An Introduction to Sound Production
- Transducer- a transducer is a device which converts one form of energy (like sound energy) to another (like electrical signal).
- Diaphragm- a thin sheet of material which vibrates in response to sound waves to produce electrical signals.
- Electromagnetic Induction- when audio signals are converted into electrical signals.
- Capacitor Plate- A capacitor has two plates with a voltage between them. in the condenser microphone, one of these plates is made of very light material and acts as the diaphragm.
- Pre-Amp- an electronic device that amplifies a very weak signal.
Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) - is the lowest intensity sound
that can be heard by the majority of people.
Microphone Types
- Dynamic- a dynamic microphone uses a coil and a magnet to create an electrical signal. As the diaphragm, which is attached to the coil, vibrates the coil moves past the magnet and creates current to turn the sound signals into electrical signals. Neodymium magnets are one type of magnet used in microphones as they are more powerful and are smaller than other magnets.
- Ribbon- a ribbon microphone is when a thin ribbon of electrically conductive aluminium is positioned between the poles of the magnet to produce a voltage. This process happens by electromagnetic induction.
- Condenser- this type of microphone uses a capacitor to convert acoustic energy into electrical energy. The source of electrical power is from an external source like a battery. Compared to dynamic microphones, condensers are more sensitive to audio signals and have a broader frequency output.
- Boundary (PMZ) – a small omnidirectional condenser microphone which is placed near or flush with a surface. The arrangement provides a directional half-space pickup pattern while delivering a relatively phase-coherent output signal. The microphone is placed near or on a surface to gain acoustic signals. It picks up a half space pickup pattern and outputs a coherent signal.
Shure
SM58
Type of Microphone/Key features
|
Dynamic, tailored to target main sound whilst minimalizing
background noise.
|
Typical uses
|
Used for vocal and speeches to large audiences
|
Frequency Response
|
50 to 15000 Hz
|
Typical Polar Pattern
|
Cardioid
|
AKG
D112
Type of Microphone/Key features
|
Dynamic, bulletproof construction, handle more 160dB SPL
without distortion
|
Typical uses
|
Drums, bass, in studio/ stage performances
|
Frequency Response
|
20 to 17000Hz
|
Typical Polar Pattern
|
Cardioid
|
AKG
C1000
Type of Microphone/Key features
|
Condenser, small diaphragm, gold sputtered capsule
housing, extremely rugged against humidity
|
Typical uses
|
Used for live sound and video production
|
Frequency Response
|
50 to 20000Hz
|
Typical Polar Pattern
|
Cardioid, hyper Cardioid
|
Percussion Recordings
The links are recordings of a glockenspiel in two different environments, outside the building and inside a corridor. This was the first recordings on the course and we used a device with different microphone types, a 4channel, a front and a rear.
Outside 4 channel: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/4ch
Outside Front: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/front
Outside Rear: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/rear
Inside 4 channel: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/4ch?in=user-416631632/sets/inside-glockenspiel
Inside Front: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/front?in=user-416631632/sets/inside-glockenspiel
Inside Rear: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/rear?in=user-416631632/sets/inside-glockenspiel
Vocals Recording
This recording is of a vocalist using a Shure SM58 inside the recording studio. The recording was also completed using a pop shield and a reflection filter to make the quality of the recording more professional by stopping popping sounds created by the vocalists. e.g. When a vocalists makes a 'B' or 'P' sound.
Vocals Recording: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/vocals
Acoustic Evaluation
In
the recording studio we used a C1000 in order to record the acoustic guitar.
This condenser microphone uses a cardioid polar pattern to pick up sound mainly
from the front of the microphone. We
positioned the microphone about 20cm away from the guitar body and just above
the sound hole to get a more professional recording. The mic stand was lowered
as the guitarist was sitting down.
The
recording was of chord patterns and no distortion was picked up from the microphone.
