Mixing terminology 2 Flashcards
Clipping / peaking / digital distortion
When a channel on a DAW has too much gain being sent into it
Latency
The delay that occurs between the sound entering the microphone and finally coming back out of your headphones
Buffer size
The amount of incoming data your DAW or audio interface can handle
Ideal buffer size
Low buffer (32 or 64) when recording, high buffer (1024) when mixing
Sample rate
Setting that determines how accurate the audio that’s being recorded is when it’s transformed from a live sound to a computer file (44.1kHz or 48kHz)
Crossfade
A specific type of fade where one sound fades in as another sound fades out.
Electric guitar bandwidth
80Hz-5kHz
High pass filter
Cuts out the high end of the frequency spectrum
Mids
600Hz - 3kHz
Lows
60 - 200Hz
Highs / treble / air
above 8kHz
Q
Width of 1 band in EQ
Attack
1) the very beginning of a sound
2) the amount of time it takes after a sound begins for a sound processor to begin working.
Measured in milliseconds
Compression
Reducing a signal’s output volume in relation to its input volume to reduce its dynamic range. Basically, when a sound gets louder than a certain level, a compressor turns the sound down somewhat. This controls the dynamics of that sound to make it more consistent.
Knee
A control on a compressor that changes how variable the severity of compression is once the threshold has been passed. A “soft” knee makes the compression less obvious
Limiter
When a sound reaches the threshold of a limiter, it doesn’t get any louder - it stays the exact same volume
Noise gate
A sound processor that cuts off the volume of a sound once it passes below a certain volume threshold
Ratio
How hard the compressor clamps down on the volume of the audio. If a ratio is set to 2:1, then for every 2dB’s of audio that goes above the threshold, 1dB comes out.
Release
How long it takes a sound processor to cease processing the sound. Measured in milliseconds
Transient
The very beginning section of a sound. Also known as the sound’s attack. It’s the loudest and most percussive part of the sound.
Distortion
The result of a sound source overloading an amplifier or sound processor. Basically, new frequencies are added where there were none before. This can be pleasing or very harsh. The nature of the distortion depends on the equipment that is being distorted.
Fuzz
A specific type of distortion that cuts the tops off of waveforms to produce a particular sound
Overdrive / drive
Usually refers to the distortion that occurs when an amplifier is overloaded. Commonly used to describe guitar amp distortion. Considered to be “creamier” than the harshness of digital distortion.
Ambience
Background noise added to a musical recording to give the impression that it was recorded live. Often done using short room reverbs
Reverb
The sound of a room after a sound has been produced inside it.
Predelay
A short delay between a sound and when an effect begins
Chorus
A sound processor that makes a sound seem doubled by creating several delayed copies of the original sound and slightly varying the pitch of each copy. Used to “thicken” a sound.
Flanger
Uses the same process as a chorus, but with dramatically short delays. Rather than “thickening” a sound, usually less subtle.
Phaser
A sound processor that removes certain random frequencies by creating a copy of the soundwave and moving it back and forth
Tremolo
A sound processor that either quickly turns the volume of a sound up and down, or quickly pans it left to right.
