Production Glossary

Every term used in this course, in plain words, from A to Z. Jump to a letter, read the short definition, and follow the link to the lesson that explains it in depth.

A

A/B comparison

Switching quickly between two versions of a sound (or your mix and a reference) to judge which is better. Always level-match first. See Psychoacoustics.

A cappella (acapella)

A vocal recording with no instruments. Producers use them for remixes and sampling.

ADSR

Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release: the four stages of an envelope that shapes how a sound changes over time. See Envelopes.

Aliasing

Unwanted, inharmonic frequencies created when a digital system tries to represent frequencies above half the sample rate. See Digital Audio.

Ambience

The sense of the space around a sound, from room reflections or reverb.

Amplitude

The size of a sound wave, heard as loudness. See What is Sound?

Arpeggiator

A tool that plays the notes of a held chord one at a time in a pattern, such as up, down or random.

Arrangement

How the parts of a song are organized over time: which instruments play in each section. See Arranging for Energy.

Attack

On an envelope, the time a sound takes to reach full level. On a compressor, how quickly it reacts once the signal passes the threshold.

Attenuate

To reduce the level of a signal or a frequency range.

Audio interface

A box that connects microphones, instruments and speakers to your computer and converts between analog and digital audio. See Home Studio Setup.

Automation

Recorded changes to a parameter (volume, filter cutoff, pan) over time. See Automation.

Aux send

A route that sends a copy of a track's signal to a shared effect (such as reverb) on a return track. See Buses & Parallel FX.

B

Band-pass filter

A filter that lets a band of frequencies through and cuts those above and below. See Filters.

Bar (measure)

A group of beats in music. In 4/4 time, one bar has four beats. See Rhythm & Tempo.

Bit depth

The number of bits used to store each sample, which sets the dynamic range. 24-bit is standard for recording. See Digital Audio.

Bounce

To render tracks or a whole song to an audio file. See Pro Workflow.

BPM

Beats per minute, the measure of tempo. House is often around 124 BPM. See Genre BPM & Keys.

Breakdown

A section where most elements drop out to lower the energy, usually before a build-up and drop.

Buffer size

The chunk of audio your computer processes at once. Small buffers mean low latency; large buffers mean fewer clicks and dropouts.

Bus

A channel that combines several tracks so you can process them together, such as a drum bus. See Buses & Parallel FX.

C

Chord

Three or more notes played together. See Chords.

Chord progression

A sequence of chords, such as I–V–vi–IV. See Chord Progressions.

Chorus (effect)

An effect that mixes slightly delayed, pitch-wobbling copies of a sound to make it thicker and wider.

Chorus (section)

The main, repeated, usually highest-energy section of a song, often containing the hook. See Song Structure.

Clipping

Distortion caused when a signal exceeds the maximum level a system can handle, such as 0 dBFS.

Comb filtering

A hollow, phasey sound caused when a signal is mixed with a slightly delayed copy of itself, cancelling some frequencies.

Compressor

A processor that turns down a signal when it gets louder than a set threshold, reducing dynamic range. See Compression.

Condenser microphone

A sensitive, detailed microphone that needs power (usually phantom power). Common for vocals. See Microphones.

Crossfade

Fading one clip out while another fades in, to hide edits and avoid clicks.

Cutoff frequency

The frequency where a filter starts to reduce the signal. See Filters.

D

DAW

Digital Audio Workstation: the software you make music in, such as Ableton Live, FL Studio or Logic Pro. See DAW Basics.

Decibel (dB)

A logarithmic unit for comparing levels. About 1 dB is the smallest change most people notice.

dBFS

Decibels relative to full scale. 0 dBFS is the maximum level in digital audio.

De-esser

A compressor that only reacts to harsh "s" and "sh" sounds (sibilance). See Mixing Vocals.

Decay

On an envelope, the time to fall from the peak to the sustain level. On a reverb, how long the tail lasts.

Delay

An effect that repeats a sound after a set time, creating echoes. See Reverb & Delay.

