Calista Home Theaters

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. Floor Toms The large toms to the right of the drummer. Calista C3-S Security System Line Input An input designed to take a line level signal. BPM An abbreviation of Beat Per Minute (the number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute and therefore defining the tempo). Calista C1-9 Home Theater 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 Bass Roll Off An e...

An electrical network built into some microphones to reduce the amount of output at bass frequencies when close-micing. Bit The smallest unit of digital information representing a single "0" or 1. Calista C2-88 Projector CD-ROM An abbreviation of the term Compact Disc, Read Only Memory (A Compact Disc used to store digital data, such as large programs, that can be read by a computer). Acoustic Amplifier The portion of the instrument which makes the vibrating source move more air or move air more efficiently; this makes the sound of the instrument louder. Examples of acoustic amplifiers include: 1) The body of an acoustic guitar, 2) The sounding board of a piano, 3) The bell of a horn and 4) The shell of a drum. Calista C3-S Security System Distortion Usually undesirable result of overloading sound equipment. Reducing the levels can remedy the situation. Bar A term meaning the same thing as the term Measure (the grouping of a number of b...

Sound equipment that converts the low voltage, low current signal from a tape deck, mixer etc. into a higher current signal suitable for driving speakers. See Power Amplifier, Crossover. DC Abbreviation for direct current. Calista C3-S Security System Final Mix The two track stereo master tape which was mixed from the multitrack master. First Generation A descriptive term meaning original (as opposed to a copy). Calista C1-9 Home Theater In-Line Console A console with modules that have controls for all console sections in one long strip. Electrostatic Charge The excess or deficiency of electrons in a given area. AES An abbreviation of Audio Engineering Society. Bose Kick (Kick Drum) Another term for Bass Drum.

Having more than a normal amount of signal strength at low frequencies or having more sound than normal (by use of compression or delay). Bouncing Alternate name for Ping-Ponging (playing several tacks with sync playback through a console to mix them together and record them on an open track). Calista C1-9 Home Theater High Hat A double cymbal on a stand which can be played with a foot pedal or by the top cymbal being hit with a stick. Balance Control A control on a stereo amplifier that when moved clockwise will make the right channel louder (and the left channel softer) and will do the reverse when moved counter-clockwise. Calista C2-88 Projector 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. Clicking Pressing and immediately releasing the switch on a computer's mouse. Linearity The extent to which ...

A more formal term meaning the same as the term Current (the amount of electron charge passing a point in a conductor per unit of time). 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 First Generation A descriptive term meaning original (as opposed to a copy). Keying Input (Key Input) An input on a dynamics processing device to control the device by an external audio signal. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Chorusing 1) A term meaning the same thing as Chorus (Definition 3 or 4). 2) In some delay effects devices, a term used to mean the term Depth (the amount of change in the controlled signal by the control signal). Distorted The way your PA sounds just before it blows up. Fuzzy and scratchy. If you hear this, it either means you have something hooked up wrong, or something in the system is going bad. It could be anything from ...

A device which increases the amplitude (level) of an electrical signal (making it louder). Line Out (Line Output) Any output that sends out a line level signal, such as the output of a console that feeds a recorder. Calista C2-88 Projector Hypercardioid Pattern A microphone pick up sensitivity pattern where the least sensitive pick up point is more than 90 degrees but less than 150 degrees off axis (usually 120 degrees). Coax Two-conductor cable consisting of one conductor surrounded by a shield. Calista C3-S Security System Equalization 1) The process of adjusting the tonal quality of a sound. A graphic equalizer provides adjustment for a wide range of frequency bands, and is normally inserted in the signal path after the mixing desk, before the amplifier. See Feedback. 2) Any time the amplitude of audio signals at specific set of frequencies are increased or decreased more than the signals at other audio frequencies. Hz (Hertz) 1) An abbreviation for...

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. Equalization 1) The process of adjusting the tonal quality of a sound. A graphic equalizer provides adjustment for a wide range of frequency bands, and is normally inserted in the signal path after the mixing desk, before the amplifier. See Feedback. 2) Any time the amplitude of audio signals at specific set of frequencies ar...

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. Chord Three or more musical pitches sung or played together. Calista C1-9 Home Theater 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 crossover splits the signal from the mixing desk into high, mid and low frequencies which are then sent to three separate amplifiers. 3) An electrical circuit that divides a full bandwidth signal into the desired frequency bands for the loudspeaker components. Freq...

A device which increases the amplitude (level) of an electrical signal (making it louder). In Port A jack on a MIDI device or computer that will accept an incoming data signal. Calista C3-S Security System Blending 1) A condition where two signals mix together to form one sound or to give the sound of one sound source or one performance. 2) Mixing the left and right signal together slightly which makes the instruments sound closer to the center of the performance stage. 3) A method of panning during mixing where instruments are not panned extremely left or right. Lead Sheet A written chart showing the melody, lyrics and chords of a tune with full musical notation. Calista C2-88 Projector 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...

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 build very quickly to a point where everyone in the room is holding their ears and screaming at you. It can also cause damage to the PA. Face The front or body of the guitar. Calista C2-88 Projector 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. Librarian Program A computer program...

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. Amplifier Sound equipment that converts the low voltage, low current signal from a tape deck, mixer etc. into a higher current signal suitable for driving speakers. See Power Amplifier, Crossover. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Amplitude The extreme range of a signal. Usually measured from the average to the extreme. Folded Horn A speaker design where the speaker points back into the cabinet and bounces around finally coming out large ports in the front. It is intended to maximize low frequencies in a relatively small cabinet. Calista C3-S Security System Baffles Sound absorbing panels used to prevent sound waves from entering or leaving a certain space High Impedance Impedance of 5000 or more ohms. Compression Driver The unit that feeds a sound pressure wave into the throat of a horn (in a horn loudspeaker)....

A control that will adjust the amount of signal sent to a cue buss from a console channel. Binary A numbering system based on two. In binary there are two symbols used ("l" and "0"). Calista C3-S Security System Head 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. Bit The smallest unit of digital information representing a single "0" or 1. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Error Concealment Putting replacement information bits into a digital audio signal to replace lost bits when the digital recording or processing system cannot verify whether the lost bits were l's or 0's but can make a good guess by compar...

1) To add sounds into a mix or recording that have no synchronization. 2) An application of this where a performance from one part of a tune is recorded and then recorded back into the recording at a different time in the recording. Alternating Current Electric current which flows back and forth in a circuit. Calista C3-S Security System Joystick 1) A quad pan pot which distributes what percentage of on signal is sent to each of 4 outputs. 2) A control that is separately controlling two functions at one time. Insulator A substance such as glass, air, plastic, etc., that will (for all practical purposes) not conduct electricity. Calista C2-88 Projector Impedance 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 offe...

An abbreviation of Beat Per Minute (the number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute and therefore defining the tempo). 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 In-Line Console A console with modules that have controls for all console sections in one long strip. Compact Disc Recordable CDR A blank Compact Disc that can be recorded on one time. Calista C2-88 Projector Imaging To make a representation or imitation of the original sonic event. Far Field The area from 3 feet away from the sound source up to the critical distance. 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 charg...