Calista Home Theaters

The unit of current, abbreviated Amp. Efficiency The acoustic power delivered for a given electrical input. Often expressed as decibels/watt/meter (dB/w/m). ESL �" Abbreviation for electrostatic loudspeaker. Calista C1-9 Home Theater File A collection of digital data stored in a computer's memory bank or on a floppy disc. Flutter 1) High-frequency variations in pitch of a recorded waveform due to fast speed variations in a recorder or playback machine. 2) Originally, and more formally, any variations (fast or slow) in pitch of a recorded tone due to speed fluctuations in a recorder or playback unit. Calista C2-88 Projector Fret Buzz A buzzing sound made when a note is not properly fretted. Common with cheap guitars or beginning guitar players. Highs Short for the term High Frequencies (the audio frequencies from 6000 Hz and above). Bi-Amplification 1) A way of optimizing the efficiency of a speaker system by separately amplifying the Hig...

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. 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). Calista C1-9 Home Theater Headstock The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned. Bi-Amplification 1) A way of optimizing the efficiency of a speaker system by separately amplifying the High Frequency (HF) and Low Frequency (LF) portions of the sound signal and sending them down two pairs of cables to the speaker. Multipin Speakon connectors have been developed to do this. 2)The process of having of having low-frequency speakers and high-frequency speakers driven by separate amplifiers. Calista C3-S Security System Basic Session The First session in...

The process of discovery that sonic information bits have been lost in digital audio. Compression Driver The unit that feeds a sound pressure wave into the throat of a horn (in a horn loudspeaker). Calista C2-88 Projector Attenuation A making smaller: reduction of electrical or acoustic signal strength. 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 C1-9 Home Theater Automatic Gain Control (Automatic Volume Control) A compressor with a very long release time used to keep the volume of the audio very constant. 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. Floor ...

The visible sparks generated by an electrical discharge. Contact Microphone A device that senses vibrations and puts out an audio signal proportional to the vibrations. Calista C2-88 Projector Absorption Short for the term Acoustical Absorption (quality of a surface or substance to take in, not reflect, a sound wave). 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. Calista C3-S Security System Diffraction The breaking up of a sound wave caused by some type of mechanical interference such as a cabinet edge, grill frame, or other similar object. Edit 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 compute...

Another name for Bi-directional Pattern (microphone pickup pattern picking up best from the front and back of the diaphragm and not picking up from the side of the diaphragm). 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 C1-9 Home Theater First Generation A descriptive term meaning original (as opposed to a copy). 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 Floppy Disk (Floppy Disc) A round flat object (usually housed in a protective sleeve) coated with material that can be magnetized in a similar manner to tape. Humbucker Pickups that are coupled together to get a certain sound. Line 1) Short for line level. 2) A cable. Bose Effects Track 1) In film production audio, a recording of the mixdown of all the sou...

Describes a sound coming from the PA with no effects on it. Images The squaring of the waveform that happens in the conversion of digital audio bits into analog signals. Calista C1-9 Home Theater Boom Stand A microphone stand equipped with a telescoping support arm to hold the microphone. Impedance Matching Having or converting the output impedance of a device so that it matches the impedance of the input it will feed. Calista C3-S Security System Crosstalk Leakage of an audio signal into a channel that iris not intended to be in, from an adjacent or nearby channel. Bar A term meaning the same thing as the term Measure (the grouping of a number of beats in music, most-often four beats). Attenuator (Pot) The electronic dohickey under the knobs that increases or reduces the strength of the signal running through it. When these get old and dirty, they can make popping noises or rumbles in your PA (As in "my pots are dirty"). Assign Tochoos...

Abbreviation of Integrated Circuit (A miniature circuit of many components that is in small, sealed housing with prongs to connect it into equipment). Group 1) A number of channels or faders that can be controlled by one Master VCA slide. 2) A shortening of the term Recording Group (a buss or the signal present on a buss). Calista C2-88 Projector Kick (Kick Drum) Another term for Bass Drum. 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 C3-S Security System Headphones Devices that can be worn on the head with small speakers that fit over the ears (or sometimes into the ears). Compact Disc Recordable CDR A blank Compact Disc that can be recorded on one time. DC Abbreviation for direct current. Calista Reviews Equalizer (Parametric, Graphic) This ...