Distortion

Changing a waveform's shape so it gains extra harmonics, from gentle warmth to heavy fuzz.

Dither

Very low-level noise added when reducing bit depth (for example, 24-bit to 16-bit) to hide quantization distortion.

Drop

The high-energy moment after a build-up in electronic music, where the main beat and bass hit. See Transitions & FX.

Dry

The unprocessed signal, without effects.

Dynamic microphone

A rugged microphone that handles loud sources well and picks up less room sound. See Microphones.

Dynamic range

The difference between the quietest and loudest parts of a sound or song.

E

Early reflections

The first echoes of a sound bouncing off nearby surfaces, which tell your brain the size of a room.

Envelope

A control that shapes a parameter over time each time a note is played, usually using ADSR stages. See Envelopes.

EQ (equalizer)

A tool that boosts or cuts specific frequency ranges. See EQ.

Expander

The opposite of a compressor: it makes quiet sounds quieter, increasing dynamic range.

Export

Rendering your project or parts of it to an audio file, such as WAV or MP3.

F

Fade

A gradual change in volume at the start (fade-in) or end (fade-out) of a clip or song.

Feedback

On a delay, the amount of output sent back into the input, which sets how many repeats you hear. Also the howl when a mic picks up its own speaker.

Filter

A processor that removes frequencies above, below or around a point. See Filters.

FM synthesis

Frequency modulation: one oscillator rapidly changes another's pitch to create complex tones like bells and electric pianos. See Synthesis Types.

Frequency

How many times a wave vibrates per second, measured in Hz and heard as pitch. See Frequency Chart.

Fundamental

The lowest frequency in a note, which sets its pitch. The harmonics sit above it.

G

Gain

The amount a signal's level is raised or lowered, usually at the input stage.

Gain staging

Setting healthy levels at every point in the signal chain so nothing clips or sits too low. See Mixing & Gain Staging.

Gate (noise gate)

A processor that mutes a signal when it falls below a threshold, removing noise or bleed between hits.

Ghost note

A very quiet drum hit, often on the snare, that adds groove between the main hits. See Drum Programming.

Glide (portamento)

A smooth slide in pitch from one note to the next, common on 808s and synth leads.

Granular synthesis

Building sounds from tiny slices ("grains") of audio, often a few milliseconds long, played back in clouds.

Groove

The feel of a rhythm, shaped by timing and velocity. See Groove & Swing.

H

Haas effect

The brain fuses two copies of a sound arriving within roughly 30–40 ms and places it at the first arrival. Used to widen sounds. See Psychoacoustics.

Harmonics

Frequencies at whole-number multiples of the fundamental, which create a sound's timbre. See What is Sound?

Headroom

The space between a signal's peak level and the point where it clips.

High-pass filter

A filter that lets high frequencies through and cuts lows. Also called a low-cut. See EQ.

Hook

The catchiest part of a song, the bit people remember: a vocal line, riff or sound. See Melody Writing.

Humanize

Adding small random changes to timing and velocity so programmed parts feel less robotic.

I

Impulse response (IR)

A recording of how a real space or device responds to a short sound, used by convolution reverbs and cabinet simulators.

Insert

An effect placed directly in a track's signal path, processing all of the signal.

Interval

The distance between two notes, measured in semitones. See Ear Training.

Inversion

A chord played with a note other than the root at the bottom. See Chords.

ISRC

International Standard Recording Code: a 12-character code that identifies a recording. See Releasing Music.

K

Key

The home note and scale a song is built around, such as A minor. See Notes & Scales.

Kick drum

The lowest drum in a kit, usually marking the main beats. See Drum Programming.

Knee

How gradually a compressor starts working around the threshold. A soft knee eases in; a hard knee clamps down at once.

L

Latency

The delay between playing or sending a sound and hearing it, caused by buffers and processing.

LFO

Low Frequency Oscillator: a slow wave used to move a parameter, such as pitch (vibrato) or volume (tremolo). See LFOs & Modulation.