That was because the microphone was positioned just above the sound hole to
reduce the amount of distortion as well as the fact that before recording we
checked the sound levels to avoid the microphone picking up loads of
sounds. The volume of the guitar is
slightly quiet and next time that can be changed by increasing the sound levels
using the mixing table.
Presentation
Suite Recording: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/acoustic-presentation-suite
In
the presentation Suite, there is a lot of open space with large walls; this
means that echo could possibly be picked up from the microphone when recording.
If we used an enclosure we could block the echo and background noise if any
were present whilst recording. Again we used the C1000 in the same position,
above the sound hole and about 20cm from the guitar body, and instead of using
a professional recording studio we used a portable mixing desk to record the
track.
The
quality of the recording is very clear and however the sound levels of the
guitar are lowered compared to the studio recording due to the fact that during
the suite recording tablature was used instead of chord patterns. No background was detected as we ensured the
room had minimal background noise and the microphone was facing the direction
of the guitar.
Bass Drum Evaluation
Bass Drum recording: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/btec-session-4-0012-audio-akg-d112-bass
In the recording studio we used a AKG D112 to the record the bass drum. The position of
the microphone was just in front of the drum to allow the best sound to be
picked up roughly 10cm away from the skin of the drum. This specific microphone
can withstand more than 160dB without distortion so we could place the
microphone closer to the instrument compared to the recording with the guitar.
The sound levels are accurate and
no distortion is heard due to the type of microphone used. The pedal can be
heard hitting the drum in the sample but overall the recording is still of a professional
standard. No echo is heard as the recording studio is padded with sound
cancelling foam as this absorbed additional sound waves being picked up from
the microphone.
Final Recording Plan
Date:
Friday 9th October
Location:
Recording Studio
Time
of Recording:
Firstly
we will book the recording studio for the Friday so we can all get into the
studio at the same time.
The
first recording Acoustic Guitar:
We
will Brandon to set up Cubase, as he is the most experienced with the programme.
I will be assigned to control the mixing desk, which includes checking the
gain, and to make sure sounds levels are of acceptable level. Ella is assigned
to set up the microphones and position the microphones at a suitable distance
from the instrument to ensure there is no distortion created. The roles of each
person will alternate for each recording, for example I will be in charge of
the mixing desk for the first recording and then setting up the mics for the
second recording.
The
skills required by the recording technician are to have good communication
skills between the technician in the recording studio and the control room. To
communicate between the rooms we will use the talk back button on the mixing
desk to allow us to talk to each other. Another skill needed whilst recording
is listening skills. An example of this is when I am in charge of the mixing
desk I need listening skills to listen to the output from the microphone and
complete sound checks for the recording. Theory knowledge is a skill that is
needed during the time in the recording studio as we need to know which
microphone we need for different instruments. For example Ella needs to know
what type of microphone to record an acoustic guitar.
Before
recording we will discuss the possible problems that could occur whilst
recording. One situation that could happen is that the equipment fails or is
broken. An example of this would be if the microphone doesn’t work. To overcome
this specific problem, first we would change individual pieces of equipment to
detect what piece of equipment is broken.
Then once we figure out what piece of equipment is faulty, we would
replace it. A different problem that could occur is that the computer-recording
program could break on the day. If this scenario happens then we would check
the system to see if we can fix the problem by if that fails, and ourselves we
would call the IT technicians to help with the computer problem. Another
problem that could occur is that the mixing desk could not work. If this
occurred then the group would check the mixing desk to see if everything needed
is turned on such as the gain levels and sound levels for the channel we are
using.
In
brief 1 I am researching the album Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie
Wonder. During his recording for Pastime
Paradise Wonder used AKG 414 microphones. In my recordings I will emulate the
techniques used by Wonder by using AKG C1000 microphones because both
microphones are condenser microphones and both microphones use Cardioid polar patterns.
