Unit 25:

Sound Recording LEARNING AIM A

Signal Paths
There are two different signal paths that are made for recording, analogue and digital sound. Analogue sound waves replicates
the sound of the original sound wave and is almost identical with it whilst digital sound waves only replicates the sampled part
of the original sound wave.

Analogue recordings gives off a warm and natural sound but is much quieter and can create a delayed time when being played
which causes high frequency loss. It can also produce a hissing or crackling sound for vinyls.

Digital recordings has better durability, higher volume, lower noise, cheaper, easier to duplicate and is more accessible to
different parts of the recording. However, it can suffer from high latency, data corruption, and loss of data due to crashing.
ADC & DAC
Analogue to Digital Converter (ADC) are a useful as it is used to convert analogue signals to a digital code which is usually in
binary and vice versa for Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC). Due to the fact that analogue is used in everyday life the
conversion can be helpful to allow digital electronic equipment to process the analogue signals.

DAC are used to convert digital sounds into analogue. An example of this would be your speakers which is analogue but the film
you are playing is digital, therefore a DAC allows the conversion to take place.
Decibels
Decibels (dB) is a unit which measures the intensity of a sound or the power level of an electrical signal. The electrical signal is
compared with a given level on a logarithmic scale. Sound levels above 85 dB would be considered harmful to the ear, depending
on the length of time you are exposed to it and whether or not you are wearing any hearing protects like earplugs or earmuffs.
The average conversation would be about 60 dB, a lawn mower would be about 90 dB and a concert would be about 120 dB.

When recording sound, you need to be sure to record at the optimum level to capture the sound.
Optimum Recording Levels
Distortion of signal can occur when the recording levels reaches the limit instead of the the Permitted Maximum Level (PML). It
is best to set your recording levels closer to the PML in order to achieve Optimal Recording Levels. It’s possible for Digital audio
to come close to the threshold for PML without distortion, although clipping will occur once the peak is reached. We are
notified when we’ve reached clipping when a red light is indicated, whilst green is acceptable and yellow is also acceptable
however it’s on the verge of approaching PML.

After recording, it is possible to boost the audio level with an audio editing software if the original sound is recorded too low.
Clipping is really difficult to fix if it has extremely succumbed past the peak so it would be better to record sound with a good
amount of headroom. Recording interviews fall between -12 dB and -6 dB usually allowing enough headroom to account for
intermittent spikes in peak levels.

dBFS means "deciBels Full Scale". The maximum digital level is 0dBFS over which you get nasty digital clipping, and levels are
stated in how many dB below that maximum level you are.
Lossless & Lossy
Lossless compression is the term that the audio of the file remains the same even when the file size is compressed and the
original data can be restored. This is good as lossless compression is able to reduce the file size by up to 50% without losing its
quality. FLAC and ALAC are open source lossless compressed formats.

Lossy compression is the opposite of lossless compression as it permanently removes data from the audio file. When
compressing a WAV file into an MP3 file lossy compression would occur as bits from the original file are removed, the file must
reduce the size and quality of the file in order for it to be compressed. MP3 and MP4/AAC are lossy compressed formats.
Mono & Stereo Recording and Replay
In monaural sound there is a single channel that is used.
It is able to be reproduced through several speakers.
However, the same copy of the signals is being
reproduced in all the speakers.
In stereophonic sound two or more channels are used.
It is possible to make the 2 separate channels create one
feed a speaker and the other one feed another speaker,
this creates directionality, perspective and space.
Audio File Format
Audio File Format (Uncompressed)
BWF (Broadcast Wave Format): BWF is a file format used in tv broadcasts, radio and even motion picture.

WAV (Waveform Audio File): WAV (rarely, Audio for Windows) is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing
an audio bitstream on PCs. It is an uncompressed format meaning it takes up more space however better quality as well as
lossless.

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format): AIPF is used on Apple Macintosh computer systems. The audio data in most AIFF files
is uncompressed pulse-code modulation (PCM) a lossless file format.

PCM (Pulse-Code Modulation): PCM is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is the standard form of
digital audio in computers, compact discs, digital telephony and other digital audio applications.
Audio File Format (Compressed Lossless File Format)
Apple.m4a: Also known as Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) or Apple Lossless Encoder (ALE) is an audio coding format. It is
lossless audio format.

ATRAC (Advanced Lossless): ATRAC Advanced Lossless is an audio compression technology that enables compression of audio
signals without any loss of data. To maintain compatibility with previous devices, this technology was built with ATRAC3 and
ATRAC3plus as a base, and is able to compress a CD anywhere from 30% to 80% of its original without losing any data.

MPEG 4: MPEG 4 is a video and audio file format that is a compressed lossless file format. Designated a standard for a group of
audio and video coding formats and related technology agreed upon by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).

WMA (Window Media Lossless): Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless is a lossless version of Windows Media Audio, an audio
codec by Microsoft, released in early 2003. It compresses an audio CD to a range of 206 to 411MB, at bit rates of 470 to 940
kbit/s.
Audio File Format (Compressed Lossy File Format)
MP3: MP3 is an audio file format for digital audio which is a lossy data compressed file format. This means that the data is
partially discarded to reduce file sizes significantly yet still sound like the original uncompressed audio to most listeners.
Compared to CD quality digital audio, MP3 compression commonly achieves 75 to 95% reduction in size. This is important for
both transmission and storage concerns.

Vorbis: Vorbis is a free and open-source software project headed by the Xiph.Org Foundation. The project produces an audio file
format and software reference that is a lossy audio compressed format. Vorbis is most commonly used in conjunction with the
Ogg container format and it is therefore often referred to as Ogg Vorbis.

