RMS
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.
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Roll-off
The rate at which a filter or equaliser attenuates a signal once it has passed the turnover frequency.
Rotary Encoder
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.
Safety Copy
A copy or clone of an original tape for use in case of loss or damage to the original.
Sample
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.
Sample and Hold
(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.
Sawtooth Wave
So called because it resembles the teeth of a saw, this waveform contains both odd and even harmonics.
Scrape Flutter
As analogue recording tape moves across the heads or other non-moving parts in the tape path it can vibrate at a high frquency (typically above 100Hz) due to a rapid stick-slip action, and this causes a form of intermodulation distortion. Often mechanical dampers and rollers are placed in the tape path to prevent scrape flutter.
SCSI
Pronounced 'Skuzzy', it is an abbreviation for Small Computer Systems Interface. A now obsolete interfacing system for using hard drives, scanners, CD-ROM drives and similar peripherals with a computer. Each SCSI device has its own ID number and no two SCSI devices in the same chain must be set to the same number. The last SCSI device in the chain should be terminated, either via an internal terminator or via a plug-in terminator fitted to a free SCSI socket.
Session Tape
The original tape recording made during a recording session.
Sequencer
A device for recording and replaying MIDI data, usually in a multitrack format, allowing complex compositions to be built up a part at a time.
Shockmount
a mechanical isolator intended to prevent the transfer of vibrations which may be transmitted through a microphone stand from reaching a microphone where they would otherwise produce unwanted low frequency sound.
Short-Circuit
A very low resistance path that allows electrical current to flow. The term is usually used to describe a current path that exists through a fault condition. (See Open Circuit)
Sibilance
A high-frequency whistling or lisping sound that affects vocal recordings, due either to poor mic technique or excessive HF equalisation.
Side-chain
A part of an audio circuit that splits off a proportion of the main signal to be processed in some way. Compressors use a side-chain process to derive a control signals to adjust the main path attenuation.
Signal
An electrical representation of an audio event.
Signal Chain
The route taken by a signal from the input of a system to the output.
Signal-to-noise Ratio
The ratio of nominal or maximum signal level to the residual noise floor, expressed in decibels and often written as S/N.
Single-ended Noise Reduction
A device for removing or attenuating the noise component of a recording or transmission system without pre-conditioning the signal. Most digital noise-reduction systems are of the Single-ended type.
Slate
The term 'slate' comes from the silent film practice of writing the scene, take and shot numbers with chalk on a slate and holding it up in front of the camera before the action starts, so that the film editor can identify the material. A role now replaced by the 'clapper-board' which adds an audio synchronisation marking facility as well. In an audio context, a slate is a verbal identification recorded just before each take to help identify it subsequently. This is normally achieved by using a talkback microphone routed to the main, group and/or direct outputs of a mixer. The console slate function often mixed a low frequency tone in with the microphone signal to help make locating the start of each take much easier when fast-winding the tape against the playback head. Each slate ident would be heard as a short, steady mid-frequency tone.