Sizzle

The term “sizzle” is used to describe one of two things in the audio world:

1. As an audio anomaly, “sizzle” is a series of short ticks in quick succession that sounds like bacon frying in a pan.

2. As a characteristic of music recorded in a soundtrack, “sizzle” is often used to describe the high frequency “wash” or decay of a cymbal. There is even a type of cymbal, referred to as a “sizzle cymbal,” that incorporates rivets, chains, or other rattles to make the sound stronger and longer in duration.