Unit 1 Understand characteristics of Acoustic Environments

Simulated Acoustics

1.       Effects units

·         Distortion-A distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation.

·         Delay-Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time

·         Overdrive-

·         Echo-In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo (plural echoes) is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener sometime after the direct sound.

·         Wah-Wah-Wah-wah is an imitative word (or onomatopoeia) for the sound of altering the resonance of musical notes to extend expressiveness, sounding much like a human voice saying the syllable wah.

·         Reverberation-Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed

·         Chorus-In music, a chorus effect (sometimes chorusing or chorused effect) occurs when individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly (but never exactly) the same pitches converge and are perceived as one.

·         Phaser-The electronic phasing effect is created by splitting an audio signal into two paths.

·          Pitt Shift-

2.       Processors

3.       Surround sound

4.        Mono/Stereo

5.       Multi-channel

6.       Phase

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distortion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delay_(audio_effect)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_(phenomenon)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wah-wah_(music)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverberation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorus_effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaser_(effect)

Microphone types and characteristics

History of microphones

The principle behind the microphone is to function as a synthetic ear for the user. By placing it in a given radius of a singular or group of fluctuating sound waves it should receive the waves in an almost identical manner to which the natural human ear would. However there is currently no such thing as perfect microphone which can function at a level equal to or superfluous to the human ear. Many models both budget and high market value including professional level struggle to differentiate the varying wave patterns be it a wind current or a large explosion leaving you with a proverbial audio gumbo.

In 1827 Sir Charles Wheatstone (Depicted on the left) became the first person to adopt the terminology first know the  microphone. 1876 saw the beginning stages of the pioneering of what would come to be known as the modern day microphone. The native German Emile Berliner (depicted in the bottom right) devised and produced a prototype microphone functioning as a US telephone voice transmitter. Berliner’s initial inspiration had been inspired after prolonged exposure to the Bell company telephone in which he experienced the desire to vastly improve its function. The bell telephone company impressed by the aspiring inventor’s genius purchased Berliners patented microphone device for a substantial 50,000 US dollars. 1878 saw the initial stages for the  induction of David Edward Hughes (Depicted in the bottom left) revolutionary carbon microphone prototype a model that would later be refined and experience global production and adoption in the early 1920`s paving the way for many of the later and modern day developments on David Hughes carbon microphone many studio based producers still rely on Hughes carbon based microphone principle in today’s heavily competitive recording industry. The exceptionally popular expansion of 20th century radio brought about the conception and birth of what would come to be known as the Ribbon microphone which saw final production a and release in 1942 primarily for national and global propaganda broadcasts. Twenty two years later the multinational Bell telephone company’s research team lead by James West and Gerhard Sesseler were granted Paton 3,118,022 for their genius Foil-electroacoustic transducer an inspired electret  microphone based on conventional transducer principles taking electrical energy and passing it through a universally adopted linear oscillatory circuit system (Predominately consisting of rods, plates and shells of varying depth and mass) in order to produce direct acoustic energy wave patterns. Increased reliability heightened precision, compact mass and an evenly balanced cost whether you are indoors or outdoors your acoustic environment could affect the sound you are recording.

When recording your sound inside, you may find that the area you are using produces echoes, this is because of surfaces in the room with reflective properties, causing the sound to reflect off the surface and travel around the room in the form of an echo. 

Studios are used so that when recording all sound is encased within the recording area itself, the walls are usually lined with foam or carpet as these are very absorbent surfaces and the floor is usually wood as it also has good absorbent properties. Studio acoustics allow fine tuning sound quality to take place, the settings require strategic placement so that the sound may be absorbed to control effects such as reverberation and the acoustic materials that are used in the enclosed space are usually fibreglass and cotton for their unique properties. 

When music is being recorded live, instead of using a studio they will use a ‘live room’; this is acoustically absorbent and partly reflective, which allows a varied sound, it is particularly suited to record instruments from the percussion family so that no interference can take place when recording for example a vocalist nearby or the vocalist being picked up on the drummer’s recording.  A room with a lot of sound absorbing surfaces is called a dead room this has a high frequency, and little to no reverberation so that all the sound is captured in the most clear manner.

