VCE Vet Music Sound Production flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Duty of care

The shared legal obligation of employers to provide a safe workplace and of workers to take reasonable care for their own and others' safety.

85 dB(A) exposure limit

The average noise exposure level over an eight-hour working day that must not be exceeded; each 3 dB increase halves the permitted exposure time.

Hierarchy of control

The order of risk controls from most to least effective: eliminate, substitute, isolate, engineer, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment.

Musician's earplugs

Hearing protection with flat attenuation across frequencies, preserving the perceived tonal balance of music better than foam plugs, which cut highs excessively.

Notifiable incident

A serious injury, illness, or dangerous occurrence that must be reported to the work health and safety regulator, usually immediately after it happens.

Inverse square law

For a point source in free space, doubling the distance reduces sound pressure level by approximately 6 dB because energy spreads over a larger area.

Balanced connection

A three-conductor cable carrying hot, cold, and shield, where common-mode noise is cancelled at the receiving input, allowing long cable runs.

Phantom power

A +48 volt DC supply sent along the microphone cable to power condenser microphones and active direct boxes without a separate power lead.

Nyquist theorem

The sampling rate must be at least twice the highest frequency of the signal to capture it accurately; 44.1 kHz captures up to 22.05 kHz.

Impedance bridging

A connection rule where the input impedance of the receiving device is at least ten times the output impedance of the source, maximising voltage transfer.

Gain structure

The management of signal level through each stage so peaks sit below clipping and above the noise floor, typically peaking near minus twelve decibels full scale.

Over-under coiling

A cable coiling technique alternating direction each loop, preventing kinks and twists and allowing the cable to unroll straight without tangles.

3:1 microphone rule

When using multiple microphones on separate sources, each mic should be at least three times farther from the other source than from its own.

Cardioid pattern

A directional microphone pickup pattern most sensitive at the front and least sensitive at the rear, used to reject stage monitors and reduce feedback.

Maintenance register

A log recording equipment faults, repairs, and servicing dates, used to track reliability and schedule preventative maintenance before failures occur.

Headroom

The margin between the normal operating level and the maximum level before clipping, allowing transient peaks to pass without distortion.

Compressor ratio

The amount of gain reduction applied above the threshold, expressed as input change to output change, such as four to one.

Crossfade

A short overlapping fade between two audio regions that prevents clicks at edit points and smooths the transition between takes.

Dithering

Low-level noise added when reducing bit depth to randomise quantisation error, preserving low-level detail and reducing distortion on export.

Reference monitoring

Checking a mix on several playback systems and at different volumes to confirm the balance translates beyond the studio's main monitors.

Gain before feedback

The maximum amplification achievable before the system self-oscillates; it increases when microphones are placed away from loudspeakers.

Input list

A document listing every channel required for a performance, including source, microphone or direct box type, and notes for the engineer.

Stage plot

A diagram showing performer positions, instruments, monitors, and power needs on stage, used to plan load-in and cable runs.

In-ear monitors

Personal earpiece monitors fed by a dedicated mix send, providing isolation from stage volume and consistent levels for the performer.

Line check

A systematic confirmation that every input, output, and monitor send is working and routed correctly before sound check or performance.

Sound recording copyright

The copyright in the captured audio of a performance, usually owned by the performer or label, separate from the composition copyright.

Mechanical royalty

A payment for reproducing a musical composition onto a recording or physical format, collected and distributed through licensing arrangements.

Moral rights

Personal rights of attribution, integrity, and against false attribution, which protect the creator's reputation and generally cannot be assigned.

Sample clearance

Permission obtained from both the composition owner and the recording owner before using an excerpt of an existing recording in a new work.

APRA AMCOS

The Australian organisation that licenses public performance and communication of musical works and distributes performance royalties to writers and publishers.

Run sheet

A timed schedule listing every cue, task, and responsible person for an event, from load-in through sound check, show, and pack-down.

Closed-loop confirmation

A communication method where the receiver repeats back the instruction so the sender can verify it was understood correctly.

Radio discipline

Short, clear, identified transmissions on a shared channel, avoiding overlapping speech and keeping the channel free for show-critical messages.