audio programming - beginner level

quiz2.cpp

// compile: clang++ -std=c++20 quiz2.cpp -o quiz2
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <vector>
#include <algorithm>
#include <random>

namespace quiz
{
	class Quiz
	{
	public:
		Quiz(const std::string &q, const std::string &a) {_a=a;_q=q;}
		virtual ~Quiz() {}
		std::string getQ() {return _q;}
		std::string getA() {return _a;}
	private:
		std::string _q;
		std::string _a;
	};
}

std::vector<quiz::Quiz> game{
quiz::Quiz("0–5v","Denotes a range of 0 to 5 volts, which is common for gates, triggers, and modulation control voltages in modular synthesizers. Gates and triggers – which initiate events such as new notes – typically rise from 0v to 5v (0 to 10v is also common), with roughly the middle of that onset starting the event. Gates are considered high when held at 5v (or 10v), and then low when they return to 0v."),
quiz::Quiz("1 pole","This format of numbers and abbreviations (dB/oct = decibels per octave) is often used to refer to the frequency response behavior of a filter. A filter typically has a cutoff or corner frequency it is tuned to. It then reduces (filters) the frequency spectrum of a signal going through it so that its loudness is multiples of 6 decibels weaker for each octave further away you get from the cutoff frequency. A 6dB/octave filter is often referred to as a “one pole” filter (as each pole of a filter’s design results in 6dB of attenuation), and has a relatively weak effect on the signal going through it. Low Pass Gates (LPGs) typically – but not always – use 1 pole low pass filters, reducing the strength of higher harmonics by 6 decibels for every octave above its cutoff frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("1 ppqn","The most common sequencer clock division forwards it one step (pulse) per quarter note. This is often the core sync pulse that is distributed in a modular system, and is either multiplied or divided to create other musical divisions."),
quiz::Quiz("1 v/oct","The most common standard for controlling pitch in a modular synthesizer. Under the system, increasing the voltage going into a VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) 1 volt – say, from 0.5v to 1.5v – would raise its pitch by one octave."),
quiz::Quiz("1.2 v/oct","Buchla compatible synths have standardized on the 1.2 volt per octave system, instead of the more common 1 v/oct. With 12 semitones to an octave in Western music, an equally tempered scale would work out to precisely 0.1 volts for a change in pitch of 1 semitone."),
quiz::Quiz("1/4”","The most common connector size used for 5U (Moog format) modular synthesizers. These are TS (tip/sleeve) jacks and plugs, similar to guitar and other instrument cables."),
quiz::Quiz("1/8”","Often used to incorrectly describe the connector size commonly used in Eurorack format modules, as well as Buchla audio signals. In fact, Eurorack modules use 3.5mm jacks and plugs (slightly larger than 1/8”); Buchla uses Switchcraft Tini-Jax connectors. Tini-Jax are 3.5mm in diameter, but are slightly different physically from a common 3.5 mm jack. 1/8” plugs would be loose in both of these jacks, so make sure you get 3.5mm connectors ordering parts or cables for these formats."),
quiz::Quiz("10 vpp","An abbreviation for \"10 volts peak to peak\" with peak to peak being the difference between the lowest and highest voltage reached during a signal's travels. This is a common voltage range for both audio and modulation signals in a modular synthesizer. The actual range is between –5 and +5 volts. The precise range may be varied to change the depth of their effect, so don’t get too hung up on specific voltage ranges. Pay more attention to whether they vary between 0v and some value, or swing in roughly equal amounts both above and below 0v (as 10vpp does)."),
quiz::Quiz("12 dB/oct","This format of numbers and abbreviations (dB/oct = decibels per octave) is often used to refer to the frequency response behavior of a filter. A filter typically has a cutoff or corner frequency it is tuned to. It then reduces (filters) the frequency spectrum of a signal going through it so that its loudness is multiples of 12 decibels weaker for each octave further away you get from the cutoff frequency. A 12dB/octave filter is often referred to as a “two pole” filter (as each pole of a filter’s design results in 6dB of attenuation). Vintage Arp, Korg, and Oberheim instruments often featured 2-pole filters, often resulting in brighter sounds when compared to those with 4-pole instruments."),
quiz::Quiz("16’","Sometimes seen on octave selector switches on oscillators. It refers to the length of an organ pipe. Longer pipes = lower pitches; 16’ is in the mid-bass range. A pipe or setting half as long (8’) is one octave higher; a pipe half as long again (4’) is two octaves higher; etc."),
quiz::Quiz("18 dB/oct","This format of numbers and abbreviations (dB/oct = decibels per octave) is often used to refer to the frequency response behavior of a filter. A filter typically has a cutoff or corner frequency it is tuned to. It then reduces (filters) the frequency spectrum of a signal going through it so that its loudness is multiples of 18 decibels weaker for each octave further away you get from the cutoff frequency. It is often used a coded shorthand for when someone wants to refer to acid-type bass lines from a TB-303 without mentioning the instrument by name."),
quiz::Quiz("2 Pole","This format of numbers and abbreviations (dB/oct = decibels per octave) is often used to refer to the frequency response behavior of a filter. A filter typically has a cutoff or corner frequency it is tuned to. It then reduces (filters) the frequency spectrum of a signal going through it so that its loudness is multiples of 12 decibels weaker for each octave further away you get from the cutoff frequency. A 12dB/octave filter is often referred to as a “two pole” filter (as each pole of a filter’s design results in 6dB of attenuation). Vintage Arp, Korg, and Oberheim instruments often featured 2-pole filters, often resulting in brighter sounds when compared to those with 4-pole instruments."),
quiz::Quiz("2.5 mm","A common screw thread size used to mount Eurorack modules. This size is most common when using a system of loose nuts that slide along the rails that the modules are attached to."),
quiz::Quiz("24 dB/oct","This format of numbers and abbreviations (dB/oct = decibels per octave) is often used to refer to the frequency response behavior of a filter. A filter typically has a cutoff or corner frequency it is tuned to. It then reduces (filters) the frequency spectrum of a signal going through it so that its loudness is multiples of 24 decibels weaker for each octave further away you get from the cutoff frequency. This design is often used in vintage Moog and Roland synths. 4-pole filters are often associated with subjectively fatter, more “round” sounds than 2-pole filters – but generalizations are always dangerous."),
quiz::Quiz("24 ppqn","A common master clock division used in MIDI, DIN sync, and other systems common to electronic music and synthesizers. It means internally, 24 subdivisions of time are counted for every quarter note at the current tempo. This fast internal clock can then be divided down to create sixteenth notes (÷6), eighth notes (÷12), eight note triplets (÷8), etc."),
quiz::Quiz("2’","Sometimes seen on octave selector switches for oscillators. It refers to the length of an organ pipe. Shorter pipes = higher pitches; 2’ is rarely seen on modular oscillators as it’s rather high in pitch – two octaves above middle C as a starting point. A pipe or setting twice as long (4’) is one octave lower; a pipe twice as long again (8’) is two octaves lower; etc."),
quiz::Quiz("3 mm","A common screw thread size used to mount Eurorack modules. This size is most common when using module mounting rails that have been pre-drilled."),
quiz::Quiz("3 Pole","This format of numbers and abbreviations (dB/oct = decibels per octave) is often used to refer to the frequency response behavior of a filter. A filter typically has a cutoff or corner frequency it is tuned to. It then reduces (filters) the frequency spectrum of a signal going through it so that its loudness is multiples of 18 decibels weaker for each octave further away you get from the cutoff frequency. It is often used a coded shorthand for when someone wants to refer to acid-type bass lines from a TB-303 without mentioning the instrument by name."),
quiz::Quiz("3.5 mm","The standard connector size used for jacks and cables in Eurorack format modular synthesizers. Note that this is slightly larger that 1/8”."),
quiz::Quiz("303","The TB-303 Bass Line by Roland became a cult favorite in Acid House and other flavors of EDM (Electronic Dance Music) for its rubbery, slithery synth bass sound. Many attribute the sound of the 303 to its filter design;"),
quiz::Quiz("32’","Sometimes seen on octave selector switches on oscillators. It refers to the length of an organ pipe. Longer pipes = lower pitches; 32’ is the lowest setting you will see and is getting into earthquake territory. A pipe or setting half as long (16’) is one octave higher; a pipe half as long again (8’) is two octaves higher; etc."),
quiz::Quiz("3U","Refers to modules that are 3 rack units (U) high – the Eurorack standard, which is by far the most common modular format today, even though it’s one of the youngest formats."),
quiz::Quiz("4 Pole","This format of numbers and abbreviations (dB/oct = decibels per octave) is often used to refer to the frequency response behavior of a filter. A filter typically has a cutoff or corner frequency it is tuned to. It then reduces (filters) the frequency spectrum of a signal going through it so that its loudness is multiples of 24 decibels weaker for each octave further away you get from the cutoff frequency. This design is often used in vintage Moog and Roland synths. 4-pole filters are often associated with subjectively fatter, more “round” sounds than 2-pole filters – but generalizations are always dangerous."),
quiz::Quiz("4-40","A screw thread size occasionally used to mount Eurorack modules. This size is used by Pittsburgh Modular for their cases, for example."),
quiz::Quiz("4U","Refers to modules that are 4U (rack units) high – namely, Buchla and Serge systems, as well as do-it-yourself clones of these modules. Both Buchla and Serge lean toward a more experimental approach to synthesis and music, so some users wear “4U” as a badge of honor that they’re non-conformist and cool. (And they are.)"),
quiz::Quiz("4’","Sometimes seen on octave selector switches on oscillators. It refers to the length of an organ pipe. Shorter pipes = higher pitches; 4’ is the highest octave setting you will see on most oscillators. A pipe or setting twice as long (8’) is one octave lower; a pipe twice as long again (16’) is two octaves lower; etc."),
quiz::Quiz("5U","Refers to modules that are 5U (rack units) or 8.75” (22.2 cm) high, which is most often associated with the vintage Moog standard and those who have followed in their footsteps, including Synthesizers.com (Dotcom) and Moon Modular. You will sometimes hear this used interchangeably with MU for Moog Units, which also refers to a standardized width of 2.125” (5.4 cm) wide per MU. Given that this standard is both historical and physically large, some users “5U” as a badge of honor that they’re traditional and cool. (And the are.) There was also a briefly popular 5U format from MOTM that used a different width and power connection. It has since been discontinued, but there are still diehard MOTM format users today."),
quiz::Quiz("6 dB/oct","This format of numbers and abbreviations (dB/oct = decibels per octave) is often used to refer to the frequency response behavior of a filter. A filter typically has a cutoff or corner frequency it is tuned to. It then reduces (filters) the frequency spectrum of a signal going through it so that its loudness is multiples of 6 decibels weaker for each octave further away you get from the cutoff frequency. A 6dB/octave filter is often referred to as a “one pole” filter (as each pole of a filter’s design results in 6dB of attenuation), and has a relatively weak effect on the signal going through it. Low Pass Gates (LPGs) typically – but not always – use 1 pole low pass filters, reducing the strength of higher harmonics by 6 decibels for every octave above its cutoff frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("808","The TR-808 Rhythm Composer by Roland created all of its sounds using analog circuitry. When it first came out, it was not well loved, as the analog sounds weren’t realistic enough. But later, music styles such as House and Hip-Hop adopted its big, booming synthetic sounds. When a module says it recreates “808” drums, this is the instrument they are trying to emulate. Most copied is the 808 kick drum sound, which tends to be a low-pitched, long-decaying sine-like wave often with a snappy attack."),
quiz::Quiz("8’","Sometimes seen on octave selector switches on oscillators. It refers to the length of an organ pipe. Shorter pipes = higher pitches; 8’ is typically associated with middle C. A pipe or setting half as long (4’) is one octave higher; a pipe or setting twice as long (16’) is one octave lower."),
quiz::Quiz("909","The TR-909 Rhythm Composer was the follow-up to Roland’s now-revered TR-808. It combined digital samples for the hi-hat and cymbal along with the 808’s analog sounds, and has also become popular. When a module says it produces 909-like sounds, this is the instrument it is referencing."),
quiz::Quiz("A-440","This is the frequency in hertz (cycles per second) of the A above Middle C. It is often used as a tuning reference."),
quiz::Quiz("A/B Technique","A stereo microphone placement technique in which two cardioid or omnidirectional microphones are spaced somewhere between 3-10 feet apart from each other (depending on the size of the sound source) to create a left/right stereo image. Also known as Spaced Pair."),
quiz::Quiz("A/D","Abbreviation of Analog-to-Digital Conversion, the conversion of a quantity that has continuous changes (like electrical signals) into numbers that approximate those changes (i.e., computer data)."),
quiz::Quiz("Absolute Phase","This term describes a perfect polarity between an original signal (into the microphone) and the reproduced signal (through the speaker). When positive pressure exerted upon the microphone is translated as positive pressure to the loudspeaker, the two are in “absolute phase.”."),
quiz::Quiz("Absorption","In acoustics, absorption is what happens when sound waves are absorbed by a surface, as opposed to bouncing off the surface (reflection). Absorptive materials in a control room, for example, tend to “deaden” the sound of the room because the sound energy is absorbed rather than reflected. (See also “Reflection.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("AC Coupled","An AC coupled input attempts to remove any constant DC voltage going through it. This is useful if have an audio signal (such as the output of an oscillator) which is AC in nature, and you want to remove any accidental DC offset that might have crept into it. These offsets can cause one half of the AC waveform to clip prematurely, or can cause clicks at the start and end of envelopes or mutes. However, this coupling can mildly distort a wave going through it, as in essence AC coupling is a high pass filter that is attempting to remove very low frequency components."),
quiz::Quiz("AC","Alternating Current - The type of electrical current found in standard electrical outlets and studio signals running through audio lines. In AC, the current “alternates” directions, flowing back and forth through the circuit. In modular terms, AC refers to a voltage that alternates between positive and negative values – such as the output of an oscillator."),
quiz::Quiz("Accelerometer","A device that measures the acceleration to which it is subjected and creates an electric signal to match it. In music and audio, accelerometers are found in such things as microphones and guitar pickups."),
quiz::Quiz("Acorn Tube","Named for its acorn-like shape, an acorn tube is a small vacuum tube used in ultra high frequency (UHF) electronics such as tube amplifiers."),
quiz::Quiz("Acoustic Amplifier","The part of a musical instrument that vibrates in response to the initial vibration of the instrument, causing the surrounding air to move more efficiently and making the sound louder. For example: the body of an acoustic guitar, the bell of a horn, a drum’s shell, and the wooden soundboard of a piano."),
quiz::Quiz("Acoustic Echo Chamber","A room designed with hard, non-parallel surfaces to create reverberation. In recording studios, they are used to add natural reverb to a dry signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Acoustics","The science of the sound—more specifically, the science of the properties and behavior of sound waves. A good understanding of acoustics is essential to audio engineering and studio design."),
quiz::Quiz("Active Device","A component that is designed with the ability to control electrical current (as opposed to a “Passive Device”). In the recording studio, active devices are generally components that include an amplifier. (See also “Passive Device.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Active Multiple","Quite often you need to split or copy a signal to send to more than one destination. This is commonly done with a multiple, where you plug one source in, and then plug in additional patch cables to go off to multiple destinations. An active or buffered multiple is one that includes a buffer circuit between the input and output, making sure the signal does not lose its strength or integrity by being split too many times, and that no funny business happening on one of the outputs affects any of the other connections. Some modules have good buffering built into their outputs, and can drive multiple modules without issue. But if you try to use a passive mult to connect to, say, three oscillators, and you realize the tracking isn't very good (they quickly go out of tune as you go up and down the scale), then you need a buffered mult instead."),
quiz::Quiz("Actuator","The part of a switch that causes change of the contact connections (e.g., toggle, pushbutton, or rocker)."),
quiz::Quiz("AD","Shorthand for a two-stage Attack/Decay envelope. This simple envelope shape raises from 0 volts to its maximum level (typically 5, 8, or perhaps 10 volts) at a speed defined by its Attack parameter, and then immediately falls back to 0 volts at a rate defined by its Decay parameter. A variation on this is the AHD envelope: After finishing the Attack stage, it holds at the maximum level for a specified amount of time (in contrast to an AR envelope, which holds at the maximum level for as long as the note on gate is high), and then decays back to zero. I have heard there are some envelopes that a hybrid of AHD and AR in that they hold the maximum level for either the defined Hold time or the as long as the incoming gate is high;"),
quiz::Quiz("Additive Synthesis","One of the main properties that make a sound unique is the mixture of harmonics – pure component frequencies – that it is built from. Additive synthesis is a technique that gives you direct control over each of those component harmonics, allowing you to directly dial in the mix you want. As immediate and intuitive as that sounds on paper (or on screen), in reality it takes a lot of work to craft the correct mixture to recreate another sound, especially since the strength of each harmonic usually varies over time. Additive synthesis oscillators are relatively rare in modular synths; two examples are the Verbos Harmonic Oscillator and the Make Noise tELHARMONIC."),
quiz::Quiz("ADSR","An envelope generator with four stages: Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. When this envelope generator receives a gate input, it typically starts at 0 volts (which is the equivalent of silence when connected to a Voltage Controlled Amplifier, or the lowest frequency when connected to a voltage controlled filter or oscillator) and raises to the maximum voltage it can output (typically 5 to 10 volts depending on system; it can often be set with an output level control) over a time set by the Attack control. Once it reaches that level, the output voltage immediately starts dropping to speed set by the Decay control it until it reaches the voltage set by the Sustain control. If the input gate is still active, this level is maintained until the gate goes back to 0 volts (usually because you released the key on a controlling keyboard, etc.). At that time, the output voltage then starts dropping back to 0 volts at the rate set by the Release control."),
quiz::Quiz("AES","Audio Engineering Society."),
quiz::Quiz("AES3","(sometimes called AES/EBU) A digital audio transfer standard developed by the Audio Engineering Society and the European Broadcasting Union for carrying dual-channel digital audio data between devices. AES3 is the protocol behind XLR cables, as well as RCA and S/PDIF cables."),
quiz::Quiz("AFG","The AFG (Audio Frequency Generator) is a very full-featured analog oscillator released by Livewire Electronics. It has since been discontinued, but refurbished B-stock units come up for sale every now and then. The expansion modules were, to the best of my knowledge, never released (at least not widely)."),
quiz::Quiz("Aftertouch","(Also called “Pressure Sensitivity“) some keyboards measure how hard you press down on the keys, and convert this to a voltage (or other control signal such as MIDI, which can then be converted into a control voltage) that you can use to add expression to a note, such as adding vibrato or opening the filter wider. Monophonic aftertouch measures one pressure value for the entire keyboard, regardless of which key(s) you are pressing; polyphonic aftertouch produces a signal for each individual key. Important trivia: Touch plate keyboards actually measure the surface area of the skin touching them rather than pressure or force – so you can increase or decrease the aftertouch amount by rolling between the tip and length of your finger."),
quiz::Quiz("AHDSR","Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, and Release. This is a slightly fancier ADSR envelope that holds the voltage typically at its maximum value for a specified time after the attack is done rising and before the decay starts falling."),
quiz::Quiz("Aliasing","A type of digital signal distortion that occurs in a sampler when the incoming signal frequency exceeds the Nyquist frequency for that unit. The sampler reproduces it at an incorrect frequency, or an “alias,” causing a distortion or artifact in the sound. If you play back a digital audio file where half of the sample rate is an audible pitch, you will also hear a mirror image of the sound’s harmonic content reproduced started at that half-sample-rate pivot (unless some excellent filtering has taken place). (See also “Nyquist Frequency.”)."),
quiz::Quiz("Alternating Current (or AC)","The type of electrical current found in standard electrical outlets and studio signals running through audio lines. In AC, the current “alternates” directions, flowing back and forth through the circuit."),
quiz::Quiz("AM","Amplitude Modulation (AM) is the name given the to the technique of varying the amplitude or loudness of one signal known as the carrier (typically an audio signal, swinging both above and below 0 volts) with a second signal called the modulator. In the typical amplitude modulation (AM) scenario, a low frequency oscillator with a positive voltage (say, between 0v and 5v, or maybe something smaller such as between 1v and 2v) is fed into the control input of a voltage controlled amplifier to add vibrato to an audio signal passing through it. Technically, this is known as a two-quadrant multiplier or modulator, as any negative swings in the modulation signal are ignored; when patching tremolo, you may need to make sure an offset voltage is being added to your LFO to make sure the sound doesn’t cut out on the lower excursions of the LFO’s waveform."),
quiz::Quiz("Ambience","In most cases, this refers to the “atmosphere” of a certain place, like a restaurant. But in recording, it refers to the part of the sound that comes from the surrounding environment rather than directly from the sound source. For example, the sound waves coming into your ears from a cello being played are coming directly from the source, but the sound of the same cello coming to you after bouncing off the back wall is ambient sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Ambient Field","The area away from the sound source where the reverberation is louder than the direct sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Ambient Miking","This refers to placing a microphone in the ambient field of a room to record the ambient reverberations of the sound. The recording engineer often does this in addition to direct micing of the instrument(s) to create a blend or mix of direct and reverberant sound in the recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Amp","An abbreviation for “Amplifier,” “Amplitude” or “Ampere,” depending on context."),
quiz::Quiz("Ampere","The unit of measure for electrical current, abbreviated Amp."),
quiz::Quiz("Amplifier","A device that increases the level or amplitude of an electrical signal, making the resulting sound louder."),
quiz::Quiz("Amplitude Modulation","Amplitude Modulation (AM) is the name given the to the technique of varying the amplitude or loudness of one signal known as the carrier (typically an audio signal, swinging both above and below 0 volts) with a second signal called the modulator. In the typical amplitude modulation (AM) scenario, a low frequency oscillator with a positive voltage (say, between 0v and 5v, or maybe something smaller such as between 1v and 2v) is fed into the control input of a voltage controlled amplifier to add vibrato to an audio signal passing through it. Technically, this is known as a two-quadrant multiplier or modulator, as any negative swings in the modulation signal are ignored; when patching tremolo, you may need to make sure an offset voltage is being added to your LFO to make sure the sound doesn’t cut out on the lower excursions of the LFO’s waveform."),
quiz::Quiz("Amplitude","The height of a waveform above or below the zero line. In audio, this usually translates to the signal strength or the volume of the sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Analog Recording","A recording of the continuous changes of an audio waveform. The most common example of analog recording in a recording studio is recording on reel-to-reel magnetic tape."),
quiz::Quiz("Analog Shift Register","An Analog Shift Register (ASR) is a cross between a Sample & Hold module and a Bucket Brigade Delay (assuming you already know how those work). When initially triggered, it samples the incoming voltage, and presents that at its first output. On the second trigger, the incoming voltage is sampled again with this new voltage presented at the first output, while the original voltage is now moved to a second output. This game of \"telephone\" is passed along for as many stages as the ASR has – traditionally three or four."),
quiz::Quiz("Analog To Digital Converter (A/D; or ADC)","A device that translates a continuously changing signal (analog) into numeric values that approximate those changes (digital). In audio recording, this refers to converting recorded sound from electrical voltages to computerized data."),
quiz::Quiz("Analog","The term analog implies a signal is continuously variable, compared to digital where a signal has been converted into discrete numbers. In the land of modular synthesizers, analog refers to a circuit design that has no digital (or at least, computer-based) components – instead, it does all of its processing using transistors, diodes, capacitors, and the such rather than CPUs and DSPs."),
quiz::Quiz("AND function","One of the most common Boolean or binary logic functions, AND says only output a gate on signal if all of the inputs see “high” gate signals (i.e. input 1 and input 2 etc. all have gate ons). A NAND function has an inverted output: The output would be low if both inputs were high, but otherwise would be high."),
quiz::Quiz("AR","The two-stage Attack/Release envelope raises from 0 volts to its maximum level (usually 5, 8, or maybe even 10 volts) at a rate set by its Attack parameter, and then stays at that value for as long as the gate signal fed into the envelope generator stays high. Then when the gate signal goes back to zero, the envelope's output also falls back to zero at a rate set by its Release parameter. (There is a separate type of envelope known as an AHD – Attack/Hold/Decay – where you specify a fixed time for the level to stay at its maximum, rather than pay attention to the gate signal.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Arpeggiator","Putting on our music theory hat for a second, an arpeggio is a type of “broken chord” where the notes are played individually rather than all at once. An arpeggiator – usually built into a keyboard, or a device inserted between your keyboard and sound module – makes it easier for you to play arpeggios: You just hold down the notes of the chord, and it automatically plays the notes one at a time, over and over again, like a step sequencer you can program on the fly just by holding down a chord. Good arpeggiators have options for different patterns (up, down, back and forth, random, etc.), and even a latch or hold where it will keep doing this even after you’ve released the keys."),
quiz::Quiz("ASR","An Analog Shift Register (ASR) is a cross between a Sample & Hold module and a Bucket Brigade Delay (assuming you already know how those work). When initially triggered, it samples the incoming voltage, and presents that at its first output. On the second trigger, the incoming voltage is sampled again with this new voltage presented at the first output, while the original voltage is now moved to a second output. This game of \"telephone\" is passed along for as many stages as the ASR has – traditionally three or four."),
quiz::Quiz("Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release","An envelope generator with four stages: Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. When this envelope generator receives a gate input, it typically starts at 0 volts (which is the equivalent of silence when connected to a Voltage Controlled Amplifier, or the lowest frequency when connected to a voltage controlled filter or oscillator) and raises to the maximum voltage it can output (typically 5 to 10 volts depending on system; it can often be set with an output level control) over a time set by the Attack control. Once it reaches that level, the output voltage immediately starts dropping to speed set by the Decay control it until it reaches the voltage set by the Sustain control. If the input gate is still active, this level is maintained until the gate goes back to 0 volts (usually because you released the key on a controlling keyboard, etc.). At that time, the output voltage then starts dropping back to 0 volts at the rate set by the Release control."),
quiz::Quiz("Attack/Decay","Shorthand for a two-stage Attack/Decay envelope. This simple envelope shape raises from 0 volts to its maximum level (typically 5, 8, or perhaps 10 volts) at a speed defined by its Attack parameter, and then immediately falls back to 0 volts at a rate defined by its Decay parameter. A variation on this is the AHD envelope: After finishing the Attack stage, it holds at the maximum level for a specified amount of time (in contrast to an AR envelope, which holds at the maximum level for as long as the note on gate is high), and then decays back to zero. I have heard there are some envelopes that a hybrid of AHD and AR in that they hold the maximum level for either the defined Hold time or the as long as the incoming gate is high;"),
quiz::Quiz("Attack/Hold/Decay/Sustain/Release","This is a slightly fancier ADSR envelope that holds the voltage typically at its maximum value for a specified time after the attack is done rising and before the decay starts falling."),
quiz::Quiz("Attack/Release","The two-stage Attack/Release envelope raises from 0 volts to its maximum level (usually 5, 8, or maybe even 10 volts) at a rate set by its Attack parameter, and then stays at that value for as long as the gate signal fed into the envelope generator stays high. Then when the gate signal goes back to zero, the envelope's output also falls back to zero at a rate set by its Release parameter. (There is a separate type of envelope known as an AHD – Attack/Hold/Decay – where you specify a fixed time for the level to stay at its maximum, rather than pay attention to the gate signal.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Attack","This usually refers to the first stage of an envelope that occurs at the onset of a note, as it rises from 0 volts (silence when if controlling an amplifier module) to typically the value of maximum loudness. Percussive and plucked sounds have very fast attacks; slow, languid wind or string instrument phrases may have long attacks."),
quiz::Quiz("Attenuation","The reduction of electrical or acoustic signal strength. In audio, attenuation is measured in decibels (dB) and is typically heard as a reduction in volume. Sound waves traveling through the air naturally attenuate as they travel away from the source of the sound. Engineers also purposefully attenuate signals in the studio through gain controls or pads to prevent overload."),
quiz::Quiz("Attenuator","A control that can reduce the strength of a signal or voltage going through it."),
quiz::Quiz("Attenuverter","A special version of an attenuator that can also invert the polarity of the signal or voltage going through it. Most attenuverters use pass through no signal at their center position; as you turn them clockwise, you turn up the normal version of the signal; as you turn them counterclockwise, they turn up an inverted version of the signal. Some attenuverters are a normal attenuator with a polarity switch added on."),
quiz::Quiz("Audio Frequency Generator","The AFG (Audio Frequency Generator) is a very full-featured analog oscillator released by Livewire Electronics. It has since been discontinued, but refurbished B-stock units come up for sale every now and then. The expansion modules were, to the best of my knowledge, never released (at least not widely)."),
quiz::Quiz("Audio","In its broadest sense, audio is the range of frequencies we humans can hear with our ears. In the technical sense, audio refers to the transmission, recording or reproduction of sound, whether digitally, electrically or acoustically."),
quiz::Quiz("Automatic Dialogue Replacement (ADR)","The process of re-recording dialogue for film in a controlled environment after the film is shot, for the purpose of replacing poorly recorded dialogue."),
quiz::Quiz("Automatic Gain Control","A compressor with a long release time, which is used to keep the volume of the audio at a consistent level."),
quiz::Quiz("Automation","Programming certain changes to occur automatically during recording and/or playback. In the studio, engineers use automation on their consoles or computers so various parameters will change automatically at different times during multitrack recording and playback. This pre-programming feature makes it easier to create those changes than attempting to perform them all manually in real time."),
quiz::Quiz("Auxiliary Equipment","External signal processing devices that work alongside the mixing console to modify the signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Auxiliary Return","(Abbreviated Aux Return or Return) The input on a console or DAW that returns the effected signal sent through the auxiliary send back into the channel mix."),
quiz::Quiz("Auxiliary Send","(Abbreviated Aux Send or Send) A control to adjust the signal level being sent from the input channel on a console or DAW to auxiliary equipment or plug-ins through the auxiliary bus. This is typically used for creating an effects loop that processes a portion of the signal, then returns it into the mix through the auxiliary return."),
quiz::Quiz("Axis","An imaginary line around which a device operates. For example: in microphone use, the axis is an imaginary line coming out from the front of the microphone in the direction of motion of the diaphragm, delineating the optimum location for the mic to pick up the sound. Sounds that occur “off-axis” from the microphone will not be picked up as clearly."),
quiz::Quiz("Background Noise","Refers to either 1) The ambient noise in a room unrelated to the instrument(s) or vocal(s) being recorded; or 2) The system noise unrelated to the recorded signal. (All electronics emit a level of noise.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Baffles","Sound absorbing panels that are used to prevent sound waves from entering or leaving a space."),
quiz::Quiz("Balance","1) The relative level of two or more instruments in a mix, or the relative level of audio signals in the channels of a stereo recording. 2) To even out the relative levels of audio signals in the channels of stereo recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Balanced Audio","This refers to a system where three wires are used to carry an audio signal: one is the ground (the 0 volt reference), the second carries the audio signal as it varies above and below 0v, and the third carries an inverted copy of the audio signal that goes negative while the original is going positive. Balanced audio usually implies a reference signal level of +4dB (higher than line level; still lower than most modular synths), although microphone signals – much weaker by comparison, and therefore more susceptible to outside noise – are almost always balanced as well. Modular synths tend to use unbalanced audio for their internal signals. If you require a balanced output (or input), you need a special module that converts between balanced and unbalanced audio, plus does any necessary level matching."),
quiz::Quiz("Balanced Cable","A cable consisting of three wires (two signal wires and a ground wire) and two connectors. The two signal wires carry the same signal in opposite polarities, providing protection against interference and noise in a balanced system. Examples of balanced cables include tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) stereo cables and XLR cables."),
quiz::Quiz("Balanced Mixer","A circuit or device that generates the sum and difference frequencies of two input signals."),
quiz::Quiz("Balanced Modulator","Balanced or ring modulation is a special type of amplitude modulation, where one bipolar (swinging both above and below 0 volts) signal – the modulator – is used to vary the amplitude of a second bipolar signal, known as the carrier. The modulator’s frequency is both added to and subtracted from the carrier’s frequency; the resulting harmonics replace the original carrier and modulator."),
quiz::Quiz("Banana","An alternate type of connector (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_connector) used by 4U systems such as Buchla (control voltages) and Serge (both control and audio). These cables have only one wire, so they carry only the signal, relying on the module panels and chassis of the system to provide the ground reference. Banana connectors have an advantage in that they are usually “stackable” meaning you can plug a one jack into the back of another, providing a passive multiple."),
quiz::Quiz("Band Pass Filter","A device, circuit or plug-in that allows a narrow band of frequencies to pass through the circuit, rejecting or attenuating frequencies that are either higher or lower than the specified range."),
quiz::Quiz("Band Stop Filter","A device, circuit or plug-in that attenuates a narrow band of frequencies in the signal, allowing frequencies outside the band to pass. The exact opposite of a band pass filter."),
quiz::Quiz("Band Track","(Sometimes abbreviated “Track“) A mixdown of a song minus the lead vocal and/or background vocals. In other words, a mixed track containing only the instrumental parts of the song."),
quiz::Quiz("Band","1) A range of frequencies, often identified by the center frequency of the range. 2) A group of musicians playing together."),
quiz::Quiz("Bandpass Filter","A bandpass filter (BPF) leaves the harmonics around the center, corner or cutoff frequency untouched, and attenuates those above and below the center frequency. The further away you get from the center, the more they are attenuated, based on the number of poles in the filter, with each pole equalling 6 decibels of attenuation for each octave you get away from that center."),
quiz::Quiz("Bandwidth","In signal processing, bandwidth refers to the usable frequency range of a communication channel, measured by the difference between the device’s highest and lowest usable frequencies."),
quiz::Quiz("Bank","1) A collection of sound patches, sequencer data and/or operating parameters of a synthesizer’s generators and modifiers in memory. 2) A group of sound modules as a unit."),
quiz::Quiz("Bar","In music notation, bar is another term for measure a specified period of time containing a certain number of beats, and marked by bar lines on each side of the written measure."),
quiz::Quiz("Bark Scale","The human auditory (hearing) system can be thought of as consisting of a series of bandpass filters. Interestingly, the spacing of these filters do not strictly follow either a linear frequency scale or a logarithmic musical scale. The Bark Scale is an attempt to determine what the center frequency and bandwidth of those \"hearing filters\" are (known as critical bands)."),
quiz::Quiz("Barrier Miking","A microphone placement technique in which a microphone is placed close to a reflective surface. When done correctly, barrier miking ensures that both the direct and reflected sounds reach the microphone simultaneously, preventing phase cancellation between the two."),
quiz::Quiz("Basic Session","The first audio recording session for recording the basic tracks that serve as the song’s foundation (for example, the drums and bass)."),
