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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9

Acoustic Lens
In loudspeakers, a mechanical device used to improve the dispersion of high frequencies, so that dispersion is much more uniform across the audible spectrum. The lens is a product of post-World War II Bell Labs research, first described in 1949. The intent is to focus sound in much the same way that an optical lens focuses light. An axiom called Snell's law describes the refraction of sound as it passes through an interface between two materials of differing sound speed. A high-frequency loudspeaker mechanical acoustic lens spreads a single-point sound source into a parallel wave front. Originally introduced commercially by JBL in the 1950s, they appeared in two primary designs. First was the slant-plate lens, which utilizes a series of plates with carefully calculated hyperbolic shapes, which results in a horizontal response pattern. This is the most commonly seen acoustic lens type. Second is the perforated-plate lens assembly, which consists of a collection of perforated barriers at the horn mouth. These perforated screens are actually ring shaped with varying sizes of center cutouts. Although acoustic lenses gradually fell out of favor through the 1970s and 1980s (partially due to their fragility, which made them risky to use in portable sound reinforcement systems), the technology has re-emerged in some high-end home audio systems (notably Bang & Olufsen) in recent years.

A & R

A-B Stereo

A-Time

A-weighted

A/B

A/B/Y

A440

AAC - Advanced Audio Coding (also MPEG-2 AAC)

AAF

Abalam

Abalone

ABS

Absolute Phase

Absorption

Absorption Coefficient

Alternating Current (AC)

AC-1

AC-2

AC-3

AC Adapter

Academy Curve

A cappella

Accelerometer

Accent

Accent

Access Time

Accidental

Accompaniment

Accumulator

Accutronics Reverb

Acetate

Acoustic-electric Guitar

Acoustic Cloud

Acoustic Foam

Acoustic Lens

Acoustics

Acoustic Suspension

Acoustic Treatment

ACPI

Action

Actionflo

Active

Active Monitor

Active Pickup

Active Sensing

Active Speaker

Actuator

Adagio

ADAT

ADAT/FST

ADAT Optical

ADB

A/D Converter (ADC)

Additive Synthesis

Adjusto-Matic

ADPCM

ADR

ADSR

Aeolian Harp

Aerophone

AES

AES/EBU

AES3

AES3id

AES42-2001

AFL

AFM

Aftertouch

AFTRA

Agathis

AGC

 Aggregate Device

Aging Toner

Agitato

Agoya

AGP

AHDSFR

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format)

AIR

Airplane Mode

AIT

Alder

Alder

Aleatoric Music (Composition)

Algorithm

Alias

Aliasing

Alkaline Battery

All-Button Mode

All-Notes-Off

Allegro

Alnico

Alteration

Altered Chord

Altered Tuning

Alternate Mix

Alternate Tuning

Alto

AM

Ambience

Ambience Mic

Ambisonics

Amen Break

Amp

Amp

Amperage

Ampere

Amp Head

Amplifier

Amplifier, Instrument

Amplitude

Amplitude Modulation

AMS

Analog

Analog-to-Digital Converter

Analog Delay

Analog Sequencer

Analog Synthesizer

Anamorphic

Andante

Anechoic

Anode

Anodize

Anodized

ANSI

ANSI A-Weighting

Antecedent and Consequence

Antenna

Antenna gain

Anti-Imaging Filter

Anti-Aliasing Filter

Anti-node

Aperiodic

Aperture

API

Apoyando

App

Apple Talk

Application (Program)

Architecture

Archival Stability

Archive

 Archiving

Archtop Guitar

Arco

ARP Avatar

Arpeggiator

Arpeggio

ARP String Ensemble

Arrangement

Articulation

Artifact

Artificial (or Automated) Double Tracking or ADT)

ASCAP

ASCII

Ash

Ashtray Bridge Cover

ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)

ASIO

Aspect Ratio

Asperity

ASPI

Asynchronous

ATA

ATA-2

ATA 66/100/120

ATAPI

Absolute Time Code

Atonal Music

ATRAC

ATRAC

Attack

Attenuation

Attenuator

Audio

Audiobook

Audio Engineer

Audio Interface

Audiology

Audio RIP

Audio Suite

AudioUnits

Audiowire

Auditory Cortex

Auditory System

Augmented Interval

Aural

Auranomic

Author

Authorization

Authorize

Auto-Glide

Auto Accompaniment

Autolocate/Autolocator

AutoMap

Automata

Automate

Automatic Delay Compensation

Automatic Mixer

Automation

Auto Punch

Aux

Auxilliary Input

Aux In

Aux Input

Aux Return

Aux Send

AVI

AWG (American Wire Gauge)

AWM

Axe

Axial Room Mode

Azure Noise

     
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