Production Glossary: Audio, Video, Photo and Event Terms

An interoperability standard for exchanging real-time audio between compatible networked systems.

Hardware that converts audio between analogue equipment and a computer-based recording system.

A controllable feed from an input channel to an auxiliary bus for monitoring, effects or other destinations.

Prerecorded musical parts played alongside a live performance.

The number of bits used to represent each digital audio sample in a fixed-point format.

A shared signal path that collects audio from selected sources for a common destination or purpose.

An audible timing reference that follows a defined tempo, meter or tempo map.

Building one preferred performance by selecting passages from multiple recorded takes.

Level-dependent gain reduction that helps control dynamics and shape a performance's envelope.

A microphone that senses sound through changes in an electrically charged capsule.

Networked digital audio transport with device discovery, channel routing and shared clocking.

Software for recording, arranging, editing, processing and mixing digital audio.

A logarithmic measure of sound pressure relative to 20 micropascals in air.

An effect that plays a delayed copy of a sound, often with repeating echoes.

A remote loudspeaker position timed to support audience areas farther from the main system.

An interface that adapts an instrument or other source for a balanced microphone-level connection.

Stored console settings that recall selected parts of a live mix at a planned moment.

An immersive audio format that renders beds and positioned objects for compatible playback systems.

A microphone that generates an audio signal through electromagnetic motion.

Frequency-selective processing that changes tone, clarity and the balance of a sound system.

An acoustic loop that turns amplified sound into ringing, howling or squealing.

The audience-facing live sound mix, its engineer and the position used to control it.

Setting healthy signal levels throughout an audio system without unnecessary noise or clipping.

A dynamics processor that attenuates a channel when its detector falls below a chosen level.

The level margin between an audio signal and the point where a device overloads.

Earpieces that deliver a personal performance mix directly to a musician or presenter.

A channel-by-channel document describing the sources and connections required for a show.

The elapsed time between an audio event entering a system and its corresponding output.

A coordinated loudspeaker array designed to control coverage through cabinet geometry and acoustic interaction.

A systematic test that each expected source reaches the correct channel and destination.

A standardized loudness measurement describing program level relative to digital full scale.

The final evaluation and preparation of an approved mix for its intended release formats.

Choosing a microphone's position, distance and angle to capture the wanted sound effectively.

Combining recorded tracks into an intentional musical balance for a chosen playback format.

The control centre that combines audio sources and routes them to audience, stage and recording outputs.

A performer-focused audio balance sent to stage speakers or in-ear monitors.

Recording sources onto separate tracks so their balance and processing can be adjusted later.

A new performance recorded while listening to previously recorded material.

A public address system that captures, processes, amplifies and distributes sound to an audience.

DC power delivered along a balanced microphone connection to compatible audio equipment.

A map of how a microphone responds to sound arriving from different directions.

Polarity changes signal sign; phase describes a frequency-dependent relationship between signals.

An input stage that raises a microphone signal to a useful level for recording or mixing.

A comparison of creative production leadership and the technical work of capturing and shaping sound.

The dense continuation of reflected sound that remains after a source stops.

Planning and managing compatible wireless audio operation within the available radio spectrum.

The number of digital audio samples captured or played per second, expressed in hertz.

A performer engaged to contribute instrumental or vocal parts to a particular recording or project.

The route an audio signal follows through connections, processing, mixes and outputs.

A cable assembly that carries several separate audio circuits within one outer jacket.

A pre-performance check of sources, mixes and system behaviour using the actual performance setup.

Audio that uses directional cues to create a sense of position, distance and surrounding space.

A stage-side connection point that gathers audio inputs and distributes output feeds.

A stage layout that shows performers, equipment, monitors and key production requirements.

A grouped audio export, such as all drums or backing vocals, prepared as one deliverable.

A loudspeaker designed for low frequencies, used to extend bass output and share system workload.

A dedicated communication path for instructions between engineers and performers.

A document communicating an act's technical requirements and agreed production needs for a performance.

Pitch editing or processing that adjusts a recorded vocal while shaping how natural or stylised it sounds.

A microphone system that sends audio to a receiver over a radio link rather than a stage cable.

A locking audio connection commonly used for balanced microphones and professional line-level signals.