Boca SoundExpression 14.4VSP, User Manual

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Glossary of Audio Terms
Appendix H: Glossary of Audio Terms
amplitude. The variation in a sound signal producing varying levels of loudness. Measured in
decibels (dB).
analog sound. Recorded sound depicted by fluctuations in amplitude.
bits per sample . The number of bits employed to record information from a single sample when
recording digital sound. See Sampling.
CD quality. Recording quality similar to that of a compact disc player. This means that 16 bits of
information are recorded for every sample taken. See Bits Per Sample and Sampling.
decibel (db). A means of measuring amplitude.
digital sound . Recorded and stored sound as a series of numerical values rather than fluctuations in
amplitude.
line-in. A connector on audio equipment to which a device like a CD-player or tape cassette player
may be attached. See also Line Out.
line out. A connector on audio equipment to which audio components can be attached such as stereo
speakers. See also Line In.
MIDI . Musical Instrument Digital Interface. A standard which allows for the exchange of data
between two music synthesizers or a synthesizer and a computer. Sound data may be communicated
from the synthesizer to the computer and stored as a MIDI file. Or, a MIDI file can be transmitted to
the synthesizer for playback.
MPU-401. A UART on the MIDI port which allows MIDI interface to transmit and receive at 32.5K
baud (see Appendix E for more information).
pitch. A sound’s tone, usually determined by the sound’s frequency.
sample. A measurement of sound taken during a certain duration. In digital recording, sampling
means recording voltages which make a sound as a sequence of numerical values representing the
sound’s amplitude.
sound file . Any file which holds sound data. Examples: files with .MID file name extensions are
compatible with the MIDI standard (see above); a file with a .WAV file name extension is a standard
Microsoft file format for storing waveform audio data. See Waveform and wave file.
timbre. How the ear identifies and classifies sound. Example: the timbre of the same note played by
two different instruments (flute and tuba) will not be the same.
voice annotation. Embedding of a voice message into a document for later playback.
wave file. A standard Microsoft file format for storing waveform audio data.
waveform. A graph showing the amplitude of a sound over a particular interval of time. Any portion
of that interval is a sample.