Recording Spaces

Glossary of terms

Below is a brief description of some of the technical terms found throughout this text. Experience has shown that although some of the terms may be familiar to many readers, they have often been misunderstood or misused. This glossary attempts to clarify the definitions of the terms in the context of their use in this book.

The decibel and sound pressure level (SPL)

Many observable physical phenomena cover a truly enormous dynamic range, and sound is no exception. The changes in pressure in the air due to the quietest of audible sounds are of the order of 20 μPa (20 micropascals), that is 0.00002 Pa, whereas those that are due to sounds on the threshold of ear-pain are of the order of 20 Pa, a ratio of one to one million. When ...