UNIT 3 RECORDING

Structure
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Learning Outcomes
3.2 Basics of Sound
3.3 Studio Recordings
3.4 The Recording Studio Setup
3.5 The Recording Chain
3.5.1 Microphones
3.5.2 Mixing Console
3.5.3 Recording Machines
3.5.4 Storage Medium
3.6 Recording for various Programme Formats
3.6.1 Recording a Talk programme
3.6.2 Recording an Interview
3.6.3 Recording a Panel Discussion
3.6.4 Recording a Drama
3.6.5 Recording Music Programmes
3.6.6 Phone in Programmes
3.7 Outdoor Recordings
3.7.1 Using Microphones in OBs
3.7.2 OB Preparations
3.8 Let Us Sum Up
3.9 Further Readings
3.10 Check Your Progress: Possible Answers

3.0 INTRODUCTION
Human beings have got a natural tendency to preserve. With evolution,
humans started recording text and pictures on stone/rock/leaves/bark and on
paper. There was an urge to preserve the voice too and invention of sound
recording in late 19th century helped the mankind to preserve and reproduce
the sounds as well. In 1924 the first electromagnetic sound recording
machine was developed by Western Electronics, in United States. Soon, the
acoustic waves were converted to electrical signals which drove the stylus
to record on a medium say wax records. There were further refinements and
the industry used the electromagnetic recording on plastic tapes coated with
special materials like ferrous oxide, ferric-oxide etc. The late 20th century
saw the emergence of Compact Disc recording, DVD and now the blue ray
disc. Recordings on hard disks and other mediums such as flash drives, mini
cards etc. are very common in today’s time.

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 Audio Production
3.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES
After going through the unit, you will be able to:
●● explain basics of acoustic waves;
●● list precautions to be taken while recording talk/ interview/ music
programs etc.;
●● explain the set up of a recording studio;
●● enumerate elements of broadcast chain; and
●● describe outdoor recordings.

3.2 BASICS OF SOUND

It is important to know the basics of sound before discussing the
methodologies of Sound Recording. Sound is an acoustic wave produced
due to disturbance in a medium resulting in movement of particles of the
medium and thus paving way for dispersal of energy. Unlike light and radio
waves, sound wave has no electromagnetic feature. For propagation of
electromagnetic wave, the presence of medium is not essential, whereas
sound wave necessarily needs a medium and thus cannot travel in vacuum.
A sound wave is generally characterized by loudness and pitch. Loudness
of the sound is not just high amplitude (level) but is actually the effect of
acoustic wave as perceived by the listener. Pitch of a sound wave is the
frequency of the wave as perceived by the human ear. The common terms
used while defining the sound is also bass, i.e. low frequency and treble
- high frequency sound. The frequency of sound produced by males is
generally low and that of females and kids is high. Normal human ear, at the
best, can recognize the sound of frequency from 20Hz to 20 KHz. In actual
speech most of the sound energy is contained in the mid frequency band i.e.
from 1 KHz to 5 KHz. However, in instrumental music programmes, the
low frequency components and high frequency components are also very
important.
High Frequency Wave

Time

Period

Low Frequency Wave

Time

Period

Figure 1

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 high amplitude Recording

Low amplitude

Figure 2
Another common word associated with sound is echo and reverberation. An
echo is component of sound wave received back after reflection from any
reflecting surface. In a close environment, multiple echoes are generated
by adjoining walls. These echoes are further reflected from opposite walls
thus producing multiple echoes, which may not be in phase and cancel
each other or produce further complex sound signals. One might witness
that a sound produced in an empty room having reflecting walls does not
die immediately but takes certain time to finish because of these multiple
echoes. This time is termed as reverberation time (RT), which forms an
important parameter while designing the studio. The reverberation time can
be controlled by designing the shape of the room, the size of the room and
putting absorption material on the walls.

Direct Sound
Figure 3

3.3 STUDIO RECORDINGS

We know the world is full of sounds – wanted as well as unwanted. Traffic
on the road, loudspeakers at public places, sounds produced by machines,
human beings etc. give rise to audio noise pollution. Such noise is almost
continuously present in big cities, which is called ambient noise. Day time
standard of audio noise level for residential area is 55dB (A) where as
night time standard for residential area 45dB (A). The actual noise level
in metropolitan cities of our country are found to be significantly higher
than these limits. For a good quality recording, it is important to keep the
level of desired signal sufficiently higher than the noise, thus it is essential
to contain this unwanted signal called noise. Stray noise signals like
blowing of horns, spur in vehicle noises at traffic signals, man made noise
at schools and gatherings can even be stronger than the desired voice at
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 Audio Production times. Hence it is not possible to record a serious conversation or music in
open environment. Under such circumstances the audio recordings are done
at Studios. However there may be certain programmes, where the studio
recordings may sound dull, or there may be situations where the participants
may not be called in studios and outdoor recording need to be done.

