A portable setup of various live audio production and recording equipment.

Professional audio, also 'pro audio', can be used a term to refer to both a type of audio equipment as well as a type of audio engineering application.

Professional audio equipment can be used to describe any audio equipment used or marketed for use as a sound application by or for a professional or professional purpose. This includes, but is not limited to, loudspeakers, microphones, Mixing consoles, amplifiers, recording and playback devices such as dat or turntables, and in some cases telephony devices. For the Marty Friedman album see Loudspeaker (album A loudspeaker, speaker, or speaker system is an electroacoustical In professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board or soundboard, is an electronic device for combining Generally an amplifier or simply amp, is any device that changes usually increases the amplitude of a signal. Digital Audio Tape (DAT or R-DAT is a signal recording and playback medium developed by Sony in the mid 1980s The phonograph, or gramophone, was the most common device for playing recorded Sound from the 1870s through the 1980s In Telecommunication, telephony (təˈlɛfəni or teh-LEH-fuh-nee encompasses the general use of equipment to provide voice communication over distances specifically Pro Audio equipment typically carries an implied elevation of manufacturing quality and features compared to regular or consumer level audio equipment (as is common with other types of professional equipment. )

Professional audio application is commonly used to refer to professional audio engineering and operations, which can include but is not limited to broadcasting radio, audio mastering, sound reinforcement such as a concert, DJ performances, Audio Sampling , public address, surround sound movie theatres, and in some cases piped music application. For the band see Broadcast (band Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or Video signals which transmit Mastering, a form of audio Post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a Data storage device A sound reinforcement system is an arrangement of Microphones electronic Signal processors Amplifiers and Loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience In Music, sampling is the act of taking a portion or sample, of one Sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording A public address or " PA " system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, Amplifier and Loudspeakers used to

Both terms imply involvement of audio engineering at an industrial(occupational) level as opposed to a personal level. For example, a regular personal use microphone such as one in a mobile phone would have a very limited dynamic range focused on speech, whereas a pro audio microphone would have a much wider dynamic range to capture quiet whispers or loud musical instruments. A regular loudspeaker for home use may handle 100 watts rms at a given signal-to-noise ratio, whereas a pro audio loudspeaker such as one used for concert venues may handle 1000 watts rms or more, or a studio use speaker may operate at a significantly more efficient signal-to-noise rating at the same 100 watts as the home speaker. Signal-to-noise ratio (often abbreviated SNR or S/N) is an Electrical engineering concept also used in other fields (such as scientific Measurements

Specifications alone do not inherently include or exclude equipment for consideration as professional audio level, but are used by most publications and documentation as a starting point of reference.

See also

• Audio engineering
• Audio Engineering Society
• Institute of Broadcast Sound
• Microphone
• Production engineer
• Sound designer
• Sound operator
• Sound recording

External links

• WikiAudio Pro Audio Wiki and Database