We will
record an acoustic guitar in the recording studio using an AKG C1000 with a
cardioid polar pattern. Ella will position the microphone about 15cm just above
the sound hole and made sure the microphone is facing towards the guitar
strings. She will then plug the microphone into channel 1 which will output on
channel 1 on the mixing desk. Brandon is going to create a new track on Cubase
and allow the track to be monitored and cable to record the output. I will then
use the talkback button to talk and ask the musician to play as loud as she
would whilst recording so I could change the sound levels to stop distortion
being heard on the final recording.
Evaluating
Final Recordings
Date:
Friday 9th October
Location:
Recording Studio, Classroom
Time
of Recording: 10:50 - 13:20
Roles:
·
Setting up mixing desk, checking sound levels and gain
·
Setting up Cubase, adding new tracks
·
Setting up microphones and mic stands in the recording booth
Firstly
we booked the recording studio for the Friday so we can all get into the studio
at the same time.
The
first recording, Acoustic Guitar:
The Roles whilst recording:
We
assigned Brandon to set up Cubase, as he is the most experienced with the
programme. I was assigned to control the mixing desk, which included checking
the gain, and to make sure sounds levels of acceptable level. Ella was assigned
to set up the microphones and position the microphones at a suitable distance
from the instrument to ensure there is no distortion created. The role of
controlling the mixing desk is similar to John Fischbach who was head engineer
whilst recording the album Songs in the key of life by Stevie Wonder. The roles
of each person will alternate for each recording, for example I will be in
charge of the mixing desk for the first recording and then setting up the mics
for the second recording.
Skills Required:
One skill needed whilst recording is
listening skills. An example whilst I was in charge of the mixing desk I needed
listening skills to listen to the output from the microphone and complete sound
checks for the recording.
Possible Problems:
Before
recording we discussed the possible problems that could occur whilst recording.
One situation that could happen is that the equipment fails or is broken. An
example of this would be if the microphone doesn’t work. To overcome this
specific problem, first we would change individual pieces of equipment to
detect what piece of equipment is broken.
Then once we figure out what piece of equipment is faulty, we would
replace it. A different problem that could occur is that the computer-recording
program could break on the day. If this scenario happens then we would check
the system to see if we can fix the problem by if that fails, and ourselves we would
call the IT technicians to help with the computer problem. Another problem that
could occur is that the mixing desk could not work. If this occurred then the
group would check the mixing desk to see if everything needed is turned on such
as the gain levels and sound levels for the channel we are using.
Brief 1 Techniques:
In brief
1 I am researching the album Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder. During his recording for Pastime Paradise
Wonder used AKG 414 microphones. In my recordings I will emulate the techniques
used by Wonder by using AKG C1000 microphones because both microphones are
condenser microphones and both microphones use Cardioid polar patterns.
Entry Log of Recording:
We recorded an acoustic guitar in the recording studio using an AKG C1000 with a cardioid polar pattern. Ella positioned the microphone about 15cm just above the sound hole and made sure the microphone was facing towards the guitar strings. She plugged the microphone into channel 1 which outputted on channel 1 on the mixing desk. Brandon created a new track on Cubase and allowed the track to be monitored and cable to record the output. I then used the talkback button to talk and asked the musician to play as loud as she would whilst recording so I could change the sound levels to stop distortion being heard on the final recording. Once the sound levels were accurate, I asked the musician to start playing when I gave her the thumbs up through the window. This gave time for Brandon to press the record button on Cubase.
This sample recording of an acoustic guitar was completed inside a recording studio which means that the acoustic reflection is absorbed due to the fact that the recording studio has sound proofing foam on the walls. This foams absorbs sound waves and stop them being reflected in the final recording. The quality of the recording is clean and allows the strings to vibrate and not be cut off at the end of the recording. The reason for the recording having a long silence at the end is because we mixed down several recordings and one of the recordings were longer than the others. This can be fixed by editing the final recording on Cubase and cutting the long silence. There is no rhythm therefore no emotion or expression can be commented on.
