Calista Home Theaters

1) Abbreviation for alternating current. 2) An abbreviation of the term Alternating Current (electric current which flows back and forth in a circuit; all studio signals running through audio lines are AC). 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 C2-88 Projector Linearity The extent to which any signal handling process is accomplished without amplitude distortion. Jack Bay A series of jacks which have connections for most of the inputs and outputs of the equipment in the control room. Calista C3-S Security System Equal Loudness Contours A drawing of several curves showing how loud the tones of different frequencies would have to be played for a person to say they were of equal loudness. Compression Ratio How many dB the input signal has to rise above the threshold for every one dB more...

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). Atom The smallest particle which makes up a specific substance. It's composed of a center around which electrons revolve. Calista C3-S Security System Clean Describes a distortion free sound with few effects. 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. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Action In guitar playing, action refers to how far the strings sit off of the guitar neck. When strings are close to the neck, it is referred to as "Low Action". When the string sit far above the neck, it is called "High Action". Guitars with low action are easier to play, but make sure they are not too close, or it could causing buzzing. Equalization...

1) A division of one second in synchronization and recording coming from definition two. 2) The amount of time that one still picture is shown in film or video. Lift 1) To boost gain of audio at a particular band of frequencies with an equalizer. 2) An elevation device in the star trek series of TV programs. Calista C3-S Security System Cable, TRS A less common balanced cable that has 3 different contacts on its 1/4 inch connectors. Most headphone jacks are a good example of a TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) connector. These are sometimes used instead of the more common XLR connection. Key The control of a dynamics processing device by an external audio signal. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Current The amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time. ID An index signal (digital data that gives the machine information of where selections start, their selection number, etc.) on a DAT or CD. Flutter 1) High-frequency variations in pitc...

The height of a waveform above or below the zero line. FOH (Front of House) Refers to the speakers that face toward the audience. Also called the "main" speakers. Calista C3-S Security System Echo Chamber 1) A room designed with very hard, non-parallel surfaces and equipped with a speaker and microphone. 2) Any artificial or electronic device that simulates the reverberation created in a room. Filter 1) A device that removes signals with frequencies above or below a certain point called the cut-off frequency. 2) An equalizer section, used in this sense because filters are used with other components to give an equalizer its frequency response characteristics. 3) The action of removing signals of some frequencies and leaving the rest. 4) A mechanical device to smooth out speed variations in tape machines called a Scrape Flutter Filter- more usually called a Scrape Flutter Idler Calista C2-88 Projector High Hat A double cymbal on a stand which c...

A ratio of height to width to length of a room to achieve "good acoustics" and first recommended by the ancient Greeks. The ratio is approximately the width 1.6 times the height and the length 2.6 times the height 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. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Link (Said of compressors and dynamic processing units.) To combine the control input signals of two channels of a compressor (o Input Impedance The opposition to current flow by the first circuits of a device. Calista C2-88 Projector Basic Session The First session in recording an audio production to record the Basic Tracks. Layering The recording (or playing) of a musical part with of several similar sound patches playing simultaneous. Gr...

Simply stated, the fact that in an un-obstructed area (like an open field) the sound pressure level will drop to half-pressure (-6 dB) every time the distance to the sound source is doubled. Humbucker Pickups that are coupled together to get a certain sound. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Headroom 1) The level difference (in dB) between normal operating level and clipping level in an amplifier or audio device. 2) A similar level difference between normal tape operating level and the level where the distortion would be 3%. 3) The difference, in decibels, between the peak and RMS levels in program material. Crossover 1) A route leading from one side of the stage to the other, out of the audiences view. 2) An electronic filter in a sound system that routes sound of the correct frequency to the correct part of the speaker system. Different speakers handle high frequencies (tweeters) and low frequencies (woofers). Sometimes known as a crossover network. An active crosso...

A sampler mis-recognizing a signal sent to it that is at a frequency higher than the Nyquist Frequency. Upon playback, the system will provide a signal at an incorrect frequency (called an alias frequency). Aliasing is a kind of distortion. Frequency Response How sensitive an electronic device (mic, amplifier, speaker, etc.) is to various frequencies; often communicated with a graph. Calista C2-88 Projector Line Level 1) An amplified signal level put out by an amplifier and used as the normal level that runs through the interconnecting cables in a control room. 2) A low level signal such as the signal in a guitar cord. Most parts of a PA require a line level signal. Remember, however, that speaker outputs are not line level. Plugging speaker outs into line ins will result in damage to the equipment Input Impedance The opposition to current flow by the first circuits of a device. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Compact Disc CD A small optical disk with digital audi...

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. Haas Effect Simply stated, a factor in human hearing where delay has a much bigger effect on human perception of direction than level does. Calista C3-S Security System Cycles Per Second A unit used in the measure of frequency, equivalent to Hertz. Cycles Per Second is an outdated term replaced by Hertz in 1948. Inductor A device designed primarily to introduce inductance into an electric circuit. Sometimes called a choke or coil. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Compressor 1) Effect used to squash the sound together. Used properly, it can take the edge off or your sound. Used improperly, it can take the life right out of your system and make it sound like an MTV mix. 2) A piece of sound processing equipment that ensures all wanted signals are suitably placed between the noise and distortion levels of the recording me...

The opposite of compression; for example, an expander may allow the signal to increase 2 dB every time the signal input increased by 1 dB. 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 C1-9 Home Theater Cycle 1) An alternation of a waveform which begins at a point, passes through the zero line, and ends at a point with the same value and moving in the same direction as the starting point. 2) On a Solid State Logic Console, a command to have the console computer control the tape machine to play and replay a certain section of the tape. Electronics 1) On a tape machine, the housing for and the channel circuitry which processes the signal to be fed to the heads, provide bias, and playback. 2) The branch of science dealing with the behaviour of electrons/charges in vacuums, gases, semiconductors and special...

A numbering system based on two. In binary there are two symbols used ("l" and "0"). Golden Section A ratio of height to width to length of a room to achieve "good acoustics" and first recommended by the ancient Greeks. The ratio is approximately the width 1.6 times the height and the length 2.6 times the height Calista C1-9 Home Theater 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. Link (Said of compressors and dynamic processing units.) To combine the control input signals of two channels of a compressor (o Calista C2-88 Projector 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. Controller 1) In MIDI, a device that generates a MIDI sig...

An device with several slides controlling the gain of audio signal present which is within one of several evenly spaced frequency bands (spaced according to octaves). Headphones Devices that can be worn on the head with small speakers that fit over the ears (or sometimes into the ears). Calista C1-9 Home Theater Automation In consoles, a feature that lets the engineer program control changes (such as fader level) so that upon playback of the multitrack recording these changes happen automatically. 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 C3-S Security System Instrument Out Direct Feeding the output of an electric instrument (like an electric guitar) to the recording console or tape recorder without using a microphone. Crosstalk Leakage of an audio signal into a channel that iris not intended to be in, from an adjacent or nea...

Effects devices separate from but working with the recording console. Chorus 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. Calista C2-88 Projector IC Abbreviation of Integrated Circuit (A miniature circuit of many components that is in small, sealed housing with prongs to connect it into equipment). Electromagnetic Theory A statement of the principles behind electromagnetic induction: When a conductor cuts magnetic lines of force, current is induced in that conductor. Calista C3-S Security System High Hat A doubl...