3.4 THE RECORDING STUDIO SETUP

The recording studios are specially designed enclosed areas having good
sound isolation to keep the studio environment free from external noise. This
is achieved by specially designed studio doors, providing sound lock areas
and making special provisions like floating floor as per site requirements.
The sound recording in studios generally have two functional areas (1)
Acoustically treated chamber where the talkers, artists, experts sit (2) the
technical area where the Sound Recordist sists along with various technical
equipment. These two areas are generally separated by a double glass
window having high sound isolation to help eye contact between the Sound
Recordist and Artists while maintaining sound isolation, as talkback system
is generally available between these two areas for oral communication. A
typical studio layout is shown in Figure - 4.

Accoustic Panels

Artist Misc

Monitoring Loud Speakers

Artist (Talloers)

Double Walled Glass Window

Console
Studio Door Rubber
Lining

Anchor

Main Door with

Cassette Plyer / CD Player Rubber Lining
Phone-in Unit

Typical Studio Lay-Out

Figure 4
Apart from having a good sound isolation, recording studios need to be
treated for having right amount of sound reflection from the walls. Too
reflective walls will give rise to strong multiple echoes, whereas no reflection
will result in dull and dead recordings. Thus specific acoustic treatment of
recording studios is done using various sound absorption materials placed
on the walls and choice of appropriate ceiling, carpeting and furniture. The
treatment provides desired reverberation time for a particular format of
recording. Hence you will find that the shape, size and acoustic treatment of
Music, Talk or Drama is quite different. The reverberation time for various
professional recording studios is as under:
Music Studios Multi Purpose Studios Talk Studios
0.6 – 1.5 sec 0.6 – 0.8 0.2 – 0.5 sec

