Glossary

A 'Dummy Head' is a binaural recording array which intentionally resembles (to a greater or lesser degree) the size and shape (and sometimes also the density) of the average human head, with two microphones placed on opposite sides in the positions of the ear canals. The idea is to capture passing sound waves in the sa,e way as a normal listener would perceive them, with the correct inter-aural time delays and head shadowing effects which are critical to assessing directional cues.

To transfer digital data from one device to another. A SysEx dump is a means of transmitting information about a particular instrument or module over MIDI, and may be used to store sound patches, parameter settings and so on.

The ability to play two notes at once. Some dual-oscillator mono-synths allow the keyboard to generate two control voltages (from the lowest and highest keys played) which are routed to separate oscillators allowing two notes to be played simultaneously (see Paraphonic). For example, the ARP Odyssey and the Moog Subsequent are both duophonic synths.

'Digital Vinyl System' is a way of controlling and manipulating the playback of digital audio files in a computer by using conventional analogue turntables as the interface, thus maintaining a traditional 'disk-jockey' style of hands-on 'turntablism' control, including scratching. The system is based upon using special vinyl discs which carry standard timecode signals. The output of the vinyl replay chain is routed into the computer via an audio interface in the usual way, and the software is then able to analyse the timecode to determine changes in playback speed, direction, and position of the pickup on the vinyl disc, and apply that timing and speed information to the reproduction of a digital audio file. Some latency is inevitable in such a system, but it is usually very short.

A type of microphone that works on the electric generator principle, such as Moving Coil and Ribbon mics. An acoustical sound wave impacts the microphone diaphragm which then moves an electrical conductor within a magnetic field to generate a current, the amplitude and polarity of which reflects the acoustic signal.

The amplitude range, usually expressed in decibels (dB), between the loudest signal that can be handled by a piece of equipment and the level at which small signals disappear into the noise floor. (See AES17)

A way of describing the relative levels within a piece of music.