You do not need to memorize these words. Use this page when a term gets between you and the sound. The explanations describe the musical idea first, followed by the way you meet it in Volta.
Sound and synthesis#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Amplitude | The size of a signal's variation. It contributes to loudness, but does not describe perceived loudness by itself. |
| Decibel, dB | A logarithmic way to express a level difference. In a mixer, -6dB is roughly half the signal amplitude. |
| Envelope | A control shape over a note's life. ADSR means attack, decay, sustain, release. |
| Filter | A processor that changes the balance of frequencies. A low-pass filter reduces high frequencies. |
| Frequency, Hz | Repetitions per second. In an oscillator it relates to pitch; in an LFO it sets movement speed. |
| Fundamental | The base frequency of a harmonic sound. Higher harmonics are integer multiples of it. |
| Harmonic / partial | A partial is one frequency component. A harmonic is a partial at a whole-number multiple of the fundamental. |
| LFO | Low-frequency oscillator: a repeating control often heard as motion rather than a pitched tone. |
| Modulation | Using one signal to change a parameter of another sound or process. |
| Oscillator | A repeating signal source, such as a sine or saw wave. |
| Resonance | Reinforcement around particular frequencies: the edge of a filter, or the ringing modes of an object. |
| Timbre | Tone color: what helps a flute and a synth sound different on the same note. |
| Voice | One active instance of an instrument, usually created by a note. Chords and release tails can use many voices. |
Start experimenting in Build a synth sound.
Rhythm and harmony#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Beat | A regular musical pulse. bpm means beats per minute. |
| Bar / cycle | A repeating span of musical time. In the default four-beat meter, a cycle is one bar. Pattern operations can make longer periods. |
| Chord | Several pitches sounding together. c4:min is a C minor chord. |
| Groove | The feel created by timing, accents, sound choice, and their repetition. |
| Key / scale | A pitch framework. Volta's key gives scale degrees and Roman numerals their meaning. |
| Octave | A pitch interval corresponding to doubling the frequency. c5 is an octave above c4. |
| Polyphony | Several voices sounding at once, including overlapping release tails. |
| Rest | A space without a new note or hit. Write ~ in a note or drum pattern. In value patterns, rests can hold earlier values. |
| Semitone | One of twelve equal steps within the usual octave. transpose 12 moves a pattern up an octave. |
| Syncopation | An emphasis that plays against the expected strong beats. |
| Velocity | A note's strength. A patch can use vel to change volume, brightness or another property. |
| Voicing | The register and spacing of notes in a chord or ensemble. |
Hear these ideas in Rhythm and groove and Melody and harmony by ear.
Recording and mixing#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bus | A shared audio path used to combine or process several parts. |
| Compression | Level-dependent gain reduction. Settings change how it responds to attacks and sustained sound. |
| Dry / wet | Original signal / processed signal. A wet mix blends an effect into the original. |
| EQ | Equalization: changing the balance of frequency ranges. |
| Headroom | Space between signal peaks and a level ceiling. |
| Latency | A delay between an input or action and the resulting output. |
| Loudness, LUFS | A weighted measure of audio level over time. It complements peak level; it does not judge musical quality. |
| Pan / stereo width | Pan places a sound left or right. Width describes how different the left and right channels are. |
| Sample / sample rate | A sample can mean a recording, or one measured point in digital audio. Sample rate is the number of those points per second. |
| Send / insert | A send feeds a parallel path; an insert processes audio in the main path. |
| Sidechain | A signal used to control a processor. A kick can control how much another part ducks. |
| Stem | An exported part or group. Processing that depends on other tracks can behave differently when rendered alone. |
| Tail | Sound continuing after the last event, such as a release envelope or reverb decay. |
| Transient | A sound's short initial change, often the attack of a drum or pluck. |
| True peak | An estimate of peaks between stored digital samples when the signal is reconstructed. |
Put them into practice in From loop to finished track.
Words you meet in Volta#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Binding | A name for a value: melody = "c4 e4 g4". |
| Built-in | A command supplied by the language, such as play, saw, or fast. |
| Compile / Run | Check the program and prepare it for playback. A failed Run reports an error; inspect whether the previous successful version is still playing. |
| Macro | A named control you can turn and connect to several parameters. |
| Patch | The recipe for an instrument's sound. |
| Pattern | Events or values arranged in time. |
Pipe, |> | Read it as “then”: pattern |> fast 2 makes the pattern faster. |
| Scene | A selection of active tracks, optionally with parameter changes. |
| Signal | A value that can change over time, from slow movement to audio itself. |
| Track | An instrument and its events, or a sample sequence, with its controls and effects. |
| Type / unit | Information about what a value means: a note pattern, a track, a frequency, or a duration. It helps Volta catch mismatched arguments. |
For the complete syntax, use Language reference.