GLOSSARY
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Octave –A difference of pitch where one tone has a frequency that is double or one-half of the frequency of another tone.
Off Axis -- Away from the front or axis of the mic, measured in degrees. 2) 180 degrees from the front.
Offset Time - 1) The SMPTE time that will trigger a MIDI sequencer to begin. 2) The amount of position difference needed to get two reels to play the music in time.
Ohm - The unit of opposition to current flow.
Ohm's Law - The mathematical relationship between voltage, current and resistance.
Omni – A prefix meaning All.
Omni-Directional – In microphones, picking up evenly from all directions. 2) In speakers, sending out evenly in all directions.
Omni Mode – Recognizing and responding to all MIDI Channels.
On Axis – The position of directly in front of the diaphragm of a microphone, in line with its movement.
On Line - 1) Video editing done by a computer controlling tape machines according programmed instructions and used for the final editing of video recording. 2) A status that means that the device is ready to receive input.
Op Amp - Short for Operational Amplifier (an amplifying circuit used in most audio devices).
Open - Short for the term Open Circuit.
Open Circuit - Having a break in a conductor or, for another reason, not having a complete path for electrons to flow. 2) Said of an amplifier, having nothing feeding the input.
Open Track –- A track on a multitrack tape which has not yet been recorded on.
Operating Level - The maximum level that should not be exceeded in normal operation.
Operational Amplifier - An amplifying circuit used in most audio devices.
Oscillator – 1) A device that puts out test tones at various frequencies to align a tape machine or for other testing purposes. 2) A device generating a tone in a synthesizer
Out Of Phase - 1) Being similar to another signal in amplitude, frequency and wave shape but being offset in time by part of a cycle. 2) 180 degrees out of phase or having opposite polarity.
Out Port - A jack which puts out digital data in a computer or digital device.
Outboard Equipment - Equipment that is used with, but is not a part of, a console.
Output - 1) The jack or physical location of where a device sends out a signal. 2) The signal put out by a device.
Output Impedance – The opposition to current flow by the output circuits of an amplifier (or other device).
Output Level - The signal level at the output of a device.
Output Selector – The switch on a tape machine which allows the VU meter and audio output of the tape machine electronics to monitor and send out of the machine either the input signal to the rape machine, the playback of what was being recorded or the level of bias current being fed to the record head.
Overdubbing - 1) Adding additional musical parts on a track of a multitrack tape. 2) Sending a previously recorded signal through a console and mixing it with the audio from a new sound source, recording onto another tape.
Over Easy - DBX’s trademark for the gradual change of compression ratio around the threshold making it difficult to detect when compression is taking place.
Overload - To put too much signal level into thereby causing distortion
Overload Indicator - An LED on a channel of a console that shows that the input or other part of the circuit is receiving an overload.
Oversampling –A process where the analog audio (or the digital audio for playback) is sampled many times more than the minimum sampling rate.
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