Glossary: Proximity Effect

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Proximity Effect: An increase in bass or low frequency response when a sound source is close to a microphone. Proximity effect is distortion caused by the use of ports to create directional polar pickup patterns, so omni-directional mics are not affected. Depending on the mic design, proximity effect may easily result in a boost of up to 16 dB, usually focused below 100 Hz. Vocalists tend to like proximity effect since it fattens up their voice, but a constantly varying bass boost can wreak havoc on headroom and carefully set levels! Obviously, if a vocalist is "eating the mic" to get proximity effect, the Inverse Square Law (WFTD 6/12) tells us that the levels the mic sees are increasing dramatically as well - distortion can easily result, from either mic diaphragm breakup or electronic overload. (You may occasionally see proximity effect referred to as "bass tip-up")

P-94	p-n Junction	P90
PACE	Pad	PAF
Page	PAIA	PAL
Palm Muting	Palo Escrito	Pan (Panning)
Pancake	Panic Button	Parabolic Reflector
Paragraphic Equalizer	Parallel/Parallel Port	Parameter
Parametric Equalizer	Parasitic Oscillation	Parity
Parlor Guitar	Partial	Partition
Pascal	Pass	Passband
Passive	Passive Radiator	Password
Paste	PA System	Patch
Patch Bay	Patch Cord	Patch List
Patchlist	Patch Mapping	Path
Paua	PC3200	PC4200
PCB	PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)	PCI-X
PCI Express (PCIe)	Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)	PCMCIA
PCM Deck	PD Drive	PDF
Peak	Peak Hold	Peak Power Handling
Pearloid	Pedal	Pedalboard
Pedal Point	Pedal Steel	Peer-to-Peer
Peghead	Penny Whistle	Pentachord
Pentatonic Scales	Pentium	Pentode
Perceptual Coding	Percussion Switch	Perfect Fifth
Perfect Pitch	Period	Perkins EQ
Permeability	Perpetual Looper	petaFLOPS
PeterGabrielizing	Pre-Fade Listen (PFL)	Phantom Channel
Phantom Image	Phantom Power	Phase
Phase Cancellation	Phase Invert	Phase Lock
Phase Locked Loop	Phase Modulation	Phase Quadrature
Phase Shifter	Phon	Phon
Phone Plug	Phono Plug	Phono preamp
Phosphor Bronze	Photona	Physical Modeling Synthesis
Pianissimo	Piano	Pick
Pick Guard	Pickup	Picofarad
Piezo	Piggyback Amp	Pigtail
Pinch Roller	Pink Noise	Pinna Effect
Pin Out	Pipe Organ	Pitch
Pitch-to-voltage Converter	Pitch Bend	Pitch Correction
Pixel	Pizzicato	Plainsong
Planar Loudspeaker	Plate	Plate Reverb
Platter	Playhead	Play List
Plectrum	Plenum	Plesiochronous
Plesiochronous	Plexi	Abbreviation for Phase Locked Loop.
Plosive	Plug-in	Plug and Play
PMPO	Pocket	Pocketing
Podcast	Point-to-Point Wiring	Point Source Monitor
Polarity	Polarize	Polar Pattern
Pole	Pole Piece	Polka
Polyester	Polyphonic	Polyphony
Polyrhythm	Polytonality	Polyurethane
Ponticello	Pop	Pop Filter
Popsicle Brace	Port	Portamento
Portative Organ	Position	Positional Sensing
Post Production	Potential Acoustic Gain	Potentiometer
Potting	POW-r	Power
Power Amp Input	Power Attenuator/Power Attenuation	Power Calibration Area
Power Chord	Power Compression	Power Conditioner
Power Cycle	Power Factor	Power Spike
Power Supply	Power Surge	PPG Wave
Peak Program Meter (PPM)	PPQN (Pulses Per Quarter Note, sometimes Parts Per Quarter Note)	PQ Subcode
P-Ram - (a.k.a. PRAM)	Pre-bend	Pre-delay
Preamp	Preamp Output	PrecedenceEffect
Pre Fade/Post Fade	Preference File	Premiere
Prepolarization	Presence	Preset
Pressure-gradient Microphone	Pressure Microphone	Pressure Wave
Presto	Primary Tones	Princess Ensemble
Print	Print-Through	Producer
Program	Program-dependent Compression	Program Change
Progression (Chord)	Progressive Hammer Action	Progressive Scan
Project-O-Sonic	Propagation	Proprietary
Protocol	Proximity Effect	PS/2
Psychoacoustics	PTP	Public Performance Right
Pull-off	Pull Down	Pulldown Menu
Pulse	Pulse Wave	Pumping
Punch	Punch Block	Punch In
Pure Tone	Pure Tone	Purfling
Purple Heart	Push-Pull	Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

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