Weekly Questions Flashcards
The EMU Studio 1 recording space has room to record
a jazz big band
In the presentation PDF on p.41, why is the piano player wearing headphones?
Without his own personal cue send featuring his piano, he would be forced to play too hard to hear himself.
In the presentation?PDF?on p.36, why is there protective acoustic foam and duct tape securing the Neumann to the mic stand?
Because without the expensive and delicate mic stand attachment that some one thoughtlessly broke there was no other way to use the mic
This is such an important point it is well worth reiterating it!!
Handle with EXTREME caution
It is a sin to have to mount this fine piece of equipment this way
A Neumann without the expensive and delicate mic stand attachment is about as much use as a hammer in a sessionif you can’t find some protective acoustic foam and duct tape
Because without the expensive and delicate mic stand attachment that some one thoughtlessly broke there was no other way to use the mic
The Avalon AD 2022
Is an excellent mic preamplifier
Neumann U 87s should be handled with care because
They are delicate and extremely expensive
Are comparatavely heavy and can easily topple an ordinary mic stand
Feature a very delicate mounting attachment
The EMU Studio 1 recording space has facility to connect
32 microphones if necessary
In reference to unused audio files
Leave them where they are - Hard drive space is cheap
In the presentation?PDF?on p.39, why is there 2 stripes of tape on the mic?
To identify it easily among others like it
The Patchbay
Provides flexiblility to the studio configuration
P.12 of this week’s PDF features two SSL signal processing modules. The one on the right is a ..
Eq module
On page 4 of the PDF for this week - the 6 channel mixer has a button marked ‘slate’
It’s used in association with the mic to its left
It is used to print engineer announcements to tracks to help identify takes
PFL stands for
Pre fader level (or listen)
P.21 of this week’s PDF features a photo of Fantasy studio’s control room - why is there so much wood.
Wood has some very favorable acoustic properties when used appropriately in recording studios.
P.22 of this week’s PDF features a large machine. It is a..
Studer 24 track 2 inch tape deck
Low impedance mic cables -
feature a 3 pin connector on one end
A split configuration console
Uses separate modules for mic inputs and playback returns
P.8 of this week’s PDF features a blue Neve signal processing module. It is a..
Mic pre/ Eq module
Inserts are used to
access outboard equipment
The low cut 75Hz 18db/octave switch on a Mackie mixer’s input is used for
Removing low frequency rumble
An omnidirectional microphone is
essentially equally sensitive to sound arriving from any direction
often used in a set of three in a Decca tree configuration in orchestral sessions
Ribbon microphones
were once very popular with vocalists in the 1940s
A cardioid mic pattern is essentially
heart-shaped
good at rejecting sound from the rear
Microphones that exhibit a figure of 8 response
useful for back up singers facing each other
are less sensitive to sounds arriving at the sides
The Shure SM 58
works like a speaker in reverse
An unbalanced connection
is used for guitars and other musical instruments to plug into an amplifier
uses two-wires only
Small diaphragm condenser mics like the Rode NT5
are best used on sound sources that contain significant high frequency components
exhibit superior transient response to dynamic mics
The Shure SM 52
is a large diaphragm dynamic, capable of withstanding high sound pressure levels
Coils of wire are used in guitar pickups in order to
allow a current to flow when a magnet is moved within the coil
Acoustic recordings required many aspects of performance to be adjusted - these included
tempo; in order to squeeze performances into the limited playing time
orchestration; since many instruments (such as bass) were simply incompatible with the recording process.
the use of specialized instruments to accommodate the recording system limitations
dynamic range limitation
Before the advent of recordings:
music was always performed live
Player pianos could be used to provide musical entertainment
Sheet music was the primary means of dissemination
German engineers were responsible for the development of what recording system during World War 2?
tape recording
Player piano rolls …
permitted the tempo of performance to be adjusted simply by winding them faster or slower.
when played in a player piano produced a sound which was sonically superior to acoustic recordings on cylinders
used rolls of paper in which holes had been punched corresponding to notes played.
