Alphabetically

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ADAT
Digital 8-track audio recorder by Alesis based on video tape; the standard device in its class; diverse generations and models are available.

Aes/Ebu
Short for Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcast Union—this is the association's standard transmission format for professional stereo digital audio signals. The format is similar to S/P-DIF, but uses balanced line drivers at a higher voltage. Depending on the type of devices involved, AES/EBU and S/P-DIF coax interfaces can communicate directly.

API
Short for Application Programming Interface—Microsoft's DirectX has an API which manufacturers use to interface with their programs, allowing access to DirectX plug-ins.

ASIO
Short for Audio Stream Input Output—a Steinberg designed API which is used to create software drivers for the communication between audio hardware and audio application.

ASPI
Programming interface between SCSI hardware and a program that wants to use this gear.

BIOS
Short for Basic Input Output System—the computer mainboard's ›cerebral cortex;‹ it resides in a memory component on the board. The BIOS is started first when a computer is booted; it executes basic chores for the operating system such as managing the expansion cards plugged into the slots.

Bit
Short for Binary DigiT—the smallest unit of information used in digital storage. A single digit in a binary number, it represents one of two values (0/1). Eight bits make up a byte.

Breakout box
An outboard housing in which the converters of a soundcard or MIDI connections are put to separate them from the actual card.

Bus
In computer jargon, this general term refers to data, address and control circuits. The CPU communicates with peripheral devices and expansion cards via a bus ( PCI, ISA).

Busmaster cards
Internal computer expansion cards that access the system memory to execute data transport without requiring CPU performance and thus free performance power for other tasks.

Byte
A string of eight bits used as the basic unit of storing data on a digital device.

Cache
A type of high-speed RAM found on computer mainboards or inside CPUs. It is used as temporary memory by the processor to execute software instructions more quickly than with the main system RAM.

CD audio
Short for Compact Disc audio—current standard for stereo music CDs: 44.1-kHz sample rate and 16-bit word width.

CD-R
Short for Compact Disc Recordable—the term describes a blank CD. It is placed in a CD-R recorder to burn digital data onto the CD (cannot be deleted/overwritten).

CD-R recorder
Also called ›CD burner‹ or ›toaster‹—device used to burn data onto CD-Rs, can also usually be used as a CD-ROM drive.

CD-ripper
A software program that reads audio CDs and converts the data into WAV/ AIF file format for use with digital audio applications. This process is entirely digital and results in no loss of audio quality.

Cd-Rw
Short for CD-Rewritable—similar to CD-R, although here data can be deleted and overwritten.

Chipset
Chips on a mainboard that interface the processor with its environment (memory, bus, hard disks).

Color depth
Determines how many different colors a computer's graphical system can (and should) display simultaneously. Standard values are 8 bits (256 colors/Low Color), 16 bits (thousands of colors/High Color) and 32 bits (millions of colors/True Color). High values give good visuals, but require a great deal of computing performance.

CPU
Short for Central Processing Unit—the main processor that is primarily responsible for the overall performance of the computer.

DIMM
Short for Dual In-line Memory Module—board equipped with RAM memory components; it is plugged into appropriate slots on the mainboard.

DirectX
Sometimes incorrectly associated with ActiveX. A collection of low-level hardware drivers and free package of software interfaces for developers ( API) that enables programs direct (= fast) access to hardware functions. It was developed by Microsoft primarily for game programming, although it can also be used as a soundcard interface, if the requisite drivers are available, and as an interface to the plug-in architecture of audio sequencers.

Disk-at-once
CD-R recorder mode—all tracks are written to the CD-R without interruption. This mode is generally required to write on CDs in CD audio format. Not all CD-R recorders can operate in this mode ( Track-at-once).

Display adapter
A computer card that is physically inserted in an AGP or PCI slot in modern PCs. Its function is to display images and text on a computer monitor (screen).

DRAM
Short for Dynamic Random Access Memory—here the memory content is volatile and has to constantly be refreshed, which takes time.

Drivers
Files required by the operating system of a computer so that it can address expansion components such as hard disks, MIDI interfaces or soundcards.

