When working in a studio it is important to understand the

different types of equipment and cables used in the studio. It is

important to understand the difference between a balanced
and an unbalanced cable. An unbalanced cable is a cable that
has two conductors. If a cable only has two conductors it is
possible that the signal will pick up interference and cause a
buzzing sound. A balanced cable has three conductors. This will
reduce the amount of interference that is picked up. An XLR
cable which is commonly used for microphones would be a
balanced cable because you would not want to pick up
interference while recording vocals.
When it comes to using the computer there are many different
cables that will be used to connect different types of
equipment. A midi cable is a common cable. It is used to
connect midi instruments such as midi keyboard to a
computer. Firewire cables can also be used to transfer audio
data at high speeds.
2.
Audio Interface
An Audio Interface is an interface designed to allow audio to be
recorded or played back in various ways from a computer. It is
more advanced than a sound card. The Audio Interface has a
higher quality audio reproduction, dedicated audio inputs and
outputs and could run at a in a way which the user wouldnt
even know it was there (low latency) which is different from the
normal sound card. The Audio Interface also had increased
numbers of inputs and outputs, which mean multiple pieces,
can be played and recorded at the same time.
Signal Levels
Signals are needed to send analogue signals in and out of the
digital domain. Analogue audio signals are very low-power so if
the connection is not matched correctly this could result in
inaudible volume levels or lead to the piece being distorted,
and some signals have a higher power which could lead to

damaged hearing, the individual or equipment. DC signals

measure voltage differently using a complex algorithm that
makes negative voltage values into positives which is called
Root Mean Square and then takes and average of the values
and square roots it. This then makes it easier to quote all
voltages using RMS values.
Direct Injection
A Direct Injection unit/box is used in recording studios to
connect a high-impedance, line level, unbalanced output signal
to a low-impedance microphone level balanced input. This
normally is done with an XLR connector. These can be used to
connect an electric guitar to a mixing consoles microphone
input. The DI then performs a multitude of tasks which
minimise noise, distortion and ground loops.
Patch Bay
A Patch Bay enables you to change the signal flow among the
different devices within the studio without having to change
cables around. They are switchboards for rerouting audio
signals. It contains rows of input and output points. A patch bay
cable can be used to connect different signal processors to
different instruments. An example of this would be adding a
reverb effect to an electric guitar from within the control room.

VU Meter
A VU Meter is a Volume Unit Meter which is a device to display
the signal level in audio equipment.
Noise Gate
A Noise Gate is software that is used to control volume. A Noise
Gate will change signals that are below the correct hearing
level. Noise Gates work in a range and changes it by a fixed

amount. If the signal is above the threshold the gate will be

open and the signal can pass through, if it is below the
threshold then the gate is closed and no signal can pass. A
Noise Gate is used when the level of signal is above the level of
noise. They are used to eliminate unwanted noise in recordings,
for example background noises.
Parametric EQ
A Parametric EQ is a complex Equaliser and it can control three
aspects of a frequency. These are the level, the centre and the
bandwidth. Each frequency can be changed by +/- 6 dB or +/12 dB. This is different from a graphic equaliser as it can also
adjust the centre of the frequency and the bandwidth.

3. When working in a studio it is important to bare health and

safety in mind. Issues which may occur in the studio should be
rated on a Risk Assessment Scale and measures should be
carried out in order to reduce the number on the Risk
Assessment Scale, thus this will reduce the number of
accidents occurring in the studio. Some of the health and safety
issues can be towards the person or to the equipment, for
example: injury to self by tripping over cables or damage to
equipment by having food and drink in the studio.

