Background Noise

In the absence of a signal, the noise which comprises all interference, including hum and hiss, in a system which stores, reproduces or measures sound. Its level is measured by the signal-to-noise ratio. The term is also used colloquially to denote ambience.

See: Compression, Dubbing, Dynamic Range, Gaussian Noise, Random Noise, Rustle Noise, White Noise. Compare: Keynote Sound, Lo-Fi, Silence.