Three Words Assignment

1. I think that DAW is an incredibly useful word in the field of audio. It seems pretty basic- and in fact it is. But in a field where so much of the work is done on a DAW, it’s so much easier to have a one-syllable alternative to the clunky “Digital Audio Workstation.”
2. Another term that I like is abbreviating Sure microphones to simple “57” and “58.” Part of this is for practical reasons, as these are maybe the two most common microphones in audio studios around the world. But it also fits with the microphones’ role as the sort of rugged workhorse of the audio world- calling them their more formal, official names doesn’t seem to fit in with the aesthetic of these microphones.
3. A final word that I enjoy is more from the discipline of “student” rather than audio, but it is the abbreviation of undergrad library as “ugli.” This works for several reasons- ugly is much shorter than undergraduate library for one. But the abbreviation of ugli also reflects how most students feel about the library, especially considering that it is where many students spend miserable hours studying for classes.

A word from outside of the discipline that bothers me is the term “audiophile.” It seems to imply some sort of elitist subculture complete with pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo about improving tone. Or even worse, it suggests that maybe the audio is better, but that the average person would be unable to tell a difference or care. In truth, good audio makes a huge difference even to the untrained ear, and the field is, for the most part, very welcoming even to beginners.