Parameter

Literally a factor that determines a range of variables. In our domain we come across parameters all the time. Any function of any device we can set or modify can be thought of as a parameter. This would include the volume of your guitar amp or the pan position of a channel in your mixer. More specifically, however, the word parameter has been used in things like keyboards, synthesizers, effects processors, and other software driven devices to call attention to specific aspects of any program or patch that can be modified. For example, even on simple non-programmable reverb units quite often the user can adjust the parameter known as Reverb Time. More complex and flexible devices typically have more user adjustable parameters. Some devices over the years have been thought of as too complex because too many parameters have to be understood by the user in order to make anything meaningful happen. This is one reason why in today’s sophisticated equipment we rely so much upon the factory presets to get us started and why many users never go beyond them.