Electrical recording revolutionized the making of records by …
increasing the frequency range that could be captured
improving the comfort of the musicians
making unnatural instrumental balances possible
In the 1930s and 40s which devices were responsible for increasing the popularity of records …
radio broadcasts
juke boxes
Recordings before 1930 were predominantly done:
without the benefit of electricity
by the entirely mechanical process of acoustic recording
MTV revolutionized the recording industry by:
prioritizing the visual aspects of performance over the sound
challenging touring as the most efficient means of marketing albums
Studer is a famous name in the recording industry. What are they best known for …
superior tape recorders
Acoustic recordings suffered as a result of the following issues:
They could not be mass produced
frequency range limitations
Guitar styles that exploited the distortion produced by overdriven amplifiers caused issues in the recording studio including
leakage into other microphones
the employment of excessive baffling and isolation
booths which reduced the interaction of the ensembles
hearing damage
difficulty in hearing the other players without using headphones
The Haas effect
uses phase difference and delay to produce various mix enhancements
exploits our hearing’s ability to localize sounds
The ear can be fooled into perceiving sounds emanating from locations where no speakers are located by
using a signal and an inverted polarity copy panned to opposite sides of a stereo soundfield
Guitar amplifiers of the 1950s
were generally low powered and compact
had a reputation for being unreliable
Power attenuators like the Altair model PW-5
converted a portion of the power amplifier’s output to heat before it was sent to the speakers
allowed guitarists to take advantage of the tonal characteristics of a guitar amp on 10 without the inconvenience of excessive volume levels.
Amp isolation boxes
isolate the guitar from the amplifier - thereby reducing the interaction of the strings and speaker
are designed to absorb the sound produced by an amplifier before it reaches microphones of other instruments nearby
The names Hiwatt and Marshall are associated with
high powered guitar amplifiers of the 1960s
British amplifier manufacturers
The Fender Stringmaster from 1957
produced a pure clean sound that served as a model for mid 50s guitar tone
had more than 20 strings and multiple necks
The ‘Pignose’ amp represented
a return to easily isolated small amplifiers that produced an acceptable distortion at greatly reduced volume
one of a number of devices from the late 1960s early 1970s aimed at prioritizing the requirements of engineers over guitarists
Les Paul was
a famous American guitarist
an inveterate electronics tinkerer who was responsible for many recording innovations
It is prudent to record and keep every vocal track for the following reasons
Why not? We have plenty of tracks and you never know when you might need an excerpt from an unsuccessful take
The earliest takes are often the best for vocalists
In regard to the tuning of a vocalist’s performance
different musical styles exhibit a wide range of pitch tolerances in vocal performances
perfect intonation is not necessarily desirable
Phasing issues when double tracking vocalists can be avoided by
moving the singer to a slightly different physical location for the double
singing the double at a different time of day
Important points to remember when recording vocals include
place a cover over music stands to reduce reflections
Using two separate mics set at different gain levels is an effective way to ensure fewer technical issues arise
When recording vocals - ideally the compressor should be patched
after the mic pre and channel EQ between the channel fader and the Protool input so you can manually ride the gain
To avoid excessive headphone bleed when recording vocals
unplug any unused headphones in the studio
pan the mix to one side if the singer prefers to only use one earpiece
keep the control room monitors at a conservative level
Headphone levels that are too loud can cause
ear fatigue
excessive bleed into the microphone
a vocalist to sing consistently flat
When recording group vocals it is wise to
listen for multiple S and Ts occuring at the end of phrases
designate a group leader who will co-ordinate cut offs etc.
