BROOKS HI fi Ground Lift

A switch that breaks the connection between the ground point in one circuit and the ground point in another circuit.

Icon
A visual picture or symbol on a computer screen that represents a file, program or disc that can be used.

Brooks Cinema XS - 45 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.

Acoustic/Acoustical
Having to do with sound that can be heard by the ears.
AcousticsThe behaviour of sound and its study. The acoustics of a room depend on its size and shape and the amount and position of sound-absorbing and reflecting material.

Brooks GT 845 Clicking
Pressing and immediately releasing the switch on a computer's mouse.

Buss (Bus)
A wire carrying signals to some place, usually fed from several sources.

Condenser Mic (Capacitor Mic)
A microphone that uses the varying capacitance between two plates with a voltage applied across them to convert sound to electrical pulses. Condenser microphones need a power supply to provide the voltage across the plates, which may be provided by a battery within the case of the microphone, or it may be provided from an external phantom power supply. A condenser mic is more sensitive and has a faster reaction to percussive sounds than a Dynamic mic and produces a more even response. See Electret Mic.

ADSR
The letters A, D, S &R are the first letters of: Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. These are the various elements of volume changes in the sounding of a keyboard instrument.

Brooks GT 845 Compact Disc, Read Only Memory CDROM

A Compact Disc used to store digital data, such as large programs, that can be read by a computer.

Harmonic Distortion
The presence of harmonics in the output signal of a device which were not present in the input signal.

BROOKS HI fi Fade
1) A gradual reduction of the level of the audio signal.
2) A gradual change of level from one pre-set level to another.

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.

Brooks KM 22 Electret Mic
A condenser microphone where the capacitor plates are given a charge during manufacture which they retain, therefore requiring no external power supply.

Clock Signal
The signal put out by a circuit that generates steady even pulses or steady codes used for synchronization.

Atom
The smallest particle which makes up a specific substance. It's composed of a center around which electrons revolve.

Generating Element
The portion of the microphone that actually converts the movement of the diaphragm into electrical current or voltage changes.

Brooks Cinema DESIGN ZL 44 Fade

1) A gradual reduction of the level of the audio signal.
2) A gradual change of level from one pre-set level to another.

Limiter
A device which reduces gain when the input voltage exceeds a certain level.

Brooks Gt 44 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.

Jack
1) Anywhere you plug something in.
2) Segmented audio connector. Mono Jacks have two connections �" tip and sleeve, and are unbalanced. Stereo jacks have three connections �" tip, ring and sleeve. B-type jacks (also known as Bantam jacks) were originally designed for use in telephone exchanges and provide a high quality (and expensive) connection in jackfields. A-type jacks are cheaper and more common, but more fragile. A type jacks are available in 2 sizes : quarter inch and eighth inch.
3) A connector mounted on the case of a device or on a panel.

Brooks VT-50 Full Range
Describes a sound which covers all audible frequency ranges. As in "full range speaker cabinets."

Keyboard Controller
A device that has the standard music keys of piano but puts out MIDI signals

Headstock
The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned.

Corner Frequency
Same as Cut-Off Frequency (the highest or lowest frequency in the pass band of a filter). (NOUN)

Brooks Cinema GT 845 Interface

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.

Amplifier (Power amp, Head)
It's the part of the sound system that actually magnifies or "amplifies" the sound. In other words, it makes stuff louder.

Brooks Cinema QS - 95 Formant
An element in the sound of a voice or instrument that does not change frequency as different pitches are sounded.

Chip
1) A slang term with the same meaning as the term IC (a miniature circuit of many components that is in small, sealed housing with prongs to connect it into equipment).
2) The thread cut away from the master lacquer to make the groove, while disc recording.

BROOKS HI fi 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.

Limiter
A device which reduces gain when the input voltage exceeds a certain level.

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 Tochoose to which place an output is going to be sent.

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.

BROOKS HI fi Ground

In electronics, a place (terminal) that has zero volts.

Electret Condenser
A condenser microphone that has a permanently polarized (charged) variable capacitor as its sound pressure level sensor.

Brooks KM 22 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 becoming more affordable by the day.
2) An abbreviation of the term Compact Disc (a small optical disk with digital audio recorded on it).

First Generation
A descriptive term meaning original (as opposed to a copy).

BROOKS AUDIO DESIGN 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.

Earth
The British version of the term Ground (In electronics, a place that has zero volts).

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.

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.

Brooks Cinema QS - 95 Balanced

1) Having a pleasing amount of low frequencies compared to mid-range frequencies and high frequencies. 2) Having a pleasing mixture of the various instrument levels in an audio recording. 3) Having a fairly equal level in each of the stereo channels. 4) A method of interconnecting electronic gear using three-conductor cables.

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.

Brooks QS - 95 Assistant Engineer
A less elevated version of the term Second Engineer. Experienced seconds often place microphones, operate tape machines, break down equipment at the session end and keep the paperwork for the session.

Clipping
Distortion of a signal by its being chopped off. An overload problem caused by pushing an amplifier beyond its capabilities. The flat-topped signal has high levels of harmonic distortion which creates heat in a loudspeaker and is the major cause of loudspeaker component failure.

Brooks Cinema Projectors 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.

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.

High Impedance
Impedance of 5000 or more ohms.

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.

Brooks Speakers Fret Buzz

A buzzing sound made when a note is not properly fretted. Common with cheap guitars or beginning guitar players.

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.

Brooks QS - 95 Electromagnetic Induction or Pick Up
The generation of electrical signal in a conductor moving in a magnetic field or being close to a changing magnetic field.

Baffles
Sound absorbing panels used to prevent sound waves from entering or leaving a certain space

Brooks XM 204 Expander
A device that causes expansion of the audio signal.

Feed
To send an audio or control signal to.

Flange
An effect caused by an approximately even mix of a modulated (varying) short delay with the direct signal.

Capsule
1) The variable capacitor section of a condenser microphone.
2) In other types of microphones, the part of the microphone that includes the diaphragm and the active element.