Appendix E: Glossary - Midas M32 User Manual

Appendix E: Glossary

This glossary provides an explanation of the symbols, terms and abbreviations used in this manual.
5.1 surround: A surround sound system created from six
channels that form a discrete signal, which is played back
over a speaker system comprising five speakers (three
front and two rear) and a subwoofer (which is the ' . 1' or LFE
channel). See LFE.
μ: Micro- prefix symbol that represents 10 or one
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millionth.
A
A/D: Abbreviation for 'analogue to digital' . The conversion
of a continuous signal into a numeric discrete sample
sequence.
AC: Abbreviation for 'alternating current' .
AES/EBU: Abbreviation for 'Audio Engineering Society/
European Broadcasting Union' . See AES3.
Acoustic feedback: A sound loop existing between an
audio input and audio output that is amplified on each
cycle. For example, a mic input signal is amplified and
passed to a loudspeaker. The output from the loudspeaker
is picked up the mic, which amplifies it again and passes it
back to the loudspeaker, and so on.
AES3: Also known as 'AES/EBU' , this is a serial interface for
transferring digital audio between devices.
AES50: AES digital audio engineering standard. AES50 is
a high resolution, multi-channel audio interconnection
(HRMAI). Rather than a network, it is a high-performance,
point-to-point audio interconnection, although
the auxiliary data may operate as a true network,
independently of the audio. HRMAI provides a professional
multi-channel audio interconnection that uses Cat 5e data
cable and is compatible with Ethernet networks.
AFL: Abbreviation for 'after fader listen' . A function that
allows the signal to be monitored post-fader, that is, after it
has been acted upon by the fader.
Algorithm: In computing, a set of instructions for
accomplishing a specific task.
amp (A): Abbreviation for 'ampere' . A unit of current.
Anti-aliasing: When referring to digital images, a
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technique that avoids poor pixelation.
Area A: Primary input control area.
Area B: A secondary input control area.
Assignable controls: User-assignable controls that can be
set up to operate other functions.
Auto safe: Prevents channel from accepting scene recall.
Auto-mute: A function that automatically mutes the
channel's signal under certain conditions.
Auto-mute group: A function that automatically mutes a
number of selected channels under certain conditions.
Automation: 1. Memorization and playback of changes
made to mixer settings. 2. An area on the master bay that
controls these.
Aux: Abbreviation for 'auxiliary send' or 'aux send' . A
designation for extra buses, typically used for sending
signal to effects, headphone amps and other destinations.
See Bus.
Aux send: See Aux.
B
Balanced audio: A type of audio connection that uses
the three leads in a cable, connector and jack as part of
a phase-cancelling arrangement to boost the signal and
reduce noise.
Band: In EQ, a range of frequencies.
Bandwidth: In EQ, the width of a band, that is, the
number of frequencies that will be boosted/cut above and
below a centre frequency.
Bank: A fixed number of channels displayed on a GUI
screen.
Bass: Lower frequencies in a signal.
Bay: One of the main control surface sections.
Bus: A pathway down which one or more signals can travel.
C
Cat 5e: A specification for a type of cable used typically for
www.theaudiospecialists.eu
M32 - Digital Console
Ethernet computer networks.
Channel: Single path taken by an audio signal (input or
output) through the control centre.
Channel strip: Row of controls in traditional analogue
layout used for the shaping of a signal.
Checkpoint: A patching data store point, created by
clicking CHECKPOINT. See Patching.
Click: A method of GUI operation, mainly for button
operation and selection purposes.
CMR: Abbreviation for 'common mode rejection' . A measure
of how well a differential amplifier rejects a signal that
appears simultaneously and in-phase at both input
terminals. CMR is usually stated as a dB ratio at a given
frequency.
Comb filtering: Removal of signal components at a
number of regularly spaced frequencies.
Compressor: A dynamics processor that reduces the level
of any signal exceeding a specified threshold volume.
Condenser microphone: A high quality mic that uses a
capacitor to detect changes in the ambient air pressure,
which it then converts into an electrical signal. This type of
mic requires power from a battery or external source.
Control centre: The M32's console, comprising control
surface and GUI.
Control surface: Area on the control centre that houses
all of the user's hardware controls, such as pushbuttons,
control knobs, switches etc.
Crossfade: To combine signals such that one channel or
source fades out while another fades in, but maintaining an
essentially constant programme volume.
Cursor: Generally, used to describe the 'I'-shaped pointer
on the GUI that indicates a text insertion point. See Pointer.
D
D zone: Section in the input channel strip for controlling
dynamic parameters.
D/A: Abbreviation for 'digital to analogue' . The conversion of
digital data to analogue audio.
DARS: Abbreviation for 'digital audio reference signal' .
Dashboard: A standard GUI screen display - usually on the
User Manual
master bay - that shows all channel meters (inputs, auxes,
returns, masters etc.) all of the time.
DAW: Abbreviation for 'Digital Audio Workstation' . A digital
audio workstation is an electronic system designed solely
or primarily for recording, editing and playing back digital
audio.
dB: Symbol for 'decibel' . A unit of measurement of the
loudness of sound. See dBu.
dBu: A unit of measurement of sound used in professional
audio. Derived from the decibel, where the 'u' stands for
unloaded, this unit is an RMS measurement of voltage
based on 0.775 VRMS, which is the voltage at which you
get 1 mV of power in a 600 ohm resistor. This used to be the
standard impedance in most professional audio circuits.
DC: Abbreviation for 'direct current' .
Delay: An effect by which a reproduction of a signal is
played back later then its original.
Destination: The patch connector to which a signal is
routed. See Patching.
Device: A diagram(s) in the I/O tabs representing a physical
rack unit, such as a line I/O, mic splitter, DN9696, AES50 etc.
See Patching.
DI: Abbreviation for 'direct inject' or 'direct injection' . Signal
is plugged directly into the audio chain without using a
microphone.
DI box: Device for matching signal level impedance of a
source to mixer input.
Drag: A method of GUI operation, mainly for control
adjustment. Also used for selecting blocks of patch
connectors during patching.
DSP: Abbreviation for 'digital signal processing' or 'digital
signal processor' . Any signal processing done after an
analogue audio signal has been converted into digital
audio. Can be used to create, for example, compression,
equalisation etc., of a digital signal. A digital signal
processor is a piece of equipment specifically designed for
carrying out signal processing.
E
E zone: Section in the input channel strip for controlling EQ
parameters.
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