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input module
A holdover from the days when the only way
that real consoles were built was in modular
fashion, one channel per module. See channel
strip.
knee
A knee is a sharp bend in an EQ response
curve not unlike the sharp bend in your leg.
Also used in describing dynamics processors.
level
Another word for signal voltage, power,
strength or volume. Audio signals are some-
times classified according to their level.
Commonly used levels are: microphone level
(–40dBu or lower), instrument level (–20 to –
10dBu), and line level (–10 to +30dBu).
line level
A signal whose level falls between –10dBu
and +30dBu.
main house speakers
The main loudspeakers for a sound rein-
forcement system. These are usually the
largest and loudest loudspeakers, and are usu-
ally positioned so that their sound seems to
come from the area of the main stage.
mains
See main house speakers.
master
A control affecting the final output of a
mixer. A mixer may have several master
controls, which may be slide faders or rotary
controls.
mic amp
See mic preamp.
mic level
The typical level of a signal from a micro-
phone. A mic level signal (usually but not
always coming from a microphone) is gener-
ally below –30dBu. With a very quiet source (a
pin dropping?) the signal can be –70dBu or
lower. It is also possible for some microphones
to deliver more signal than this, in which case
it may be referred to as a “hot” mic level. Alter-
natively, you can just say, “Boy, is that loud!”
mic pre
See mic preamp.
mic preamp
Short for microphone preamplifier. An am-
plifier that functions to bring the very low
signal level of a microphone (approximately –
50dBu) up to line level (approximately 0dBu).
Mic preamps often have their own volume con-
trol, called a trim control, to properly set the
gain for a particular source. Setting the mic
preamp gain correctly with the trim control is
an essential step in establishing good noise
and headroom for your mix.
mixer
An electronic device used to combine
various audio signals into a common output.
Different from a blender, which combines vari-
ous fruits into a common libation.
monaural
Literally, pertaining to or having the use of
only one ear. In sound work, monaural has to
do with a signal which, for purposes of commu-
nicating audio information, has been confined
to a single channel. One microphone is a mono
pickup; many microphones mixed to one chan-
nel is a mono mix; a mono signal played
through two speakers is still mono, since it
only carries one channel of information. Sev-
eral monaural sources, however, can be
panned into a stereo (or at least two-channel,
if you are going to be picky) mix. Monaural SR
is common for environments where stereo SR
would provide an uneven reproduction to the
listener.
monitor
In sound reinforcement, monitor speakers
(or monitor headphones or in-the-ear moni-
tors) are those speakers used by the
performers to hear themselves. Monitor speak-
ers are also called foldback speakers. In
recording, the monitor speakers are those used
by the production staff to listen to the record-
ing as it progresses. In zoology, the monitor
lizard is the lizard that observes the produc-
tion staff as the recording progresses. Keep the
lizard out of the mixer.
mono
Short for monaural.
mult
Probably short for multiple. In audio work, a
mult is a parallel connection in a patch bay or
a connection made with patch cords to feed an
output to more than one input. A “Y” cable is a
type of mult connection. Also a verb, as in
“Why did you mult the flanger into every input
in the board?”
noise
Whatever you don’t want to hear. Could be
hum, buzz or hiss; could be crosstalk or digital
hash or your neighbor’s stereo; could be white
noise or pink noise or brown noise; or it could
be your mother-in-law reliving the day she had
her gallstone removed.
noise floor
The residual level of noise in any system. In
a well designed mixer, the noise floor will be a
quiet hiss, which is the thermal noise gener-
ated by bouncing electrons in the transistor
junctions. The lower the noise floor and the
higher the headroom, the more usable dy-
namic range a system has.