One of the main health and safety issue of working in a

studio is tripping, this is due to there often being
cables on the floor and also tripping over
equipment in the studio. If the studio is not kept
tidy and the cables put away the chance of
someone tripping in the studio is very high.
This could lead to serious injury to the person
involved. Therefore, to minimise this risk it
is important for people working in the
studio to ensure that the studio is always
kept tidy and cables and equipment are not
left lying around in places where they should
not be. Also, anyone entering the studio
should be paying attention just in case the
studio has not been kept tidy.
Food and drink should not be taken into a
studio. If there is a spillage onto the studio
equipment this can cause the equipment to
fuse or to break. Some spillages may cause
an electrical fire which could lead to the
whole studio being set alight. The risk of this
happening is fairly low however; the
consequences can be high and very
dangerous and expensive. To reduce this risk
no food and drink should be taken into the studios. People
working in the studio should leave the facility before consuming
these goods.
It is important for anyone entering the studio to know where
the fire escapes are located. The fire escapes located in this
studio can be seen in the diagram. People working in the
studio they must be aware of time limits and computer usage.
If working at the computer for too long this can cause eye
strain and has the possibility of causing back problems. To
prevent this it is important for each individual working in the
studio to be aware of how long they have been working for and
to ensure that they have regular breaks where they get up and

move away from the screens and to provide themselves with a

light exercise, e.g. a small stretch. Although the risk is quite low
here it is still important that measures are carried out to
prevent any personal injury
People entering the studio should behave in a responsible
matter and respect the property in the studio. The equipment in
the studio is very expensive and it should be treated in a
responsible manner to avoid damage to the property.

This is a diagram of the studio area.

This is a more detailed diagram of one of the studios.

On the mixing desk you will find many channel strips. A channel
strip is used to allow an audio device to be integrated into
another system. An example of this would be using the channel
strip to amplify the signal from an instrument so that it can be
connected to a DAW.
When it comes to recording instruments there are many
different types of microphones available. There are two man
types of microphones that are used in studios. These are called
condenser and dynamic. A condenser microphones will require
its own power supply. A condenser microphone would normally
be used to record vocals and acoustic instruments as they can
record sound in much higher quality than a dynamic
microphone. A disadvantage to a condenser microphone is they
tend to be very delicate. A dynamic microphone does not
require its own power supply. Dynamic microphones are very
rugged and can be used to record almost any sound. If you
wanted to record a kick drum you would use a dynamic
microphone because it will be able to withstand the high levels
of sound pressure.
Microphone placement is very important when it comes to
recording.
It is very important to make sure the kick drum is miked up
correctly because the kick drum produces some of the very low
frequency sounds. A good position for the kick drum would be
to place it half way inside the drum. This will allow the
microphone to pick up more of the sounds produced by the
body of the drum and less of the attack produced by the peddle
hitting the drum. A Audix D6 dynamic microphone would be a
good microphone to use because it is able to make high quality
recordings of very low frequency sounds.
The snare drum microphone will need to be placed about 2
inches away from the drum. The head of the microphone will
need to be placed so it is pointing at the centre of the drum.
The snare drum will normally be placed near the high-hats so a
directional microphone will be needed to help reduce the bleed

from the high-hats and other drums. A SM57 is commonly used

when recording the snare drum.
A similar process is involved when positioning microphones for
the tom-toms. You should place a microphone about 3 inches
above each drum. The microphone should be pointing to the
centre of the drum. A good microphone to use for recording the
tom-toms is a Shure PG56.
The high-hats do not need to be miked up because they are
normally picked up through the other mics. If you did want to
position a microphone for the high-hats you would need to
place the microphone about 4 inches away from the high-hat.
The microphone would need to be pointing directly down. A
diaphragm condenser microphone would be a good choice here
because it will pick up more of the high-hats and reduce the
bleed from the other drums.
The cymbals can be picked up by using overhead microphones.
These microphones will pick up the entire drum kit to give the
recording a fuller sound. The overhead microphones should be
placed about a foot above the drum kit. There should be one
either side of the drum kit pointing directly down or across the
drum kit. The distance of the microphones should be measured
so they are both the same distance away from the centre of the
snare.
After you have positioned all of the drums you will need to
connect them to the mixing desk. This can be done by
connecting the microphones to the patch bay. You will need to
remember what microphones are plugged into the different
inputs. The patch bay will need to be connected to the sound
card and the sound card will need to be connected to the
mixing desk. A good way of organising the microphones is to
remember the order of the microphones plugged into the patch
bay and repeat that order when connecting the patch bay to
the sound card. Then when you connect the sound card to the
mixing desk and set the mixing desk to input 1 you should

receive a signal from the microphone that is connected to input

1 in the patch bay.