Rudiments of Recording Midterm

A wave moving through a medium created by vibrations

Outer ear is the pinna, the eardrum vibrates and hairs in the Cochlea become electrical signal

Longitudinal waves with rarefaction and compression; represented as transverse waves

343 m/s or 1125 ft/s or 767 mph; affedcted by temperature, humidity, and location (faster in solids, slower in gases)

Frequency = vibrations per second (Hz), Wavelength = distance of wave, Period = time for one wavelength

Twice as loud

The first recorder of audio, created in 1857 but re-discovered in 2008

An early form of recording by scratching onto a cylinder or disc; invented by Thomas Edison

Converts one form of energy to another

Diaphragm is attached to moving metal, movement of diaphragm causes a shifting magnetic field which generates electricity

Diaphragm is ultra-thin plate, back plate receives a voltage and as front plate wiggles, some elctrons move from the back plate to the front plate causing a change in voltage. Requires some form of power

Provides power to microphones from the pre-amp (48v DC), needed for condenser microphones (except tube condenser microphones which have their own power source)

A type of dynamic microphone with a thin ribbon, associated with "vintage" sound, extremely fragile

How a microphone responds to different frequency; how "bright" or "dark" it is

All directions have same level, can be used to record groups of musicians

Heart-shaped, rejects a lot of noise from rear of microphone, common on dynamic mics.

Rejects sound from sides, sometimes called bidirectional, common on ribbon and condenser mics.

The maximum sound pressure that a microphone can withstand; ribbons usually have lowest, moving-coil dynamics have the highest

How much signal comes into the microphone relative to the self-noise in condenser mics

Sensitivity = how much power a mic produces for a given change in air pressure, measured in millivolts per pascal (mV/Pa), condenser mics

An all-purpose dynamic microphone

Same as the SM57 but with a filter, commonly used for vocals especially live

A large-diaphragm condenser microphone that allows you to switch between several polar patterns

A dynamic microphone often used for kick drums or other bass-heavy instruments

A dynamic microphone often used for kick drums and other bass-heavy instruments

A ribbon microphone with a figure-8 polar pattern and a warm tone

An all-purpose dynamic microphone, often used for toms

A large-diaphragm condenser mic considered the gold standard for vocal recording

A cardioid dynamic microphone most common for speech and broadcasting

A cardioid dynamic microphone used for a variety of instruments and vocals

A tube condenser microphone with a wide range of applications

A rubber, plastic, or fabric covering that protects the internals of the cable from physical damage

A woven metal braid that protects the internal wires from magnetic interference

Non-conductive coating that prevents each conductor from touching

A solid or woven metal core (usually copper) that allows electricity to travel doen the cable

Analog cables allows analog audio signals to pass down the cable and are typically thicker and more durable. Digital cables are used for digital signals consisting of tiny pulses of ones and zeroes and are often thin and lightweight

A rating to specify the thickness of a conductor (lower number = thicker)

Contains one hot lead (wire carrying desired sound/signal) and a braided shield around the hot lead; works well under distances of 20 ft

Has 3 conductors; one is connected to ground, one is hot lead, one is cold lead (carrying desired sound/signal, but reversed in polarity); can be as long as 1000 ft

An unbalanced connector, some of the most common in the world (TS = tip, sleeve)

An unbalanced connector, primarily used for connecting video or consumer audio devices; less common today

An unbalanced audio connector used almost exclusively for connecting
speakers to amplifiers

The balanced equivalent of TS cables; exist in 1/4 inch, 1/8 inch, and more (TRS = tip, ring, sleeve)

A balanced connector generally used for microphones, and almost always preferred for live sound over all other cable types

Converts an unbalanced input into a balanced output (or vice versa); can be passive or active (active ones require power)

Takes a bunch of inputs and runs them down a single thick cable to a breakout box

Used exclusively in patchbays, smaller than a 1/4 inch TRS cable and have a distinct rounded hump on the ring connector

The base signal that a mic picks up; often has to be amplified to line level

The level that signals are set to be usable in a mix

Amplifies the low-level signal from a mic to line level; sometimes adds "color" to the sound; common controls include gain and sometimes pad switches to reduce input level for loud sources

Handles signals already at line level, such as synths, keyboards, and outboard gear; require less amplification and bypasses mic preamp to go directly to processing stage

Adjusts the balance of frequences in a signal; used to enhance or reduce specific frequency ranges to fit the sound into a mix

Shelving EQ = affects all frequencies above or below a certain point. Parametric EQ = provides control over frequency, gain, and bandwidth. Graphic EQ = pre-set frequency bands with sliders for adjustments.

Allow you to place effects like compressors, gates, or external processors directly into signal path; signal is completely interrupted, passed through external processor, and sent back

Controls the output level of a signal on its respective channel; features options like mute and solo

Determines where your mix or individual signals are sent after processing; most common destinations are main outputs or subgroups

Allows you to send part of a signal to another destination, such as reverb or delay units, or to create custom headphone mixes.

Pre-fader = signal is sent to echo send before channel fader and can be adjusted independent of fader level. Post-fader = signal is dependent on the fader level