quiz::Quiz("Bass Reflex","A type of loudspeaker cabinet design in which a port (opening) in the speaker cabinet enhances bass frequencies. The principle is that the sound pressure generated by the back of the speaker cone inside the cabinet is routed out the port at the front of the cabinet, mixed with the sound coming from the front of the woofer. Changing the port size and position will greatly change the character of the low frequencies."),
quiz::Quiz("Bass","The lower range of audio frequencies up to approximately 250 Hz. A reference value."),
quiz::Quiz("BBD","An early design for an echo or delay effect where the input audio would be sampled as an analog voltage, and held for a brief moment. Then at the next above-audio sample rate clock pulse, this voltage would get passed to the next sample and hold (bucket) in the circuit, while a new level was sampled. Bucket brigade delays (BBDs) usually have numbers of stages or buckets that are powers of two (256, 512, 1024, 2048, etc.); the delay length is determined by the number of stages multiplied by the time interval between samples."),
quiz::Quiz("Beaming","A phenomenon found in loudspeakers in which higher frequencies are projected straight out of the loudspeaker, rather than dispersing along with the lower frequencies. When you stand on-axis in front of the speaker, it sounds as though it is only reproducing the high frequencies, rather than the mids or lows. This phenomenon is alleviated by routing the high frequncies through horns in the loudspeaker."),
quiz::Quiz("Beat Mapping","The process of adjusting the tempo variations in a recorded piece of music to fit the set tempo of the project. In a DAW, this is done using time stretching tools and cuts to synchronize the transients to the appropriate tempo markers. This technique is often used, for example, to reconcile a drum or bass performance that was recorded without a click track."),
quiz::Quiz("Beat","1) The steady, even pulse in music. 2) The action of two sounds or audio signals of slightly different frequency interfering with one another and causing periodic increases and decreases in volume, heard to the ear as “beats.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Beating","When two oscillators are tuned to very nearly – but not quite – the same frequency, the difference between them causes an interference pattern known as beating. When the difference in frequency is below the audio rate, this can sound like a tremolo applied to the loudness of the combined sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Beatmatching","A technique predominantly used by DJs to synchronize the tempos of two recorded tracks, generally through the use of time stretching and pitch shifting tools, to create a seamless transition from one song into another."),
quiz::Quiz("Beats Per Minute (B.P.M.)","BPM (beats per minute) is the most common way of stating tempo: How many beats (typically, quarter notes) should be counted every minute. A tempo of 120 beats per minute means there would be two beats every second (120 beats/minute x 1 minute/60 seconds = 2). The number of steady even pulses in music occurring in one minute, defining the tempo of the song."),
quiz::Quiz("Berlin School","A particular style of electronic music popularized by the likes of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze based on analog synthesizers, heavy on repetitive sequences and floating chords or drones with solos played on top. More recent versions of Berlin School music can be heard from Node and Red Shift."),
quiz::Quiz("Bi-amplification","A technique in which high and low frequencies in a speaker or speaker system are driven by two separate amplifiers."),
quiz::Quiz("Bi-Directional Pattern","A microphone pickup pattern which is most sensitive to picking up sounds directly in front and back of the mic, effectively rejecting sounds coming from the sides. Also called a “figure-8 pattern.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Binary","A cornerstone of digital systems is the binary counting method, where each digit can have only two different values: 0 or 1; off or on; low or high. A binary signal can only have one of these two states. Therefore, a gate or trigger signal in a modular synth – even if generated by analog circuitry – could be referred to as a binary type signal. See the entry for Boolean for things you can do with binary signals like gates and divided clocks."),
quiz::Quiz("Bipolar","A voltage that can range both above and below zero is referred to as bipolar. Some modulation signals inside a modular synth – such as vibrato (varying the pitch of an oscillator both above and below the note it is supposed to be playing) – are bipolar in nature."),
quiz::Quiz("Bit","The smallest unit of digital information representing a single “0” or “1.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Bitrate (or Bit Depth)","In digital recording, the number of computer bits used to describe each sample. The greater the bitrate, the greater the dynamic range of the sampled sound. The quality and resolution of an audio sample are described as a combination of sample rate and bitrate. (See also “Sample Rate.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Blending","The mixing of multiple sounds or channels together to form one sound, or mixing the left and right signals together."),
quiz::Quiz("Blue Noise","Technically, a type of noise whose power density (spectral loudness) increases 3 dB per octave with increasing frequency. It has a very “hissy” characteristic, lacking in bass."),
quiz::Quiz("Boolean","Boolean logic only can have two states: high or low; 1 or 0; on or off."),
quiz::Quiz("Boom Stand","A microphone stand equipped with a telescoping support arm to hold the microphone."),
quiz::Quiz("Boom","A telescoping support arm attached to a microphone stand holding the microphone."),
quiz::Quiz("Boost","To increase gain at specific frequencies with an equalizer."),
quiz::Quiz("Bouncing","(also called “Ping-Ponging” or “Ponging“) The technique of combining and mixing multiple tracks onto one or two tracks (mono or stereo). This can be done in real-time or analog by playing the tracks through the console and recording them onto separate tracks, or digitally through a digital audio workstation. Bouncing was once used frequently by engineers to free up additional tracks for recording, but in digital workstations where tracks are virtually unlimited, this practice is basically obsolete. Today, engineers typically bounce tracks for the purpose of creating a preliminary or final mix of a song."),
quiz::Quiz("Boundary Microphone","An omnidirectional microphone designed to be placed flush against a flat surface (or boundary), effectively creating a “half-Omni” pickup pattern while eliminating the danger of phase issues from reflected sounds. A popular type of boundary microphone is Crown Audio’s trademark Pressure Zone Microphone (PZM)."),
quiz::Quiz("BPF","A bandpass filter (BPF) leaves the harmonics around the center, corner or cutoff frequency untouched, and attenuates those above and below the center frequency. The further away you get from the center, the more they are attenuated, based on the number of poles in the filter, with each pole equalling 6 decibels of attenuation for each octave you get away from that center."),
quiz::Quiz("BPM","BPM (beats per minute) is the most common way of stating tempo: How many beats (typically, quarter notes) should be counted every minute. A tempo of 120 beats per minute means there would be two beats every second (120 beats/minute x 1 minute/60 seconds = 2)."),
quiz::Quiz("Breathing","Pumping and Breathing – In studio jargon, an effect created when a compressor is rapidly compressing and releasing the sound, creating audible changes in the signal level. “Pumping” generally refers to the audible increase of sound levels after compression has taken place; “breathing” refers to a similar effect with vocals, raising the signal volume just as the vocalist is inhaling. Pumping and breathing is a sign of cheap compression or over-compression, and is usually undesirable, although some engineers and musicians use it on purpose occasionally to create a particular effect."),
quiz::Quiz("Brickwall Filter","A certain type of low-pass filter exhibiting a steep cutoff slope which resembles a “brick wall.” While these filters are often found in A/D converters to prevent aliasing, their steep cutoff can introduce unwanted side-effects to the audio signal, such as phase shift."),
quiz::Quiz("Bridging","A technique of feeding a single input to both channels of an amplifier, then summing them into one, thereby effectively doubling the amplifier power supplied to the signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Brownian Noise","Also referred to as brown noise, technically it’s a type of noise whose power density (spectral loudness) decreases 6 dB per octave with increasing frequency. It has a bass-heavy sound, akin to the sound of the surf at a distance. It can also be used a slowly changing random control voltage or modulation signal, instead of as an audio source."),
quiz::Quiz("Buchla Bongos","This is a classic patch where a complex sound source – such as one oscillator frequency modulating another – is sent through a Low Pass Gate with either just a trigger to “strike” the vactrol inside or otherwise an instant attack/fast decay envelope to create a nice percussive sound. The fact that the low pass gate reduces the higher harmonics as its volume dies away helps tame the harmonics coming from the complex source, and give it a decay similar to a struck percussive instrument."),
quiz::Quiz("Bucket Brigade Delay","An early design for an echo or delay effect where the input audio would be sampled as an analog voltage, and held for a brief moment. Then at the next above-audio sample rate clock pulse, this voltage would get passed to the next sample and hold (bucket) in the circuit, while a new level was sampled. Bucket brigade delays (BBDs) usually have numbers of stages or buckets that are powers of two (256, 512, 1024, 2048, etc.); the delay length is determined by the number of stages multiplied by the time interval between samples."),
quiz::Quiz("Bucking","A type of phase cancellation in which two identical signals or frequencies, having the same amplitude but opposite polarity, cancel one another out. Most commonly used in the context of musical instrument frequencies. Example: a “Humbucker” guitar pickup is designed to remove or “buck” hum frequencies from the signal using this principle."),
quiz::Quiz("Buffered Multiple","Quite often you need to split or copy a signal to send to more than one destination. This is commonly done with a multiple, where you plug one source in, and then plug in additional patch cables to go off to multiple destinations. An active or buffered multiple is one that includes a buffer circuit between the input and output, making sure the signal does not lose its strength or integrity by being split too many times, and that no funny business happening on one of the outputs affects any of the other connections. Some modules have good buffering built into their outputs, and can drive multiple modules without issue. But if you try to use a passive mult to connect to, say, three oscillators, and you realize the tracking isn't very good (they quickly go out of tune as you go up and down the scale), then you need a buffered mult instead."),
quiz::Quiz("Bulk Dump","Short for System Exclusive Bulk Dump, a method of transmitting data such as the internal parameters between MIDI devices."),
quiz::Quiz("Burst Generator","When you send this module a trigger, it outputs a stream or “burst” of triggers in response. You usually have control over the number of triggers, the spacing between them, and often the probability that individual trigger output will be sent or skipped (for random patterns). At its most tame, it can be use to create “double pluck” triggers in response to a normal note on; and its most extreme, it is used to trigger a high-energy, chaotic stream of drum hits that may or may not be in time with the music."),
quiz::Quiz("Bus Board","This simple circuit board takes the output of your modular system's power supply and creates multiple copies of it, routed to connectors that go to your individual modules."),
quiz::Quiz("Bus","An audio pathway by which one or more signals, usually from different sources, are routed to a designated place. Because busses are highly connected to signal flow, they serve a broad range of purposes in audio applications. 2) A shorthand term for the signals themselves that are routed through the bus (see also “Subgroup”)."),
quiz::Quiz("Byte","Information (data) bits in a grouping of eight. One byte = eight bits."),
quiz::Quiz("Cable Assembly","Cable that is ready for installation in specific applications and usually terminated with connectors."),
quiz::Quiz("Cable Harness","A grouping of cables or wires used to interconnect electronic systems."),
quiz::Quiz("Cable Sheath","Conductive protective cover that is applied to cables."),
quiz::Quiz("Cable","A group of one or more insulated conductors, optical fibers, or a combination of both within an enveloping jacket, typically for transmitting electrical signals of different types."),
quiz::Quiz("Capacitor","An electronic device made of two plates separated by an insulator, designed to store electrostatic energy. The capacitor is a key component in condenser microphones, for example."),
quiz::Quiz("Capstan","A mechanical part of a magnetic tape recorder that controls the speed of the tape as it passes across the tape heads."),
quiz::Quiz("Capsule","Space-travel definitions aside, this is the name given to the part of a microphone that contains the diaphragm and active element, the mechanical structure that converts acoustic sound waves into electrical current."),
quiz::Quiz("Carbon Microphone","A microphone that uses carbon granules to convert sound waves to electrical impulses. The carbon element sits between two plates; as sound waves hit the carbon granules, it generates changes in resistance between the plates, affecting the electrical signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Cardioid Pattern","A microphone pickup pattern which is most sensitive to sound coming from the front, less from the sides, and least from the back of the diaphragm. So named because the pickup pattern is in the shape of a heart (cardio)."),
quiz::Quiz("Carrier","There are a few different synthesis techniques where one usually audio-rate signal varies another audio signal. For example, in frequency modulation, a second signal (called the modulator) varies the frequency (pitch) of the main signal, called the carrier. More specifics are described in the entries on frequency modulation and amplitude modulation."),
quiz::Quiz("Cascade","To connect or “daisy chain” two mixers so that the stereo mixing busses of the first mixer feed into the stereo busses of the second."),
quiz::Quiz("CCW","Counter-clockwise, usually in the context of rotating a control the left (in the opposite direction of how a clock's hands move)."),
quiz::Quiz("CD","An abbreviation for Compact Disc, or a small optical disk with digital audio recorded on it."),
quiz::Quiz("Cent","When tuning instruments, a semitone is divided into 100 units called cents; there are 1200 cents per octave (100 x 12 semitones). When one oscillator is detuned compared to another, the difference in their frequencies is sometimes measured in cents."),
quiz::Quiz("Center Frequency","The frequency of an audio signal that is most affected by an equalizer, either boosting or attenuating the frequency. Drawn graphically, this is the very top or bottom (the “peak”) of the frequency bell-shaped curve."),
quiz::Quiz("Channel Path","The complete signal path from the sound source to the multitrack recorder (or DAW). For example, an audio signal that travels from the microphone to the preamplifier, then into a channel strip on the mixing console, then is sent through the outputs into the recorder. This is different from the monitor path, which feeds a mix of signals into monitor speakers or headphones without affecting the recorded signals. (See also “Monitor Path.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Channel","1) An audio recording made on a portion of the width of a multitrack tape, or isolated within a digital audio workstation, usually for the purpose of combining with other channels. 2) A single path that an audio signal travels or can travel through a device from an input to an output."),
quiz::Quiz("Chaotic","Believe it or not, chaotic does not mean completely random to mathematicians. Chaos theory deals with systems that are random within certain boundaries – such as the path of a wobbling wheel or the frequency of a dripping faucet. Although they are not out of control, neither are they completely predictable. In synthesis, a chaotic system usually refers to a modulation generator that is similar to a low frequency oscillator, but which has unpredictable wobbles or glitches in an otherwise loosely or occasionally repetitive pattern. It can also refer to bursts of triggers that do not follow musical divisions."),
quiz::Quiz("Chase","The automatic adjusting of the speed of a recorder (or sequencer) to keep time with another recorder."),
quiz::Quiz("Chord Chart","A shorthand form of musical notation that provides the basic chord changes and essential rhythmic information of a song. Most commonly used by studio session players, rhythm sections or jazz bands to provide the skeletal structure of the song while allowing players room to create their own parts and improvise. While lead sheets typically focus on melody line and chord structure, chord charts display mainly chord changes and rhythm. (See also “Lead Sheet.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Chord","Three or more musical pitches sung or played together."),
quiz::Quiz("Chorus","1) The part of a song that is repeated with the same music and lyrics each time, often containing the main point or hook of the song. 2) A musical singing group with many singers. 3) A delay effect that simulates a vocal chorus by adding several delays with a mild amount of feedback and a medium amount of depth."),
quiz::Quiz("Circuit","1) One complete path of electric current. 2) Similar to definition 1, but including all audio signal paths and components to accomplish a particular audio function."),
quiz::Quiz("Class Compliant","This refers to a device that is \"plug and play\" – it can be plugged directly into a computer or other host and immediately be recognized without additional drivers needing to be installed. This comes up in the modular world with MIDI to CV/Gate interfaces that use USB: If your converter is a USB Host, and you plug a class compliant USB Device such as a controller keyboard or fader panel into it, the converter will recognize it."),
quiz::Quiz("Click Track","A metronome “click” fed into headphone monitors for the purpose of helping the musicians play in time with the song."),
quiz::Quiz("Clip","All active electronic circuits have a limit on how strong of a signal can pass through them. These limits are often associated with the positive and negative power supply levels. If the signal attempts to go beyond these limits, they instead get chopped or clipped off at that limit. For example, an input voltage of +12 volts may get through without alteration, but +13 volts at the input would come out as 12 volts. This clipping causes distortion in the waveform, usually adding higher harmonics (such as a harsh buzz). Different circuits enter clipping in different ways – some may have a bit of rounding off before they reach that flat threshold; this is referred to as soft clipping and is often desirable as it can be less harsh. Clipping is so named because the resulting graphic waveform looks like the edges of the waveform have been “clipped.”."),
quiz::Quiz("Clock Signal","A signal sent by a device within the circuit that generates steady pulses or codes to keep other devices in sync with each other. An example in the music world is sequencing via MIDI. The sequencer sends a clock signal so connected devices will play in time."),
quiz::Quiz("Clock","Usually refers to the main rhythmic pulse in a system. Often, the clock pulse is much faster than anything it might drive, such as a sequencer or LFO. The most common clock rate is 24 ppqn (pulses per quarter note), as is the case with MIDI clocks and DIN Sync. However, a trigger that drives a sequencer forward one note at a time may also be called the “clock” in a system. Indeed, there are modules that create divisions and multiplications of the main clock to generate new clock signals with a relationship to the main clock."),
quiz::Quiz("Clockwise","Clockwise, as in rotating a control the the right – in the same direction as a clock's hands move."),
quiz::Quiz("Close Miking","A microphone placement technique that places the mic close to the sound source to pick up the direct sound and reject ambient sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Coaxial Cable","(abbreviated “Coax”) A two-conductor cable that consists of one conductor surrounded by a shield."),
quiz::Quiz("Coincident Miking","A stereo miking technique in which two microphones are placed with their heads as close to each other as possible. This prevents phase cancellation problems in the mix because the distance from the sound to either microphone is the same."),
quiz::Quiz("Compander","A signal processor serving as a combination compressor and expander, primarily used for noise reduction purposes in analog systems.  The audio signal is compressed prior to recording, then expanded at the reproduction stage. Companding is the principle behind Dolby noise reduction systems."),
quiz::Quiz("Comparator","An electrical device that compares the level of one voltage to a second. That second voltage may be a second input on a comparator synth module, or may be set with a knob or internal reference voltage. Most often, a comparator outputs a gate signal that goes high when the first signal is higher than the second (or vice versa), and which goes low when the first signal is lower than the second. At audio rates, it converts an input waveform into a square or pulse wave, with the second signal setting when the new waveform goes high or low in voltage."),
quiz::Quiz("Comping","1) In digital audio workstations (DAWs), the process of blending portions of multiple recorded takes to create a “compliation” track. (See also “Take,” “Playlist.)  2) In jazz music performance, an abbreviation for “accompanying.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Complex Oscillator","This module typically has a pair of oscillators behind one panel that is prewired where one oscillator modulates the other’s frequency (known as Frequency Modulation or FM synthesis); some also allow you to quickly switch them so that the first modulates the amplitude of the second, or some other variation. They may also have waveshapers built in. They are based on a popular module created by Buchla, which is a standard of the “West Coast” approach to synthesis."),
quiz::Quiz("Compression Driver","A diaphragm that feeds a sound pressure wave into a horn loudspeaker."),
quiz::Quiz("Compression Ratio","The rate by which a compressor attenuates an incoming signal, measured in decibels. For example, a compression ratio of 4:1 means the compressor will only allow a 1 dB increase in the signal for every 4 dB increase in the signal above the threshold."),
quiz::Quiz("Compression","1) In signal processing, the action performed by a compressor (see also “Compressor”). 2) In acoustics, the increased air pressure caused by the peak of a sound pressure wave, used in the context of “compression and rarefaction” (see also “Rarefaction”)."),
quiz::Quiz("Compressor","A signal processor or plug-in that reduces the dynamic range of an audio signal by amplifying its quieter sections and attenuating its louder ones."),
quiz::Quiz("Condenser Microphone","A microphone in which sound is converted into electrical current through changes in a capacitor. The sound pressure waves move the diaphragm, producing changes in capacitance which are then changed into electrical voltage."),
quiz::Quiz("Contact Microphone","A microphone designed to pick up vibrations from solid objects (as opposed to vibrations in the air). Also known as a “pickup” or “piezo,” this microphone is often used as an acoustic guitar pickup to pick up the vibrations from the soundboard, or by experimental musicians creating “noise music” from a variety of objects."),
quiz::Quiz("Control Voltage Processor","CVP is the abbreviation for a module that allows processing of the voltage going through it – such as amplifying or attenuating it, offsetting it in a positive or negative direction, introducing slew (slurring of changes in voltage), and possibly other functions such as deriving a gate signal from an incoming voltage by running it through a comparator. Make Noise’s Maths is perhaps the most well known control voltage processor out there; you will also find some modules with CVP specifically in their name. Regardless, it’s good to have one or more of this type of module in your system to help massage voltages to get them to do what you want (or to teach them new tricks)."),
quiz::Quiz("Control Voltage","The concept of control voltage (CV) is at the very root of modular synthesizer. The general idea is that analog voltage levels are used control functions and parameters of a module. For example, one control voltage may determine the pitch played by an oscillator; a second control voltage may determine how loud that signal is after it’s passed through a voltage-controlled amplifier. CV is the most common shorthand to refer to control voltage – for example, when a synthesizer module says it features “CV over the filter’s resonance,” that means there is a control voltage input to control the amount of resonance (feedback) – not just the customary knob on the front panel."),
quiz::Quiz("Controller","In the broadest sense, a controller is any device that is used to control another device. Most commonly used in the context of MIDI controllers, which send out MIDI signals to control other connected MIDI instruments and devices. Other examples of controllers in the recording studio can include monitor controllers, DAW controllers and DJ controllers."),
quiz::Quiz("Corner Frequency","The cutoff or corner frequency of a filter is the point at which is starts filtering. For example, if a low-pass filter has a corner frequency of 500 Hz (cycles per second), all harmonics or other sound components below 500 Hz will be allowed through untouched, and all harmonics above 500 Hz will be “filtered” – reduced in loudness – the further above 500Hz you go."),
quiz::Quiz("Counter Clockwise","Counter-clockwise, usually in the context of rotating a control the left (in the opposite direction of how a clock's hands move)."),
quiz::Quiz("CPU","Abbreviation for Central Processing Unit, the main “brain” chip in a computer (also known simply as “Processor”)."),
quiz::Quiz("Critical Distance","The distance from the sound source at which the direct sound and the reverberant sound are at equal volume. Critical distance varies according to the space; in a room with absorbent walls, the critical distance will be further from the source, and in a reverberant room, the distance will be closer to the source."),
quiz::Quiz("Crossfade","An audio editing technique in which one sound is faded out as another sound is faded in, to create a seamless transition between the two. Audio engineers use crossfading, for example, to blend two takes or more “takes” of a recorded track into a composite take. Club DJs also use crossfading to transition from one song to the next with no stops."),
quiz::Quiz("Crossover Frequency","The frequency at which the crossover stops sending the signal to one speaker and starts sending it to another."),
quiz::Quiz("Crossover","An audio filter component that splits an audio signal into two or more bands or signals, usually to be fed into different components of a loudspeaker system according to frequency range. (Also called a “crossover network.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Crosstalk","The unwanted leakage of an audio signal between two audio channels—for example, overlapping signals between channels on a mixing console, or overlapping audio between two tracks of audiotape."),
quiz::Quiz("Cue","In general terms, a cue is the starting point for a piece of music or section of music. Depending on the context, the word “cue” may describe: 1) The point at which a musician or vocalist is supposed to start playing or singing; 2) The audio fed to the musicians through headphones so they can determine when to start playing/singing; 3) A specific location point on the music timeline within a DAW or on the tape; or 4) To set the tape or disc to a certain starting point in the song (“cueing” the tape). A cue can even refer to an entire section of music being used for video production."),
quiz::Quiz("Cutoff Frequency","The cutoff or corner frequency of a filter is the point at which is starts filtering. For example, if a low-pass filter has a corner frequency of 500 Hz (cycles per second), all harmonics or other sound components below 500 Hz will be allowed through untouched, and all harmonics above 500 Hz will be “filtered” – reduced in loudness – the further above 500Hz you go."),
quiz::Quiz("Cutoff Slope","The rate of reduction of the frequencies beyond the passband of a filter. The slope is described as the number of dB the filter reduces the signal for each octave past the cutoff frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("CV/Gate","This is the shorthand to say a synthesizer may be controlled by voltages – usually for pitch – and gate signals to indicate when a note is “on.” An increasing number of controller keyboards are including CV/Gate output in addition to the customary MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), making them much easier to connect to a modular synthesizer, as no additional MIDI to CV interface is required."),
quiz::Quiz("CV","The concept of control voltage (CV) is at the very root of modular synthesizer. The general idea is that analog voltage levels are used control functions and parameters of a module. For example, one control voltage may determine the pitch played by an oscillator; a second control voltage may determine how loud that signal is after it’s passed through a voltage-controlled amplifier. CV is the most common shorthand to refer to control voltage – for example, when a synthesizer module says it features “CV over the filter’s resonance,” that means there is a control voltage input to control the amount of resonance (feedback) – not just the customary knob on the front panel."),
quiz::Quiz("CVP","CVP is the abbreviation for a module that allows processing of the voltage going through it – such as amplifying or attenuating it, offsetting it in a positive or negative direction, introducing slew (slurring of changes in voltage), and possibly other functions such as deriving a gate signal from an incoming voltage by running it through a comparator. Make Noise’s Maths is perhaps the most well known control voltage processor out there; you will also find some modules with CVP specifically in their name. Regardless, it’s good to have one or more of this type of module in your system to help massage voltages to get them to do what you want (or to teach them new tricks)."),
quiz::Quiz("CW","Clockwise, as in rotating a control the the right – in the same direction as a clock's hands move."),
quiz::Quiz("Cycle","One complete expression of a waveform beginning at a certain point, progressing through the zero line to the wave’s highest and lowest points, and returning to the same value as the starting point. One complete vibration or sound wave."),
quiz::Quiz("D-Sub Connector","Abbreviation for “D-subminiature connector,” a D-sub is a multipin connector that is most often used to connect a computer to a VGA monitor, but also used occasionally in digital audio applications in the recording studio."),
quiz::Quiz("D/A","Abbreviation for Digital to Analog conversion, which changes digital data numbers (digital audio signal) into discrete voltage level. The reverse process of A/D. Also known as DAC."),
quiz::Quiz("DADSR","This is a slightly fancier take on the standard ADSR envelope generator that introduces an initial timed delay before the initial attack stage (rising from 0 to a peak level) begins. One patch idea is to route this type of envelope to a low pass filter cutoff, so there’s initially a muted, filtered sound when the note starts, and then after a pause it starts to swell into a brighter, fuller sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Daisy Chain","The connection of three or more devices in a series, where the audio signal passes through one device to reach a second, and through the second to reach the third, etc."),
quiz::Quiz("Damping Factor","Describes an amplifier’s ability to restrain the pushback motion (back-EMF) of the loudspeaker cone when the audio signal stops."),
quiz::Quiz("Damping","The reduction of energy in a vibrating system, through friction. Can refer to the reduced amplitude in an electrical signal, or the stifled vibrations of a musical instrument (for example, the damper pedal on an acoustic piano)."),
quiz::Quiz("DAW","An abbreviation for Digital Audio Workstation, a device or software program designed for recording and mixing audio digitally."),
quiz::Quiz("dB","An abbreviation for decibel, a measurement ratio that compares signal strengths (usually audio levels)."),
quiz::Quiz("DBX","A series of noise reduction systems, named for the company that developed them. DBX noise reduction has been less commercially successful than the more widely known Dolby systems, but is still found on occasion in recording studios."),
quiz::Quiz("DC Coupled","When a module says its inputs are DC Coupled, that means it can accept DC voltages (constant or slowly changing voltages) and pass them through unaltered. This is important if, for example, you want to use a VCA to control the amplitude of an envelope going through it: You would need one that was DC coupled, as an AC coupled input would try to remove the DC component of the signal (such as its sustain level) and return it to 0v."),
quiz::Quiz("DC","Electrical current that flows in a single direction, as opposed to Alternating Current (AC), which flows in alternating directions. Many electronic devices run on DC, which is usually provided by battery power, USB power or an AC adapter plugged into the wall. In modular terms, DC refers to a voltage that tends to stay at one steady level for awhile, such as a gate output that switches between 0v when a note is off and 5 or 10v when a note is on. It can also refer to a slowly changing voltage, such as an envelope."),
quiz::Quiz("DCO","A DCO (Digitally Controlled Oscillator) is a hybrid design for an analog oscillator that – instead of using a voltage level to determine the pitch of the oscillator – uses a digital device such as a counter to determine the length of each waveform cycle and therefore the pitch. On the plus side, tuning is very stable, unlike some all-analog designs. On the minus side, there are no imperfections in pitch that cause subtle detuning (and therefore the perception of “fatness”) when using more than oscillator per voice."),
quiz::Quiz("De-esser","An audio compressor designed to reduce the volume of sibilant sounds and frequencies, especially those produced by pronouncing the letter “s.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Decay","In general, decay refers to a voltage or overall level dropping down from some high point, such as the decay stage of an envelope generator. A real-world analogy is that after you initially strike a drum or pluck a string, it decays in volume from its initial loudness eventually all the way to silence. It can also refer to the tail of a reverb or echo effect where the sound dies away over time."),
quiz::Quiz("Decca Tree","A stereo microphone placement technique involving three microphones (usually omnidirectional) placed in a “T” pattern. Commonly used in miking choirs, orchestras and other large ensembles, but variations of the Decca tree technique are also being used today in surround sound situations."),
quiz::Quiz("Decibel","(abbreviated “dB“) The ratio measurement of two levels according to a scale where a certain percentage change comprises one unit. Most often used to describe audio levels."),
quiz::Quiz("Degaussing","The process of demagnetizing an object. In the context of audio, degaussing essentially erases the recording on magnetic tape."),
quiz::Quiz("Delay/Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release","This is a slightly fancier take on the standard ADSR envelope generator that introduces an initial timed delay before the initial attack stage (rising from 0 to a peak level) begins. One patch idea is to route this type of envelope to a low pass filter cutoff, so there’s initially a muted, filtered sound when the note starts, and then after a pause it starts to swell into a brighter, fuller sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Delay","You all know what the word delay means in the normal world; it can appear in different forms inside a modular synth. For example, it can refer to the spacing between repeats in an echo; that’s why an echo device is often known as a “delay” effect. It can also refer to a programmable amount of time you delay a signal, such as a gate, trigger, or initial stage of an envelope so a note would start later than it was actually played. Also, 1) An process by which an audio signal is recorded to a medium or device, reproduced at a time delay, then mixed with the original, non-delayed signal to create a variety of effects such as a fuller sound, echo, chorusing, flanging, etc.  2) A signal processor that creates delay effects."),
quiz::Quiz("Demo","A preliminary recording that is intended to give the listener an idea of how a song could sound in a final production. A demo usually involves minimal tracking or production, almost like a “rough draft” of a recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Detune","If you have two oscillators tuned to exactly the same frequency – and I mean, exactly the same frequency – there’s not much point in having more than one oscillator. However, when you change the tuning of one ever so slightly – in other words, detune it – you will start to hear interesting interactions between the two, often referred to as chorusing or beating. The result tends to be more interesting and “full” – and a bit more natural, as two singers or instruments can rarely hit exactly the same note. To purposely cause an instrument or signal to play out of tune (usually slightly). This effect can be used for a number of purposes in the studio, but is often used in “double-tracking,” blending the detuned instrument/track with the original to create a fuller sound."),
quiz::Quiz("DI","The process of sending an electrical audio signal directly from an instrument to the mixing console through the use of electric pickups or direct boxes, as opposed to using a microphone."),
quiz::Quiz("Dialogue","The spoken word recorded in film/video sound, commercials and instructional recordings."),
quiz::Quiz("Diaphragm","The part of a microphone that moves in response to sound waves, converting them to electrical signals."),
quiz::Quiz("Difference","A fancy way of saying you subtracted on control voltage from another. It can also be applied to audio or harmonics."),
quiz::Quiz("Digital Audio Workstation","abbreviated DAW) A device or computer software that records and mixes audio digitally and creates digital audio files. A DAW can be a standalone unit or an integrated set of components, but today they are most commonly found as “in-the-box” software programs run from a computer. The most common DAW program found in recording studios is Pro Tools; other commonly used programs include Reason, Ableton and Logic."),
quiz::Quiz("Digital Multimeter","A small device that tests electrical voltage, current, and resistance. Multimeters are useful in recording studios for calibrating electrical systems and troubleshooting problems."),
quiz::Quiz("Digital Recording","The process of converting audio signals into numbers that represent the waveform, then storing these numbers as data."),
quiz::Quiz("Digital Signal Processing","(abbreviated “DSP”) Any signal processing done after an analog audio signal has been converted into digital audio."),
quiz::Quiz("Digital to Analog Converter","(abbreviated D/A) A device that converts the digital data of digital audio into voltage levels that approximate the original analog audio."),
quiz::Quiz("Digital","There was a time when digital (referring to circuitry based around binary logic, computers, and the such compared to the old-fashioned transistors, op amps, capacitors, and other bits that make up analog circuitry) was a dirty word among synthesists. The assumption was digital techniques created sounds that were more sterile, brittle, and abrasive – and just not as “authentic.” Today, digital circuitry is embraced in synthesizers, including modular systems. Although analog will always hold a special place in our hearts, a well-implemented digital circuit can sound just as good as an analog one, while digital signal processing and programming can create a wider range of sounds than most analog circuitry."),
quiz::Quiz("Digitally Controlled Oscillator","A DCO (Digitally Controlled Oscillator) is a hybrid design for an analog oscillator that – instead of using a voltage level to determine the pitch of the oscillator – uses a digital device such as a counter to determine the length of each waveform cycle and therefore the pitch. On the plus side, tuning is very stable, unlike some all-analog designs. On the minus side, there are no imperfections in pitch that cause subtle detuning (and therefore the perception of “fatness”) when using more than oscillator per voice."),
quiz::Quiz("DIN Stereo","A stereo microphone placement technique that places two cardioid microphones about 20cm apart and set outward from each other at a 90-degree angle to create a stereo image.  Particularly for stereo miking at close ranges. (See also “Near-Coincident Miking.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("DIN Sync","A clock signal for controlling the tempo of sequencers, arpeggiators, and drum machines, distributed using cables with DIN-style connectors (yes, just like old-fashioned MIDI connectors, but DIN Sync is even older). Roland pioneered this standard, which included sending 24 pulses per quarter note (PPQN), giving rise to the alternate name Sync24. Korg equipment used a variation of this running at 48 pulses per quarter note, also known as Sync48. DIN Sync is still a popular way of sending a clock signal to a modular synth today, especially when interfacing with other vintage synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines."),