 

 

Indoor acoustics

The principles of sound and acoustics;

 Sound and acoustics have many principles, such as all properties have some sort of acoustic material inside them, which is likely to absorb, reflect, or transmit the sound. Acoustic material is designed for the purpose of absorbing sound. The studying of sound can be divided into three sections: production, transmission and reception. All of these principles are needed to allow sound to occur. Acoustic principles are now used a lot in concert halls and auditoriums.

When using a studio to record the acoustics are clear, this is because the surroundings have a low frequency and are designed to block out any audio that is not coming from within the studio. Recording in a studio is the opposite to recording in a location such as a hall, when recording it is said that the studio would be ‘dead’ as no other sounds can come in contact with the recording system other than the sounds purposely made within the studio, whereas within a hall you would usually find an echoing effect making the sound perhaps sound more distant or as if the source is travelling.

Many different surface types have different reflective and absorptive properties, for example carpet is greatly absorbent when it comes to sound proofing. Alternatively a very reflective surface for sound proofing would be plastic.

Recording Location

This is the production side of audio production is hence to record.

 

In terms of where you want to record, you need to take into accounts the following: 

·        Background noise – if you want to record a direct foley sound such as a window smash or a pen click, you don’t really want to have any unwanted noise also known as background  noise.

·        Isolating your object

·        Microphone positions

 

 When you position your microphone, you want the sound to be as professional as possible. So when you record someone speaking to the camera, you will want to cut down the background noise by using a boom mic that you will raise as high as possible but as close as you can get to the actor who is speaking. To adhere to continuity, you will want to keep the boom mic being seen in the shots keeps audiences in the reality of the film.

 

Audio is recorded in a different process than visuals. They are both not recorded on the same camera but different ones that are suited specifically for visuals and sound.

 

Clapperboards are used to synchronise the sound with the visuals during post production.

 

Recording Effects

There are several effects used in audio production that help in creating various elements including:

·      Phase is a term used to describe the position of one sound wave relative to another.

·      Flange is an audio effect that is produced when 2 signals, which are identical are mixed together but with one signal delayed less than a second.

·      Distortion is where the effects create warm, fuzzy and dirty sounds by compression and adding overtones. 2 of the distortion effects are fuzz and overdue.

 

Altering sounds help make them slightly more professional and suitable for some certain productions. To do this you can adjust sound by the following:

 

 

·      Compression is where all the sounds are at average volume instead of some sounds being too quiet or too loud. Compression helps make those sounds into an average volume.

·      EQ is where you choose certain frequencies on the wavelength that you want to keep or want to cut.

 

Legal Issues

In a recording contract, when the recording artists’ music is synchronised to a video, the record company like Sony and BMG music can receive all the money from those products if the contract states the record label get the synchronization rights. 

 

Mechanical Rights are the right to record and distribute copyrighted music onto audio/visual media including CD’s and films.

 

Moral rights are the artists’ right to have their work attributed to themselves and the right to protect the work from alteration. For example, Michael Jackson has the right to protect the song ‘Bad’ from alteration by other artists or consumers.

 

When you hear music on the radio or TV, this recording is known as the master recording. This is what is created after the musicians/artists’ have played their parts that have been mixed together. The recording is protected by copyright. The record label owns this copyright, and can grant the right to use the recording in an album or film soundtrack. This is known as the mater use right.

 

Linear & Non-Linear recording systems

Linear video editing is a post-production process of selecting, arranging and modifying images and sound in an ordered sequence.  Non-Linear editing is a post-production process that allows you to access any frame in a clip regardless of sequence in the clip. Non-Linear gives the freedom to access any frame, and use a cut and paste method and allows you to easily include video transitions and games such as transitions, fades and colour effects in which cannot be done with linear editing.

 

Sequences

A sequence is a series of shots that are connected and edited together to create a project such as a film or a documentary.

 

 

 

 

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network is what ISDM stands for. It is an international communications network for sending voice, Video and data over the PSTN (public switched telephone network).

 

Profanity and Blasphemy

Profanity is a show of disrespect, desecration or debasement of a product whether it’s someone or something.

 

Blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt for God.

 

Blasphemy has been shown in several films such as Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’ that have shown signs of blasphemy including the protest of Christianity.

 

The use of profanity in films has always been controversial, but has increased significantly in recent years. In several films such as Pulp Fiction and Super bad have used several abusive worlds that has drawn criticism.