CD: The compact disc, or CD for short, is an optical disc used to store digital data.

The format was originally developed to store and play back sound recordings only (CD-DA), but was later adapted for storage of data (CD-ROM) DVD: DVD is an optical disc storage format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than compact discs while having the same dimensions.

Tape: The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Compact cassettes come in two forms, either already containing content as a pre-recorded cassette, or as fully recordable "blank" cassette. It was designed originally for dictation machines, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel tape recording in most non-professional applications.

Hard disk: A hard disk drive (HDD) is a data storage device used for storing and retrieving digital information using rapidly rotating discs (platters) coated with magnetic material. An HDD retains its data even when powered off. Data is read in a random-access manner, meaning individual blocks of data can be stored or retrieved in any order rather than sequentially.

MiniDisc: The MiniDisc (MD) is an obsolete magneto-optical disc-based data storage device for 74 minutes and, later, 80 minutes, of digitized audio or 1 gigabyte of Hi-MD data. The music format was originally based exclusively on ATRAC audio data compression, but the option of linear PCM digital recording was later introduced to attain audio quality comparable to that of a compact disc.

Cable: A cable is most often two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted, or braided together to form a single assembly, but can also refer to a heavy strong rope. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry electric currents. An optical cable contains one or more optical fibers in a protective jacket that supports the fibers.

Gains stages: In audio engineering, a gain stage is a point during an audio signal flow that the engineer can make adjustments to the level, such as a fader on a mixing console .

Signal flow: Audio signal flow is the path an audio signal takes from source to output, including all the processing involved in generating audible sound from electronic impulses or recorded media.

Metering: Metering can help to make the process of setting optimum signal levels much quicker and easier, warning you of potential problems before they occur. Beyond the technical considerations of avoiding overloads and maximising signal-to-noise ratio, the majority of level meters found on recorders and consoles are really only intended as an aid to balancing sound levels.

Direct Injection: A DI unit also known as a direct injection or input, is a device typically used in recording studios to connect a high-impedance, line level, unbalanced output signal to a low-impedance microphone level balanced input, usually via XLR connector. DIs are frequently used to connect an electric guitar or electric bass to a mixing console's microphone input.

Multi-track: Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole.

Analog Recording: Analog recording is a technique used for the recording of analog signals which among many possibilities include audio frequency, analog audio and analog video information for later playback.

Digital Recording: In digital recording, digital audio and digital video are directly recorded to a storage device as a stream of discrete numbers, representing the changes in air pressure for audio and chroma and

luminance values for video through time, thus making an abstract template for the original sound or moving image.