terminology definitions Flashcards
amplitude
the height of the waveform
analogue
continually changing voltage or current that represents a sound
attack
time taken for a processor to act after the signal has passed a set threshold
bit depth
the number of bits available to describe a number - the more bits, the more resolution will be available
compression
automatic reduction of the dynamic range of a sound
cut-off frequency
the value at which a filter has an audible effect on the frequency range of a sound
delay
where the original signal is repeated one or more times - there is normally a decrease in volume and the high frequency content with each repeat
envelope
the way in which the level of a sound or signal varies over time
frequency
the rate per second at which an oscillating body vibrates
gain
the stage of a pre-amp that boosts the level of a signal at the beginning of the signal path
low frequency oscillator
normally applied to a signal to modulate it in some way
omni-directional
microphones receiving sound evenly from all directions
pickup
a transducer that captures mechanical vibrations and converts them to electrical signals using electromagnetism
ratio
a parameter on compressors used to set by how much a signal is reduced after it passes the threshold level
release
the time taken for a sound to decay after the note has been released, or the time taken for a processor to stop acting after the signal has passed a set threshold
sample rate
the number of times an analogue to digital converter samples the signal every second
side-chain
a portion of the main signal that is separated out to be processed in some way
tonewheel
a series of disks rotated by a motor in proximity to an electromagnetic pickup
