The Most Common Electronic Music Abbreviations

Most electronic music producers use a variety of abbreviations. Here is a list of the most common electronic music abbreviations.

Introduction

If you’re new to the electronic music scene, all of the abbreviations can be daunting. What does “K” mean? What’s an “A”? Here’s a quick guide to some of the most common abbreviations you’ll see when browsing electronic music.

BPM – Beats per minute. This is the tempo of the track.

K – A thousand. Sometimes used to denote BPM (e.g. 140k).

A – Ampere, a unit of measurement for electrical current.

mA – Milliampere, one thousandth of an ampere.

V – Volt, a unit of measurement for electrical potential difference.

dB – Decibel, a unit of measurement for sound intensity.

What Do All These Abbreviations Mean?

When you’re new to the world of electronic music, all the abbreviations and acronyms can be pretty confusing. In this article, we’ll demystify some of the most common electronic music abbreviations. After reading this, you’ll be able to navigate the electronic music landscape with confidence.

BPM

BPM stands for Beats Per Minute, and is a measure of tempo in music. For example, a song with a tempo of 120 BPM would have 120 beats in one minute.

MIDI

MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, is a technical standard that describes a protocol, digital interface, and connectors. It was first developed in the 1980s to give electronic musical instruments the ability to communicate with each other and with computers. Today, MIDI is used for a wide range of applications including musical education, performance, composition, recording and live sound.

MIDI devices are connected using MIDI cables or wireless adapters. MIDI messages are sent from one device to another over these connections. Each message contains information about which note is being played, how hard it is being played (velocity), and how long it is being held (note duration). MIDI messages can also be used to control other parameters such as volume, panning, and vibrato.

The most common type of MIDI device is a controller, such as a keyboard or drum pad. Controllers generate MIDI messages when their keys or pads are pressed. Other common MIDI devices include sequencers, sound modules, and computers.

DAW

DAW stands for “digital audio workstation.” It’s a music production software that allows you to create, edit, and mix audio. It’s the electronic musician’s equivalent of a studio desk packed with outboard gear, plug-ins, and virtual instruments. Some popular DAWs include Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and Reaper.

VST

In music production, a virtual studio technology (VST) instrument is a software plug-in that emulates the sounds of various musical instruments. These instruments are played via a MIDI controller, such as a keyboard, and can be used to create soundtracks for movies, video games, and commercials. VST instruments are also popular among producers and composers who use them to create new sounds for their music.

There are two types of VST instruments: standalone and plug-in. Standalone VST instruments can be used without a DAW (digital audio workstation) or hosts, while plug-in VST instruments need a host in order to work.

The most popular VST instruments are keyboards, drums, and guitars. Other popular VST instruments include wind instruments, strings, brass, and woodwinds.

Conclusion

Here are some of the most common electronic music abbreviations to help you get started:

A&R – Artist and repertoire
AFX – Aphex Twin
AMA – American Music Awards
B2B – Back-to-back (DJing)
B2P – Band-to-party
BAWSAQ – BAWSAQ is an acronym for “Be Aware of What Society Asks of You”. It’s a site that allows you to buy and sell virtual stocks in real life companies from the Grand Theft Auto V game.
BMG – BMG is an acronym for “Big Management Group”. It’s a record label that was founded in 1989.
CDJ – CDJ is an acronym for “Compact Disc Jockey”. It’s a type of DJ equipment that allows you to play and control digital music files on a CD or USB flash drive.
DAD – DAD is an acronym for “Digital Audio deleted”. It’s a file format that allows you to store and play digital audio files.
DJANGO – Django is an open source web application framework written in Python.
EAZY-E – EAZY-E is an acronym for “Earnings After Zilch, Yet Exceeding All Expectations”. It was the stage name of rap artist Eric Wright.
EMI – EMI is an acronym for “Electronic Musical Instruments”. It’s a Japanese corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments.
FIFO – FIFO is an acronym for “First In, First Out”. It’s a type of inventory management where the items that are sold first are also the items that are replenished first.
GAS – GAS is an acronym for “Get A Soundcloud account”. Soundcloud is a website where you can upload, share, and listen to audio files.
GRAMMYs – The GRAMMYs are the annual awards given by The Recording Academy to recognize achievements in the music industry.
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