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	Patch	Patch Bay
Patch Cord	Patchlist	Patch List
Patch Mapping	Path	Paua
PCB	PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)	PCI-X
PCI Express (PCIe)	Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)	PCMCIA
PCM Deck	PD Drive	PDF
Peak	Peak Hold	Pearloid
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
Piezo	Piggyback Amp	Pigtail
Pinch Roller	Pink Noise	Pinna Effect
Pipe Organ	Pitch	Pitch Bend
Pitch Correction	Pixel	Pizzicato
Plainsong	Planar Loudspeaker	Plate
Plate Reverb	Platter	Playhead
Play List	Plectrum	Plenum
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
Port	Portamento	Portative Organ
Position	Positional Sensing	Post Production
Potential Acoustic Gain	Potentiometer	Potting
POW-r	Power	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	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-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	Purfling
Purple Heart	Push-Pull	Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)