quiz::Quiz("Diode Ladder Filter","This is a filter design most often associated with the Roland TB-303 Bass Line, which is known for its rubbery sound with eager resonance."),
quiz::Quiz("Diode","An electrical component that enables easy electrical current flow in one direction but not the other. In the recording studio, these are commonly found in the vacuum tubes of tube amplifiers."),
quiz::Quiz("Direct Box","A small device that to converts an unbalanced, high-impedance speaker or instrument-level output to a balanced, low-impedance mic-level output. Frequently used in the signal path connecting electric instruments “directly” to the mixing console, as opposed to miking them acoustically. Also called “direct injection box” or “DI box.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Direct Current","In modular terms, DC refers to a voltage that tends to stay at one steady level for awhile, such as a gate output that switches between 0v when a note is off and 5 or 10v when a note is on. It can also refer to a slowly changing voltage, such as an envelope. (abbreviated “DC“) Electrical current that flows in a single direction, as opposed to Alternating Current (AC), which flows in alternating directions. Many electronic devices run on DC, which is usually provided by battery power, USB power or an AC adapter plugged into the wall."),
quiz::Quiz("Direct Injection","(abbreviated “DI”) The process of sending an electrical audio signal directly from an instrument to the mixing console through the use of electric pickups or direct boxes, as opposed to using a microphone."),
quiz::Quiz("Direct Out","An output available on some consoles which is fed directly from the preamplifier stage of the input, bypassing the channel strips and faders. This feature is often used to send a “dry” signal to a monitor mix or a recording device."),
quiz::Quiz("Direct Sound","The sound that reaches a microphone or a listener’s ear without hitting or bouncing off any obstacles (as opposed to reflected or ambient sound)."),
quiz::Quiz("Directional Pattern","1) In microphones, a term meaning the same thing as “Pick Up Pattern,” a description of the area in which a microphone is most sensitive to sounds. 2) In loudspeakers, it is the pattern of dispersion, the area that the sound from a speaker will evenly cover in a listening area."),
quiz::Quiz("Dispersion (also Dispersion Angle)","The area that is effectively covered by the sound coming from a loudspeaker; specifically, the imaginary boundaries on either side of the speaker at which the sound level is 6 dB lower than if you were standing directly in front of the speaker. Each speaker has both a horizontal and vertical dispersion angle."),
quiz::Quiz("Distant Miking","The technique of placing a microphone far from the sound source in order to pick up a combination of the direct and reflected sounds."),
quiz::Quiz("Distortion","Refers to the deforming of a waveform at the output of a device as compared with the input, usually due to overload, creating a distorted or “dirty” signal. While electrical or audio distortion is typically unwanted and avoided, it is frequently used in controlled situations in audio to create certain desirable effects, particularly with electric guitars and amplifiers."),
quiz::Quiz("Diversity","1) In audio settings: the use of two or more antennas in a wireless receiver system to prevent dropouts in the audio from a wireless microphone. 2) In other settings: the embracing of the uniqueness of all individuals."),
quiz::Quiz("Dolby","The brand name of a manufacturer of noise reduction systems and other audio systems, to improve performance and fidelity of audio recording, playback, and transmission."),
quiz::Quiz("Doppler Effect","The phenomenon in which the human ear perceives a change in the frequency (pitch) of a sound while the sound source is in motion. As the sound source approaches, the sound waves travel a shorter distance to the ear, increasing the frequency of the waves and the pitch of the sound; as the sound source moves away, the sound waves must travel farther and farther, resulting in lower frequencies. A common example of this effect is an approaching emergency vehicle whose siren sounds higher as it approaches and lower after it passes. The Doppler Effect can be utilized in audio settings, for example, in the  Leslie speaker in which an electric motor rotates the speakers inside the cabinet, constantly changing the distance between the sound source and the listener (or microphone) and creating its signature warbling vibrato effect."),
quiz::Quiz("Double","1) To record a second performance closely matching the first performance, for the purpose of blending the two tracks. 2) To use a delay line with medium delay to simulate double tracking."),
quiz::Quiz("Driver","1) A transducer in a loudspeaker that converts electrical signals into sound pressure waves. 2) A computer program that controls an attached device or piece of hardware."),
quiz::Quiz("Dropout","A brief loss of audio signal on tape, or a brief loss of data in a digital audio file (often due to a dropped sample), that can result in an unwanted dip in audio, a crackle or a pop."),
quiz::Quiz("Drum Machine","An electronic device containing synthesized and/or sampled drum sounds in its memory, along with an internal sequencer that can be programmed to play drum patterns or loops."),
quiz::Quiz("Drum Pattern","A specific sequence of drum sounds played by a drummer or sequenced into a drum machine for use in a song."),
quiz::Quiz("Dry","A sound with no effects is referred to as \"dry\"; a sound with effects (such as reverb) mixed is referred to as \"wet.\" Effects units or mixers often have wet/dry mix amounts that set the ratio between the original, unprocessed sound and the fully-effected sound."),
quiz::Quiz("DSP","Any signal processing done after an analog audio signal has been converted into digital audio."),
quiz::Quiz("Dub (or Dubbing)","1) To copy a recording. 2) To record in real time with another recording with the intent of mixing the two recordings (see also “Overdub/Overdubbing”). 3) “Dub” is an abbreviation for “dubstep,” a style or subgenre of electronic music."),
quiz::Quiz("Ducking","A compression-based audio effect in which an audio signal is reduced proportionately by the presence of another audio signal, sometimes accomplished through a “sidechain” connection with the signal processor. A notable example is a spoken-word voice-over track recorded over a musical track, where the music drops in volume when the speaker begins to speak. A more subtle example is when an audio engineer “ducks” specific sounds to make room for others in the track; for example, when a bass guitar signal triggers a slight reduction in the level of drums or guitars. (See also “Sidechain.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Duophonic","Duophonic means two \"voices.\" Most early synths (including modular systems) are monophonic, which means they can play only one note at a time; some instruments have enough oscillators, filters, envelopes, and amplifiers that they could play two separate notes as once. Some MIDI interfaces for modular synths include duophonic modes so you can patch up and control two separate voices from your keyboard. Some users play fast and loose with terms such as duophonic, monophonic, and polyphonic;"),
quiz::Quiz("Duration","Duration is another way of saying length. A clock pulse or a gate signal that is “high” for a certain amount of time – say, 100 msec – is said to have a duration of 100 msec. The length of time you hold a note down, or the length of a step in a sequence, is also called its duration."),
quiz::Quiz("Dynamic Microphone","(Also called Moving Coil Microphone) A microphone in which sound pressure waves are converted to an electrical audio signal by an induction coil moving within a magnetic field—a process often compared to a loudspeaker working in reverse. Dynamic microphones are less sensitive than condenser microphones, but can be effective for miking louder sound sources or for close-miking applications."),
quiz::Quiz("Dynamic Processing/Dynamic Signal Processing","The process of automatically changing the level (or gain) to alter the level relationship of the loudest audio to the softest audio. Dynamic processors include compressors, limiters, expanders and gates."),
quiz::Quiz("Dynamic Range","1) The ratio (in dB) between the loudest peak and the softest level of a song or recording. 2) The ratio (in dB) between the softest and loudest possible levels a device or system can provide without distortion."),
quiz::Quiz("Early Reflections","The first sound waves that reach a listener’s ear after bouncing off a surface in the room, usually heard almost immediately after the initial sound. The first stage of reverberation."),
quiz::Quiz("East Coast Synthesis","This blanket term is applied to most common synthesizer configuration pioneered by East Coast based companies such as Moog, Arp, and EML (as well as “Far East” companies such as Roland and Korg) where one or more oscillators producing waveforms with rich harmonic content (such as a sawtooth or square wave) are fed into a filter that removes some of those harmonics, and then onto an amplifier to shape the loudness of a note. This approach is also often known as subtractive synthesis, as the filter reduces (subtracts) harmonics that came from the oscillators. East Coast synthesizers also regularly have organ-style black & white keyboards, and four stage ADSR type envelopes. Today it's common to mix both East Coast and West Coast approaches in the same system."),
quiz::Quiz("Echo Chamber","An enclosed room designed with reflective, non-parallel surfaces for the purpose of creating acoustic echoes (reverberation)."),
quiz::Quiz("Echo","The distinct repetition of an initial sound, caused by the reflection of the sound waves upon a surface. We recognize a sound as an echo when the distance between the source and the reflection is far enough apart that we can detect the time delay between one and the other. Essentially, reverberation is the combination of many echoes occurring too rapidly to hear each individually. In the studio, echoes can be reproduced acoustically or simulated by a digital signal processor."),
quiz::Quiz("Edit","To change one or more parameters of a recorded sound after the fact. This can take many forms, including “punching in” a section of the music that is re-recorded to replace the original version; altering the shape/size of waveforms graphically; changing the sequence of playback; and many others. Analog editing would typically involve splicing the magnetic tape on which the audio signals were recorded. These days, almost all editing in the studio is done via computer using a digital audio workstation (DAW)."),
quiz::Quiz("Effect Loop","Sometimes you might want to send a signal outside your modular system, process it through an external effects device, and bring it back into your modular for more processing. This going out/coming back in is referred to as an effect loop. The trick with modular synths is that their internal signal levels tend to be much higher than those used by external effect equipment, so a modular effect loop will usually have level matching circuitry as well."),
quiz::Quiz("Effects Processor","(Also called Guitar Processor) A device that adds audio effects to a direct guitar signal, such as reverb, chorusing, flanging, delay, overdrive, amplifier simulation, etc. Effects processors can occur as individual effects boxes or multi-sound pedal boards (see also “Foot Pedals,” “Foot Switches”) added into the signal path between the guitar and the console. They can also be found as presets in guitar amplifiers, or even as digital plug-ins within a DAW."),
quiz::Quiz("Effects Track","1) In film production audio, a recording of the mixdown of all the sound effects ready to be mixed with the dialogue and music. 2) In music recording, one track with a recording of effects to be added to another track of a multitrack recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Effects","1) Various ways an audio signal can be modified by adding something to the signal to change the sound. 2) Short for the term Sound Effects (sounds other than dialogue, narration or music like door closings, wind, etc.) added to film or video."),
quiz::Quiz("EG","The envelope generator (EG) module is used to shape the loudness or dynamics of a note when connected to a VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier), as well as how its frequency content or timbre changes over time when connected to a VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter). To do this, and envelope generator creates a voltage that typically rises from zero volts to some maximum level, and back down again. You control how long this takes, usually in various stages: an attack stage as it goes from zero to max, a decay stage as if falls back down from maximum to either zero (in the case of an AD, or Attack/Decay envelope) or an intermediate level known as the sustain, and then (usually after a key has been released and the corresponding gate signal has gone back to zero) from the sustain level back to zero over a duration known as its release."),
quiz::Quiz("Electret Microphone","A variation of condenser microphone that uses an electret instead of a capacitor. (Also called “Electret Condenser Microphone.”) Because the electret is permanently polarized, an electret microphone does not require an external power source as a standard condenser microphone does."),
quiz::Quiz("Electret","A dielectric plate that is designed with permanent polarity, allowing it to function similarly to a magnet. (“Electret” comes from the words “electricity” and “magnet.”) Used in some microphone types in place of a capacitor (condenser)."),
quiz::Quiz("Electromagnetic Field","(Abbreviated EMF) A field of magnetic energy put out because of current traveling through a conductor."),
quiz::Quiz("Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)","The bane of audio professionals everywhere, EMI is a type of interference caused by nearby electromagnetic activity, which can be picked up by audio cables and equipment, causing unwanted noise, hum or buzz in audio systems. Common causes of EMI in audio systems may include high-current power lines, fluorescent lighting, dimmer switches, computers, video monitors and radio transmitters."),
quiz::Quiz("Electrons","Negatively charged particles revolving around the nucleus of an atom. Electrical current is generated by electrons moving along a conductor, like a metallic wire."),
quiz::Quiz("Emphasis","This word can have two meanings. In a normal audio context, it usually means some form of high frequency boost, as emphasizing the higher harmonics can add clarity to a tone and help distinguish it from another. In synthesizers, emphasis usually means the Q or resonance setting on a filter, as increasing this setting boosts (emphasizes) the harmonics at the cutoff or corner frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("Envelope Follower","This module follows the loudness contour of a sound, and outputs a voltage that corresponds to how that loudness changes. They tend to perform some smoothing on this signal so that it’s not too nervous or jumpy in nature. Envelope followers often also have a gate output that goes high when the loudness of the input signal went over a certain level, and low when it falls back below that level."),
quiz::Quiz("Envelope Generator","The envelope generator (EG) module is used to shape the loudness or dynamics of a note when connected to a VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier), as well as how its frequency content or timbre changes over time when connected to a VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter). To do this, and envelope generator creates a voltage that typically rises from zero volts to some maximum level, and back down again. You control how long this takes, usually in various stages: an attack stage as it goes from zero to max, a decay stage as if falls back down from maximum to either zero (in the case of an AD, or Attack/Decay envelope) or an intermediate level known as the sustain, and then (usually after a key has been released and the corresponding gate signal has gone back to zero) from the sustain level back to zero over a duration known as its release."),
quiz::Quiz("Envelope Tracking","This describes the main action of an envelope follower: a module or section of a module that follows the loudness of a signal and outputs a voltage that corresponds to – tracks – that input."),
quiz::Quiz("Envelope","The collective term for the four elements of the lifespan of a sound: Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release (ASDR). The envelope of a sound describes how a sound or audio signal varies in intensity over a period of time."),
quiz::Quiz("Equal Loudness Contours","A drawing of several curves showing how loud the tones of different frequencies would have to be played for a person to say they were of equal loudness. (See also “Fletcher-Munson Curves.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Equalizer","An audio signal processor that uses one or more filters to boost or cut the amplitude (volume) of certain frequencies within the sound. The underlying principle is to balance or “equalize” the frequency response of the audio system, or to create balance between multiple signals in a sonic space. However, audio engineers may use equalizers to alter or “color” the sound in many different ways."),
quiz::Quiz("Eurorack","Eurorack is arguably the most popular format of modular synthesizer today, with over 100 manufacturers and over 1000 modules available. It was created by Doepfer Musikelektronik in 1995, basing its size off the Eurorack format for lab equipment. Some users will try to tell you that Eurorack doesn’t “sound” as good as other formats, but that’s just based on a few substandard manufacturers or modules; there’s nothing inherent to the standard that makes a huge difference in the final sound (no; the difference between 12 and 15 volt power supplies is not enough to most ears)."),
quiz::Quiz("Expander","A signal processor (or plug-in) that performs the opposite function of a compressor, expanding the dynamic range of an audio signal rather than compressing it. It accomplishes this by further reducing the amplitude of signals that drop below a set threshold."),
quiz::Quiz("Expansion Ratio","The rate by which an expander attenuates an incoming signal, measured in decibels. For example, an expansion ratio of 2:1 means the expander will reduce the signal by 2dB for every 1dB it drops below the threshold. If the signal falls 3dB below the threshold, the expander attenuates it by 6 dB, and so on."),
quiz::Quiz("Exponential","In general terms, this is a mathematical curve that starts out relatively flat and then bends to climb steeply. In synthesizer terms, it most often refers to the control voltage scheme where a change of 1 volt corresponds to an increased pitch of one octave, which is doubling in cycles (vibrations) per second. This is in contrast to a linear system where 1 volt increase would always result in the same increase of cycles per second."),
quiz::Quiz("Fade","A gradual reduction of the level of the audio signal, or a gradual change of level from one pre-set level to another."),
quiz::Quiz("Fader","A control which adjusts the level (gain or attenuation) of an incoming signal to a channel or grouping of channels on a console."),
quiz::Quiz("Far Field","The region away from a loudspeaker at which the sound drops 6dB for each doubling of the distance, up to the critical distance. The beginning of the far field varies according to the size of the speaker, but in most cases the far field begins around 3 feet from the sound source. Audio engineers often use both near field and far field monitoring when fine-tuning a mix. (See also “Critical Distance,” “Near Field.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Feed","To send an audio or control signal to."),
quiz::Quiz("Feedback Control","The control on a delay line or delay effects device that controls the amount of feedback into the system."),
quiz::Quiz("Feedback","The return of a portion of the output signal back into the input of a system. This can be done in a controlled manner through a feedback circuit to alter the sound of an instrument (most commonly electric guitars or analog synths). It can also describe the unwanted feedback loop created when an open microphone is picking up the sound from a nearby speaker, generating a loud, oscillating frequency that increases in intensity until the feedback loop is broken by turning off the mic or speaker, or by use of an equalizer to attenuate the frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("Fidelity","A term describing how accurately a sound is reproduced from its original source."),
quiz::Quiz("Figure-8 Pattern","A microphone pickup pattern which is most sensitive to picking up sounds directly in front and back of the mic, effectively rejecting sounds coming from the sides."),
quiz::Quiz("Filter","A module that reduced or removes certain frequencies and harmonics from the sound that is passed through it. In a synthesizer, the most typical filter types are low pass (passes all of the harmonics below its cutoff or corner frequency untouched, and then reduces the level of higher harmonics the further you go above that cutoff frequency), high pass (passes all harmonics above its cutoff frequency untouched, and reduces the level of progressively lower harmonics below the cutoff), bandpass (harmonics right around the cutoff are passed intact, and then reduced more in level the further away they are above or below the cutoff frequency), and notch (harmonics right around the cutoff frequency are reduced or cut out entirely; others above or below are allowed to live)."),
quiz::Quiz("Flanger","A signal processor often identified as the one that creates a “jet taking off” whoosh. What’s going on behind the panel is that a copy of the input signal is delayed by a very small amount (longer than a chorus effect; shorter than an echo effect) and mixed in with the original. When the delay is constant, the result is a “comb filter” where certain harmonics are cancelled out as they are mixed back on top of themselves out of phase. When the delay is varied over time, you get swooshes and sweeps. The effect was originally created by playing two tape reels of the same song, starting them in time with each other, and dragging your finger on the flange of one of the tape reels to delay it."),
quiz::Quiz("Flanging","An audio effect caused by blending the signal with a copy of that signal at a slight time delay, then modifying the delayed copy, creating a “swirling” sound. This was originally accomplished in analog tape recording by playing the original tape and the copy on two tape machines simultaneously, then physically pressing on the flange of one of the machines to alter the timing of the duplicate track. These days, most flanging is done through delay boxes or digital plug-ins."),
quiz::Quiz("Flat","1) A term used to describe an even frequency response in a device or speaker, meaning that the device/speaker treats all frequencies the same without the need for EQ. When displayed graphically, the frequency response is shown as a “flat” line with no peaks or valleys. 2) In music, describes a note or pitch that is out of tune, sounding at a slightly lower frequency than it should. 3) In music notation, an “accidental” mark that instructs the player to play/sing the note one-half step lower."),
quiz::Quiz("Fletcher-Munson Curves","Also known as “Equal Loudness Contours,” a set of graphical curves plotted to illustrate how the human ear responds to different frequencies at different volume levels. Named after the two researchers who first plotted the curves. (See also “Equal Loudness Contours.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Flip-Flop","In binary logic terms, a flip-flop toggles between high and low every time it receives an input trigger (i.e. the first trigger would set the output high, the second trigger sets it low again, and so on). In clock or audio terms, it divides the speed of an input clock or square wave by 2."),
quiz::Quiz("Floating Unbalanced Line","A connection “workaround” in which an unbalanced output is connected to a balanced input by modifying the connections in the line to resemble a balanced line, alleviating unwanted hum or buzz."),
quiz::Quiz("Fly In","To add sounds into a mix or recording that have no synchronization."),
quiz::Quiz("Flying Bus","This is a very simple type of power distribution or bus board that typically uses a ribbon cable with multiple connectors along its length to take the output of your power supply and distribute it to your individual modules. They're cheap and easy to install and use, but in a few cases might be a cause of noise being shared between modules."),
quiz::Quiz("FM","Frequency modulation (FM for short) refers to a synthesis technique where the pitch of an oscillator is varied (modulated) very quickly – at audio rates – by another oscillator. The result is a complex side of harmonics that may either be nicely in tune or clangorous and “out of tune” with the fundamental pitch of the main oscillator."),
quiz::Quiz("FOH","In live audio settings, the location in a venue opposite the stage, where live audio for the show is controlled and mixed."),
quiz::Quiz("Foldback","A stage monitoring system used in live audio. A set of on-stage speakers called monitors or wedges (or “foldback speakers” in British countries) are fed a special mix of audio signals for the onstage performers to hear in order to play. This mix is usually different from the FOH (front-of-house) mix that the audience hears, and is sometimes controlled by a second engineer through amplifiers and speakers separate from the main sound system. This type of stage monitoring is frequently susceptible to feedback from the microphones, and in certain venues can cause unwanted reflective noise that makes it difficult for FOH engineers to create a good mix for the audience. For this reason, many live audio systems now use in-ear monitoring as an alternative to stage monitors to control the onstage noise and reduce the risk of feedback."),
quiz::Quiz("Foot Pedal","An effects device controlled by a musician with his foot."),
quiz::Quiz("Foot Switch","A switch placed on the floor and pressed by a musician to do various functions."),
quiz::Quiz("Force-Sensing Resistor","In modular systems, an FSR (Force-Sensing or -Sensitive Resistor) usually takes the form of a circular pad that you press on to vary a parameter. It acts as a resistor that decreases in resistance the harder you press."),
quiz::Quiz("Formant","Many instruments based on vibrating tubes – including our own vocal tract – have certain frequencies that they like to vibrate or “resonate” at. When you send a sound down these tubes, they will accentuate the frequency of that sound (or some of its harmonics) to match these resonate frequencies. Each of these resonant frequencies is known as a formant of that instrument. A common way of synthesizing vocal-like sounds is to pass an oscillator through a filter or equalizer that has several formant peaks, spaced apart in ways that mimic certain vowels. Formant is an element in the sound of a voice or instrument that does not change frequency as different pitches are sounded. Formants are essentially “fixed” frequencies or resonances that occur as a result of the physical structure of the sound source. These frequencies are what create timbre, that element of sound that creates the specific sound of a guitar, a flute, a male or female voice, etc."),
quiz::Quiz("Format","1) One of many different media used to store and reproduce audio, whether in the recording studio or for listening purposes. Examples include currently used physical formats such as vinyl records and compact discs; obsolete formats such as cassette tape, 8-track tape and DAT; analog recording staples such as reel-to-reel multitrack tape; and many different digital audio file formats such as mp3, WAV, WMA, AIFF and others. 2) Format can also describe specific parameters when recording to analog tape, such as number of tracks, width, spacing and order. 3) To prepare a hard drive or memory card for use, usually erasing all existing data in the process."),
quiz::Quiz("Four Quadrant Multiplier","A Four-Quadrant Multiplier is a special case of Amplitude Modulation (AM). It is also referred to as ring or balanced modulation. One signal changes the level of – \"multiplies\" – the level of a second signal. A typical use is two VCOs running at audio rates fed into a ring modulator (a four-quadrant multiplier). The output is a complex set of component tones that don’t follow typical “musical” spacing based on octaves above the fundamental that harmonics usually follow. Namely, the modulation frequency is both added to and subtracted from the carrier’s frequency; the resulting harmonics replace the original carrier and modulator. Say the carrier was a sine wave (only the fundamental harmonic present) at 600Hz, and the modulator was a sine wave at 100Hz. The result would be a tone that had frequency components at 500 and 700Hz."),
quiz::Quiz("FracRack","A less-common format of modular synthesizers put forward by PAiA and Blacet Research. It stands for Fractional Rack; one unit is 1.5” (3.8 cm) wide by 3U, or 5.25” (13.3 cm) high."),
quiz::Quiz("Fractional Rack","A less-common format of modular synthesizers put forward by PAiA and Blacet Research. It stands for Fractional Rack; one unit is 1.5” (3.8 cm) wide by 3U, or 5.25” (13.3 cm) high."),
quiz::Quiz("Frequency Modulation (FM) Synthesis","A method of sound synthesis in which the frequencies generated by one oscillator (the carrier) are altered by the output of one or more additional oscillators (operators) to create a diversity of harmonically rich sounds."),
quiz::Quiz("Frequency Range","1) The range of frequencies over which an electronic device puts out a useful signal (see also “Bandwidth”). 2) The range of frequencies that can be substantially transmitted or received in relation to a sound source. Each instrument has a certain frequency range in which it can play; the human ear can also hear within a certain frequency range."),
quiz::Quiz("Frequency Response","The range between high and low frequencies that a component of an audio system can adequately handle, transmit or receive."),
quiz::Quiz("Frequency-Agile","In wireless microphone systems, frequency-agile describes the ability of the system to operate on a choice of different RF frequencies within a certain bandwidth. Frequency-agile systems are preferred for live touring and in areas with high concentrations of radio signals (like large cities) because the RF frequency of the device can be changed to avoid interference."),
quiz::Quiz("Frequency-Shift Key (FSK)","A now out-of-date protocol in which a sync tone is recorded onto a spare track of a multi-track tape recorder to enable electronic devices (mainly drum machines) to perform in sync with the tape. While some older devices still read FSK, an updated protocol (Smart FSK) is now more commonly used. (See also “Smart FSK.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Frequency","The number of occurrences of a particular event within a certain amount of time. In audio and acoustics, frequency specifically refers to the number of complete cycles a vibration or waveform makes in a second, measured in cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz). In sound, frequency determines what we hear as pitch. The longer the wavelength, the fewer the cycles per second, and the lower the pitch."),
quiz::Quiz("Front-of-House","(Abbreviated FOH) In live audio settings, the location in a venue opposite the stage, where live audio for the show is controlled and mixed."),
quiz::Quiz("FSR","In modular systems, an FSR (Force-Sensing or -Sensitive Resistor) usually takes the form of a circular pad that you press on to vary a parameter. It acts as a resistor that decreases in resistance the harder you press."),
quiz::Quiz("Full-Normalled","Describes the configuration within a patch bay in which the jacks form a connected pathway until a patch cord is inserted to change the path. When a patch bay is “full-normalled,” the connection is altered by inserting a cord into either the input or output side; when it is “half-normalled,” the path changes only when a cord is plugged into the input. “Non-normalled” or “open” means there are no internal connections, and each input sends the signal through its corresponding output."),
quiz::Quiz("Full-Wave Rectifier","A full-wave rectifier takes any negative voltages and inverts them so they become positive. This effectively doubles the frequency of many simple waveforms, like the triangle and sine."),
quiz::Quiz("Function Generator","The term function generator can have two meanings in the world of synthesis. One, test equipment that generates waveforms such as sine or square waves are often called “function generators.” Two, envelope generators are sometimes referred to as “function generators.” In both cases, “function” means to execute an equation of some sort, such as creating a periodic waveform such as a sine or creating a rise & fall in response to a trigger."),
quiz::Quiz("Fundamental","(Also called fundamental frequency or first harmonic) The lowest frequency present in the sounding of a note by musical instrument or voice."),
quiz::Quiz("Gain Control","A device that changes the gain of an amplifier or circuit, often a knob (potentiometer) that can be turned. In a mixing console, each channel usually has its own gain control to regulate the gain of the signal coming into the board—not to be confused with the channel “fader,” which regulates the output of an already-amplified signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Gain Reduction","The action of a compressor or limiter in regulating the amplitude of the audio signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Gain Structure","A term that describes the interconnection of multiple components in an audio system, and the amount of gain increase or reduction that occurs at each point. A configuration with a good gain structure means that the components are working properly together to provide optimal gain with minimal distortion or noise."),
quiz::Quiz("Gain","The amount of increase in audio signal strength, often expressed in dB."),
quiz::Quiz("Gate Detector","This is one of the main signal types that are passed around inside a modular synthesizer. It jumps to high level – typically 5 volts – when a new note is supposed to start (such as when you press a key on a keyboard controller), or when a sequencer jumps to the next “stage” or note. A gate typically stays at that level for the duration of the note (i.e. while the key is being held down), and suddenly drops or “goes low” to its resting level – typically 0 volts, but sometimes –5 volts or another number – when the note ends (i.e. when the key is released). In practice, when a gate signal is sent to a typical envelope generator, the start of the gate (when it “goes high”) tells the envelope to go through its Attack and Decay stages; while the gate remains high, the envelope stays at its Sustain level, and when the gate goes low again, the envelope moves onto its Release stage."),
quiz::Quiz("Generation Loss","The amount of clarity lost when recorded audio is copied, due to added noise and distortion."),
quiz::Quiz("Generation","A term used to describe the number of times that the recorded audio signal has been copied."),
quiz::Quiz("Glide","Refers to a note that glides from one pitch to another while it is still audible. The music term for this effect is portamento, which is a slurring between notes. In a synthesizer, this effect is created by causing the control voltage for the pitch of a note to slide from the pitch of the previous note rather than make a discrete jump. The module that creates this effect is sometimes known as a slew generator, slew limiter, slope generator, or lag. Some use the terms glide, glissando, and portamento interchangeably, but if you want to split musical hairs, a glissando (gliss) is a different effect where the intermediate notes are more distinct – such as played rapidly in order – rather than slurred through."),
quiz::Quiz("Golden Section","(also called Golden Ratio) A ratio of height to width to length, where the width is approximately 1.6 times the height, and the length approximately 2.6 times the height. First calculated by the ancient Greeks, this ratio (known mathematically as “phi”) is used as an optimal ratio in many applications, including room dimensions and studio design (to achieve “optimal acoustics” in the room), and even in the design of certain acoustic instruments."),
quiz::Quiz("Granular Synthesis","Granular synthesis can be thought of as particle theory applied to sound. The concept is that a sound can be broken down into very small “grains” – typically 1-50 or 100 msec in duration. These tiny snippets are then played back to reproduce the original sound, or to create new sounds by changing the speed, pitch, volume, playback order, and direction of the individual grains. You can crossfade between these modified grains, or layer more grains on top. The result can range from audio processing tricks such as changing speed without changing pitch and vice versa, to creating psychedelic “clouds” of sound (and indeed, there is a popular module called Clouds)."),
quiz::Quiz("Graphic Equalizer","A type of equalizer that can adjust various frequencies of the incoming signal using sliders that are assigned to specific frequency bands. (See also “Equalizer.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Ground Lift Plug","An adapter that enables a three-prong power cord to plug into two-prong outlet. Some engineers wrongly use this plug to interrupt the ground connection and prevent buzz, but it is a VERY unsafe practice to break the ground connection using this plug without grounding the unit by another means."),
quiz::Quiz("Ground Lift Switch","A switch that breaks the connection between the ground point in one circuit and the ground point in another circuit, for the purpose of eliminating hum or buzz caused by ground loops."),
quiz::Quiz("Ground Loop","A situation caused when one or more electronic devices are connected to the same ground at different points. The devices operate at different ground potentials, which creates voltage along the ground, resulting in a low-frequency hum that can be annoying at best and cause damage to gear at worst. The best resolution for ground loops is to ground all devices at the same point using a central power source. An alternative solution is to break the loop via ground lift switches or plugs, but this should be avoided when possible as it is considered an unsafe management of electricity."),
quiz::Quiz("Group (or Grouping)","A number of input channels on a console that can be controlled and adjusted as a single set before sending the combined signal to the master output. Sometimes also called “Submix,” “Bus” or just “Group.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Group Delay","In audio, group delay is a phenomenon within all electronic audio devices (e.g., speakers, amplifiers) in which different frequencies in the signal are output at slight delays from one another. In simpler terms, lower frequencies are delivered slightly more slowly than higher ones. In all devices, there is an inherent delay between input and output of the signal, but group delay specifically deals with the time delays between specific frequencies of the sound. The goal in any configuration is to keep the group delay as small as possible; in cases of extremely poor configurations, the delays between highs and lows can be audible."),
quiz::Quiz("Guitar Controller","An electric guitar (or device played like a guitar) that transmits MIDI data that can be used to control synthesizers and sound modules."),
quiz::Quiz("Guitar Processor","A device that adds audio effects to a direct guitar signal, such as reverb, chorusing, flanging, delay, overdrive, amplifier simulation, etc. Effects processors can occur as individual effects boxes or multi-sound pedal boards (see also “Foot Pedals,” “Foot Switches”) added into the signal path between the guitar and the console. They can also be found as presets in guitar amplifiers, or even as digital plug-ins within a DAW."),
quiz::Quiz("Haas Effect","(Also called Precedence Effect) Simply stated, a factor in human hearing in which we perceive the source of a sound by its timing rather than its sound level. In his research, Helmut Haas determined that the first sound waves to reach our ears help our brains determine where the sound is coming from, rather than its reflection or reproduction from another source. The reflection of the sound must be at least 10dB louder than the original source, or delayed by more than 30ms (where we can perceive it as an echo), before it affects our perception of the direction of the sound. This is what helps us distinguish the original sound source without being confused by reflections and reverberations off of nearby surfaces. Understanding the Haas effect is particularly useful in live audio settings, especially in large venues where loudspeakers are time-delayed to match the initial sound waves coming from the source."),
quiz::Quiz("Half Step","A change in pitch equivalent to adjacent keys on a piano. Also known as a “semitone.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Half-Normalled","Describes the configuration within a patch bay in which the jacks form a connected pathway until a patch cord is inserted to change the path. When a patch bay is “full-normalled,” the connection is altered by inserting a cord into either the input or output side; when it is “half-normalled,” the path changes only when a cord is plugged into the input. “Non-normalled” or “open” means there are no internal connections, and each input sends the signal through its corresponding output."),
