Actuality (Acts, Ax): Short excerpt of recorded interview you will use in your radio story. Normally typically 8 – 20 seconds. Alt: Voice cut, cut. (In TV: bite, soundbite)
Ambient Sound (Ambi): Recorded sound of environment in which an event or interview takes place. Used as a layer of sound under acts and tracks. Alt: Natural sound, nat sound, room tone.
Billboard: Usually the first 59 seconds of a show w/theme music, when a host briefly promotes what’s to come in the program. Designed to keep audience listening.
Button: A short (5 – 30 seconds) of music that serves as a transition between programming, often before commercial breaks or between segments. Alt: Zipper, Curtain
Equalizing (EQing, EQ): Changing the sound of audio by adding (amplifying) or reducing (attenuating) specific frequencies in the audible spectrum.
Feature: A longer, more in depth report that includes actualities, tracks (narration) and usually sound of some sort, including ambi. Typically 2 minutes or longer.
Hybrid (Telephone Hybrid): Device used to record phone interviews (in the studio and voice booth).
In cue (IC): First words of a piece of recorded audio written out in a script. Helps a host know how to introduce tape.
ISDN: Integrated Switched Digital Network (a “backronym from German). Special equipment (CUNY has one) that connects two radio studios over a high-fidelity telephone line. Used for remote interviews.
Mixing: Organizing and combining actualities with Ambi and tracks to make one smooth new track. Typically done with digital audio editing software, or a Sound Board.
Mix Minus: Shorthand for “the audio mix, minus oneself.” Required during ISDN interviews and phoners, this mix allows a remote source to hear the conversation but not the delay of their own voice coming back to them.
Off Mic: #BadAudio Sound poorly recorded because the source is not close enough to the microphone.
Outcue (OC): Last words of a piece of recorded audio written out in a script.
Mult-Box: Used for press conferences, this device allows many reporters to plug directly into the main mix, usually near the sound board rather than the actual person speaking.
Phoner: Phone interview recorded using a hybrid. Poor sound quality compared to a tape-sync or ISDN.
Plosive: #BadAudio Distortion caused by air hitting the microphone do to incorrect mic placement. Happens on sounds like P and B.
Reader (Host Reader): A news script written by reporter but read by program host, usually during a newscast. Alt: copy, host copy
Reader w/tape: News script written by reporter that includes an actuality or Ambi, and is read by program host. Distinct from a wrap. Alt: cut and copy, cut/copy, tape and copy
A Remote: An interview, broadcast or report where audio comes in from another location.
Render = Mixdown = Bounce = Mix Different editing programs have different names for the final process of consolidating all the components of a radio story into one file.
Rundown: Document with the basic information about the order, length and content of programming. Usually includes story summaries, tape used, reporter names and breaks.
Sound Bed (Music Bed, Ambi Bed): A track of audio that is layered under narration or program audio so the audience hears a reporter speaking over sound of an event he is not at anymore, or a host talking over music.
Sound Board (the Board): The main hub of a live audio mix, this device is used by a sound engineer to control multiple streams of audio at once, including volume, EQ, and Mix Minus.
Spot: A recorded news story during a newscast written and spoken by a reporter. It has no actualities but does require a host intro. Alt: Voicer
Tape: Anachronistic but prevalent shorthand for audio. Can refer to anything from actuality or ambi or anything else you recorded.
Tape Synch: An interview conducted over the phone where one someone is with the source on the other end of the phone recording that end of the conversation, then sends the audio to the reporter to combine with reporter recording their end. Distinct from a phoner or ISDN interview. Alt: Double Ender
Tracks: (1) Reporter narration for a spot, wrap or feature. (2) Can also refer to the horizontal rows where sound files are displayed in your digital audio editing software. (3) As a verb, to record your narration.
Wrap (Wraparound): A news script written and read by a reporter that includes an actuality. The reporter’s voice comes before and after the act, “wrapping around” it. Like a spot with an actuality.
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