Audio glossary (English–German)
Short definitions of terms that appear across this site, with German equivalents where they help. Definitions are brief and written for orientation, not as standards.
Sound and levels
| English | German | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| amplitude | Amplitude | size of an oscillation: peak, RMS or other measure |
| attenuation | Dämpfung | reduction in level |
| crest factor | Scheitelfaktor | peak value divided by RMS value |
| decibel (dB) | Dezibel | logarithmic unit for a ratio |
| dBFS | dBFS | decibels relative to digital full scale |
| dBu | dBu | decibels relative to 0.775 V RMS |
| dBV | dBV | decibels relative to 1 V RMS |
| frequency | Frequenz | cycles per second, in hertz |
| gain | Verstärkung | increase in level |
| headroom | Aussteuerungsreserve | margin between normal level and clipping |
| intensity | Schallintensität | acoustic power per unit area |
| level | Pegel | a quantity expressed in decibels |
| particle velocity | Schallschnelle | velocity of air particles in a sound wave |
| period | Periodendauer | duration of one cycle |
| RMS | Effektivwert | root mean square, the effective value |
| sound power | Schallleistung | total acoustic power emitted by a source |
| sound pressure | Schalldruck | pressure variation caused by sound |
| wavelength | Wellenlänge | length of one cycle in space |
Hearing
| English | German | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| equal-loudness contour | Kurve gleicher Lautstärke | levels at different frequencies that sound equally loud |
| HRTF | kopfbezogene Übertragungsfunktion | head-related transfer function |
| lateralisation | Lateralisation | perceived position inside the head, typically with headphones |
| localisation | Lokalisation | perceived direction of a sound source in space |
| masking | Verdeckung | one sound making another inaudible |
| phon | Phon | unit of loudness level |
| precedence effect | Gesetz der ersten Wellenfront | the first arrival decides the perceived direction |
| sone | Sone | unit of loudness on a linear scale |
| timbre | Klangfarbe | the quality that distinguishes sounds of equal pitch and loudness |
Microphones and stereo
| English | German | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cardioid | Niere | heart-shaped pickup pattern |
| coincident pair | Koinzidenzmikrofon | two microphones at the same point, with different axes |
| directivity | Richtwirkung | dependence of sensitivity on direction |
| figure-8 | Acht | bidirectional pattern |
| mid/side (M/S) | Mitte/Seite | stereo using a forward and a sideways microphone |
| omnidirectional | Kugel | equal sensitivity in all directions |
| phantom power | Phantomspeisung | 48 V supply of microphones via the signal lines |
| phantom source | Phantomschallquelle | image between two loudspeakers |
| polar pattern | Richtcharakteristik | pickup pattern of a microphone |
| proximity effect | Nahbesprechungseffekt | bass boost of directional microphones close to the source |
| recording angle | Aufnahmebereich | angle of the sound stage reproduced between the loudspeakers |
| spaced pair | Laufzeitstereofonie (AB) | two microphones placed apart |
| spot microphone | Stützmikrofon | microphone close to a single source or section |
Electronics
| English | German | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| balanced | symmetrisch | two signal conductors with matched impedances to ground; the signal is usually driven in opposite polarity on both, but an impedance-balanced output drives only one |
| bridging | Überbrückung | high input impedance connected to a low output impedance |
| common mode | Gleichtakt | signal present equally on both conductors |
| damping factor | Dämpfungsfaktor | load impedance divided by amplifier output impedance |
| DI box | DI-Box | converts an unbalanced instrument signal to a balanced one |
| impedance | Impedanz, Scheinwiderstand | opposition to alternating current, in ohms |
| polarity | Polarität | sign of a signal |
| unbalanced | unsymmetrisch | signal on one conductor plus ground |
Filters and equalisation
| English | German | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bandwidth | Bandbreite | width of a filter's pass band |
| cutoff frequency | Grenzfrequenz | frequency where the level has fallen by 3 dB |
| high-pass | Hochpass | passes high, blocks low frequencies |
| low-pass | Tiefpass | passes low, blocks high frequencies |
| notch | Kerbfilter | very narrow cut |
| octave | Oktave | doubling of frequency |
| Q factor | Gütefaktor | centre frequency divided by bandwidth |
| shelving | Kuhschwanzfilter | raises or lowers everything above or below a frequency |
| slope | Flankensteilheit | attenuation per octave beyond the cutoff |
| time constant | Zeitkonstante | R times C of a first-order filter |
Rooms
| English | German | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| absorption coefficient | Schallabsorptionsgrad | fraction of sound energy absorbed |
| axial mode | axiale Mode | room mode between one pair of walls |
| comb filter | Kammfilter | pattern of regular peaks and notches |
| critical distance | Hallradius | distance where direct and reverberant sound are equal |
| diffuser | Diffusor | surface that scatters sound |
| diffuse field | diffuses Schallfeld | sound field with equal energy from all directions |
| ITDG | Anfangszeitlücke | gap between direct sound and the first reflection |
| reverberation time (RT60) | Nachhallzeit | time for the level to fall by 60 dB |
| room mode | Raummode | resonance of the air in a room |
| Schroeder frequency | Schroeder-Frequenz | transition from modal to statistical behaviour |
| standing wave | stehende Welle | pattern with fixed nodes and antinodes |
Music
| English | German | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cent | Cent | one hundredth of an equal-tempered semitone |
| harmonic | Harmonische | partial at a whole-number multiple of the fundamental |
| overtone | Oberton | partial above the fundamental |
| partial | Teilton | any sinusoidal component of a sound |
| semitone | Halbton | smallest step of the equal-tempered scale |
Draft: written by an AI assistant, awaiting technical review.
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