quiz::Quiz("Half-Wave Rectifier","A half-wave rectifier passes only positive voltages, and replaces anything negative with 0v. In other words, anything “below zero” is clipped off."),
quiz::Quiz("Hall Program","A setting of a digital delay/reverb effects unit that approximates concert halls. Hall programs are characterized by pre-delay of up to 25 ms."),
quiz::Quiz("Hard Knee","In compression, refers to a more abrupt introduction of compression of the signal once the sound level crosses the threshold. (See also “Knee.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Hard Sync","This is the most common type of oscillator sync where the slave oscillator will reset its waveform whenever it receives a sync pulse. If the type of sync is not specified, then it’s probably hard sync."),
quiz::Quiz("Harmonic Distortion","The presence of harmonics in the output signal of a device which were not present in the input signal, usually for the purpose of changing the instrument’s timbre."),
quiz::Quiz("Harmonic","A single harmonic is the purest sound possible: It contains no overtones or other identifying characteristics aside from its pitch and loudness. The shape of its vibration – whether it be vibrating the air so you can hear it, or causing the electrical vibrations of a voltage going up and down – is a sine wave. Most of the time, overtones have a very specific pitch relationship to each other. The first or lowest harmonic – known as the ‘fundamental’ – is the pitch of the sound, just as the lowest note of a chord is its ‘root.’ The other harmonics are higher, and spaced out as integer multiples of the fundamental: two times its frequency, three times, four times, and so forth. The first few harmonics happen to have a nice musical spacing: an octave; an octave and a fifth; two octaves. But the higher they get, the less musical they may seem."),
quiz::Quiz("Harmonics","Whole number multiples of the fundamental frequency that occur naturally within the playing of a tone. Mathematically, if the fundamental frequency is x, the harmonics would be 2x, 3x, 4x, etc. For example, if the fundamental frequency of the note played is 440Hz (or A-440), the harmonics would be 880Hz, 1320Hz, 1760Hz, and so on. The presence of harmonics in the tone is what creates the timbre of an instrument or voice."),
quiz::Quiz("Head","In tape recording, an electromagnetic transducer that magnetically affects the tape passing over it. Recording/playback heads change the audio signal from electrical energy to magnetic energy and back, for recording and playback purposes. An erase head creates a powerful electromagnetic field to the tape to erase previous signals from the tape."),
quiz::Quiz("Headroom","The difference in dB between normal operating level and clipping level in an amplifier or audio device.  Also describes the difference in dB between the peak levels of a recording and the point at which the signal distorts. (Also called “Margin.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Hertz/Volt","A system where a change of 1 volt at the input results in a change in pitch of a fixed number of hertz (cycles per second), rather than a fixed musical interval."),
quiz::Quiz("Hertz","(Abbreviated Hz) 1) The unit of measurement for frequency, specifically, the number of complete wave cycles that occur in a second (cycles per second). 1 Hz = 1 complete wave per second. 2) A popular rental car company (not typically used in recording except for transport to the studio)."),
quiz::Quiz("Hi-Hat","In drum sets, double cymbal on a stand, usually positioned next to the snare, which can be played with a foot pedal and/or by the top cymbal being hit with a stick."),
quiz::Quiz("Hi-Z","(abbreviated Hi-Z) Described as an impedance or resistance of several thousand ohms. In microphones, Hi-Z is typically designated as 10,000 or more ohms. (See also “Impedance.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("High (gate)","When a gate signal is at the voltage level (typically 5 volts, although it can be more) that indicates it is “on” – such as when a note is being held down on a keyboard controller – it is said that the gate is high."),
quiz::Quiz("High Impedance","(abbreviated Hi-Z) Described as an impedance or resistance of several thousand ohms. In microphones, Hi-Z is typically designated as 10,000 or more ohms. (See also “Impedance.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("High Pass Filter","An audio filter that attenuates signals below a certain frequency (the cut-off frequency) and passes signals with frequencies that are higher."),
quiz::Quiz("High-End","Highs or High-End – Short for “high frequencies,” loosely the frequencies above 4000 Hz. Usually meant in the context of “highs, mids and lows” in an audio signal."),
quiz::Quiz("High-Pass Filter","The high pass filter (HPF) design passes harmonics above its cutoff or corner frequency untouched, and reduces the level of lower harmonics depending on how far below the cutoff they are. In a 12dB/oct (decibel/octave) high pass filter, harmonics one octave below the cutoff frequency (in other words, one half the cutoff frequency) are reduced in level by 12 dB; harmonics two octaves below the cutoff (one quarter the frequency) are reduced by 24dB, and so forth. High pass filters are typically used to create bright sounds where the higher harmonics are much stronger than the fundamental and lower harmonics – for example, the sound of a harpsichord."),
quiz::Quiz("Horizontal Pitch","HP = Horizontal Pitch. In the Eurorack format for synthesizer modules, the width of a module is defined as the number of hp (horizontal pitch) units. Each hp is 0.2” (0.5 cm). Most modules are even numbers of hp wide, although some are odd numbers. Also, modules tend to be ever so slightly less than exactly some multiple of 0.2” wide, just to make sure you don’t run into problems with ever so slightly too wide modules overlapping."),
quiz::Quiz("Horn","1) A speaker or speaker enclosure where sound waves are sent by a speaker cone or driver into a narrow opening which flares out to a larger opening. 2) One of several different types of brass musical instruments."),
quiz::Quiz("House Sync","A reference signal such as SMPTE time code that is used to keep all devices in the room in sync."),
quiz::Quiz("HP","HP = Horizontal Pitch. In the Eurorack format for synthesizer modules, the width of a module is defined as the number of hp (horizontal pitch) units. Each hp is 0.2” (0.5 cm). Most modules are even numbers of hp wide, although some are odd numbers. Also, modules tend to be ever so slightly less than exactly some multiple of 0.2” wide, just to make sure you don’t run into problems with ever so slightly too wide modules overlapping."),
quiz::Quiz("HPF","The high pass filter (HPF) design passes harmonics above its cutoff or corner frequency untouched, and reduces the level of lower harmonics depending on how far below the cutoff they are. In a 12dB/oct (decibel/octave) high pass filter, harmonics one octave below the cutoff frequency (in other words, one half the cutoff frequency) are reduced in level by 12 dB; harmonics two octaves below the cutoff (one quarter the frequency) are reduced by 24dB, and so forth. High pass filters are typically used to create bright sounds where the higher harmonics are much stronger than the fundamental and lower harmonics – for example, the sound of a harpsichord."),
quiz::Quiz("Hum","1) The low-frequency pitch that occurs when power line current is accidently induced or fed into electronic equipment. The hum reflects the fundamental frequency of the current (60 Hz in the U.S., and 50 Hz in many European countries). 2) To vocalize a pitch without opening one’s mouth."),
quiz::Quiz("Hybrid Power Supply","A hybrid power supply uses a lower weight, more efficient switching power supply to perform most of the drop in voltage – say, from 120v AC to 15v DC – and then uses a linear power supply for the remaining much smaller drop, such as from 15v to 12v. These are becoming the preferred design in many modular synthesizer enclosures. Shortcomings with the power supply – too noisy, or not enough – tend to be at the cause of many unexpected problems in modular synthesizers."),
quiz::Quiz("Hypercardioid","A variation of the cardioid microphone pick up sensitivity pattern in which the shape of the optimal pickup area is tighter and more directional than cardioid. Hypercardioid microphones are most sensitive directly on-axis in front of the microphone, and begins rejecting sounds between 90-150 degrees off-axis, depending on the tightness of the pattern."),
quiz::Quiz("Hz/V","A system where a change of 1 volt at the input results in a change in pitch of a fixed number of hertz (cycles per second), rather than a fixed musical interval."),
quiz::Quiz("Hz","An abbreviation for the term Hertz, or the unit of frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("IADSR","This is an Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release (ADSR) envelope generator that allows you to start the attack phase at an initial level – the “I” – rather than the customary 0 volts. The envelopes in the Prophet VS, as well as a module from Ladik, have this capability."),
quiz::Quiz("IC","Integrated Circuit – A miniature circuit of many components set on semiconductor material, used in electronics. A fancy term for “chip” or “microchip.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Imaging","Refers to the ability to localize a specific sound within the sound space. In recording environment, it refers to “placing” instruments within the stereo or surround field so that it when the sound is played through speakers, it fools our ears into thinking the sound source is in emanating from a specific point instead of from the speakers. In live audio and sound reinforcement, the principle of imaging is the same, the goal being to make the audience perceive the sounds as coming from performers on the stage, rather than from the speakers."),
quiz::Quiz("Impedance","Refers to the resistance of a circuit or device to alternating current, which can be mathematically described as the ratio of voltage to current. Differences in impedance between devices in the studio can affect how they work together. Impedance is abbreviated by the letter Z, and measured in ohms (W)."),
quiz::Quiz("In Line Console","An audio mixing console that is designed and configured so each channel strip can be used for both recording and monitoring functions during multitrack recording. This configuration is in contrast to split mixing consoles, which requires separate channels on the board for recording and monitoring functions."),
quiz::Quiz("In Phase","The desirable situation in which two or more devices (and their respective audio signals) are on the same side of the polarity spectrum, producing waveforms that do not conflict or cancel each other out."),
quiz::Quiz("In Port","A jack on a MIDI device or computer that will accept an incoming data signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Inductance","A characteristic of electrical conductors in which electrical charge (voltage) is produced or stored magnetically due to the natural resistance to change in the electrical current. Inductance is an electromagnetic principle that can either assist in audio applications (as in loudspeakers) or cause resistance (as in using speaker wire whose gauge is too low for the application)."),
quiz::Quiz("Inductor","A device (usually a coil of wire) that converts electrical energy into stored magnetic energy as electrical current passes through it. Commonly found in a variety of audio applications such as guitar pickups and loudspeakers."),
quiz::Quiz("Infinite Baffle","A loudspeaker mount or enclosure designed so that sound waves coming from the front theoretically do not reach the back, preventing the sound waves from cancelling each other out. The term “infinite” comes from the idea that mounting the speaker on a wall with no end points would not allow sound waves to migrate behind it. Of course, this is physically impossible, so infinite baffles are designed to replicate this as much as possible. Examples of infinite baffles are mounting the speaker on a wall of an enclosed room, or building it inside a sealed cabinet large enough to prevent rear sounds from affecting the cone from the back."),
quiz::Quiz("Initial/Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release","This is an Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release (ADSR) envelope generator that allows you to start the attack phase at an initial level – the “I” – rather than the customary 0 volts. The envelopes in the Prophet VS, as well as a module from Ladik, have this capability."),
quiz::Quiz("Input / Output (I/O)","I/O – An abbreviation for “Input/Output.” In audio, it refers to any device, program or system involving the transferring of electrical/audio signals or data."),
quiz::Quiz("Input Impedance","The opposition to current flow by the first circuits of a device."),
quiz::Quiz("Input Monitoring","A setting on many DAWs that allows you to monitor the live input signal coming into the DAW (as opposed to the recorded signal)."),
quiz::Quiz("Input","The jack or physical location where a device receives a signal. Also refers to the incoming signal itself."),
quiz::Quiz("Insert","An access in the signal chain (usually in the mixing console or virtually within a DAW) in which a device, signal processor or digital plug-in can be “inserted” into the circuit between pre-amplification and the channel or bus output. Commonly used to add processing such as reverb, compression or EQ to a channel or group of channels."),
quiz::Quiz("Instrument Amplifier","A device that has a power amplifier and speaker to reproduce the signal put out by an electric instrument."),
quiz::Quiz("Instrument Out Direct","Feeding the output of an electric instrument (like an electric guitar) directly to the recording console or tape recorder, as opposed to miking the amplifier."),
quiz::Quiz("Insulator","A substance such as glass, air, plastic, etc., that will (for all practical purposes) not conduct electricity."),
quiz::Quiz("Integrated Circuit","Integrated Circuit (Abbreviated “IC”) – A miniature circuit of many components set on semiconductor material, used in electronics. A fancy term for “chip” or “microchip.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Integrator","This function smoothens out an incoming signal so that the change in voltage level. “Integrator” is the technical name for this math function; you are more likely to see this module called a slew limiter (where I go into more detail on its uses) or less often as a lag generator or processor."),
quiz::Quiz("Interface","Any device or connection point that allows one unit to work, drive or communicate with another unit, or that allows a human to interact with a computer or other electronics. There are many examples of interfaces in professional audio situations, including MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface); audio interfaces which connect audio inputs to your computer; and even your DAW program, which displays a screen that enables you to assign instruments, adjust settings, record, mix and playback. Even the mixing console is an interface of sorts, connecting the many elements of the control room."),
quiz::Quiz("Intermodulation (IM) Distortion","Distortion caused by two or more audio signals of different frequencies interacting with one another. The sum and difference of the frequencies produce new (usually unwanted frequencies) that didn’t exist in any of the original frequencies."),
quiz::Quiz("Inverse Square Law","A mathematical rule that describes an inverse relationship between one quantity and the square of another quantity. In plain English, one number goes down by a certain amount each time the other number doubles. In audio and acoustics, the inverse square law says that in an open sound field with no obstructions, the sound pressure level will drop by half (6dB) each time the distance from the sound source is doubled. (This equation is quite useful to audio engineers trying to provide sound in open-air settings, for example.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Inverter","An inverter multiplies an incoming control voltage by –1. In the case of a gate or logic inverter, it reverses the high and low states so that (for example) 0v becomes 5v and 5v becomes 0v. This is sometimes referred to as a polarizer, as it changes the polarity (+ versus –) of a signal. A control voltage inverter is often combined with an offset voltage to adjust the output voltage into the desired range. For example, if you had an envelope generator that had an output range of 0 to +8 volts, and you just inverted it, the result would be 0 to –8 volts. Since some modules such as voltage controlled amplifiers usually expect only positive voltages, you would then need to add 8 volts to that result to get an upside-down (inverted) envelope that still had an overall range of 0 to +8v."),
quiz::Quiz("Inverting Mixer","Most signal mixers make an effort to keep the same polarity of a signal as it passes through the mixer. However, some mixers may invert the polarity or “phase” of a signal (as it’s a simpler design); other mixers may allow you to invert a signal on purpose so that you can experiment with tricks like adding one waveform or filter mode output out of phase with another coming from the same oscillator or filter."),
quiz::Quiz("Isolation","The process of containing sound within a certain area so that it doesn’t interact with other sounds. For example, acoustically treated isolation booths are often used to record vocals or instruments in the studio to keep outside noises from bleeding into the recording microphone, or likewise to keep vocals or other sounds away from instrument mics during live recording sessions."),
quiz::Quiz("IV Cable","You often need to send one signal to multiple destinations. Options for doing this include using dedicated multiples, free-floating widgets with multiple jacks wired together, or fancy cables that allow you plug one or two extra cables into them. The IV cable is one the latter: Made by Erthenvar, it has an extra 3.5mm jack molded into the mid-point of the cable (loosely resembling an intravenous or “IV” drip), in addition to having 3.5mm plugs at either end."),
quiz::Quiz("Jack","That hole you plug your patch cables into on the face of your synthesizer modules? That’s called a jack. The size and type of jack – 3.5mm, banana, or 1/4” – often is one of the defining features of different synth module formats: 3U/Eurorack, 4U, and 5U/MU respectively. (No, a plug is not called a Jill. Actually, it’s the other way around: A plug is sometimes referred to as a male connector, and a jack is referred to as a female connector.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Jam Sync","A process available on some clock or syncing devices which reads an external time code and recreates (or “jams”) a new time code identical to the original external code for the syncing of devices. This function is mainly used for replacing code that has become degraded."),
quiz::Quiz("Karplus Strong","This is a physical modeling synthesis algorithm designed to replicate the sound of plucked, vibrating strings – although it has also proven useful for some percussion sounds as well. A short sample – originally noise, although it can be a high frequency chirp or other sound – is sent to both the output, and to a delay line. The output of a delay line is connected to a filter – originally a one-pole low pass filter; changing the filter has a huge effect on the character of the sound – and then back to both the main output and the input of the delay line. A few modules implement Karplus Strong synthesis, although it is an interesting challenge to patch yourself and play with the results."),
quiz::Quiz("Key","1) In music, the note scale in which a piece of music is written or played, identified by the first note (tonic) of the scale, as in, “Key of C.” 2) The control of a dynamics processing device by an external audio signal through the use of a side chain. 3) A digital or data code that unlocks the use of a device or software. Example: Pro Tools is licensed through an iLok ID via the use of a physical USB key."),
quiz::Quiz("Keyboard Controller","A piano-styled keyboard that sends out MIDI signals to control other MIDI devices. Most keyboard instruments are equipped with MIDI control capabilities, but dedicated MIDI keyboard controllers emit no audio signals, only MIDI data."),
quiz::Quiz("Keyboard Tracking","Most modular synths follow a strict relationship between voltage and pitch, such as 1 volt per octave; any deviation would cause tuning errors. Because of this sensitivity, 1v/oct and similar signals and connections are sometimes specifically distinguished as keyboard tracking rather than just “CV” (control voltage) to make it clear they are not attenuated or otherwise modified when controlling a function on a module."),
quiz::Quiz("Keyboard","Any musical instrument or computer controlled by pressing a key."),
quiz::Quiz("Keytar","A strap-on, lightweight, portable keyboard meant to allow keyboardists the same freedom (not to mention posturing opportunities) as guitarists."),
quiz::Quiz("Kick Drum","The bass drum on a trap drum set, so called because it is played with a kick pedal."),
quiz::Quiz("Kilohertz (kHz)","kHz – An abbreviation for kilohertz (1000 Hz, or 1000 cycles per second). Example: 2000 Hz = 2 kHz. Most commonly used in the studio for describing audio frequency ranges or digital sampling rates."),
quiz::Quiz("Knee","A function on a compressor that determines how abruptly or gradually compression begins once the sound level crosses the threshold. So-called because the graphic “bend” in the response curve is reminiscent of a knee. “Hard knee” refers to an abrupt activation of the compressor, while “soft knee” refers to a more gradual change."),
quiz::Quiz("Krell Patch","Recreating this patch is a challenge many modular musicians like to tackle. It is based on the 1959 movie Forbidden Planet, in a segment where they supposedly play the music of the ancient Krell race. In general terms, each note has a random pitch, envelope, and duration."),
quiz::Quiz("Lag Generator","This function smoothes out an incoming signal so that the change in voltage level cannot exceed a certain number of volts per second. This causes the result to “lag behind” changes in the input. It is sometimes called a slew limiter or technically as an integrator."),
quiz::Quiz("Layering","Refers to almost any blending of similar multiple musical parts or sounds at once, often combined on one channel or assigned to one controller. In audio recording, layering usually involves recording similar takes of the same instrument or vocal (or duplicating parts with slight delays or chorusing effects) to create a fuller, richer sound than the vocal/instrument by itself. In sound design, it also refers to blending multiple samples (example: two or more drum sounds) to create a fuller sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Lead Sheet","A shorthand form of music notation (similar to a chord chart) that displays the basic essential elements of a song so musicians can follow along without the full notation of every note or expression. Lead sheets most commonly include a melody line written in music notation with chord changes above the staff, and lyrics below it. (See also “Chord Chart.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Leakage","Sounds from other instruments and sound sources that were not intended to be picked up by the microphone."),
quiz::Quiz("Level","The amount of signal strength; the amplitude, especially the average amplitude."),
quiz::Quiz("LFO","This module produces repetitive, cycling waves ranging in frequency from the low end of the audio spectrum to as slow as many seconds or even minutes per cycle. They are used to produce effects such as tremolo (when controlling the loudness of a signal), vibrato (when controlling the pitch of a signal), repetitive filter wah-wah effects, pulse width modulation to vary the waveshape of a pulse in an oscillator, and more."),
quiz::Quiz("Limiter","A type of compressor that sharply reduces (limits) the gain of the signal when the audio level reaches a certain threshold, typically used to prevent overload and signal peaking. A compressor effectively becomes a limiter when its ratio is 10:1 or higher. (See also “Compressor.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Line Input","Line Input (“Line In”) – An input designed to take a line level signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Line Level","Most consumer and lower-cost professional audio equipment use a signal level reference known as line level or –10dBV (decibel volts). The most common connectors are RCA (phono) or 3.5mm, although 1/4” is also used; the signal is “unbalanced” (it uses two wires: signal and ground). In the line level standard, a sine wave that varies between +/–0.447 volts is considered to be at –10dBV. By contrast, a typical oscillator signal in a modular synthesizer is +/–5 to +/–8 volts. As a result, you will need either an output module in your modular synth or one heckuva input attenuator on your mixer or recorder to plug your synth into equipment that runs at line level. Similarly, you will need to substantially boost a line level signal to get it up to modular standards to process in your modular synth."),
quiz::Quiz("Line Output","Line Output (“Line Out”) – Any output that sends out a line level signal, such as the output of a console that feeds a recorder."),
quiz::Quiz("Linear FM","This is often the preferred input response for frequency modulating (FM’ing) an oscillator, as the result stays in tune while you change the modulator."),
quiz::Quiz("Linear Power Supply","A linear power supply design takes a higher incoming voltage and reduces it to a lower voltage using components such as transformers. In very general terms, they tend to introduce less noise into the output power signal, at the cost of increased heat and weight (they're not very efficient). Many are moving to a hybrid power supply that combines a switcher with a small linear supply or regulator to get the best of both worlds."),
quiz::Quiz("Linear VCA","A linear voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) uses a simple mathematical relationship between control voltage input and signal level output – for example, 50% of nominal control voltage in would result in the output signal being at 50% of the level of the input signal. This, however, is not how our ears perceive loudness; a sound must be amplified by 10x in order to be perceived as twice as loud. This makes a linear VCA desirable for scaling control voltages, but perhaps less so for scaling audio signals. If you connect an envelope generator with an exponential output to a linear VCA, then you will get the desired aural result. Confusing? That’s why it’s great when an envelope generator or VCA has a switch or control to vary it between linear and exponential response. A linear mixer is similar to a linear VCA: “half” on the input level control equals the output having half the voltage swing as the input. Again, this is fine for altering control voltages, but not for mixing audio signals; in that case you want a mixer with exponential controls."),
quiz::Quiz("Linear VCO","A linear voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) follows the volts/hertz (v/Hz) standard; more common is the exponential volts/octave (v/oct) standard. The exception is frequency modulation (FM), where a linear control voltage input is often preferred to recreate classic style FM as it does not change the fundamental pitch of the carrier oscillator."),
quiz::Quiz("Live Recording","A recording session where all the musicians are playing at once with no overdubbing."),
quiz::Quiz("Live Room","The large, main room of the recording studio where most of the instruments and/or vocalists perform. So called, not just because there is room for live performances, but because the room has been acoustically treated to produce a pleasing amount of live reverberation."),
quiz::Quiz("Live","1) A term describing a space with a reverberant or reflected sound. In a “live” space, the sound waves are active or “live.”  2) Occurring in real time, as opposed to previously recorded."),
quiz::Quiz("Local On/Off","Local On/Off – A MIDI message that controls the internal sound module of a synthesizer or MIDI controller. “Local On” triggers the internal module when the keyboard is played; “Local Off” disconnects it. “Local Off” is frequently used to prevent unwanted looping of MIDI messages in some configurations, or when controlling the internal module via another controller."),
quiz::Quiz("Logic Functions","In a modular synth, control voltages tend to be continuous in nature, while gate and trigger signals are binary: on or off; high or low. This is the same as logic signals in digital circuitry. Therefore, some make digital logic modules. A common logic function is OR: If either signal A or signal B is high (on), then output a high gate signal (on); otherwise output a low gate (off). Another is AND: If and only if signal A and signal B are both, then output a high gate (on); otherwise, output a low gate (off). These are great functions for combining beat triggers from different timing sources."),
quiz::Quiz("Logic","Binary or Boolean logic is a way of combining gate signals (on or off voltages) to create new outputs. Each section of a logic module typically includes 1 to 3 inputs, with 2 being the most common. An OR function says if there is a gate on (or “high”) signal at any of the inputs (i.e. input 1 or input 2 or input 3, etc.), to output a gate on signal. An AND function says only output a gate on signal if all of the inputs see “high” gate signals (i.e. input 1 and input 2 etc. all have gate ons). Adding an “N” to the front of a function’s name says “not” this function – in other words, a NOR function would only output a high signal if all inputs were low (not input 1 nor input 2 are high)."),
quiz::Quiz("Loop","1) Effectively, any piece of music or data that repeats endlessly. Before digital audio and sampling, loops were created by looping tape. Today, loops are used in samples to sustain a sampled note for as long as the note is triggered, while drum loops and other music loops are common in modern music production. 2) Another term for antinode, or the points of maximum displacement of motion in a vibrating stretched string or a sound wave.  (See also “Standing Wave.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Looping","Sometimes it’s useful to have a module loop or repeat its functions. For example, an envelope generator that can be set to loop becomes a low frequency oscillator: as it attacks to a maximum value and decays back to zero, it starts that attack phase again. Quite often you want a note sequencer to loop: When it reaches the last note in the sequence, it would be useful for it to then look back to or return to the first note and start over. Audio recorders with looping features are also popular for live performance."),
quiz::Quiz("Loudness","A term referring to how the human ear perceives incoming sound waves. This term seems self-explanatory, but it’s deceptive. We commonly think of loudness as it relates to the volume of a sound, but this is an indirect relationship. In acoustic terms, volume is more about the amplitude of the sound waves, while loudness describes how our ears hear the intensity of those waves."),
quiz::Quiz("Low (gate)","Most often, this is shorthand for saying a gate or trigger signal is in its “off” condition (typically 0 or –5 volts, in contrast to a “high” or “on” signal of +5 volts)."),
quiz::Quiz("Low Frequency Oscillator","This module produces repetitive, cycling waves ranging in frequency from the low end of the audio spectrum to as slow as many seconds or even minutes per cycle. They are used to produce effects such as tremolo (when controlling the loudness of a signal), vibrato (when controlling the pitch of a signal), repetitive filter wah-wah effects, pulse width modulation to vary the waveshape of a pulse in an oscillator, and more."),
quiz::Quiz("Low Impedance","(abbreviated Lo-Z) Described as impedance of 500 ohms or less. (See also “Impedance.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Low Pass Filter","The low pass filter (LPF) design passes harmonics below its cutoff or corner frequency untouched, and reduces the level of lower harmonics depending on how far above the cutoff they are. In a 12dB/oct (decibel/octave) low pass filter, harmonics one octave above the cutoff frequency (in other words, double cutoff frequency) are reduced in level by 12 dB; harmonics two octaves above the cutoff (four times the frequency) are reduced by 24dB, and so forth. This is the most common type of filter used, as most natural sounds have stronger low harmonics and weaker high harmonics – especially as a note fades to silence."),
quiz::Quiz("Low Pass Gate","By strict definition, a low pass gate (LPG) is a low pass filter whose cutoff frequency goes down into the subsonic range as its control voltage goes towards 0 volts, resulting in the input signal being filtered almost into silence. Some replicate this by combining a low pass filter and a voltage controlled amplifier into the same module, with both following the same control voltage. In either case, as an input envelope falls from a high level to 0 volts, the output gets duller (higher harmonics are filtered more) as it falls to silence. This mimics the way many natural sounds work."),
quiz::Quiz("Low-Frequency Oscillator (LFO)","A circuit that emits low-frequency electronic waveforms below the audible level of human hearing (20 Hz or less). This low-frequency waveform creates a rhythmic pulse that is used to modulate various parameters in the audio signal, such as pitch or volume. LFOs are frequently used in samplers, synthesizers and signal processors to create such effects as vibrato, tremolo, and phasing."),
quiz::Quiz("low-pass-filter","An audio filter or device that attenuates signals above a certain frequency (the cut-off frequency) and passes signals with frequencies that are lower than the cut-off."),
quiz::Quiz("Lows or Low-End","Short for “low frequencies,” loosely referring to bass-frequency signals below 250 Hz. Usually meant in the context of “highs, mids and lows” in an audio signal."),
quiz::Quiz("LPF","The low pass filter (LPF) design passes harmonics below its cutoff or corner frequency untouched, and reduces the level of lower harmonics depending on how far above the cutoff they are. In a 12dB/oct (decibel/octave) low pass filter, harmonics one octave above the cutoff frequency (in other words, double cutoff frequency) are reduced in level by 12 dB; harmonics two octaves above the cutoff (four times the frequency) are reduced by 24dB, and so forth. This is the most common type of filter used, as most natural sounds have stronger low harmonics and weaker high harmonics – especially as a note fades to silence."),
quiz::Quiz("LPG","By strict definition, a low pass gate (LPG) is a low pass filter whose cutoff frequency goes down into the subsonic range as its control voltage goes towards 0 volts, resulting in the input signal being filtered almost into silence. Some replicate this by combining a low pass filter and a voltage controlled amplifier into the same module, with both following the same control voltage. In either case, as an input envelope falls from a high level to 0 volts, the output gets duller (higher harmonics are filtered more) as it falls to silence. This mimics the way many natural sounds work."),
quiz::Quiz("M2.5","A common screw thread size used to mount Eurorack modules. This size is most common when using a system of loose nuts that slide along the rails that the modules are attached to."),
quiz::Quiz("M3","A common screw thread size used to mount Eurorack modules. This size is most common when using module mounting rails that have been pre-drilled."),
quiz::Quiz("Magnetic Tape","Recording tape consisting of a plastic strip coated by magnetic materials, finely ground iron oxide (rust) particles. Commonly used for analog recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Magnetism","A natural attractive energy of iron based-materials toward other iron-based materials."),
quiz::Quiz("MArF","The rare Buchla Model 248 MArF (Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator) is a cross between a sequencer and an envelope generator (both described elsewhere in this glossary) in that it typically contains 16 or 32 stages (sometimes referred to as “segments”), and a rate control to interpolate between these stages. This means very complex envelope shapes and other control voltage sequences can be created. Later on, Buchla used the term MARF to describe the multi-step envelopes in instruments such as the Buchla 400."),
quiz::Quiz("Margin","See “Headroom.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Masking","The characteristic of hearing by which loud sounds prevent the ear from hearing softer sounds of similar frequency. Also refers to the obscuring of softer sounds by louder ones."),
quiz::Quiz("Master","1) The main output control of a console or DAW, setting the level of the mixed signal as it leaves the console. (Also called “master fader.”) 2) The final-mixed original recording from which copies are made."),
quiz::Quiz("Mastering","The final process of fine-tuning and “sweetening” the mix on a song or collection of songs, from which the master will be created."),
quiz::Quiz("Measure","The grouping of a number of beats in music. (See also “Bar.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Meg","A slang abbreviation based on the prefix “Mega-, meaning 1,000,000. Often used as shorthand for megahertz (1,000,000 Hertz, Mhz) or megabytes (1,000,000 bytes, MB)."),
quiz::Quiz("Meter","1) A device that measures and displays the signal level in audio or digital equipment. Meters usually measure peak values or RMS values. (See also “Peak Value,””RMS Value.”) 2) The rhythmic structure of music, typically describing the number of beats in a measure."),
quiz::Quiz("Mic / Line Switch","Mic, Mike – Abbreviations for “microphone.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Microphone (Mic) Input","The input of a console or other device designated for a microphone signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Microphone (Mic) Level","The very low audio voltage level emitted by a studio microphone. The signal must go through a preamplifier to be increased to line level before entering the console. (See also “Line Level,” “Preamplifier.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Microphone (Mic) Pad","A setting on a microphone or preamp, or a separate adapter/connector, that reduces the level of the microphone signal before it enters the preamplifier to prevent overload."),
quiz::Quiz("Microphone","A transducer which converts sound pressure waves into electrical signals."),
quiz::Quiz("Mid-Side Miking (M/S)","(Abbreviated M/S) A stereo coincident microphone placement technique in which one cardioid pattern microphone is aimed directly at the sound source, and a bi-directional microphone placed sideways and as close as possible to the first mic."),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI Clock","A clock signal conveyed by MIDI that is used by the connected sequencers and musical devices to stay in sync with one another. Not to be confused with MIDI time code (MTC), MIDI clock is tied to the Beats-Per-Minute (BPM) tempo, advancing 24 steps per quarter note."),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI Controller","Can refer to two different elements of MIDI, depending on the context. 1) A device or software that sends MIDI data to connected devices, either through pre-programmed sequencing or through live performance by a musician. 2) Any of a number of smaller controls on a MIDI device that is assigned to control specific parameters of the sound or performance."),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI Interface","A device that converts a MIDI signal into the digital format of a computer so it can store and use the MIDI signal."),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI over Bluetooth","Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a wireless connection specification supported by the majority of mobile computing devices. BLE (also called Bluetooth SMART) can extend battery life for mobile devices using connected accessories (such as MIDI keyboards and controllers) that don't continuously stream data. An MMA Working Group evaluated Bluetooth LE MIDI performance (latency and jitter) and decided on a specification for MIDI over Bluetooth which would enable products from different manufacturers to interoperate. The Specification for MIDI over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE-MIDI) is based on Apple's implementation which appeared in iOS8 and OSX 10.10, so that products from early adopters would remain compatible with the industry standard."),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI Sample Dump Standard (SDS)","A sub-protocol that was added into MIDI to enable the transfer of digitally recorded samples between instruments, storage units or sound modules without converting them to analog."),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI Sequencer","A device or software that can record and play back MIDI data, controlling the performance of MIDI musical instruments or devices in a series of timed steps. MIDI sequencers can exist on board MIDI controllers, keyboards or workstations, as standalone devices, or as computer software."),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI Thru Box","A unit with one MIDI In Port and several MIDI Thru Ports to relay the MIDI signal to multiple devices. MIDI users often prefer this as an alternative to “daisy chaining” devices, which can cause slight delays in the MIDI signal."),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI Thru","A port that puts out a MIDI signal that is the same as the incoming MIDI signal, effectively relaying the signal to another device without altering or changing it.  (Many MIDI devices have three MIDI ports: In, Out and Thru.)"),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI Time Code (MTC)","The translation of the information in SMPTE time code into MIDI data, enabling MIDI sequencers and connected devices to sync with SMTPE code (usually in relation to video). (See also “SMPTE Time Code.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("MIDI","Short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI is a common language to connect one synthesizer to another, and synthesizers to a computer. Although it is a digital language, it is easy to buy a MIDI to CV/Gate (control voltage and gate) converter module that handles both note events and MIDI clocks for driving sequencers and the such. The biggest thing to watch out for is what type of connector is required: the traditional 5-pin DIN, or a USB computer-style connection."),
