The nominal signal level generated by a microphone. Typically around -50dBu. Mic level signals must be amplified to raise them to line-level.

A display intended to indicate the level of a sound signal. It could indicate peak levels (eg. PPMs or digital sample meters), average levels (VU or RMS meters), or perceived loudness (LUFS meters).

A list of choices presented by a computer program or a device with a display window.

A computer's memory (RAM) used to store programs and data. This data is lost when the computer is switched off and so must be stored to disk or other suitable archive media.

Modular Digital Multitrack. An obsolete term for hardware digital recorders that can be used in multiples to provide a greater number of synchronized tracks than a single machine.

A term describing the tuning mechanism of a guitar.

Megabyte. Nominally 1,000,000 (one million) bytes of data, but in fact, because computer memory works in with binary, the actual value is 1,048,576 bytes (220).

The loudest sound pressure level that a device can generate or tolerate.

A facility found mostly in live-sound mixing consoles used to create separate mixes which can be sent to many different output destinations. Essentially, a Matrix creates 'a mix of mixes' since derived from pre-mixed output signals such as subgroups, auxes or main outputs. This is in contrast to the normal console mixing facilities which are derived from input channel signals. A matrix can be any size, and is usually described in terms of numbers of inputs and outputs, such as 2x2 or 8x8, or 8x6 etc with a level control at each junction of the matrix so that the desired amount of any source can be sent to any output - and it is this feature that makes a Matrix more versatile than a conventional subgrouping system. Matrix sends might be used to create appropriate feeds for disparate destinations like PA front fills, green-room foldback, camera recorders, and so on.

Traditionally the sequencing of individual recordings to form a cohesive album of material, and to apply corrective equalisation and dynamics processing to ensure a consistent sound character and to optimise playback on the widest possible range of sound systems. Appropriate signal processing may also be applied to make the mastered material suitable for its intended medium (such as controlling transient peaks and dynamics and mono-ing the bass for vinyl records, etc).