One input to an audio mixer. It can be one microphone or one side of a tape machine or one instrument. There is one volume control or fader for the channel. There may or may not be other adjustments for the channel. It is also the left or right signals in stereo. It can also be one audio signal in a group of audio signals.

When referring to audio, an independently created audio signal destined for a specific speaker. For example, stereo audio has a left and right channel.

The subcomponents of a clip. For images, an alpha channel can contain a matte or mask image to key certain regions of the image to be transparent. For audio, the separate left and right channels of a stereo clip.

A strip of controls in a sound mixing desk relating to a single mono input or a stereo input.

Common name for a complete amplifying stage in any audio amplifier. Most amplifiers are denominated as 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 channel units. Each of these is a discrete audio amp on its own, capable of taking a small line signal input and amplifying it sufficiently to be heard on an appropriate speaker. Some amplifiers are capable of bridging two channels together, to form one channel of double the power of each separately. The manufacturer's instructions differ widely on how to accomplish this, and each must be followed exactly.

An input module or section on a mixer that include input jacks and controls for adjusting the input signal.

An audio stream may consist of multiple interleaved channels. A mono stream has one channel, and a stereo stream has two channels. There is one sample per channel.

A stream of audio. Confusingly, a channel can refer to a mono audio bitstream or an interleaved stereo bitstream. (am I right here? -- Mark Rages)

A data stream of a given nature mapped over a connection is considered a channel. For example, a PCM data stream mapped over an RTP connection would be a single channel, even if that data stream interleaved more than 1 bearer in each packet. In like manner, any set of payload types that are all destined to the same HDLC endpoint would also be considered a channel.

A stream of sound intended to be reproduced through a single output device such as a loudspeaker. Monaural sound, for example, has a single channel that can't be split into additional channels. Standard stereo sound, on the other hand, has two channels: treble and bass. MORE COMPUTING INTELLIGENCE IDG.net home page Computerworld's home page Computerworld Year 2000 resource center Computerworld's online subscription center Reviews & in-depth info at IDG.net IDG.net's personal news page Year 2000 World Questions about computers? Let IDG.net's editors help you Subscribe to IDG.net's free daily newsletter for IT leaders Search IDG.net in 12 languages News Radio Computerworld Minute Fusion audio primers

popupid: audio_channel](Engine) A single stream of audio. Each stream can only play one sound at a time. The engine uses several channels for separate purposes, all of which are mixed together into a single stream (by either a software or hardware mixer) before being sent to the audio hardware device.

A group of podcast items, each of which represents one MP3 audio file (or show). When subscribing to podcasts, it is the channel you subscribe to.

In audio terms, a division of the audio content that is typically directed to one speaker. For example, stereo signals include two channels of audio content.

An amplifier section providing positive and negative signal information for a speaker. Two channels are used to process a stereo signal.

Defines the number of streams of audio. One channel is called mono and two channels (one right and one left are called stereo. During this workshop when recording your audio file, mono will be selected to reduce the file size and the amount of time it takes process (exercise 2). Stereo clips take twice as much time to download as a mono clip.

is the term we use to refer to types of media or interactions in the target language. Example are: newspapers, pop songs, blogs, TV, movies, podcasts, wikis, chat, IM, e-learning, streaming video, talking to a stranger in a bar--the list is long. Many language programs deliver limited results because the variety of channels is limited to teacher, coursebook, and audio. At English360 we help learners choose multiple channels based on professional needs, language level, learning style and personal interests.

An independently processed or recorded audio signal. Stereo has two channels, and Dolby Digital is five channels plus a subwoofer (DD 5.1)

You can choose whether you want sound recorded through one [mono] or two [stereo] channels. Stereo is important for audio files which contain music. For speech with some music in the background, mono will be sufficient.

On a mixing console, a channel is a single strip of controls relating to a single audio input.

A part of a satellite transponder capable of carrying a single audio, video, or data signal. A transponder may be used as a single channel or divided into as many as hundreds of channels.

A single module of a professional audio console, lighting control console, power amplifier, lighting dimmer or multi-core control cable, designed to carry one signal only and keep it separate from signals in other channels.

A part of an audio track. Typically there is one channel allocated for each loudspeaker.

Usually left or right channel (stereo). Sometimes also referred with the same meaning as track. See track for comparison.

Equal to one speaker output. For example, 2 channels equals stereo.

A single audio track. For example, 6.1 Channel Surround Sound is made of seven channels: left, middle, right, rear left, rear right, rear center and one subwoofer.