M-N

M

Magnetic-Planar Speakers
A type of speaker that uses a flat diaphragm with a voice coil etched or bonded to it to radiate sound. If the magnets are both in front of and behind the diaphragm, it becomes a push-pull magnetic-planar.

Mastering
A process by which a mixed-down piece of music is given a final sonic and electronic buff; the final step before the track is burned onto CD.

Maximum power rating
A meaningless specification.

Megacycle
A unit of measure for processor clock frequency. This is a benchmark specification that provides some insight into the computing speed and performance capability of a computer.

Melody line
Single-note, instantly recognizable motif that conjures up a specific musical atmosphere.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
Created in 1982, this is the industry standard governing the transmission of control commands for electronic music instruments and studio devices.

MIDI adapter
A cable connector that turns the game-port of an audio card into a MIDI port.

MIDI event
A term used to describe an individual command or message sent via MIDI.

MIDI hardware
Any MIDI-compatible device.

MIDI instruments
Sound generators that can be played via MIDI.

MIDI interface
Accessory that connects MIDI devices to the computer.

MIDI keyboard
A keyboard used to play MIDI sound generators. It may or may not be equipped with an audio generator.

Midrange
A speaker, (driver), used to reproduce the middle range of frequencies. A midrange is combined with a woofer for low frequencies and a tweeter for high frequencies to form a complete, full-range system.

Mixer
A device that lets you voice or shape the signals of several audio sources and converge them into a single master audio signal.

Mixman
Software for the arrangement of music tracks on the basis of drum loops and other sampled phrases, distributed by Steinberg.

Monitoring environment
Combination of loudspeakers and amp by which audio signals are made audible.

Monopole
Any speaker that encloses the backwave of the speaker device even though part of this backwave may be released via a port or duct. The primary radiation at most frequencies will be from the driver front. If the driver is not enclosed it becomes a dipole.

MOSFET
Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors. Used in most modern, quality car audio amplifiers in the power supply (and sometimes in the output stage). MOSFET's run cooler than normal bipolar transistors, and have a faster switching speed.

MP3 (MPEG 1 Layer 3)
A data reduction process for audio files developed by Fraunhofer Institute; it has become the established format for distributing music over the Internet.

Muddy
Listening term. A sound that is poorly defined, sloppy or vague. For example, a "muddy" bass is often boomy with all the notes tending to run together.

Muting
To greatly decrease the volume level. Many receivers and pre-amplifiers have a muting control which allows the volume level to be cut way down without changing the master volume control. Great for when the phone rings.

Multimedia software
Programs for playing back or processing static images, audio and video.

Multi-tracking
This describes a process in which several tracks are played back simultaneously, which allows a song to be recorded step by step rather than all at once.

Musician's portal
Website on which musicians can publish music and swap stories with other musicians.

Music production
The full sweep of musical activity involved in going from an idea to a finished song.

N

Noise
Any background noise, hissing, or interference caused by other computer components such as hard disks.

Non-destructive editing
Audio data on the hard disk remains in its original state, meaning that it is not physically changed during the editing.

Nonlinearity
What goes into a system comes out changed by its passage through that system-in other words, distorted. The ideal of an audio component and an audio system is to be linear, or nondistorting, with the image on one side of the mirror identical to the image on the other side.

Normalize
A process by which the volume of an audio file is boosted to peak level.