Calista Home Theaters

1) Various ways an audio signal can be modified by adding something to the signal to change the sound. 2) Short for the term Sound Effects (sounds other than dialogue, narration or music like door closings, wind, etc. added to film or video shots). Ambient Micing Placing a microphone in the reverberant field (where the reverberation is louder than the direct sound) so as to do a separate recording of the ambience or to allow the recording engineer to change the mix of direct to reverberant sound in recording. Calista C3-S Security System Analog To Digital Converter The device which does the conversion of a quantity that has continuous changes (usually of voltage) into numbers that approximate those changes. A/D An abbreviation of Analog to Digital Conversion (the conversion of a quantity that has continuous changes into numbers that approximate those changes), or Analog to Digital Converter. Calista C2-88 Projector Baffles Sound absorbing panels used to prev...

A visual picture or symbol on a computer screen that represents a file, program or disc that can be used. Cascade To set and interconnect two mixers so that the stereo mixing buss(es) of the first mixer feeds the stereo buss(es) of a second mixer. Calista C2-88 Projector Boom 1) A hand-held, telescoping pole used to hold the microphone in recording dialogue in film production. 2) A telescoping support arm that is attached to a microphone stand and which holds the microphone. 3) Loosely, a boomstand. Group Faders The VCA faders of individual channels that are all controlled by a Group Master Fader (a slide control used to send out a control voltage to several VCA faders in individual channels). Calista C1-9 Home Theater CD (Compact Disc) : 1) Digital sound storage medium. Provides a high quality source of music, sound effects etc. Also used as a playback medium for sound effects etc. by large theatres with long running shows, although CDR (Recordable CD) is b...

A switch that does different things depending on the operational mode that the machine is in: 1) If a computer-controlled transport is in "Stop," pushing the "Edit" switch deactivates the computer-controlled tension system and allows the reels to be moved by hand to find the exact spot desired on the tape. 2) If the machine is in "Play", the "Edit" switch makes the take-up reel cease taking up the tape and it falls to the floor. 3) If the machine is in a fast-wind mode, the tape lifters are defeated so the tape is in contact with the reproduce head and the engineer can hear where the selections begin and end. In-Line Console A console with modules that have controls for all console sections in one long strip. Calista C3-S Security System Electret Mic A condenser microphone where the capacitor plates are given a charge during manufacture which they retain, therefore requiring no external power supply. Envelope 1) How a so...

A set of controls and their housing, which control all signals necessary for recording and mixing. Electret Mic A condenser microphone where the capacitor plates are given a charge during manufacture which they retain, therefore requiring no external power supply. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Capacitor 1) A device consisting of two or more conducting plates separated from one another by an insulating material and used for storing an electrical charge. Sometimes called a condenser. 2) An electronic device that is composed of two plates separated by an insulator. Gain Control A device that changes the gain of an amplifier or circuit, often a knob that can be turned or a slide that can be moved up arid down. Calista C2-88 Projector Foot Switch A switch placed on the floor and pressed by a musician to do various functions. Figure Eight Pattern Another name for Bi-directional Pattern (microphone pickup pattern picking up best from the front and back of the dia...

Representative, continuous changes that relate to another quantity that has a continuous change. Balanced input/output A "balanced" connection is one that has three wires to move the signal. One is a ground, and the other two (called conductors) carry signals of equal value. This is why they are called balanced. Low Z cables and connections are the most common example. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Analog To Digital Converter The device which does the conversion of a quantity that has continuous changes (usually of voltage) into numbers that approximate those changes. Clicking Pressing and immediately releasing the switch on a computer's mouse. Calista C3-S Security System Information Bits The bits in the digital signal that make up actual values or commands being communicated as opposed to bits that are used for checking & correcting data or other purposes. Imaging To make a representation or imitation of the original sonic event. Hard...

