ADSR Abbreviation for Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. These are the four parameters found on a basic synthesizer envelope generator, and they correlate to the physical characteristics of naturally generated sounds. An envelope generator is sometimes called a transient generator. The Attack, Decay, and Release parameters are rate or time controls. Sustain is a level. When a key is pressed, the envelope generator will begin to rise to its full level at the rate set by the attack parameter, upon reaching peak level it will begin to fall at the rate set by the decay parameter to the level set by the sustain control. The envelope will remain at the sustain level as long as the key is held down. When a key is released, it will return to zero at the rate set by the release parameter.

ADDITIVE SYNTHESIS The process of constructing a complex sound using a series of fundamental frequencies (pure tones or sine waves). Each of the fundamental frequencies usually has its own amplitude envelope, which allows independent control of each partial (harmonic). Pipe organs or Hammond organs are both instruments, which are based on additive synthesis.

AFTER TOUCH See Pressure Sensitivity

ALAISING Aliasing is the term used to describe the unwanted frequencies, which are produced when a sound is sampled at a rate, which is less than twice the frequency of the highest frequency component in the sound. These unwanted frequencies are typically high frequency noises similar to a metallic ringing sound.

AMPLIFIER A device, which increases the level of an electrical signal.

AMPLITUDE Amplitude is a term used to describe the amount of a signal. It can relate to volume in an audio signal or the amount of voltage in an electrical signal.

AMPLITUDE MODULATION A change in the level of a signal. For example, if a Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) was modulating a Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA), the result would be a periodic increase and decrease in the audio level of the signal. In musical terms this would be referred to as Tremolo. The abbreviation of Amplitude Modulation is AM.

ANALOG Analogue equipment basically utilise analogue signals & circuitry...coming from the word ANALOGOUS...or directly proportionate to... An analogue signal electrically, is a directly proportionate electrical representation of the sound waves it is emulating.... so, if you have a sound wave of a given Frequency & amplitude, the electrical signal will have the same frequency signal and amplitude....

ANALOG SYNTHESIZER A synthesizer, which uses voltage, controlled analogue modules to synthesize sound. Dr. Robert Moog invented the concept of a variety of analogue modules all of which can interconnect via a standardized voltage control system. The three main voltage controlled modules/components in an analogue synthesizer are: Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO...Produces the raw tone wave...), Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF...affects the tone or sharpness of the sound...), and Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA.... controls the volume characteristics).

APERIODIC WAVEFORM a waveform that does not have a repeating pattern.

ARPEGGIO/ARPEGGIATOR If you form a chord shape on an instrument, and play the chord ascending or descending one note at a time, this is an Arpeggio.... Much loved by metal Axe heroes...An Arpeggiator, is a device or computer program that sequentially moves a pattern of notes over a range of the keyboard automatically. The speed of the Arpeggiation is variable and the pattern can usually be varied depending on the order or relationship of the notes pressed.

ATTACK the first parameter of an envelope generator, which determines the rate, or time it will take for the sound to reach the highest level before starting to decay.

ATTENUATOR Attenuate means to reduce in force, value or amount.... An Attenuator is a device that reduces the value of something, usually the amplitude of a signal.

AUDIBLE RANGE the range of frequencies that the human ear can hear. A healthy young human can usually hear from 20 cycles per second to around 20,000 cycles per second (20-20,000 Hz), less after the age of about 13 - 14,and even less with prolonged exposure to Heavy Metal music, Opera, or continuous use of loud headphones.

AUTO CORELLATION a process that determines optimum start and ending loop points to produce minimum discontinuity.

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B

BAND PASS FILTER a filter that allows only a selected band of frequencies to pass through while rejecting all other frequencies above and below the cutoff point. Usually a bandpass filter will allow the user to set the width of the passband.

BAUD RATE The speed at which digital information is passed through a serial interface expressed in bits-per-second. MIDI data is transmitted at 31.25 KBaud or 31,250 bits per second.

