J is for Jargon

Scrabble Cheat

So a studio engineer has said to you: “Not bad, it will be alright in the mix.

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“We could get some sequencer and drum machine in on here; we’ve got a parametric flan shifting decay synthesiser, so why don’t you make yourself comfortable in the games room, we’ve got a brand new pool table!”

What was really said is “that was very average, if that, and I could go and try and salvage some of the recording in the mixing process. You should sack your rhythm section and you don’t know anything about what is going on in here either. Why don’t you leave me alone so I can get on with it?”

Still lost? Well, we have the lowdown on what engineer-speak really means so there’s no losing track in the recording studio.

A-B

A-B is a technique of comparing one audio source (e.g. through the speakers) to another - usually done by matching and judging how they sound switching from one sound source to the other. The technique could be used to reference your mix against a commercial recording.

Ambiance

Artificial ambiance is created using the natural acoustics, echoes and reflections in the surrounding room. Some sound engineers will record the sound of the room and lay it as an underlying track of the production to create a natural sounding production.

Analogue

Analogue uses an electrical representation of sound, that is, it uses circuitry, such as oscillators, filters, amplifiers and other electrical mechanisms to create electrical signals that represent the wave form of the sounds being played.

Attack

The very start of a musical note until it reaches its maximum volume – the sound engineer will often manipulate that sound to make it softer.

Auxiliary send/return

Mixing desk function that allocates a signal or many signals to different outputs for effects processing or listening.

Balance

Making sure that the volume levels of each instrument sound ‘level’ together without any one of them dominating.

Buss

A connector or channel for many different electronic signals to travel through the mixing desk to the different outputs for many different uses. For example, an effects buss takes the sound to where it can be manipulated with effects, or the sound could go via a buss to the tape recorder, speakers or amplifier.

Channel

Mixing desk term regarding how many circuits are dedicated to inputting sound. Mixing desks are often marked by how many channels they have – for example, a 16-channel desk has the capacity to accommodate 16 sources of input.

Compression

Compression is the act of tweaking all levels of the different sounds from all the instruments so they all sound rounded and balanced. Engineers would do this on a compressor.

Click here for C is for Compression for more information

DAT

An acronym for Digital Audio Tape – a format specifically for use in DAT recorders – like the VHS is for VCR machines. Used for digital audio, the DAT recorder makes a scan of the desk’s output and encodes it into the digital format.

Delay

Like an echo, the delay is measurable by the time of the original sound to it being repeated. Some processors (digital delays or delay lines) can delay the repetition from 10 milliseconds to 10 seconds and then replay it on and on forever.

Desk (AKA console, board)

The British word for ‘console’, it is the base from which every recording is combined and tweaked into the best sounding music possible. All signals pass through the desk and then are sent off to outputs for processing effects, to go through the speakers or to be recorded on the tape machine.

The number of input and output channels defines desks – master and subgroup channels.  Therefore a mixer that has 16 inputs, 4 subgroups and a stereo master output would be known as a 16-4-2 desk.

Digital

Electric signals (analogue signals) represented in the binary numeric system (1s and 0s) in a chip. It can be then processed in that format also. Upon playback, digital is converted back to analogue again.

DI – Direct injection

An output of one electronic instrument plugged directly into the desk without any device separating the two to join them together, like a microphone, sequencer or amp. Keyboards benefit from this as they have an electronic output, but guitars would need a DI box to balance out its sound before it leads to the desk or its output could be split into two by the DI box so it leads into an amp and the desk.

Dry

Sound untouched by effects (such as delay or reverb) and lacking a ‘spaciousness’, i.e. not sounding far away in its recording, but rather like it is very close.

Effects

The umbrella term for signal processes, such as reverberation, echo, pitch shifting, chorus and delay, which artificially manipulate the original recording.

Equalisation (EQ)

Adjusting frequencies using the tone control functions to repair or for effect. The controls split the frequencies into four manageable ranges – low, low-mid, hi-mid and high.

