Receiver squelch (muting) that is based on RF signal strength present at the receiver input. When the RF signal is considered high enough to output audio of acceptable quality, the receiver is un-muted.
(See Squelch)

A display that indicates the approximate amount of RF signal present at the input of a receiver.

Signal-to-noise ratio (often abbreviated SNR or S/N) is a measure used in science and engineering to quantify how much a signal has been corrupted by noise.

Slew Rate - The measure of how fast a circuit is able to respond to fast changes in amplitude in the source signal. Although most circuits have this specification, it is most commonly associated with power amplifiers. A high slew rate will generally translate into a "tighter" and cleaner signal.

Originally developed by Toshiba, the SmartMedia card is a memory card that uses flash memory to store data, and its size allows it to be portable among other digital devices.

For audio purposes, snake refers to a type of cabling, where multiple lines are enclosed in a larger single shield. The most common use for a snake is for live sound, where microphone leads and monitor mixes are sent back and forth between the front of house mixer and the stage. Obviously it is easier to lay a single 16 or 24 channel snake than to lay each individual line.

Describes the action of a compressor as the signal level crosses the threshold setting. A compressor functions by processing a signal above a certain threshold. Without a soft knee setting, the compressor would immediately begin processing the moment the threshold was reached. In fact this is how a hard knee setting works.

An audio file format originally developed by Digidesign for its Sound Tools application. Although a very popular file format for the Mac, it may be finally on its way out, superceded by .aiff and .wav formats.

Speakon - A type of multi-pin connector developed by Neutrik and found on many power amplifiers and speakers used for PA applications. They are very durable, provide a good connection and relatively inexpensive.

In wireless microphones, a device that divides an RF signal into two or more equal signals while maintaining the desired impedance at the input and outputs. For live audio applications a splitter functions in much the same way for providing signal feeds to both the console and to a recording device.