Sound Vocabulary — 50 FlashcardsEasyStagecraft Course · Tier 1B · Module 2 (Speak Sound) · v1.0

You are not learning to mix a show. You are learning enough of the sound vocabulary that when the engineer says "we need to gate the snare and high-pass the vocals", you understand they're solving a real problem, not running up your bill. Each term has a definition + a "why it matters" line. Print double-sided A4 + carry in your show folder.

Section 1 · The signal chain (mic → ear)

Term	What it is	Why it matters to you
FOH (Front-of-house)	The main speakers facing the audience. Also: the mix position where the show is operated from.	"FOH" is shorthand for "audience-facing sound". When the engineer says "FOH is sitting wrong", they mean what the audience hears.
Monitor	A speaker that faces back at performers so they can hear themselves.	Different mix from FOH. Performers need their own mix; without monitors, they can't hear themselves over the band.
Wedge	A floor-standing monitor speaker, shaped like a wedge, aimed up at a performer.	Cheapest monitor option (~A$95/day). Standard for school musicals.
Sidefill	A larger speaker in the wings that fills the stage with a band/orchestra mix.	Used when wedges aren't enough (large stage, full band). More expensive than wedges.
IEMs (In-Ear Monitors)	Wireless earpieces that give each performer their own dedicated mix.	Touring-tier kit. ~A$180/day per pack. Over-spec for most school musicals.
DI (Direct Injection box)	A small box that converts an instrument signal (guitar, keys) into a balanced mic-level signal.	~A$15/day per box. Standard for plugging keys, bass, acoustic guitar into the desk.
Stage box	A multi-input box on stage that takes mic signals + sends them down a single multicore cable to FOH.	Required infrastructure. ~A$200-250/day. Standard.
Multi-core / Snake	The big cable that carries 16-32 mic signals from the stage box to the FOH mixing console.	~A$50/day. Standard.
Patch bay	A panel of input/output jacks for routing signals between equipment.	Infrastructure item. Not separately billable.
Console / Desk / Mixer	The mixing console at the FOH position where the show is operated.	The most expensive single item in a sound hire. Range A$160-720/day depending on tier.

Section 2 · Microphone types + character

Term	What it is	Why it matters to you
Condenser microphone	A sensitive mic with internal electronics. Needs phantom power. Captures detail well.	Choir, orchestra spot mics, drum overheads. ~A$25/day.
Dynamic microphone	A robust mic with no internal electronics. No phantom power needed.	Vocals, drums (kick, snare), guitar amps. ~A$15/day. The workhorse mic (SM58 family).
Ribbon microphone	A vintage-style mic with a thin metal ribbon. Smooth + warm tone.	Rarely used in school work. If quoted, ask why.
Capsule	The actual microphone element. On wireless headsets the capsule is interchangeable.	If a headset mic sounds bad, ask "can we swap the capsule?" — A$50 fix vs A$180 new headset.
Polar pattern	The shape of a microphone's pickup field. Common: cardioid (front), supercardioid (tight front + back rejection), omnidirectional (all around).	Different patterns suit different jobs. Cardioid for vocals, omni for boundary mics. Don't engage in the choice — just understand the term.
Phantom power (+48V)	Power supplied by the console to condenser mics down the mic cable.	If a condenser mic isn't working, "is phantom on?" is the first question. 5-second fix.
Wireless / Radio mic / RF mic	A wireless microphone using radio frequency. Lead actors wear these.	~A$140-180/day per channel. Largest line item after the console. Quote-pad watch zone.
Headset mic / Madonna mic	A skin-coloured boom mic worn over the ear. Used by lead actors.	Hire usually includes the headset + RF body-pack + receiver as a bundle.
Lavalier / Lav mic	A small mic clipped to clothing or hidden in a wig.	Alternative to headset. Same hire cost. Quieter pickup; better for plays, less ideal for musicals.

Section 3 · Console controls + routing

Term	What it is	Why it matters to you
Gain / Trim	The first amplifier stage in a channel — sets how loud the input signal arrives at the channel.	Set during sound-check. Don't touch during the show.
Fader	The vertical slider that controls a channel's output level into the FOH mix.	The operator's main moment-by-moment instrument.
Aux send	A separate output from a channel, used for monitors + effects.	A monitor mix is built from aux sends. More aux sends = more independent monitor mixes.
Bus / Group	An intermediate routing layer for combining multiple channels (e.g. all drum mics into one drum bus).	Helps the operator control groups of channels with one fader.
Matrix	Output combinations of FOH + monitors + groups, often for recording or broadcast.	Tour-grade feature. For school work, usually not needed.
FX rack / FX bus	A routing path through effects processors (reverb, delay).	Built-in on all modern digital consoles. Not a separate hire item.
Comp / Compressor	An effect that reduces dynamic range — quiet bits get louder, loud bits get tamed.	Standard on lead vocal mics. Routine use.
EQ (Equaliser)	Tools to boost/cut specific frequency ranges (bass, mid, treble).	Used to shape every channel's tone + fix feedback. Routine.
HPF (High-Pass Filter)	An EQ that cuts the low frequencies below a set threshold.	Standard on vocal mics — cuts stage rumble + breath noise. Don't worry about it.
Gate / Noise gate	An effect that silences a channel until the signal exceeds a threshold.	Used on drum mics to stop them picking up other drums. Routine.
Sidechain	Routing a compressor's trigger from one channel to another (e.g. ducking music when the announcer speaks).	Pro engineering. Don't engage.
Reverb	An effect that adds artificial room acoustics.	Standard on vocals. Built-in to every console.
Delay	An effect that produces echoes.	Standard on lead vocal in certain musical numbers.

