S

split surrounds: Also known as stereo surrounds. A term used to refer to the Dolby 70mm sound format that gives two surround channels (LR, RR) on a mono-surround-compatible print. Also indicates the use of separate surround speakers in any sound format which have two (or more) discrete surround tracks.

SPP: See Song Position Pointer.

spot-erase: To erase a very small segment of recorded tape, on one track or all. Most accurately done by slowing down the tape by varispeed, enabling the engineer to punch-in and -out at exact points marked on the tape itself.

spotting: Used in film scoring, the process of identifying the specific scenes on film where music cues will take place, including information on length and style. Also, the act of reviewing the film with the director to determine work that will be needed on the soundtrack.

spring reverb: An electromechanical effects device that uses springs to simulate natural room or hall reverberation. Spring reverbs work basically like plate reverb systems, but are much smaller and produce an inferior effect. A transducer sets up vibrations in the spring which rattles back and forth, extracted by a pick-up at the other end. The character of a particular spring reverb unit is fixed (other than wet/dry balance), but can be optimized for the sound source at the design stage by careful choice of the number, length, diameter, and compliance of the spring(s). Also called a spring-line reverb.

square wave: A square wave is a periodic waveform which consists of a fundamental and all odd-numbered harmonics. The harmonics gradually decrease in amplitude as frequency rises, and they are in phase with the fundamental. The square wave is a good test signal because it exercises the device at many frequencies at the same time, as does music. Also called a pulse wave. See duty cycle, Appendix C.

squawk box: A small table-top amplifier and speaker used for playback of magnetic film passing through a sound reader. The poor sound quality is reflected in the name of the device. See bench.

SR: Used as an abbreviation for (1) sound reinforcement or (2) spectral recording. See Dolby-SR, Dolby SR.D.

S.R.: Senza Repeats, as in “play from the sign without repeats,” written D.S. (S.R.).

SR noise: See biased noise.

SR.D: See Dolby SR.D™.

SSL: (1) Solid-State Logic, circuitry composed of only solid-state components, as opposed to vacuum-tube devices. (2) A company which makes large, expensive mixers.

staccato: Italian for “short.” Used to indicate that notes should have a short duration and be detached as widely as possible from one another. The opposite of legato.

staff: See stave.