|
|
 |
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Click on a term to hear it's pronunciation.
AIF or AIFF files
Audio Interchange File Format - a cross platform linear audio file format originally developed for Macintosh
Amplitude
An audio signal's amplitude reflects it's volume or loudness.
Analog
A method of capturing audio as a continuously varying signal, often using magnetic tape.
Audio player
A computer program to play back audio or video files in a separate window on-screen.
Band Pass Filter
A type of equalizer that effects frequencies only between a lower and a higher limit.
Bandwidth
The amount of data that can be passed through a given medium, ie. Cable, wireless, etc. Also the frequencies effected by an Equalizer or other processor (sometimes called the "Q".)
Bit depth
The size of the word used to represent a data amount, ie. a 16 bit word captures a more accurate representation than an 8 bit word.
Bitrate
The number of bits per second that a file requires in bandwidth, ie. 24kbps (kilobits per second) requires at least a bitrate of 24.
Broadband
Typically used to describe a delivery method allowing at least 128kbps of bandwidth.
Codec
From enCode/Decode - a software device to reduce the size of an audio or video file. The file is encoded, stored and/or delivered to the player, than decoded before being played back.
Cross Browser Compatability
The ability for a website or technology to work on Internet Explorer, Netscape and/or other Web Browsers.
Cross Platform
Functioning on both Macintosh and Windows, as well as Linux, Unix, etc.
DAT
Digital Audio Tape, a tape based recorder used to record digital audio signals.
Data compression
Reducing the size of a data file.
Decibel
The unit of measurement for amplitude.
De-esser
An audio signal processing device or software to remove excessive "s" sounds from a signal. It functions by applying a gain dependent low pass filter.
Digital
A method of capturing audio by "sampling" the signal many times per second and storing the resultant numeric values.
Digitize
The process of turning an analog signal into a digital one.
Dual coding
Utilizing both visual and textual information.
Dual modality perception
Utilizing more than one sense, typically seeing and hearing.
Dual sensory input
See Dual Modality.
Dynamic Range
The ratio of the softest to the loudest part of an audio signal.
eLearning
Formally called CBT or Computer Based Training.
Embedded audio
Audio that plays in an application without an audio player appearing.
Equalization
An audio signal processing device used to raise or lower certain audio frequencies, ie. High tones, low tones, etc.
Expansion
An audio signal processing method used to increase the dynamic range of a signal. It can be used to lower the noise floor of a signal during quiet sections.
Flash
A file format to deliver audio and animation.
Floating room
A room where the floors, walls and ceilings are "decoupled" from the surrounding structure. Used for soundproofing.
Gain compression
An audio signal processing method used to decrease the dynamic range of a signal. Used to even out the amplitude of audio content.
Graphic EQ
A type of equalizer that allows frequencies to be selectively boosted or lowered using a series of sliders, that "graphically" represent the different frequencies of sound.
High Pass Filter
A type of equalizer that allows frequencies only above a set lower limit to remain.
HTML
Hyper Text Markup Language - the text language that is the basis of website design.
Immersion
The experience of becoming "lost" in a media or experience. A rollercoaster creates a feeling of total immersion.
Java audio
An audio file format using the Java software tools that does not require a plugin to playback.
Java script
A text language used in website design to add additional functionality beyond the capabilities of HTML
kilobits per second (kbps)
Thousands of bits per second, the bitrate of a file.
Linear or PCM audio
Pulse Code Modulation, a lossless method of capturing audio signals. No data compression is utilized.
Lossless compression
A form of data compression where there is no theoretical loss of frequency response, or additional noise added. A zip file is an example of Lossless Data Compression.
Lossy compression
A form of data compression where the sound quality is degraded. An MP3 file is Lossy compression, as is a Real Audio file. A linear PCM file encoded with 8 bit words and sampled at 11.025khz (8bit/11) is very Lossy (lousy?)
Low Pass Filter
A type of equalizer that allows frequencies only below a set higher limit to remain.
Modem
From Modulate/Demodulate. A device that utilizes two audio frequencies to transmit digital information over an analog network, typically a telephone system.
MP3
A lossy data compression method used to reduce the size of audio files. Can be at various bitrates. 64kbps results in very high quality audio. Bitrates as small as 16 can yield acceptable results.
MPEG
The name of a family of data compression methods.
Navigation
Menus are the primary navigation method in a website or other interactive media
Normalization
An audio signal processing method that raises the amplitude of an entire audio file, to a maximum amount, by looking for the loudest part of the file and increasing it to a set level, while increasing the balance of the file as well.
Notch Filter
A type of equalizer that effects frequencies between a lower and a higher limit.
Parametric EQ
A type of equalizer that allows frequencies between a lower and a higher limit to be raised or lowered, it also allows the width of the band effected to be adjusted.
Perceptual coding
The process of creating a data compresson scheme that only removes signals that cannot be perceived as being lost.
Plugin
A software tool that is added to another software application. For our purposes this is typically software to allow audio or video integration into a webpage.
Presence
Presence is the extent to which a medium is perceived as sociable, warm, sensitive, personal or intimate when it is used to interact with other people.
Progressive Downloading
Similar to streaming, used to deliver audio or video to a player in real time.
ProTools
A software application used to edit and mix audio.
Quicktime
Apple's audio and video software that encompasses a number of formats and codecs.
RAM and RM files
File extensions for RealAudio files. A RAM file is the file that contains information as to which RM file to play.
Real Media
A family of audio and video file formats.
Rich Media
The concept of including sound, animation and/or video to a normally static, text and graphics based format.
Room Tone
The sound of a room. When editing audio, if you replace a "silent" section with true silence, the lack of room tone will be obvious and distracting.
Sampling
See Digitze.
Sampling Frequency
The number of times per second a signal is "sampled" - the highest audio frequency that is captured is approximately 1/2 of this. That is a 44,100 Herz (44.1khz) rate will accurately capture sounds up to 22,050 Hz (the approximate limit of most people's hearing.)
Streaming
The process of delivering an audio or video file to a player in real time, so it begins playing before the entire file is downloaded.
SWF files
Shockwave Flash files, can contain audio and/or animation or video.
Wave file (.wav)
A cross platform linear audo file format originally developed for Windows.
Word size
See Bit Depth.
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER TERMS YOU'D LIKE INCLUDED HERE - AND IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR DISAGREEMENTS REGARDING ANY OF OUR DEFINITIONS.
|
|
 |
|
