MP3 - Comprehensive Glossary - Part I

CIR
The abbreviation for committed information rate.

circumaural headphones
Headphones that completely enclose the ear. Circumaural headphones can be either open or sealed headphones.

clipping
When a sound card’s audio circuit is overloaded a form of audio distortion occurs.

codec
Software or hardware used for encoding and decoding an audio signal.

committed information rate
The minimum data rate guaranteed to be available on a connection such as a cable modem or a frame relay circuit. Abbreviated to CIR.

cone
Component of a speaker that produces sound. Also sometimes known as a driver.

constant bitrate
One method of encoding MP3 files, by using the same bitrate throughout the file rather varying the bitrate. Abbreviated to CBR.

DAC
The acronym for digital-to-analog converter.

DAT
The abbreviation (or, to some, the acronym) for digital audio tape.

digital audio
Audio that is stored in digitalized format than in an analog format.

digital signal processor
A chip category for manipulating and altering sound. Abbreviated to DSP

digital subscriber line
A technology for high-speed transmission of data over standard copper telephone lines. Abbreviated to DSL.

digital-to-analog converter
Sound circuitry that converts a digital signal into an analog signal.

downsample
To decrease the bitrate and thus the size of an audio single.

driver
In speakers, another term of cone.

DSL
The abbreviation for digital subscriber line.

DSP
The abbreviation for digital signal processor.

dual-line modem
A modem that can bond two telephone lines together to produce a faster aggregated connection. Also known as a shotgun modem.

DVD
Digital versatile disc or digital videodisc. DVD can store up to 4.7GB on a disc.

DVD-RAM
A writable form of DVD

ear-bud headphone
Headphones earpieces that are like buds that poke or wedge into the ear.

encoder
Hardware or software used to create MP3 files from an audio stream. .

fair use
A provision in the Copyright Act that lets you use a portion of a copyrighted work “for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship or research” without infringing copyright. Fair use does not allow the unauthorised sharing of copyright intellectual property (for example, MP3 files). .

FAP
The acronym for Fire access policy.

Fraunhofer
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS-A. The German company that created the MP3 encoding method.

handle
An electronic pointer to the audio on a audio CD.

icecast
A server for streaming audio.

IFPI
The abbreviation for the International Federation of Phonographic Industries.

Internet broadcasting
Broadcasting an audio across the net, also known as webcasting.

internet radio
Another term for broadcast streaming audio.

ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network is a digital line not as fast as a DSL implemented over

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