BIAS This term is used to describe a recorders ability to reproduce a tonal range of signal frequencies accurately...BIAS can be set/adjusted on a tape machine, by playing/recording a test tape of test sine wave tones of Low, Mid & High frequencies.... then adjusting the record/playback amps on the machine to reproduce the audio range accurately....
Imagine it is like setting the bass midrange & treble of each audio track, so that it does not boost or cut frequencies but reproduces them correctly.

BINARY Of or based on the number two or the binary numeration system (base 2). Digital computers use this form of numbering because the values of 0 and 1 can easily be represented by an open or closed switch.

BIT A Bit is a single piece of information assigned a value of 0 or 1 as used in a digital computer. Computers use digital words, which are combinations of bits. A Byte is a digital word consisting of eight Bits.... A 16 bit word can represent 65,536 different numbers.

BOOT starting up a computer by loading a program that allows it to run other programs. The term comes from bootstrapping, which means that the computer "pulls itself up by its own bootstraps."

BOUNCE when recording or sequencing, to bounce tracks means to combine (mix) several tracks together and record them on another track.... So you can, for example, take 3 tracks of backing vocals, and Bounce them down onto a fresh track thus creating a single track with the 3 vocals combined, This then free's up the 3 backing vocal tracks to be recorded on for more takes

BUFFER an area of computer memory that is used to temporarily store data.

BUG An error in a computer program that causes it to work incorrectly...The word "Bug", comes from the old days, when computers were enormous room sized installations utilising valves...The glow & heat given off by the valves would regularly attract "Bugs" or insects such as moths & other flying beetles, which would fly into the valves causing them to short out or overheat and burn out...Thus, these huge computers had to be literally DE-BUGGED...In other words, technicians had to go around regularly, removing dead insects & repairing the damage......The term "De-bugging" still survives to this day !

BYTE a computer word made up of eight bits of data.

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C

CANNON SOCKET Studio slang for XLR type 3 pin sockets as found on microphone cables...Originally Cannon/ITT made these sockets.

CANS Studio slang for Headphones

CARDOID MICROPHONE A mic' that picks up sound in the shape of a Heart.... Where the mic' would be sitting in the V of a stylised drawing of a heart...(like on a valentine's card).... facing toward the point...The mic' picks up mostly from the front.... the more round to the sides you go, the less it receives, until if the mic' is facing away from you, it will not pick up sound....

CENT Unit of pitch equal to 1/100 of a semitone.

CENTER DETENT A notch in the centre of a control wheel or control knob, which allows the performer to find the home position.

CHORUS a voice doubling effect created by layering two identical sounds with a slight delay (20-50 mS) and slightly modulating the frequency of one or both of the sounds.

CLOCK a steady pulse from a generator, which is used for synchronizing sequencers, drum machines, etc. Common sequencer timing clock rates are 24, 48, or 96 pulses-per-quarter note. MIDI timing clocks run at a rate of 24 ppqn. The EIII clock runs at 96 ppqn.

CLIPBOARD a temporary holding place in RAM for what you last cut or copied.

CLOSE MIKING A microphone placement technique, which involves placing a microphone close to the sound source in order to pick up mainly direct sound, and avoid picking up reverberant sound.... Noise gates are usually employed to further re-inforce this effect.

CONDENSER MIC A microphone, which converts sound pressure, level variations into variations in capacitance and then into electrical voltage...Condenser mics need some form of powering, usually by Phantom Power, or from a battery.

CPU Abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. The main component in a computer's microprocessor, which performs calculations and executes instructions.

CROSSFADE To gradually fade out one sound or track, while fading in another so that a seamless transition is made between the two sounds.

CUTOFF FREQUENCY The frequency above which a low pass filter will start attenuating signals present at its input. Abbreviated Fc.

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D

DAC Digital To Analogue Converter.... A device that takes numerical digital data, and converts it into analogue electrical signals.... (See also ADC)

DB/OCTAVE The unit typically used to indicate the slope of a filter, or how fast the frequency response rolls off or deteriorates past the cutoff frequency. A 24 dB/octave filter would attenuate an input signal by 24 dB one octave above the cutoff frequency, by 48 dB two octaves above the cutoff frequency, and so on.

