CultureAugust 28, 2026

faders

FAY-derz

Definition

Controls on a sound mixing console that slide up or down to adjust the volume or intensity of a specific audio signal.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 'fade' combined with the agent suffix '-er,' originally appearing in mid-20th-century radio and recording engineering to describe devices used to gradually increase or decrease signal strength.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe the technical frustration of the studio engineer, who had to creatively daisy-chain the console's controls to achieve the extreme treble sound the band demanded.

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