- V -
Vacuum Tube - An amplifying device that is a tube.
Vacuum Tube Volt Meter - A device that measures the electrical voltage and uses a vacuum tube to drive the indicator so that testing the circuit does not load tbe circuit.
Vamp - The repeadng pan of a tune at its end, usually the chorus or part of the chorus.
Vamp and Fade - A method of ending a recording of a tune where the music has a repeating part and the engineer reduces volume until the music is out.
Vari-Speed - A Control on a tape machine that changes the play speed.
Variable-D - A patented invention (and trademark) of Electrovoice where several port are put down the case of the microphone. The ports are less and less sensitive to high frequencies as they are further away from the diaphragm, reducing proximity effect.
VCA - Abbreviation for Voltage Controlled Amplifier (an amplifier that will change gain according to the level of control voltage sent to it).
VCA Automation - A system of computer control of channel gain (or other functions) by use of voltage controlled amplifiers that change gain according to the level of control voltages sent to them by the computer.
VCA Fader - A fader with a VCA in its case arranged so that in manual operation the slide of the fader controls how much control voltage is sent to the VCA and therefore controls the channel gain.
VCA Group - Several VCA faders that are fed control voltages from a group master slide.
VCA Master - One slide feeding control voltages to several VCA's to control the gain in several audio channels.
VCA Trim - One control in an audio system (such as a console) which can adjust the control voltage feeding all VCA's, usnally with limited range.
VCO - An abbreviation for: 1) Voltage Control Oscillator (an oscillator that generates an AC control voltage, usually a low-frequency oscillator putting out a signals between .1 Hz and 10 Hz). 2) Voltage Controlled Oscillator (an oscillator that changes its frequency according to a control voltage feed to its control input).
Velocity Message - In synthesizers and keyboard controllers, a MIDI message giving data on how hard the key was struck.
Velocity Microphone - Another name for Pressure Gradient Microphone (a microphone whose diaphragm is exposed front and back and its movement is caused by the small pressure differences between the front and back of the diaphragm).
Velocity Sensitive - A term with the same meaning as the term Touch Sensitive (capability of a synthesizer keyboard to generate a MIDI velocity message, giving data on how hard the key was struck).
Vertical Interval Code - SMPTE Time code that is recorded as part of the video signal (in the black area between picture frames) so that the time code numbers can be displayed on screen during editing.
VGD - An abbreviation of "very good take", used when writing down the takes recorded on a tune.
Vibrato - A smooth and repeated changing of the pitch up and down from the regular musical pitch, often done by singers.
Virtual Tracking - 1) In MIDI Systems: Having a MIDI sequencer operate in sync with a multitrack tape and controlling the playing of synthesizers along with the recorded parts. 2) In Hard Disk Multitrack Recorders: A track that cannot be played simultaneously with other tracks in the same group. For Example, if "track 8" had 4 "virtual tracks", then only one of these 4 virtual tracks could play back at any one time.
Vocal Booth - A isolation room used for the vocal so that other instruments in the studio do not leak into the vocal microphone or to reduce ambience and reverberation in the vocal recording.
Vocoder - (tradermark) An effects device that will modulate (control) one signal with another.
Voice - 1) In synthesizers, a pitch that can be played at the same tine as other pitches are sounded. 2) In Yamaha synthesizers, a term meaning the same thing as Sound Patch (one sound that can be created by the synthesizer).
Voice Over - The recording of vocal announcements over a bed of music in commercials.
Voc. - An abbreviation for Vocal used on track sheets.
Volatile Memory - Computer memory that will be lost when the computer is turned off.
Volt Meter - A meter that can test the level of voltage.
Voltage - The electrical force pushing electrons to obtain electrical current.
Voltage Control Oscillator - An oscillator that generates an AC control voltage, usually a low-frequency signal bctween .1Hz and 10 llz.
Voltage Controlled - A device that will change its output according to the amount of control voltage sent to its control input.
Voltage Controlled Amplifier - An amplifier that will change gain according to the level of control voltage sent to it.
Voltage Controlled Attenuator - Similar to a voltage controlled amplifier except that the amplifier will, with no control voltage sent to it, have no gain and no loss; as an increasing control voltage is sent to it, the amplifier reduces gain (causing a loss of signal strength).
Voltage Controlled Fader - Full name for VCA Fader (a fader with a VCA in its case arranged so that in manual operation the slide of the fader controls how much control voltage is sent to the VCA and therefore controls gain.
Voltage Controlled Filter - A filter (especially a low-pass filter) that will change its cutoff frequency according to a control voltage fed to its control input.
Voltage Controlled Oscillator - An oscillator that changes its frequency according to a control voltage fed to its control input.
Volume - 1) A common, non-technical term meaning Sound Pressure Level, and loosely applied to also mean audio voltage level. 2) Shon for the term Volume Control (a gain control ofan amplifier).
Volume Control - A gain control of an amplifier.
Volume Envelope - How a musical instrument sounding a pitch changes in volume over time.
Volume Unit - A unit that is designed to measure perceived loudness changes in audio. The unit is basically the decibel change of the average level as read by a VU Meter. The movement of the VU Meter is designed to approximately match the ear's response to changes in level. Abbreviated VU
Volume Pedal - A guitar pedal used to change the volume of an instrument (or a similar device used with other instruments, such as an organ).
Vox - An abbreviation meaning Vocal, used on track logs.
VSO - An abbreviation of the term Vacuum Tube Volt Meter (a device that measures the electrical voltage and uses a vacuum tube to drive the indicator so that testing the circuit does not load the circuit.
VU - Short for the term Volume Unit (a unit that is designed to measure perceived loudness changes in audio).
VU Meter- A meter that reads audio voltage levels in or out of a piece of equipment and is designed to match the ear's response to sudden changes in level.