An independently processed or recorded signal.
(1) An electrical signal path. In analog audio (such as a mixer), each channel consists of separate wired components. In the digital domain, channels may share wiring, kept separate through logical operations.
(2) A system for independently addressing up to sixteen separate MIDI devices over a single MIDI cable. MIDI provides definitions for 16 channels which transmit not audio signals, but digital control signals for triggering synthesizers and other devices. MIDI data are associated with a particular channel by virtue of a Channel ID Number that is interwoven with other MIDI data being recorded. A track holds data that (depending on the sequencer) may or may not be restricted to one MIDI channel. MIDI’s 16-channel limitation has been overcome by employing multiple independent MIDI ports that each route sixteen channels, offering the possibility of hundreds of channels.
(3) The left or right signals of a stereo audio system, or the left, right, center, surround and/or subwoofer signals of a multichannel system, such as LCRS or 5.1.
(4) In film, A complete, self-sufficient recording setup. A production channel would include a recorder, mixer, microphones, headsets, etc. A transfer channel would include a 1/4″ tape deck, a 35mm mag recorder, a resolver, and a monitoring system.