SMPS
see Switching Power Supply
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SMPTE
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (www.smpte.org) an American standards body. The term is also used to refer to a form of time code developed for the film industry but now extensively used in music and recording. SMPTE is a real-time digital code describing hours, minutes, seconds and film or video frames. Usually conveyed as an audible warble.
S/MUX
Sample Multiplexing (see ADAT ).
Snake
A term used to describe a cable used to carry multiple individual audio signals, typically between a stage and mixing console in live sound applications.
Sound Card
A dedicated interface to transfer audio signals in and out of a computer. A Sound Card can be installed internally, or connected externally via USB2 or FireWire, and they are available in a wide range of formats, accommodating multiple analogue or digital audio signals (or both) in and out, as well as MIDI data in and out.
Sound On Sound
An early recording technique pioneered by Les Paul and others which was a simple form of overdubbing to build up a mix of sources. Also, the world's best recording technology magazine (see www.soundonsound.com).
Soundproofing
The use of materials and construction techniques with the aim of preventing unwanted sound from entering or leaving a room.
Spaced Array
A means of arranging two or more microphone capsules such that they receive sound waves from different directions at different times - these timing differences being used to convey information about the relatice directions of those sound sources. The technique is usually used with omnidirectional microphones, although directional mics can also be employed. The best known form of spaced array is the Decca Tree. Mono-compatibility is often reduced because the timing differences between channels often results in comb-filtering colouration when the channels are summed to mono.
S/PDIF
Sony/Philips Digital InterFace. Pronounced either ‘S-peedif’ or ‘Spudif’. A stereo or dual-channel self-clocking digital interfacing standard employed by Sony and Philips in consumer digital hi-fi products. The S/PDIF signal is essentially identical in data format to the professional AES3 interface, and is available as either an unbalanced electrical interface (using phono connectors and 75ohm coaxial cable), or as an optical interface called TOSlink.
Speaker (also Loudspeaker and Monitor)
An accurate loudspeaker intended for critical sound auditioning purposes.
Spill
Unwanted sound picked up by microphones on one instrument from other nearby instruments.
SPL
Sound Pressure Level. A measure of the intensity of an acoustic sound wave. Normally specified in terms of Pascals for an absolute value, or relative to the typical sensitivity of human hearing. One Pascal is 94dB SPL, or to relate it to atmospheric pressures, 0.00001 Bar or 0.000145psi!
SPP
Song Position Pointer (MIDI).
Square Wave
A symmetrical rectangular waveform. Square waves contain a series of odd harmonics.
SRA
see Stereo Recording Angle
SSD
see Solid-state Drive.
Standard Midi File
A standard file format that allows MIDI files to be transferred between different sequencers and MIDI file players.
Standing Waves
Resonant low frequency sound waves bouncing between opposite surfaces such that each reflected wave aligns perfectly with previous waves to create static areas of maximum and minimum sound pressure within the room. (See also Modes and Modal Frequencies)
Stage Box
A connection box terminating a multicore cable (see Snake) which is usually placed on a stage for the easy connection of individual microphone cables.
Stems
When mixing complex audio material it is often useful to divide the tracks into related sections and mix those sections separately before combining the whole. In mixing film soundtracks, the material would often be grouped as a dialogue stem, a music stem, and an effects stem. Each stem might be mono, stereo or multichannel, as appropriate to the situation. In music mixing, stems might be used for the rhythm section, backline instruments, frontline instruments, backing vocals, lead vocals and effects - or any other combination that suited the particular project.