Limiter

A compressor with a very high ratio that stops peaks going above a ceiling. Used in mastering. See The Mastering Chain.

Loop

A section of audio or MIDI that repeats seamlessly.

Low-pass filter

A filter that lets low frequencies through and cuts highs. Also called a high-cut. See Filters.

LUFS

Loudness Units relative to Full Scale: a measure of perceived loudness used by streaming services. See Loudness & LUFS.

M

Masking

When one sound hides another, usually because they share frequencies. See Psychoacoustics.

Mastering

The final stage of production: polishing the finished mix and preparing it for release. See Mastering Intro.

Metronome

A click that plays on every beat to keep time.

MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface: data that describes notes and controls, not audio itself. See MIDI.

Mid/side (M/S)

A way of splitting stereo audio into the center (mid) and the difference between channels (side), so each can be processed separately. See Advanced Mixing.

Mixing

Balancing and processing all the tracks of a song so they work together. See Mixing & Gain Staging.

Modulation

Using one source (an LFO or envelope) to change a parameter over time. See LFOs & Modulation.

Monitors

Speakers designed for accurate, uncolored playback in studios.

Mono

A single channel of audio, with no left–right difference.

Multiband compression

Compression applied separately to different frequency bands.

N

Noise

A random signal containing many frequencies. White noise has equal energy per Hz; pink noise has equal energy per octave.

Noise floor

The level of background hiss and hum in a recording or system.

Normalize

Raising a clip's level so its loudest peak (or average loudness) hits a target value.

Nyquist frequency

Half the sample rate: the highest frequency a digital system can represent. At 44.1 kHz it is 22.05 kHz.

O

Octave

The interval between one note and another at double (or half) its frequency.

Oscillator

The part of a synth that generates a repeating waveform. See Synth Basics.

Overdub

Recording a new part on top of existing recordings.

Oversampling

Processing audio internally at a higher sample rate to reduce aliasing from distortion and other effects.

Overtone

Any frequency above the fundamental. Harmonic overtones are whole-number multiples.

P

Pad

A soft, sustained synth sound that fills the background with chords.

Pan

Placing a sound between the left and right speakers. See Panning & Stereo.

Parallel compression

Blending a heavily compressed copy of a signal with the original, adding power while keeping transients. See Buses & Parallel FX.

Peak

The highest instantaneous level of a signal.

Phantom power

A 48 V supply sent from an interface or mixer down the mic cable to power condenser microphones.

Phase

The position of a wave in its cycle. Out-of-phase signals cancel each other. See What is Sound?

Pitch

How high or low a note sounds, set by its frequency.

Plugin

A software instrument or effect that runs inside a DAW, in formats like VST, AU or AAX.

Pop filter

A screen placed in front of a mic to stop bursts of air from "p" and "b" sounds. See Recording Vocals.

Pre-delay

The gap between a dry sound and the start of its reverb. Longer pre-delay keeps the dry sound clearer.

Preamp

An amplifier that raises a microphone's tiny signal to a usable level.

Preset

Saved settings for an instrument or effect.

PRO

Performing Rights Organization: collects performance royalties for songwriters, such as ASCAP, BMI or PRS. See Releasing Music.

Q

Q (bandwidth)

How narrow or wide an EQ band is. High Q is narrow; low Q is broad. See EQ.

Quantize

Moving notes to the nearest grid position to tighten timing. See MIDI.

R

Ratio

How strongly a compressor reduces the signal above the threshold. At 4:1, 4 dB over becomes 1 dB over.

Reference track

A professional song you compare your mix to, to check balance and tone.

Release

On an envelope, how long a sound fades after the key is let go. On a compressor, how quickly it stops reducing after the signal falls.

Resampling

Recording your DAW's output back into a new audio track to edit or process it further. See Pro Workflow.

Resonance

A boost at a filter's cutoff frequency that adds a whistling or squelchy character.