quiz::Quiz("Mids","Abbreviation for “mid-range frequencies,” the audio frequencies from about 250 Hz through 6000 Hz. Meant in the context of “highs, mids and lows” in an audio signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Mini Keys","A number of keyboard controllers and even keyboard synths use a key size that is much smaller than a typical piano key. Mini keys is the term commonly used (sometimes derisively, although the space and cost savings can be quite significant) to refer to this hardware choice."),
quiz::Quiz("Mix Down","Mixdown or Mix Down – The processes of creating a final mix by combining multiple audio tracks into a single track (or two-channel stereo track) prior to the mastering stage. This can include the traditional method of mixing the multiple channels of analog tape into a two-track master, or the more modern method of creating a digital mixdown using a DAW (which is often referred to as “rendering”)."),
quiz::Quiz("Mix","1) The blending of audio signals together into one composite signal. 2) Can also refer to the blending of a portion of an effected audio signal back into the direct signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Mixer","This module combines signals together. You may use a mixer to combine audio signals, in which case you may want one with exponential level controls and perhaps stereo panning, or to combine control voltages, in which case you may want linear level controls plus additional functions to invert and offset the voltages going through it."),
quiz::Quiz("Modular","A modular synth breaks down the main components of a synthesizer – the tone-generating oscillators, the tone-modifying filters, the amplitude-shaping VCAs, and the modulation sources that create envelopes, tremolos, and more – into individual modules you can purchase and install. At the most basic level, this allows you to play mix-and-match in building your own custom synth."),
quiz::Quiz("Modulation Noise","Noise that is present only when the audio signal is present."),
quiz::Quiz("Modulation","When you vary a parameter of a synthesizer module using voltage control, it is said that you’re modulating that parameter. For example, when a low frequency oscillator (LFO) varies the cutoff frequency of a filter to create a wah-wah effect, it is said that the LFO is modulating the cutoff. When an envelope generator causes a voltage controlled amplifier (VCA) to open up to allow a sound to become suddenly loud, and then fades it back down to silence, you can also say the envelope is modulating the amp (although some like to restrict the term “modulate” to a repetitive action). Therefore, we call the sources of these changes modulators."),
quiz::Quiz("Modulator","We touched on the general subject of modulation and modulators in the definition above. However, quite often when someone uses the term modulator, they’re usually discussing a synthesis techniques where one usually audio-rate signal “modulates” (varies) another audio signal. For example, in frequency modulation (FM) synthesis, the modulator (or modulating oscillator) varies the frequency (pitch) of the main signal generator (oscillator), called the carrier. In ring, balanced, or amplitude modulation, the modulator is varying the loudness of the carrier signal. So the term modulator is a way to make it clear which component you’re talking about in one of these patches: not the main tone generator, but the module that is driving that generator crazy."),
quiz::Quiz("Module","A self-contained group of circuits and controls. In the recording studio, modules are often contained in interchangeable housing for installation on rack mounts, and can include amplifiers, equalizers, effects processors and sound modules (MIDI instruments to be activated by an external controller). In the digital space, plug-ins, software synths, samplers and plug-ins are also described as modules."),
quiz::Quiz("Monaural (Mono)","(Abbreviated “Mono”) Describing an audio signal coming through a single, as opposed to stereo, which is two channels. (See also “Monophonic.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Monitor Mix","A mix of the live and/or recorded audio signals that is fed to the musicians so the can hear the music while performing, whether live onstage or in the studio. Monitor mixes are on a separate signal path from the main mix (often controlled by a separate, smaller console) and do not affect the FOH mix (in live audio) or the signal going into the multitrack recorder/DAW. In live performance settings, the monitor mix is often controlled by a separate audio engineer running a separate sound board."),
quiz::Quiz("Monitor Mixer Section","Monitor Section/Monitor Mixer Section – The section of the console that is used to create a rough mix so the engineer can hear what is being recorded without effecting the levels being fed to the multitrack recorder or DAW."),
quiz::Quiz("Monitor Path","A signal path separate from the channel path that allows the engineer to listen to what is being recorded without affecting the signal being fed to the multitrack recorder or DAW. (See also “Channel Path.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Monitor","1) To listen to the music for the purpose of checking quality or avoiding peaks. 2) A speaker in the studio (usually one of a pair) that is used to listen to the audio signals. This can include studio monitors in the control room for listening to the mix, and headphones in the booths or live room for the performers to hear a mix of the tracks while they are performing."),
quiz::Quiz("Monophonic","(Abbreviated “Mono”) 1) A single sound source or single-channel transmission (as opposed to stereo). 2) A melody line in which only one note at a time is played. 3) Describing an instrument or synthesizer setting that only plays one pitch (or “voice”) at a time. (See also “Voice.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Morphing","In the context of a modular synth, morphing refers to an oscillator that can more or less smoothly change the shape of its output waveform – and therefore, the resulting sound – as you play it. This is usually the domain of digital oscillators which internally crossfade (or in some cases, switch) from one waveshape to another, although it is sometimes applied to analog oscillators that give you real time control over waveshapes."),
quiz::Quiz("Mother-32","A very popular semi-modular synthesizer by Moog. It comes in its own case, but can be mounted in a Eurorack-format case. It comes with one VCO (sawtooth and pulse waveforms), one LFO (triangle and square waveforms), one Moog-style transistor ladder filter that can be low pass or high pass, and one AD or AR envelope generator. It also has a very capable step sequencer plus a miniature one-octave keyboard. What makes it a semi-modular is a nice patch panel that allows alternate routings for the way the synth voice is internally wired, and for it to be patched to external modules. As so many of these were sold, I’m using it as a representative of a typical semi-modular or “starter” synthesizer voice when discussing how to expand a basic modular system. I have an online introductory course to the Mother-32 coming out this spring, and will have a course plus ongoing weekly series on adding different modules to this starter system."),
quiz::Quiz("Moving Coil Microphone","A microphone in which sound pressure waves are converted to an electrical audio signal by an induction coil moving within a magnetic field—a process often compared to a loudspeaker working in reverse. Dynamic microphones are less sensitive than condenser microphones, but can be effective for miking louder sound sources or for close-miking applications."),
quiz::Quiz("Moving Fader Automation","A feature in some consoles in which fader changes can be pre-programmed to occur automatically during playback of a multitrack recording."),
quiz::Quiz("MU","Refers to modules that are 5U (rack units) or 8.75” (22.2 cm) high, which is most often associated with the vintage Moog standard and those who have followed in their footsteps, including Synthesizers.com (Dotcom) and Moon Modular. You will sometimes hear this used interchangeably with MU for Moog Units, which also refers to a standardized width of 2.125” (5.4 cm) wide per MU. Given that this standard is both historical and physically large, some users “5U” as a badge of honor that they’re traditional and cool. (And the are.) There was also a briefly popular 5U format from MOTM that used a different width and power connection. It has since been discontinued, but there are still diehard MOTM format users today."),
quiz::Quiz("Multi-Tap Delay","A delay works by in essence putting audio in one end of a pipe and grabbing it again when it comes out the other. A multi-tap delay says “Why wait until the audio snapshots go all the way through the pipe? Let’s grab it when it’s only part way through the pipe.” Those points where it’s prematurely grabbed are the “taps” – kind of like additional water taps added along a long pipe."),
quiz::Quiz("Multimeter","A small device that tests electrical voltage, current, and resistance. Multimeters are useful in recording studios for calibrating electrical systems and troubleshooting problems."),
quiz::Quiz("Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator","The rare Buchla Model 248 MArF (Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator) is a cross between a sequencer and an envelope generator (both described elsewhere in this glossary) in that it typically contains 16 or 32 stages (sometimes referred to as “segments”), and a rate control to interpolate between these stages. This means very complex envelope shapes and other control voltage sequences can be created. Later on, Buchla used the term MARF to describe the multi-step envelopes in instruments such as the Buchla 400."),
quiz::Quiz("Multiple","Quite often you need to split or copy a signal to send to more than one destination. This is commonly done with a multiple (“mult” for short) where you plug one source in, and then plug in additional patch cables to go off to multiple destinations."),
quiz::Quiz("Multiplexer","Multiplexing is a technical way to describe signal routing, where multiple signals may be routed to one destination. In synth modules, this is usually extended to include the possiblity of one input being switched between multiple outputs. A sequential switch is a type of multiplexor, as it chooses among multiple inputs to decide which one to send to the output (or the other way around). There are some modules that do this at audio rate, using an oscillator's output to switch between variations of another waveshape to create complex, chopped mixtures of those waveforms."),
quiz::Quiz("Multitimbral","Refers to the ability of a synthesizer or module to play several different sounds, patches or “timbres” at once."),
quiz::Quiz("Multitrack Recording","Also called tracking or multitracking) The heartbeat of the recording studio, multitrack recording is process of recording a collective of sound sources onto separate tracks, each with its own audio channel, then combining the tracks to play back simultaneously. Recording can be done either one track or instrument at a time (to be combined later) or by recording the performers onto separate tracks as they play together live. These signals were originally recorded onto multitrack analog tape, but today they can also be recorded digitally as separate audio files into a digital audio workstation (DAW)."),
quiz::Quiz("Multitrack Tape","A piece/reel of magnetic tape which can be used to store two or more discrete signals in sync with each other."),
quiz::Quiz("Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)","Short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI is a common language to connect one synthesizer to another, and synthesizers to a computer. Although it is a digital language, it is easy to buy a MIDI to CV/Gate (control voltage and gate) converter module that handles both note events and MIDI clocks for driving sequencers and the such. The biggest thing to watch out for is what type of connector is required: the traditional 5-pin DIN, or a USB computer-style connection."),
quiz::Quiz("Mute Switch","A switch on a console or other piece of audio equipment that turns off the input or output, or a matching button on the virtual audio control space of a DAW. The individual channels on a console each have a mute switch that can cut the signal for that channel."),
quiz::Quiz("Mute","Sometimes you need to silence or disconnect a signal. A circuit that allows you to do so is called a mute."),
quiz::Quiz("Nanowebers per Meter (NW/m)","The standard unit in measuring the amount of magnetic strength on analog tape. A Weber is a unit of magnetic strength, but it is too large a unit to apply to the magnetism in tape recorders, so nanowebers is used instead. Nanowebers per meter of tape effectively describes the signal strength that is being recorded to tape."),
quiz::Quiz("Narrowband Noise","Noise (random energy) that occurs over a limited frequency range."),
quiz::Quiz("Near Field","The area between 1-5 feet from the sound source. Studio monitors are generally considered “near-field” speakers because they are meant to be listened to at close range. (See also “Far Field.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Near-Coincident Miking","A stereo miking technique in which two microphones are placed near each other at an outward angle to create a stereo image (as opposed to “Coincident Miking” which angles the microphones toward each other).  Common versions of near-coincident miking include DIN stereo (90-degree angle, 20cm apart), NOS stereo (90-degree angle, 30 cm apart) and ORTF (110-degree angle, 17 cm apart)."),
quiz::Quiz("Negative Feedback","A portion of the output signal that is fed back to the input of an amplifier with its phase inverted from the original output signal. This has a dampening effect on the output, effectively cancelling out a portion of the volume."),
quiz::Quiz("Noise Floor","The level of the noise present below the audio signal, measured in dB. Every electronic device emits a minimum level of noise, even when no audio is traveling through it; this is described as its noise floor. Generally speaking, the lower the noise floor in these devices, the higher the quality of the device. The noise floor also translates to the recorded signal; the noise floor of a recording is the sum of all the noise generated by connected devices. The objective is always to keep the noise floor as low as possible."),
quiz::Quiz("Noise Gate","A gate that is used reduce audible noise by automatically turning off an audio channel when the signal is not present."),
quiz::Quiz("Noise Reduction","Any of a number of processes to remove noise from a signal, device or system."),
quiz::Quiz("Noise","Describes any unpleasant, objectionable or unintended sound frequencies present in the audio signal. All electronic equipment produces some type of noise, which may be described as a hiss or buzz that can be heard during quiet or otherwise silent passages. (See also “Noise Floor.”) Bad connections, improper grounding, radio interference and other issues can also cause introduce noise into the signal. Engineers may also deliberately run a noise signal through a sound system for testing purposes. (See also “White Noise, “Pink Noise.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Non-destructive Editing","A feature in recording systems (most common in Digital Audio Workstations, or DAWs) in which the original signal or content stays intact while edits are performed, allowing the engineer to revert to the original version at any time. (Sometimes also called “Nonlinear editing.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Nondirectional","In microphones, picking up evenly from all directions."),
quiz::Quiz("Normalize","To apply a fixed amount of gain to audio so that the highest peak is set at the highest acceptable recording level."),
quiz::Quiz("Normalled","The power of modular synthesizers is that you can patch a signal to flow the way you prefer through your system. This can also be a time-consuming bummer when you’re just trying to patch a “typical” signal flow. Therefore, some manufacturers have created “semi-modular” synths that have all of these typical connections pre-wired for you, with the important feature that many of these wirings can be overridden by inserting patch cables into the correct jacks. These pre-wired connections are often referred to as being normalled. For example: An internal noise source may normally be connected to one channel of a mixer that appears before the filter, but if you insert a patch cable into a jack usually labeled external input, this “normalled” connection is broken and replaced by your external connection."),
quiz::Quiz("Notch Filter","This is a particular type of filter mode where audio frequencies or harmonics around the corner or cutoff frequency setting are removed, nor “notched out” of the overall spectrum. It is the opposite of a bandpass filter, which only passes harmonics around the cutoff frequency. Notch filters tend to have a subtle effect on the sound; moving (modulating) the cutoff frequency can result in a weak phasing sort of sound. Notch filters are often used in sound systems to weaken or remove a problematic frequency, such as ground loop hum, a resonance in a room, or other annoying peak in the harmonic spectrum of a sound. Think of using a notch filter in a patch to hollow out a sound, leaving room in the harmonic spectrum for other sounds to exist with less competition, or just to create a sound more likely to catch the ear because something that is expected is instead missing."),
quiz::Quiz("Notch","A narrow band of audio frequencies."),
quiz::Quiz("NW/m","The standard unit in measuring the amount of magnetic strength on analog tape. A Weber is a unit of magnetic strength, but it is too large a unit to apply to the magnetism in tape recorders, so nanowebers is used instead. Nanowebers per meter of tape effectively describes the signal strength that is being recorded to tape."),
quiz::Quiz("Nybble","Nybble (or Nibble) – One half byte of computer data, or 4 bits."),
quiz::Quiz("Nyquist Frequency","In digital recording, the highest frequency that can be recorded and reproduced properly, equivalent to a one-half the sampling rate. (For example, with the common sampling rate of 44,100 kHz per second, the Nyquist frequency would be 22,050 kHz.) Aliasing begins to occur with frequencies that exceed this threshold. (See also “Aliasing.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Nyquist Rate","he lowest sampling rate that can be used to record and reproduce a given audio signal, equivalent to twice the highest frequency. If the highest frequency found in an analog signal or sound is 18,000 kHz, theoretically the signal must be sampled at a minimum of 36,000 kHz per second—otherwise, the signal is considered to be undersampled and aliasing will occur. This is essentially the inverse principle of the Nyquist Frequency. (NOTE: the sample rate of 44,100 kHz/second is considered the standard sample rate because it easily covers the upper range of human hearing, which is about 20,000 kHz.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Octave Divider","A module that creates a new tone one or two octaves below the fundamental harmonic – the “pitch” – of the sound coming into it, to emphasize the bass. Sometimes also known as a suboctave or sub bass function."),
quiz::Quiz("Octave","An octave is a typical musical internal. For example, all of the “C” notes on a keyboard are octaves apart from each other. To play a note that is one octave higher in tuning, you need to double its pitch; to play an octave lower, you need to cut the pitch in half. In patch terms, this typically means adding or subtracting 1 volt to get a one octave change in pitch; some oscillators also have octave switches on their front panels that add or subtract these voltages for you (all they are not always perfectly accurate; you often need to re-tune after switching octaves). Suboctave or subharmonic generators divide the input pitch by 2 or 4 to create new waveforms that are one or two octaves lower in pitch, which adds bass."),
quiz::Quiz("Off Axis","Veering away from the imaginary line (axis) directly in front of the receiving end of a microphone. Measured as degrees of an angle. (For example, a sound coming from directly behind the microphone is said to be 180 degrees off-axis.)"),
quiz::Quiz("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."),
quiz::Quiz("Offset","In simple terms, Offset modules usually add or subtract a voltage from a signal passing through - such as shifting a 0 to +10v signal to instead vary between -5 and +5 volts."),
quiz::Quiz("Ohm's Law","The mathematical relationship between voltage, current and resistance."),
quiz::Quiz("Ohm","The unit used to measure the amount of opposition (impedance) to electrical current flow in a signal or device. (See also “Impedance.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Omni Mode","A setting that enables a MIDI device to recognize and respond to all MIDI channels at once."),
quiz::Quiz("Omni","A prefix meaning “all.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Omnidirectional Pattern","In microphones, picking up evenly from all directions (sometimes also called “Nondirectional”). 2) In speakers, sending out the signal evenly in all directions."),
quiz::Quiz("On Axis","The position directly in front of the diaphragm of a microphone, in line with its movement."),
quiz::Quiz("Open Circuit","An electrical circuit that is disconnected, interrupted or incomplete, preventing the flow of electricity."),
quiz::Quiz("Operating Level","(Sometimes called “Reference Level“) The maximum level that should not be exceeded in normal operation."),
quiz::Quiz("Operational Amplifier","(Abbreviated “Op Amp“) An amplifying circuit used in most audio and electronic devices."),
quiz::Quiz("Operational Transconductance Amplifier","An OTA (operational transconductance amplifier) circuit is one that converts an input voltage to an output current. This is a popular amplifier design as it can be less prone to going into saturation (clipping), has good bandwidth, and is also known for a “warm” sound. Therefore, you may find it in VCAs (voltage controlled amplifiers). Current can be thought of as the inverse of resistance, so what you have in an OTA circuit is in essence a voltage to resistance device that makes it possible to add voltage control to circuits such as filters. In general, when someone touts they have an OTA based filter, they usually mean it has a “warm” sound...unless it’s an MS-20 filter clone, in which case it’s thinner and more edgy. In reality, using an OTA is more about convenience of design than creating a specific sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Operator","There are a few different synthesis techniques where one usually audio-rate signal does something to another audio signal. For example, in frequency modulation (FM), a second signal (called the modulator) varies the frequency (pitch) of the main signal, called the carrier. These two signals or oscillators are often referred to as operators, particularly in FM patches. You’re more likely to hear this term used when working with a dedicated FM synthesizer like a Yamaha DX-7 and its descendants, than with a modular system."),
quiz::Quiz("OR function","One of the most common Boolean or binary logic functions, OR says if there is a gate on (or “high”) signal at any of the inputs (i.e. input 1 or input 2 or input 3, etc.), to output a gate on signal. A NOR function has an inverted output: it would only be on (high) if all inputs were low (not input 1 nor input 2 are high). An XOR (Exclusive OR) would only output a high signal if one of the inputs was high, but not if both inputs were high (or low). Finally, an XNOR is the invert of an XOR function."),
quiz::Quiz("Oscillator","At its core, to oscillate means to vary back and forth in a repeating pattern. The main sound generator in a modular system is called an oscillator because its output varies up and down (oscillates) in voltage in a repeating pattern. This pattern is referred to as its waveshape (such as a square wave, that alternates between high and low voltages); how fast this pattern repeats is called its frequency or pitch. An acoustic instrument equivalent of an oscillator is a string that vibrates back and forth on a guitar, a drum head that vibrates up and down, or the vibrations in the reed of a woodwind instrument. The vibrations of a modular synth’s oscillator just happen with electricity going down a wire rather than a physical object vibrating in air. (Eventually this electricity is routed to a speaker, which then vibrates the air with the same pattern sent to it over a wire.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Oscilloscope","This is a piece of test equipment that displays voltage fluctuations as graphical waveforms. A ’scope can run at a wide range of frequencies, displaying slowly changing voltages like LFOs or envelopes, or quickly changing voltages like oscillators and noise. Oscilloscopes used to be bulky pieces of external equipment, but now you can get USB scopes that offload the display portion of the job to your computer, or scopes as modules."),
quiz::Quiz("OTA","An OTA (operational transconductance amplifier) circuit is one that converts an input voltage to an output current. This is a popular amplifier design as it can be less prone to going into saturation (clipping), has good bandwidth, and is also known for a “warm” sound. Therefore, you may find it in VCAs (voltage controlled amplifiers). Current can be thought of as the inverse of resistance, so what you have in an OTA circuit is in essence a voltage to resistance device that makes it possible to add voltage control to circuits such as filters. In general, when someone touts they have an OTA based filter, they usually mean it has a “warm” sound...unless it’s an MS-20 filter clone, in which case it’s thinner and more edgy. In reality, using an OTA is more about convenience of design than creating a specific sound."),
quiz::Quiz("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) Having the opposite polarity."),
quiz::Quiz("Outboard Equipment","Equipment that is used with, but is not a part of, a console."),
quiz::Quiz("Output Impedance","The opposition to the flow of electrical current by the output circuits of an amplifier (or other device)."),
quiz::Quiz("Output Level","The signal level at the output of a device."),
quiz::Quiz("Output","1) The jack or physical location of where a device sends out a signal. 2) The signal put out by a device."),
quiz::Quiz("Overdubbing","The process of recording an additional musical performance over an existing recording, usually on its own track. Overdubbing has become a common recording technique with the advent of multitrack recording, first on multitrack analog tape, and more recently via computers and Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs)."),
quiz::Quiz("Overtone","Any harmonic in a tone except the fundamental frequency. (See also “Partial.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Pad","1) A device or circuit that attenuates an incoming signal, usually to prevent overload of an amplifier that follows along the signal path. (Also sometimes called “Attenuator pad.”) 2) A device with a surface that can be hit by a drum stick; hitting the pad produces an output signal pulse (or MIDI command) that causes a drum machine or synthesizer to sound a drum sound. 3) A type of synthesizer patch/program used to create sustained background or atmospheric sounds."),
quiz::Quiz("Pan (Panning)","The process of “placing” a particular sound within the stereo field. This is accomplished by controlling the balance of the signal between the left and right speakers so the ear hears the sound as coming from a particular point in the sonic space between left and right. This sonic space is sometimes called the “stereo panorama,” from which the word “panning” is derived. In surround sound, panning occurs in a 360° sound space, not just left-right."),
quiz::Quiz("Panpot (or Pan Pot)","Short for “Panoramic Potentiometer,” a panpot is a knob in the channel strip that controls the panning of the audio signal in the stereo (or surround) space by controlling how much of the signal is sent to each speaker or channel."),
quiz::Quiz("Parallel Jacks","Several jacks that are wired so that each connection is wired to the corresponding connection of other jacks."),
quiz::Quiz("Parallel Port","A connector that is able to transmit and receive digital data at the same time though different pins."),
quiz::Quiz("Parameter","Parameter is the fancy name given to any value or property or control of a synthesizer module that you’re trying to change. For example, an oscillator’s parameters typically include its pitch and the width of its pulse wave. A filter’s parameter will include its cutoff frequency (pitch), the amount of resonance (feedback), and possibly other controls such as a blend between its different outputs. Parameter was a popular term to describe a value you could change in software, and it’s been carried over by some to hardware modular synths."),
quiz::Quiz("Parametric Equalization","An equalizer in which all parameters of equalization can be adjusted to any amount, including the center frequency, the amount of boost or cut, and the bandwidth."),
quiz::Quiz("Paraphonic","A paraphonic synth is one where all of the notes being played go through a single filter (VCF) and amplifier (VCA). This was a popular scheme in the early days of polyphonic synths in that a separate oscillator (or organ-like frequency divider, in the case of “string synths” and the such) was used for each note played, but they were mixed before all going to the filter and amp to articulate the note(s). It was not uncommon for some monophonic synths to allow two to four independent notes to independently control the pitch of its oscillators, while still going through a single filter. This works great for chords; it doesn’t always work all that great for when a new note is played while others are being held as all of the notes will be re-articulated together."),
quiz::Quiz("Partial","1) Another word for overtone. 2) One of a number of sine waves that makes up a complex sound, helping to define the timbre. This concept is a key part of creating sounds in synthesizers: in additive synthesis, a number of partials are combined to create a certain tone."),
quiz::Quiz("Pass Band","The frequency range of signals that will be “passed” by a filter, rather than reduced."),
quiz::Quiz("Passive Device","A component that does not generate or control electrical current (as opposed to an “Active Device”). In audio applications, this usually refers to a piece of gear that does not include an amplifier as part of its design. For example, active speakers are self-powered, while passive speakers require an external amplifier in order to reproduce sound. (See also “Active Device.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Passive","Means no active (i.e. connected to a power supply) electronics are involved – such as sending a signal straight through a potentiometer control, instead of using op amps and other electronics to create a mixer circuit around it. Passive is cheap and easy, and does not add noise to a signal. But passive electronics cannot buffer one signal from another (meaning they might interact in undesirable ways), and cannot boost, offset, or invert a signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Patch Bay","Patch Bay (or Patchbay, Patch Field, Patch Panel) – A panel or component containing a series of jacks with connections for most of the inputs and outputs of the console and components in the studio, used for the purpose of organizing, managing and regulating signal flow."),
quiz::Quiz("Patch Cable","The cables used to connect together the different inputs and outputs in a modular synthesizer, carrying electrical control voltages and audio. The term came from the old telephone patch boards where an operator had to physically connect two callers together using electrical cables. As different modular formats often use different connector standards, you need to make sure the connectors at the ends of the wire in a patch cord are the size you need (3.5mm for Eurorack, 1/4” for 5U/Moog Unit, or banana for Serge or Buchla control voltages)."),
quiz::Quiz("Patch Cord (or Patch Cable)","An insulated cable with plugs on each end used to route audio signals. Patch cords are typically thought of as short cables used to make connections in the patch bay (hence the name); however, patch cords facilitate almost any kind of audio connection between devices, can come in a wide range of lengths, and can include a number of different types of connectors."),
quiz::Quiz("Patch Field","A panel or component containing a series of jacks with connections for most of the inputs and outputs of the console and components in the studio, used for the purpose of organizing, managing and regulating signal flow."),
quiz::Quiz("Patch Librarian","A computer program allowing for the storing of sound patches outside of a synthesizer via MIDI."),
quiz::Quiz("Patch Panel","A panel or component containing a series of jacks with connections for most of the inputs and outputs of the console and components in the studio, used for the purpose of organizing, managing and regulating signal flow."),
quiz::Quiz("Patch","The shorthand term used to refer how a series of modules are interconnected to create a sound, derived from the fact that patch cords are used to connect the modules together. 1) To route or reroute the signal in an audio system (such as a console) by using short cables with plugs inserted into jacks. 2) A sound setting or program on a synthesizer."),
quiz::Quiz("Path","Short for Signal Path, the way in which current does or may travel in a circuit or through a device."),
quiz::Quiz("PCM","Pulse Code Modulation - A process by which analog signals are translated to digital code. This is done by taking samples of the amplitude of the analog signal at regular rapid intervals, then translating it into binary numbers as a digital representation of the original signal. The faster the sample rate, the better the digital reproduction. PCM is the most common form of A/D conversion in digital audio."),
quiz::Quiz("PD","Phase Distortion synthesis was used by Casio originally in the 80s in the CZ line of synths. It is related to FM (frequency modulation), with enough differences to avoid problems with the patent used by Yamaha’s FM synths of the era. Intriguingly, it did a good job at mimicking many “analog” synth effects including the sound of a resonant filter."),
quiz::Quiz("Peak Filter","An EQ circuit/filter that boosts or cuts the middle (center frequencies in an audio signal, as opposed to high-pass or low-pass filters. (NOT to be confused with amplitude peaks.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Peak Meter","A meter which detects the absolute peak value of a waveform, as opposed to the RMS value. (See also “Peak Value,” “Root-Mean-Square,” “RMS Meter.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Peak to Peak Value","The measure of the total amplitude between positive and negative peaks in an audio signal. Equal to twice the peak value for a sine wave. (See also “Peak Value.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Peak Value","eak Value (also called Peak Level) – The measure of the maximum positive or negative value (amplitude) of a waveform at any moment. In audio, this is visually depicted as the farthest point of the waveform above or below the zero axis."),
quiz::Quiz("Pedal Board","A board with several guitar pedals attached and inter-connected so that a guitar player can conveniently activate a number of different effects."),
quiz::Quiz("Phantom Power","A system used to supply DC voltage to condenser mics and other components through the audio cables, eliminating the need for external power supplies."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Addition","The increased audio energy that happens when waveforms are in similar phase relationships, resulting in an increase in volume up to twice what it should be."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Cancellation","The opposite of phase addition, this is the reduction of energy that occurs when two similar waveforms that are out of phase with one another and begin cancelling each other out, either greatly reducing or eliminating the volume. When two identical wave forms are completely out of phase (by 180 degrees), the result in theory is a total silencing or cancellation of the signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Distortion Synthesis","Phase Distortion synthesis was used by Casio originally in the 80s in the CZ line of synths. It is related to FM (frequency modulation), with enough differences to avoid problems with the patent used by Yamaha’s FM synths of the era. Intriguingly, it did a good job at mimicking many “analog” synth effects including the sound of a resonant filter."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Distortion","A change in the sound because of a phase shift in the signal. Sometimes used in synthesizers as a method of altering the wave shape or adding harmonics to the sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Lock","Any of a number of processes used to help synchronize signals or devices by correcting phase differences. For example, in analog tape machines, phase locking helps to keep multiple machines synced together by sensing phase differences in the playback of pilot tunes by the two machines and adjusting the speed to eliminate the phase difference. In synthesizers, phase locking controls one tone generator so that it begins its waveform in phase with the signal from another tone generator. Phase-locked loops (PLL) are reference signals used in the clock functions of electronic devices."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Locked Loop","A phase locked loop is, in essence, an oscillator that tries to match the frequency of – or more importantly, a division or multiple of the frequency of – another signal. This is most commonly used to create a frequency that is much higher than the incoming reference signal – such as a timing module that can create an output clock that is 2, 4, 8, or more times the tempo of an incoming clock, or a very high frequency oscillator that is locked to a multiple of an incoming pitch – perhaps to drive a special circuit such as a switched-capacitor filter."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Modulation","Some would say this is the pedantically correct term for frequency modulation (FM), as the act of causing a carrier oscillator to play back faster and slower (quickly changing its frequency to be higher and lower) is the same as advancing and retarding position (phase) of the normal playback of a waveform. But don’t get bogged down by terminology when creating an FM patch; just connect the output of one oscillator to the pitch input of another and go for it."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Reversal","A change in a circuit to get the waveform to shift by 180 degrees."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Shift","A delay introduced into an audio signal measured in degrees delayed."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase Shifter","This effect splits a signal into two copies. One copy is fed through an “all pass filter” which does not attenuate any of the original harmonics like a low pass or high pass filter does, but which does alter the phase of the signal, causing those harmonics to have varying amounts of phase shift in relation to the original depending on their frequency. Mix these two copies back together, and different harmonic components of the original sound cancel each other out (see Phase), resulting in a notch filter effect. Each “stage” – all-pass filter section – of a phase shifter creates one of these notches. More stages create more notches, and a deeper effect."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase-Locked Loop","PLL -  Any of a number of processes used to help synchronize signals or devices by correcting phase differences. For example, in analog tape machines, phase locking helps to keep multiple machines synced together by sensing phase differences in the playback of pilot tunes by the two machines and adjusting the speed to eliminate the phase difference. In synthesizers, phase locking controls one tone generator so that it begins its waveform in phase with the signal from another tone generator. Phase-locked loops (PLL) are reference signals used in the clock functions of electronic devices."),
quiz::Quiz("Phase","A measurement (expressed in degrees) of the time difference between two similar waveforms. One cycle of a waveform is considered to have 360 degrees, just like a circle. How far you move around the circle (or through the waveform) can be defined by the phase. For example, if you are one-quarter of the way through a waveform’s cycle, your phase is 90°."),
quiz::Quiz("Phasing","An effects sound created by varying the phase shift of an audio signal, then mixing it with the direct signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Phon","A unit of apparent loudness, numerically equal to the same number of dB as a tone playing at 1000 Hz. For example, a sound is said to be 60 phon if it is perceived to be as loud as a 1000-Hz tone playing at 60dB."),
quiz::Quiz("Phone Plug","A plug (or its mating jack) with a diameter of 1/4 inch and a length of I 1/4 inches used for interconnecting audio."),
