Glossary: Odd-order Harmonic Distortion

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Odd-order Harmonic Distortion: The best-known form of distortion is "harmonic distortion," where the output of an audio signal contains additional components that occur at the natural harmonics of the input. When a device clips, the waveform is generally flattened. Analog devices tend to gently flatten the waveform and produce what we think of as saturation. When a digital device clips, it does so by chopping off the tops of the waveforms abruptly. If this flattening is symmetrical, it produces odd-order harmonic distortion at the third and fifth harmonics. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize this does not sound good at all. Even small amounts will be audible and unpleasant.

Oblique Room Mode	Occlusion	Octave
Octo Bass	Odd-order Harmonic Distortion	OEM
OFC	Off-Axis	Off Line
Offset	Ogg Vorbis (.ogg)	Ohm
Ohm's Law	Okoume	OMF (OMFI)
Omnidirectional	Omni Mode	OMS
On-Axis	One-off	One-shot Sample
Op Amp	Opcode	Open
Open Air	Open Chord	Open C Tuning
Open Mic	Open Source	Open TL
Open Tuning	Open Voicing (or Spread Voicing)	Opera Buffa
Operating System	Operator	Optical Compressor
Optical Media	Opto-isolator	Orange Book
Oratorio	Orbiter	Orchestrion
Orchestrions	Organ	ORTF
Orville Gibson	OS	OSC
Oscillator	Oscillator Sync	Oscilloscope
Ossicles	Ostinato	OS X
OTP	Out of Phase	Ovangkol
Overdrive	Overdub	Over Easy
Overheads	Over(s)	Oversampling
Overshoot / Undershoot	Overtone	Overture
Overview	OXFW911	Oxide