Glossary of Terms
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Patch cord
- A short audio cable with connectors on each end, typically used to interconnect
components wired to a patch bay.
Peak reduction -
A synonym for compression or limiting.
Program dependent -
Refers to a parameter that varies according to the characteristics of the
incoming signal. To some degree, the amount of 1176LN gain reduction is program dependent.
Ratio -
see “Compression Ratio”
Release time -
The time it takes for a signal to return to its initial (pre-compressed) level. If the
release time is too fast, "pumping" and "breathing" artifacts can occur, due to the rapid rise of
background noise as the gain is restored. If the release time is too slow, however, a loud section of the
program may cause gain reduction that persists through a soft section, making the soft section
inaudible. The 1176LN release time ranges from 50 milliseconds to 1.1 seconds.
Terminal Strip
-
An insulated stamped strip of tin-plated loops of copper, used for multiple electrical
or audio interconnections. Sometimes called a “barrier strip.”
Threshold -
A
term used to describe the level at which a compressor starts to work. Below the
threshold point, the volume of a signal is unchanged; above it, the volume is reduced.
In the 1176LN,
threshold is determined by the setting of the Input and Ratio controls.
Transformer
- An electronic component consisting of two or more coils of wire wound on a common
core of magnetically permeable material. Audio transformers operate on audible signal and are
designed to step voltages up and down and to send signal between microphones and line-level devices
such as mixing consoles, recorders, and DAWs.
Transient
-
A relatively high volume pitchless sound impulse of extremely brief duration, such as a
pop. Consonants in singing and speech, and the attacks of musical instruments (particularly
percussive instruments), are examples of transients.
TRS
-
Short for “Tip/Ring/Sleeve,” a standard quarter-inch jack connector, with the tip and ring
carrying audio signal and the sleeve attached to the shield of the cabling, thus providing ground.
When used for mixer channel or bus inserts, the tip and ring will typically carry send and return
signals, respectively. When used for balanced connections, the tip and ring will carry the same audio
signal, with one signal out of phase with the other.
TS -
Short for “Tip/Sleeve,” a standard quarter-inch jack connector, with the tip carrying audio signal
and the sleeve attached to the shield of the cabling, thus providing ground.
Unity gain -
No boost or attenuation of the incoming signal. When set to unity gain, a device’s output
signal will be at exactly the same strength as its input signal.
XLR
- A standard three-pin connector used by many audio devices, with pin 1 typically connected to
the shield of the cabling, thus providing ground. Pins 2 and 3 are used to carry audio signal, normally
in a balanced (out of phase) configuration.