quiz::Quiz("Phono Plug","A common audio connector found on most stereo systems with a center pin as one connection and an outer shell as the second connection."),
quiz::Quiz("Physical Modeling","One approach to (often digital) synthesis is to recreate the components of actual instruments – such as a vibrating string or tube, or a resonating body such as the shell of a guitar or drum – and string those together to create sounds. There are a handful of modules available which perform this modeling to create their sounds."),
quiz::Quiz("Pickup Pattern","The shape of the area in front of or around the microphone from where it evenly picks up sound. Many use this term interchangeably with “polar pattern,” but a polar pattern gives more detail about microphone sensitivity. (See also “Polar Pattern.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Pickup","1) A device on an electric guitar or other instrument that puts out an audio signal according to the string motion on the instrument. 2) See “Contact Microphone.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Pinch Roller","A rubber (or plastic) wheel on a tape recorder that pinches the tape between it and the capstan, allowing the capstan to pull the tape."),
quiz::Quiz("Ping-Ponging (Bouncing)","The technique of combining and mixing multiple tracks onto one or two tracks (mono or stereo). This can be done in real-time or analog by playing the tracks through the console and recording them onto separate tracks, or digitally through a digital audio workstation. Bouncing was once used frequently by engineers to free up additional tracks for recording, but in digital workstations where tracks are virtually unlimited, this practice is basically obsolete. Today, engineers typically bounce tracks for the purpose of creating a preliminary or final mix of a song."),
quiz::Quiz("Pink Noise","A noise signal similar to white noise, containing all audible frequencies, but with equal energy per octave as opposed to all frequency bands. Engineers frequently use pink noise as a tool to tune and calibrate audio equipment. (See also “White Noise.”) Noise is a random, unpitched signal that, at audio rates, can sound like hissing or the wind. Pink noise has equal energy (sound level) per octave. As each higher octave has double the frequency of the octave below it which spreads out the energy over a wider range of frequencies, pink noise tends have a more natural, less electronic sound with more bass and less high end – especially when compared to white noise, which has an equal energy per number of hertz (frequency) and therefore tends to sound very bright."),
quiz::Quiz("Pitch Bend","A mechanism on a synth, keyboard or controller that can cause the pitch of the note to move up or down by a small amount."),
quiz::Quiz("Pitch to Voltage Converter","A device that detects the frequency of an audio waveform and changes it into a control voltage, which is in turn fed to an oscillator that produces a pitch at the same frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("Pitch-to-MIDI Converter","A device that detects pitch in an analog audio signal and translates it into MIDI information. (Also called “Audio-to-MIDI-Converter.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Pitch-to-Voltage Converter","A device that detects the frequency of an audio waveform and changes it into a control voltage, which is in turn fed to an oscillator that produces a pitch at the same frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("pitch","1) The perception of frequency by the ear (a higher or lower tone of music). 2) A control on a tape transport which adjusts the speed slightly up or down, changing the pitch and time of the music."),
quiz::Quiz("Plate Reverb","A device that produces artificial reverberation by sending vibrations across a metal plate via a transducer similar to a speaker driver. Physical plate reverbs today are considered a vintage form of artificial reverb; nowadays, most plate reverb effects are emulated digitally by plugins or reverb units."),
quiz::Quiz("Playback Head","A transducer that converts magnetic flux recorded on tape into an audio signal for playback."),
quiz::Quiz("Playback Mode","A configuration on a console that allows quick playback of the signal previously recorded on tape or via DAW via the monitor mixer."),
quiz::Quiz("Playback","1) The reproduction of recorded audio. 2) In motion picture or video production, the reproduction of the music over loudspeakers so the performers/musicians can perform in time to the music for the camera."),
quiz::Quiz("Playlist","1) See “Take.” 2) A user-defined selection of songs; a feature available on most streaming and digital media players."),
quiz::Quiz("PLL","A phase locked loop is, in essence, an oscillator that tries to match the frequency of – or more importantly, a division or multiple of the frequency of – another signal. This is most commonly used to create a frequency that is much higher than the incoming reference signal – such as a timing module that can create an output clock that is 2, 4, 8, or more times the tempo of an incoming clock, or a very high frequency oscillator that is locked to a multiple of an incoming pitch – perhaps to drive a special circuit such as a switched-capacitor filter."),
quiz::Quiz("Plug","A connector, usually on a cable, that mates with a jack."),
quiz::Quiz("Polar Pattern","1) In microphones, a graphic display of the area around the microphone that is sensitive to sound waves, detailing the audio output levels in dB of sound arriving from different directions. Similar to “Pickup pattern,” but more specific. 2) In speakers, a graphic display of the speaker’s dispersion of sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Polarity","The direction of current flow or magnetizing force."),
quiz::Quiz("Polarizer","An inverter multiplies an incoming control voltage by –1. In the case of a gate or logic inverter, it reverses the high and low states so that (for example) 0v becomes 5v and 5v becomes 0v. This is sometimes referred to as a polarizer, as it changes the polarity (+ versus –) of a signal. A control voltage inverter is often combined with an offset voltage to adjust the output voltage into the desired range. For example, if you had an envelope generator that had an output range of 0 to +8 volts, and you just inverted it, the result would be 0 to –8 volts. Since some modules such as voltage controlled amplifiers usually expect only positive voltages, you would then need to add 8 volts to that result to get an upside-down (inverted) envelope that still had an overall range of 0 to +8v."),
quiz::Quiz("Polarizing Voltage","In condenser and electret microphones, the introduction of a small amount of electrical current to create the magnetism by which the capacitor converts audio signals to electrical current. In condenser microphones, polarizing voltage is provided externally (see also “Phantom Power”); in electret microphones, the polarizing voltage is permanently impressed on the condenser during manufacturing."),
quiz::Quiz("Pole Pieces","Iron or other magnetic material that conducts magnetic force for use in transducers like record heads, playback heads, microphones, speakers, etc."),
quiz::Quiz("Pole","This is a technical term that helps describe the design of a filter. Each pole of a filter attenuates frequencies beyond its cutoff or corner frequency by 6 decibels (dB)/octave; the more poles, the stronger the filtering effect. A 4-pole low pass filter, for example, attenuates frequencies one octave above its cutoff frequency by 24 dB; frequencies two octaves above the cutoff are attenuated by 48 dB and so forth."),
quiz::Quiz("Polyphonic","The term \"polyphonic\" refers to a synthesizer that can play more than one individually articulated note at a time; in most cases, those notes all play a similar sound or patch. Able to play more than one pitch or “voice” at the same time. A term commonly used to describe synths and keyboards. (See also “Voice.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Ponging (Bouncing)","The technique of combining and mixing multiple tracks onto one or two tracks (mono or stereo). This can be done in real-time or analog by playing the tracks through the console and recording them onto separate tracks, or digitally through a digital audio workstation. Bouncing was once used frequently by engineers to free up additional tracks for recording, but in digital workstations where tracks are virtually unlimited, this practice is basically obsolete. Today, engineers typically bounce tracks for the purpose of creating a preliminary or final mix of a song."),
quiz::Quiz("Pop Filter","A device that is placed over a microphone or between the microphone and vocalist to prevent loud “pop” sounds created by the vocalist’s breath directed toward the microphone."),
quiz::Quiz("Port","1) A connection point in computer or electronic device for transmitting and receiving digital data, similarly to how a jack receives and transmits audio signals. 2) An opening or vent in a speaker case that resonates with air movement in the speaker, used in bass reflex speakers and woofers to enhance low frequencies."),
quiz::Quiz("Portamento","A pitch change that smoothly glides from one pitch to another. Also refers to the synthesizer mode or MIDI command that allows or causes this to happen."),
quiz::Quiz("Post Production","Refers to the work of adding tracks, editing and other fine tuning after primary recording or filming has taken place. Post-production in recording includes such things as additional overdubs, editing, mixing and mastering. Post-production in film includes a wide range of additional audio and visual effects.  NOTE: We mention film in this context because film post-production includes a lot of audio work (e.g., voiceovers, foley, audio mixing and editing) to the point that many audio engineers are involved in film post-production as a full-time career."),
quiz::Quiz("Post Roll","A segment of blank tape (or track silence, on a DAW) that runs past the end of the recording. (See also “Pre-Roll.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Post-Fader","Refers to an aux send position or setting that places the send after the channel fader within the signal path. Sending a signal post-fader means the fader itself affects the level of the send signal, as opposed to pre-fader. (See also Pre-Fader.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Post","Refers to an aux send position or setting that places the send after the channel fader within the signal path. Sending a signal post-fader means the fader itself affects the level of the send signal, as opposed to pre-fader. (See also Pre-Fader.)"),
quiz::Quiz("Pot","Often thought of as a fancy word for “knob,” a potentiometer is basically any mechanism that controls input or output voltage by varying amounts (for example, panning a signal left/right, volume control, or the amount of signal sent to an aux send or bus. Potentiometers can be knobs or faders, meaning that almost every control on a console that isn’t a button or switch is a potentiometer. However, many engineers commonly refer to faders as “faders” and knobs as “pots.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Potentiometer","(Abbreviated “Pot“) Often thought of as a fancy word for “knob,” a potentiometer is basically any mechanism that controls input or output voltage by varying amounts (for example, panning a signal left/right, volume control, or the amount of signal sent to an aux send or bus. Potentiometers can be knobs or faders, meaning that almost every control on a console that isn’t a button or switch is a potentiometer. However, many engineers commonly refer to faders as “faders” and knobs as “pots.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Power Amplifier","(abbreviated “Power Amp”) A device that amplifies a line level signal to drive a speaker or set of speakers.  (See also “Line Level.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Power Distribution Board","This simple circuit board takes the output of your modular system's power supply and creates multiple copies of it, routed to connectors that go to your individual modules."),
quiz::Quiz("PPQN","When you send a clock signal (usually a gate signal or other electrical pulse) around a modular synth to move sequencers through their steps and the such, it’s good to know how fast that clock is pulsing. This is usually defined in terms of how many pulses there are per quarter note – PPQ or PPQN for short. If the clock is just happening every quarter note, then the clock speed is 1 PPQN; in the case of DIN Sync (a popular standard among early Roland synths, with DIN being the type of electrical connector used) or MIDI clocks, the standard is 24 PPQN. This means the master pulse can define a triplet for every 8th note (8 x 3)."),
quiz::Quiz("Pre / Post Switch","A switch on the input module that determines whether the send control comes before or after the main channel fader in the signal path (See also “Pre-Fader,” “Post-Fader.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Pre Emphasis","A boosting of high frequencies during the recording process to keep the audible signal above the noise floor."),
quiz::Quiz("Pre Fader","Refers to an aux send position or setting that places the send before the channel fader within the signal path. Sending a signal pre-fader means the fader does not affect the level of the send signal, as opposed to pre-fader."),
quiz::Quiz("Pre-Delay","A parameter on a reverb unit or plugin that determines the amount of time (delay) between the original dry sound and the early reflections of reverberation. This feature is often used to simulate the natural acoustic properties of a room, but can also be used to create interesting unnatural effects."),
quiz::Quiz("Pre-Echo","(Also called “Forward Echo”) A compression artifact that often occurs in digital audio in which an “echo” of a sound (or part of a sound) is heard ahead of the sound itself, often due to the data inconsistencies in certain compressed digital formats. A type of pre-echo can also sometimes occur in the end product of a recording, occurring on tape as a result of low-level leakage caused by print-through, and also on vinyl records due to physical differences and/or deformities in the grooves between silence and a loud transient. In digital formats, pre-echo is generally an unwanted problem that requires additional signal processing to resolve—but in some cases it can also be used on purpose as a sound effect (not to be confused with “Reverse Echo”)."),
quiz::Quiz("Pre-Fade Listen (PFL)","A function on the channel strip of a mixer or DAW that allows a channel signal to be heard and often metered before the channel fader."),
quiz::Quiz("Preamplifier (Preamp)","A low-noise amplifier designed to take a low-level signal (for example, from a microphone) and bring it up to normal line level before sending it into the mixing console."),
quiz::Quiz("Precedence Effect (Haas Effect)","Simply stated, a factor in human hearing in which we perceive the source of a sound by its timing rather than its sound level. In his research, Helmut Haas determined that the first sound waves to reach our ears help our brains determine where the sound is coming from, rather than its reflection or reproduction from another source. The reflection of the sound must be at least 10dB louder than the original source, or delayed by more than 30ms (where we can perceive it as an echo), before it affects our perception of the direction of the sound. This is what helps us distinguish the original sound source without being confused by reflections and reverberations off of nearby surfaces. Understanding the Haas effect is particularly useful in live audio settings, especially in large venues where loudspeakers are time-delayed to match the initial sound waves coming from the source."),
quiz::Quiz("Precision Adder","Synthesizers are very sensitive to unintentional variations in pitch control voltage – any error can result in the oscillators under control going out of tune. Therefore, whenever you add together pitch control voltages inside a modular synth, you really should be using a precision adder that precisely adds together the pitch voltages without introducing an error. Ordinary mixers might slightly attenuate or amplify a voltage passed through them, which in most cases would create tuning errors."),
quiz::Quiz("Premix","1) The process of mixing a set of tracks as group, then managing the mixed group in the context of the other tracks by routing them to an auxiliary channel. Consolidating tracks by bouncing is a form of premixing, but a premix is not necessarily pre-recorded. (See also “Bouncing.”) 2) An important part of film post-production in which the process of mixing a section of audio for combination with the others. Dialogue, Foley, SFX and music may all be premixed before being combined together under the video."),
quiz::Quiz("Presence Frequencies","The range of audio frequencies between 4 kHz and 6 kHz that when boosted, can increase the sense of presence, especially on voices."),
quiz::Quiz("Presence","1) In amplification and mixing, the boosting of upper-mid frequencies to cause a sound or instrument to cut through, creating the impression that the sound source is more “present,” right next to the listener. 2) See “Room Tone.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Preset","A factory programmed set of parameters on a synth, signal processor, plug-in or other electronic device."),
quiz::Quiz("Pressure Microphone","(Also called “pressure operative microphone”) – A microphone whose diaphragm responds to incoming sound wave pressure as it works against the normal or controlled air pressure inside the microphone case. This design makes the diaphragm sensitive to pressure regardless of direction, giving it an omnidirectional pickup pattern. (See also “Omnidirectional Pattern.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Pressure Sensitivity (Aftertouch)","A feature in some keyboard instruments by which applying additional pressure to a key after it has been pressed can activate an additional MIDI control command. a synthesizer or Keyboard Controller of After Touch (a control or operational function of a synthesizer where pressing a key after it has been pressed, and before it is released, will activate a control command that can be set by the player)."),
quiz::Quiz("Pressure Zone Microphone (Boundary Microphone)","An omnidirectional microphone designed to be placed flush against a flat surface (or boundary), effectively creating a “half-Omni” pickup pattern while eliminating the danger of phase issues from reflected sounds. A popular type of boundary microphone is Crown Audio’s trademark Pressure Zone Microphone (PZM)."),
quiz::Quiz("Pressure-Gradient Microphone","(Also called “Velocity Microphone“) A microphone whose diaphragm is exposed front and back, with diaphragm movement being caused by the pressure difference between its front and back. This creates a bi-directional or “figure-8” pickup pattern (See also “Bi-Directional Pattern.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Pressure","Some keyboards measure how hard you press down on the keys, and convert this to a voltage (or other control signal such as MIDI, which can then be converted into a control voltage) that you can use to add expression to a note, such as adding vibrato or opening the filter wider. Monophonic aftertouch measures one pressure value for the entire keyboard, regardless of which key(s) you are pressing; polyphonic aftertouch produces a signal for each individual key. Important trivia: Touch plate keyboards actually measure the surface area of the skin touching them rather than pressure or force – so you can increase or decrease the aftertouch amount by rolling between the tip and length of your finger."),
quiz::Quiz("Print Through","The unwanted transfer of magnetic flux from one layer of analog tape to another."),
quiz::Quiz("Pro Tools","Avid’s trade name for its digital audio workstation (DAW) that has become an industry standard in professional recording studios."),
quiz::Quiz("Producer","In music, the producer is the director of an audio recording project; the person responsible for getting a final product of desired quality within a budget."),
quiz::Quiz("Production Studio","Broadly speaking, any space dedicated to production within the arts, for example, film/video, animation or post production. In the context of audio, a production studio is effectively a recording studio that specializes in the assembly and mixing of commercials and radio programs from pre recorded music and effects with newly recorded dialogue."),
quiz::Quiz("Production","1) The collective actions that go into producing music. 2) Describing the quality of a recording—the end result of production decisions during the recording and mixing process."),
quiz::Quiz("Program Change","A MIDI message that tells the receiving device to change presets."),
quiz::Quiz("Programmable","Able to have the parameters changed by the user, especially in a computer controlled device."),
quiz::Quiz("Prompt","A set of instructions for the user to follow, which appears on a computer screen."),
quiz::Quiz("Protocol","In digital and information technology, a set of rules governing the structuring and transmitting of data in a standardized format so all related devices can properly interpret the data."),
quiz::Quiz("Proximity Effect","The natural boost in the microphone’s output for bass frequencies as the mic is placed closer to the sound source."),
quiz::Quiz("Psychoacoustics","The study of how humans perceive and respond to sound, not just in the context of interpreting the physical sound waves, but also taking psychological and emotional factors into account. This branch of science is helpful to audio engineers in understanding how the brain interprets various sounds and frequencies."),
quiz::Quiz("Puck","Any circular piece of metal, fiber, rubber, etc., which drives something from a rotating power source. A common example in the recording studio is the puck in a rotating Leslie speaker."),
quiz::Quiz("Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)","A process by which analog signals are translated to digital code. This is done by taking samples of the amplitude of the analog signal at regular rapid intervals, then translating it into binary numbers as a digital representation of the original signal. The faster the sample rate, the better the digital reproduction. PCM is the most common form of A/D conversion in digital audio."),
quiz::Quiz("Pulse Per Quarter Note","When you send a clock signal (usually a gate signal or other electrical pulse) around a modular synth to move sequencers through their steps and the such, it’s good to know how fast that clock is pulsing. This is usually defined in terms of how many pulses there are per quarter note – PPQ or PPQN for short. If the clock is just happening every quarter note, then the clock speed is 1 PPQN; in the case of DIN Sync (a popular standard among early Roland synths, with DIN being the type of electrical connector used) or MIDI clocks, the standard is 24 PPQN. This means the master pulse can define a triplet for every 8th note (8 x 3)."),
quiz::Quiz("Pulse Width Modulation","Most oscillators that output a square waveform also have an additional control voltage input that sets the width of the top portion of the “square” wave (obviously, making the top portion wider makes the bottom portion narrower and vice versa). The act of varying the width of the resulting pulse wave creates a sort of Doppler shift; varying the width back and forth – for example, by modulating the pulse width with a low frequency oscillator – creates a chorusing effect that can sound like a detuned pair of oscillators. The resulting effect is referred to as pulse width modulation. The process of using a control voltage to vary the width of a pulse wave form, essentially switching between square waves and pulse waves. This has the effect of creating richer timbres, giving sounds a thicker, more lush feel, or of giving a digital sound more analog properties."),
quiz::Quiz("Pulse","Pulse has a couple of different meanings in a modular synth. When you alter the shape of a square wave so that one portion is narrower than the other, it is referred to a pulse wave (see Pulse Wave Modulation below). Also, a narrow gate or trigger used as a clocking signal for sequencers and the such is often referred to as a pulse. 1) The steady beat in music based on its tempo, whether audible or perceived. 2) A type of sound wave commonly created and manipulated by synthesizers whose waveform is characterized by sharp rises and drops in amplitude like a square wave, but whose peaks are shorter than its troughs, giving the wave a pulse-like feel. Also called “Pulse Wave.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Pumping and Breathing","In studio jargon, an effect created when a compressor is rapidly compressing and releasing the sound, creating audible changes in the signal level. “Pumping” generally refers to the audible increase of sound levels after compression has taken place; “breathing” refers to a similar effect with vocals, raising the signal volume just as the vocalist is inhaling. Pumping and breathing is a sign of cheap compression or over-compression, and is usually undesirable, although some engineers and musicians use it on purpose occasionally to create a particular effect."),
quiz::Quiz("Punch In / Punch Out Recording","The process of activating and/or deactivating the record function on tape or DAW during playback of a passage, usually as the performer plays/sings along. This can be used either as a method of doing quick overdubs, or as a way of getting a better take on a certain passage without having to start the track from the beginning."),
quiz::Quiz("Pure Tone","A tone consisting of only the fundamental frequency with no overtones or harmonics, graphically represented as a simple sine wave."),
quiz::Quiz("PVC","PVC stands for pitch to voltage conversion. In the quest to play a voltage-controlled synthesizer with something other than a keyboard-like thingy (touch plates included), some have designed modules or other equipment that attempt to detect the pitch of an audio signal – say, from a guitar, flute, or singer – and convert that pitch to a corresponding voltage that can drive a VCO in unison with the original sound."),
quiz::Quiz("PWM","Most oscillators that output a square waveform also have an additional control voltage input that sets the width of the top portion of the “square” wave (obviously, making the top portion wider makes the bottom portion narrower and vice versa). The act of varying the width of the resulting pulse wave creates a sort of Doppler shift; varying the width back and forth – for example, by modulating the pulse width with a low frequency oscillator – creates a chorusing effect that can sound like a detuned pair of oscillators. The resulting effect is referred to as pulse width modulation."),
quiz::Quiz("PZM","Abbreviation for Crown Audio’s Pressure Zone Microphone. (See also “Boundary Microphone.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Q – (Also called “Q Factor”)","Stands for “Quality Factor,” defining the bandwidth of frequencies that will be affected by an equalizer. The lower the Q, the broader the bandwidth curve of frequencies that will be boosted or cut. If you come from the pro audio world, you may be used to Q referring to the width or narrowness of a peak or notch filter. In a synthesizer filter, when you increase the resonance (feedback), a peak forms around the cutoff frequency of the filter’s curve or shape. The higher the resonance, the higher and narrower this peak. As a result, some used to use the audio term Q to refer to the resonance amount, although you don’t hear that term used nearly as much today."),
quiz::Quiz("Quadraphonic","A now rarely-used system of four-channel sound where the channels are designated as left front, left back, right front, right back, intended to deliver sound from all four corners of a room. Quadraphonic sound was a precursor to the surround-sound systems of today."),
quiz::Quiz("Quadrature","You can define a full cycle of a waveform as consisting of 360 degrees, akin to a circle. One quarter of the way around this circle – or moving to a point that is one quarter of the way through a cyclical wave – is 90°. A sine and cosine wave are shifted 90° degrees or a quarter cycle out of alignment (phase) with each other. Since this is a quarter of a cycle, this is often referred to as a quadrature relationship."),
quiz::Quiz("Quantization Distortion","Quantization Distortion/Quantization Error – The effective “error in translation” between an analog signal and its sampled counterpart due to the rounding of a large number of analog values to the nearest digital quantity. This often results in additional random frequencies in the sound, often heard as noise."),
quiz::Quiz("Quantization Noise","The modulation noise in a signal resulting from quantization error. "),
quiz::Quiz("Quantization","1) In digital music, the process of adjusting the rhythmic performance of music by moving the notes to precise locations on the time line, effectively “rounding” the note occurrences to the nearest defined increment. 2) In analog-to-digital conversion, the use of the same mathematical quantization principles to convert an analog signal into a smaller set of steps (a digital quantity)."),
quiz::Quiz("Quantizer","A quantizer auto-corrects the input voltage to the nearest desired target, such as the voltage that corresponds to a semitone or other note in a scale. These are occasionally built into modules like sequencers or oscillators, but quite often they are standalone modules."),
quiz::Quiz("Rack Ears","Rack Ears/Rack Flanges – Mounting brackets that can are attached to equipment so it can be mounted in a standard equipment rack."),
quiz::Quiz("Rack Mounted","Describing outboard gear that can be housed in an equipment rack."),
quiz::Quiz("Rack Rash","When you mount a module into a case, the head of the screw or bolt used to mount the module can scratch the faceplate of the module. These scratches are referred to as rack rash. You can almost never see it when you mount a module, as the scratches are behind the screw or bolt head, but nonetheless some will pay more for a used module that is unscratched. So buy a bag of plastic washers and put them behind the screw or bolt head just to remove another reason for someone to not buy your used module."),
quiz::Quiz("Rack Unit","Rack-mounted equipment usually follows a standard set of dimensions, including 19” (48.3 cm)for width, and a “rack unit” (or U for short) for height equaling 1.75” (4.4 cm) per U. Many common modular synthesizer formats follow the rack unit system for standardizing module height – such as 3U (3 x 1.75 = 5.25” or 13.3 cm) for Eurorack, 4U for Buchla and Serge, and 5U for classic modular Moogs (sometimes referred to as MU for Moog Unit)."),
quiz::Quiz("Radiation Pattern","A graphic depiction of speaker coverage. This is not unlike the polar pattern of a microphone, with the exception that a polar pattern describes the area where sound arrives at the microphone, while a radiation pattern describes how sound is dispersed from the loudspeaker."),
quiz::Quiz("Radiation","The angle and pattern of coverage of a speaker."),
quiz::Quiz("Ramp","In general, a ramp refers to any voltage that is steadily raising or falling; quite often it resets when it reaches a target voltage and starts over again. A sawtooth oscillator waveform is sometime referred to as a ramp. Sometimes, the individual stages of an envelope generator are also referred to a ramp as it raises from 0 volts to a maximum level such as 5v for the attack stage, then falls from this peak to the sustain level for the decay stage."),
quiz::Quiz("Random Access Memory (RAM)","The “short-term” memory in a computer that is used in tandem with the processor for performing immediate tasks (as opposed to hard-drive storage memory where projects are saved and recalled). In the recording studios, the more RAM a computer has, the more ability it has to handle large amounts of data at a time (for example, in multi-track recording or working with virtual MIDI instruments)."),
quiz::Quiz("Random Note Generator","A device that generates random pitches at a set rate, used in synthesizers."),
quiz::Quiz("Random","Most voltages moving around inside a modular synth are very purposeful in their variations: the repeating waveforms of an audio rate or low frequency oscillator; the rising then falling voltages of an envelope generator. However, it can also be useful to have randomly wandering voltages to create everything from subtle variations in pitch to wildly varying volumes or filterings. Noise is an example of an audio-rate random signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Rap","To perform a spoken rhythmic part to a music or percussion performance."),
quiz::Quiz("Rarefaction","The reduced density of air particles during the trough of a sound wave; in the context of “compression and rarefaction,” it is the opposite of compression. (See also “Compression.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Ratcheting","This is a trick used with sequencers where one stage of the sequence may be triggered quickly multiple times, rather than just once as you step to that stage. For example, the result may be a series of quarter notes, with a burst of four sixteenth notes appearing instead for one or more stages."),
quiz::Quiz("Rate","This word is used sometimes to refer to the speed or frequency of a low frequency oscillator or similar repetitive function, such a sequencer’s tempo clock."),
quiz::Quiz("Rated Load Impedance","The input impedance, or opposition to current flow by an input of a device, that a piece of equipment is designed to feed."),
quiz::Quiz("RCA Plug","(Also called Phono Plug) A common audio connector found on most stereo systems with a center pin as one connection and an outer shell as the second connection."),
quiz::Quiz("Read Only Memory (ROM)","A type of data storage that cannot be erased or reprogrammed by the user. The most common form of ROM in audio/video settings today is optical storage media (i.e, CD, DVD, CD-ROM and DVD-ROM)."),
quiz::Quiz("Read","To retrieve information bits from a storage device; in digital audio, the reproduction of digital signals."),
quiz::Quiz("Reason","Popular music software program from Propellerhead Software.  It offers the digital equivalent of hardware synthesizers, samplers, signal processors, sequencers and mixers. Reason works as a virtual music studio, or as a set of virtual musical instruments which can be played live or used with other sequencing software."),
quiz::Quiz("Recapping","Electronic components can age. Certain types of capacitors – namely, electrolytic and tantalum, often used in the power supply section – are the most likely to deteriorate over time; some put the maximum safe life of an electrolytic capacitor to be 25 years. Therefore, serious vintage synth owners “recap” (replace the age-sensitive capacitors in) their older equipment."),
quiz::Quiz("Record Head","A device on an analog tape machine that changes electrical current to magnetic energy; the changes of the magnetism match the waveshape of the audio signal fed to the head."),
quiz::Quiz("Record Level","A control on a tape machine that determines the amount of magnetic flux recorded on the tape, or the DAW control that determines the level of the digital signal recorded to the sound file."),
quiz::Quiz("Record Monitor","On some tape machines, a switch position that allows the VU meter and sound output of the tape machine electronics to monitor the input signal to the tape machine."),
quiz::Quiz("Record Ready","A control state of a multitrack tape recorder where the designated track will begin recording when the record function of the tape recorder is activated."),
quiz::Quiz("Recording Bus","A bus that sends a mix signals from the console channels to the multitrack recorder or DAW. (See also “Bus.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Recording Session","A bloc of time in which music is being recorded in the studio."),
quiz::Quiz("Rectifier","A circuit that makes sure a voltage stays only positive or negative. In power supplies, it is used to remove the negative component of AC voltage, or to protect you from plugging in module's power connector backwards. As a module, a half-wave rectifier passes only positive voltages and replaces anything negative with 0v; a full-wave rectifier takes any negative voltages and inverts them so they become positive. This effectively doubles the frequency of many simple waveforms, like the triangle and sine."),
quiz::Quiz("Red Noise","Also referred to as brown noise, technically it’s a type of noise whose power density (spectral loudness) decreases 6 dB per octave with increasing frequency. It has a bass-heavy sound, akin to the sound of the surf at a distance. It can also be used a slowly changing random control voltage or modulation signal, instead of as an audio source."),
quiz::Quiz("Reel","1) The hub and flanges onto which analog tape is spooled; recording and playback involves unspooling the tape from one reel and onto another. 2) Sometimes also called “demo reel,” a compilation of audio or video that demonstrates the abilities of a musician, audio engineer, actor, or other audio/visual professional. Unlike a demo, which is intended to pitch one or more songs, a reel is a demo intended to promote the abilities of the professional rather than the product itself. The term itself is a holdover from the days when this promotional material was delivered on reels."),
quiz::Quiz("Reference Level","1) A standard baseline level of volume used to measure how much level is present in dB above or below the baseline. 2) See “Operating Level.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Reference Tone","A single-frequency tone (often at 1000 kHz) used to calibrate the levels of sound equipment; the tone used to set reference level. (See also “Test Tones.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Reflected Sound","Sound that reaches a microphone or listener after one or more reflections from surrounding surfaces."),
quiz::Quiz("Reflection","In acoustics, the bouncing of sound waves off of a flat surface, as opposed to absorption. Reflection can have a great impact on how we perceive the collective sound; reflected sounds from a distance is perceived as echo, while reverberation is created from thousands of reflections. (See also “Absorption,” “Early Reflection,” “Echo,” “Reverberation.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Regeneration","Regeneration can have a couple of different meanings inside a synth, both meaning feedback. An echo unit can feed some of its output back into its input, causing the delayed signal to be repeated again; this is sometimes referred to as regeneration. Also, very rarely you will hear resonance in a filter referred to as regeneration."),
quiz::Quiz("Regulated Power Supply","A device to supply power to electronic equipment whose output voltage will not fluctuate when more equipment is turned on, or if there is a change in voltage of the power line. A regulated power supply is designed to protect sensitive electronics from destructive power surges."),
quiz::Quiz("Relay","An electromagnetically activated switch that connects or disconnects two terminals when a control voltage is applied."),
quiz::Quiz("Release Time","In dynamics signal processors, the time it takes for the output signal to return to original levels when the input signal crosses the designated threshold."),
quiz::Quiz("Release","This refers to the final stage of an envelope that typically falls back to zero volts, usually resulting in silence. It is often used in the context of talking about an Attack/Release (AR) or Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release (ADSR) envelope generator, but can refer to any final stage of an envelope."),
quiz::Quiz("Remote","1) A device that controls the functions of another device wirelessly. 2) Describing on-site recording, as opposed to recording in the studio."),
quiz::Quiz("Reset","The Reset input on a module accepts a trigger or gate signal, and tells the module to go back the beginning of whatever it was doing. In the case of a clock divider, this means pretend the next clock is the first clock you should be counting in the division (more on that in the full definition). In the case of a sequencer, it means go back to the first stage. In the case of an envelope, it means go back to the start of the attack. In the case of a gate delay, it means to re-start the timer for the delay."),
quiz::Quiz("Residual Magnetization","The amount of magnetism left in a magnetic material after the magnetizing force is removed. Residual magnetism can accumulate in tape machines over time, either creating distortions and noise in the sound output or partially erasing the tape."),
quiz::Quiz("Residual Noise","The noise level left on recording tape after it has been erased."),
quiz::Quiz("Resistance","The opposition of a substance to the flow of electrical current, measured in ohms."),
quiz::Quiz("Resistor","An electrical component with a specific amount of resistance to electrical current, used within the circuit to regulate the flow of current."),
quiz::Quiz("Resonance","The natural tendency of physical substances to vibrate with more energy at certain frequencies. The principle of resonance is a key element in the design of acoustic instruments; for example, the hollow chamber of a guitar or violin is designed to resonate with the vibrations of the string. Resonance also plays a role the acoustic design of a space, and even in developing good vocal technique to project the voice. When the output of a filter is fed back into its input, the result is an increased boost in the harmonics right around the filter’s cutoff or corner frequency. The audible result is similar to playing a sound in a room that has a resonance – sympathetic, reinforcing echo or vibration – at a certain frequency. Therefore, the term resonance is often used to refer to a filter’s feedback amount."),
quiz::Quiz("Resonant Frequency","A frequency at which a physical item vibrates naturally."),
quiz::Quiz("Resonate","To vibrate at the resonant frequency. Also refers to the lingering reverberation that causes a sound to continue after the sound source has stopped. This continuing sound is due to the sympathetic resonance of nearby objects."),
