Mixing terminology 1

Question 1

Signal flow

Answer 1

The path that a signal travels from the input of a system to the output

Question 2

DAW

Answer 2

Digital Audio Workstation

Question 3

Bus

Answer 3

A ‘pipeline’ in a DAW, direct the flow of one or more tracks to a new channel

Question 4

Aux track

Answer 4

A channel that has no audio file on it, but instead has audio flowing through it from another place on the DAW

Question 5

3 Types of output bus

Answer 5

1. Instrument bus
2. Mix bus
3. Submix bus

Question 6

Instrument bus

Answer 6

When you set the output of multiple audio files to one single bus

Question 7

Stereo output, mix bus, or master output

Answer 7

The final channel that all of your audio flows into, which directs them out into your speakers

Question 8

Submix bus

Answer 8

Aux tracks that have multiple instruments flowing into them

Question 9

Send

Answer 9

Allows you to send a copy of an audio file to an aux track without affecting the original

Question 10

Dry

Answer 10

Your original, unaffected signal

Question 11

Wet

Answer 11

Your new, affected signal

Question 12

Volume

Answer 12

Audio level after processing (plug-ins)

Question 13

Gain

Answer 13

Audio level before processing

Question 14

Gain staging

Answer 14

1. Making all of the recording have a similar level of gain
2. Making sure recordings are the same level after the plugin as they were before

Question 15

Bounce

Answer 15

Exporting a session into a listenabable format (MP3, WAV)

Question 16

Acoustics

Question 17

Frequency spectrum

Answer 17

20Hz - 20kHz

Question 18

Fundamental

Answer 18

The most important frequency made by and instrument

Question 19

Overtones

Answer 19

Thousands of resonating frequencies that happen when an instrument is played

Question 20

Harmonics

Answer 20

Created by the vibration of the fundamental frequency (octave/s above)

Question 21

To find the harmonic

Answer 21

Double the frequency

Question 22

Frequency masking

Answer 22

When someone’s perception of one sound is affected by the presence of another

Question 23

Room resonance

Answer 23

An overtone that gets caught in-between two parallel walls of your room

Question 24

Acoustic treatment

Answer 24

Fibreglass panels that are hung from walls in order to balance the frequency response of a room

Question 25

3 Types of microphones

Answer 25

1. Condenser microphones
2. Dynamic microphones
3. Ribbon microphones

Question 26

Condenser microphone

Answer 26

Has a large frequency range and high sensitivity (vocals, acoustic guitar)

Question 27

Dynamic microphones

Answer 27

Has a limited frequency range and low sensitivity
(loud aggressive sounds, drums, reduces dynamic range)

Question 28

Ribbon microphone

Answer 28

Large frequency range and high sensitivity
(older, lots of colour, less common)

Question 29

Polar pattern

Answer 29

What direction a microphone picks up sound from

Question 30

Unidirectional / cardioid

Answer 30

Picks up sound in front of it, but not behind it (null point)

Question 31

Bidirectional

Answer 31

Picks up sound from front and back (some condenser mics, all ribbon mics)

Question 32

Omnidirectional

Answer 32

Picks up sound from all directions (rare, only some condenser mics)

Question 33

Pad

Answer 33

A switch that turns down the sensitivity level of the microphone

Question 34

Pre-amp

Answer 34

Volume knob for microphone

Question 35

Phantom power

Answer 35

Power that is necessary to get a condenser microphone to work

Question 36

The proximity effect

Answer 36

The closer you get to a microphone, the more low frequencies are recorded

Question 37

Plosives

Answer 37

Sounds made from the mouth that blow a quick burst of air (p, b, t, k, d)

Question 38

Pop filters

Answer 38

Stop plosives from reaching the microphone

Question 39

Sibilance

Answer 39

The sound of an “s” in a word

Question 40

Fixing sibilance

Answer 40

1. Move further from the mic
2. Point the mic away from your mouth
3. Use a de-esser during the mix