Tone terminology - help me to get things clear

androne · 22nd March 2004

When reading reviews on gear - and I know this is kinda tricky and subjective - I find it difficult on getting a good idea of what one really means with something like 'airy', 'ballsy', 'meaty' etc...
Also, I'd like to advise and teach friends and other people about gear and stuff, but I need to be clear to do so.

Therefore, can all of you help to clarify things more for me and all other readers ?

What does it mean, things like:

Airy = ...
Coloured = ...
Warm = ...
Fat = ...
Clean = ...
Pure = ...
In-your-face/direct = ...
Raw = ...
Meaty = ...
Ballsy = ...
Defined = ...
Harsh = ...
Brittle = ...
Smooth = ...
Neutral = ...
Flat = ...
Fresh = ...
Distorted = ...
Grungy = ...
Sparkling = ...

Please, be as to-the-point as possible when giving a description, as to avoid further confusion. And dont use the above terms to explain another, of course :-)

I'm really curious what all of your explanations are, and if there's some kind of consensus possible on some of them.

Let it come!

Jules · 22nd March 2004

Here, I have done some oganizing on your list for you

Airy =
Sparkling =

Warm = ...
Fat = ...

Clean = ...
Pure = ...
Defined = ....

Coloured =

In-your-face/direct = ..
Smooth = ..
Raw = ...

Meaty = ...
Ballsy = ...

Harsh = ...
Brittle = ...

Neutral = ...
Flat = ...

Fresh = ...

Distorted = ...
Grungy = ...

Killahurts · 22nd March 2004

Jules, Your organization helps a lot, pretty much answers the question.

But why did you put smooth= with In-your-face/direct = and Raw = ...?

"I love the sound of that mix, it's so smooth and raw...

Henrik · 22nd March 2004

First, I think you understand all these terms when you've heard a lot of mics and spend a good deal of time contemplating the differences. To someone who doesn't know there is a difference between mics, these words doesn't mean anything.

I agree regarding "smooth", I wouldn't say smooth has much to do with raw or in your face (at least not in my vocabulary). If you listen to say a Royer R121 and compare it to an AKG C1000, you will know what a smooth top end means (it's the Royer that has it

) - the top is there, but it's not pointy, but rather gentle, silky...and smooth.

Of course, pretty much any mic sounds smooth compared to a C1000.

Raw/in your face means more like a strong midrange to me.

I must say that after having gathered some listening experience, and also learned what people on these forums that have a taste that is similar to mine, I've made some good purchases soley based on recommendation.

Cheers,
Henrik

cannikin · 22nd March 2004

what about Creamy?

androne · 24th March 2004

Hmm, not really what I liked to see here...

Let me try myself, to show what I expected more or less, and to let you know what I understand with reference to:

AIRY- a lot of high freqs with a soft tone that has a bit of breath character.

COLOURED- can be tube, FET, solidstate components that characterize or colour the sound. Either you intentionally want it, either you dont. If you dont, you want it to sound neutral or flat or non-coloured.

WARM- means the sound has a lot of "analog" character, the sound is fuller, more defined and has a certain bottom end. Typically used in the context of analog based gear.

FAT- is more or less the same as warm, but is very often used if one really likes a sound texture/character, mostly if the sound has a good defined tight bottom end.

PURE- the sound is raw and direct and is not influenced by effects or dynamics of any kind. The sound stands on itself and has a clear definition for the listener.

RAW- same as pure, but more often used to describe a sound as being direct in-your-face with a tight or very tight tone definition.

MEATY- same as raw.

BALLSY - a mixture of pure and raw. To say something has balls, guts means it has a clear definition of character and is tight (like your balls maybe ;-)).

DEFINED- the sound has a certain character to it. It can be raw or pure, but is has enough attack, enough opened filter(s), to clearly 'define' the sound.

HARSH- high end frequencies that are distorted and are hard on the ears. Sounds ugly and causes instant ear-fatigue.

BRITTLE- a sound lacks definition, is not clearly defined, although it shows high frequencies. Makes a sound not enjoyable to hear.

SMOOTH- good rounded high frequencies with enough harmonics that make a sound clearly defined and tight, thus enjoyable for repeated listening. No cause for ear-fatigue.

NEUTRAL- means uncoloured sound. Hifi sound e.g. is coloured with a defined EQ-curving enabled. Neutral means it has no imposed EQ-curving and sounds 'natural'.

FLAT- same as neutral. 'Natural' sounding without any processing or affecting the sound source.

FRESH- when a sound has a character or definition not yet heard, or newly created. Often also said when higher sample rates are used for sampling or recording a sound so that is has more definition and sounds more 'open'.

DISTORTED- The midrange frequencies are distorted for the most part. The original sound is really scrambled in its definition, only left with a hint of its character, but often with a greater amplitude because its energy is squashed.

