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The number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute, defining the tempo of the song.
A technique in which high and low frequencies in a speaker or speaker system are driven by two separate amplifiers.
A microphone pickup pattern which is most sensitive to picking up sounds directly in front and back of the mic, effectively rejecting sounds coming from the sides. Also called a “figure-8 pattern.”
A numbering system in which all numeric values are described by occurrences of the symbols “0” and “1.” Most digital data is expressed in binary.
The smallest unit of digital information representing a single “0” or “1.”
In digital recording, the number of computer bits used to describe each sample. The greater the bitrate, the greater the dynamic range of the sampled sound. The quality and resolution of an audio sample are described as a combination of sample rate and bitrate. (See also “Sample Rate.”)
The mixing of multiple sounds or channels together to form one sound, or mixing the left and right signals together.
A telescoping support arm attached to a microphone stand holding the microphone.
A microphone stand equipped with a telescoping support arm to hold the microphone.
To increase gain at specific frequencies with an equalizer.
(also called “Ping-Ponging” or “Ponging“) The technique of combining and mixing multiple tracks onto one or two tracks (mono or stereo). This can be done in real-time or analog by playing the tracks through the console and recording them onto separate tracks, or digitally through a digital audio workstation. Bouncing was once used frequently by engineers to free up additional tracks for recording, but in digital workstations where tracks are virtually unlimited, this practice is basically obsolete. Today, engineers typically bounce tracks for the purpose of creating a preliminary or final mix of a song.
An omnidirectional microphone designed to be placed flush against a flat surface (or boundary), effectively creating a “half-Omni” pickup pattern while eliminating the danger of phase issues from reflected sounds. A popular type of boundary microphone is Crown Audio’s trademark Pressure Zone Microphone (PZM).
An abbreviation of Beats Per Minute, the number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute which defines the tempo.
See “Pumping and Breathing.”
A certain type of low-pass filter exhibiting a steep cutoff slope which resembles a “brick wall.” While these filters are often found in A/D converters to prevent aliasing, their steep cutoff can introduce unwanted side-effects to the audio signal, such as phase shift.