Input module, Knee, Level, Line level, Mains

input module

A holdover from the days when the only way that real consoles were built was in modular fashion, one channel per module. See channel

strip.

knee

A knee is a sharp bend in an EQ response curve not unlike the sharp bend in your leg. Also used in describing dynamics processors.

level

Another word for signal voltage, power, strength or volume. Audio signals are some- times classified according to their level. Commonly used levels are: microphone level (–40dBu or lower), instrument level (–20 to – 10dBu), and line level (–10 to +30dBu).

line level

A signal whose level falls between –10dBu and +30dBu.

main house speakers

The main loudspeakers for a sound rein- forcement system. These are usually the largest and loudest loudspeakers, and are usu- ally positioned so that their sound seems to come from the area of the main stage.

mains

See main house speakers.

master

A control affecting the final output of a mixer. A mixer may have several master controls, which may be slide faders or rotary controls.

mic amp

See mic preamp.

mic level

The typical level of a signal from a micro- phone. A mic level signal (usually but not always coming from a microphone) is gener- ally below –30dBu. With a very quiet source (a pin dropping?) the signal can be –70dBu or lower. It is also possible for some microphones to deliver more signal than this, in which case it may be referred to as a “hot” mic level. Alter- natively, you can just say, “Boy, is that loud!”

mic pre

See mic preamp.

mic preamp

Short for microphone preamplifier. An am- plifier that functions to bring the very low signal level of a microphone (approximately – 50dBu) up to line level (approximately 0dBu). Mic preamps often have their own volume con- trol, called a trim control, to properly set the gain for a particular source. Setting the mic preamp gain correctly with the trim control is an essential step in establishing good noise and headroom for your mix.

mixer

An electronic device used to combine various audio signals into a common output. Different from a blender, which combines vari- ous fruits into a common libation.

monaural

Literally, pertaining to or having the use of only one ear. In sound work, monaural has to do with a signal which, for purposes of commu- nicating audio information, has been confined to a single channel. One microphone is a mono pickup; many microphones mixed to one chan- nel is a mono mix; a mono signal played through two speakers is still mono, since it only carries one channel of information. Sev- eral monaural sources, however, can be panned into a stereo (or at least two-channel, if you are going to be picky) mix. Monaural SR is common for environments where stereo SR would provide an uneven reproduction to the listener.

monitor

In sound reinforcement, monitor speakers (or monitor headphones or in-the-ear moni- tors) are those speakers used by the performers to hear themselves. Monitor speak- ers are also called foldback speakers. In recording, the monitor speakers are those used by the production staff to listen to the record- ing as it progresses. In zoology, the monitor lizard is the lizard that observes the produc- tion staff as the recording progresses. Keep the lizard out of the mixer.

mono

Short for monaural.

mult

Probably short for multiple. In audio work, a mult is a parallel connection in a patch bay or a connection made with patch cords to feed an output to more than one input. A “Y” cable is a type of mult connection. Also a verb, as in “Why did you mult the flanger into every input in the board?”

noise

Whatever you don’t want to hear. Could be hum, buzz or hiss; could be crosstalk or digital hash or your neighbor’s stereo; could be white noise or pink noise or brown noise; or it could be your mother-in-law reliving the day she had her gallstone removed.

noise floor

The residual level of noise in any system. In a well designed mixer, the noise floor will be a quiet hiss, which is the thermal noise gener- ated by bouncing electrons in the transistor junctions. The lower the noise floor and the higher the headroom, the more usable dy- namic range a system has.