Members 144dB Posted March 19, 2012 Members Share Posted March 19, 2012 Hey all, When reading about compressors, I've heard the phrase "program material" and I've always thought it referred to full arrangements (e.g. multi-track audio summed to a stereo pair). In other words, I've always thought of program material being material consumed by a mastering engineer. But I read an article the other day that made it sound like program material was individual track data (e.g. an individual bass guitar track, an isolated snare drum track, etc.), which is obviously a very different definition. So which is correct? Thanks in advance. Todd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted March 19, 2012 Members Share Posted March 19, 2012 I believe it could mean either depending on the context. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted March 19, 2012 CMS Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 It's whatever you're recording, or receiving, or playing. Sound, in other words. I use the term when I'm talking about a non-specific sound source and don't want to use "signal" because it may not be electrical. But generally it's not considered "program material" until it's gone through some sort of processing, which could be a microphone. Or it could be a synthesizer. Get the idea? It's a word we use when the actual material doesn't matter, only that it's available to process, record, or play back for our listening and dancing enjoyment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted March 19, 2012 Members Share Posted March 19, 2012 Exactly. That's how I've always heard the phrase used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members veracohr Posted March 20, 2012 Members Share Posted March 20, 2012 It might also refer to the desired audio in a track, differentiated from any noise that might be present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted March 20, 2012 CMS Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 It might, in an alternate universe, but there's no need to speculate here where there's a correct answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JeffLearman Posted March 20, 2012 Members Share Posted March 20, 2012 The "program material" is the input fed into the processor. That could be a full mix or a single track or a submix. For documentation on processors that are intended to remove unwanted artifacts, the term might refer to the signal versus the noise, in certain contexts, but it would generally be fairly obvious from the context. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted March 20, 2012 Members Share Posted March 20, 2012 Hey all, When reading about compressors, I've heard the phrase "program material" and I've always thought it referred to full arrangements (e.g. multi-track audio summed to a stereo pair). In other words, I've always thought of program material being material consumed by a mastering engineer. But I read an article the other day that made it sound like program material was individual track data (e.g. an individual bass guitar track, an isolated snare drum track, etc.), which is obviously a very different definition. So which is correct? Thanks in advance. Todd It's a term I've been reading and using since I was 12 or so in the early 60s. I've been feeling, lately, like it's become something of an archaic term. I've always taken it to mean typical content signal of more or less any nature besides test tones and circuit noise and such. ___________________ Reading intervening posts, I like Mike's definition. That's precisely how I think of it. Maybe because I've probably been reading Mike's manuals for years. I do, though, myself think that a distinction is often made in uses I've seen between program material and circuit noise. (As in phrases like, '... this will keep the program material 70 dB above the noise floor...' or the like.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 144dB Posted March 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted March 22, 2012 Thanks guys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bookumdano2 Posted March 22, 2012 Members Share Posted March 22, 2012 Is program material generally also robust and game changing? By the way, why do video editing programs call your stuff "assets"? Why not just refer to them as files, components, stuff ... or program material? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted March 22, 2012 CMS Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Is program material generally also robust and game changing? Of course. Program material has been around for more than 100 years and people are still consuming it. There would be no reality TV shows without program material. I'd call that "game changing." By the way, why do video editing programs call your stuff "assets"? Why not just refer to them as files, components, stuff ... or program material? Because it's better marketing. The people who spend the big bucks have "assets" that they want to protect and be able to access easily. Files are those paper things in the cabinet in the corner. Or what you bake into a cake to get your buddy out of jail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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