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PAN
An acronym for Performing Artists Network, an information network that offers a subscription and allows you access to the PAN bulletin board information system.
Papery
A kick drum sound characterized by a boost between 300 and 900 Hz.
Parametric EQ
Also known as parametric equalization, a type of equaliztion where the range of frequencies affected by cuts and boosts in level is adjustable.
Patch
A set of parameters and their values on an effect unit or synthesizer that create a specific sound. Patch originally referred to the cables, or patch cords, that were used to connect components from early synths; it now refers to a named or numbered set of parameters that can usually be altered and saved.
Patch bay
A unit that allows the user to reconfigure audio equipment connections without having to access to the rear of the unit. All inputs and outputs to the audio equipment are connected to the back of the patch bay, and patch points are provided at the front of the unit to redirect audio using patch chords.
Peak amplitude
On a graph of a sound wave, the sound pressure of the waveform peak. The amplitude of a sound wave when measured using a meter is 0.707 times the peak amplitude.
Phasey
A sound that sounds out of phase, resulting in a directionless quality and/or a flanging effect. It can be caused by picking up sound from more than one microphone, or when recording an instrument using a mic close to a surface.
Piercing
A strident, shrill sound which is hard on the ears. A piercing sound usually has peaks in the frequency response around 3 to 10 kHz.
Pinched
A sound or track with a very narrow frequency range, or a sound with peaks in the frequency response in the midrange or upper-midrange area.
Pink noise
A mixture of all frequencies between 18Hz and 1kHz.
Pitch to MIDI converter
A device that detects the pitch from a microphone or guitar and translates the information into corresponding MIDI messages (note on, pitch bend, etc.).
Polyphonic synth
A musical instrument in which two or more independent voices are capable of sounding at the same time.
Polyphony
The maximum number of notes (simultaneous pitches) a unit (keyboard, sound module, etc.) can produce at the same time.
Powerful
A sound with good bass response below about 60 Hz.
PPQ
An acronym for Pulses Per Quarter Note. Sometimes abbreviated at PPQN.
Presence
The aural characteristic of feeling that the instrument is in the listening room, or the feeling of being "up front". You can usually achieve presence or clarity with most instruments by boosting the response around 5 kHz, or between 2 to 5 kHz for low instruments, such as bass and kick drum.
Presence range
The area of the audio frequency spectrum which affects the perceived presence of the sound.
Puffy
A music track or sound sample with a bump or peak in the response around 500 Hz.
Punchy
A sound or track with a good reproduction of dynamics, having good transient response. Bass sounds can be boosted at 200 Hz, and other instruments can be boosted at around 4 to 6 kHz to add punchiness.
Quantization
The correction of rhythms in a MIDI sequence.
Additional Columns by Dan McAvinchey
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- And 3 more in the The Essentials series, view the index
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Vol. 17, No. 2: Feb.-Mar. 2012