Fader

The linear sliding control on the console that is more than just a simple volume control - rather, it controls the attenuation. When all the way up – it is at its maximum attenuation and when at its lowest point – it is at its minimum attenuation. Therefore, the signal is always present but manipulated as to how much passes through.

Feed

The process of sending a signal to a device, buss or channel input. For example, a signal will ‘feed’ from the guitar through the DI box and to a channel on the desk.

Feedback

Commonly created accidentally by the guitarist standing too close to the amp, it marks the returning of a portion of an instrument’s output signal back into its own input.

Flange/ chorus/ phase

All are effects that happen by delaying a signal and then replaying back on it self with or without some slight modulations.

Flanging and phasing are similar in that they both delay the original signal and then replay it back on top of the original sound, perhaps a number of times, creating a dramatic swishing or swirling effect. Flanging gradually increases the delays as it plays on top of itself.

The chorus effect is a short delay with slight modulation added to create the effect that the sound is coming from more than one player.

Frequency

The amount of time a sound wave appears in a period of time, that is, if a sound wave has a frequency of 400 hertz, it means that it has repeated itself 400 times per second.

Gain (AKA amplification)

Gain is the measurement of the amount of input voltage and output voltage as a ratio (expressed in decibels). Setting the gain on any electronic instrument is very important to engineers who will not want the gain too low or too high avoid too much distortion or need little adjustment on the desk.

Hot

If something is recorded ‘hot’, it would have been done at a high level of gain that causes slight distortion or tape saturation – it is a technique sometimes used to make an effect.

A hot circuit means that it has a potentially dangerous voltage.

Input

Audio equipment connection, like the desk, computer, amplifier or recording device set up to receive a signal.

Jack Plug

A basic connector that plugs into electric instruments, such as the guitar, keyboard and mixers, which is usually a ‘mono’ signal (i.e. one signal). Others could be configured to carry a stereo or balanced signal.

The plug is the most utilised of all of the connectors. 

Limiter (AKA a dynamic processor)

A mechanism used to set a ‘limit’ on signals from going over a predetermined level. It is fundamentally a compressor with more extreme capabilities and settings.

Sound engineers would set the threshold just below the distortion point along the signal path to ensure, for example, the distortion wouldn’t damage hearing or speakers.

Master

The final mix on the desk after all editing of the raw recording has been done and before it goes off for mass production.

MIDI

MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and is a means of communication between all digital equipment. Mixers, synthesisers, sequencers, computers and accessories all have a built in MIDI to ensure all instruments can plug into each other and work together.

Monitor

A monitor could be a speaker for the studio or for the stage. For the studio, it is a pair of stereo loud speakers for the engineer and producer to examine the sound quality and evenness of the music played from the desk.

On stage, they are a floor speaker facing the musician who plays an electric instrument or vocalist with a microphone, so he or she can hear themselves.

Noise

An unwanted hiss or hum from a piece of audio equipment interfering with a seamless sound.

Outboard equipment

The effects-mechanisms, instruments or equipment plugged into the desk – separate from the desk itself.

Overdub

Playing another track in synchronisation with one recorded before, in multitrack recording.

Panning

Move a mono signal in a stereo from the left to right speakers.

Reverb

The ‘echo’ of a sound or signal bouncing off a surface, such as walls. In nature, an echo will occur but diminish over time, but an artificial reverb, usually created by signal processors, can retain strength over time or be timed when to occur.

Sample

A snippet of recorded music, like the voice line, beat or musical phrase, which is then converted into digital and then stored to be used in another composition.

Sustain

The ability to hold a note without decay (think Slash in Guns and Roses).

Tinny

A sound that seems like it is coming from a hollow space like a tin can. An engineer could describe it as having a frequency range of weak lows.

Virtual tracking

A MIDI sequencer in sync and plugged into a multitrack recorder

XLR-type connector

A three-pin audio connector made to reduce interference, most commonly for microphones.

 scenta's A - Z of making music

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