An unbalanced cable most often used for instruments and patch cords. Commonly referred to as "guitar cords". Headstock The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned. Calista C2-88 Projector Flat 1) Lower in musical pitch. 2) A slang term used to describe the sensitivity to frequency of a microphone, amplifier, etc., as being even at all frequencies, usually within 2 dB. 3) Refers to the frequencies on the EQ when they are arranged in centred neutral positions. CPU Abbreviation of Central Processing Unit (The main "brain" chip of a computer or the main housing of a computer that contains the "brain" chip). Calista C3-S Security System Electric Instrument Any musical instrument that puts out an electrical signal rather than an acoustic sound. Haas Effect Simply stated, a factor in human hearing where delay has a much bigger effect on human perception of direction than level does. High-Pass F...

1) Controlling the gain of several individual channels with a Group Fader. 2) The mixing together of several individual audio signals to send a mixed signal out of the console to record a track on a multitrack tape machine. Crisp Describes a good clean high midrange sound. It can be good or bad depending on the look on the face of the guy who said it. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Balls 1) The depth and thickness of a sound, usually on the bottom end of the EQ (as in "needs more balls"). 2) The strength of the voice on the mic (as in "check it like you have some balls"). Acoustic Echo Chamber A room designed with very hard, non-parallel surfaces and equipped with a speaker and microphone; dry signals from the console are fed to the speaker and the microphone will have a reverberation of these signals that can be mixed in with the dry signals at the console. Calista C2-88 Projector Fat Having more than a normal amount of signal strength at low...

The first echoes in a room, caused by the sound from the sound source reflecting off one surface before reaching the listener. Comb Filter 1) The frequency response achieved by mixing a direct signal with a delayed signal of equal strength especially at short delays. 2) Loosely used to also describe effects that can be achieved with comb filtering as part of the processing. Calista C3-S Security System Information Bits The bits in the digital signal that make up actual values or commands being communicated as opposed to bits that are used for checking & correcting data or other purposes. Error Correct Exact replacement of lost information bits in digital audio. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Charge The electrical energy of electrons. The energy is in the form of a force that is considered negative and repels other like forces (other electrons) and attracts opposite (positive) forces. Crossover 1) A route leading from one side of the stage to the other, ...

A compressor with a very long release time used to keep the volume of the audio very constant. Information Bits The bits in the digital signal that make up actual values or commands being communicated as opposed to bits that are used for checking & correcting data or other purposes. Calista C3-S Security System Delay Outboard sound equipment that can momentarily stores a signal being sent to part of a P.A. system so that delayed reinforced sound reaches the audience at the same time as live sound from the stage. Beats Per Minute BPM The number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute and there fore defining the tempo of the song. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Cut-off Rate (Slope) The number of dB that a filter reduces the signal for each octave its frequency past the filter's cut-off frequency (outside of the pass band). Bi-Amplification 1) A way of optimizing the efficiency of a speaker system by separately amplifying the High Frequenc...

See transducer. Dynamic Range �" The range between the quietest and the loudest sounds a device can handle (often quoted in dB). Flamenco A style of music with roots in Spanish and Arabic culture. Calista C2-88 Projector Input 1) The jack or physical location of where a device receives a signal. 2) The signal being received by a device. 3) The action of receiving a signal by a device. ADAT A trademark of Alesis Corporation designating its modular digital multitrack recording system released in early 1993. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Infinite Repeat A function on some delay lines that establish enough feedback so that the repeat echo will last forever, but not so much as to cause a howling sound. Amplitude The height of a waveform above or below the zero line. LED A light that allows current to flow in one direction only and emits light whenever a voltage of a certain level or beyond is applied to it. Bose Coincident Microphones (Coincide...

The full name for FSK (A simple clock signal that can be used to run a sequencer in time with an audio tape). Acoustic Echo Chamber A room designed with very hard, non-parallel surfaces and equipped with a speaker and microphone; dry signals from the console are fed to the speaker and the microphone will have a reverberation of these signals that can be mixed in with the dry signals at the console. Calista C2-88 Projector Cut-Off Frequency (Turnover Frequency) 1) The highest or lowest frequency in the pass band of a filter. 2) The highest or lowest frequency passed by an audio device (the cut-off frequency is usually considered to be the first frequency to be 3 dB lower than a reference frequency in the middle of the bandwidth of the device) Envelope 1) How a sound or audio signal varies in intensity over a time span. 2) How a control voltage varies in level over time controlling a parameter of something other than gain or audio level. Calista C3-S Security ...

