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AIFF - Audio Interchange File Format. A popular digital audio format that's usually used on an Apple Mac (saved with either an AIF or AIFF file extension).

Algorithm - A mathematical procedure for solving a problem. In the case of music production, algorithms are used to process digital audio in order to create effects such as time stretching. Modifying the algorithm changes the results of the effect.

Amplitude - The measure of a soundwave's magnitude. Higher amplitude will result in a higher volume level.

Amplitude Modulation - To modulate a sound's amplitude is to continuously change it. Therefore, this can be used to create a tremolo effect (where the sound's volume will flutter up and down).

Attack - The rate at which the start of a sound rises from zero amplitude (silence), to it's initial peak. All sounds we hear start from zero amplitude. Attack is also usually the first property that shapes an envelope.

Audio Editor - Software that's used to edit digital audio data. Basic common functions include; cut, copy, paste and reverse.

Automation - Setting up a device to adjust specific values automatically, throughout a song. For example, automating the volume on a device means smooth, automatic volume fades are possible.

Bar - Written music is split into equal segments, called bars. The length of a bar is specified by how many musical beats it lasts for.

Beat - The implied pulse of a song that defines it's pace.

BPM - Beats Per Minute. A common expression of tempo (speed), as used by most modern sequencers and recording equipment.

Breakbeat - Originally a term used for a rhythm that had been sampled from a drum solo performance on a record (a 'drum break'). These days the definition isn't so clear-cut.

Breakdown - A section of a song's structure where most of the main instruments drop out.

Buss Channel - This is a channel on a studio mixer that has several other channels routed through to it, so that they can all be affected as one (also known as a 'Group Channel'). The master buss controls the entire song.

Compression - As a musical effect, this essentially squashes the dynamic range of a sound. In other words, it brings the quieter and louder passages of a sound closer together so that nothing's too loud and nothing's too quiet.

Compressor - The device responsible for the compression effect.

Cut Off - The specified frequency at which a filter comes into effect.

Delay - Delay effects work by reproducing the input signal with a short delay, after the original sound. The most obvious use of this is in creating an echo effect.

Dynamics - The term used to describe the relationship between the loudest section of a sound and the quietest section of a sound. The distance between these 2 extremes is known as the sound's dynamic range.

Effects - Processes that alter a sound in some way. Common effects include; compression, EQ, and reverb.

Envelope - Usually assigned to a specific attribute of a patch (such as it's amplitude, pitch, or filter settings) in order to shape it in sequence. Typical envelope properties include: attack, decay, sustain and release.

EQ - Equalisation for a sound's frequency content. This is a tool used to modify specific frequency bands in order to correctively or creatively alter a sound's tonal qualities. The bass and treble controls found on stereo systems are a basic form of EQ.

Filter - EQ's cousin. A filter is used to block a specified frequency range, usually allowing only the part of the sound below the cut off to pass through (a low pass filter or LPF). A high pass filter only allows what's above the cut off to pass through (HPF). A band pass filter only allows a specified band to pass through (BPF), and a band eliminate filter only allows what's outside of the specified band to pass through (BEF).

Flanger - An effect often likened to the sound of a jet plane. It takes a copy of the sound and delays it very tightly behind the input signal.

Frequency - All sounds are made of vibrations in the air. The speed at which cycles in these vibrations occur is referred to as frequency, measured in cycles per second (Hertz, Hz). The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch of the sound. The lower the frequency, the lower the pitch of the sound. However, all real world sounds are made up of different amounts of lots of different frequencies and these can be altered in order to change the tonal characteristics of the sounds.

FX - [See effects]

Gating (1) - Gating can describe the process of altering a specific value (such as volume) in a rapid on and off pattern, in time with the music. Think of a blinking strobe light.

Gating (2) - Gating can also describe the technique achieved by a dynamics processor (a gate) that drops the amplitude of a signal below a specific threshold. (Opposite to a compressor, that drops the amplitude of the signal above a specific threshold.)

Groove - This is what makes a drum rhythm sound natural and human. Think of it as expression in the drummer's timing and dynamics. A drum rhythm with no groove sounds mechanical and militant.

High Pass - A type of filter that only allows sound above the cut off frequency to pass through.

Hit - The sound caused by each of the drummer's strikes to the different parts of a drum kit.

Hit Point Calculator - An audio editing utility that attempts to find the hits of a sound. This means it can potentially identify where each individual drum hit occurs in the sample. Common uses include; changing the tempo, groove, or pitch of a sample.

Key Editor - The piano roll view of a MIDI sequencer (also known as a Matrix Editor).

Key Range - The range of notes a sound sample is assigned to, when sample-mapping with a sampling device.

LFO - Low Frequency Oscillation. Usually refers to a continuous oscillation of data at frequencies below that of audible sounds. An LFO can then be assigned to a value such as volume, to create effects such as amplitude modulation.

Limiting - Compression's cousin. A limiter prevents a sound's peaks from passing above a specified amplitude threshold.

