Sync
A system for making two or more pieces of equipment run in synchronism with each other.
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Synthesis
The creation of artificial sound.
Synthesizer
An electronic musical instrument designed to create a wide range of sounds, both imitative and abstract.
SysEx
(System Exclusive) A part of the MIDI standard that allows manufacturers to define their own specific message formats, commonly used to dump and load a specific product’s patch data.
Talkback
A system designed to enable voice communication between rooms.
Tape Head
The part of a tape machine that transfers magnetic energy to the tape during recording, or reads it during playback.
Tempo
The rate of the 'beat' of a piece of music measured in beats per minute.
Test Tone
– A steady, fixed level tone recorded onto a multitrack recording, or passed over a signal connection to test the signal path and act as a reference when matching levels.
THD
Total Harmonic Distortion. A measure of the linearity of a device. The THD+N measurement includes the noise contribution as well and is an indication of the quality of an audio product.
Thru
A MIDI connector which passes on the signal received at the MIDI in socket.
Timbre
The tonal 'colour' of a sound.
Timbral
Referring to the tones that can be created by a synthesizer (see multi-timbral and bi-timbral)
Track
The term dates back to multitrack tape where the tracks are physical stripes of recorded material, located side by side along the length of the tape.
Tracking
The process of recording individual tracks to a multichannel recorder. Tracking is also often discussed in the context of MIDI guitar synthesizers or controllers where the MIDI output attempts to track the pitch of the guitar strings.
Transformer
An electrical device in which two or more separate and electrically isolated coils of wire are wound around a common ferromagnetic core. Alternating Current passing through one coil creates a varying magnetic field which induces a corresponding current in the other coil(s). In audio applications transformers are often used to convey a signal without a direct electrical connection, thus providing 'galvanic isolation' between the source and destination. Winding a transformer with different numbers of turns for each coil allows the output voltage to be increased or decreased in direct proportion – a feature widely employed in mains power-supply transformers to reduce the mains voltage to something more appropriate for the circuitry, for example, or in microphone preamp step-up transformers.
A-Type Plug
A domestic and semi-professional form of quarter-inch (6.35mm) jack plug. Available with either two or three terminals and referred to as TS (tip-sleeve 2-terminal) or TRS (tip-ring-sleeve 3-terminal). Widely used for electric instruments in an unbalanced mono format (TS), for stereo headphones in an unbalanced stereo format (TRS), and for balanced mono line-level connections on semi-pro equipment (also TRS).
Although similar in overall length and diamter to the professional B‑Type Plug, the two formats are not compatible. The large angular tip of the A-type plug will damage B-type sockets, while B-type plugs will not mate correctly with A-type sockets.
A miniature version of the A-type plug is also available called the Mini-jack, with a 3.5mm diameter and in both TS and TRS formats. Widely used for domestic headphone and input connections on consumer portable equipment, as well as for CV and gate connections on modular synthesizers.
B-Type Plug
A professional form of quarter-inch jack plug derived from the telecommunications industry where it is known as the PO316. It has three terminals (tip-ring-sleeve) and is widely used for balanced connections on professional patch bays. Although of similar overall length and diameter to the domestic A-type plug, it has a much smaller tip and is incompatible. A miniature version is available for high-density patchbays, called the TT or Bantam jack-plug.
Back Electret
A form of electrostatic or capacitor microphone.
dB / deciBel
The deciBel (dB) is a method of expressing the ratio between two quantities in a logarithmic fashion. Used when describing audio signal amplitudes because the logarithmic nature matches the logarithmic character of the human sense of hearing. (Detailed explanation available when title link clicked)
A-Weighting
An electrical filter which used when taking audio measurements of equipment, and designed to mimic the relative insensitivity of the human ear to high and low frequencies at low sound pressure levels (notionally 40 Phons or about 30dBA SPL). Essentially, the filter rolls-off the low frequencies below about 700Hz and the highs above about 10kHz. This form of weighting filter is often used when making measurements of low-level sounds, like the noise floor of a device. (See also C-Weighting and K-Weighting.)