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 Recording
3.5 THE RECORDING CHAIN
A typical recording chain for studio recording consists of microphones, mixer
and recording devices. The microphone is the beginning of the broadcast
chain and is the most vital piece of equipment. It converts the sound signal
(acoustic wave) into electrical signal, which is then carried by audio cables
to the mixer kept in the technical area. Audio mixer collects signals from
various sources, controls their level/volume and sends the combined output
to the recorders, which are invariably hard disc based recording systems in
modern day studios. Let us discuss them one by one.
3.5.1 Microphones
Microphones of various types are available in the market. They may be
categorized by their construction, pattern, sensitivity and frequency
response.
As per construction technology, microphones can be mainly divided into two
categories (1) Dynamic microphone (2) Condenser microphone. Dynamic
microphones have a moving coil mechanism whereas the condenser
microphones work on the principle of change of capacitance due to incidence
of sound waves. Whereas dynamic microphones can be straightaway attached
to a console/recording machine, the condenser microphones require presence
of a DC supply for recording. This DC supply is called Phantom Supply and
is injected into the microphone externally from console/recording machine/
other sources. Dynamic microphones are generally more rugged and are
used extensively for general purpose recordings. Condenser microphones
having more sensitivity and fidelity are used for specialized recordings,
particularly music and specific musical instruments. Microphones are also
categorized as omni directional, unidirectional, bidirectional, cardioid etc.
based on their recording patterns. The type of microphones thus depends
upon the application i.e. drama, music, and the environment of recording.
Sensitivity and frequency response of microphones are the main technical
parameters defining the quality of the equipment whereas commercial
microphones have a flat frequency response only in a band of 1 – 3 kHz;
a professional microphone strives to have a flat frequency response from
100 Hz to 15 kHz. This means professional microphones will pickup and
translate the low, middle and high frequencies in similar fashion and will
thus give a more realistic recording. Commercial microphones on the
contrary will pick up only a few frequencies of the composite sound signal
and will not pickup completely the lower and higher frequencies.
In a studio environment it is not only important to use the best microphone
having good quality technical specifications, but it is equally important to
know that how the microphone should be used. A good audio recording is
a mix of good quality of microphones, their proper placement, balancing
between various microphone outputs and separation /angle between various
microphones.
3.5.2 Mixing Console
The heart of the recording chain is Audio Mixer. It is a device which
collects signals from various sources, controls their level/volume and sends
the combined output to the Recorder. The Audio Mixers are generally
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 Audio Production classified as Analog or Digital. An Analog Audio Mixer receives analog
electrical signals from Microphones or other devices such as phone in units,
CD Player, telephone lines etc. Professional Audio Mixers have multiple
input channels which generally varies from 8-40. The input channels are
further classified as high input and low input channels. The low input
channels are used to connect microphones whereas high input channels are
used to connect other line devices such as CD player, phone in console
etc. It may be noted that if a Microphone is connected to a high level input
port, it will result in low level recording or no recording. Similarly, if a CD
player is connected to a low level input port, the recording will be highly
distorted. Modern Mixers are having a common port for a low level and
high level input with selector switch with each port. Every input channel
has got a mechanism to control the level of signal entering through it. These
are called Faders. The faders are used to balance the input levels coming
from various sources and also to control the level of individual input during
the recording. Fading facility i.e. increasing the level of the sound in the
beginning of the programme and fade out i.e. decreasing the level gradually
at the end of the programme is a common practice adopted by many Sound
Recordists.
Other facilities available in the console are pre-amplifiers, equalizers,
dynamics processing controls, effects, talkback facility and gain controls.
Equalizers at each input channel are utilized to get the desired spectrum
of audio frequencies which means that the sound recordist can control the
low and high frequency components of the incoming signal. Reverberation
in a particular channel can be used to provide echo and cathedral effect.
Talkback facility is required for communication between the recording
studio and the technical cubicle, where the console is placed. Recording
consoles are having many parameters and it is important to understand the
functioning and effect of every control before using the Mixers.
3.5.3 Recording Machines
In a recording studio, the output of the Console is sent to the recording
machine. Till a few years back, professional sound recording studios were
using CTRs (Spool Recordings) which were replaced by Audio Workstations.
Audio workstations are high configuration computers having enough RAM
and storage capacity. These computers are provided with a professional
sound card to ensure good quality recording. The professional sound cards
convert the Analog audio input to digital for recording and vice versa digital
recording to analog for Playback purpose. They are usually described as
audio interfaces and in most cases are mounted on the motherboard. External
sound cards using USB, FireWire or optical interface are also available.
A number of free and proprietary recording and editing softwares are
available in the market. These softwares provide the facility of recording
mono/stereo sound with different sampling rates, varying from 32 kHz to
96 kHz. A low sampling rate recording (say 32 kHz) uses less memory
space but will have inferior quality whereas a high sampling rate recording
will not be memory efficient but high quality. The normal practice among
the broadcasters is to use 44.1 kHz sample rate for normal recordings and
48 kHz for archival purpose.

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 Another facility available with Audio Workstation is multi track recording. Recording
This facility allows the sound recordist to record various sound tracks as per
his/her convenience or the convenience of the artists. Multi track recording
facility also allows the Sound Recordist/Editor to insert pre recorded audio
clips from a sound bank. Multi track recording has made revolutionary
changes in multi artist music recordings which earlier required huge studio
infrastructure.
3.5.4 Storage Medium
The recorded sound in Audio work station is stored in the hard disk. The
hard disk is a non volatile magnetic storage medium which stores digital and
coded data on rapidly rotating platters having magnetic surface. Hard disks
are characterized by the amount of data they can store and speed (RAM).
500 GB/1 TB hard disk with 720 RAM are readily available in the market.
Typical hard drives comprise a spinning magnetic disk that performs the
function of data storage, but Solid State Drives (SSD) use semiconductors
for this purpose. Since there are no moving components, these hard disks
are much faster and less likely to break down than other drives.
Recording on hard disk has got the advantage of easy retrieval. However,
crashing of the hard disk makes the Sound Recordist bankrupt. Archives
are thus developed in such a way that audio backups are provided at
several locations which may help in retrieval of data in case of failure of
one hard disk. Compact Disc, DVD and Blue Ray discs are also common
storage media for audio recordings. They are optical discs in which the
device reader does not come in physical contact of the disc thus reducing
the possibility of magnetic tearing/rupture/failure. Hence, these discs have
become a popular sound storage media. The normal CD ROM stores upto
700 Megabyte (MB) or 80 minutes of CD quality audio. A DVD ROM can
store information up to 4800 Megabyte to 18 GB. Blue Ray Discs have still
larger storage capacities i.e. up to 50 GB (50,000 MB).
Flash Memories such as Pen Drives, Memory Cards are also becoming
popular devices for transferring audio data and storing small audio files.
High capacity flash drives such as 16 GB USB drive are also available in the
market which may store a CD quality audio of more than 24 hours duration.
Check Your Progress 1
Note: Use the space below for you answers.
Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.
1. Which microphone is preferred for Music Recordings Condenser or
Dynamic?
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2. What is Talk –Back facility?
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 Audio Production
3.6 RECORDING FOR VARIOUS PROGRAMME
FORMATS
Audio programme can be grouped in various formats like Spoken word,
Music and News. Quality recording of first two formats need a studio setup,
but the news bytes are to be recorded from spot, having certain background
noises/ voices to get a lively feel.
Here we will discuss key features and tips for recording various types of
programmes in studio environment.
3.6.1 Recording a Talk programme
Talk is a small statement or commentary given by an expert on a specific
topic. As this is a single voice affair (there being no anchor/interviewer),
the chances of developing monotony and dryness are high. A story telling
approach for the talk is nowadays considered as one of the best ways to
communicate complex thoughts effectively to unknown, varied listeners.
While recording, microphone should not be placed directly in line with the
mouth since it will result in ’p’ ’blasting, a term commonly used to describe
the resulting noise when words containing letter ‘p’ are spoken. The talker
should not hold the script between his face and the microphone to avoid
shadowing effect. Script may be held in the dead zone of microphone to
avoid paper noise.

