DJ Profiles, MP3 music, Forum, Daily articles and news about electronica, streams, chat, and gear.
> Need to brush up on your DJ terminology? We have our first version of a DJ Dictionary online at internetdj. acoustics: The behavior of sound waves from the physical properties of an environment. amplifier: A device that increases the level of a signal by enhancing it's voltage or current. amplitude: The strenght or volume of a signal measured in decibels. analog: An audio signal in which the data stream consists of a continuously fluctuating voltage field. analog-to-digital converter: A device that converts continuously varying analog signals from instrumental devices into binary code. anti-skating: A device which helps prevent the stylus from skipping by keeping it perpendicular to the record while it's playing. attack: Determines how rapidly the signal effect begins defined in milliseconds. backcueing: It refers to the motion of backwarding your record to a specified cue point. beat-offset: When 2 tracks in synchro gradually go out of phase. belt drive system: It refers to the platter being driven by a belt which is a thick rubber band that is connected to the plater and the motor that makes it spin. bpm: The abbreviation refering to (beats-per-minutes) which is the number of bass beats in 1 minute. The bpm of a track is important for beat-mixing. It is impossible to have a clean mix without 2 tracks not having the same bpm. breakpoint: A specified point in a track usually the first beat of the first bar where you fade in track 2 and then fade out the first track. bridging: It consists of connecting the positive and negative terminals of a single speaker to the positive binding posts of channel 1 and 2 of the amplifier. cartridge: A device which is connected to the headshell or tonearm and from which a stylus is mounted at the end of it. center frequency: A cut off point usually in midrange frequencies in equalizers where levels will attenuate. clipping: Usually indicated by a red led on high-end amplifiers to notify you that the audio signal has reached it's peak and is exceeding the capabilities of the amplifier. Noticeable distortion can be audible at this setting and is very dangerous to both the speakers and amplifiers. coloration: A term used frequently by audiophiles to describe an instrument or vocal that has a change in the perceived frequency of sounds caused by dips or peaks somewhere in the audio band that the instrument or vocal is performing. cueing: It refers to listening with the headphones for a specified cue point or frame of a track ready for playback. crossfader: A horizontal slider found on mixers to eliminate dropouts for a smooth transition during mixing or scratching. crossover network: A device which divides the audio frequency into seperate bands that are reproduced by specialised loudspeaker drivers such woofers, midrange and tweeters. cutoff frequency: It is the point set by the crossover or equalizer circuit that attenuates a range of frequencies. damping: Represents the ratio of the impedance load to the output of the amplifier. In other words, it is the ability of the amplifier to control precisely the movement of a speakers cone to avoid hangover. The greater the damping factor, the better it can reproduce the lower frequencies delivering a detailed, clear, tight sound. decay: Determines how long a signal will last when it reaches it's peak before it dies expressed in milliseconds. decibel: The smallest volume change that is perceptable to the average listener. definition: A term to describe the details texture from an instrument or vocal. density: Controls the average amount of time between reflections for the reverb effect. Low setting makes the sound like it's traveling in space where as higher settings give it a tight wave sound. diamond stylus: A very good reproducer for the playback of vinyl recordings that is performant, efficient and durable. A diamond stylus can last up to over 500 hours under respectable conditions. diffusion: Controls the full shape and clarity of the sound. L…