Labels:text | screenshot | colorfulness OCR: ALPHABETIC LIST OVER WEIRD WORDS AND EVIL EXPRESSIONS FOR BEGINNERS: by Gisle M. Meyer I think there perhaps are lots of people out there who enjoy music, and would like to get seriously into the making of it. This little dictionary is made to help you, who do not have too much knowledge about synths and all the other modern staff. [Ed) adds: Thanks for this list, Gisle. As you can see throughout the list. I've added some bits which I thought might be useful as well. To all you readers: This list doesn't contain ALL the expressions you will come across, but quite a few of them. If you have sone nore expressions with explanations, please send them in to AM/FM, and we will try to collect as many as possible in what will hopefully one day become a REALLY GREAT Music/MIDI dictionary. That would be great. The thing is, I have so much to do that I don't have time to write it myself, so I wet you readers to come up with more expressions and send them in. [4] The A's and D's mean respectively Analog and Digital, if those words are greek to you why don't you check'en up... This conversion stuff can be explained with an example: You have a digital reverb nachine, and when it's gonna work with sound, the sound have to be translated to numbers (zeroes and ones), which's the only language the computer understand. To translate from sound to bers is called A/D conversion. When the machine have worked with your sound, and you want it out thru the amplifier etc., the numbers must be translated back to sound again. This is called D/A conversion. Simply aftertouch. Many synths/keyboards Many synths/keyboards press down are sensitive to how hard you a key after it's been striked. This aftertouch can be used to control pitch, vibrato, brilliance etc etc... winiga Musicians Freeware Ragazine, a disknag for fimiga musicians. It is where this text is located. Very essential for Aniga musicians. Computer with 4 channels Übit sound pr 1993. No MIDI-interface. It's the opposite of digital. The expression can be used in severa connections. Tuo examples: On a CD (compact disc), is the sound stored as numbers. That's digital storing. On a good ol' LP though, is the sound stored as vibrations in the plate. That's analog stored sound. [Ed] adds: Analogue sound is the actual sound waves. Digital sound is a series of numbers trying as good as possible to recreate the original sound ve(s). The better sampling rate and sampling resolution, the closer the digital sound gets to the original, analogue sound. If a syntheziser is analog, it means that it produces sound without much help from computer technology. The part of a keyboard where you choose what kinda automatics you'd like. Like one-finger-play or all that... That's extra add-ons for your instrument. Like microphones, various pedals. and so on, Advanced Wave Menory. (<-- This is a Yamaha-phenomena I think.) It means that the sound in the instrument is sampled, that is recordings of real instruments. [EA] adds: In other words, it's just Yamaha's attempt to make a short sample" sound nore advanced and fancy than it really is. A kind of mouth piece, which can be used together with synths (at least the "Yamaha DX?) to control vibrato, volume etc... Ed adds: HIDI Controller for Breath control is Controller 2. If the sound has been designed for it. adding this controller can add more feeling, air, etc. to the sound. If you transmit (send) all the sound-datas from one synth to another, then it is normal to call this pack of data a "BULK A nice function on some effect nachines - uhen bypass is selected, the sound will go strait throuth the machine without any effects added. A tiny little box which contains data, like sounds or songs. Many synths and drun nachines have extra sounds/songs stored on a cartridge. You can plug the cartridge into the machine and... whopla! More to play with! You can store data on normal cassettes. I don't think this is very much used. But, it is possible. Ed adds: It was used a lot on older synths. Sequencers and drunnachines can play several arrangements after another like a chain. An effectáwhich makes the sound sound "fuller". Ed adds: by "copying" the waveforms and delaying the copy, then adding it up to the original waveform. It's those holes where you plug in the wires from pedals, amplifiers and all that necessary shit your machinery needs to run. Sliders... OK... I guess you got to see one before you can know one... No, Just kidding. It's like the volume control on lots of stereos. But on Beyboards they control more than volume: detening, balance, pan, tempo... It is something you can nove up and down. (weird?) recording part on a keyboard where you can store the chords in a tuse before The part on a keyboard where you store own rythms and playbacks. ʼn slider or something similar, which can be used to set mumbers, functions, parameters... Storage of data. Many synths, nodules, drun nachines, sequencers etc can