Week 5 - Balances Flashcards
How does a pot work?
A pot changes the level of the audio signal passing through it by changing the electrical resistance in its path.
What is a gain stage?
A gain stage is any point in the flow where the user can adjust the level of the signal passing through that point.
What number represents “unity gain”?
0 represents “unity gain”.
Is it true that if there is room above 0, you should not push the fader above 0?
That is true. You should not push the pot past 0 because it will add extra noise to the signal.
How does a pan pot function?
A pan pot functions by sending the source signal more or less to either the left or the right channels. This will sound like the instruments location in the stereo field changes.
What is masking?
Masking is when the perception of one sound is affected by the presence of another sound. This is when a signal, the sound that is desired to be heard, is made inaudible by a noise or unwanted sound that is present throughout the signal.
What are 2 techniques to minimize masking?
- Changing the microphones recording vocals or guitars.
- Changing guitars or amps.
What happens during the vso process?
When recording engineers used to “vso” (varispeed oscillator), different tracks between overdub takes slightly alters the speed and pitch during recording.
How does using a “vso” change the overall audio?
Using a “vso” minimizes masking by slightly altering the frequency content of the audio.
When recording an ensemble of people, what is a technique you can use to minimize masking?
If you are recording an ensemble, make sure that the loudest sound source IS NOT reaching the microphone first.
What is the overall goal with mixing, and what factors are this goal dependent on?
The overall goal of mixing is to create a mix in which all of the individual elements can be heard relatively well. This goal is dependent on the frequency content and the levels of the audio files being played.
What is a tool or effect that can be used to highlight and adjust the frequency content of an audio file?
An EQ can be used to adjust the frequency content of a file.