quiz::Quiz("Resonator","Many acoustic instruments include a body or sound chamber that “resonates” – sympathetically vibrates at, or reinforces – one or more frequencies. To simulate this effect in modular synths, you can get a specialized filter or equalization module that boosts the sound at typically three or so user-definable frequencies, each usually within a narrow band. This is one of the secrets of synthesizing real-world sounds or spaces."),
quiz::Quiz("Reverb (Reverberation)","1) Short for “Reverberation.” (See “Reverberation.”) 2) A signal processor or plug-in that creates artificial reverb to a signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Reverb Time (RT)","The time it takes for the reverberation or echoes of a sound source to die out after the direct sound has stopped. Specifically, the reverb time is measured between the point at which the sound source stops and the point at which the reverberation levels fall by 60 dB."),
quiz::Quiz("Reverb","Short for reverberation. This is an effect device that mimics being in a room where you can hear the original sound reflect off the walls multiple times, bouncing around in a wash of sound until it eventually decays into silence. A reverb can greatly enhance the sound of a synthesizer, adding lushness and dimension to what might otherwise be a stark sound. There are relatively few modules that implement a reverb effect, and even fewer that allow you to voltage control some of its parameters (the ErbeVerb being the most famous); many just use an external reverb effect."),
quiz::Quiz("Reverberant Field","Describes the space that is far enough from the sound source that the reverberations are louder than the direct sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Reverberation Chamber","A device built to simulate room reflections."),
quiz::Quiz("Reverberation Envelope","The attack, decay, sustain and release of the reverberation volume; or how fast the reverberation reaches peak level and its rate of decay."),
quiz::Quiz("Reverberation","The persistence of a sound after the source stops emitting it, caused by many discrete echoes arriving at the ear so closely spaced in time that the ear cannot separate them."),
quiz::Quiz("RF Interference","The unwanted noise introduced into electronics, circuits and/or audio systems by the presence of RF signals. RF interference in a system can result in humming, buzzing, static or even the reproduction of radio transmissions."),
quiz::Quiz("RF Signals","RF Signals (or RF) – Short for Radio Frequency Signals, electromagnetic waves that carry wireless radio and television signals. The vast majority of RF signals exist at frequencies higher than 100 kHz."),
quiz::Quiz("Rhythm Section","The musical instruments in a band or ensemble that are responsible for playing rhythmic parts rather than melody parts. In contemporary music, rhythm sections typically consist of drums and bass, along with some combination of percussion, piano/keyboard and/or guitars."),
quiz::Quiz("Ribbon Controller","This is a long strip that is capable of measuring the position where you press it along its length, and the pressure used to press it. It can be used as an alternate keyboard or as a pitch bend controller, with the position determining pitch. Shorter versions also appeared sometimes as alternate controllers on synthesizers, such as the Yamaha CS-80."),
quiz::Quiz("Ribbon Microphone","A microphone that converts sound waves to electrical current via a thin conductive ribbon set between magnetic poles. Ribbon microphones are almost always responsive to sound on both sides of the ribbon, creating a bi-directional or figure-8 pattern."),
quiz::Quiz("Riff","A short melody repeatedly played in a tune often with variation between vocal lines."),
quiz::Quiz("Ring Modulator","Balanced or ring modulation is a special type of amplitude modulation, where one bipolar (swinging both above and below 0 volts) signal – the modulator – is used to vary the amplitude of a second bipolar signal, known as the carrier. The modulator’s frequency is both added to and subtracted from the carrier’s frequency; the resulting harmonics replace the original carrier and modulator."),
quiz::Quiz("Ringing Out a Room","The process of identifying and compensating for problem frequencies within a room for the purpose of optimizing live audio within that space. This is typically done by sending pink noise through the speakers, turning up the microphones to the point of feedback, and using EQ to notch out the offending frequencies."),
quiz::Quiz("Rise Time","The rate at which an audio waveform makes a sudden increase to a higher amplitude."),
quiz::Quiz("RMS Meter","A meter that recognizes and responds to the effective average, the RMS level, or the effective average value of an AC waveform, rather than to the peak level. (See also “Root-Mean-Square,” “Peak Meter.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Roll Off","The reduction of signal level as the frequency of the signal moves away from the cut-off frequency, especially when the cut-off rate is mild."),
quiz::Quiz("Room Equalization","In live audio, an equalizer inserted in the monitor system that attempts to compensate for frequency response changes caused by room acoustics."),
quiz::Quiz("Room Sound","The natural ambience of a room, including the reverberation and background noise."),
quiz::Quiz("Room Tone","The natural background noise occurring in a room without music playing or people speaking. In recording audio for film and TV, on-set sound mixers capture a take of room tone for the purpose of providing continuity between clips of dialogue during post-production."),
quiz::Quiz("Root Mean Square (RMS)","The effective average value of an AC waveform. Used as a measure of the overall level of the sound rather than just measuring by the peaks. (See also “RMS Metering,” “Peak Metering.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Rotating Head","A circular head with two (or more) gaps that rotates against the direction of tape motion at a slight angle to the tape travel."),
quiz::Quiz("Rumble","A low-frequency noise, typically caused by earth/floor vibration or by uneven surfaces in the drive mechanism of a tape recorder or playback unit."),
quiz::Quiz("Rythm Tracks","The recording of the rhythm instruments in a music production."),
quiz::Quiz("S-trig","Some systems – such as the original Moog modular – use an s-trigger (switch or shorting trigger) instead of a normal gate, which was a wire that was shorted to 0 volts ground, like the closing of a switch wired to ground. You cannot interconnect these two systems without some form of conversion between the two, which can be as simple as a special cable."),
quiz::Quiz("S/H","A sample and hold (S/H) module has two inputs: a signal that is being sampled, and a trigger input that indicates when the first input should be sampled. When a trigger is received, the current voltage at the first input is sampled (measured) and held (stored), and presented at the output. This stable voltage is held until a new trigger is received. Sample and holds are most often associated with creating stepped random voltages. To do this, noise is fed to the main input; whenever a trigger is received, the voltage present at that input is some random value, which is then dutifully sent to the output."),
quiz::Quiz("S/PDIF","Abbreviation for “Sony/Phillips Digital Interface,” a protocol for sending and receiving digital audio signals using a common RCA connector."),
quiz::Quiz("Safety Take (ST)","An additional take of audio captured for good measure after a take of acceptable quality has been recorded."),
quiz::Quiz("Sallen-Key","The Sallen-Key filter topology or design creates a \"second order\" or two-pole low, high, or bandpass filter and is capable of high resonance or Q. This is the design used in the Korg MS-20 filter and its clones, among others."),
quiz::Quiz("Sample & Hold","A sample and hold (S/H) module has two inputs: a signal that is being sampled, and a trigger input that indicates when the first input should be sampled. When a trigger is received, the current voltage at the first input is sampled (measured) and held (stored), and presented at the output. This stable voltage is held until a new trigger is received. Sample and holds are most often associated with creating stepped random voltages. To do this, noise is fed to the main input; whenever a trigger is received, the voltage present at that input is some random value, which is then dutifully sent to the output."),
quiz::Quiz("Sample Dump Standard (SDS)","See “MIDI Sample Dump Standard.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Sample Rate Conversion","The conversion of digital audio taken at one sample rate to a different sample rate without first converting the signal to analog."),
quiz::Quiz("Sample Rate","This is a specification of digital audio: How fast the individual measurements (samples) that reconstruct a sound are recorded or played back. The bandwidth of that audio file (which corresponds to the highest frequency that can be reproduced) is in practice a bit less than half of the sample rate. In digital recording, the number of times per second that samples are taken. The higher the sample rate, the more realistic the digital reproduction of the sound, and the higher frequencies of the sound can be reproduced. In digital audio, the quality and resolution of a digitally reproduced sound are described as a combination of sample rate and bitrate. (See also “Bitrate.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Sample","1) In digital recording, the numerical measure of the level of a waveform at a given instant of time. Analog music is represented digitally by many samples taken in rapid succession. 2) A short segment of audio recorded for the purpose of reproducing and manipulating the sound digitally."),
quiz::Quiz("Sampler","A device that records and plays samples, often with features for editing, manipulating and storing the samples."),
quiz::Quiz("Saturation","On a simple level, saturation is a fancy word for clipping: Once the input voltage goes higher (or lower) than a circuit can handle, it is instead held at that limit. However, saturation usually implies a more rounded, shaped approach to that clipping limit, resulting in a more pleasing (or at least less annoying) form of distortion. Tubes circuits are often associated with this soft clipping behavior, although it can be emulated in other circuits or even digital signal processing. Different devices may be sought out for specific sonic character of the way they. 1) The point at which magnetic tape reaches full magnetization due to an excess of sound level. This creates some distortion that some audiophiles describe as “analog warmth” a desirable quality in certain instances. 2) The audio distortion that occurs by overdriving a signal through a tube amplifier or preamp—again producing color and warmth in the sound that engineers often find appealing. 3) A digital plugin that emulates tape or tube saturation."),
quiz::Quiz("Sawtooth Wave","A waveform that jumps from a zero value to a peak value and then immediately drops to a zero value for each cycle. (Sometimes also called “Ramp Wave.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Sawtooth","One of the most common waveforms produced in a synthesizer. This ramp-shaped wave contains both even and odd harmonics, strongest at the fundamental frequency (the note being played) and diminishing at the higher frequencies. The result is very bright, loud, “brassy” sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Schmitt Trigger","This is a type of gate detector that looks at a varying input signal and outputs either a “high” (typically 0, 10, or even 15 volts) signal or a “low” signal (typically 0 volts). When the input goes above one reference threshold – say, 4 volts – the output goes high. When the input then goes back below a second, different threshold – say, 1 volt – then the output goes back low."),
quiz::Quiz("scope","This is a piece of test equipment that displays voltage fluctuations as graphical waveforms. A ’scope can run at a wide range of frequencies, displaying slowly changing voltages like LFOs or envelopes, or quickly changing voltages like oscillators and noise. Oscilloscopes used to be bulky pieces of external equipment, but now you can get USB scopes that offload the display portion of the job to your computer, or scopes as modules."),
quiz::Quiz("Scratch","1) A descriptive term meaning “temporary”. 2) A scratch vocal is a vocal done during a basic recording session to help the musicians play their parts. At a later date the final vocal track is overdubbed. 3) The action of a musician or disc jockey quickly moving a record back and forth on a turntable reproducing the stylus motion to create a rhythm pattern of sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Scrubbing","The action or function of shuttling a piece of recorded audio back and forth while monitoring it, typically to locate a certain point in the recording. In earlier days, scrubbing was done with reel-to-reel analog tape by manually turning the reels to pull the tape across the playhead. Today, scrubbing is primarily done digitally on a DAW by dragging the cursor back and forth across the waveform."),
quiz::Quiz("Second Engineer","An assistant recording engineer."),
quiz::Quiz("SEM","The Oberheim SEM (Synthesizer Expander Module) was one of their earliest products. It was an entire synthesizer voice – two oscillators, two simple envelopes, VCA, and a very popular two-pole state variable filter design with a knob that crossfaded between low pass, notch, and high pass outputs plus a separate bandpass setting – in a cube-like case. Most often today, when a modular manufacturer uses the magic letters \"SEM\", they're referring to a filter meant to emulate that in the original Oberheim synth."),
quiz::Quiz("Semi-modular","The components of a semi-modular synth – such as the oscillator, filter and amplifier – are pre-wired behind the front panel in what the manufacturer considers to be a typical, logical way. However, they also provide patch points either to access some of its functions (such as the individual waveform outputs of the oscillator) to send to other modules, or to override that pre-wiring. Many who are new to modular synthesis dip their toe in the water by getting a semi-modular synth, and then expanding it with additional modules."),
quiz::Quiz("Semitone","Also known as a half step or half tone, this is the smallest pitch division in most Western music – such as the difference between a C and a C#. With equal temperament (the most common way of tuning a Western scale), this pitch division is 1/12 of an octave."),
quiz::Quiz("Send Level","A control determining the signal level sent to a send bus."),
quiz::Quiz("Sensitivity","1) In audio settings, describes the amount of output that a microphone can produce from a standard level of sound, as compared to the output of another microphone from the same sound level. 2) In music, describes the artistic persona in general."),
quiz::Quiz("Sequence","1) A pre-programmed set of musical events, such as pitches, sounding of samples, and rests, to be played in order by a device. Also refers to the action of programming the device to play this set of musical events. 2) Loosely referring to a segment of music in general."),
quiz::Quiz("Sequencer","The most common type of sequencer you’re going to see in a modular synth contains a row of knobs (also known as steps or stages) that may each be set to output a different voltage. A sequencer then goes through steps one at a time. This is most often used to create repetitive musical lines where each note has the same duration, which is popular in trance-like forms of music as well as the classic Berlin School style (70s-era Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze; current Red Shift and Node). A computerized device or software that can be programmed to play a stepped order of musical events, including playing of pitches, sounding of samples, and rests."),
quiz::Quiz("Sequential Switch","This module comes in a few different forms; in the most common, a few different inputs are routed to one output (although they are usually symmetrical – one input can be switched between several outputs). A pulse or gate input then steps through the inputs one at a time, switching which ones is routed to the output. Fancier sequential switches allow you to set the number of stages, to divide an input clock so it switches at a slower tempo than the master clock, or might directly route a series of inputs to corresponding outputs (with usually a summed output as well)."),
quiz::Quiz("Serial Data","A digital data stream where individual bits are transmitted one after another over a single connection (as opposed to “parallel data,” in which multiple bits can be sent at once). Most data connections in the recording studio transmit serial data—for example, USB, Firewire and MIDI."),
quiz::Quiz("Series Connection","Connecting devices (especially circuit elements) so that the electrical signal flows from one thing to the next, to the next, etc."),
quiz::Quiz("Set Up","The positioning of microphones, instruments, connections and monitoring in the studio, as well as the controls and levels on consoles, DAWs, etc., in preparation for recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Shelf Filter","A name for the circuit in an equalizer used to obtain the shelf."),
quiz::Quiz("Shelf","A frequency response of an equalization circuit where the boost or cut of frequencies forms a shelf on a frequency response graph. A high-frequency shelf control affects signal levels at the set frequency and all frequencies above it; a low-frequency shelf does the same for signals at and below the set frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("Shield","The outer conductive wrapping around an inner wire or wires in a cable, for the purpose of shielding the cable from picking up external electromagnetic interference."),
quiz::Quiz("Shielded Cable","Cable that has a shield around an inner conductor or inner conductors."),
quiz::Quiz("Shock Mount","An elastic mount on microphone stand that reduces the impact of unwanted vibrations that may affect the stand (for example, floor vibrations from footsteps)."),
quiz::Quiz("Short Circuit","A direct connection between two points in a circuit that (usually) should not be connected."),
quiz::Quiz("Short Delay","Delay times under 20 milliseconds."),
quiz::Quiz("Shortest Path","A technique in recording that routes the signal through the least amount of active (amplified) devices during recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Shotgun Microphone","A microphone with a long line filter, a tube that acoustically cancels sound arriving from the side, to make the microphone pick up much better in one direction than in any other direction. This gives the shotgun mic a tight, hypercardioid pickup pattern. Shotgun microphones are commonly used to record dialogue in filming situations, usually held on a boom stand with a shock mount."),
quiz::Quiz("Sibliance","Energy from a voice centered around 7 kHz, caused by pronouncing “s”, “sh” or “ch” sounds."),
quiz::Quiz("Sidechain","An auxiliary input to a signal processor that allows control of the processing to be triggered by an external source. A common use of sidechaining is in compressors, particularly in ducking effects where the presence of a particular audio signal triggers the compression of another audio signal. (See also “Ducking.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Signal Flow","1) In the general sense, the path that an audio signal travels from the sound source to the system output. (For example, from the vocalist’s voice into the microphone, through the cables, into the preamp, out of the preamp into the console, through all inserts and buses, and output into the DAW for recording.) 2) Signal flow is often specifically meant to refer to the routing of an audio signal through the console, from input to output."),
quiz::Quiz("Signal Processing","The practice of altering the character or sound of an audio signal through a variety of devices or plug-ins, such as equalizers, compressors, reverb units, etc."),
quiz::Quiz("Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)","The comparison of the strength of a signal level to the amount of noise emitted by the device, expressed in dB."),
quiz::Quiz("Signal","1) In audio, an alternating current (or voltage) matching the waveform of, or being originally obtained from, a sound pressure wave. 2) Also in audio, an alternating current (or voltage) between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. 3) A digital audio bit stream."),
quiz::Quiz("Sine Wave","1) In the general sense, the path that an audio signal travels from the sound source to the system output. (For example, from the vocalist’s voice into the microphone, through the cables, into the preamp, out of the preamp into the console, through all inserts and buses, and output into the DAW for recording.) 2) Signal flow is often specifically meant to refer to the routing of an audio signal through the console, from input to output."),
quiz::Quiz("Sine","This is the purest waveform: It contains only the fundamental harmonic, and no higher harmonics. As a result, it’s a great wave to use to create a sub bass as well as a kick drum or other pure drum tone; it’s also a great source wave to use when exploring techniques such as frequency modulation (FM), amplitude modulation (AM), or wavefolding which add or shift harmonic content."),
quiz::Quiz("Slap Echo (also called Slapback)","A single, distinct echo of a sound, which can result naturally from higher frequencies reflecting off a non-absorbent wall, or artificially reproduced by a signal processing unit or plugin. Slap echo creates a “live” sounding effect similar to what you would hear in an arena."),
quiz::Quiz("Slate","Slate (Slating) – 1) In video/film, the identification of a scene and take at the beginning of the clip for the purpose of video editing. This is done by presenting the scene/take in written form in front of the camera on a clapboard, calling the scene/take verbally, then marking it audibly with the clapper for the purpose of syncing audio to the video. 2) In audio recording, the similar practice of identifying a take of music by an audible cue at the beginning of the recorded track. While some engineers still practice this, it was more necessary in the days of analog tape recording because it helped editors keep track of the location of takes on the recorder. Today, DAWs make it easier to keep track by identifying each take visually on the screen."),
quiz::Quiz("Slave","1) In audio, any device which syncs to another device by reading the clock information emitted by the master device. 2) In MIDI, any device or instrument that is being operated remotely by MIDI information sent from another device."),
quiz::Quiz("Slew Limiter","This function smoothes out an incoming signal so that the change in voltage level cannot exceed a certain number of volts per second. As a result, it is sometimes called a lag generator or processor, or more technically as an integrator."),
quiz::Quiz("Sliding Rails","This is a common system for mounting modules into a case where the rails that the modules attach to contain channels rather than holes. A number of nuts are inserted into these channels, which can then be slid to any position to accommodate the mounting hole spacing of your modules. In a Eurorack case, these nuts tend to have a 2.5mm or 3mm hole and corresponding thread."),
quiz::Quiz("Slope Generator","A slope generator creates ramps: rising or falling voltages. It is essentially a gate generator and a slew limiter (see above) wired together in the same module. A common example of a slope generator is an attack/decay (AD) or attack/release (AR) envelope generator. However, since it can be used for generalized control voltage functions – even creating a sawtooth or triangle wave oscillator – some companies such as Buchla and Serge referred to by its elemental function of generating sloping voltage changes."),
quiz::Quiz("Slope","Most filters typically have a cutoff or corner frequency they are tuned to. It then reduces (filters) the frequency spectrum of a signal going through it so that it harmonics get progressively quieter the further away they are from this cutoff. The strength of this effect is referred to as its slope. Most filters have slopes that are defined multiples of 6 decibels (dB) weaker for each octave further away you get from the cutoff frequency. For example, a low-pass filter (LPF) with a slope of 24 dB/octave would attenuate harmonics one octave above its cutoff frequency by 24 decibels."),
quiz::Quiz("Smart FSK (Frequency-Shift Key)","Smart FSK – An updated form of Frequency-Shift Key (FSK) sync that enables MIDI devices to sync to analog tape recorders and/or other recording devices. A digital signal with MIDI Song Position Pointer (SPP) data is encoded onto a spare track, which identifies the exact bar, measure and beat for MIDI sequencers/devices at any point in the recording. This enables the device to start playing at exactly the right place and tempo no matter where you start the tape. (See also “Frequency-Shift Key.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("SMPTE Time Code","(Abbreviated “SMPTE“) A standardized timing and sync signal protocol created by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers for the purpose of syncing audio to video/film, which can also be used for syncing purposes in audio recording environments. Many audio professionals simply refer to this time code as “SMPTE.”"),
quiz::Quiz("SMPTE","1) Abbreviation for Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. 2) See “SMPTE Time Code.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Snare","1) Abbreviation for “snare drum.” 2) The metal strands stretched across the bottom head of a snare drum, which help produce the piercing “cracking” sound when the snare drum is struck."),
quiz::Quiz("Sock Cymbal","A rarely used alternate term for “hi-hat,” left over from the days when hi-hat cymbals were placed at “sock level.” (See also “Hi-Hat.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Soft Knee","In compression, refers to the gradual introduction of compression of the signal once the sound level crosses the threshold. (See also “Knee.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Software Instrument (Virtual Instrument)","One of a number of software-based synthesizers, samplers or sound samples that are stored and accessed via computer and performed by an external MIDI controller, rather than in a standalone synthesizer or module. Because of the wide versatility available from these instruments, a growing number of composers and electronic musicians are working with virtual instruments that can be stored in hard drives, rather than purchasing stacks of keyboards and modules."),
quiz::Quiz("Soldering","The action of making connections with solder, a soft metal alloy that is used to bond two metal surfaces by melting. In audio settings, soldering is used for a variety of purposes in building, modifying or repairing gear—perhaps most often to repair or build audio cables as a cost-saving effort, as opposed to buying new ones or sending them off for repair."),
quiz::Quiz("Solid State","In electronics, refers to the use of transistors and semiconductors (solid materials) in the building of electronic devices, as opposed to tubes. In the recording studio, solid state amplifiers have different properties than tube amps, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. A more recent application of solid state construction is in computer devices, particularly solid state hard drives (SSD), which transfer data more quickly than conventional spinning disc drives, and are less prone to breakage."),
quiz::Quiz("Solo Switch","A switch that activates the solo function on a console or DAW."),
quiz::Quiz("Solo","1) A circuit in a console or DAW that allows one or more selected channels to be heard or to reach the output, while other channels are automatically muted. 2) In music, a segment of a song in which a vocalist or instrument is featured above other instruments."),
quiz::Quiz("Song Position Pointer (SPP)","A MIDI message that enables connected MIDI devices to locate a given point in the song. Used in conjunction with MIDI clock as a way of synchronizing devices or telling a connected device when to begin playing."),
quiz::Quiz("Sound Blanket","A thick blanket that can be put on floors or hung to add sound absorption to the room, and help prevent sound reflections."),
quiz::Quiz("Sound Effects (SFX)","Sounds other than dialogue, narration or music that are added to audio, usually in the context of film/video."),
quiz::Quiz("Sound File","A digital audio recording that can be stored in a computer or on a digital storage medium (such as a hard disk)."),
quiz::Quiz("Sound Modeling","A technique that recreates a sound without directly modeling the physical device. An example is additive synthesis, which uses a combination of sine waves and noise to recreate sounds."),
quiz::Quiz("Sound Module","An electronic instrument (tone generator, synth or sampler playback unit) that has no playable interface, but instead responds to incoming MIDI message. Often sound modules were created as the “brains” of popular synthesizers, cheaper versions of the product that could be added to an existing MIDI configuration. Today, sound modules can also occur as software versions or plugins to be accessed on a computer."),
quiz::Quiz("Sound Pressure Level (SPL)","In scientific/technical terms, the measure of the change in air pressure caused by a sound wave, measured in dB. We hear and perceive SPL in terms of amplitude, volume or loudness of the sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Sound Pressure Level","In scientific/technical terms, the measure of the change in air pressure caused by a sound wave, measured in dB. We hear and perceive SPL in terms of amplitude, volume or loudness of the sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Sound Source","The origin of a sound, whose vibrations create sound waves."),
quiz::Quiz("Sound Wave","(Also called “Sound Pressure Wave”) A wave caused by a vibration that results in slight variations in air pressure, which we hear as sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Soundtrack","1) Broadly speaking, refers to any/all audio that accompanies an instance of visual media, whether music, dialogue or SFX. 2) In more common terms, refers to the musical score and/or licensed music synced to a film, video, TV program or video game."),
quiz::Quiz("Source of Uncertainty","This was the name for the Buchla 265 and 266 modules that create random control voltages. Its name is often used for random source modules that follow or are inspired by the original Buchla template."),
quiz::Quiz("Spaced Pair","(Also called “A/B Technique“) A stereo microphone placement technique in which two cardioid or omnidirectional microphones are spaced somewhere between 3-10 feet apart from each other (depending on the size of the sound source) to create a left/right stereo image."),
quiz::Quiz("Speaker","A device that converts electrical signals to sound; more technically, a transducer that changes an electrical audio signal into sound pressure waves."),
quiz::Quiz("Speed of Sound","Generally speaking, the time it takes for a sound wave to travel through a medium. Sound travels at different speeds through solids, liquids and gases, and though we usually think of sound as traveling through the air, differences in temperature, air pressure and humidity can also affect how fast sound travels.  For a starting frame of reference, the speed of sound is generally defined by aerospace engineers as “Mach 1.0,” translating to 340.29 meters per second (approx. 761.1 mph, or 1116 feet per second), which is how fast sound travels through the air at sea level at a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit). By contrast, at 70 degrees Fahrenheit under standard atmospheric conditions, the speed of sound is about 344 m/s, or 770 mph."),
quiz::Quiz("Splicing","Historically, the act of attaching previously cut pieces of audio tape or film in precise locations by applying a special kind of adhesive tape on the back. This is/was done for the purpose of shortening sections of audio or editing film. Today, splicing has become a very simple process by editing sections of audio or video digitally with a DAW or film editing software."),
quiz::Quiz("Splitter","The short definition is something that can divide a signal into two or more copies, such as a splitter cable where two outputs are wired to one input. For a deeper discussion, see the entry on multiple, as there are ways of going about this beyond simple wiring."),
quiz::Quiz("Spread","A few oscillator modules can produce more than one tone at the same time. Slightly detuning or “spreading” these tones from each other creates an often pleasing chorusing sound. Depending on the module, you might even be able to spread these tones to form intervals, triads, and chords."),
quiz::Quiz("Spring Reverb","A device that simulates reverberation by creating vibrations within a metal spring by attaching it to a transducer and sending the audio signal through it. A pickup at the other end converts those vibrations into an electrical signal which is mixed with the original audio signal. While the physical spring reverbs still exist, most studios emulate spring reverb with the use of plug-ins or hardware reverb units."),
quiz::Quiz("Square wave","This is a common waveform produced by a synthesizer’s oscillator. It alternates between a high and low voltage (typically +/-5 or 8 volts for an audio oscillator; sometimes low frequency oscillators go between 0v and a positive voltage). Aside from being a really easy waveshape to generate with analog circuitry, it has an interesting harmonic series: it has a strong fundamental, then gradually weaker odd harmonics: a component at three times the fundamental frequency, one at fives time the fundamental, and so forth. The result is a more open, hollow sound, especially when compared to a sawtooth (ramp) wave that has both odd and even harmonics present. A wave shape in which the voltage rises instantly to one level, stays at that level for a time, instantly falls to another level and stays at that level, and finally instantly rises to its original level to complete the wave cycle."),
quiz::Quiz("Stackable Cable","Many banana style cables are constructed that each plug has a jack built into its back, allowing you to plug another cable directly in top of the original plug. These are used by Buchla and Serge-compatible systems. TipTop makes a similar cable using 3.5mm plugs and jacks for Eurorack format users called Stackables."),
quiz::Quiz("Stage Monitor","A speaker on the stage that enables performers to hear themselves and to hear what the other musicians are playing on stage."),
quiz::Quiz("Stage","1) The partially enclosed or raised area where live musicians perform. 2) In reverberation effects devices, an echo added before the reverberation to simulate echoes that would come from a concert stage. In the most general terms, a stage is the next change in voltage among a series of changes. In an 8-step sequencer, for example, each new note that it produces in order is a stage. In an envelope generator such as an ADSR (Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release), each phase – such as attack, where the envelope generally rises from 0 volts to the highest voltage it can output – is a stage. You might also hear it used to describe the number of sample stages in a BBD (Bucket Brigade Delay), described elsewhere."),
quiz::Quiz("Standard Operating Level","A reference voltage level or maximum average level that should not be exceeded in normal operation."),
quiz::Quiz("Standing Wave","An unwanted sound wave pattern that often occurs when the sound wave bounces between two reflective parallel surfaces in a room, and the reflected waves interfere with the initial wave coming from the sound source, in which the combined wavelength of the affected frequency is effectively the length of the room. This creates the audible illusion that the wave is standing still, so the frequency is amplified to an unwanted level in certain parts of the room while nearly absent in others. Standing waves are most common in square or rectangular rooms with parallel surfaces, so acoustic designers try to prevent these waves by installing absorptive materials or introducing other items to offset the parallel surfaces."),
quiz::Quiz("Step Mode","A setting in a sequencer or DAW in which notes are input manually, one note or step at a time."),
quiz::Quiz("Step Sequencer","This usually refers to a type of sequencer where you step to and pause on a stage, enter the note (and possibly the duration) for that stage, move on to the next step, and so forth."),
quiz::Quiz("Step","Step is often used interchangeably with stage (see above), especially when talking about sequencers."),
quiz::Quiz("Stereo Image","The audible perception of stereo, in which different sounds sources appear to be coming from far left, far right or any place in between."),
quiz::Quiz("Stereo Micing","Placement of two or more mics so that their outputs combine to create a stereo image."),
quiz::Quiz("Stereo","A recording or reproduction of at least two channels where positioning of instrument sounds left to right can be perceived."),
quiz::Quiz("Strike","This term appears on several Make Noise modules, although it has been creeping into the general lingo. Some filters, amplifiers, and low pass gates (LPGs) that use or simulate vactrols (a light sensitive resistor placed next to a light source such as an LED, allowing a voltage to be turned into a resistance to control a parameter) may have a strike input. When you flash an LED at a light sensitive resistor, it does not change the resistance instantaneously and stay there – instead, there is some delay as it glides to the desired resistance. When you turn the LED off, the resistance may not go instantaneously to full; instead it might take a brief moment to decay. These characteristics are useful for creating percussive sounds and attacks. The purpose of a strike input is either to pass just a short pulse, or to allow you to re-attack while the LED is otherwise still on. To put away equipment and clean up after a recording session."),
quiz::Quiz("Subcode","Additional information bits that are recorded alongside digital audio, used for control and playback purposes."),
quiz::Quiz("Subframe","A unit smaller than one frame in SMPTE time code."),
quiz::Quiz("Subgroup","A number of input channels on a console that can be controlled and adjusted as a single set before sending the combined signal to the master output. Sometimes also called “Submix,” “Bus” or just “Group.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Subharmonic","A circuit that divides the fundamental harmonic of the incoming sound to produce lower frequencies, and therefore subharmonics. The most common is an octave divider or sub bass circuit that divides creates a subharmonic by dividing the fundamental by 2 (some can also create a subharmonic two octaves below the fundamental by dividing it by 4)."),
quiz::Quiz("Submaster / Sub-Master","The fader which controls the combined level of sound from several channels during mixdown or recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Submix","See “Subgroup.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Suboctave","A module that creates a new tone one or two octaves below the fundamental harmonic – the “pitch” – of the sound coming into it, to emphasize the bass. (Subharmonics are discussed in detail elsewhere in this glossary.) This tone is usually a square wave, although some clever modules may create something more sine-like, or that more closely resembles the original waveform."),
quiz::Quiz("Subtractive Synthesis","The most common synthesis technique: You start with one or more oscillators outputting waveforms with a large number of harmonics, and then pass this mix through a filter that removes some of the harmonics to create the desired sound or timbre. This modified tone is then sent to an amplifier that adds articulation to the note by varying its loudness. An old-school method of sound synthesis in which sounds are designed and created by generating harmonically rich waveforms, then filtering out unwanted harmonics to arrive at the desired sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Sum","To sum is a fancy way of saying you added two (or more) things together; the sum is the result. It usually is used in the context of adding together control voltages, although it can also be used for audio or even mixes of harmonics. The opposite is difference, which subtracts one input from another. A signal that is the mix of the two stereo channels at equal level and in phase."),
quiz::Quiz("Summing","The process of blending two or more signals into one mixed signal. In summing audio, each successive channel adds volume to the overall signal, so channels must be mixed in order to prevent peaking the combined signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Super-Cardioid Pattern","A very tight cardioid microphone pattern with maximum sensitivity on axis and the least amount of sensitivity approximately 150 degrees off-axis."),
quiz::Quiz("Surround Sound","A technique of recording and playback in which the listener hears various aspects of the sound from front to back as well as side-to-side—a 360-degree audio image, as opposed to the standard stereo left-right image. Surround sound can occur in various formats with different numbers of speakers arrayed through the room. Surround sound today is most commonly used in film and TV production."),
quiz::Quiz("Sustain","This is a common stage of an envelope generator where a voltage – usually being sent to a filter’s cutoff frequency or an amplifier’s level – is being held a steady level while a note is still being held down. The knowledge that a note is being held is usually provided by a gate signal, that stays high as long as a note is held down, although some envelope generators may have a dedicated time control for how long the sustain stage should last. Envelopes that contain sustain stages include the ADSR (Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release) and AR (Attack/Release, which usually assumes a sustain stage)."),
