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Layering - The recording (or playing) of a musical part with of several similar sound patches playing simultaneous.

Lead - The musical instrument that plays the melody of the tune, including the vocal.

Leakage - Sounds from other instruments and sources that were not intended to be picked up by the microphone.

Level - The amount of signal strength; the amplitude, especially the average amplitude.

Limiter - A device which reduces gain when the input voltage exceeds a certain level.

Line Input - An input designed to take a line level signal.

Line Level - An amplified signal level put out by an amplifier and used as the normal level that runs through the interconnecting cables in a control room.

Line Out (Line Output) - Any output that sends out a line level signal, such as the output of a console that feeds a recorder.

Live Recording - 1) Recording where all the musicians are playing at once and overdubbing is not done. 2) A recording with a lot of natural reverberation.

Lo-Z - Abbreviation for the term Low Impedance (Impedance of 500 ohms or less).

Loop - 1) A term meaning the same as Anti-Node (the points of maximum displacement of motion in a vibrating stretched string). 2) A tape (or magnetic film) recording where the ends of the tape are spliced together in such a manner that the tape will continually repeat. 3) A repeating of an audio sample with no gap in between.

Loudness – 1) How loud something sounds to the ear. 2) Causing equal volume changes at all frequency ranges including frequency response changes at lower operating levels to compensate for the Fletcher Munson effect.

Loudness Control - A knob that changes the level and adjusts the frequency response of the circuit controlling the speakers to compensate for the inability of the ear to hear low frequencies and extreme high frequencies at low volumes.

Low End - A slang term for bass-frequency signals (below 250 Hz).

Low Frequencies - 1) Any audio or audible frequency below 1kHz. 2) The range of bass frequencies below approximately 250 Hz.

Low Impedance – Impedance of 500 ohms or less.

Low-Pass Filter - A device that rejects signal above a certain frequency and passes signals that are lower in frequency.