Nadia Rey [94519]

Fundamentals of Audio [ Monday 8am-12pm] January 17, 2011 Chapter 1-3 Outline <script type="text/javascript" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/art/merge?f=/_media/sp/spplayer.js&f=/_media/sp/sp-playertumblr.js&expsec=86400&ver=11&bgcolor=#000000&trackcolor=#40ff00&clicktext= Hear %20Ye&clickimg=true&autoplay=true&showpop=false&progressbackcolor=2fff00&sh owplaylistbutton=false&btncolor=white-black"></script>

Chapter 1 : Modern Recording Techniques [ Introduction ] The Recording Studio A commercial music studio consists of multiple acoustic spaces designed and tuned for capturing the best quality of sound onto the equipment in the studio. Studios require professional staff, equipment and a comfortable environment to produce quality sound. Acoustic design, size and shape are also factors that are important when considering building a recording facility. It is most important that the architecture of the studio is acoustically designed and that the control room and mixing environment is optimal for recording. There are multiple types of studios because of the evolution of technology. The option to build a studio in one's home has been made possible due to the new affordable developments in digital audio recording systems. The option of having a portable studio are made possible by the facilitation of recording software compatible with laptops. Audio is essential in film and video production because it is necessary in

implementing a source of audio entertainment to accompany the visual entertainment of each project. Artists, studio musicians, arrangers, producers, engineers, maintenance engineers, and DJ's are all characters in the studio who help to perfect a final recording, each person plays an integral part in an audio session. The recording process will continue if not all, a majority of these stages : Preparation, Recording, Overdubbing, Mixing Down, Mastering and Product Manufacturing. Preparation is the mental and physical awareness of the process about to take place, referring to questions such as " Have we practiced sufficiently?", " What is our goal and budget?" and " What are our time limitations?". Recording includes either multitrack or hard disk recording technology to compose a final recording. There may be multiple artists or instrumentalists recording or a solo performer. Overdubbing consists of after recording adding additional parts to the track recorded to perfect or enhance the recording. Mixing down is a process of perfecting the material so that it is of its best recorded and audible quality ; relative level, spatial positioning, equalization, dynamics processng and effect processing are augmented to create the final sound. Mastering is the final smoothing of a recording to ensure that the product is at its optimal quality for its intended media. Product manufacture is the actual product packaging of

a product from track listing, manufacture masters, and art layout and design. * The transducer, is any device that changes one from of energy into another, corresponding form of energy. Chapter 2 : Sound & Hearing The Basics of Sound Sound is a concept that describes the brain's perception and interpreation of a physical auditory stimulus, the examination of sound can be divided into four areas : basics, characteristics of the ear, how the ear is stimulated by sound and the psycho-acoustics of hearing. The Basics - Sound arrives at the ear in the form of sound pressure waves. These are periodic variations in atmospheric pressure. These movements are measured in a multitude of ways. Compression - greater than normal atmospheric pressure | Rarefaction lower than normal atmospheric pressure Waveform Characteristics Amplitude- Distance above or below the centerline of a waveform, the greater the distance the more intense the pressure variation. Frequency- The rate at which an acoustic generator, electrical signal or vibrating mass repeats within a cycle of positive & negative amplitude. Velocity- The velocity of a sound wave as it travels through air at 68F iis approximately 1130 ft/sec, speed is temperature dependent increasing at a rate of 1.1 ft/sec fore each Fahrenheit defree increase. Wavelength- The wavelength of a waveform [Lambda], is the physical distance in a medium between the beginning and end of a cycle.

Phase- Time delay between two or more waveforms. Harmonic Content- The components remaining after the fundamental frequency has been removed from a complex wave. Envelope Attack - refers to the time taken for a sound to build up when a note is initially sounded Sustain - describes the increases, decreases and sustains in volume that occur after the initial attack has sounded Decay - referes to a fade or reduction in level over time once the note has stopped Chapter 3 : Studio Acoustics & Design The Project Studio, Portable Studio and Professional Music Studio are all designed differently but but must all be built perfect for their specifications to be acoustically productive. There are specially designed products made for optimal sound in the actual studio. Acoustic Isolation - to employ effective isolation techniques in architectural design that exclude external noises to a minimum. Symmetry in Control Room/ Monitoring Design- different placement of monitoring equipment Frequency Balance - flat frequency response over the entire audio range without adding its own particular sound coloration. Absorption - the inverse of reflection, the amount of acoustic energy that is absorbed relative to the amount that's reflected is the absorption coefficient. Reflection - the ability for sound to reflect off a boundary's surface at an angle that's equal to & opposite of its original angle of incidence. Reverbation - the persistence of a signal in the form of reflected waves within an acoustic space, that continues after the original sound has ceased.

Acoustic Audio Chambers, Grounding Guidelines and balanced power are necessary to run a proper acoustic recording facility. Audio chambers were previously used before the invention of artificial effects devices. They are ambient sounding chambers built to create an acoustic sound that is optimal for recording. Some temporary chambers could be an empty stairwell, garage or in the shower. Grounding guidelines are essential to maintaining equipment safety. Balanced power is used to help rectify the situation of heavy machinery or loud air conditioners inside of a recording facility. ms.nadiarey@gmail.com