Week 2

Question 1

Capacitor

Answer 1

An electronic component that stores an electrical charge between two parallel plates. Only an alternating current can flow through it.

Question 2

Capacitor / condenser microphone

Answer 2

A microphone in which the diaphragm forms one side of a capacitor. When the diaphragm vibrates, the stored charge in the capacitor is disturbed and an electrical current flows.

Question 3

Compression

Answer 3

A process applied to an audio signal to control sudden peak levels. Example uses include evening out vocal performances and adding a ‘punch’ to drum and bass tracks.

Question 4

Connector

Answer 4

A plug or socket used to join cables to equipment.

Question 5

Controls

Answer 5

There are two types of controls most commonly used in audio equipment: rotary and linear.

• Rotary controls are turned and either have a minimum setting on the bottom left or top centre. As you turn one, sometimes you will feel it click into place at the zero point - this is called a detent. A pan control is usually rotary and has 0 at the top, which centres the sound. A left or right turn of the knob sends the sound in that direction. Volume cotnrols usually have 0 on the bottom left, and to increase the signal the knob is turned clockwise
• A Linear control moves up or down. Sometimes known as a fader or slider, these have the minimum setting at the bottom and the maximum at the top.

Most controls adjust the resistance of a variable resistor.

Question 6

Cycle

Answer 6

An audio signal is an alternating current of electricity. One cycle is the change from zero to its highest voltage, then to its lowest voltage and back to zero again.

Question 7

Decibel (dB)

Answer 7

The unit used for measuring the strength of an a sound or an audio signal.

Question 8

Diaphragm

Answer 8

A very thin sheet of material which vibrates easily. Used as part of the mechanism which converts sound to electricity in a microphone.