- P -

Pad – 1) An attenuator usually used to prevent overload of amplifier that follows. 2) A device with a surface that can be hit by a drum stick; hitting the pad produces an output signal pulse (or MIDI command) that causes a drum machine or synthesizer to sound a drum sound.

Panpot (Pan Pot) - An electrical device that distributes one audio signal to two (or more) channels or speakers.

Parametric EQ - An equalizer in which all of the parameters of equalization can be adjusted to any amount including: a) center frequency; b) the amount of boost or cut in gain; and c) the bandwidth.

Passive Device - A piece of signal processing gear or other device that does not use an amplifier as part of its design.

Patch - 1) To route or reroute the signal in an audio system (such as a console) by using short cables with plugs inserted into jacks. 2)The routing or rerouting of the signal accomplished by #1.

Patch Bay - A Series of jacks with connections for most of the inputs and outputs of the console, console sections, tape machines and other pieces of equipment.

Patch Cord - A cable with two plugs on it to interconnect two patch jacks in the patch bay.

Path - Short for Signal Path, the way in which current does or may travel in a circuit or through a device.

Pause - The button or control mode where the tape machine is paused but with the drive mechanism ready for an instant start.

Peak - 1) The highest point in the audio waveform. 2) Short for Peak Detecting (responding to the peak) or Peak Indicating (showing the peak). 3) Having a frequency response that would draw something similar to a mountain peak on a frequency response graph.

Peak Detecting - Recognizing and responding to peak values of a waveform rather than average values.

Peak Indicating Meter - A meter which reads the absolute peak level of the waveform.

Peak Level - A term with the same meaning as Peak Value (the maximum positive or negative instantaneous value of a waveform).

Peak Responding - Recognizing and responding to (or indicating) the peak value rather than the average or effective value.

Peak Response - 1) A term with the same meaning as Peak 2) Raising or lowering of the amplitude of signals at the center frequency more than signals at any other frequency.

Phantom Powering - A system used to supply condenser microphones with power; to eliminate the need for external power supplies.

Phase - A measurement (expressed in degrees) of the time difference between two similar waveforms.

Phase Cancellation - The energy of one waveform decreasing the energy of another waveform because of phase relationships at or close to 180 degrees.

Phase Distortion - A change in the sound because of a phase shift in the signal.

Phase Reversal - A change in a circuit to get the waveform to shift by 180 degrees.

Phasing - An effects sound created by variable phase shift of an audio signal mixed with the direct signal.

Pick Up Pattern - The shape of the area that a microphone will evenly pick up from, giving similar but less detailed information than a polar pattern.

Pickup – 1) A device on an electric guitar (or other instrument) that puts out an audio signal according to the string motion on the instrument. 2) A device that puts out an audio signal according to the vibration of something; this term means the same thing as a contact microphone.

Pink Noise - Noise which has equal energy per octave or portion of an octave.

Plate Program - A setting in a digital delay/reverb effects device that simulates the plate reverberation sound.

Playback – 1) The reproduction of recorded audio. 2) In motion picture or video production, the reproduction of the music over loudspeakers so that the performers/musicians can perform in time to the music for the camera.

Playback Equalization - A reduction of the amplitude of signals with high frequencies during playback of a tape to compensate for the Record Equalization.

Polar Pattern – 1) For microphones, a graphic display of the audio output levels caused by sound waves arriving at the mic from different directions. 2) In speakers, a graphic display of the speaker's dispersion.

Polarity - The direction of current flow or magnetizing force.

Pop Filter - A device that is placed over a microphone or between the microphone and singer to prevent loud "pop" sounds by the singer.

Power Amplifier - A device that takes a line level signal and amplifies it to be able to drive a speaker.

Power Supply - An electrical circuit which supplies voltage and current for devices to operate.

Pre-Amp - A low-noise amplifier designed to take a low-level signal and bring it up to normal line level.

Pre/Post Switch - A switch on the input module, which determines whether the echo send control comes before or after the main channel fader.

Pre Delay - Delay circuits at the input of a reverberation device causing a delay before the reverberation is heard.

Pre Echo - 1) A repeating of the sound before the reverberation is heard used to simulate reflections caused by a stage. 2) In Tape Recording, a low-level leakage of sound coming later caused by print through. 3) In Disc Recording, a similar sound caused by a previous groove deforming a later groove. 4) A placement of an echo send control before the main channel fader.

Pre Emphasis - A boosting of high frequencies during the recording process to keep the signal above the noise at high frequencies.

Pre Fader - A placement of a send control (or other control) before the main channel fader.

Pre Fader Listen - A solo circuit that allows a channel signal to be heard (and often metered) before the channel fader.

Pre-Mix - 1) Another term for ponging (playing several recorded tacks with sync playback through a console to mix them together and record them on an open track). 2) To mix together the audio of several devices before sending the composite mix to the main console. 3) The composite mix of #1 or #2.

Presence - The quality in sound of the instrument (or sound source) being right there next to you.

Presence Frequencies - The range of audio frequencies between 4 kHz and 6 kHz that often, when boosted, increases the sense of presence, especially on voices.

Pressure-Gradient Microphone - A microphone whose diaphragm is exposed front and back and diaphragm movement is caused by the pressure difference between its front and back.

Pressure Microphone - A microphone where the diaphragm moves because of the pressure of the sound wave having one side of the diaphragm working against the normal or controlled air pressure inside the microphone case.

Pressure Zone Microphone - The full name for PZM (trademark), Crown's barrier microphone (a microphone with the head attached closely to a plate, designed to be attached to a larger surface, and which has a half-Omni pickup pattern).

Processing - 1) A computer performing tasks as programmed. 2) Short for Signal Processing (changing the sound of the instrument or other sound source with equalizers, limiters, compressors and other devices thereby "processing" them to be recorded onto a master).

Producer - The "director' of an audio recording project responsible to get a final product of desired quality within a budget.

Production - 1) A recording of a tune, collection of tunes, video or film performance. 2) The action of directing an audio recording project to get a final product of desired quality within a budget.

Proximity Effect - In directional microphones, the boost in the microphone's output for bass frequencies as the mic is moved closer to the sound source.

Psychoacoustics - The study of how things sound to individuals because of mental or emotional factors.

Pulse Code Modulation - The use of amplitude pulses in magnetic tape to record the digital information bits of digital audio.

Pumping Breathing - The sound of the noise changing volume as the limiter or compressor works.

Punching In and Out - Putting the recorder in record on a previously-recorded track while the tape is playing in sync playback and the singer or musician is singing or playing along is called Punching In.