favor the lower voices as they are more likely to be lost in the mix
Care must be taken whan using replacement drum programs to ensure that
regions are faded gently to avoid unnecessary clicks occuring
the phase relationship between the original drum and the replacement is non destructive
every hit falls within the sensitivity range of the replacement program
It is customary to add high frequency EQ to tom mics in order to
increase the perception of the impact of the stick on the skin
add “air” to the recordings
counteract the proximity effect that close micing generates in directional mics
In order to achieve a satisfactory rock drum sound it is necessary to
have them tuned properly
use a drummer who can perform the style in an authentic fashion
Drumagog is -
an automatic sound replacement program
sensitive to playing dynamics
Productions still use live drummers because
good ones bring valuable experience and knowledge to the recording session
they are interactive
Pre-reverb delay
often adds a more natural dimension to artificial reverb devices
is the short delay that occurs before the onset of the multitude of reflections that are perceived as reverberation
Technological advances that influenced the evolution of modern drum sounds included -
the multitrack tape recorder
digital reverb processors such as the AMS RMX 16
Notch filters
can remove unwanted resonances from drums
involve EQ settings with an extremely high “Q” factor
The modern engineer is well advised to gain the requisite skills to perform the following functions
tune drums
accurately record drums
drum programming
enhance drum sounds using drum replacement techniques
The use of ProTools has influenced the production of jingles in the following ways
Video no longer has to be synchronized mechanically - QuickTime files can be imported
many versions can be edited from a single recording - reducing recording time.
The advertising world is a significant source of engineering income because
corporate clients generally have larger budgets than band managers to spend on productions
there are opportunities to receive royalties and repeat fees
Stripes or Stems are used to
facilitate remixes where the entire mix need not be recalled
allow video editors to make minor adjustments to the mix
Superscripts are used in TV ads
to allow for any price increases to be reflected without recutting the entire video
they can be repositioned easily to emphasize musical hits
Rough cut videos and storyboards provide the following functions
They often change dramatically before the final video is finished
the help establish the musical style to be used
the give composers a rough idea of the musical cuts necessary to emphasize significant changes in the action
Engineers need to be extremely sensitive to the needs of the various people at the session?as a result
the engineer must be careful not to undermine the authority of the producer with anything he /she says
different people have different priorities and the engineer must take this into account
Knowledge of American jingle production conventions is important because
The internet has allowed Australians to compete directly with their USA rivals
It permits you to negotiate the best deal for yourself
American music production houses are keen to include gratuitous vocals on jingles for the following reasons
vocals are a particularly effective marketting device
vocal contracts in the USA generate significantly higher fees than musicans receive
It?s a way of compensating as many employees as possible -some of whom may have done unsuccessful demos
The jingle production path involves many stages which may include
a search for appropriate library tracks
discussions which aim to match the product advertised with the type of music used
the commissioning of an original demo recording
the talents of advertising agency personnel who are involved in the development of an advertising campaign concept
In relation to the Electric bass
it necessitated new recording procedures that affected the other instrumentalists - in particular drummers
it arguably changed the course of popular music
The acoustic recording process
led to the development of specialized instruments such as the Stroh bass
could accommodate the brash sound of the Tuba-bass quite satisfactorily
effectively prohibited the use of the string bass in the studio
Amplification of the string bass became an issue in the 1930 because
technique was limited by the awkward set-up necessary to produce the maximum volume of sound from the bass
bands grew larger and louder and venue size increased
radio and records had inured listeners to a more pronounced level of bass that artists wished to reproduce live
The Western Electric system of recording
Permitted the string bass to be used more effectively on recordings
introduced the employment of microphones to recording
In comparing the tuba, acoustic and electric bass the following features can be established
The acoustic bass has a more complex envelope than the electric bass
the string bass sound produces a more prominent fundamental than the tuba
the tuba’s envelope decays rapidly as soon as the player stops blowing
The Tuba
was the preferred bass instrument in the early 1920s
was much louder and carried further than the string bass
Was impervious to inclement weather when used outdoors
Tic tac bass
refers to a technique wherein the string bass part is doubled by a baritone guitar or electric bass played with a pick
fortified the low end of many country and surf records of the 1950s
During the ascendency of early rock ‘n’ roll
recordings helped establish the bass as a more important instrument within the ensemble
The string bass proved increasingly ineffective in providing an adequate underpinning
string bass players such as Willie Dixon often disregarded the chord changes entirely since the bass could be only ?”felt but not heard”
the electric bass changed the nature of the bass part in the small ensemble
The String bass
provided a highly desirable underpinning for early jazz musicians that the primitive acoustic recording process was unable to capture
was easily drowned out by other instruments
If we backup our session to another hard drive we need to -
ensure we have selected “All Audio Files” in the “Items to Copy” menu under Save Session Copy
make sure we can open up the back-up copy before we shut down the session
Most mix engineers advocate -
starting with the rhythm section and working through the instruments leaving the vocals until last
Many seasoned mixing engineers still advocate referencing other seminal recordings. This is because..