Figure 5: Radio Talk

3.6.2 Recording an interview

Recording an interview is possibly easier than talk. In this format the
interviewer, normally a familiar broadcaster talks to an expert. The
interviewer thus has the control on the flow of questions. Some experts
would like to use a written script or to take a rehearsal session before
actual recording. It should be avoided as the real essence of the interview
is ‘spontaneity’, which makes it live. However sound level testing and
balancing by the recordist is advisable.

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 Recording

Figure 6: Recording an Interview

3.6.3 Recording a Panel Discussion
More voices make the radio programme colourful and inclusive but as
there are multiple speakers, often having diverse views, they tend to speak
strongly to push through their view point and may end up in quarrel like
situation. The moderator, anchor or the host, who is generally a seasoned
broadcaster should be vigilant and alert throughout the discussion to avert
any such situation by intervention. The anchor should also ensure that each
speaker is dealt fairly and each one of them gets almost equal time and
attention from him/her. The anchor has to play a highly active role in case
of panel discussions to avoid ovelaping of sound and cross talk.

Figure 7: Discussion

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 Audio Production 3.6.4 Recording a Drama
Drama is perhaps one of the most challenging recordings in the spoken
word programmes. It’s a challenge in Radio to create - someone is entering a
room, some one is going away, someone has a tear in his/her eyes, someone
is afraid or someone is happy.
The technicalities become very important while recording the drama. As
two or more microphones are used close to each other, while recording the
Drama it should be ensured that their outputs are in phase. This can be
tested by placing two microphones together and asking someone to speak
continuously into the microphones. Fade in both microphones one after the
other and monitor the quality of output. Thereafter, fade them in together.
If the microphones are in phase, an increase in level will result. Otherwise,
there would be a reduction in output level as well as deterioration in quality.
The phasing can be corrected by reversing the connections of any of the
microphones or using the phase reversal facility of the console. Care should
also be taken in microphone placement and Directional microphones should
not be placed very close to reflecting surfaces. Microphone orientation can
be effectively used in Drama production for creating depths. For example
when source of sound is placed close to the dead axis of a microphone, it
appears as if it is placed at a considerable distance.
3.6.5 Recording Music Programmes
Recording Music programme is a very specialized job. One needs excellent
knowledge of Music as well as technology to record a good music
programme. Radio, world over has done great service in protecting and
preserving the music. In fact Music studios are not only recording hubs but
are also breeding ground for future maestros.
Folk music is generally louder and has great dynamic range of signal
amplitude thus calling for sufficient separation between artists, instruments
etc. Classical music is generally softer and has great dynamic range of
signal frequencies, thus calling for utmost focus on frequency response
and sensitivity of microphones. Classical Music recording is a matter of
expertise using all the functionalities of consoles and microphones.
A good Music programme is to be essentially recorded in high quality
studio. In fact the Music recordings alone have been the driving factor in
technological advancement of the sound recording equipments/ software.
Every specialized music instrument needs a special microphone for faithful
recording. Placement of various musicians, instruments, microphones in
music studio for large orchestras is a fine art work. While recording various
instruments, direction of its maximum output should be ascertained for
choosing the right location of the microphone. For example, the lid of a
grand piano opened at an angle of about 45° reflects sound in a horizontal
direction. A microphone located at a distance of 2 - 3 mts. away from the
piano on its open side serves best. In stringed instruments (like Violin,
Veena, etc.), the main axis of the microphone should be kept normal to the
front face of the instrument. The microphone should be placed sufficiently
away from instruments with large sound output (like drums and other brass
instruments). For wood wind instruments (like flute), the microphone
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 should be placed about 60 cms away so that the instrument does not ‘sound’ Recording
straight at it.
Hard Disk based recording systems, Non- linear editing and Multi track
recording facilities have drastically changed the recording methodology of
Music Programmes. Multi track recording facility has paved way for multi
sittings with recording the artists as per their availability and convenience.
3.6.6 Phone in Programmes
Due to their interactive nature, Phone in Programmes have become very
popular in Radio. The phone based programmes can be categorized as Dial
in and Dial Outs.
However, as there is little control on what the caller is going to speak, the
phone in programmes are quite sensitive as well. Many radio stations record
the Phone-in programmes to ensure that nothing undesirable goes on air. In
such situations, wide publicity is given for the topic, the time of recording
and phone numbers.
For conducting a phone-in programme, a 2 tier system is generally adopted
in the studios. The first person taking the incoming call communicates with
the caller so as to understand his/her mind and then pass the line inside
the studio to the main anchor to take the final call. As the callers come
from varied locations and from different categories, some of them are not
comfortable in talking over phone and express their views/questions clearly.
Many of the callers may need the help from the anchor to formulate their
questions. The first person is thus extremely important as he/she should
be able to read out the mind of the caller and help them to communicate
effectively. This approach is also required to acclimatize the caller and
make him/her comfortable before coming on air.
Phone out or dial out programmes are becoming increasingly popular now a
days. It may not be possible to call a senior officer or public functionary to
the studios for a small recording due to time constraints, commutation time
and security considerations. Under such circumstances phone out programs
are the best solutions.
Check Your Progress 2
Note: Use the space below for you answers.
Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.
1. Why is Drama recording considered most challenging in spoken word
format?
