GLOSSARY
Last update: 2024-02-29
Here you will find an explanation of all the terms regularly used in the world of music equipment. The glossary is sorted alphabetically, making it easy for you to quickly find the term you are looking for.
And yes: the term “gear” is also explained!
0-9
19″ (19 in, 19 inch)
“Inch” is a unit of measurement used in some countries, especially in the USA. One inch corresponds to 2.54 cm.
19″ is a standardized length for equipment that is a staple in the music and networking industries. 19″ devices can be conveniently mounted on top of each other in corresponding 19″ cases for space-saving transport. Smaller devices also use the 9.5″ format, so two devices can fit side by side in a 19″ rack. Sometimes the 1/3 19″ format is used used for three devices side by side.
The height of 19″ devices is also fixed. It is divided into RU (Rack Units) or simply U. 1 RU corresponds to 4.4 cm. The height is always either 1 U or a whole multiple of it (2 U, 3 U, etc.).
A
Ambience
Ambience refers to the sound of a room. We never only hear the direct sound of a sound source, but also the reflections of the sound on the boundary surfaces of the room in which we are located. The reflections are extremely small in the desert, in an elevator they are rather unpleasant because our brain interprets the ambience to mean that we are in a (dangerously) small room. The church is an extreme in the other direction. These sound reflections are more commonly referred to as reverberation or ➤ reverb; they have a very diffuse character and can prevent a clear sound. In common language, „ambience” refers to the sound of a medium-sized room that blends ideally with the sound source to create a natural, lively overall sound.
A good ambience is very important for drum recordings in particular; it gives the set its sonic grandeur.
Audio-Interface
An audio interface converts analog audio signals, for example the stereo output of an e-drum module, into digital data that can be received by a computer. The audio interface receives the signals via analog inputs (e.g. jack plugs) and converts them into digital data. On the other side, the audio interface then sends the digital signals to the computer via a digital interface such as USB.
This also works the other way around: digital signals are sent from the computer to the audio interface via USB or some other digital interface; the audio interface converts the digital data into analog signals and sends them via audio cables to any amplifying device, e.g. a loudspeaker system, where they become audible.
By the way, if a computer has direct analog connections, then the audio interface is built into the computer. However, external audio interfaces are usually of higher quality.
B
Big Mono
➤ Mono
C
Case
Originally, “case” meant a special type of transport container, namely the flightcase. This is designed for frequent transportation, especially in airplanes and large trucks, and features a sturdy construction of wood or plastic, protective corners and edges of metal fittings, as well as solid handles and wheels that can be braked.
There are flight cases in standardized sizes to stack them sensibly and save space. However, there are also countless special designs which – unlike container ships – practically always require individual loading of the transport vehicle.
For musicians, the case in ➤ 19″ (19 inch) format is a standard.
The Transflex Case is also often used: a case on wheels with a height of approx. 60 cm. The case comes in different lengths and can be divided into several compartments to transport cables, tripods, but also merchandise.
E
Equalizer (EQ)
The most important tool for sound processing in the Height dimension of the stereo image. The EQ is a volume control that does not target an entire audio signal, but only makes certain ➤ frequencies of the audio signal louder or softer. Thus, the use of an EQ can change the sound subtly to significantly.
Equipment
➤ Gear
F
Flightcase ➤ Case
Frequency
“Frequency” means as much as ” rate of occurrence”. Physically, frequency means the amount of oscillations (e.g. of a tone) within a certain period of time.
The higher the frequency of a sound, the higher the sound is perceived. Accordingly, a sound with 20 ➤ Hertz (Hz) is lower than a sound with 20,000 Hz (or 20 Kilohertz, KHz). 20 Hz to 20 KHz is the frequency range that a young person with healthy ears can perceive as tones/sounds/noises.
In the ➤ stereo image, the frequency determines the height dimension.
G
Gear
The term “gear” has several meanings; in the context of music, it refers to the equipment that the musician uses. This involves the instruments used, as well as the equipment, cables and also special auxiliary equipment, ➤ cases, etc.
Alternate term: equipment.
