|
| 33:A record that plays at 33 and one third rpm |
| 45:A record that plays at 45 rpm. |
|
| Acapella:A track containing only vocals |
| Adapter:Any piece of hardware that allows two disparate pieces of equipment to work together. The RPM adapter is an example. |
| Amplifier, Amp:This device amplifies (makes larger or increases) the signal from the mixer so that a pair (or pairs) of speakers can be powered. Some speakers are "self-powered," with built in amplifiers, but the majority require a separate amp to operate. |
| Analog:Of, relating to, or being a device in which data are represented by continuously variable, measurable, physical quantities, such as length, width, voltage, or pressure. The opposite of digital. |
| Anthem: A track with a serious tone, having a dramatic crescendo, or build. Also a very well-known track that has come to typify a certain genre due to its popularity. Originally referred to choral arrangements, and other religious songs of praise. |
| Aux, Line in:Abbreviation for auxiliary, meaning secondary or supplementary. In the case of DJ equipment such as a mixer or amplifier, the aux socket allows a secondary piece of equipment to be plugged in, a CD player for example. If you would like to record yourself mixing, your mixer should connect to the AUX socket on your hi-fi or stereo. |
|
| Beat:A unit of rhythmical noise in music, it can be made up of several notes or fractions of a note. The most common beats come four per bar (a 4/4 time signature). |
| Bias:When the crossfader or cue mix is output at a higher volume on one channel it is said to be biased to that channel. e.g. If the crossfader is more to the right hand side. It is more biased to the right channel than it is to the left. |
| Blend, to:When a DJ mixes two tracks during the ambient or beatless part of one or both tracks, they are blending the two tracks, as opposed to beatmatching or any other method of mixing. |
| Body:The main part of a track's tune - between the build up and the breakdown. |
| Booth:The area where the DJ, turntables, mixer and other equipment are located at an event. |
| Booth output:The cable running from the mixer to the DJ's monitor, which allows the Dj to hear what they're doing. |
| BPM:Short for beats per minute. The bpm indicates the speed of an individual track. An easy way to count the bpm of a track is to count the number of beats in a 15 second timeframe and multiply that by 4 to get the number of beats in one minute. This is not especially accurate, and electronic beat counters are available to do this also. |
|
| Can light:Canister light. |
| Cartridge:Also: Cart. The main component of the needle where vibrations from the stylus are converted into an electrical impulse. They're attached to the end of the tonearm |
| CD:Compact disc. |
| CDR:Recordable compact disc. |
| CDRW:Re-recordable compact disc. |
| Center spindle:Or spindle. This is the blunt spike that points vertically from the center of a turntable. To play a record you place the hole in the middle of the record on the spindle.The spindle can be manipulated with the fingers to make fine adjustments to the speed of a record when beatmatching. |
| Channel:One line on a mixer, representing one turntable's output into the system. |
| Channel fader:The channel faders allow you to control the individual volume of each channel by the use of a slider or knob. |
| Channel selector:This allows you to choose between different input sources you have plugged into the back of your mixer. |
| Coffin:This is a heavy-duty case for carrying DJing equipment. Usually designed to carry two turntables and a mixer in a long shallow case resembling a coffin. The lid can be completely removed so that you can use your equipment with out having to take it all out and there are many different styles and brands available. |
| Contract: A very important piece of paper to the DJ, promoter and their agents. When properly worded this form legally binds them to the agreement they've made regarding fees, accommodation, transportation and so on. |
| Crossfader:Also: fader, x-fader. The crossfader is the main component of the mixer allowing you to fade between individual channels or play two channels simultaneously |
| Cue level:The cue level controls the volume of sound playing through the headphones. Normally found on the mixer. |
| Cue mix:The cue mix allows you to hear what is being played on each channel through the headphones. You can also listen to both channels simultaneously and some mixers allow you to pan between the cue and what is currently being heard through the main speakers. |
| Cue, to:The act of finding the phrase within the next record you intend to play in the headphones. |
|
| dB, decibel:the official unit used to measure the level of sound. This measurement is logarithmic to follow the response of the human ear. dB is a relative measurement to compare one level to another, for example gain from input to output. dBu is an absolute measurement referenced to a voltage standard where 0dBu = 0.775V rms. The console main outputs operate at 0dBu = '0' reading on the meters. |
| DDR:Dance Dance Revolution is a music video game series produced by Konami. |
| DJ:Disk jockey. |
|
| Filter:Also: effects. A device by which a tune can be modified on output without altering it's tempo - many mixers come with effects filters, such as flange, reverb, echo etc. which can be applied to one or more channels at will to alter the sound of the track. Additional effects devices can also be routed through your mixer to add filters to tunes while you play. |