store sound-data, songs etc in several ways: cassettes, cartridges, discs, cards. This way you can get back something you made earlier, and use it again and again. It means, that something works only with numbers. Like, when a synth is digital, it means that it stores sound and such things with the help of an internal computer. Ed adds: A fully digital synth can only work with numbers and series of numbers - not waveforms. The "screen". It's that squary thing where all the words and numbers appear. Like the name of the sound, style etc... Means you can play two sounds on the same keys. When you're editing a synth-sound, you have to be in "Edit Mode". Thats a phrase frequently used together with reverb nachines. It means hou far down in the bass, and up in the treble, the machine can make reverb. (You got that one?) Envelope Generator. No, it does not make envelopes for nailing. It's a collection of functions on a synth, uho determins if the sound will be short, long, quick, forever... *** When a drun machine is set to external clock, it will follow the tempo of the er/keyboard. When it's set to internal, it will follow it's oun tempo. hoy sequencer can be set to "External Clock". It means that the sequencer will not play by it's oun tempo, but will be following the tempo of another sequencer/drun nachine/whatever, which is connected to it by MIDI. The "master" sends out a MIDI sync signal which gives the tempo to any "slaves" connected. Very solid transport-box for your precious synth/keyboard. It is what you just recently snacked into dro. If you take it out again and find it thin, little and not heavy. As you maybe have study it, you will figured out, cartridge, but it is possible to store data on the disk. It is the same as a not all synths have a disk drive. You need a disk drive to be able tri data from the synth on a floppy. Well well well... take a look above. a special method of producing sound. I'll try to Frequence Modulation, explain! n: A natural sound is built "swings" simultaneously. OK forget it. up of many different overtones, which ʼn special foot pedal to be used together with the synth to control vibrato, olun etc. Foot pedal for synth, elpiano or something similar. Frequently used as a mustain controller The part of the instrument that should be facing you when operating it. Generally where all the buttons and sliders and switches are located. Frequency Shift Keying, a special kind of TAPE-SYNC ---> Solid transport box Check out External"... Built-in nenory on a synth/keyboard this means all the sounds, rythms and other stuff that are present inside the synth. It is what you have access to when there are no cartridges or floppies or whatsoever plugged in. On some instruments, a task or function the instrument can perform are called JOBS. The buttons that start a JOB. The keyboard is all the keys on an instrument. But generally is the word often used to describe all sorts of instruments with keys, especially those with possibilities for playback. (Please read more under "SYNTHEZ ISER".) Un lots of keyboards you can program your own rythms or add sounds and wariations to the ones already present with drumsounds from the keys. On Yamahas this equals SUSTENUTO on the grand piano. For those who do not have The keys who are held down while the sustain, while one can play all the other keys without pedal are pressed, will then sustaining Liquid Crystal Display the window where the info pops up. Ed adds: Very basic form of displaying a picture. Only one colour usually very small, tacky displays. Present on almost all synths. Light Emitting Diode -the window where the red, digital numbers are shown. Ed adds: Or simply any little red, yellow, or green light on your synth. On a sampler looping makes the sound repeat itself as long as the key are depressed. an example, a sampled choir with a loop can keep it going for As taking a single breath. Ed adds: 11 :-) hours without If you have several sysths, keyboards, drun nachines and other goodies, the master keyboard the one who controls really. the sequencer everything. is it all over MIDI. Ed adds: Not Often, or the computer you're using will control But the Master Keyboard is the one you actually play your music on, with your hands. Many synth-users oun only ONE synth that actually has a keyboard. The other in stack only nodules of the thesizer "rack"/"module"-versions of the he wants to play on one of his rack-mount synths, he will synthesizer. So: when have connect the one synth that actually case, the the one synth with a keyboard to has a keyboard to it, by MIDI. In In this this case, acts as a Master Keyboard. Musical Instrument Digital Interface It's an electronic music-language most of the synths, keyboards, drunn all the instruments can communicate, send nachines etc understand. With MIDI messages and receive data. MIDI, so if you're really green and check it out There are probably written several books about on the subject, take a trip to the