ATRAC (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding): ATRAC is a family of audio compression algorithms developed by Sony.
MiniDisc was the first commercial product to incorporate ATRAC in 1992. ATRAC allowed a relatively small disc like MiniDisc to
have the same running time as CD while storing audio information with minimal loss in quality.

WMA (Window Media Audio): WMA is the name of a series of audio codecs and audio coding formats developed by
Microsoft. WMA, was created as a competitor to the popular MP3 and RealAudio codecs.
Polar Patterns
Omnidirectional Microphones
Omnidirectional microphones has the same output or sensitivity at all angles, meaning it can pick up sound from every
direction. This means that the microphone doesn’t need to be aimed in a specific direction thus making it flexible to use. An
example for omnidirectional microphones to be used would be a musical performance where there is a choir and a band, picking
up sound from the choir in front of the microphone and the band behind it.
Bidirectional Microphones
Bidirectional microphones - also known as figure-of-eight microphones - picks up sound from the front and back from the
microphone but little to no sensitivity from the sides. An example for bidirectional microphones to be used could be a Q&A
lecture or presentation, where a professor gives a lecture to an audience and answers questions from them. The microphone will
be able to pick up audio from the professor and the student at the same time. A ribbon microphone would be considered a
bidirectional microphone.
Unidirectional Microphones
Cardioid Microphone: Cardioid microphone is the most common unidirectional microphone and is
most sensitive in the front and less sensitive at the back of the microphone. Meaning it is able to isolate
any undesirable sounds from the sides and is resistant to feedback compared to omnidirectional
microphones. This would be suitable for loud stages.

Hypercardioid Microphone: Similar to the Cardioid microphone, the Hypercardioid microphones is

most sensitive in the front of the microphone, however is considered to be more directional as it is
more sensitive directly behind instead of the sides. Hypercardioid microphones are generally used in
situations where a lot of isolation is required between sound sources.

Shotgun Microphone: A shotgun microphone is the most highly directional microphone compared to
the other unidirectional microphones and must be pointed directly at the desired sound source to be
able to pick up the best quality sound.
Types of Microphones
Coil Microphones
Moving coil microphones are of similar built to a loudspeaker. The moving coil is inside of the microphone and is attached to a
diaphragm; it is connected to a metal coil that has a magnet surrounding it. When sound waves hit the microphone, the
diaphragm moves back and forth, causing the coil to also move in and out of the magnetic field which results in the production
of sound. Coil microphones are able to produce a large sound because of the design. This is popular for live performances as it is
sturdy and loud.
Ribbon Microphones
A Ribbon Microphone or Ribbon Velocity Microphone is a specific type of microphone that uses thin metal strip such as
aluminium or any other type of metal that is in between the magnet, instead of a moving coil connected to a diaphragm. This
suggests that the diaphragm is the electrical conductor that vibrates inside the magnetic field in the gap. The metal piece or
ribbon is in between two magnets in an electrical field that is disrupted when the ribbon moves back and forth. Ribbon
microphones tend to pick up sound from either side of the microphone.

Ribbon microphones must be handled and used with a lot more care and attention than dynamic microphones as the thin metal
ribbon inside the capsule can be quite fragile. Unlike dynamic microphones, they handle less amounts of energy however
produces vocals differently. Due to this, its original use was in the broadcast business.
Condenser Microphones
Condenser microphones are a cross between a ribbon and a dynamic microphone, taking the best characteristics from both
microphones and combining them to create a unique sounding microphone that has many different applications. Despite taking
the best attributes from both microphones, condenser microphones require pire from a battery or external source and tends to
be more sensitive and responsive which can cause distortion in high-volume work. Condenser microphones are preferred for
studio recordings due to its sensitivity, making it better to hear conversation or sound within the room.
Sound Recorders In A Professional Setting
Rack Mount, Power Conditioner & Preamp
A rack mount allows you to play multiple
sound sources at once in comparison to a
generic desktop recording can only provide a
few simultaneous tracks at once. Recording
bands or inputs require more channels,
therefore the rack mount is necessary.
Furthermore, the “rack system” allows you to
mix-n-match your equipment, giving you the
ability to customise your routing and signal
flow however you like.
A power conditioner consolidates power
for the entire rack down to a single cable
instead of having a load of power cables
sticking out from the back of the rack
from each unit.
A preamplifier or preamp is
needed to prevent the final
signal from being noisy or
distorted. The electronic
amplifier’s role is to convert
weak electrical signals into an
output signal that is strong
enough to be noise tolerant and
able to process further.
Snake Cable, UPS & Reflection Filters
Snake cables are an easier Even though “real” acoustic treatment is the
way of organising XLR best option to deafen echo and room noise, it
cables so that your studio is too expensive for a small project studio.
becomes less cluttered. Reflection fillers offer a workable alternative.
This benefits you from all the time and
expenses of diffusing the whole studio by
instead capturing sound reflections before
they enter the room.

Mainly used as a backup battery, UPS

(Uninterruptible Power Supply) gives
you several minutes of power to turn off
your computer safely in the event of a
blackout.
Diffuser, Acoustic Panels & Bass Trap
In high budget studios with big rooms, diffusion is important to reduce the velocity of sound in
the room as it creates a nice natural ambience without taking away the liveliness from the room.
Diffusers can disperse sound energy existing in the room to prevent the sounds from building up
unnaturally in certain areas. Diffusion is much less effective in smaller rooms.

Acoustic panels absorb frequencies around the low-mid to high range. It also trap acoustical
energy and sound and manages to stop it from reflecting off of the surfaces they covers. Great at
eliminating standing waves, it’s possible for the panels to cause major acoustic problems in a
room with parallel walls, where sound reflections bounce back and forth in the same spot.

Designed to absorb low frequency sound energy which is the main problem in any studio, mostly
in smaller rooms. Bass traps are an acoustic energy absorber that are used in a lot of studios due
to its reliability.