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2. Give three reasons for increasing popularity of phone in programmes.
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 Audio Production
3.7 OUTDOOR RECORDINGS
As stated in earlier sections, a good quality sound recording is possible
only in a noise free studio environment having good acoustic treatment.
However, there may be several occasions when outdoor recordings become
essential. These may be situations like:
●● Recording speech of a leader being delivered in an auditorium or
open ground.
●● Recording of functions organized by schools, colleges and other
organizations.
●● Recording on the spot conversations.
●● Recording of interviews of VIPs/personalities, elderly people who
cannot come to the studios.
●● Recording reactions of public after any major incident.
●● Recording a Street Play.
In such events, some special precautions/care is to be taken so as to minimize
the effect of environment of outdoor noise. The choice of equipment will
also depend upon the type of the OB recording to be covered. The outdoor
recording process will be much different from that of studio production and
will depend upon the nature of programme and type of location.
3.7.1 Using Microphones in OBs
Microphones to be used in outdoor recordings are to be sturdy, stable
and reliable. Dynamic microphones are preferred for such recordings
due to their nature of construction and due to the fact that the Condenser
Microphones will necessarily need a phantom power supply which may
not be available at the OB spot. While covering the OB recording in open
ground, wind shields are invariably used on the microphones to reduce
the hissing noise produced by the flowing breeze. In case a regular wind
shield is not available, a piece of sponge or a thick porous cotton cloth
can be used to reduce this effect. Unwanted sound signals can be reduced
by using the directional pattern of the Microphone i.e. by aligning the
microphone axis with the direction of the desired sound source. At times,
the microphone may have to be kept very close to the mouth to reduce the
ambient sound. While recording in office buildings due care should be taken
to switch off the fans, air conditioners and other noise generating equipment
during the recording. Special microphones are used for commentators while
recording sports events in open stadium. These microphones are called lip
microphones which are having a directional pattern with noise cancellation
from other directions and are kept very close to the mouth. It is not that the
voice of the commentator is the only important sound signal to be recorded
during a match but other sounds coming from distant locations such as the
sound of the ball being struck from the bat in a cricket match may also
be important. This feeble sound signal from a large distance is picked up
by specially designed microphones which are gun microphones. During
many recordings at open space, additional sounds like applause of viewers/
spectators, claps of the gathering etc. are also quite important. These sounds
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 produce a wholesome effect thus generating a picture of the event in the Recording
minds of the listeners.
3.7.2 OB Preparations
Outdoor recordings of an event generally need thorough planning. The OB
team must visit the spot physically in advance to identify the possible source
and direction of the wanted and unwanted sound signals. They should decide
the placement, number and types of microphones depending on location. In
case of VIP functions, it is very important to meet the security officials and
discuss with them the OB layout in detail. There may be occasions when
the security personnel may not allow your microphones on the podium. In
such a case, the recording team will have to coordinate with the PA system
operator so as to secure a high quality line output from the mixing console
of the PA system. Care should be taken that this is provided directly from
the master/auxiliary port or through a reliable and good quality distribution
amplifier. While covering the Music concerts in open space, special care is
to be taken for placement of microphones and their balancing. It is of course
not possible to carry a studio quality mixing console for OB recordings,
but sufficiently good quality OB mixers with at least 4 channels will be
needed for covering even a small public event like school function, Drama
or musical programme. In outdoor recordings, the stage floors are subject to
intense low frequency vibrations. In such situations, whenever microphones
are mounted on floor stands, some sort of mechanical resilience should be
placed under the base of the stand to reduce bumps and rumble. When
using multiple microphones, to reduce acoustic interference between the
microphones, the “3 to 1” rule should be followed, which states that the
distance between any two microphones must be three times of distance
between sound source and microphone. It is always advisable to carry
additional microphones and stands of various sizes at the OB spot.
The sound recording machine used for OB recordings are Ultra Portable
Tape recorders (UPTRs) and digital recorders. Use of digital recorders
(flash recorders) is becoming universal for the OB recordings now. The
recorder should be checked for operation and one extra set of battery should
be kept as standby. Laying of audio cable should also be done with proper
care preferably slightly below the ground or below the carpet and away
from the power cables to reduce the possibility of catching the hum. The OB
team should also carry good communication device, walky-talkie or mobile
phones to stay connected with the studio/control room. The OB recording
team may also require a connectivity with the OB spot and the studios in
case they are planning for a live broadcast of the event. This connectivity
can be established using the OB lines, PSTN or ISDN lines or even a RF
link.
OB recordings of the public at a market place to have their instant views,
recordings from a disaster zone or news gathering may not require elaborate
arrangements and may only need a hand held or small flash recorder, a
dynamic microphone with short cable and a head phone. Outdoor recordings
are equally important components of any radio programme. In fact it is
outdoor recordings which keep the radio station connected with the masses.
The presence of OB team at various locations does not earn only audio
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 Audio Production samples from the spot but also earns the goodwill which makes the Radio
Station connected and relevant among the masses.
Check Your Progress 3
Note: Use the space below for you answers.
Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.
1. 
What should be the distance between two microphones while
recording an OB?
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3.8 LET US SUM UP