COMPRESSED- the energy of the sound is squashed to a certain degree (ratio), with a level of dB set above which the squashing enters (treshold). A sound that is compressed sounds tighter but a bit less open and fresh.

GRUNGY- low/mid end frequencies that are distorted in a way. It sounds a bit like very mild distortion on the low end.

SPARKLING- same as fresh.

There, that's a good attempt

crispy · 25th March 2004

terms like HARSH,BRITTLE & SMOOTH aren't just for the high frequencies. They apply just as much to bass and mid-range too.

androne · 25th March 2004

Yes, I wrote it myself since no one gave me quite what I expected. Most people dont even take me serious on this.
I just want to have some clearer understanding of all these adjectives to better understand reviews and postings here at the forum, for I am a dutch speaker, see? It would be a great help for all those non-english speakers I think.

But feel free to think it over and to correct me, but be specific then on what is to be corrected.

Chris Parsons · 25th March 2004

I think most of those words are just silly. They have no meaning. When people want to pump up a product, reguardless of how it sounds, they reach for that list. "Warm" being the most overused term in the audio industry.

dfegad "warm"

golden fingaz · 9th April 2004

hillerious^^^.

i just really want to round out my overall sound. and i guess what i'm trying to find out is.. can i pretty much get rid of the rest of my outboard shit and go plug-in (will the plugs sound close to the hardware or at least better then what i use currently)...
of should i invest in some pre/di box etc. that will really OPEN up my sound prior to hitting the cpu. or is that trident going to be sufficent.

i just find my music sounding pretty lifeless or squashed. like, it doesn't have enough openess to it. the hi's are bright etc. and it bumps right but the overall mix is sorta lifeless. i'm sure 95% of this is my poor mixing skills :( but still i feel like theres something missing that can help me open up my overall mix.

i'll link you to an example. now keep in mind this was a freestyled sequence to demonstrate what i'm trying to explain.. ie. theres minimal mixing, eq'n, fx, compression. i didn't even run this through the board.. just straight off the samplers, to dat, dat to pc, and then boosted some freq's, add a little reverb, and a tiny bit of compression using adobe audition.. REGARDLESS, you geniuses should be able to point me in the right direction..

i greatly appreciate the help ya'll.. serious.
heres the link:

http://www.soundclick.com/util/Strea...D=1112848&q=hi

22nd March 2004	#1
androne Gear addict Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 379 Thread Starter	Tone terminology - help me to get things clear When reading reviews on gear - and I know this is kinda tricky and subjective - I find it difficult on getting a good idea of what one really means with something like 'airy', 'ballsy', 'meaty' etc... Also, I'd like to advise and teach friends and other people about gear and stuff, but I need to be clear to do so. Therefore, can all of you help to clarify things more for me and all other readers ? What does it mean, things like: Airy = ... Coloured = ... Warm = ... Fat = ... Clean = ... Pure = ... In-your-face/direct = ... Raw = ... Meaty = ... Ballsy = ... Defined = ... Harsh = ... Brittle = ... Smooth = ... Neutral = ... Flat = ... Fresh = ... Distorted = ... Grungy = ... Sparkling = ... Please, be as to-the-point as possible when giving a description, as to avoid further confusion. And dont use the above terms to explain another, of course :-) I'm really curious what all of your explanations are, and if there's some kind of consensus possible on some of them. Let it come!

22nd March 2004	#2
Jules Gearslutz.com admin Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: A Yank in London, UK Posts: 17,356 1 Review written	Here, I have done some oganizing on your list for you Airy = Sparkling = Warm = ... Fat = ... Clean = ... Pure = ... Defined = .... Coloured = In-your-face/direct = .. Smooth = .. Raw = ... Meaty = ... Ballsy = ... Harsh = ... Brittle = ... Neutral = ... Flat = ... Fresh = ... Distorted = ... Grungy = ... __________________ Jules Add your reviews to the new reviews area! Gearslutz on Facebook Follow my GS picks on Twitter

25th March 2004	#7
crispy Gear nut Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Devon, England Posts: 117	terms like HARSH,BRITTLE & SMOOTH aren't just for the high frequencies. They apply just as much to bass and mid-range too. __________________ "A crash reduces Your expensive computer To a simple stone"

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22nd March 2004	#3
Killahurts Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,694	Jules, Your organization helps a lot, pretty much answers the question. But why did you put smooth= with In-your-face/direct = and Raw = ...? "I love the sound of that mix, it's so smooth and raw...

