A means of shielding microphone capsules from explosive burst of air from a performer's mouth. Made from an acoustically transparent material, pop filters can either be built into the surrounding mesh of the microphone itself, or more commonly made from material stretched across a separate circular form, and attached to a microphone stand close to the microphone.

In processing electronic audio signals, pre-emphasis refers to a system process designed to increase, within a band of frequencies, the magnitude of some (usually higher) frequencies with respect to the magnitude of other (usually lower) frequencies in order to improve the overall signal-to-noise ratio by minimizing the adverse effects of such phenomena as attenuation disto

A point in a mixer channel strip where audio is split off from the main channel is referred as an aux. This signal is normally subject to the position of the channel fader, rising and lowering along with the fader position.

Device designed to treat an electrical signal by changing its dynamics or frequency content. Examples of processors include compressors, gates and equalizers. In wireless, the term is sometimes referred to as companding.

Refers to the effect caused by a sound source being very close to a directional microphone. The net result is that low frequencies become boosted as the source comes closer. For vocalists, the effect can be used creatively, while for others the effect can cause problems, where distortion can occur from the diaphragm being stressed from the signal boost.

PCM is a digital process for transmitting analog data. Using PCM, it is possible to digitize all forms of digital data including music and video. Using binary encoding, the source is sampled at a particular frequency and further quantized. At the receiving end a pulse code demodulator converts the binary numbers back into pulses having the same quantum levels as those in the modulator.

An artifact introduced into audio source that is caused by excessive compression. Pumping, or breathing causes the program material to rise and fall depending on some frequency (usually bass) that is crossing the threshold level. Can be used creatively, but multiband compression or some sort of filtering to the side chain can overcome this problem.

Refers to a measure of the sharpness of the resonant peak of an electronic circuit. One of the adjustments available in parametric equalizers. With a narrow Q, gain or cut affects fewer frequencies adjoining the center frequency, while a wide Q will affect a greater number of adjoining frequencies.

A type of FM demodulator

Refers to a type of equalizer, where control is available over frequency and gain/cut, but not bandwidth. Many mid-frequency EQ's on budget recording consoles have this kind of EQ.
(See Parametric Equalizer)