Loop - A sound sample with the ability to play repeatedly without stopping, and remain in time with the song. Typically a loop will last for a whole number of musical bars, or half a bar.

Low Pass - A type of filter that only allows sound below the cut off frequency to pass through.

MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface. The standardised data format used for musical instruments to communicate with each other, digitally. A MIDI file stores data of how a song should be played, like sheet music, but no actual audio 'sound' data. Instruments that utilise this system are MIDI-compatible devices.

Mono - Monophonic. A type of audio recording that consists of only 1 sound channel. Importantly, though, an audio recording that consists of 2 or more identical channels produces a mono sound.

Mp3 - Thank Heavens you're looking this up! It's so wonderful to know that there are still people alive that don't know what this ghastly audio format is. It's evil; don't have anything to do with the mp3 format.

Patch - In electronic music, this refers to the voice that a MIDI instrument plays with. Typically, a MIDI instrument will have a limited number of different voices, which load via patch number.

Parametric EQ - This type of EQ works, typically by controlling the following paremeters; Frequency, Bandwidth (aka Q Width), and Gain.

Phasing - The artefacts caused by a sound being repeated on top of itself, with a slight delay. Depending on the length of the delay, a phase can create different sorts of textures. Phasing devices typically assign the delay time to an LFO for a 'swelling' flanger-type effect.

Pitch Shift - A process designed to give the impression that a sound is playing at a higher or lower than natural pitch, while retaining the sound's speed and rhythm.

Plate Reverb - This type of reverb effect was originally achieved using a thin metal plate during the recording process. The result was a smooth, dense reverberation. These days digital reverb devices tend to have at least 1 plate reverb preset, for emulating this sound.

Quantise - In this case, the function in a music sequencer that locks musical events (such as notes and drum hits) to a predetermined timing grid.

Release - One of the properties that make up the shape of an envelope. It's usually the last property, that controls how long it takes for a sound to fade out after it's trigger has finished.

Resolution - In terms of audio, this refers to the detail in the digital data, which makes up the sound.

Resonance - This property controls the level of a small bump at the cut off frequency of a filter, making the sound more pronounced.

Reverb - A very common studio effect, based on the natural phenomena caused by sound dispersion in confined space. Reverb gives a sound a sense that it's in a real space, such as a cave or hall.

Rhythm - In music, this is a pattern of hits that occur one after the other. Every drummer plays a rhythm, and every melody or bass line has a rhythm and a musical shape.

Roll - Describes a drummer's technique that uses a series of quick drum hits, one after the other. Typically a drummer will roll a snare drum, almost like gunfire.

Sample - This can refer to 2 different things. A sound sample is a digital recording of a real sound, such as a breakbeat. You could refer to a breakbeat as a sample. The other use of this word refers to the smallest possible segment of digital data that makes up an audio file. So there is a sample of a recording, and a sample of digital audio data (one of those tiny dots that make up the waveform image).

Sample-Accurate - The highest level of timing accuracy possible on a digital device.

Sample-Mapping - The process of assigning sound samples to notes on a keyboard, with a sampling device.

Sampler - Usually refers to a device that's used for taking samples of sound that can later be mapped across a keyboard and triggered via MIDI data. Classic sampler manufacturers include; Akai, Emu, and Yamaha.

Sampling - The process of recording a sample of sound.

Sequencer - A device or software package that's capable of creating and storing a sequence of musical patterns (usually MIDI data). Classic sequencers include: Cubase, Logic, and Sonar.

Signal Chain - The route that a sound signal travels through. This often involves different stages of amplification and other effects.

Signal Processor - A device that processes a sound signal, in order to create specific effects on the sound.

Stereo - Stereophonic. A type of audio recording that consists of 2 sound channels, for separate left and right speaker placement. Importantly, though, an audio recording that consists of 2 identical channels produces a mono sound.

Synthesizer - In this case, a device that synthetically generates a sound. Typically, synthesizers are found on MIDI keyboards.

Tempo - The musical term for the speed at which music is played. These days, song tempo is usually expressed in terms of BPM (Beats Per Minute).

Time Compress - The opposite of a time stretch. This is a process designed to give the impression that a sound sample occurs at a faster pace, without affecting it's pitch.

Time Stretch - The opposite of a time compress. This is a process designed to give the impression that a sound sample occurs at a slower pace, without affecting it's pitch.

Trigger - In this case, an event that causes another event. MIDI data is used to trigger musical patterns. A keyboard connected to a sampling device can be used to trigger samples.

Vocoder - A musical device used to give the impression of a speaking synthesizer, by a process that merges the input of a human voice with the vocoder's internal synthesizer.

WAV - A popular digital audio format read by nearly all sampling devices and audio editors (saved with a WAV file extension).

Waveform - The shape a sound takes on, as vibrations in the air. This is what you see when you look at a sound in an audio editor.

Zero-Crossing - The point at which a sound's waveform crosses the zero amplitude mark.