The large, main room of the recording studio where most of the instruments and/or vocalists perform. So called, not just because there is room for live performances, but because the room has been acoustically treated to produce a pleasing amount of live reverberation.
See “Low Impedance.”
A MIDI message that controls the internal sound module of a synthesizer or MIDI controller. “Local On” triggers the internal module when the keyboard is played; “Local Off” disconnects it. “Local Off” is frequently used to prevent unwanted looping of MIDI messages in some configurations, or when controlling the internal module via another controller.
1) Effectively, any piece of music or data that repeats endlessly. Before digital audio and sampling, loops were created by looping tape. Today, loops are used in samples to sustain a sampled note for as long as the note is triggered, while drum loops and other music loops are common in modern music production. 2) Another term for antinode, or the points of maximum displacement of motion in a vibrating stretched string or a sound wave. (See also “Standing Wave.”)
A term referring to how the human ear perceives incoming sound waves. This term seems self-explanatory, but it’s deceptive. We commonly think of loudness as it relates to the volume of a sound, but this is an indirect relationship. In acoustic terms, volume is more about the amplitude of the sound waves, while loudness describes how our ears hear the intensity of those waves.
(abbreviated Lo-Z) Described as impedance of 500 ohms or less. (See also “Impedance.”)
A circuit that emits low-frequency electronic waveforms below the audible level of human hearing (20 Hz or less). This low-frequency waveform creates a rhythmic pulse that is used to modulate various parameters in the audio signal, such as pitch or volume. LFOs are frequently used in samplers, synthesizers and signal processors to create such effects as vibrato, tremolo, and phasing.
An audio filter or device that attenuates signals above a certain frequency (the cut-off frequency) and passes signals with frequencies that are lower than the cut-off.
Short for “low frequencies,” loosely referring to bass-frequency signals below 250 Hz. Usually meant in the context of “highs, mids and lows” in an audio signal.
Recording tape consisting of a plastic strip coated by magnetic materials, finely ground iron oxide (rust) particles. Commonly used for analog recording.
A natural attractive energy of iron based-materials toward other iron-based materials.
ee “Headroom.”
The characteristic of hearing by which loud sounds prevent the ear from hearing softer sounds of similar frequency. Also refers to the obscuring of softer sounds by louder ones.
1) The main output control of a console or DAW, setting the level of the mixed signal as it leaves the console. (Also called “master fader.”)
2) The final-mixed original recording from which copies are made.
The final process of fine-tuning and “sweetening” the mix on a song or collection of songs, from which the master will be created.
