Unit 24 task 2 – sound editing equipment

DAW
This is short for digital audio workstation, it is a
software such as logic. It runs on most
hardware devices and it enables us to edit
sound digitally and for a cheap price. This
mimics a mixing desk, but this can be taken
anywhere unlike an actual one. They were
created in the 2000s and it can be a good
starter for some professionals.
Mixing desk
This is a large desk that takes up a large amount of space. It
must be in a sound insulated room that has air con, and
it can cost around £20000. Used by professionals, and
is in commercial recording studios. This mixes,
mimics and edits sound, and it can’t be moved
unlike a DAW.

Cut
This removes unwanted sound and keeps the sound we do
want.
Join/fader
2 separate sounds are joint together by crossfading. If you
didn’t crossfade, then you would get a harsh jump between
tones. It also blends the sounds and neutralises them.
Cut and paste
This creates the same sound more than once and you can use it before and after editing.
The limitations of this is that it fills up the channels and makes it messy, it could also copy a
mistake.
Stereo field
This is a projected area of sound that you can hear. With this
you can control where the sound goes, and make it seem more
realistic. It uses more than one speaker and there is always
space between each of them.
Mono
Unlike the stereo field, this only uses one speaker. It is a clear sound and therefore it
doesn’t need mixing.
Stereo
This contains more than 1 sound, and it is natural. We would need more than one speaker
for it and it should be mixed properly.
Soundbite
This is a sound in under a minute, a segment of a larger recording of sound. In it would be
the key part of the larger recording, as it is used to intrigue any listeners to listen to the full
thing. Although it is short, it can often be misunderstood or misinterpreted by some of the
audience as it hasn’t got much detail.
Automation
This is the same as an equaliser, but it can control where
the frequency is. It is only digital and does mass jobs.

Colour coding clips

These differentiate the sound making it easier to understand
and work with. It is used on a DAW.

Clipping
This is putting a marker on a sound file and colour coding it.
You can mark things such as key words or sounds.

EQ
An EQ digitally edits sounds and reduces any extreme high
or low frequencies, boosting any middle frequency. It can
be used on analogue and digital mixing desks, and you are
able to decide where each frequency is.
Digital recording
Procedure 1: Review recorded material before using it
Here you need to listen back to the recording immediately after, which tells us whether the
recording is good quality or if you should retake it. The benefits of doing this are it saves
time and makes sure it is better quality, however, there might be many things wrong like
speaking too fast or background noise, so making sure you’re in a good place can mean it’s
harder to meet the deadline.
Procedure 2: Naming tracks and clips
This procedure is where you would move the recording from the device to your computer as
it is safer to store. Then you should name your tracks so it is easy to find later and doesn’t
get lost.
Procedure 3 & 4: Dragging clips into timeline for readiness and repositioning the order of
different segments of audio
Here, you would edit the sound to a constant if it is all on the same channel, it would be
different for each channel. This can help us keep things in order, and if it is not followed, it
may not sound as good as it could.
Benefits of keyboard shortcuts
This can save time because once you know each shortcut it becomes a lot quicker to do
things.
Effective sound editing
In my opinion a recording studio is better than a DAW because it is more professional and
practical to use. This is because you can get more done and it is in a good environment (as it
is a soundproof room) to record, which means the sound will come out better. The mixing
desk may look complicated but a professional would be the one to help it sound better. In
these studios you are able to change sound as it happens, and the professional would be
able to make it sound so much better than if it was on a digital device because there are
more details and ways to edit the sounds created.
Factual editing process
This process is made up of 4 parts. The first part is pre recording: before you record, you
should think about certain things such as who you’re going to interview and where it will be
as you need to be able to hear each other. You should also work out the element of truth, so
what has happened and if it is real. The second part of the process is the pre edit checking
where you would listen back to the recording. You should check if the sound is good,
whether you need to rerecord something etc. the next part to this process is the editing.
There are time restrictions so it should all fit into it, and there are many other ways to edit it
to sound better or what the interviewed person would like. Finally, the last part is post
editing. You must do legal checks so that something is not misinterpreted and anyone has
the freedom of speech.
Fictional editing process
In this process it is made up of the same 4 parts but there are different intentions. During
pre recording, you would think about the creative intentions you have. Whether it’s a song
or a film, you will have planned it out and written it down. Once it has been recorded and
you listen to the whole thing before editing, you would try and find any imperfections, such
as the sound levels, if you need to retake some parts, or if you want to make it a whole new
sound, which depends on your creative intentions. When you are editing it, you should
change it so that it becomes a sound you like, and something the client expects it to be too.
The final part (post edit) is to make sure it meets the freedom of speech rule, and that you
and the client are happy with the product.