|
| Headphones:Placed on your head so you can hear an incoming track while mixing, headphones are an essential part of DJing. Choose a good quality pair with closed backs for better bass response and their ability to shut out external noise. Sony® makes good headphones |
| Hi-fi:Abbreviation for high fidelity. The reproduction of sound using electronic equipment that gives a faithful reproduction with little or no distortion. |
| Hip Hop:Hip hop is a cultural movement that began among urban African American and Latino youth in New York. The four main elements of hip-hop are MCing, DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing. Some consider beatboxing the fifth element of hip hop; others might add political activism, hip hop fashion, hip hop slang or other elements as important facets of hip hop. The term has since come to be a synonym for hip hop music and rap to mainstream audiences. They are not, however, interchangeable - rapping (MCing) is the vocal expression of lyrics in sync to a rhythm beneath it; along with DJing, rapping is a part of hip hop music. |
|
| Input selector:The input selector is found on the mixer normally situated along side the channel fader. The input selector enables you to switch from different input sources, another turntable or CD player for example. This means that a mixer with two channels can make use of more than two inputs. |
| Input sockets:Or inputs, ins. The input sockets can be found on the back of the mixer and on other pieces of audio equipment. In general terms this where you can plug things in. |
| Intro:The beginning of a track before the main theme is introduced. |
|
| Jack:The receptacle for a plug found on a mixer, amp etc. |
|
| Kill switch:These switches will instantly drop one channel's output, or the bass, mid range or treble of a channel, from the mix at the flick of a switch - useful for effects where the DJ drops one track out for a bar, or a beat or more. Kill switches accomplish this more cleanly than trying to slide the crossfader over quickly. |
|
| LED: LED stands for light emitting diode. LED's are often used in the output display as a means of indication of the channel volume levels. |
| Levels:The relative levels of highs, mids and bass output through the channels of a mixer when DJing. If you're asked by a sound engineer, the owner of the sound system or another interested party to "check your levels" you should take that as a subtle hint that you are playing with too much treble, bass ect. and should adjust the equalizers to improve the sound of your set. If someone takes the extreme measure of stepping behind the decks and adjusts the levels on your mixer for you, they are either being quite rude, or your ignorance of your levels is so great that the equipmnt is at risk of blowing. |
| Line, Aux:Input socket commonly found on DJ equipment (mixers etc.) and high quality audio equipment allowing line devices such as CD players to be connected. |
| LP:Acronym for long player. A long-playing phonograph record, designed to be played at 33.3 rpm |
|
| Master volume:This slider or knob controls the overall volume that will be pumped out through the speakers. |
| MC:Master of Ceremonies. This is the individual that speaks or raps over the music. Very popular in hip hop and jungle genres. |
Mix:1. Noun. A mix is when two songs are mixed together using beatmatching, beat juggling or a simple fade across the breaks in two tracks. It can be as long or short as the DJ likes. DJs often try to make their mixes as individual and as interesting as possible.
2. Verb. "To mix" is the act of creating a mix. |
| Mixer:One of the main pieces equipment needed to DJ. The mixer allows you to combine two separate sound sources and play them as one. |
| Monitor:A speaker in the DJ booth that allows the DJ to hear whet they're doing. |
|
| Needle:Colloquial term for a stylus. |
|
| Output display:This is the LED display that shows which channel the crossfader has more bias towards, and/or the level of the master volume. |
|
| PA:Abbreviation for Public Address System. In short this is the equipment used to get the show on the road such as, your speakers, amp, and subs etc. |
Pitch:1. The relative position of a tone within a range of musical sounds is determined by pitch.
2. The percentage speed at which a track is playing on a turntable relative to it's intended speed. The pitch can be altered using the pitch control and is referred to as "plus 4" or "minus 6," etc. |
| Projector:Takes a video signal and projects your slide shows, videos or photos cds on a projection screen using a lens system. All video projectors use a very bright light to project the image. |
|
| RCA:Cables used to connect elements in an audio setup |
|
| Sound check:Testing the sound system at an event before the event starts playing music or singing. This allows the sound to be adjusted and equalized so that is optimized for the space. |
| Strobe light:The strobe is a light that flashes on and off rapidly. The strobe light found on the turntable looks like it is on all the time but in actual fact it is flashing so fast the human eye cannot tell. This light is synchronized to the AC line frequency, and used with the strobe dots to determine the turntable's speed. |
|
| Truss: A truss is a structure used to hang lighting and sound equipment that is comprised one or more triangular units constructed with straight slender members whose ends are connected at joints. |