H
Hall
➤ Reverb
Harmonics
The vibration of the drum head, the violin or guitar string, the moving air of a wind instrument etc. always consists of the fundamental vibration and its overtone series (harmonics). The overtones are vibrations that are integer multiples of the frequency of the fundamental tone in tonal sounds. The concert pitch a with a frequency of 440 vibrations per second (440 Hz) therefore has harmonics of 880 Hz, 1320 Hz, 1760 Hz etc. The overtone series is infinite and each tonal source differs in the volume of the overtones. This is how the timbre of a tonal source is formed, which distinguishes the concert pitch a of a piano so strikingly from the concert pitch a of a guitar. The fundamental is what we generally recognize as a “melody tone”.
In sounds such as those produced by drums, the overtones are not integer multiples of the fundamental, which is why we find it difficult to recognize a defined melody tone.
The only sound source that doesn’t have harmonics is the pure ➤ sine tone.
Hertz (Hz); Kilohertz (KHz)
The physical unit for ➤ Frequency is Hertz (Hz). 1 Hz = one oscillation per second. 1Kilohertz (KHz) = 1,000 Hz = 1,000 oscillations per second. The human ear can perceive frequencies from about 20 Hz to 20 KHz (in old age only down to 16 KHz).
I
Inch
English unit of measurement, used mainly in the USA. The unit of measurement is usually expressed by upper quotation marks after the measurement number. However, it also happens that the abbreviation for the inch is used instead of the quotation marks, e.g. 12 in.
One inch corresponds to 2.54 cm.
➤ 19″
Interface
An interface can be built into a device or be a device itself. It usually refers to the connection of a device to the outside world. This is done both mechanically and technically. A well-known example is the USB interface, which is found on almost every computer and is therefore also present on many devices (e.g. e-drum modules) to establish a (in this case digital) connection.
In a mechanical sense, USB means the connector (more precisely: the plugs, because there are several). Technically, the USB interface stands for a certain way of transferring data. Some interfaces are designed for only one purpose, which simplifies handling. Others can prove to be stumbling blocks: for example, the current USB-C interface mechanically offers the advantage of a standardized plug; however, there are various technical USB-C interfaces that provide the same plug but differ significantly from each other, e.g. in terms of transfer speed.
L
Loop
A loop is an audio phrase that, when it reaches its end, immediately jumps back to the beginning and plays again. This can be a short sound, a melodic phrase or even a whole song section. In connection with loops, the settings with which they can be played are interesting: only once each time they are switched on (for example, by ➤ triggering or pressing a key) or in a circle until the trigger/key is pressed again.
M
Matched Grip
Holding the left drumstick the same way as the right drumstick. This allows symmetrical playing as well as checking the playing technique (both hands should be equally trained). Matched grip is probably the most popular way of holding the sticks.
➤ Traditional Grip ➤ Open Handed
MIDI
MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Interface. This standard was introduced in 1983, originally with the idea to sound several tone generators (e.g. synthesizers) with only one keyboard. MIDI is, in a sense, a list of instructions that is “processed” in real time. (“Hey, tone generator, play this note at that volume until I wave off.”)
Because of this communication and the ability to record it and change it afterwards, MIDI is still a powerful standard in music production 40 years later.
Example e-drums: when a pad is played on module 1, the module sends this information via MIDI to a connected device, such as a 2nd module. The 2nd module then also plays a sound, although it was not played by pad at all.
Mono
In contrast to ➤ stereo, mono only requires one speaker. As a result, mono cannot produce a three-dimensional sound and creating a good sound in mono is difficult (but possible) as the positioning in the sound image is very limited.
Individual signals, such as the drums of a drum kit, enter the mixing console as a mono signal and are positioned in the width via the ➤ panorama, which are distributed over two channels at the end of the signal chain, representing the stereo image.
If a signal is positioned exactly in the middle using the panorama control, it is also referred to as mono, which is of course not entirely correct, as two speakers are still used.
Another variant is Big Mono: here, a signal is copied to two channels, with one being positioned on the far left and the other on the far right in the panorama, so that the end result is again centered in the stereo image. However, this method offers no advantages and makes it difficult to position the signal correctly outside the center.
O
Open Handed
From the point of view of the right-handed player: ➤ Matched grip as stick position, but the hi-hat is operated with the left hand instead of the right. The snare drum is played accordingly with the right stick. Since the hands are no longer crossed as in matched grip, this is called open handed play.
Overhead
When recording acoustic drums, the cymbals are rarely miked individually (in contrast to the toms). Usually, two microphones are placed at a certain height above the drums in such a way that they provide a balanced stereo image, capturing all the cymbals on the set as evenly as possible and intentionally picking up the snare (which should then be heard in the middle), the toms and the room in which the set is located.
