User manual

7 Appendix
7.2 Glossary
ASIO ASIO stands for ’Audio Streaming Input Output’ and is a driver interface for soundcards
developed by the company Steinberg. With ASIO very small latency times can be achieved. The
ASIO driver is not multi-client capable. That means, different audio applications may not use
the same audio device simultaneously.
Audio Device In the field of digital audio processing, this mostly names an input or output
of an audio system, the way it appears in an audio application.
Aux In the audio world ’Aux’ or ’Auxiliary’ names an additional input or output. That means
a physical input or output or a mix signal besides the main mix signal.
Buffersize/Buffer When transporting audio data within a computer (e.g. recording or
playing back a signal), they are chopped in equal blocks called ’buffer’. That means, they
are a certain time frame out of a complete signal. The number and size of the buffer defines the
delay time (latency).
DAW DAW is the abbreviation for ’Digital Audio Workstation’ and names a software
application installed on a computer, for numerous task of sound editing or a system consisting
of one or several components for processing audio signals. E.g. a computer with software,
appropriate interfaces and connections and additional control or input devices.
Direct Sound/Direct X DirectX is a Windows
TM
system-software, which allows hardware
manufacturers, to support different input-, graphic- or sound functions with their hardware and
thereby accelerate it. DirectSound is a part of DirectX. A DirectSound driver creates less CPU
load and enables faster latency times than a standard MME driver.
Driver A driver is a package of software, consisting of a couple of single programs or a part
of a software, which ensures communication between a hardware device and other drivers or
software applications on standardized level. Certain interfaces are used doing this.
DSP DSP stands for ’Digital Signal Processing’. Most times this names an electrical
component, processing audio signals digitally. It calculates, for example, the sum of two signals
or an effect into an audio signal.
GSIF GSIF stands for ’GigaStudio InterFace’ and is a driver interface for soundcards
developed by the company TASCAM. GSIF is mainly used for the Tascam software ’Giga
Sampler’ and ’GigaStudio’.
Interface Interface names a part of a device or software, which other devices or software
applications can communicate and possibly exchange data with.
Latency Latency is, in the field of digital audio signal processing, another word for ’delay
time’. Example: if you connect a microphone signal to the SERAPH M2, it takes some time
until it comes from the SERAPH M2 input all the way to an audio application (e.g. your
recording software). Similar, it needs some time, until a playback signal of an audio application
actually can be heard at the SERAPH M2. This time is called latency and is specified in
milliseconds.
Metering Or level metering. Means the visualization of volume relations of an audio signal.
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