Glossary of Audio, Recording and Music Terms "N"

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N.A.B. – The abbreviation for the National Association of Broadcasters.

Nano – A prefix meaning one-billionth. 

Nano-Webers Per Meter – The standard unit in measuring the amount of magnetic energy. 

Narration – The spoken word from a person not seen on the screen that gives various information.

Narrow Band Noise - Noise (random energy) over a limited frequency range. 

National Association of Broadcasters - An association that has adopted standards, including the standardization of the record equalization used in tape recording. 

Near Field - The area up to one foot from the sound source. 

Negative - The opposite of positive. 

Negative Feedback - A portion of the output signal that is feed to the input (of an amplifier), out of phase. 

Noise - 1) A random energy that contains energy at all audio frequencies. 2) Any unintentional or objectionable signal added to an audio signal. 

Noise Filter - A filter used which passes only signals with the intended audio frequencies thus eliminating noise signals at other frequencies. 

Noise Floor - The level of the noise, in dB, below the signal. 

Noise Gate - A gate used to turn off an audio channel when noise but not signal is present. 

Noise Reduction - Any device to remove noise in a device or system.  

Non-Directional - Used with microphones to mean the same thing as the term Omni-Directional (picking up from all directions). 

Non-Destructive Editing - The action in Digital Disk Audio Recording, where the playback of the digital audio is programmed to play certain portions and not others.

Non-Linear - The condition of obtaining a change at the output of the device which is not proportional to the change occurring at the input, causing distortion. 

Normals – Switches on the patch jacks that connect certain jacks together until a patch cord is inserted. 

Normalize - 1) To provide normal switches on a jack. 2) To reset a synthesizer, sound module or sample playback unit to the original settings that were present from the factory. 3) To adjust the level of a selection so that the highest peak is at the maximum recording level of the medium. 4) In computers, to format a floppy disc.

Normalizing Jacks – Switches on the patch jacks that connect certain jacks together until a patch cord is inserted. 

Notch – A narrow band of audio frequencies.

Notch Filter – A device that rejects signals that have frequencies within a narrow band of audio frequencies and passes all other signals. 

Null – A condition of zero energy or movement. Also refers to console automation, the placement of the slide of a fader to the exact point that was originally used to make the automated mix. 

NW/m – Nano-Webers per Meter, which is the standard unit in measuring the amount of magnetic energy.

Nybble – One half byte, 4 information bits. 

Nyquest Frequency – The highest frequency that can be recorded and reproduced properly by a particular sampling rate (a frequency that is one-half the sampling rate). 

Nyquest Rate – The lowest sampling rate that can be used to record and reproduce a given audio frequency.