. Commonly used abbreviations

Abbrev Shorthand for Explanation
AB Audiobus IOS software that allows to connect audio and midi application. Currently using the IAA protocoll for inter process communication. The AB app supports AU plugins and offers application switching and application state saving and remote control (see Audiobus features)
AB3 Audiobus 3 Third version of the AudioBus protocoll
ABF Audiobus Forum The main forum for IOS musicians and developers
AD Audio Damage Company offering audio plugins
AD Attack Decay Synthesizer envelop module with attack and decay parameter
ADC Analog-to-Digital Converter Hardware to input external analog signals from guitars, synth, instruments or microphones into digital systems (see Wikipedia)
ADSR Attack Decay Sustain Release Synthesizer envelop module with standard parameters, mainly used to shape the sounds amplitude with a VCA or the overtone amount with a VCF
AM Amplitude Modulation Sound synthesis: Modulating the volume of an audio signal with another audio signal (Wikipedia)
AN Analog Physical Modeling Synthesis method of the Yamaha AN1x, one of the first physical modeling synthesizers, proprietary (see Wikipedia)
AP Auria Pro Audio and MIDI workstation app
ARP Arpeggio Synthesizer module that breaks chords into a sequence of notes
AT Aftertouch Midi message allowing to add additional pressure information to notes (per midi channel). The AT midi message affects all currently playing notes - there is a Poly Pressure midi message to allow per note pressure information
AU Audio Unit Apples audio plugin format for Audio and Midi plugins, currently version 3 (AUv3)
AU Host Audio Unit Host Application that can load plugins in the AUv3 format
AUM Audio Mixer Audio mixing app (like Audiobus) with support for user defined channel routing, supports IAAs and AUv3. AUM itself can be loaded in Audiobus to achieve state saving and process switching for IAAs
AUv3 Audio Unit Version 3 Apples audio plugin format for Audio and Midi plugins, there are several plugin subtypes types depending on the inputs and outputs of the plugin (see AU features, or for list of AUs and hosts)
BM3 Beat Maker 3 Audio and MIDI workstation app
CC Control Change Group of 119 midi message for parameter changes, sometimes also named continuous controller
CCK Camera Connection Kit Dongle to connect USB devices like audio or midi interfaces to the lightning port
CPP Chord Poly Pad MIDI chords player app with AB3 state-saving support
CV Control Voltage Analog modular synthesizers use voltages to modulate the sound generation - mainly 1 volt/octave in Eurorack Modular Synth. The counterpart in the digital world are midi CC send between plugins. (see Wikipedia)
DAC Digital-to-Analog Converter Hardware to output digital signals to analog systems like headphones, amps, speakers or tape maschines (see Wikipedia)
DAW Digital Audio Workstation Software used for recording, editing and producing audio files. (see Wikipedia)
DSP Digital Signal Processor Hardware specialized in processing digital audio signals (see Wikipedia)
EG Envelop Generator Synthesizer module generating a control voltage that varies over time. The start of the envelop is triggered by either a trigger pulse or a gate signal (see Wikipedia). There are different types of envelops like AD, ADSR
ENV Envelop Generator See EG
EXS EXS Sampler instrument format used by Logic Pro
EQ Equalizer Plugin or app adjusting the balance between frequency components (Wikipedia)
FDSP Formulated Digital Sound Processing Synthesis method similar to VAST used in the Yamaha EX5, proprietary
FF FabFilter Company offering audio plugins
FM Frequency Modulation Sound synthesis: Modulating the frequency of an audio signal with another audio signal generates interesting (often inharmonic) overtones (Wikipedia)
GB Garage Band Apples free audio and MIDI workstation app
GUI Graphical User Interface User interface that allows interaction through the use of graphical icons and visual indicators (see Wikipedia)
IAA Inter-App-Audio Apples audio / midi protocoll to connect stand-alone, fullscreen applications (see IAA features)
KPS Karplus Strong Synthesis Synthesis method where audio is generated by looping a short waveform or noise burst through a filtered delay line simulating hammered or plugged strings (see Wikipedia)
LA Linear Arithmetic Synthesis Synthesis method used by early Roland S&S ROMplers like D50, proprietary
LFO Low frequency Oscillator Synthesizer module that generates cyclic control voltages with a frequency below 20 Hz (see Wikipedia)
MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface Technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and related audio devices for playing, editing and recording music. Each midi connection supports 16 channels to unidirectional transmit information. There are 8 types of messages. (See Wikipedia)
MOD Modulation Midi CCs and analog CV signals can be used to vary/modulate sound generation parameters
MPE MIDI Polyphonic Expression Part of the latest midi standard. It defines how to apply per note pitch bend and other controllers. Basically each each note gets its own midi channel and all information on that channel are related to just that note. The midi channel 1 (or 16) is reserved for control messages - two MPE instruments may share a 16 channel midi connection
NS2 Nano Studio 2 App for IOS music production
OSC Oscillator Synthesizer module for generating audio signals. Audible signals are mainly generated by VCOs, control signals by LFOs
PB Pitch Bend Midi message to specify pitch bending - the value is applied to all playing notes of the midi channel
PC Program Change Midi message to change instrument patches (per midi channel)
PCM Pulse Code Modulation Method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals (see Wikipedia)
PD Phase Distortion Synthesis Synthesis method where the harmonic content of a carrier waveform is influenced by a waveform modulator (see Wikipedia)
PM Phase Modulation Synthesis method where the phase of a waveform is modulated by another waveform (see Wikipedia)
PM Physical Modeling Synthesis method where mathematical models simulate the physical source of the sound (see Wikipedia)
PP Poly Pressure Midi message specifying per note pressure information (per midi channel)
RCM Realtime Convolution & Modulation Synthesis method used in some Yamaha synthesizers using samples as operators in FM synthesis, proprietary
RM Ring Modulator Synthesizer module applying multiplication between audio signals resulting in inharmonic overtones
SB Sugar Bytes Company offering audio plugins
SEQ Sequencer Synthesizer module that sends out notes and control voltages in discrete steps. The sequencer itself can be triggered with a clock of lfo signal
SFZ SFZ Plain text file format that stores instrument data for software samplers Wikipedia
S&H Sample & Hold Synthesizer module that takes a sample from an input signal and holds this value until the next control pulse (see Wikipedia)
S&S Sample and Synthesis Synthesis method using short looped samples (as opposed to simple waveforms) as sound basis used in Sequential Circuits Prophet VS, Korg DW6000/8000, Roland D50 and Korg M1 (see SoundOnSound)
SWAM Synchronous Waves Acoustic Modeling Synthesis method to replicate the behavior of acoustic intruments, proprietary (see CCRMA Stanford)
UI User Interface The user interface is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur (see Wikipedia)
UXD User Experience Design User experience design (UXD, UED, or XD) is the process of enhancing user satisfaction with a product by improving the usability, accessibility, and desirability provided in the interaction with a product (See Wikipedia)
VA Virtual Analog Synthesis method that that generates the sound of traditional analog synthesizers using software algorithms by simulating the behavior of the original electric and electronic circuitry (see Wikipedia)
VAST Variable Architecture Synthesis Technology Synthesis method used by Kurzweil K2000, proprietary
VCA Voltage Controlled Amplifier Synthesizer module controlling the audio volume using control voltages. Most common modulator is an envelop generator to shape the sound
VCF Voltage Controlled Filter Synthesizer module for filtering audio signals where the cutoff frequency is controlled by a control voltage
VCO Voltage Controlled Oscillator Synthesizer module for generating audio signals where the frequency is controlled by a control volage. Often additional sound generation parameters like pulse width, slope or waveform can be controlled by other control voltages (see Wikipedia)
VL Virtual Acoustic Physical Modeling Synthesis method used by Yamaha VL70m or VL1, proprietary
VS Vector Synthesis Synthesis method where the sound is dynamically crossfaded between 4 sound sources (see Wikipedia)
Abbrev Shorthand for
AFAIK as far as i know
IIRC if i remember correctly
IMHO in my humble opinion
FAQ frequently asked questions
KISS keep it simple stupid
OT off topic
RTFM read the frigging manual
TL;DR too long; didn‘t read
  • commonly_used_abbreviations.txt
  • Last modified: 2020/11/06 09:43
  • by _ki