Haas Effect
Simply stated, a factor in human hearing where delay has a much more significant effect on human perception of direction than level does. >>> further information about Haas effect.
Half Step
A pitch difference of the amount that is present between adjacent keys on a piano.
Hall
A large building designed for concerts; also called a concert hall.
Hall Programme
A setting of a digital delay/reverb effects unit that approximates concert halls. Hall programmes are characterised by a pre-delay of up to 25 ms.
Hard Disk (Hard Disc)
A storage unit for digital data that has rigid disks coated with magnetic material in a housing that includes the drive mechanism.
Hard Disk Recording
The recording of digital audio onto a hard disc.
Harmonic Distortion
The presence of harmonics in the output signal of a device which were not present in the input signal. >>> harmonic distortion and how to avoid it in a live sound situation
Harmonics
Integer multiples of a fundamental frequency, the fundamental itself being the first harmonic, its first overtone the second harmonic, etc. Attributing to instruments, voices, etc. their distinctive timbre.
Head
- In tape recording, the transducer (energy converter) that changes the audio energy from electrical energy to magnetic energy and back; also the devices that apply magnetism to the recording tape for other purposes such as in the erase head.
- The part of a device that immediately includes the transducer to change sound or audio signals from one energy form to another.
Head Amp
British name for Preamplifier (a low-noise amplifier designed to take a low-level signal, such as the output of a tape head, and bring it up to normal line level).
Headphones
Devices that can be worn on the head with small speakers that fit over the ears (or sometimes into the ears).
Headroom
- The level difference (in dB) between normal operating level and clipping level in an amplifier or audio device.
- A similar level difference between the normal tape operating level and the level where the distortion would be 3%.
- The difference, in decibels, between the peak and RMS levels in program material.
Headstock
The area of the guitar at the end of the neck where the strings are tuned.
Hearing Limitation
An inability of the ear to hear important characteristics of sound under certain conditions. Characteristics that can be affected include pitch, level, clarity, presence and direction.
Hertz
The unit of frequency. Equivalent to cycles per second. Abbreviation: Hz.
High Frequencies
The audio frequencies from 6,000 Hz and above.
High Hat
A double cymbal on a stand which can be played with a foot pedal or by the top cymbal being hit with a stick.
High Impedance
Impedance of 5,000 or more ohms.
High Impedance Cord (High Z)
A big word for an instrument cable. These cords generally have quarter-inch male ends. They tend to lose signal strength at lengths longer than 25 feet.
High Impedance Mic
A microphone designed to be fed into an amplifier with an input impedance greater than 20k ohms.
High-Pass Filter
A device that rejects signals below a certain frequency (called the cut-off frequency) and passes signals with higher frequencies.
Highs
Short for the term High Frequencies (the audio frequencies from 6,000 Hz and above).
Hi-Z
An abbreviation of the term High Impedance (impedance of 5,000 or more ohms).
Horn
- The part of the speaker that emits midrange and higher range frequencies.
- A speaker or speaker enclosure where sound waves are put into a narrow opening (by a speaker cone or driver) and the narrow opening flairs out to a larger opening.
House Sync
A synchronisation signal, such as an SMPTE time code, that is used by all recorders in the control room.
Howlback
British term for the term Feedback (the pickup of the signal out of a channel by the input of the channel or the howling sound that this produces).
Hum
The 60 Hz power line current accidentally induced or fed into electronic equipment.
Humbucker
Pickups that are coupled together to get a certain sound. >>> Further information about humbucker pickups
Hybrid
A product created by the marriage of two different technologies. Meant here as the combination of a dynamic woofer with an electrostatic transducer.
Hypercardioid Pattern
A microphone pick-up sensitivity pattern where the least sensitive pick-up point is more than 90 degrees but less than 150 degrees off-axis (usually 120 degrees).
Hz (Hertz)
- An abbreviation for the term Hertz (the unit of frequency).
- Unit of frequency equivalent to the number of cycles per second.