DCA Digital Control Amplifier...performs the same task as the VCA, but utilises a digital circuit.

DCO Digital Control Oscillator...Does the same job as the VCO, but uses a digital circuit for greater tuning stability. DCO's were introduced in the late 70's on synths like the JX3P.

DECAY the second stage in an ADSR type envelope generator. See ADSR.

DECIBEL (db) A reference for the measurement of sound energy. The minimum change in volume that the human ear can perceive. Named after Alexander Graham Bell. A decibel is 1/10th of a Bel.

DEPTH The amount of modulation. Sometimes called Amount, Width, Intensity or Modulation Index.

DIGITAL Equipment that uses quantities represented as binary numbers. In a digital synthesizer every aspect of the sound generation is handled as a numeric calculation. The digital information is not audible and so must be converted to analogue form by a DAC before it is output.

DRUMMER someone who hangs about with musicians... :-)

DSP simply means Digital Signal Processor.

DYNAMIC MIC a microphone in which the diaphragm moves a coil suspended in a magnetic field in order to generate an output voltage proportional to the sound pressure level and frequencies.

DYNAMIC RANGE The range from the softest to the loudest sound that can be produced by an instrument. Or the range of the low and high signal levels obtainable by a velocity sensitive keyboard. The greater the Dynamic Range, the more sensitive the keyboard.

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E

EDIT To change or modify information. To change parameters or alter existing data.

ENVELOPE GENERATOR a circuit, usually triggered by pressing a key on a keyboard that generates a changing voltage with respect to time. This voltage typically controls a VCF or VCA. An AHDSR and ADSR are two types of Envelope Generators. See ADSR.

EQUAL TEMPERAMENT A Scaling system where the octave is divided into 12 equal parts. The ratio of the frequencies between any two adjacent notes is exactly the same. Most keyboard instruments are scaled in this manner.

EQUALISER A device, which allows attenuation or emphasis of selected frequencies in the audio spectrum. Equalizers usually contain many bands to allow the user a fine degree of frequency control over the sound.

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F

FAST FOURIER TRANSFORM a computer algorithm, which derives the fourier spectrum from a sound file.

FC See Cutoff Frequency

FIGURE OF EIGHT PATTERN MICROPHONE Like 2 Cardioids stuck end to end...will pick up sound from either side, north and south.... but rejects sound from east & west direction.... Ideal switching shape for two vocalists singing a duet whilst facing each other

FILTER a device used to remove unwanted frequencies from an audio signal thus altering its harmonic structure. Low Pass filters are the most common type of filter found on music synthesizers. They only allow frequencies below the cutoff frequency to pass (Low Pass). High Pass filters only allow the high frequencies to pass, and Band Pass filters only allow frequencies in a selected band to pass through. A Notch filter rejects frequencies that fall within its notch.... On a synth, the basic high pass filter control can be set to a certain frequency. It will filter out frequencies above it's setting.... This effects how sharp or trebley the sound is. Some synths call this the CUT-OFF, because it determines at what frequency band the filter cuts off or reduces the frequencies above the set range.

FLANGE an effect created by layering two identical sounds with a slight delay (1- 20 mS) and slightly modulating the delay of one or both of the sounds. The term comes from the early days of tape recording when grabbing the flanges of the tape reels to change the tape speed...Probably the earliest featured use of the Flange Effect on a commercial track is on the single “Itchycoo Park” created delay effects by The Small Faces.

FOURIER SPECTRUM The description of a sound that is in terms of its distribution of energy versus frequency rather than its amplitude versus time (waveform).

FREQUENCY MODULATION the encoding of a carrier wave by variation of its frequency in accordance with an input signal.

FSK Frequency Shift Keying. An audio tone (frequency) modulated by a square wave, which is used both for data transfer and also for sequencer and drum machine synchronization.