Section 4 · The speaker side

Term	What it is	Why it matters to you
Top box / Main speaker	The full-range speaker that produces most of the audience sound.	Typically 2 (left + right) flanking the proscenium. ~A$110/day each.
Sub / Subwoofer	A speaker dedicated to bass frequencies (below ~80Hz).	Adds weight to the mix. 1-2 subs for a school theatre. ~A$150/day each.
Point source	A single speaker box. Standard for small + medium venues.	Right answer for school theatres (under 600 seats).
Line array	Multiple speaker boxes stacked vertically.	Touring/large-venue kit. Almost always over-spec for school work.
Centre cluster	A centre speaker over the stage, used when L/R coverage is poor.	Sometimes needed in wide auditoriums; ask if proposed.
Fill / Out-fill	Extra speakers for hard-to-reach seating positions (side galleries, balcony).	Sometimes legitimate; ask "which seats need fill?"
Crossover	A processor that splits the signal between top speakers + subs at a specific frequency.	Built into modern systems. Not a separate line.
Amplifier / Amp	The device that drives speakers. Usually built into modern active speakers.	Passive speakers need separate amps. Active speakers don't. Most school hire = active.
Time-align / Delay-align	Adjusting timing between speakers so sound arrives at the listener at the right moment.	Engineer task. You don't engage but it's a legit time investment (~30 min of setup).

Section 5 · Quality, level, signal integrity

Term	What it is	Why it matters to you
Mic level / Line level	Signal strength categories. Mic level is very weak; line level is strong.	Mismatched levels = distortion or no sound. Engineer task.
Balanced / Unbalanced	Cable types. Balanced = noise-rejecting (XLR, TRS). Unbalanced = consumer-grade (TS, RCA).	Almost everything in pro audio is balanced. Cheap consumer cables = noise.
Ground loop / Hum	A 50Hz buzz caused by two devices on different earth potentials.	Common + fixable. Engineer's job to diagnose.
Hiss	High-frequency noise from a poorly-gain-staged channel.	Sign of bad gain structure or a marginal mic. Engineer fixes.
Feedback / Howl	The howling tone caused when a mic picks up its own speaker output.	Caused by mic-too-close-to-speaker or too much gain. Engineer's first priority to eliminate during soundcheck.
Phase / Polarity	Whether two mics on the same source are in-time with each other.	Phase issues cause hollow or thin sound. Engineer task.
Latency	Delay between input and output, usually in milliseconds.	Digital consoles have 2-5ms latency. Inaudible unless cumulative through many processors.
Sample rate	How many digital samples per second (44.1kHz or 48kHz typical).	Set at the console. Not your problem.
Bit depth	Digital precision (24-bit standard).	Same — engineer setting.

Section 6 · Production language

Term	What it is	Why it matters to you
Soundcheck	Pre-show session to set levels, check every mic, set monitor mixes.	Typically 60-90 min for a musical. Less = risky.
Linecheck	A simple "is every mic working?" check, faster than a full soundcheck.	Usually 15-30 min, run before each show day.
RF coordination	Setting wireless mic frequencies so they don't interfere with each other or with local TV signals.	ACMA-compliant in AU. 30-60 min one-time setup. Not a recurring cost.
Sound op	The person operating the console during the show.	~A$50/hr. Manages the show on the fly.
System engineer	The person who designs + tunes the PA system on bump-in day.	~A$165/hr or A$1,300/day. Doesn't sit through every show.
Snapshot / Scene	A saved state of the entire console — every fader, EQ, send.	One scene per song/scene. Recalled at scene change.
Recall	Loading a saved scene back into the console.	Standard digital-console feature.
FX show / Sound cue	A pre-recorded effect (door slam, thunder, voice-over) triggered during the show.	Built in QLab or similar. Routine for plays + musicals.

How to use these flashcards

The deck has 50 terms. Run through it twice.

• Pass 1: read each term + definition. Cover the "why it matters" column.
• Pass 2: write a sentence using each term as you'd actually say it to your sound engineer.
• If you can't write a sentence for a term, mark it. Re-read those tomorrow.

The goal is the same as for lighting: drop any term in context without hesitating. After that, the conversation with the sound engineer becomes informed, not adversarial.