Author: Nicki Maslan

Grey = whole step Beige/transparent = half step

Dyes are a colored substance that chemically bonds to a substrate. Pigments, on the other hand, do not chemically bind. Dyes are often in an aqueous solution and may need a mordant so that they effectively bind with their substrate. Some dyes are soluble in certain solvents while pigments are not soluble.   Resist Dyeing […]

A compressor is an audio tool that makes soft sounds louder and louder sounds softer. Ultimately, it can help make your final mix punchier, more colorful, and balanced. Feed-Forward Circuit When a signal enters a compression circuit, it is split. One copy of the signal goes to a variable-gain amplifier. The other copy of signal […]

First off, sound is a wave. There are many types of waves – air or sound waves, waves that travel through water, waves that travel through the earth (earthquake waves or seismic waves). Waves that travel through different mediums do have some different qualities, but they also share a lot in common. Here are some […]

An equalizer is used to change the tonal quality of audio that passes through it. It does this through filter circuits and typically adjusts the gain of audio signals in specified frequency ranges. A gain increase is called a boost and a reduction in gain is called a cut. High Pass Filter A high pass […]

A diode is an electronic component with two terminals. It typically conducts current in just one direction, known as asymmetric conductance, and has low resistance in one direction and a very very high resistance in the other. Semiconductor diodes are the most common types of diodes today and consist of a crystalline piece of semiconductor […]

Reverb is a common effect used in the audio world to create a sense of space. The word “reverb” is short for reverberation. Reverb is a natural occurrence, and happens when sound waves bounce off surfaces and head out in all directions. Reverb specifically refers to early reflections of the sound waves. This is the […]

A capacitor stores electrical energy. It typically has two closely spaced metallic surfaces that are insulated from each other by a “dielectric” or non-conducting material. When a voltage is connected across the metallic surfaces, an electric field develops across the dielectric and a net positive charge collects on one surface and a net negative charge […]

A semiconductor is an electronic component that makes use of a semiconductor material, such as silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide. These materials are defined by their electrical conductivity value, which falls between a conductor like copper an an insulator like glass. Further, their resistivity falls as temperature rises (unlike metal which acts in an opposite […]

To my surprise, speakers and microphones are actually very similar – just serving opposite functions. While a speaker converts an audio wave into an air wave (what we hear), a microphone converts an air wave into an audio wave. How Does a Speaker Work? A speaker is a transducer, meaning that it transforms energy from […]