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RTV 151 Audio Production Technology

Explore sound wave fundamentals, room design strategies, digital recording principles, mic types, and audio mixing equipment. Understand mic directional patterns and processing tools like compressors, limiters, and equalizers for professional audio production.

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RTV 151 Audio Production Technology

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  1. RTV 151Audio Production Technology

  2. Sound in an environment • Sound wave • Compression / rarefaction • Frequency / Measured in hertz • Amplitude / Measured in decibels (db-spl) • AM/FM, kHz / MHz (r.f.) • Attack/sustain (internal dynamics)/decay -- sound envelope • Acoustics / Psychoacoustics / binaural hearing • Absorbed / Reflected • Direct / Indirect (echo & reverberation)

  3. Some issues with sound • Equal loudness principle--depending on loudness we don’t hear low and high frequencies as well as we hear middle • Masking--Hiding of some sounds by other sounds by other sounds when each is a different frequency and they are presented together. Loud over soft / lower-pitched over higher • Acoustical phase--the time relationship between two or more sound waves at a given point in their cycles • Timbre--a sound’s unique tone quality or tone color

  4. Production Room Sound Design • Ergonomics – human element in designing room • Sound Absorption and Reflection • Diffusion--scattering of sound waves • Diffraction--spreading or bending • Resonance--vibration of an object at the same frequency as the original body’s frequency • Lively or Dead Room • Isolation

  5. Sound Frequency Spectrum • Bass • Low bass, 1st & 2nd octaves, 16-64 Hz • Upper bass, 3rd& 4th octaves, 64-256 Hz • Midrange • 5th, 6th & 7th octaves, 256 - 2,048 Hz • Upper midrange: 8th octave, 2,048 - 4,096 Hz • Treble • 9th & 10th octaves, 4,096 - 16,384 Hz

  6. Digital Recording • Sampling: takes periodic samples (snapshots, voltages) of the analog signal and converts that information into digital data • Sampling frequency: the rate at which the signal is sampled: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz • Think of film at 24 fps – each still frame is a ‘sample’ (snapshot) of information in 1/24 of a second

  7. Digital Recording • Quantization: how many ones and zeroes to represent each sample • A quantity expressed as a binary number is called a digital word. • 10 is a 2-bit word, 101 is a 3-bit, 1010 is a 4-bit etc. • The greater the number of the quantizing level (10010110 an 8 bit vs. 10, a 2 bit) the more accurate the representation of the analog signal.

  8. Technical Specs • All systems based on color book standards established by IEEE: • eg. CD-R that conforms to Orange Book standards is designed where the user is able to record whenever s/he wants to add things, instead of all at once; standard CD audio is Red Book, etc. • Importance of technical specs • IEEE, MPEG, SMPTE

  9. Mics -- Review Sound • Sound Frequency Spectrum • Bass, midrange, treble • Frequency / Hertz • Amplitude / decibels • Acoustics • Direct / indirect sound • Echo / reverberations

  10. Microphone Directional Patterns • Omnidirectional / nondirectional • Unidirectional / Directional/ cardioid • Super, hyper, ultra • Bidirectional • (see reading for diagrams)

  11. Cardioid range • Cardioid • Supercardioid • Hypercardioid • Compare to parabolic

  12. Professional Mic types • Moving coil/dynamic • Ribbon • Capacitor/condensor • Transducer – changes energy from one form to another – in this case sound waves into an electrical current

  13. More about mics and sound • Common analog audio connectors • RCA (phono), ¼” (phone), mini-plug, XLR • Jack (‘female’) vs. plug (‘male’) • Close vs. distant miking • Cross-pair, mid-side as some distant miking approaches • Wide – range of frequencies • Flat – accurately recreates frequencies • Colored response – changes frequencies (lavaliere boosts high frequencies, for example

  14. Common mic types • lavaliere • headset • handheld • studio/boom mounted, TV boom • Perambulator boom, giraffes, fishpole • PZM (boundary mic)

  15. Audio Mixing Equipment • Three things you mix • Sources, techniques, aesthetics • Audio console or DAW • ProTools or Adobe Audition • 5 console functions • Amplify, switch, route, mix, balance • Various console inputs • Routing: patch panel

  16. Other console terms • Program / Audition • Monitor vs. cue • Master pot • VU meter / PPM (analog / LED) • Muting system • Foldback (IFB note) • Pad / trim / gain / AGC • Pan Pot • Submixer & pre-amp

  17. Other audio mixing terms • Compressor • Limiter • Equalizer (EQ) • Filters • High pass, low pass, band pass, notch • Stereo vs. multi-track recording • Basics of multi-track / mixdown

  18. Three things you mix... • Music • Production library, royalty-free loops • BMI, ASCAP, SESAC • blanket license vs. ‘needle drop’ • SoundExchange fees • SFX -- Production library, Foley • Voice • Narration vs. dialogue • Straight voice, VO/music, donut, jingle

  19. Spot production • Spot / commercial, PSA, promo • ‘Theatre of the mind’ • Target audience / demographics • Radio formats

  20. Being a producer basics • What do you produce? • Audio • spots • news & sports reports • interview programs/public affairs • play by play • Internet delivered similar content • Podcasts / podcasting / RSS feeds #

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