Dumb Question

[CMiller]

I consider myself a fairly intellegent guy, but this one has me scratching my head and maybe someone else out there has the same problem.

When referring to microphones, what does the word "transients" mean? I have an idea, but I'd like someone to define it better for me.

Example of the word...

"This mic is better at picking up transients than that other mic."

Thanks!

 

[regebro]

A transient is a something that occurs during a short time period. A typical transient would be a "click" like the one generated by a scratch in a vinyl record, or by whacking two drumsticks together.

When you talk about sound, I suspect that you generally talk about sounds with fast attacks, right?