Glossary of Audio Terms

(Digital-to-analog converter) The electronic component which converts digital words into analog signals that can then be amplified and used to drive loudspeakers, etc.

The measure of an amplifier's ability to absorb the back-emf (electromotive force) from the loudspeaker voice coil. The back-emf is caused by the cone

The ratio of the output impedance of an amplifier to the impedance of the speaker load (usually referenced to 8 ohms, resistive), typically at a certain frequency or range of frequencies. This is an approximate measure of how well an amplifier damps or controls a speaker's movement to prevent unwanted resonation, overshoots, and ringing. A high damping factor (200 or above) provides excellent control over low-frequency woofers and produces a tight, clean bass. Mid- and high-frequency drivers generally have lower mass, and thus lower inertia, than low-frequency drivers do, so damping is less important for them. Maintaining a high damping factor requires minimizing the resistance between the amplifier outputs and the loudspeaker. Use insulated, stranded copper speaker cables that are as large (the lower the gauge number of the wire, the larger the conductor) and short as possible.

Digital Audio Tape. It is a two track 16-bit digital recording and playback system.

An HD-15 connector on the rear of QSC PowerLight amplifiers that serves as the interface to QSC's MultiSignal Processor, the CM16a, or the BASIS platform devices.

See: Decibel

See: Direct Current

Circuitry that protects the speaker from DC voltage if an amplifier fails.

A device or filter for reducing the effects of sibilance in vocal signals.
See: Sibilance

A measure of the decay in level of acoustical signals. It is expressed in dB/second.

One-tenth (deci) of a Bel. A unit of measure for stating a ratio of signal amplitudes, such as gain or loss, signal to noise ratio, etc., using a logarithmic scale. Named after Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. Abbr: dB

The distortion of a wave front caused by the presence of an obstacle in the sound field

A process by which algorithm(s) reduce the numbers of bits required to accurately store and transmit digital audio

An open-back speaker that radiates sound from both the front and the back equally. The front and rear waves are opposite in polarity, and cancellation will occur at wavelengths long enough to wrap around the enclosure.

A flow of electrical current that remains continuously at a positive or negative voltage relative to ground or another reference point. Abbr.: DC

The spreading of a sound waves as it leaves a particular source.

Dolby's name for its format for the digital soundtrack system for motion picture playback.

Piece of software that handles communications between the main program and a hardware peripheral.

A term used when a wireless microphone has a loss of RF signal, which in turn results in loss of audio or audio that is noticeably noisy. They are usually caused by multi-path or signal blockage due to a physical obstruction.

Unprocessed Sound

The ability of an audio device to respond to musical peaks. For example, an amplifier may only be capable of a sustained 100 watts, but may be able to achieve peaks of 200 watts for the fraction of a second required for an intense, quick sound. In this example the dynamic headroom would equal 3 db.

A microphone design where a wire coil (the voice coil) is attached to a small diaphragm such that sound pressure causes the coil to move in a magnetic field, thus creating an electrical voltage proportional to the sound pressure. A dynamic microphone works in almost the exact opposite of a dynamic loudspeaker where an electrical voltage is applied to the voice coil attached to a large cone (diaphragm) causing it to move in a magnetic field, thus creating a change in the immediate sound pressure.

The ratio of the maximum and minimum sound levels that a sound system can handle. It is usually expressed in decibels as the difference between the levels at peak clipping and the noise floor.