It helps establish a sonic reference in the particular mixing environment you are in
styles change and engineers must remain competitive
Modern recording often involves a great deal of track cleaning and track comping. This is because..
decisions are postponed until the last minute rather than made on the fly - generating many superfluous tracks
we now have unlimited tracks and tend to overuse them
Mixing is now routinely undertaken by everybody with access to a DAW - not just the highly specialized engineers of yesterday. As a result more mistakes are made.
Auto Backup
may cause your screen to freeze momentarily on large sessions
is a great work saver if your system experiences a crash or power outage
can save a great deal of time and anxiety if you decide to retrace your steps
Using an appropriate mix template -
increases efficiency
makes your mix layout more industry compatible
saves time
The Fletcher -Munson curves suggest -
mixes that sound balanced at high levels have a tendency to be bass deficient at low levels
It’s prudent to listen to a mix at both elevated and low levels in order to get a good balance
if we mix at high levels we need to add more bass because it will be reduced disproportionately when we turn down the volume
EQ presets are of limited value because -
there are so many other variables at play that no two situations will yield identical results
they discourage experimentation
they encourage us not to listen to the effect of adjusting Eqs as we go
Setting all track faders to less than 0db before you start mixing -
is not a good idea if all of your tracks were recorded at low levels
helps to avoid your mix levels running into distortion as the song develops in complexity
gives you increased headroom
Reverb density refers to -
how tightly packed the individual reflections are
Slap Echo refers to:
a rhythmic delay technique popularized by Sam Phillips in the 1950s
a echo effect traditionally produced using a tape recorder
a single delay of traditionally 125 or 250 milliseconds
The first creative use of an artificial reverb chamber on record occurred -
1947 in The Harmonicat’s recording of “Peg O’ My Heart”
when Bill Putnam Snr employed a speaker in the studio bathroom and mixed the results into a record he was producing
Reverberation can be used
to create an artificial sonic environment
to simulate a real space
as a compositional device
In the late 1920s the sound of the recording venue was considered
important enough to encourage major record companies to carefully select recording sites
a desirable enhancement to the quality of recordings
An EMT 140 plate is a
large device employing a plate of sheet metal excited by a speaker driver. The resulting waves are then returned to the studio console via contact transducers
an artificial reverb device designed in Germany in the late 1950s
The popularity of juke boxes
encouraged record producers to limit the reverberation on their recordings
helped the music industry withstand the Great Depression
Abbey Road reverb chambers feature -
hard ceramic tiled walls and large cylindrical pipes to diffuse the sound waves
a speaker and at least one microphone
Reverberant ambience was not featured on early wax recordings because -
poor dynamic range of wax discs meant that low level sounds were hidden beneath the noise floor
Recording rooms were generally small and the players were pressed up against the recording device
acoustic recording techniques were too unsophisticated to pickup that level of detail
M-S processing
can produce changes in spatialization
The pitch of the record refers to:
the distance between successive grooves in the spiral
A lot of out-of-phase low bass on a stereo vinyl record:
will create problems with stylus tracking
On a mono vinyl LP recording:
the stylus moved from side to side as it cut it’s way through the disc
Which of the following are NOT the responsibility of the mastering engineer?
providing stems for future mixes
Control-room monitors traditionally:
are placed in a disadvantageous position for sonic accuracy due to reflections from the console
M-S techniques may be used in mastering to:
manipulate the tracks L+R and L-R information separately
Details that might understandably escape the engineer’s attention in the recording studio might include
balance ratios between successive songs in a collection
Plosive noises that the mastering engineer’s more sophisticated monitor system might be expected to reveal
Why were mastering sessions traditionally so expensive
The processes involved are time intensive to do properly
record companies had committed a great deal of money to the project once it had reached the mastering stage and they wanted to protect their investment
to do them properly required a large investment in equipment and the playback environment
The term ‘Mastering’ refers to:
The term ‘Mastering’ refers to:
