So called because it resembles the teeth of a saw, this waveform contains both odd and even harmonics.

(S&H) - Usually refers to a feature whereby random amplitude values are generated at regular intervals and then used to control another function such as pitch or filter frequency. Sample and hold circuits were also used in old analogue synthesizers to 'remember' the note being played after a key had been released.

The number of times an A/D converter samples the incoming waveform each second. The sample rate must be more than twice the highest frequency to be encoded — according to the Nyquist Theorem.

Either a defined short piece of audio which can be replayed under MIDI control; or a single discrete time element forming part of a digital audio signal.

A copy or clone of an original tape for use in case of loss or damage to the original.

A hardware controller comprising a knob or dial which can be rotated in either direction without end-stops. A digital encoder of some kind attached to the shaft translates the movement into a digital code that can indicate both direction and speed of rotation to the controlling software of a device.

Acoustic resonances within an enclosed space or room. These occur at specific frequencies where the source sound is reflected from the room's boundaries to reinforce and/or cancel with itself to create standing waves. This results in some areas in the room with very boomy or exaggerated pitches, and others where the pitch may be almost completely absent. The resonant frequencies involved relate directly to the sound wavelength and room dimensions, and is particularly prevalent at low frequencies.

Read Only Memory — A permanent or non-volatile type of memory chip containing data that can't be changed once programmed. Operating systems are often stored on ROM as the memory remains intact when the power is removed.

The rate at which a filter or equaliser attenuates a signal once it has passed the turnover frequency.

Root Mean Square. A statistical measure of the magnitude of a varying quantity. Its name comes from its definition as the square root of the mean of the squares of the values of the signal.