Mackie SR408 / SR568 Owner's Manual - Page 63

APPENDIX B: Glossary This Glossary contains brief definitions of many of the audio and electronic terms used in discussions of sound mixing and recording. Many of the terms have other meanings or nuances or very rigorous technical definitions which we have sidestepped here because we figure you already have a lot on your mind. If you'd like to get more information, you can call Mix Bookshelf at 1-800-233-9604. We recommend the following titles: The Audio Dictionary, by Glenn White; Tech Terms, by Peterson & Oppenheimer; Handbook for Sound Engineers, by Glen Ballou, Mackie Mixer Book by Rudy Trubitt and Sound Reinforcement Handbook, by Gary Davis. AFL An acronym for After Fade Listen, which is another way of saying post-fader solo function. assign In sound mixers, assign means to switch or route a signal to a particular signal path or combination of signal paths. attenuate To reduce or make quieter. aux See next entry. auxiliary In sound mixers, supplemental equipment or features that provide additional capabilities to the basic system. Examples of auxiliary equipment include: serial processors (equalizers, compressors, limiters, gates) and parallel devices (reverberation and delay). Most mixers have aux send buses and aux return inputs to accommodate auxiliary equipment. balanced In a classic balanced audio circuit, the two legs of the circuit (+ and -) are isolated from the circuit ground by exactly the same impedance. Additionally, each leg may carry the signal at exactly the same level but with opposite polarity with respect to ground. In some balanced circuits, only one leg actually carries the signal but both legs exhibit the same impedance characteristics with respect to ground. Balanced input circuits can offer excellent rejection of common-mode noise induced into the line and also make proper (no ground loops) system grounding easier. Usually terminated with 1⁄4" TRS or XLR connectors. bandwidth The band of frequencies that pass through a device with a loss of less than 3dB, expressed in Hertz or in musical octaves. Also see Q. bus An electrical connection common to three or more circuits. In mixer design, a bus usually carries signals from a number of inputs to a mixing amplifier, just like a city bus carries people from a number of neighborhoods to their jobs. Cannon A manufacturer of electrical connectors who first popularized the three-pin connector now used universally for balanced microphone connections. In sound work, a Cannon connector is taken to mean a Cannon XLR-3 mic connector or any compatible connector. cardioid Means heart-shaped. In sound work, cardioid refers to the shape of the sensitivity pattern of some directional microphones. channel A functional path in an audio circuit: an input channel, an output channel, a recording channel, the left channel and so on. channel strip The physical representation of an audio channel on the front panel of a mixer; usually a long, vertical strip of controls. chorusing An effect available in some digital delay effects units and reverbs. Chorusing involves a number of moving delays and pitch shifting, usually panned across a stereo field. Depending on how used, it can be lovely or grotesque. clipping A cause of severe audio distortion that is the result of excessive gain requiring the peaks of the audio signal to rise above the capabilities of the amplifier circuit. Seen on an oscilloscope, the audio peaks appear clipped off. To avoid distortion, reduce the system gain in or before the gain stage in which the clipping occurs. See also headroom. 63