Roland VS-880EX Application Manual page 129

Foldback
A term, usually on European mixers, used
interchangeably with "cue" in recording work or
"monitor send" in sound reinforcement work.
Gain
The amount an amplifier increases the power of a
signal, usually specified in dB.
G a i n C o n t r o l ( f a d e r )
A device which adjusts the gain of an amplifier,
commonly by changing the amount of negative
feedback. Not to be confused with an "attenuator" or
"volume" control.
Ground Loop
A condition when two or more paths to ground exist
and a voltage is induced unequally in these paths
causing hum, buzz, or noise.
Grouping
A mixing process where the signal level from two or
more inputs can be adjusted simultaneously using a
single control. A typical application would be the
grouping of several microphones inputs for related
instruments (i.e., a drum set), where individual mics
are balanced in relation to the others using the input
faders, and then an overall level adjustment is done
using a group fader. Grouping of this nature
simplifies mixing.
Headroom
"Headroom" refers to the difference between the
nominal operating level and the maximum level at
any point in an audio system or device, usually
expressed in dB.
H e r t z
Abbreviated "Hz," the unit of measurement for
frequency; 1 Hz is equal to one cycle per second
(cps).
Hum
A low frequency tone, usually a multiple of the 50 Hz
or 60 Hz power mains frequency (e.g., 120 Hz, 180
Hz, etc.).
ID Strip
An area, above or below the faders on a mixing
console, reserved so the engineer can identify the
signal being fed to the various faders. ID strips on
many mixers are white so they can be marked with
grease pencils and easily wiped clean, although
masking tape and permanent marking pens are a
common alternative.
Impedance
The total opposition to the flow of alternating current
in an electrical circuit. Impedance is measured in
ohms.
Input Level
Refers to the level in dB, dBm or volts that is
acceptable for an input signal to a particular
connector in any given piece of electronic equipment.
Such input levels are rated either as maximum (i.e.,
the level above which overdrive distortion occurs) or
as nominal (i.e., the average level which would be
fed to the input under normal operating conditions).
I n s e r t
When a track is routed to a Bus such as an effects Bus
using an INSERT path, the audio goes to the effect
Bus and then directly back to the channel in the
mixer. Therefore, there is no "dry" sound of the
original without the effect because the only audio
path is through the effect and then to the mixer.
INSERTS are used when you don't want to hear the
original sound without the processing, i.e.: when you
use a compressor on a voice.
kHz
Abbreviation for kiloHertz, or one thousand cycles
per second. Formerly called kilocycles (kc).
LCD
Liquid Crystal Display. An electronically driven
display with black characters or graphic elements on
a light background. LCD displays depend on
ambient light rather than generating light of their
own, so they use very little power compared to LED
(Light Emitting Diode) displays. The principal is
based on a special crystal which changes its light
polarization axis when a voltage is applied, thereby
blocking the light and creating a black area.
LED
Light Emitting Diode. A solid state device that emits
infrared or visible light when a current flows through
it. Usually red, green or amber, LEDs are available in
other colors.
L e v e l
A term loosely used to describe the amplitude of a
signal or a sound. More precisely, it is the value of
that signal or sound relative to a given reference,
expressed in dBm, dB SPL, etc.
L i m i t e r
A type of compressor with approximately a 10:1 or
greater compression ratio. Used primarily to prevent
the signal level from exceeding a certain pre-set level
(see also "compressor").
Chapter 8: Appendix
129