local library See description under "MIDI Channel" The cables that connect MIDI-equipment (really?). Ed adds: If you go into a radio/tu/hifi for a MIDI-cable, chances are they won't know what store and ask talking about. In that case, ask for a 5-pin DIN cable. the hell you're because it's the same thing! MIDI's got 16 channels, almost like TV-channels. This is very suitable when different data has to be transmitted simultaneously. Like, let's say you've got a keyboard, and you hook on a synth which you want to play the sounds on If you want to play three different sounds, you use three the keyboard. channels: Channel etc. 1 for sound 1, channel 3 for sound 3, and channel 2 for sound 2, Of course you do not need 16 MIDI cables. All the data poes through the same cable. Ed adds: Lately, for nodern MIDI producing 16 channels may become a bit too tight actually, so something called MIDI Banks invented. use of 4 different MIDI banks, with 16 MIDI channels have been in each, we can get 64 MIDI channels. This is supported by Bars & Pipes Professional and Music-X, and possibly other sequencers too Slot on the back of your instrument, where data from another instrument comes in, thru a MIDI cable Also a slot on the back of your instrument, where data from that instrument goes out to another instrument. Thru a MIDI cable. Just the same as external clock One more of those MIDI slots on the back of your instrument. Data comes in to your instrument thru MIDI IN, and goes further on to the next instrument via MIDI THOU. This is great if you have a chain of synths A synth has to be in some mode when it's active. There are different modes, each node for different tasks. If you want to program a sound, you'Il nost probably be in Edit Mode. The different names Mode, if you want to play your sound, you'll be in Play will differ from nanufacturer to manufacturer. Movable wheel located very much to the left on most keyboards. Generally it controls vibrato. That's a keyboard without any sounds. It is used to control all your MIDI-equipment. If a synth is multitimbral, it can play more than one sound at a time, like a and sone druns piano, a flute All you need to survive. Recorder part on a keyboard, where you can store your own tunes. Extra-gear, like pedals, headphones, etc The part of a keyboard where you choose the orchestral voices Slots for cables to amplifier on the back of the instrument. If you use both A and B. you'll if only A is used, then it's plain mono. get your sound in stereo, button to press if your MIDI system screus it all up and a sound won't Nice Stop. Jest press the PIC betton, and all channels are the sound won't Rolands name on their "sounds". A patch usually is a solo instrument built up of one or more basic sounds. Bythm pattern. A rythm who repeats itself all the time, is called a pattern. Describes what kind of pedals you can hook on to your instrument A group of sounds put together in a group, very seldom programmable, the least intelligent junk the synth-nanufactureres ever invented (on the Rolands) Movable wheel on the synth, located to the left of the keys. You can use it to bend the pitch of a note up and down. Here you can determine how far from the concert pitch your instrument will sound. Example - if your instrument's polyphony is 28, it means it can play 28 notes simultaneously. Ed adds: But many use up to 3 voices to create a sound. In that modern synthesizers count 3 voices per key you're playing. so if you play a 6-note sound that is built up of 3 voices, then you are using 18 voices And time, maybe you want to play a built up you also want to include same time, dren a crash cynbal. And all All the 28 synth is gone, and notes start cost of getting to play. And you have what One of most important aspects to consider when you're is: how many voices of polyphony can the synth handle? If you're going to use the synth quite heavily, nothing under 30 is acceptable, in my opinion! That's an effect on the synths, who makes the sound slide from tone to tone while you keys. A little computer keeps count of how many times you have used your instrument. When the number has reached 500, a batteri will flat, and you have to take the instrument for repair Equals AFTERTOUCH If you for example compose a rythm on a drum nachine, you can have all your typing quantized to fx the nearest the rythm'll be very perfect. The same function's located adds: If you play a piece of music on your keyboard, and "record" you are playing, you can later on tell your "Quantize" you play. The sequen equencer will then go through and nove it the nearest correctly position, i.e. if note a little bit too late, the sequencer will nove the note to the exact time of the beat. Randon Access Memory, nemory in your instrument, which you can change. Like: you can change the sounds stored in Rom. The opposite of the front panel. Here's all the slots located. Receive lots of lots of data. Check out "bulk" Small keyboard you can hang