Sound Encyclopedia

A

Airy — a sound with prominent high-frequency content and a sense of space around it. Thin, open, unobstructed.

Attack — see the Glossary.

B

Bright — high in frequency content. The opposite of dark or warm. Can be harsh or clear depending on context.

D

Dark — low in frequency content. The opposite of bright. Often felt as heavy, enveloping, or threatening.

Dry — a sound with little or no reverberation. Recorded close, in a dead room. The opposite of wet.

G

Grainy — a sound with perceptible texture, not smooth. Can be the result of distortion, low bit depth, or granular synthesis.

H

Heavy — loud, low-frequency dominant, physically felt as much as heard.

M

Metallic — a sound with prominent inharmonic overtones characteristic of struck metal. Clangy, resonant, sometimes harsh.

Muffled — a sound with reduced high-frequency content, as if heard through a wall or under water.

N

Narrow — a sound that seems to occupy little space: focused, pointed. The opposite of wide.

P

Punchy — a sound with a sharp attack and short decay. Present and impactful without sustaining.

R

Resonant — a sound that sustains and rings at particular frequencies. Often associated with hollow or hard surfaces.

Rough — a sound with audible irregularities, not smooth. Can be pleasing (vintage warmth) or unpleasant (distortion).

S

Smooth — a sound without perceptible roughness or texture. Even, continuous, predictable.

Soft — quiet, gentle, low amplitude. Also sometimes used to describe a slow attack.

T

Thin — lacking low-frequency content. The opposite of full or warm.

Tinny — a sound with prominent midrange and little bass. Associated with small or cheap speakers.

W

Warm — a sound with prominent low-to-mid frequency content: full, rounded, comfortable. The opposite of bright or cold.

Wet — a sound with heavy reverberation or other effects applied. The opposite of dry.

Wide — a sound that seems to occupy much of the stereo field or physical space. Spacious, enveloping.