Audio Terms Decoded: Harmonics, Punch & Presence Explained

We got this letter from J. Robert Lennon, a sometimes contributor here at Tape Op. I figured I'd better answer it. -Larry Crane

"A thought struck me while I was reading Adam Kagan's very informative review of the Chandler Little Devil preamp [Tape Op #88]. He praised the preamp by saying, "I could dial in just the right amount of harmonics, roundness, presence, or punch." That sounded pretty good, but I was a bit dismayed to realize I didn't know what, precisely, any of those words really meant. Sure, I have a general feel for them and have used them myself. But what are we really talking about when we say these things? Are we referring to specific EQ ranges? Types of distortion? Compression artifacts? Do these words mean the same thing in all circumstances, or do they mean different things depending on whether we're talking about an electric guitar, lead vocal, or snare drum? Maybe your usual correspondents could have a go at defining them - I'd add "body," "crack," "snap," "warmth," "clarity," and whatever other terms people like to use to evoke the more esoteric qualities of sound."

J. Robert Lennon

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My reply...

When spoken by a person being recorded the word really means...

harmonics - "turn it up"

roundness - "turn it up"

presence - "turn it up"

punch - "turn it up"

body - "turn it up"

crack - "turn it up"

snap - "turn it up"

warmth - "turn it up"