around your neck like a keyboard. It's got no sounds, but it can control MIDI-equipment located for example behind the Jarre's got one of those. Ed adds: Who hasn't?! An effect, a sort of echo. It gives much more space to a sound. Ed adds! asically, when you add reverb to your it sound as though it is played inside a big roon. sound, it makes nenory you cannot change. Sounds Read Only Menory, in ROM are not programmable, but on some synths you can copy the sound from ROM to RAM, and then progran it... snart eeh? Where you select your rythm on a keyboard. în instrument where you sounds with a microphone or from a CD, tape can record or something, and play it back with the keyboard. À description of how good the soundquality of a sampler is. The higher the sampling rate, of 14 the higher the quality. A sampling rate kit gives you the same soundquality as CD's. (This is not a hi-tech explanation.) The same as polyphony When the synth is in single play, you can play a single sound with all the keys. Some synths and elpianos have possibilities for connecting on a soft-podal the soft-pedal on a normal piano. It works like Carrybag for your instrument. It's the part on a keyboard where you choose your solo instrument. A drum machine can play several different rythm patterns one after another, like a complete song. Un a synth-drun nachine this generally means how the sound is produced. There ways of producing sounds in synths. are several This usually means that the keyboard on your synth is parted, like: you can play piano on the upper half of the keys, and strings on the lower half. Bihat comes with the instrument when you buy it. It means that fingers keeping the key the sound will continue without your to connect with a depressed. Many instruments have the possibility sustain pedal. It works just like the sustain pedal on a normal piano. Many drum machines have a swing-function. It means you can displace certain beats in a rythm, so the rythm will gradually close up to a swing-like feeling. You can choose how like by setting the swing-function much "swing" you'd to different percents. of electronic Buttons, flippers, pedals etc etc An expression which covers several types instruments, which electronically generate or reproduce sounds. A synthesizer in the word's true meaning lets the user combine various waveforms and volunes, effects, phasing, etc. etc. to create his own sounds. But a "sampler" is also often cannot create sounds like a synthesizer, but it called a "synth". A sampler can reproduce any sound electronic instruments are that it hears! Both of these two major types of often referred to as a "synth". Most sequencers can be syncronized with fx a four-track cassette recorder, by recording a special TAPE SYNC signal to on of the tracks on This track is then used by the sequencer to keep the same tempo as the cassette. You can sing to the cassette, with the drunnachine playing the rythm, without getting the rythm recorded. Later you can add another rythm to your singing, and with the help of the TAPE SYNC signal the new rythm will follow your winging's tempo Add-ons. MIDI-commectors are often called MIDI-terminals. What makes the sound in a instrument Send data. What's a bulk? Look it up! How far up and down your instrument can be tuned in halftones. How fast you press down a key. If a keyboard is velocity sensitive, then the sounds will sound different according as hou fast you strike a key. The sounds in an instrument. i slider you can use to regulate the output volume. An animal, which is NOT threatened, NOT intelligent, and tastes Ed adds: True. Don't believe the U.S. hype. Norvegians we and everyone name it. The type DO NOT kill like normal beef. hunt and eat uhales just like else does to pigs, balls, cous, deer, you of whale that Norwegians eat are NOT threatened by extinction. We then as is the case with for example the English Bull Fighting (also disgusting). Horwegians for the pleasure, fox hunting (disgusting) or the spanish kill whales eat then! Although to create another impression. hunt and to managed sone hysterical US citizens have Aaah, finished! Everything clear or just more confused? humpy translating. If you have connents to this, then please than your monitor Gisle Martess Meyer, I hope help from the dictionary, and my you you got some think somethink is nissing or don't hesitate to let others know. know. You can of course contact me, by writing a letter to... Kvernevikstenna 43, N-5004 TERTNES, NORWAY a grand piano 1'11 try to explain: By up to timed play on the case, chord on which lead sound a bass, and at the of a sudden; oops! to get cut off on the is known as Voice Stealing! buying a synth you with a the synth! is also who must at of perhaps voices the same 3 voices. a bass your you unique on other notes quaver. That way on sequencers. El have your seqencer sequencer to each the played note a Then and what what to the tape.
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