User Manual

54 M32 User Manual
4.6 Appendix F: Glossary
This glossary provides an explanation of the symbols, terms and abbreviations used in this manual.
5.1 surround: A surround sound system created from six channels that form
a discrete signal, which is played back over a speaker system comprising ve
speakers (three front and two rear) and a subwoofer (which is the ‘.1’ or LFE
channel). See LFE.
μ: Micro- prex symbol that represents 10-6 or one millionth.
A
A/D: Abbreviation for ‘analogue to digital’. The conversion of a continuous signal
into a numeric discrete sample sequence.
AC: Abbreviation for ‘alternating current’.
AES/EBU: Abbreviation for ‘Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcasting
Union’. See AES3.
Acoustic feedback: A sound loop existing between an audio input and
audio output that is amplied on each cycle. For example, a mic input signal
is amplied and passed to a loudspeaker. The output from the loudspeaker is
picked up the mic, which amplies it again and passes it back to the loudspeaker,
and so on.
AES3: Also known as ‘AES/EBU’, this is a serial interface for transferring digital
audio between devices.
AES50: AES digital audio engineering standard. AES50 is a high resolution,
multi-channel audio interconnection (HRMAI). Rather than a network, it is a
high-performance, point-to-point audio interconnection, although the auxiliary
data may operate as a true network, independently of the audio. HRMAI provides
a professional multi-channel audio interconnection that uses Cat 5e data cable
and is compatible with Ethernet networks.
AFL: Abbreviation for ‘after fader listen’. A function that allows the signal to be
monitored post-fader, that is, after it has been acted upon by the fader.
Algorithm: In computing, a set of instructions for accomplishing a specic task.
amp (A): Abbreviation for ‘ampere’. A unit of current.
Anti-aliasing: When referring to digital images, a technique that avoids
poor pixelation.
Area A: Primary input control area.
Area B: A secondary input control area.
Assignable controls: User-assignable controls that can be set up to operate
other functions.
Auto safe: Prevents channel from accepting scene recall.
Auto-mute: A function that automatically mutes the channel’s signal under
certain conditions.
Auto-mute group: A function that automatically mutes a number of selected
channels under certain conditions.
Automation: 1. Memorization and playback of changes made to mixer settings.
2. An area on the master bay that controls these.
Aux: Abbreviation for ‘auxiliary send’ or ‘aux send’. A designation for extra
buses, typically used for sending signal to eects, headphone amps and other
destinations. See Bus.
Aux send: See Aux.
B
Balanced audio: A type of audio connection that uses the three leads in a cable,
connector and jack as part of a phase-cancelling arrangement to boost the signal
and reduce noise.
Band: In EQ, a range of frequencies.
Bandwidth: In EQ, the width of a band, that is, the number of frequencies that
will be boosted/cut above and below a centre frequency.
Bank: A xed number of channels displayed on a GUI screen.
Bass: Lower frequencies in a signal.
Bay: One of the main control surface sections.
Bus: A pathway down which one or more signals can travel.
C
Cat 5e: A specication for a type of cable used typically for Ethernet
computer networks.
Channel: Single path taken by an audio signal (input or output) through the
control centre.
Channel strip: Row of controls in traditional analogue layout used for the
shaping of a signal.
Checkpoint: A patching data store point, created by clicking CHECKPOINT.
See Patching.
Click: A method of GUI operation, mainly for button operation and
selection purposes.
CMR: Abbreviation for ‘common mode rejection’. A measure of how well a
dierential amplier rejects a signal that appears simultaneously and in-phase at
both input terminals. CMR is usually stated as a dB ratio at a given frequency.
Comb ltering: Removal of signal components at a number of regularly
spaced frequencies.
Compressor: A dynamics processor that reduces the level of any signal
exceeding a specied threshold volume.
Condenser microphone: A high quality mic that uses a capacitor to detect
changes in the ambient air pressure, which it then converts into an electrical
signal. This type of mic requires power from a battery or external source.
Control centre: The M32’s console, comprising control surface and GUI.
Control surface: Area on the control centre that houses all of the user’s
hardware controls, such as pushbuttons, control knobs, switches etc.
Crossfade: To combine signals such that one channel or source fades out while
another fades in, but maintaining an essentially constant programme volume.
Cursor: Generally, used to describe the ‘I’-shaped pointer on the GUI that
indicates a text insertion point. See Pointer.
D
D zone: Section in the input channel strip for controlling dynamic parameters.
D/A: Abbreviation for ‘digital to analogue’. The conversion of digital data to
analogue audio.
DARS: Abbreviation for ‘digital audio reference signal’.
Dashboard: A standard GUI screen display - usually on the master bay - that
shows all channel meters (inputs, auxes, returns, masters etc.) all of the time.
DAW: Abbreviation for ‘Digital Audio Workstation’. A digital audio workstation
is an electronic system designed solely or primarily for recording, editing and
playing back digital audio.
dB: Symbol for ‘decibel’. A unit of measurement of the loudness of sound.
See dBu.
dBu: A unit of measurement of sound used in professional audio. Derived from
the decibel, where the ‘u’ stands for unloaded, this unit is an RMS measurement
of voltage based on 0.775 VRMS, which is the voltage at which you get 1 mV of
power in a 600 ohm resistor. This used to be the standard impedance in most
professional audio circuits.
DC: Abbreviation for ‘direct current’.
Delay: An eect by which a reproduction of a signal is played back later then
its original.