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Glossary

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Welcome to Sound On Sound's indispensible, regularly updated, explanations of technical terms from the fields of Recording, Audio Production, Music Technology, MIDI, Music Software, Audio Plug-ins, Mac and PC Computing, Live Sound, Acoustics, Electronics and more...

If we do not explain a particular term below, please email glossary@soundonsound.com and we will add it to our next update.

Last updated: 30/01/26

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Y-Lead

A form of adapter cable that passively splits the output of a source to feed two or more destinations. Y-leads may also be used in unbalanced console insert points, in which case a stereo jack plug at one end of the lead is split into two monos at the other for separate send and return connections. A Y-lead must never be used to combine signals.