A large building designed for concerts; also called a concert hall. I/O Short for "Input/Output' and referring to: 1) An in-line console module that contains controls for the input section, output section and monitor section. 2) A module in electronic gear containing input and output amplifiers for the device. 3) A digital port (connector) able to both receive digital data and output digital data. Calista C2-88 Projector Full Step A change in pitch that occurs when moving up or down two piano keys Cue Send Control A control that will adjust the amount of signal sent to a cue buss from a console channel. Calista C1-9 Home Theater In-Line Console A console with modules that have controls for all console sections in one long strip. Fidelity The recording or reproduction quality. LFO Low-Frequency Oscillator (an oscillator that puts out an AC signal between .1 Hz and 10Hz used for a control signal). Bose Infinite Baffle A baffle so...

The musical instrument that plays the melody of the tune, including the vocal. Information Bits The bits in the digital signal that make up actual values or commands being communicated as opposed to bits that are used for checking & correcting data or other purposes. Calista C3-S Security System Keyboard 1) Any musical instrument controlled by pressing a key. 2) The part of the computer that has the keys. FOH (Front of House) Refers to the speakers that face toward the audience. Also called the "main" speakers. Calista C2-88 Projector Controller 1) In MIDI, a device that generates a MIDI signal to control synthesizers, sound modules or sample playback units. 2) A remote control unit for a multitrack tape machine which controls transport functions as well as monitor selection switching functions and record ready/safe status of each track. 3) Any device generating a control voltage or signal fed to another device's control input. Elec...

Any device that allows one unit to work, drive or communicate with another unit when they cannot do so by just feeding each other often because the units are manufactured by different companies. Bass Roll Off An electrical network built into some microphones to reduce the amount of output at bass frequencies when close-micing. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Cancellation A shortening of the term Phase Cancellation (the energy of one waveform significantly decreasing the energy of another waveform because of phase relationships at or close to 180 degrees). Beat 1) The steady even pulse in music. 2) The action of two sounds or audio signals mixing together and causing regular rises &.falls in volume. Calista C3-S Security System Echo Send The output of a console used to send a signal to an echo chamber or delay effects device. Floor 1) An alternate tam meaning Range (a limit on the amount the signal is reduced when the input signal is low by an expander or...

An index signal (digital data that gives the machine information of where selections start, their selection number, etc.) on a DAT or CD. Compression Ratio How many dB the input signal has to rise above the threshold for every one dB more output of a compressor or limiter. Calista C2-88 Projector LED A light that allows current to flow in one direction only and emits light whenever a voltage of a certain level or beyond is applied to it. Bass 1) The lower range of audio frequencies up to approximately 250 Hz. 2) Short for Bass Guitar. 3) Lower end of the musical scale. In acoustics, the range (below about 200 Hz) in which there are difficulties, principally in the reproduction of sound, due to the large wavelengths involved. 4) The lower frequencies. 5) On the soundboard this should refer to the bass guitar channel, not the bass drum. 6) The lowest frequencies of sound. Bi-Amplification uses an electronic crossover or line-level amplifiers for the high and...

The working of a limiter or compressor reducing gain during high-level passages. Guitar Controller An electric guitar or device played like an electric guitar that puts out MIDI signals that can be used to control synthesizers and sound modules. Calista C2-88 Projector Active Crossover Uses active devices (transistors, IC's, tubes) and some form of power supply to operate. Capacitor 1) A device consisting of two or more conducting plates separated from one another by an insulating material and used for storing an electrical charge. Sometimes called a condenser. 2) An electronic device that is composed of two plates separated by an insulator. Calista C3-S Security System Equipment Rack A cabinet with rails (or free standing rails) that have holes to accept screws at standard spaces and used to house outboard gear. Electronics 1) On a tape machine, the housing for and the channel circuitry which processes the signal to be fed to the heads, provide bi...

