A few useful words.
Plain definitions for the terms that appear in our articles. Start with the question you have, then return to the sound.
Level & signal
- Gain
- A change in signal level.
- Headroom
- The margin between the signal's peaks and a system's overload limit.
- Clipping
- Distortion caused when a signal exceeds a stage's available range.
- Peak
- A brief maximum in signal level.
- Bypass
- A way to hear the signal without a processor's effect.
Tone
- Frequency
- The rate of a repeating vibration, measured in hertz.
- Equalization / EQ
- Changing the level of selected frequency regions.
- High-pass filter
- A filter that attenuates frequencies below its transition region.
- Resonance
- An emphasized response around a frequency.
Dynamics
- Transient
- A brief, rapidly changing part of a sound, often at its onset.
- Threshold
- A level used to determine a dynamics processor's response.
- Ratio
- In a conventional compressor, the relationship between input and output level changes above threshold.
- Attack & release
- Controls that shape how a dynamics processor responds and recovers over time.
Space & movement
- Dry / wet
- The balance between unprocessed and processed sound.
- Pre-delay
- The interval before a reverb's response begins.
- Automation
- Recorded or drawn changes to a parameter over time.
- Modulation
- One signal or process changing another parameter.
Further reading: Ableton's audio effect reference.
Recording & files
- Sample rate
- The number of digital audio samples per second.
- Bit depth
- The number of bits used to represent each sample in an integer audio recording.
- Monitoring
- Listening to the input or playback signal while you work.
- Audio track
- A track that records or plays sound.
- MIDI
- Performance and control messages, such as notes and velocity; it is not an audio recording.
Further reading: Apple's recording preparation guide and Ableton's recording guide.