We recorded an acoustic guitar in the recording studio using an AKG C1000 with a cardioid polar pattern. Ella positioned the microphone about 15cm just above the sound hole and made sure the microphone was facing towards the guitar strings. She plugged the microphone into channel 1 which outputted on channel 1 on the mixing desk. Brandon created a new track on Cubase and allowed the track to be monitored and cable to record the output. I then used the talkback button to talk and asked the musician to play as loud as she would whilst recording so I could change the sound levels to stop distortion being heard on the final recording. Once the sound levels were accurate, I asked the musician to start playing when I gave her the thumbs up through the window. This gave time for Brandon to press the record button on Cubase.
This sample recording of an acoustic guitar was completed inside a recording studio which means that the acoustic reflection is absorbed due to the fact that the recording studio has sound proofing foam on the walls. This foams absorbs sound waves and stop them being reflected in the final recording. The quality of the recording is clean and allows the strings to vibrate and not be cut off at the end of the recording. The reason for the recording having a long silence at the end is because we mixed down several recordings and one of the recordings were longer than the others. This can be fixed by editing the final recording on Cubase and cutting the long silence. There is no rhythm therefore no emotion or expression can be commented on.
The Second recording, African Drums
African Drum : https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/final-african-drums
The Roles whilst recording:
For the second recording the three of us changes roles to allow each of us to complete as many roles of the technician as possible. So instead of me controlling the mixing desk, I was in charge of setting up the mic stands and microphones in the classroom. Brandon took control of the mixing desk and Ella was in charge of recoding using the portable mixing desk. My job in this recording was similar to Gary Olazabal, who was an engineer on Stevie Wonders album I have been researching in brief 1. His job title was engineer but he also in charge of bass sound which I was assigned to during this recording as I was working with a drum and making sure the right microphone was used to record the instrument.
Skills Required:
Theory knowledge is a skill that was needed during the time in the recording studio as we needed to know which microphone we needed for different instruments. An example of this was when I needed to understand that the AKG D112 was the best microphone to use whilst recording the African drum.
Possible Problems:
To see the possible problems, check the final evaluation for the acoustic guitar.
Brief 1 Techniques:
In brief 1 I found out that Stevie Wonder used a variety of AKG model microphones to record the majority live instruments on his album. My group will emulate this by also using a variety of AKG microphones. we used a C1000 to record the acoustic microphone and a D112 to record the bass drum.
Entry Log of Recording:
First of all, I went into the recording studio and grabbed the D112 microphone and a mic stand to set up in the classroom. Whilst I was setting up the microphone, Ella and Brandon were setting up the portable mixing desk by inserting the kettle lead for the power supply and headphones so the recording could be heard. Then, after positioning the D112 10cm away from the drums, I gave the lead from the microphone to Brandon so he could plugged it into channel 1 on the mixing desk. Channel 1 wouldn't allow any output through the headphones so Brandon tried channel 2 which sorted out the problem. We used the D112 as it can withstand higher SPL and the fact that it has a cardioid polar pattern meant when the microphone faced the drums there would be less background noise picked up from behind. Next, Ella created a new track on the mixing desk and Brandon checked the sound levels by changing the gain and volume of channel 2.
At the start of the recording, background noise can be heard as someone is moving however this can be easily fixed by cutting the first second of the recording to get rid of the background noise. The quality of drum is of a professional level as it has a low pitch which is typical of African drums and no background noise is picked up on the recording meaning that there is no distraction from the sound of the drums. As we recorded in a classroom, we had no equipment to stop acoustic reflection from being picked up in the final recording. Natural reverb is heard slightly on the recording when the musician plays louder beats but that is not an issue as it helps increase the quality of the recording overall. Recording expression can be heard as the musician uses drumming techniques in the recording to make the recording sound more like a tribal sample of music. The resonance of the drum was better in this recording compared to any other instrument as the D112 is designed to make the quality of the drum better by being designed to withstand higher sound pressure levels.