22nd March 2004	#4
Henrik Gear maniac Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 198	First, I think you understand all these terms when you've heard a lot of mics and spend a good deal of time contemplating the differences. To someone who doesn't know there is a difference between mics, these words doesn't mean anything. I agree regarding "smooth", I wouldn't say smooth has much to do with raw or in your face (at least not in my vocabulary). If you listen to say a Royer R121 and compare it to an AKG C1000, you will know what a smooth top end means (it's the Royer that has it ) - the top is there, but it's not pointy, but rather gentle, silky...and smooth. Of course, pretty much any mic sounds smooth compared to a C1000. Raw/in your face means more like a strong midrange to me. I must say that after having gathered some listening experience, and also learned what people on these forums that have a taste that is similar to mine, I've made some good purchases soley based on recommendation. Cheers, Henrik

22nd March 2004	#5
cannikin Gear maniac Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Seattle Washington Posts: 220	what about Creamy?

24th March 2004	#6
androne Gear addict Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 379 Thread Starter	Hmm, not really what I liked to see here... Let me try myself, to show what I expected more or less, and to let you know what I understand with reference to: AIRY- a lot of high freqs with a soft tone that has a bit of breath character. COLOURED- can be tube, FET, solidstate components that characterize or colour the sound. Either you intentionally want it, either you dont. If you dont, you want it to sound neutral or flat or non-coloured. WARM- means the sound has a lot of "analog" character, the sound is fuller, more defined and has a certain bottom end. Typically used in the context of analog based gear. FAT- is more or less the same as warm, but is very often used if one really likes a sound texture/character, mostly if the sound has a good defined tight bottom end. PURE- the sound is raw and direct and is not influenced by effects or dynamics of any kind. The sound stands on itself and has a clear definition for the listener. RAW- same as pure, but more often used to describe a sound as being direct in-your-face with a tight or very tight tone definition. MEATY- same as raw. BALLSY - a mixture of pure and raw. To say something has balls, guts means it has a clear definition of character and is tight (like your balls maybe ;-)). DEFINED- the sound has a certain character to it. It can be raw or pure, but is has enough attack, enough opened filter(s), to clearly 'define' the sound. HARSH- high end frequencies that are distorted and are hard on the ears. Sounds ugly and causes instant ear-fatigue. BRITTLE- a sound lacks definition, is not clearly defined, although it shows high frequencies. Makes a sound not enjoyable to hear. SMOOTH- good rounded high frequencies with enough harmonics that make a sound clearly defined and tight, thus enjoyable for repeated listening. No cause for ear-fatigue. NEUTRAL- means uncoloured sound. Hifi sound e.g. is coloured with a defined EQ-curving enabled. Neutral means it has no imposed EQ-curving and sounds 'natural'. FLAT- same as neutral. 'Natural' sounding without any processing or affecting the sound source. FRESH- when a sound has a character or definition not yet heard, or newly created. Often also said when higher sample rates are used for sampling or recording a sound so that is has more definition and sounds more 'open'. DISTORTED- The midrange frequencies are distorted for the most part. The original sound is really scrambled in its definition, only left with a hint of its character, but often with a greater amplitude because its energy is squashed. COMPRESSED- the energy of the sound is squashed to a certain degree (ratio), with a level of dB set above which the squashing enters (treshold). A sound that is compressed sounds tighter but a bit less open and fresh. GRUNGY- low/mid end frequencies that are distorted in a way. It sounds a bit like very mild distortion on the low end. SPARKLING- same as fresh. There, that's a good attempt

25th March 2004	#9
Chris Parsons Lives for gear Join Date: May 2003 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 707	I think most of those words are just silly. They have no meaning. When people want to pump up a product, reguardless of how it sounds, they reach for that list. "Warm" being the most overused term in the audio industry. dfegad "warm"

9th April 2004	#10
golden fingaz Gear Head Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 51	hillerious^^^. i just really want to round out my overall sound. and i guess what i'm trying to find out is.. can i pretty much get rid of the rest of my outboard shit and go plug-in (will the plugs sound close to the hardware or at least better then what i use currently)... of should i invest in some pre/di box etc. that will really OPEN up my sound prior to hitting the cpu. or is that trident going to be sufficent. i just find my music sounding pretty lifeless or squashed. like, it doesn't have enough openess to it. the hi's are bright etc. and it bumps right but the overall mix is sorta lifeless. i'm sure 95% of this is my poor mixing skills :( but still i feel like theres something missing that can help me open up my overall mix. i'll link you to an example. now keep in mind this was a freestyled sequence to demonstrate what i'm trying to explain.. ie. theres minimal mixing, eq'n, fx, compression. i didn't even run this through the board.. just straight off the samplers, to dat, dat to pc, and then boosted some freq's, add a little reverb, and a tiny bit of compression using adobe audition.. REGARDLESS, you geniuses should be able to point me in the right direction.. i greatly appreciate the help ya'll.. serious. heres the link: http://www.soundclick.com/util/Strea...D=1112848&q=hi