FULL DUPLEX a device with the ability to record & playback simultaneously.

FUNDAMENTAL the first, lowest note of a harmonic series. The Fundamental frequency determines a sound's overall pitch.

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G

GAIN Amplitude above a given level...often refers to an input amplifier volume control. The factor by which a device increases the amplitude of a signal. Negative gain will result in the attenuation of a signal.

GENERAL MIDI or GM Standardisation for midi data, arrived at, yet still not standard enough and being regularly up-dated............Basically GM says that a certain sound such as drums will be on a certain channel, and that Controller data for things like the Pitch Wheel, and the Sustain Pedal etc will be all standardised.........Basic parameters are defined by GM. but not enough as yet.... Outside of the basic controllers and the assignments of sounds to channels, all the manufacturers kit uses different Control Numbers for adjusting their particular synths' sound... Which is a pain in the arse...,Anyway it is going to be further standardised in the future, so they say.

GLISSANDO a rapid slide through a series of consecutive tones in a scale like passage. When two notes are played with glissando on, every note in between the two notes will be played in a sequential order. Similar to portamento except that the pitch changes in semitone steps.

GROUND or EARTH LOOP hum caused by currents circulating through the ground side of a piece of equipment or system. This is due to grounding it at points of different voltage pote

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H

HARMONIC DISTORTION The presence of harmonics in the output signal of a device, which were not present in the input signal.

HIGH PASS FILTER See Filter

HYPER-CARDOID MICROPHONE as with a Cardoid microphone, but the Hypercardoid is even more resistant to off-axis sound sources.... used in outside broadcasting alot due to it's ability to reject sound sources other than those directly in front.

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I

INITIALISE To prepare a disk to receive data. A hard disk or a floppy disk must be initialised before it can be accessed.

INTENSITY Term used by some equipment manufacturers to describe the amount of modulation.

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J

JUST INTONATION a system of tuning in which the distances between pitches are based on the natural harmonic series instead of the octave being equally divided

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K

K Abbreviation for Kilo or 1000

KEYBOARD ASSIGNMENT...or KEY ASSIGN the assignment of specific sounds to an area of the keyboard. For example, the lowest octave could be drum sounds, the next octave could be an electric bass, and the rest of the keyboard could have various piano samples assigned to it.

KEYBOARD SCALING When programming a sound on a synth, some sounds get weaker in volume, the higher up the keyboard you play, such as with an acoustic piano...Scaling is used to reproduce this effect.

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L

LAYERING the ability to place or stack two or more sounds on the same area of the keyboard to create a denser sound, or interesting layered sounds.

M

M Abbreviation for Mega or million.

MERGE To combine or unite. To Merge means to combine sequences, sounds, tracks, MIDI data, etc.

MIDI Stands for: Musical Instrument Digital Interface...MIDI is a computer language created to allow electronic musical kit to communicate. Synthesizers, sequencers, computers, rhythm machines, etc. can be interconnected through a standard interface. MIDI is an asynchronous, serial interface, which is transmitted at the rate of 31.25 KBaud or 31,250 bits per second.

MIDI CLOCK Midi clock determines the tempo or speed of the track & allows instruments interconnected via MIDI to be synchronized.... A sequencer for example can send out midi clock data...This can be received by a synth, which has an arpeggiator running...The arpeggiator can then be clocked as a slave, so that the arpeggiated sequence that it plays is in time with the tempo of the track. Also allows an external sequencer to be synced in clock time to an Internal sequencer on a keyboard for example...MIDI Clock runs at a rate of 24 pulses-per-quarter-note.

MIDI CONTINUOUS CONTROLLERS/MIDI CONTROLLERS Midi Continuous Controllers are designated computer code numbers which will effect the parameters of a synth sound or other item of midi kit...For Example: Volume = Controller No.7 etc. They allow continuously changing information such as pitch wheel or breath controller information to be passed over the MIDI line. Continuous controllers use large amounts of memory when recorded into a MIDI sequencer. Some standard MIDI Continuous Controller numbers are listed below