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Chapter 6 Vocabulary

Terms in this set (43)

audio mixer
a piece of equipment that takes the sounds from a variety of sources, such as mics, a CD player, or tape player, and combines them into a single sound signal that is sent to the recorder
automatic gain control (AGC)
a circuit found on most consumer video cameras that controls the audio level during the recording process
background sound
type of environment sound that is not the focus of or most important sound in a shot
boom
a pole that is held over the set with a microphone attached to the end of the pole
boundary mic
a microphone used to pick up a sound on a stage or in a large room and is most commonly a condenser type. Boundary mics are usually placed on a table, floor, or wall to "hear" the sound that is reflected off hard surfaces
cardioid mic
a mic with a pick-up pattern that captures sound from primarily one direction, also called a uni-directional mic or directional mic
condenser mic
a type of mic that requires an external power supply to operate. The generating element is a thin piece of metal foil or coated film. Also called an electret condenser mic.
diaphragm
a thin surface inside the mic that vibrates when hit by sound waves in the air and creates an electrical signal. Also called a generating element.
directional mic
a mic with a pick-up pattern that captures sound from primarily one direction, also called a uni-directional mic or cardioid mic
dynamic mic
a very rugged type of mic that has good sound reproduction ability. The generating element is a diaphragm that vibrates a small coil that is housed in a magnetic field
electret condenser mic
a type of mic that requires an external power supply to operate. The generating element is a thin piece of metal foil or coated film. Also called a condenser mic
feedback
a high-pitched squeal that occurs when a microphone picks up the sound coming from a speaker that is carrying that microphone's signal
fishpole boom
type of boom that must be physically held over the heads of talent
generating element
a thin surface inside the mic that vibrates when hit by sound waves in the air and creates an electrical signal. Also called a diaphragm.
hand-held mic
a mic that is designed to be held in the hand, rather than placed on a boom or clipped to clothing. Also called a stick mic.
high impedance (HiZ)
a type of mic that is typically inexpensive, low-quality, and cannot tolerate cable lengths longer than 8'
hypercardioid mic
a directional mic with a narrower and longer pick-up pattern than a cardioid
lapel mic
the smallest type of mic that can be worn by talent and is attached to clothing at or near the breastbone with a small clip or pin. Sometimes referred to as a lav.
lav mic
the smallest type of mic that can be worn by talent and is attached to clothing at or near the breastbone with a small clip or pin. Sometimes referred to as a lapel mic.
line level
the level of audio between pieces of audio equipment. For example, the level of audio going from the output of a CD player to the input on an amplifier
low impedance (LoZ)
a type of mic that is costly, high-quality, and can tolerate long cable lengths
mic level
the level of audio that comes from a microphone. It is designed to be sent to the "mic in" on a recorder or mixer
mic mixer
a piece of equipment that combines only the microphone signals into a signal sound signal
microphone
the piece of equipment that picks up sounds in the air and sends them to the mixer or recorder
natural sound (nat sound)
environment sound that enhances a story and is important to the shot
off-camera narration
program narration provided by talent that is heard, but not seen by the viewer. Also called voiceover (VO).
omni-directional mic
a mic with a pick-up pattern that captures sound from nearly every direction equally well
on-camera narration
program narration provided by on-screen talent
parabolic reflector mic
a very sensitive mic that looks like a satellite dish with handles and is designed to pick up sounds at a distance
pick-up pattern
a term that describes how well a mic hears sounds from various directions
pop filter
a barrier made of shaped wire covered with a piece of nylon that is placed between a sensitive mic and the talent to avoid damage to the diaphragm of the mic
potentiometer (pot)
a knob or a slider control that regulates the strength a signal
power level
the audio level from the output on an amplifier to the speaker
ribbon mic
the most sensitive type of mic used in television. A thin ribbon of metal surrounded by a magnetic field serves as the generating element
room tone
the sound present in a room or at a location before human occupation
shotgun mic
a directional mic with an extremely narrow pick-up pattern
stick mic
a mic that is designed to be held in the hand, rather than placed on a boom or clipped to clothing. Also called a hand-held mic.
supercardioid mic
a directional mic with a narrower pick-up pattern than a hypercardioid mic
uni-directional mic
a mic with a pick-up pattern that captures sound from primarily one direction, also called a cardioid mic or directional mic
voiceover (VO)
program narration provided by talent that is heard, but not seen by the viewer. Also called off-camera narration.
voice track
the audio portion of a program created through dialogue or narration
VU meter
a meter on either an audio or mic mixer that indicated signal strength
wireless mic
a mic that uses a short cable to connect the mic to a radio transmitter with an antenna, or the transmitter may be built into the mic itself. The transmitter wirelessly sends the signal to the receiver, which sends the mic signal through a short cable to the recorder
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