The audio frequencies from 6000 Hz and above. Condenser An older term meaning the same thing as Capacitor (an electronic device which is composed of two plates separated by an insulator and can store charge) but sill in common use when referring to a microphone's active element. Calista C1-9 Home Theater House Sync A synchronization signal such as SMPTE time code that is used by all recorders in the control room. Capacitor 1) A device consisting of two or more conducting plates separated from one another by an insulating material and used for storing an electrical charge. Sometimes called a condenser. 2) An electronic device that is composed of two plates separated by an insulator. Calista C2-88 Projector Light Emitting Diode A light that allows current to flow in one direction only and emits light whenever a voltage of a certain level or beyond is applied to it. Lead The musical instrument that plays the melody of the tune, including the vocal. ...

A switch placed on the floor and pressed by a musician to do various functions. Equalizer (Parametric, Graphic) This is used to filter out and adjust specific frequencies in the PA. This is the part of the PA where you have the most control over the band's overall sound. It is also the number one weapon against feedback. Calista C3-S Security System Frequency Shift Key / FSK The full name for FSK (A simple clock signal that can be used to run a sequencer in time with an audio tape). Feedback 1) The delayed signal sent back to the input of a delay line, used in repeat-echo effects. 2) The pickup of the signal out of a channel by its input or the howling sound that this produces. 3) In an amplifier, the phase reversed output signal sent back to its input, reducing gain but also distortion and noise. 4) This occurs when the sound coming out of the speakers goes back into the microphones, then back out the speakers, then back into the mics…and so on. This can ...

1) In tape recording, the transducer (energy converter) that changes the audio energy from electrical energy to magnetic energy and back; also the devices that apply magnetism to the recording tape for other purposes such as in the erase head. 2) The part of a device that immediately includes the transducer to change sound or audio signals from one energy form to another. Group Master A slide control used to send out a control voltage to several VCA faders in individual channels, thus controlling the gain of several channels. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Formant An element in the sound of a voice or instrument that does not change frequency as different pitches are sounded. Format 1) The number of tracks, their width, spacing and order for tape recording. 2) To prepare a digital storage medium so that it will accept and store digital information bits. Calista C3-S Security System Automatic Gain Control (Automatic Volume Control) A compressor with a very long ...

1) The part of The song that is repeated and has the same music and lyrics each time; the chorus will usually give the point of the song. 2) A musical singing group that has many singers. 3) A delay effect that simulates a vocal chorus by adding several delays with a mild amount of feedback and a medium amount of depth. 4) A similar effect created in some synthesizers by detuning (reducing the pitch of, slightly) and mixing it with the signal that has regular tuning and with a slight delay. Ground Lift A switch that breaks the connection between the ground point in one circuit and the ground point in another circuit. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Headstock The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned. Gain Control A device that changes the gain of an amplifier or circuit, often a knob that can be turned or a slide that can be moved up arid down. Calista C3-S Security System Clip The action of deforming a waveform during overload....

1) A term for the electrical resistance found in a/c circuits. Affects the ability of a cable to transmit low level (e.g. sound) signals over a long distance. Measured in Ohms. Speakers are rated according to power handling capabilities (Watts, W) and impedance (Ohms). 2) The total opposition offered by an electric circuit to the flow of an alternating current of a single frequency. It is a combination of resistance and reactance and is measured in ohms. Remember that a speaker's impedance changes with frequency, it is not a constant value. 3) The opposition to alternating current. Clicking Pressing and immediately releasing the switch on a computer's mouse. Calista C2-88 Projector Engineer 1) A technician in charge of a recording session; Also called Recording Engineer. 2) A person with an engineering degree. 3) A person with sufficient experience in the field to be equivalent to the education one would receive earning an engineering degree. Hard Disk...