Sound recording LAB

Frequency
Frequency is known as the rate at which a thing is occurring or is then repeated over a period of time. The
rate of frequency is often measured in cycles per second (cps) or the interchangeable Hertz 60 cycles per
second is equal to 60 Hertz a thousand Hertz is often referred to as the kilohertz frequency can also be
measured in time where the duration of a given cycle is equal to its frequency where thousands of a
second is stated as a millisecond one millisecond equals a kilohertz an example frequency describes the
number of waves that pass a fixed place in a given amount of time so if the time it takes for a wave to
pass is have seconds then the frequency is two per second or two Hertz.

Sound diffraction
Diffraction of sound waves is commonly observed; we notice sound diffracting around corners or through
door openings, allowing us to hear others who are speaking to us from adjacent rooms. Diffractions refers
to any type of wave which is spread out as a result of passing through a passage or an opening. This is
commonly accompanied by a type of involvement between the waves form produced.
Sound waves bend round objects of a similar size to their wavelength. Sound waves are known to travel
in circular motion as it emits from a source. In the diagram above, the radio is seen emitting sound and as
it passes through the turn, the sound is still able to travel past down the corridor. The wave is diffracted/
spread and in return, the amplitude of the wave will decrease.
In the diagram below, the waves are shown reaching an opening and it is bending around the edges. This
creates a phenomenon called diffraction. A diffraction pattern is known as a type of interference pattern
because of the series of maxima and minima that result, and waves of all types will exhibit this behavior.

Sound refraction
Sound refraction is when waves are forced to be bend due to it having to pass a medium. This
will cause a change is speed causing it to bend. The speed of sound in the air changes gradually
which causes waves to continuously bend. During the day, the ground is warmer than the air
which causes the soundwaves to bend upwards however at night, there is a temperature inversion
which causes sound waves to bend downwards and can reach ground level over much greater
distances.

Sound reflection
When sound travels through a medium, it strikes the surface of another medium and bounces back to the
original medium. This phenomenon is called the reflection of sound. Sound refraction is the bending of
soundwaves while passing through medium of different densities. Reverberation is the multiple
reflections of sound waves, whereas echo is the single reflection of sound waves. However, excessive
reverberation makes the sound indistinct, which can be a setback in auditoriums. This can be reduced by
using sound absorbing materials like ceilings made of soft and textured materials and flooring made of
acoustic tiles. An echo is when sound travels back to the listener after 0.1 seconds as the sound waves are
delayed when they hit another medium.

Speed of sound
Soundwaves are known as longitudinal waves. Longitudinal waves are waves that move in the same
constant direction in which the particles are vibrating towards. These sound waves can travel through
solids, liquids and gases. The speed of sound would always commonly depend on the medium through
which the sound is being traveled at. Medium refers to a material that is transmitting the sound. For the
speed of sound, the medium transmitting the sound is usually the air. The air is the medium which the
sound is being transmitted at. When sound is traveling through air, the speed of sound is known to be
about 330 meters per second (m/s). If the medium was water, the speed of sound would be much higher
and is known to be around 1450-1498 meters per second. Finally, If the medium was steel or an object
with a high density, the speed of sound would be 5130 meters per second. Temperature plays a factor in
the medium as it will be reflected in the speed of sound.

Examples of interior recordings

Chapel

When the objective is to record with a chapel, due to the structure of it being made out of stone, the
received audio from it is known to have a lot of echoes, reverbs and an increase in volume. This is due to
the reverberation that is given by the stone walls. The reverberation can create a whole new experience by
adding some sort of dramatic side and can make speech and sound become quite powerful. The stone
walls are quite sound proofed from any sort of outside interference that can occur. This is then taken
advantage of because of the range of equipment's that can be used to record sound from within the chapel.