quiz::Quiz("SVF","A state variable filter (SVF) is a common design for synth filters. This design lends itself to allowing low pass, high pass, and bandpass all being available simultaneously. Another side effect is that they are not prone to oscillating at high feedback (resonance) settings, although some have certainly figured out how to make this happen. The Oberheim SEM (Synthesizer Expander Module) filter is perhaps the most famous state variable design."),
quiz::Quiz("Sweetening","A vague term referring to the fine-tuning of audio in the post-production stage of recording. Effectively, any small “tweaks” to to make the audio sound better is considered sweetening."),
quiz::Quiz("Switch Trigger","Some systems – such as the original Moog modular – use an s-trigger (switch or shorting trigger) instead of a normal gate, which was a wire that was shorted to 0 volts ground, like the closing of a switch wired to ground. You cannot interconnect these two systems without some form of conversion between the two, which can be as simple as a special cable."),
quiz::Quiz("Switch","A device that makes and/or breaks electrical connections."),
quiz::Quiz("Switchable Pattern Microphone","A microphone having the capability of two or more pickup patterns, which can be toggled by use of a switch on the microphone."),
quiz::Quiz("Switching Power Supply","A switching power supply starts by directly converting the incoming high-voltage AC signal into a high-voltage DC signal. They then rapidly switch that output on and off to average a lower output voltage. This switched voltage is then smoothed out to create a constant DC supply at the desired voltage. Switching power supplies tend to be lighter, cooler, and less expensive, at the cost of often higher noise – both in the output voltage, and in radio frequencies (this is why they are often surrounded by a shielding cage). Many are moving to a hybrid power supply that combines a switcher with a small linear supply or regulator to get the best of both worlds."),
quiz::Quiz("Sync Pop","A short tone (usually a sine wave at 1 kHz, and the length of a frame of film) that is placed exactly two seconds before the start of a piece of film or music. The sync pop is used to make sure that all related audio and video tracks stay in sync with each other through all stages of post-production."),
quiz::Quiz("Sync24","Sync24 is an alternate name used for the Roland-created standard DIN Sync, which sends a clock signal at the rate of 24 pulses per quarter note at the current tempo. Korg equipment used a variation of this running at 48 pulses per quarter note, also known as Sync48."),
quiz::Quiz("Sync","Sync can have two different meanings, depending on whether we're talking about oscillators or about clock signals. Some oscillators support a mode where they reset their waveshapes to the beginning when they receive a signal from another oscillator. If there is not a precise octave relationship between the two oscillators, the result is a modified waveform that has been reset prematurely, following the frequency of the second oscillator. You can create some very cool “ripping” sounds by modulating the frequency of the slave oscillator; a simple AD envelope works well. In the context of timing, when you are synchronizing sequencers or drum patterns, it is common to send a master timing or sync signal around the modular for all the relevant modules to follow. This is typically a gate or trigger signal. Short for “Synchronization.” In audio/studio settings, sync refers to the correlating of two or more pieces of audio or video in relation to each other. This can include syncing two recording/playback devices timed to a sync signal like SMPTE Time Code, synchronizing audio with video in film or TV, and many other examples. Licensing a song or piece of music for placement in film, TV or video is also referred to as “syncing.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Synthesizer Expander Module","The Oberheim SEM (Synthesizer Expander Module) was one of their earliest products. It was an entire synthesizer voice – two oscillators, two simple envelopes, VCA, and a very popular two-pole state variable filter design with a knob that crossfaded between low pass, notch, and high pass outputs plus a separate bandpass setting – in a cube-like case. Most often today, when a modular manufacturer uses the magic letters \"SEM\", they're referring to a filter meant to emulate that in the original Oberheim synth."),
quiz::Quiz("Synthesizer","A musical instrument that uses electrical oscillators to generate tones artificially, either to simulate the sounds of other instruments or to create other sounds not possible with other instruments."),
quiz::Quiz("System Exclusive","System Exclusive (SysEx) – A MIDI message that will only be recognized by a unit of a particular manufacturer."),
quiz::Quiz("Tach/Tachometer","In analog tape recording, a device on the recorder that measures and regulates tape speed by emitting pulses as the tape moves across the head."),
quiz::Quiz("Tails Out","A method of winding audio tape so that the end of the last recorded selection is at the outside of the reel."),
quiz::Quiz("Take Notation","Writing down the takes of the tune being recorded on a take sheet or on the track log with comments. Take notation was/is recommended for analog tape recording, but in most studios, this function is now accomplished on the DAW."),
quiz::Quiz("Take","The recording that is done between one start and stop of a tape recorder or DAW."),
quiz::Quiz("Talk Box","An effects unit that enables a musician to modulate the sound of his/her instrument via a tube placed into the mouth. Historically, talk boxes have been used as an effect for guitars, but they can be used to modify other instruments, as well."),
quiz::Quiz("Talkback","A microphone in the control room carried on a separate circuit from the recorded channels, allowing the engineer to communicate with the musicians in the live room or sound booths through the monitoring system."),
quiz::Quiz("Tape Delay","A signal processing technique for creating artificial delay or echoes by manipulating time delays with analog tape machines. This technique began by routing the signal to a separate tape recorder and mixing the delayed response back in with the signal; it then evolved to the use of dedicated machines that could adjust the length of the delay by adjusting the distance between the record and playback heads. Today, most tape delay effects in the studio are simulated digitally through plug-ins in a DAW."),
quiz::Quiz("Tape Guide","Any stationary or rotating device which directs the tape past the heads on a tape machine, or from one reel to the other."),
quiz::Quiz("Tape Hiss","The natural high-frequency noise that occurs on analog tape due to the magnetic particles from which the tape is made. Tape hiss constitutes most of the noise floor that occurs in analog recording, and can be reduced by using tape constructed of finer magnetic particles. (See also “Noise Floor.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Tape Loop","A length of tape with the ends spliced together so that the recording will play continuously."),
quiz::Quiz("Tape Recording Equalization","The increase in amplitude of signals, in a tape machine’s electronics, at the high frequencies as a tape is recorded to keep high-frequency signals recorded above the tape hiss."),
quiz::Quiz("Telephone Filter","A filter used to simulate the audio heard through a telephone receiver by removing signals at frequencies below 300 Hz and above 3500 Hz."),
quiz::Quiz("Tempo Mapping","The act of programming a sequencer or DAW to follow the tempo variations of a recorded performance. Unlike beat mapping or beatmatching, both of which effectively adjust the recording to fit a set tempo, tempo mapping adjusts the tempo of the project (especially the MIDI instruments) to match the natural tempo nuances of the recorded material. (See also “Beat Mapping,” “Beatmatching.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Tempo","The rate at which the music moves, measured in Beats Per Minute (BPM)."),
quiz::Quiz("Terminal","1) A point of connection between two wires, including the plug on the end of a cable, and the jack on a piece of equipment. 2) Refers to the keyboard and monitor of a computer that enable the user to enter information and to access data."),
quiz::Quiz("Test Oscillator","A device that generates audio waveforms at various frequencies for testing purposes."),
quiz::Quiz("Test Pressing","One of a few initial vinyl record copies pressed from the first stamper made, which is listened to and visually inspected to approve the quality before more copies are pressed."),
quiz::Quiz("Test Tones","1) A recording of several single-frequency tones at the beginning of a tape reel at the magnetic reference level that will be used to record the program. 2) Artificially generated tones that are used to calibrate an audio system."),
quiz::Quiz("Thin Sound","A vague term describing an audio signal that that is lacking in certain frequencies, especially on the low end. Over-filtering a signal with an EQ can produce a thin sound, for example."),
quiz::Quiz("Threaded Inserts","A common system for mounting modules into a case is called sliding rails or nuts. A number of nuts are inserted into these channels, which can then be slid to any position to accommodate the mounting whole spacing of your modules. Some don’t like this system, so they replace the nuts with strip of metal inserted into the channel that have been pre-drilled for the standard Eurorack mounting hole spacing. They may be drilled for 2.5 or 3 mm screws; pay attention when buying the rails or a case that has them pre-installed."),
quiz::Quiz("Three-To-One Rule","A principle of microphone placement that says when multiple mics are used at once, the distance between microphones should be at least three times the distance between each microphone and its respective sound source. The three-to-one rule is used to prevent phasing issues between the audio signals."),
quiz::Quiz("Three-Way Speaker","A speaker system that has separate speakers to reproduce the bass, mid-range and treble frequencies."),
quiz::Quiz("Threshold of Hearing","Described as the sound pressure level at which people can hear only 50 percent of the time."),
quiz::Quiz("Threshold","A threshold is generally a voltage level a signal needs to cross before a module takes an action. For example, when the output of an envelope follower (a module that creates a voltage that corresponds to the current level of an audio signal) rises above a threshold level, then its gate signal will go high indicating a note has started. When the output of the envelope follower falls before a threshold (which may be the same or different than the note-on threshold), then the gate goes low, indicating the note should be finishing. The level at which a dynamics processing unit will begin to change the gain of the incoming signal."),
quiz::Quiz("Throat","In a speaker, the small opening in a horn or in a driver through which the sound wave passes from the driver to the horn."),
quiz::Quiz("Through-Zero Frequency Modulation","TZFM is the abbreviation for Through-Zero Frequency Modulation. Think of a patch where you feed the output of one oscillator (the modulator) into the frequency control voltage input of a second oscillator (the carrier). As the waveform output of the modulator rises above zero volts, it is added to the normal pitch control voltage for the carrier, and the pitch of the carrier goes up. As the waveform output of the modulator goes below zero, it is subtracted from the normal pitch control voltage, and the pitch goes down. But what happens if the result of subtracting the modulator from the pitch control goes below zero volts? In an oscillator that explicitly says it implements through-zero frequency modulation, the carrier will start playing backwards – in essence, a negative frequency. This generally produces a more pleasing result, and is a desirable characteristic for an oscillator."),
quiz::Quiz("Throw","1) In speakers and in microphones, describes the amount of unrestricted movement that the diaphragm can make. In microphone, this affects the mic’s sensitivity; in speakers, it affects the distance of sound projection. (A speaker designed for smaller spaces has a “short throw,” while one designed for a farther projection has a “long throw.” 2) In speakers, “throw” may also be used to describe the speaker’s directional output, often based on the frequencies it emits. A horn, for example, emits high frequencies in a limited angle of direction, so it has a “long throw,” while a subwoofer emits low frequencies in all directions and has a “short throw.” 3) Something a producer, engineer or musician might do with whatever is in his/her hand during a moment of intense frustration."),
quiz::Quiz("Tie Lines","Tie Lines – Cables with connectors at both ends, which are usually run through walls or floors in the studio, for the purpose of sending signals between rooms. Tie lines provide a great semi-permanent way to route and configure signal paths quickly through various parts of the studio and help the engineer keep track of signal flow."),
quiz::Quiz("Timbre","This word is often used to describe the unique tonal characteristic of a sound you are creating, separate from its pitch or loudness. Different sounds, by definition, have different timbres. When you change a parameter of a sound that changes its tonal characteristic – such as changing the filter cutoff, pulse width, amount of wavefolding, etc. – you are changing its timbre. The timbre often changes during life of a note. The sound quality that makes one instrument sound different from other instruments, even while playing the same pitch. The timbre of a trumpet, for example, is what makes it sound like a trumpet and not like a flute. Timbre is largely shaped through the presence, absence and complexity of harmonics when the instrument is played."),
quiz::Quiz("Time Code","A standardized timing signal used to help devices sync with one another, or to sync audio to video. Common time codes used in the studio are MIDI Time Code (MTC) and SMPTE time code."),
quiz::Quiz("Time Compression / Expansion","(Also called “Time Stretching” or “Time Shifting“) The process of speeding up or slowing down an audio recording without changing the pitch of the sounds."),
quiz::Quiz("Time Constant","A complex mathematical ides that basically describes the time delay between when an electrical voltage is applied to a circuit and when the circuit responds to it."),
quiz::Quiz("Tini-Jax","This is a special design of jack made by Switchcraft that is used by Buchla (and many of their clones) to carry audio signals. They are 3.5mm in diameter, but differ slightly physically from a common 3.5 mm jack. 1/8” plugs would be loose in when plugged into a Tini-Jax jack; a Tini-Jax plug might not fit into or might even damage a 1/8” jack."),
quiz::Quiz("Toms","The small drums (as little as 10 inch diameter) that mount on racks above the kick drum and the large drums in a drum set."),
quiz::Quiz("Tone Generator","1) A device that puts out test tones at various frequencies to align a tape machine or for other testing purposes. 2) The circuits in a synthesizer that create the audio signals put out by the unit, usually to emulate the sound of another instrument."),
quiz::Quiz("Tone","1) Any single-frequency signal or sound. 2) The sound quality of an instrument’s sound relative to the amount of energy present at different frequencies."),
quiz::Quiz("Tonguing","The technique of controlling the start of a note in a brass or woodwind instrument with the tongue."),
quiz::Quiz("Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)","The measure of the difference between the level of harmonic frequencies at the output stage of an amplifier as compared with the input stage, a ratio expressed as a percentage. It’s a fine-tuning specification barely perceptible to many ears, but the lower the THD, the more accurately the amplifier/speaker is reproducing the sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Touch Sensitive","See “Velocity Sensitive.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Track & Hold","This is a variation of a Sample & Hold. Both have two inputs – a gate signal, and a voltage reference signal – and a voltage output. When a Sample & Hold receives a gate high signal, it freezes and outputs the voltage reference coming into the reference input. This voltage is maintained until a new gate high signal; gate low signals are ignored. With a Track & Hold, when the gate is high, the reference input it passed along to the voltage output (this is the “tracking” phase); when the gate goes low, the input voltage at that instant is frozen and maintained at the voltage output until a new gate high signal is received."),
quiz::Quiz("Track Log / Track Assignment Sheet","Track Log/Track Assignment Sheet – A sheet of paper kept with a multitrack tape which tells which instrument was recorded on each track."),
quiz::Quiz("Track","1) One audio recording made on a portion of the width of a multitrack tape, or created as a digital representation using a DAW. 2) One set of control commands in a sequencer or DAW that is used to control one instrument over one MIDI channel. 3) See “Band Track.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Tracking","Tracking usually refers to how well an oscillator follows the pitch control voltage (CV) sent to it. As the voltage rises, the oscillator “tracks” it and produces a higher pitch. Most (but not all!) synths follow a 1 volt per octave system where a rise of 1.00 volts on the pitch input should produce exactly a doubling (one octave rise) in the oscillator’s pitch. If this is indeed what happens, the oscillator has good tracking. If the oscillator goes slightly out of tune, it is considered a tracking error, or to have poor tracking. Sometimes you will find voltage-controlled filters have a “tracking” switch for a CV input where the pitch of the filter’s corner frequency only rises at 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 of the corresponding change of the pitch input. This can prevent high notes from sounding too bright without the bass notes sounding too dull. Sometimes you will find voltage-controlled filters have a “tracking” switch for a CV input where the pitch of the filter’s corner frequency only rises at 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 of the corresponding change of the pitch input. The act of recording the individual tracks of a multitrack recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Transducer","A device that converts energy from one medium to another. Transducers are prevalent throughout the equipment in a recording studio."),
quiz::Quiz("Transient","The initial high-energy peak at the beginning of a waveform, such as one caused by the percussive action of a pick or hammer hitting a string, or the strike of a drum."),
quiz::Quiz("Transistor Ladder Filter","This term is often used to describe the design of the much-loved Moog low-pass filter, which is still held up by many as being the gold standard in low pass filter sound. Moog actually received a patent for this design (it has since expired); many of their competitors either outright copied it or did their best to emulate it."),
quiz::Quiz("Transport","1) The portion of a tape machine that moves the tape from the supply reel, past the heads, to the take-up reel. 2) The set of controls found on a DAW or sequencer for starting, stopping pausing, fast-forward and rewind, emulating the functions of a tape machine transport."),
quiz::Quiz("Transpose","In the simplest terms, to transpose the pitch of a musical line is to shift it up or down by a fixed number of semitones or octaves. This is sometimes referred to as “chromatic” transposition. A more sophisticated variation is “scalar” transposition where each note is shifted by a set number of scale steps; this differs from chromatic transposition because some scales may have differing numbers of semitones between steps than other scales. To shift a set of musical notes by a fixed interval. This can happen in a number of ways—for example: 1) by rewriting an entire piece of music in a new key; 2) by shifting the tuning of an instrument so that it plays at a lower or higher interval than the note played (either artificially, as with an electronic keyboard, or by the natural tuning of a transposed instrument, like a trumpet); or 3) Transposing on-the-fly, playing at a set interval above or below what is written (also known as transposing by sight)."),
quiz::Quiz("Trap","1) A filter designed to reject audio signals at certain frequencies. 2) An object designed with acoustically absorptive material, placed into walls to reduce low frequency reflections in the room (also called “bass trap”). 3) Another word for a drum set (as in “trap set”)."),
quiz::Quiz("Tremolo","This is the effect of varying the amplitude (loudness) of a note. A way to create this effect on a modular synth is to patch a low frequency oscillator (LFO) to one of the control voltage inputs on an amplifier. Tremolo is different than vibrato; the latter is a warbling in pitch rather than loudness. A wavering or “shaking” musical effect, created either by quick reiterations of the notes (as in a violin tremolo) or by rapid shifts in amplitude."),
quiz::Quiz("Triangle","The triangle is a common synthesizer waveform. When selected for the output of an oscillator, it was a more mellow sound than the standard square or sawtooth waves, with fewer and weaker higher harmonics. It is also a popular output for low frequency oscillators (LFOs), as it produces a relatively smooth up and down variation in whatever it controls, while being easier to create than the even smoother sine wave."),
quiz::Quiz("Triangular Wave","A harmonically rich waveform that appears triangular in shape when depicted graphically, due to a combination of the presence of odd harmonics and rapid rolloff."),
quiz::Quiz("Trigger","A trigger is a very short electrical pulse signal, rising from 0 volts to a standard level such as 5 or 10 volts for a few milliseconds before falling back to 0 volts. It is often used to start or “trigger” the playback of a percussion sound, including starting an envelope generator. They can also be used to pass clock signals around a synth so connected modules all know when a note (or finer subdivision of a note) starts. A trigger usually has a fixed duration, compared to a gate signal which also rises from 0 volts to a higher voltage and falls back to zero again, but which stays “high” a variable length of time depending on the length of a note. The signal or the action of sending a signal to control the start of an event."),
quiz::Quiz("Trim / Trim Control","A device that reduces or increases the signal strength in an amplifier, often over a restricted range. Often used interchangeably with gain, but usually referring to fine-tuning signal strength, rather than merely amplifying it."),
quiz::Quiz("Truncation","1) The shortening of an audio signal, sample or song, typically by cutting off the end. 2) The dropping of bits of data when the bit resolution is reduced (for example, from 24-bit to 16-bit), causing digital distortion unless dithering is applied."),
quiz::Quiz("Tune","The act of adjusting the pitch of a synthesizer’s oscillator (the main pitch-generating element) to match another oscillator, instrument, or reference is known as tuning it."),
quiz::Quiz("Tuning Fork","A metal fork with two prongs that vibrate with a fairly pure tone of one frequency when the fork is struck."),
quiz::Quiz("Turntable","A device to support and rotate a phonograph record during playback."),
quiz::Quiz("Tweeter","A speaker designed to reproduce only the higher frequencies of the sound."),
quiz::Quiz("Two Quadrant Multiplier","A two-quadrant multiplier performs a simple version of amplitude modulation (AM), where that varies the amplitude or loudness of one signal known as the carrier (typically an audio signal, swinging both above and below 0 volts) with a second signal called the modulator. In the typical amplitude modulation (AM) scenario, a low frequency oscillator with a positive voltage (say, between 0v and 5v, or maybe something smaller such as between 1v and 2v) is fed into the control input of a voltage controlled amplifier to add vibrato to an audio signal passing through it. Any negative swings in the modulation signal are ignored; when patching tremolo, you may need to make sure an offset voltage is being added to your LFO to make sure the sound doesn’t cut out on the lower excursions of the LFO’s waveform. (The case where the modulator's negative as well as positive excursions are used is referred to as a four quadrant multiplier.) "),
quiz::Quiz("Two-Way Speaker","A speaker system with separate speakers to reproduce the lower frequencies (woofer) and the higher frequencies (tweeter)."),
quiz::Quiz("TZFM","TZFM is the abbreviation for Through-Zero Frequency Modulation. Think of a patch where you feed the output of one oscillator (the modulator) into the frequency control voltage input of a second oscillator (the carrier). As the waveform output of the modulator rises above zero volts, it is added to the normal pitch control voltage for the carrier, and the pitch of the carrier goes up. As the waveform output of the modulator goes below zero, it is subtracted from the normal pitch control voltage, and the pitch goes down. But what happens if the result of subtracting the modulator from the pitch control goes below zero volts? In an oscillator that explicitly says it implements through-zero frequency modulation, the carrier will start playing backwards – in essence, a negative frequency. This generally produces a more pleasing result, and is a desirable characteristic for an oscillator."),
quiz::Quiz("U","Rack-mounted equipment usually follows a standard set of dimensions, including 19” (48.3 cm)for width, and a “rack unit” (or U for short) for height equaling 1.75” (4.4 cm) per U. Many common modular synthesizer formats follow the rack unit system for standardizing module height – such as 3U (3 x 1.75 = 5.25” or 13.3 cm) for Eurorack, 4U for Buchla and Serge, and 5U for classic modular Moogs (sometimes referred to as MU for Moog Unit)."),
quiz::Quiz("Unbalanced Audio","Most audio signals are passed around on cables with two wires: one for the voltage that represents the audio vibrations, and one for ground. This arrangement is often referred to as unbalanced audio."),
quiz::Quiz("Unbalanced Cable","A cable with two conductors (a signal wire and a ground wire) and connectors on each end. Unbalanced cables are often susceptible to electromagnetic interference and noise. Examples of unbalanced cables are guitar/instrument cables (also called tip-sleeve or TS cables) and RCA cables."),
quiz::Quiz("Unidirectional Pattern","A microphone pick-up pattern which is more sensitive to sound arriving from one direction than from any other."),
quiz::Quiz("Unipolar","Many voltages in a modular synth – including the output of an audio oscillator, and most low frequency oscillators – fluctuates between positive and negative voltages. This is known as a bipolar voltage. Some voltages – such as the output of an envelope generator – only vary between 0 volts and some maximum positive voltage; this is referred to as unipolar."),
quiz::Quiz("Unison","Several performers, instruments or sound sources that are sounding at the same time and with the same pitch."),
quiz::Quiz("Unity Gain","The scenario in which there is no increase or decrease in signal strength at the output of an amplifier or device compared to the signal strength at the input (typically described as 0 dB)."),
quiz::Quiz("Unity","Usually used in the phrase “unity gain” this mean a signal keeps the exact same level from input to output."),
quiz::Quiz("Vacuum Tube","A diode, a glass tube with the gases removed, through which electrical current can flow. In audio, vacuum tubes are used in amplifiers, oscillators, and other analog devices."),
quiz::Quiz("Vamp and Fade","A method of ending the recording of a song where the music has a repeating part and the engineer reduces volume until the music fades out."),
quiz::Quiz("Vamp","A part of a song or chord progression that is repeated, usually at the end of the song, and usually the chorus or part of the chorus."),
quiz::Quiz("Vari-Speed","A control on a tape machine that changes the play speed."),
quiz::Quiz("Variable-D","A trademarked, patented technology of ElectroVoice in its microphone designs to vary the proximity effect in its microphones. Variable-D places several ports along the microphone body, each of which has a reduced level of sensitivity to higher frequencies the further they are placed from the microphone’s diaphragm."),
quiz::Quiz("VCA Automation","A system of mix automation in some mixing consoles in which sound levels or other functions are altered through the use of voltage controlled amplifiers."),
quiz::Quiz("VCA Group","Several VCA faders that are fed control voltages from a group master slide. A feature in higher-end mixing boards that enables the engineer to control groupings of independent signals by a single fader that uses VCA to adjust the voltage sent to each channel."),
quiz::Quiz("Velocity Message","In synthesizers and keyboard controllers, a MIDI message that transmits data on how hard the key was struck. Velocity messages can be used to transmit volume information, as well as triggering different samples on a multi-sampled instrument patch."),
quiz::Quiz("Velocity Microphone","See “Pressure-Gradient Microphone.”"),
quiz::Quiz("Velocity Sensitive","(Also called “Touch Sensitive“) A feature on a MIDI instrument such as a keyboard that transmits a MIDI velocity message depending on how hard the key is struck."),
quiz::Quiz("Vibrato","A smooth and repeated changing of the pitch up and down from the regular musical pitch, often done by singers or performed by string and wind players."),
quiz::Quiz("Virtual Instrument","(Also called Software Instrument) One of a number of software-based synthesizers, samplers or sound samples that are stored and accessed via computer and performed by an external MIDI controller, rather than in a standalone synthesizer or module. Because of the wide versatility available from these instruments, a growing number of composers and electronic musicians are working with virtual instruments that can be stored in hard drives, rather than purchasing stacks of keyboards and modules."),
quiz::Quiz("Vocal Booth","A room in the recording studio that is used for recording vocals in isolation. This practice prevents bleed-through of the sounds of other instruments into the vocal microphone, and also reduces natural ambience and reverberation in the vocal recording."),
quiz::Quiz("Vocoder","An audio processing device effects device or plug-in that analyzes the characteristics of an audio signal and uses them to affect another synthesized signal. Primarily developed for the purpose of producing synthesized voice effects from human speech, a vocoder creates the characteristic robotic vocal sound or the “human synthesizer” effect that makes it sound like the synth is speaking or singing words."),
quiz::Quiz("Voice Over","The recording of vocal announcements or narration over a bed of music in video, film or commercials."),
quiz::Quiz("Voice","1) Besides the obvious definition of the sound humans make from their mouths…in synthesizers, a voice refers to one of a number of sounds/pitches that may be played at the same time. “Monophonic” means only one voice plays at a time, while “polyphonic” means multiple voices can sound at once. (See also “Polyphonic”, “Monophonic.”) 2) In some synthesizers, like Yamaha, “voice” may also refer to a specific sound patch available on the synth."),
quiz::Quiz("Volatile Memory","Computer memory whose data will will be lost when the computer is turned off. RAM (Random Access Memory) is the most common form of volatile memory."),
quiz::Quiz("Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA)","An amplifier whose gain level is affected by an external voltage being sent to it. VCAs are commonly used in synthesizers, signal processors, and as a means of automation for some mixing consoles."),
quiz::Quiz("Voltage Controlled Filter","A filter (especially a low-pass filter) that will change its cutoff frequency according to a control voltage fed to its control input."),
quiz::Quiz("Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO)","An oscillator whose frequencies are modified by voltage input. Most commonly found in synthesizers."),
quiz::Quiz("Voltage","The difference in electrical force or pressure (“potential”) between two objects, causing a flow of electric current between them."),
quiz::Quiz("Volume Unit (VU)","A unit to measure perceived loudness changes in audio. The unit is basically the decibel change of the average level as read by a VU Meter. (See also “VU Meter.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Volume","A common, non-technical term that either refers to sound pressure level (which we hear as loudness), or to audio voltage level."),
quiz::Quiz("Vox","A Latin word meaning “voice,” often used as an abbreviation for track logs in the studio."),
quiz::Quiz("VU Meter","A meter that reads audio voltage levels in or out of a piece of equipment and is designed to match the ear’s response to sudden changes in level."),
quiz::Quiz("Watt","Unit of electrical power."),
quiz::Quiz("Wave","This is the pattern of vibrations – up and down fluctuations in voltage – output by an oscillator. Different patterns generate different sounds."),
quiz::Quiz("Wavefolder","A wavefolder is a very specific design of waveshaper that uses a comparator and some other circuitry. What they do is look to see if the wave goes above (or below) a specific threshold. When it does, instead of clipping off the top and bottom of the wave, they create a mirror image of it and reflect that portion of the wave back upon itself, creating more high harmonics and interesting spectra in the process."),
quiz::Quiz("Waveform","This is the pattern of vibrations – up and down fluctuations in voltage – output by an oscillator. Different patterns generate different sounds. A visual representation or graphic of a sound wave, audio signal or other type of wave, showing the wave’s oscillations above and below the zero line."),
quiz::Quiz("Wavelength","The physical length of one cycle of a wave, measured in feet, inches, etc. The longer the wavelength of a sound wave, the lower its frequency; the shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency."),
quiz::Quiz("Waveshaper","It would be a bit obvious to say “a circuit that changes the shape of the waveform going through it”, but that is the point. Waveshapers often have specific goals in mind, such as converting an incoming triangle wave into an outgoing sine wave, or to add tube-like soft clipping to the peaks and transients of waves. Many waveshapers are simply intended to mangle (er, add higher harmonics to) waveforms in interesting ways, creating noisier (er, more complex and bright) harmonic spectra to create new sounds."),
quiz::Quiz("Wavetable","This term can have two related but slightly different meanings. A digital oscillator often produces sound by reading a table of numbers in order, jumping from the level described by one number to the next. This table of numbers describes one cycle of a wave, and therefore is often called a wavetable. Many digital oscillators have multiple wave tables lined up, and can move between these tables – either by jumping suddenly (which the original PPG Wave synths did), or by crossfading between them (what most digital wavetable oscillators today do). Some people refer to each table as a “wave” and a set of individual waves as a wavetable."),
quiz::Quiz("Weighting","An equalization curve used in audio tests that compensates for the Fletcher Munson Curve at various levels. (See also “Fletcher-Munson Curves.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("West Coast Synthesis","The so-called \"West Coast\" approach to synthesis – traditionally associated with companies such as Buchla and Serge – is often based around adding harmonics to simple waveforms, rather than removing (filtering) them from complex waveforms. This is often accomplished by using a pair of oscillators (sometimes combined into what's called a \"complex oscillator\") where one modulates the frequency (FM) or amplitude (AM) of the other; another common West Coast module is a waveshaper or a wavefolder. You may also find two-stage envelope generators such as an AD or AR (often called slope generators) rather than four-stage ADSRs, as well as more of an emphasis on control voltage manipulation, A common feature is also voltage controlled amplifiers that have low-pass filters built into them, creating what's known as a Low Pass Gate (LPG). The West Coast approach also embraces non-traditional controllers, such as touch plates and the such. Today it's common to mix both East Coast and West Coast approaches in the same system."),
quiz::Quiz("wet sound","Sometimes people will say a filter has a “wet” sound. This usually refers to a fewer-than-4-pole filter sound – often low or bandpass – with resonance turned up a bit, but not to the point of self-oscillation. It’s a sound that is popular in acid house and other similar techno styles."),
quiz::Quiz("Wet","A sound with effects (such as reverb) mixed is referred to as \"wet\"; a sound with no effects is referred to as \"dry.\" Effects units or mixers often have wet/dry mix amounts that set the ratio between the original, unprocessed sound and the fully-effected sound. Refers to a signal that has the full amount of an effect (like reverb) applied to it, as opposed to “dry,” which refers to the un-effected sound. Many times, the preferred sound in mixing will be a blend of wet and dry signals. (See also “Dry.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("White Noise","Noise is a random signal that does not have a distinct pitch, such as hissing, breath noise, or the sound of wind or the surf. Noise is often described by different “colors” such as white, pink, red, or blue which have different frequency distributions. White noise has equal power per unit of frequency (such as every 1000 hertz), resulting in a brighter, hissier sound. A noise signal containing an equal spread of energy across all audible frequencies. Like pink noise, engineers often send a white noise signal through audio equipment for tuning and calibration purposes, or in EQ-ing a live audio space. (See also “Pink Noise.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Whole Step","A change in pitch equivalent to two half steps, or the difference in pitch between two piano keys."),
quiz::Quiz("Wild Sound","In film and video, audio that is recorded separately from the visual that may be added to the audio track later, and does not need to be synchronized with the picture."),
quiz::Quiz("Wind Controller","A device that is played like a wind instrument to control a synthesizer, module or virtual instrument via MIDI signals, as opposed to a keyboard controller."),
quiz::Quiz("Windscreen","A covering that fits over a microphone to reduce the excessive noise resulting from wind blowing into the mic. Typically used for recording in outdoor locations."),
quiz::Quiz("Wireless Microphone","A microphone that transmits its signal over an FM frequency to a receiver offstage, rather than traveling over an audio cable."),
quiz::Quiz("Woofer","A speaker that is designed to reproduce bass frequencies only."),
quiz::Quiz("Write Mode","A mode of operation in an automated console where the engineer is in control of channel gain and the computer is recording the gain changes over time."),
quiz::Quiz("XLR Cable","A balanced microphone cable utilizing XLR connectors. (See also “XLR Connector.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("XLR Connector","A balanced cable connector consisting of 3 or 7 pins, most commonly used in microphone cables."),
quiz::Quiz("XY Miking","A coincident stereo microphone placement technique in which two cardioid microphones are placed with their heads toward each other at a 90-degree angle, and as close together as possible. (See also “Coincident Miking.”)"),
quiz::Quiz("Y-Cord","A cable with three connectors so that one output may be sent to two inputs.  Basically, a signal splitter done with spliced wires rather than components."),
quiz::Quiz("Zenith","In analog tape recording, refers to the tilt of the tape head in the direction perpendicular to the tape travel."),
quiz::Quiz("Zero-Order Hold (ZOH)","Refers to the mathematical expression of the signal processing done by a conventional digital-to-analog converter (DAC)."),
};


int main()
{
	std::random_device rd;
    std::mt19937 gen(rd());
    std::uniform_int_distribution<> distria(1, 4);
    std::uniform_int_distribution<> distrib(0, game.size()-1);
	std::shuffle(std::begin(game), std::end(game), std::default_random_engine());
	std::vector<std::string> answers;
	std::string question;
	uint32_t n;
	uint8_t correct;
	uint32_t score=0;
	uint32_t tqs=0;

	for (uint32_t ctr=0;ctr<game.size();++ctr) {
		answers.clear();
		correct=distria(gen);
		for (uint8_t i=1;i<=4;++i) {
			if (i == correct) {
				answers.push_back(game[ctr].getA());
				question=game[ctr].getQ();
			} else {
				answers.push_back(game[distrib(gen)].getA());
			}
		}
		std::cout << "\33c\e[3J";
		if (tqs != 0) {
			std::cout << "[QUESTIONS: " << tqs << " / " << game.size() << " SCORE: " << score << "]\n";
		}
		std::cout << "Question #" << tqs+1 << ": " << question << "\n\n";
		std::cout << "Answer #1.\n" << answers[0] << "\n\n";
		std::cout << "Answer #2.\n" << answers[1] << "\n\n";
		std::cout << "Answer #3.\n" << answers[2] << "\n\n";
		std::cout << "Answer #4.\n" << answers[3] << "\n\n";
		std::cout << "What answer is correct (q=quit)? ";
		std::cin >> n;
		if (n == 0) {
			break;
		} else if (n == correct) {
			score++;
		}
		tqs++;
		std::cout << n << " is the answer you gave. And the correct answer is: " << correct << '\n';
	}

 	std::cout << "\33c\e[3J";
 	if (tqs != 0) {
 		std::cout << "[QUESTIONS: " << tqs << " / " << game.size() << " SCORE: " << score << "]\n";
 		std::cout << "[" << ((double(score)/double(tqs))*100.0) << "% correct answers.]\n";
 	}
	return 0;
}