In this unit, we have discussed the basics of sound wave and various studio
programme formats. We also discussed the finer differences between various
formats like talk, interview, discussion etc. We also discussed technology
behind the acoustic treatment, various type of microphones, some features
of the mixing consoles and recording machines, audio work stations, sound
cards and storage devices. We also touched upon tips of placing microphones
and making preparations for outdoor recordings, where the OB team has
very little control over environmental and physical situations. It may be
summed up that a good sound recording depends on quality of recording
equipments and technical skills of the user to use these gadgets in various
situations.

3.9 FURTHER READINGS

Bartlett, B., & Bartlett, J. (2016). Practical Recording Techniques: The
step-by-step approach to professional audio recording. CRC Press.
Huber, D. M., & Runstein, R. E. (2013). Modern recording techniques.
CRC Press.

3.10 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: POSSIBLE ANSWERS

Check Your Progress 1
1. Condenser microphone
2. Talkback facility is required for communication between the recording
studio and the technical cubicle, where the console is placed.
Check Your Progress 2
1. Drama is perhaps one of the most challenging recordings in the spoken
word programmes. It’s a challenge in Radio to create - someone is
entering a room, someone is going away, someone has a tear in his/
her eyes, someone is afraid or someone is happy.

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 2. Due to their interactive nature, Phone in Programmes have become Recording
very popular in Radio. These programmes give an opportunity to the
listeners to share the air waves and express their opinions thus making
the listener involved and engaged.
Check Your Progress 3
1. When using multiple microphones, to reduce acoustic interference
between the microphones, the “3 to 1” rule should be followed, which
states that the distance between any two microphones must be three
times of distance between sound source and microphone.

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