An option that may be used would be a camera mounted mic, but this isn't the highest quality option
there is but it's the cheapest option. A Roadie video mic mounts on top of a camera plugs directly into the
camera to record audio straight to the video file. The strengths of this option is that the audio is recording
directly to the camera so you're not going to have to sync it up separately in post-production. it's already
there and that's going to save you a lot of time. The weaknesses of this method include the fact that the
microphone is affixed to the camera. This means that they're one big unit as they're locked together and
that means that the proximity between your subject and your microphone is already determined and likely
your microphone is always going to be too far away unless you're a very close to get really great audio
quality and that means that your audio quality with this method is always going to be mediocre. As this
type of microphone is a directional microphone, it must be aimed directly towards the target sound source
which means that it isn't that well suited for a chapel. A unidirectional microphone would be best to use
within the chapel due to its ability to pick up sound with a high gain from. In order to block out the
reverberation from the chapel, sound mats would be quite beneficial to use which will be placed around
the microphone and also placing a pop filter on the mic itself to protect air from hitting against the mic
but it would be better to use a microphone with a windscreen. A good mic to use would be the Shure
SLX2 due to its ability of limiting background noises that can occur from outside and its frequency
response of 15.000Hz.
In this interview, the audio is shown to have a lot of reverb within it. The sound waves that are being
created from the speech and the subtle movements can be picked up as sound is being reflected against
the stone walls creating this characteristic reverberation. The subjects within this video are at a good
distance to the mic which reduces the amount of echoes as they won't have to raise their voice which
would increase the reverberation in that location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbAQGvuoXwk

Studio
When your objective is to record within a studio, there would be many equipment's in there to provide the
most optimum sound that is possible, these are things such as acoustic panels as they are spread around
the walls or ceilings so they can reduce noise and eliminate echo sounds. This equipment enhances the
properties of sound as it greatly improves sound quality. Bass traps and diffusers are also commonly used
within studios. Dynamic microphones are a good choice to use within studios due to their moving coil
magnetic diaphragm. These mics allow you to capture sound and is possible to do so on a high-pressure
level. These types of microphones are best suited for vocal recordings along with instrumentals. One good
microphone that is recommended to use would be the Shure SM58 as it can greatly eliminate background
sound. A pop filter would be suggested to use as it would expels the strong burst of air whenever “P” or
“B” sounds are being pronounced. This is quite essential as it would catch the blast of air, which is heard
at a low frequency, which would be unsettling to the ears and not acceptable when hearing it on
recordings. A pop filter that would be good to use is the Nady MPF-6. A problem that could occur from
this would be the humming from the machines within the studio but the microphone that is mentioned
above would be able to eliminate it as it's an important environmental factor that could affect your audio.
Regarding the placement of the mic, it would commonly be in front of the subject. There is less sound
reflection within the studio as the acoustic foams dampens the sound waves making the reflected sound
unable to be heard as it hits another medium.
This video is an example of sound recording within a studio, the audio appears to be perfect as the
microphones capture the sound waves being projected and not there is not a high amount of sound
reflection due to the acoustic foams and pop filter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Q7d0CtYyk

Bedroom
When the objective is to record within a bedroom, depending on the size of it, there could be a lot of
reverberance, but this is mainly depending on the size itself. For example, a smaller bedroom would have
less reverberance than a larger one due to the proximity of the walls subject to the walls. Background
Interference would be a big issue when wanting to record within a bedroom as family members or even
outdoor noises could cause disruption to the recording of your audio. Small rooms would be able to
enhance the sound of bass for your recording. As bedrooms are mostly well carpeted, they’re able to
absorb sound through the carpet.
This video is an example of background noise as it effects the audio. There is subtle sound reflection due
to the spacing of the subject to the walls and a low reverb is present.
https://youtu.be/rOaa3X0b_kQ?t=127
Recording within a studio would be a better choice as there are equipment's which would help reduced the
background disturbances. The issues that are present within the other interior locations, doesn’t affect the
studio.

Examples of Exterior recordings