DVD
Short for Digital Versatile Disk—a format that is the designated successor to contemporary CDs ( CD audio). These disks hold video and audio data. With massive storage capacity of seventeen gigabyte (equivalent to 25 conventional CDs); the format for audio DVD is 24bit/96kHz.

EIDE
Short for Enhanced Ide—which is exactly what it actually is. Nowadays, most people refer to Ultra-ATA and/or EIDE hard disks simply as IDE.

EASI
Short for Enhanced Audio Streaming Interface—an Emagic designed API which is used to create software drivers for the purpose of getting audio into and out of a computer via a soundcard.

EDO RAM
Short for Enhanced Data Out RAM—by means of a tweaked circuit, this storage type can read before a write operation has been concluded. For this reason, EDO RAM reads somewhat faster.

FAT
Short for File Allocation Table—although this is actually a central file of the file system on Windows computers, the term is also used in reference to the file system itself.

FAT 32
An enhanced version of FAT—32-bit numbers are available for file information, which compensates for some of FAT's limitations.

Firewire
The term generally used to refer to the serial digital interface IEEE 1394 (spoken out loud, ›Firewire‹ sounds less like you're having a tizzy fit or anxiety attack). It transports data rather expeditiously (for example back and forth between a video recorder and computer). Often considered the coming alternative to SCSI.

FM
Short for Frequency modulation—FM synthesis hit the big time with the Yamaha DX synthesizers. FM is the encoding of a carrier wave by variation of its frequency in accordance with an input signal, which is a complicated explanation for when an oscillator's output signal modulates the frequency of another oscillator.

FPU
Short for Floating Point Unit—a computer component, subroutine or algorithm that executes floating point calculations. These operations are crucial in real-time audio computing.

Grabbing
Digital copying of audio CDS via special programs designed to do just this.

H, I, J, K

Interrupt request
Abbreviated IRQ. This term refers to numbered data circuits (standard 0 to 15), which expansion cards use to address the CPU. Usually in a Windows PC, each expansion card requires a dedicated interrupt. Non-time critical components can under certain conditions share an interrupt (which is inventively called Interrupt Sharing).

ISA
Short for Industry Standard Architecture—this is a bus featuring 16 data and 24 address circuits originally developed for 286 PCs. It requires additional CPU power, which is why it isn't widely endorsed for use with soundcards and other peripheral cards.

L 2-Cache
A type of high-speed RAM found on computer mainboards or inside CPUs. It is used as temporary memory by the processor to execute software instructions more quickly than with the main system RAM.

Latency
In general, the delay between audio in- and output caused by the time it takes for an audio system to process these data.

M N

MIDI
Short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface— MIDI enables synthesizers, sequencers, computers, rhythm machines, etc. to be interconnected through a standard interface and exchange music related data such as notes controller messages, clock and sounds. MIDI dictates a uniform data format and connector standard for all manufacturers.

MME
Short for Multi Media Extensions—Windows' standardized software interface for multimedia applications.

MMX
Multimedia expansion for Pentium processors by Intel—offers negligible advantages for the majority of audio applications.

MPU
An old MIDI interface by Roland; compatibility with this card remains a critical feature.

MS-DOS
Short for Microsoft disk operating system—old operating system for PCs; did not feature a graphic interface and its functionality was rudimentary. However, ›artifacts‹ of this system can still be found in current Windows versions.

Operating system
Software that an application uses to communicate with the physical part of the computer. It unifies standard processes such as memory access, hard disk and floppy disk management and graphics output. Therefore, programs are always written for a specific operating system.

Partitioning
Apportionment of the hard disk into logical units. These are recognized as disk drives by the operating system.

PCI
Short for Peripheral Component Interface—Intel Bus standard. Currently the best standard for expansion cards because it—in contrast to ISA—requires little CPU power.

Performance
Overall computing power determined by the CPU, clock, RAM, and bus, among other factors.

PIO
Short for Programmed Input Output—a buffer structure that determines the sequence in which jobs are executed.

Plug-in
Modular expansion software that enhances the capabilities of a host program. In audio sequencers, plug-ins are usually used for adding effects from third party developers.

PPGA
A distinct model of Celeron processor by Intel. This model must be plugged into a special socket.