Reverb

The many reflections that make a sound seem to be in a space. See Reverb & Delay.

Riser

A sound that builds in pitch or intensity to create tension before a drop. See Transitions & FX.

RMS

Root Mean Square: a measure of average signal level, closer to perceived loudness than peak level.

Root note

The note a chord or scale is built on and named after.

S

Sample

A piece of recorded audio reused in a new track. Also one measurement of a waveform in digital audio. See Sampling.

Sample rate

How many samples per second are recorded, such as 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. See Digital Audio.

Saturation

Gentle distortion that adds warmth and harmonics, modeled on tape, tubes or transformers.

Scale

A set of notes that sound good together, such as major or minor. See Notes & Scales.

Send

A control that routes part of a track's signal to a return track or bus.

Sequencer

A tool that plays notes or drum hits in a programmed pattern.

Sidechain

Using one signal to control a processor on another, such as a kick ducking the bass. See Sidechain & Ducking.

Sibilance

Harsh "s", "sh" and "t" sounds in vocals, usually around 5–10 kHz.

Snare drum

A sharp drum with wires underneath, usually on beats 2 and 4. See Drum Programming.

Solo

Muting every track except the selected one so you can hear it alone.

Stem

An audio file of a group of parts (drums, bass, vocals) exported so it lines up with the others.

Stereo

Two channels of audio, left and right, which create a sense of width.

Sub-bass

The lowest frequencies, roughly 20–60 Hz, felt as much as heard.

Subtractive synthesis

Starting with a harmonically rich waveform and filtering away frequencies to shape it. See Synthesis Types.

Swing

Delaying every second subdivision (such as off-beat 16ths) to create a shuffling feel. See Groove & Swing.

Sync (tempo sync)

Locking an effect or LFO to the song's tempo, so it moves in note values like 1/8 or 1/4.

Synthesizer

An instrument that generates sound electronically using oscillators, filters and envelopes. See Synth Basics.

T

Tempo

The speed of a song, measured in BPM.

Threshold

The level at which a compressor, gate or limiter starts to act.

Timbre

The tone color of a sound, the reason a piano and a guitar sound different on the same note.

Time signature

How many beats are in a bar and which note value gets the beat, such as 4/4 or 6/8.

Track

A single lane in a DAW holding audio or MIDI. Also an informal word for a song.

Transient

The short, loud start of a sound, such as the click of a kick or the pick of a guitar.

Transient shaper

A processor that boosts or reduces the attack and sustain of sounds, independent of level.

Transpose

Shifting notes up or down by a set number of semitones.

True peak

The estimated peak level of the analog signal after conversion, which can exceed sample peaks. Masters often aim for -1 dBTP. See Loudness & LUFS.

U

Unison

Stacking several slightly detuned copies of a synth voice to make it thicker and wider, as in a supersaw. See Sound Design Recipes.

Unity gain

A setting where a device neither boosts nor cuts the level (0 dB change).

V

Velocity

How hard a MIDI note is played, from 1 to 127, usually controlling loudness or brightness.

Verse

The section of a song that tells the story, with lyrics that change each time. See Song Structure.

Vocoder

An effect that imposes the tone of one sound (usually a voice) onto another (usually a synth), creating a robotic voice.

VST

Virtual Studio Technology: a common plugin format for instruments and effects.

W

Waveform

The shape of a sound wave, such as sine, square, saw or triangle. See What is Sound?

Wavetable synthesis

Synthesis that plays through a set of stored single-cycle waveforms, letting the tone morph smoothly. See Synthesis Types.

Wet

The processed signal from an effect. The wet/dry knob blends it with the original.

White noise

Noise with equal energy at every frequency, which sounds bright and hissy. Used in risers and snares.

Width

How wide a sound or mix feels across the stereo field. See Panning & Stereo.

X

XLR

The standard three-pin connector for microphones and balanced audio cables.

Z

Zero crossing

A point where a waveform crosses the zero line. Cutting audio there helps avoid clicks.