Nat 5HigherAdvanced Higher
dB
dB, or decibels, is a unit used to describe audio level or changes in level.
Also called: Decibel, Decibels
Level relevance: introduced at Nat 5; tagged for every later level where the same concept remains useful.
Explanation
In music technology, decibels are used on meters, faders, gain controls, EQ, compression, and exported audio levels. A dB value often describes a relative change, such as boosting or cutting by a certain amount.
Topics
LevelsMixingRecording
Curriculum statusofficial concept
Review statusdraft
Sources
- National 5 Music Technology course specification, May 2023, version 3.0 · accessed 2026-07-08
Used for National 5 technology skills, technology concepts, and music concepts.