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RTV 497 / THE 530 Sound and Audio. 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
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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)
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
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
Why Important? • Equipment does not exactly re-create realistic, ‘natural’ sound • You have to compensate • Hidden close mic • ADR / looping • Recording voice track without ambient sound • Record interviews w/o ambient sound
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
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
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.
Mics -- Review Sound • Sound Frequency Spectrum • Bass, midrange, treble • Frequency / Hertz • Amplitude / decibels • Acoustics • Direct / indirect sound • Echo / reverberations
Microphone Directional Patterns • Omnidirectional / nondirectional • Unidirectional / Directional/ cardioid • Super, hyper, ultra • Bidirectional • (see reading for diagrams)
Cardioid range • Cardioid • Supercardioid • Hypercardioid • Compare to parabolic
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
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
Common mic types • lavaliere • headset • handheld • studio/boom mounted, TV boom • Perambulator boom, giraffes, fishpole • PZM (boundary mic)
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
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
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
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 • Walla difference
Audio layering • Initially recording ‘clean’ / dry sound. • No flubs in narration. • No distracting sound bite content. • Multitrack / mixdown • You must view and set audio levels • You must balance audio throughout • All foreground at -12 -- see outline link