Q, R

RAM
Short for Random Access Memory—this is the memory that handles your working data; its capacity is expressed in MB (megabyte). Normally this memory is ›volatile,‹ which means that the contents are only saved for as long as the device is powered up.

Rambus
New memory technology in which individual memory cells are connected via a bus system. With Rambus, access is faster than with conventional memory.

S/P-Dif
Short for Sony/Philips Digital Interface—standard format for transporting digital audio data. Either an optical or a coaxial interface, depending on the type of device. The format is similar to AES/EBU, although it features unbalanced circuits and lower voltages. Nevertheless, AES/EBU and S/P-DIF coax interface can often communicate directly (depending on the type of devices involved).

Sample rate
Also called sampling frequency—the term describes the frequency at which analog audio material is sampled.

Sampling
General term for conversion of analog to digital audio data. Tiny ›samples‹ are taken of an analog waveshape at regular intervals, whereby each sample represents a specific numeric value. These numeric values constitute the digital audio data stream.

SCSI
Short for Small Computer Systems Interface—a hardware interface and data bus which allows the connection of peripheral devices such as hard disks, CD-ROMs, samplers, or scanners to a computer.

SDRAM
Short for Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory—a special type of D RAM. In addition to conventional control signals, it works with a clock signal for faster access.

SECC 2
Type of Intel P II/III processor housing consisting merely of a plastic covering on one side of the processor. Wouldn't be worth mentioning, except that it requires a special type of mount on the mainboard.

Sequencer
Originally introduces for analog devices that played back sequences in steps, this module plays back a series of signals for all types of MIDI recorders, in some cases featuring an audio function.

Shareware
Software that you can try out free of charge. After a certain trial period, you have to register the software with the author for a small fee.

Sidechain
Separate independent signal circuit for controlling an effect (e. g. for a de-esser).

SIMD
Short for Single Instruction Multiple Data is a collection of low-level functions designed to accelerate floating-point performance and is only found in Pentium III CPUS from Intel.

SIMM
Short for Single In-line Memory Module—board with RAM modules that is plugged into the corresponding slots on the computer's mainboard.

Slope
Indicates how steeply the curve of a filter drops off after its cutoff frequency. In the audio world, which of course synthesizers are a part of, slope is indicated in dB/octave values.

SMPTE
Short for Society of Motion-Picture and Television Engineer—an organization that developed the timecode of the same name. It is oriented on the US black & white (30 frames/sec) and color TV (29.97 frames/sec) standards. In Europe , EBU, the European Broadcasting Union, adapted this timecode accordingly (25 frames/sec).

SRAM
Short for Static Random Access Memory—unlike with DRAM, SRAM memory contents need not be refreshed at regular intervals. Therefore, SRAM is far faster. It is used above all as cache memory.

Synchronization
Time-based coordination, i. e. to cause the time or rate speed to match up, for instance, that of an external device and the computer.

Terminator
In an SCSI system, the first and last device in the chain have to be equipped with an activated terminating resistor; available as a switchable internal component or an external connector designed to fit the SCSI port.

Track-at-once
CD-R recorder mode—each track is written individually to the CD-R. The laser that is doing the writing is switched off at the end of a track and switched on again at the start of the next track ( Disk-at-once).

USB
Short for Universal Serial Bus—a hardware connection/bus found on modern computers. Allows data transmission of up to 12MB/sec and devices (such as hard/floppy disks, scanners, digital cameras, MIDI interfaces etc.) can be connected/disconnected while the computer is running without the need to reboot. The serial circuit between devices via a single, low-cost cable slows data transport down, so it is unsuitable for audio hard disks.

V, W, X, Y, Z

Wavetable synthesis
Sound generation on the basis of waveshapes (generally variable) stored in a non-volatile memory. Not to be confused with proprietary Wavetable synthesis that the company Waldorf uses for its synthesizers.

Wordclock
Clock signal required by digital audio interfaces to ensure the sampling rates of the connected devices run in absolute sync. When two devices are connected via a standard audio interface, wordclock is transmitted via the audio circuit. If you want more than two digital audio devices to communicate with each other, in most cases you will have to use separate wordclock ports for synchronization.

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Audio Glossary: Technical Terms

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