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master thesis: audio effect processors - terminology approach


Dear sound processing experts,

My name is Felipe Toussaint and I’m studying Terminology in the Institut Libre Marie Haps (Brussels). I’m currently working on my master thesis dedicated to the “audio effect processors” that I will have to deliver on August 19.

Approach: terminology

Theme of the master thesis : audio effect processors

Languages : English and French

Number of terms per language: around 55 terms

Objective :

  1. To gather a non exhaustive list of audio effect processors.  
  2. To organize them into a hierarchy according to some parameters in order to get a tree (diagram).
  3. To define those terms according to their places on the tree.

One of the terminology work aspect is to have the result validated by experts. This is why I’m appealing to your experience and knowledge of this precise domain. So at first, I would have liked to have a feedback on the tree that you will find enclosed. Of course, I’m open to any criticism and/or suggestions (modification, addition, suppression, etc.) (You'll find below explanations on how it has been built.)

Once a consensus found, I will be able to start writing definitions that will be sent to you in order to have them validated as well.

If this work arouses your interest, I would be glad to receive your comments.

Best regards,

Felipe Toussaint



Here are some comments about the notional Tree :

This tree is the final result of a large series of different trees!! This is a bi-branch tree dividing audio effect processors into two big groups: AMPLITUDE and TIME domains. They both represent the action of the processor on the signal: to boost and/or lower decibels of the original signal; to delay the original signal.

In order to be as precise as possible, I make for each effect processor an additional tree describing its devices and control parameters (not on the enclosed document).

Furthermore, I try to be as neutral as possible while choosing terms, leaving aside analogue and digital domains and using terms like “modulator” instead of “LFO”, etc. (don’t hesitate to make any comment).

1.      AMPLITUDE domain : in this category, we find processors that, in oreder to create a specific effect, will boost and lower the whole signal or a speicific frequency range. To do so, these processors use a number of devices (GAIN, FILTER, MODULATOR). A second categorization comes from these devices.

a.       GAIN-BASED PROCESSORS (boost or lower the whole signal)

                                                              i.      amplificateur (amplifier)

                                                            ii.      processeur de dynamique (dynamics processor)

                         1.      compresseur (compressor)

                          a.       limiteur (limiter)

                                                                           i.      écrêteur (clipper)

                         2.      expandeur vers le haut (upward expander)

                         3.      expandeur vers le bas (downward expander)

                          a.       porte de bruit (noise gate)

 

Devices : gain – détecteur de niveau (level detector)

Control parameters : seuil (threshold) – rapport (ratio) – temps d’attaque (attack) – temps de relâchement (release)

 

 

b.      FILTER-BASED PROCESSORS (boost or lower, pass or cut, a specific range of frequencies)

                                                              i.      processeur spectral (spectral processor)

                         1.      filtre (filter)

                       a.       filtre passe-bas (low-pass filter)

                       b.      filtre passe-haut (high-pass filter)

                       c.       filtre passe-tout (all-pass filter)

                       d.      filtre passe-bande (band-pass filter)

                         2.      égaliseur (equalizer)

                       a.       égaliseur paramétrique (parametric equalizer)

                       b.      égaliseur graphique (graphic equalizer)

 

Devices : filters

Control parameters : fréquence de coupure (cut-off frequency) – pente (slope) – gain (gain) – largeur de bande/facteur de qualité (bandwidth/Q factor)

 

c.       MODULATOR-BASED PROCESSOR

                                                              i.      trémolo (tremolo)

 

          2.      TIME domain: in this category, we find processors that, in order to create a specific effect, will delay the input signal. (Most of them will mix the   original version with the delayed one.) To do so, these processors use different devices (DELAY LINES, FILTERS). A second categorization comes from these devices :

 

a.      DELAY LINE BASED PROCESSORS :

                                                              i.      Délai (delay)

                                                            ii.      écho de répétition (slapback)

                                                          iii.      double

                                                          iv.      écho (echo)

                                                            v.      réverbération (reverberation)

 

Devices : ligne à retard (delay line) – régénération (feedback) – mélangeur (mixer)

Control parameters : temps de retard (delay time) – taux de régénération (feedback gain) – mélange (mix)

Other concepts : signal retardé (wet signal) – signal original (dry signal)

 

 

b.      MODULATED DELAY LINE PROCESSORS

                                                              i.      chorus

                                                            ii.      flanger

                                                          iii.      vibrato

 

Devices : ligne à retard (delay line) – régénération (feedback) – modulateur (modulator) – mélangeur (mixer)

Control parameters : temps de retard (delay time) – taux de régénération (feedback gain) – profondeur (depth) – vitesse (rate) – forme d’onde (wave shape) – mélange (mix)

Other concepts : signal retardé (wet signal) – signal original (dry signal)

 

 

c.       FILTER BASED PROCESSORS (time-varying filters)

                                                              i.      phaser

                                                            ii.      wah-wah

 

Devices : [wah-wah] filtre passe-bande (band-pass filter) – [phaser] filtre passe-tout (all-pass filter) – modulateur (modulator) - régénération (feedback) – mélangeur (mixer)

Control parameters : profondeur (depth) – vitesse (rate) – forme d’onde (wave shape) – taux de régénération (feedback gain) - mélange (mix)

Other concepts : signal retardé (wet signal) – signal original (dry signal)



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Attachment: audio effect processor_schéma notionnel.pdf
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