Due to the position of these microphones above the drum set or above the drummer’s head, this setup or the microphones placed in this way are called overheads. In combination with the direct microphones, the overheads are able to “weld” the drum sound into a single unit, as the direct dry sound is supplemented by the lively ambient sound.
In contrast to microphones for the ➤ ambience, which pick up the sound of the room, overheads generally focus on the cymbals or drums.
P
Panorama/Pan
Determines the width of the ➤ stereo image. If a sound source is positioned all the way to the left using the pan control, it will only sound from the left of the two stereo speakers (the same applies to the right side). If the pan control is positioned in the middle, the sound source appears to come directly from the center because it is emitted in equal proportions from the left and right speakers.
Play-Along
Music recording or audio file that a musician plays along to. A play-along can be, for example, a whole song or just a single song part or a phrase that is repeated as a ➤ loop. E-drums often offer the possibility to connect an audio player that contains the play-along. Some devices can also import play-alongs and play them back a little faster or slower if needed. This makes play-alongs great for practicing.
R
RU (Rack Unit)
The RU plays a role in connection with the ➤ 19″ format. 1 RU corresponds to 4.4 cm. The height of 19″ devices is always measured in whole RU.
RAR
➤ ZIP
Reverb
Reverb (also known as hall/echo/ambience) determines the spatial depth of the ➤ stereo image. On the one hand, reverb can add naturalness and liveliness to dry direct sound sources by creating spatial depth. On the other hand, reverb delimits the position of several sound sources. Our brain interprets sound sources with more reverb as being further away than sound sources with less reverb.
S
Sine tone
Uniform undisturbed oscillation whose waveform is arc-shaped and smooth. Sine tones do not occur in nature, but are generated with an oscillator (oscillation generator). The concert pitch a as a sine tone is therefore a completely uniform oscillation that rises and falls at a frequency of 440 Hz, i.e. exactly 440 times per second. The sound of a sine tone is reminiscent of a whistling or beeping.
The sine tone is the only sound event that doesn’t have ➤ harmonics.
Stereo/Stereo image
The stereo method is often considered two-dimensional because it requires two speakers – one to the left of the listener and one to the right of the listener. However, this is not correct, as stereo requires the listener’s head to form an ideal equilateral triangle with the two loudspeakers.
Stereo can then offer a third dimension, namely simulated spatial depth. In fact, stereo is designed to position each sound source of a recording as desired in height (via the ➤ frequency), width (via the ➤ panorama) and depth (via the ➤ reverb).
Stereo can be reproduced both with loudspeakers in the room and with headphones directly on the ears; however, the listening impression differs as there is no listening room – and therefore no sound of the listening room – with headphones that mixes with the stereo sound source.
Stick position
The stick position describes the way of holding the sticks in the hands. The three common stick positions are:
➤ Matched Grip
➤ Traditional Grip
➤ Open Handed
T
Traditional Grip
Stick posture, which comes from the tradition of marching with the drum around the shoulder. Since the drum has some depth, it hangs to the side of the body to allow leg room for walking. The posture of the left stick (for right-handers) is adapted to the sloping playing surface and therefore differs from the stick posture of the right hand, which corresponds to the ➤ Matched Grip.
Transient
The attack phase of a sound or noise. This phase is at the beginning of an audio event and behaves like a chaotic oscillation. The transient is followed by the actual tone, which consists of a fundamental and its ➤ harmonics (overtone series). The transient gives the audio event a special character that allows us to quickly and reliably identify the sound generator. In the case of the drum, for example, the transient is essentially determined by the sound of the stick hitting the head. The actual sound of the drum follows the transient.
Trigger
The term trigger describes the basic function of e-drums. When a pad is struck, it begins to vibrate; the vibration is picked up by electronics and transformed into an electrical voltage. This so-called trigger signal is passed on to the sound module via a cable. The sound module processes the trigger signal by playing an appropriately stored sound or a sound calculated in real time.
This process is called triggering accordingly.
Trigger signal
➤ Trigger
W
Z
ZIP
Computer file format with the .zip file extension. Zip files are so-called compressed file archives. They make it possible to combine (pack) multiple files into a single file to send it via e-mail, for example. Unpacking the .zip file will allow access to the individual files again.
RAR archives (with the .rar file extension) work like .zip files, but are not quite as common.