GLOSSARY
attenuate | to reduce or make quieter. decrease the signal level |
auxiliary (aux) | send an output from the console to supplemental equipment that provide additional |
| capabilities. typically the feeds to the mix are implemented on rotary level controls. an aux |
| return on the mixer is intended to connect to the output of the supplemental equipment. |
balance | the relative levels of the left and right channels of a stereo signal. |
balanced | a method of audio connection which ‘balances’ the wanted signal between two wires and a |
| screen which carries no signal. any interference is picked up equally by the two wires, which |
| results in cancellation of the unwanted signal. |
clipping | the onset of severe distortion in the signal path, usually caused by the peak signal voltage being |
| limited by the circuit’s power supply voltage. |
DAT | Digital Audio Tape, a |
dB (decibel) | a ratio of two voltages or signal levels, expressed by the equation dB=20Log10 (V1/V2). Adding |
| the suffix ‘u’ denotes the ratio is relative to 0.775V RMS. |
DI | (direct injection) the practice of connecting an electric musical instrument directly to the input |
| of the /DI Box mixing console, rather than to an amplifier and loudspeaker which is covered by a |
| microphone feeding the console. |
direct output | a post fade line level output from the input channel, bypassing the summing amplifiers, typically |
| for sending to individual tape tracks during recording. |
equalizer | a device that allows the boosting or cutting of selected bands of frequencies in the signal path. |
fader | a linear control providing level adjustment. |
feedback | the `howling’ sound caused by bringing a microphone too close to a loudspeaker driven from its |
| amplified signal. |
foldback | a feed sent back to the artistes via loudspeakers or headphones to enable them to monitor the |
| sounds they are producing. |
frequency response | the variation in gain of a device with frequency. |
gain | the amount of amplification in level of the signal. |
headroom | the available signal range above the nominal level before clipping occurs. |
highpass filter | a filter that rejects low frequencies and passes only high frequencies. the |
| determines the limit that frequencies are rejected or allowed to pass through. |
impedance balancing | a technique used on unbalanced outputs to minimize the effect of hum and interference when |
| connecting to external balanced inputs. |
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