At the start of the recording, background noise can be heard as someone is moving however this can be easily fixed by cutting the first second of the recording to get rid of the background noise. The quality of drum is of a professional level as it has a low pitch which is typical of African drums and no background noise is picked up on the recording meaning that there is no distraction from the sound of the drums. As we recorded in a classroom, we had no equipment to stop acoustic reflection from being picked up in the final recording. Natural reverb is heard slightly on the recording when the musician plays louder beats but that is not an issue as it helps increase the quality of the recording overall. Recording expression can be heard as the musician uses drumming techniques in the recording to make the recording sound more like a tribal sample of music. The resonance of the drum was better in this recording compared to any other instrument as the D112 is designed to make the quality of the drum better by being designed to withstand higher sound pressure levels.
The Final recording: Vocals
Final Vocals: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/final-recording-vocals
Final Vocals: https://soundcloud.com/user-416631632/final-recording-vocals
The Roles whilst recording:
For the final recording I was assigned to using Cubase in the control room of the recording studio, Ella was in charge of the mixing desk and Brandon was setting up the microphones in the recording studio. controlling Cubase meant that I was in control of recording and had to check the program was working before the recording started. This is similar to the role of Gary Olazabal and John Fischbach because they were both engineers which helped when recording tracks for the album.
Skills Required:
The skills required by the recording technician are to have good communication skills between the technician in the recording studio and the control room. To communicate between the rooms we used the talk back button on the mixing desk to allow us to talk to each other.
Possible Problems:
To see the possible problems, check the final evaluation for the acoustic guitar.
Brief 1 Techniques:
In brief 1 I discovered that Stevie Wonder wanted to use equipment that no one else had which usually meant he would get the latest equipment before anyone else. In the vocals recording we are also using the most up to date equipment possible by having the latest version of Cubase on the Mac computers.
Entry Log of Recording:
So once in the recording studio, Brandon set up the microphone stand to the height of the vocalists and positioning the Shure SM58 about 15cm away from the vocalists mouth. The type of microphone used to record the vocalist is a dynamic microphone with a cardioid polar pattern tailored to be more effective when recording vocal. He also set up a reflection filter behind the mic to stop acoustic reflection from being picked up in the final recording. After the mic was set up and plugged into channel 1, Ella used the talkback button and asked the vocalists to continue singing so that she could adjust the gain and sound levels of the output. As this was happening, I was setting up a new track on Cubase and checking that all channels and output was working correctly. This was done by changing the output to mono 2 as when I tried mono 1 it wouldn't work. Next, all the technicians gave each other the clear for the vocalists to begin singing so that I could record them. I gave the vocalists a countdown through the window as to when I would begin recording which was another way we communicated other than using the talkback button. Once the recording was completed I used Cubase to allow the vocalists listen back to the recording via the headphones. They were happy with the final recording so I exported the recording so it could be used a .wav file and transferred onto any computer.
The quality of the recording shows that the vocalists are harmonic and the voices flow nicely with each other. acoustic reflection in the recording studio is at a minimum due to the reflection filter stopping any sound waves that weren't picked up by the microphone to begin with and absorbing the sound to stop any reverb appearing on the recording. However on the recording, in particular at the start, the duet try an create an echo effect using their voices which creates a different sound in comparison to a solo vocal recording. The pop shield used in front of the SM58 also stopped plosive sounds from the vocalists being detected by the microphone. The emotion of the vocals was sombre as they used there vocal range but only used a lower tone of voice to express the message of the lyrics. They involve the listener by using lyrics that an audience would recognise and possibly relate to.
The quality of the recording shows that the vocalists are harmonic and the voices flow nicely with each other. acoustic reflection in the recording studio is at a minimum due to the reflection filter stopping any sound waves that weren't picked up by the microphone to begin with and absorbing the sound to stop any reverb appearing on the recording. However on the recording, in particular at the start, the duet try an create an echo effect using their voices which creates a different sound in comparison to a solo vocal recording. The pop shield used in front of the SM58 also stopped plosive sounds from the vocalists being detected by the microphone. The emotion of the vocals was sombre as they used there vocal range but only used a lower tone of voice to express the message of the lyrics. They involve the listener by using lyrics that an audience would recognise and possibly relate to.
