining an equal volume going in and out of each audio device. You may lower the signal level before a sound goes through an EQ, to allow for a boost in a certain frequency without the overall volume increasing.
H
Hall Effect: Commonly found on a reverb unit, a Hall setting is a type of reverb created to simulate a concert hall.
Headroom: The amount of space between the loudest peak and 0dBFS is known as Headroom. You might often see a mastering engineering ask for a certain amount of headroom so they can maximize the volume without the risk of clipping the signal.
I
ID3 Tag: This is the metadata used on file types such as MP3 to embed data such as Artist, Album and other track information. This information is stored on the audio file, but it is not part of the audio itself.
In Phase: When one signal lines up exactly with another sound of the same frequency, they are considered In Phase.
J
Jack Plug: An audio jack is a cable used to connect different audio equipment to one another. You will often see two types most commonly used, a male jack and a female jack.
Jump Cut: A term more commonly used in video editing but can still be found within the audio realm. This simply means when audio noticeably jumps abruptly from one source to another creating an unnatural feel.
K
Kbps: Also seen as kbit/s or kb/s, means kilobits per second and is a unit of measurement in terms of audio bitrate. You may often see an audio file described as 320 kbps which means the bit rate of the audio file is 320 kbps or 320 kilobits per second.
Key Signature: This is a term used in musical notation which means a collection of Sharps and Flats which indicate the tone of the music.
L
Latency: Audio latency is a delay due to the computer processing the input and output of a signal. This could be simply seen as the time it takes after a key has been pressed to hear the output result.
Lossless: This is a type of data compression that decompresses the data back to its original form, without any loss of quality
M
M-S (Mid-Side) Processing: This is the act of splitting the side frequencies from the mid frequencies to be processed differently. This can be done using different EQ’s and dynamic controls.
Metronome: This is an audible signal used to aid in musicians staying in time with the tempo of the track during the recording phase.
Stay tuned for the next issue of Zone Magazine for part 2 of the A to Z of Audio Engineering where I will be breaking down even more audio terms.
DaneilDaly