Technical Stuff Flashcards
What are the benefits and disadvantages of an MP3?
Can be sent on an email (easily compressed), less high quality
What are the benefits and disadvantages of a WAV file?
Can’t be sent on an email (not easily compressed), very high quality
What is noisegate?
Controls volume of audio
What is automation?
Control volume and panning automatically
What is panning?
Travelling sound around the headphones
What is EQ?
Adjusting frequency for a clearer sound
What is distortion?
Fuzzy sound
What is reverb?
Sounds like it has been recorded in a large room
What is monitoring?
Hearing the track in real time
What’s the difference between a dynamic and a condenser mic?
Dynamic picks up louder sounds, condenser picks up more delicate noise and are highly sensitive
What decades are analogue recording machines used?
30s-80s
What is analogue recording?
Recording method before MIDI
Examples of different Analogue Recording tech
Cassettes, vinyl, reel to reel
What are disadvantages of recording everything on a single track?
Mistakes are expensive, break easily, every re-record worsens the quality of
How many multi tracks did early tape machines have?
4-8 (up to 24 for orchestra/choir)
What is overdubbing?
Recording over existing tracks - particularly used for singers
Advantage to multitracking?
Easily remove mistakes, higher recording quality, larger ensembles
Disadvantages to multitracking?
Quality worsens over time, takes longer to mix
When did Digital tape replace analogue?
1980s
What was tape eventually replaced by (before DAWs)?
Hard disc drives
Advantages to digital tape?
Able to record greater range or dynamics, cheaper than analogue
Disadvantages to digital tape?
Data can corrupt, lacks “warmth” of analogue as it can sound too perfect
Advantages to DAW?
Unlimited tracks, high quality recording, anyone with a device can create music
Disadvantages to DAW?
Requires a powerful computer, complicated software, software can crash mid-recording lacks imperfections - music can be overproduced
What is a sampler?
Uses short pieces of audio to create sounds
Why might you use a sampler?
Allows you to create certain sounds easily
Examples of consumer audio formats?
Streaming platforms, vinyl, cassettes, CDs, MP3, music videos
What is the velocity on a MIDI track?
How hard the key was struck
What is a DAW?
Digital Audio Workstation
What is a plug-in?
Software application that provide a specific function eg. Effects, EQ, Dynamic Processing
What is a peripheral?
Something that you can physically see which impacts the sound eg. Headphones, monitor, speakers
What is normalisation?
Applies the same amount of gain to the entire recording
What is MIDI interface?
Hardware that allows input eg. Keyboard, Drum Pad
What is quantisation?
Allows the data to be moved onto beat with a SINGLE COMMAND
What is chorus?
A modulation effect that makes it sound like multiple instruments/voices are playing
What is stereo?
Left and right in the field (opposite of mono)
How many volts does Phantom Power take?
48 Volts and is used in condenser microphones
