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Condenser Dynamic

+ More sensitive/ better at picking up + Doesn’t need a power source - can

details - would use for studio Vocals be used in scenarios with limited
or a rich but quieter instrument such phantom power outputs
as classical guitar + Can withstand higher Sound
+ Better at picking up transients - pressure level - Would be useful for
would use it for recording a bass strong bass drum sounds
drum with double pedal + Water resistant and generally built
better - can be used in outdoor
situations without worry
+ Much cheaper still sound good

- More fragile - not suitable for live - Less sensitivity - not useful for quiet
use instruments such as recording a
- Sensitive - not suitable for loud classical guitar
instruments such as solo brass - Less higher frequency detail (very
instruments (no jazz saxophone low and high frequencies aren’t
solos) strong enough to push the
diaphragm) - wouldn’t be great for
recording instruments such as flutes

Omnidirectional vs Unidirectional:

Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound from all around them while unidirectional pickup
the sound in front of them omnidirectional mic’s polar pattern is a full circle while
unidirectional usually resembles a heart (the pattern is called cardioid)
Omnidirectional mics are perfect for recording rooms, stereo recordings, and wide sound
sources while not being ideal for live use because of bleed
Unidirectional mics are great for recording with untreated rooms, live performances, drum
kits because they are better at separating the different drums.

Cardioid - a polar pattern of a mic shaped like a heart

Useful on drums because they isolate drums better.
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Supercardioid - a polar pattern which allows for better sound isolation while adding
sensitivity from the source, great for scenarios such as a singer with a guitar. Require
precise miking technique.
Hypercardioid - Supercardioid with even more narrow polar pattern, resulting in higher
isolation, useful for very loud stages to prevent bleed and unwanted noise, require very
precise miking technique because of the narrow pattern. Greater rear sensitivity than
supercardioid.
Omnidirectional - Pick’s up sound from all directions. They are ideal for capturing wide
sound sources or achieving a natural sound from a room, acoustic instruments. They are
generally unsuitable for live use since you don’t want them picking up sounds of other
instruments or from the PA and causing feedback. They are also not recommended to be
used in acoustically untreated rooms.
Figure of 8 - Is a polar pattern capable of picking up sound from the front and the rear of a
mic while leaving out the sides. It’s often referred to as a bi-directional mic. This type of mic
can be used to pick up 2 people at the same time or record in stereo. It however requires
careful positioning.
Shotgun - shotgun mics have a really narrow pattern which results in high noise
cancelation, it however has some side and rear sensitivity. It’s mostly used in broadcasting
when filming outside to avoid crowds, weather or other unwanted noise.

Proximity effect- is the effect of exaggeration of low frequencies when a directional mic is
placed close to the sound source. Proximity can be useful or can cause a mess in the
recording, depending on the use. When a singer sings into the microphone which is placed
close to their mouth it can result in a deep earthy sound which can be great. Quickly
changing the position can however cause a mess in the frequency spectrum.

Ribbon microphone - Is a category of microphones that work on the same principle as a

dynamic microphones would but use a thin folded strip of usually aluminium as the coil.
There are 3 categories : passive, active-solid state, active - tube

Passive Active Solid-State Active Tube

Ribbon Mics (FET) Ribbon Mics Ribbon Mics

Transducer Electromagnetic Electromagnetic Electromagnetic

Principle Induction Induction Induction

Active/Passive Passive Active Active

Frequency Natural/Dark Natural/Dark Natural/Dark

Response
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Transient Accurate Accurate Accurate

Response

Polar Pattern Bidirectional By Bidirectional By Bidirectional By

Nature Nature Nature

Output Yes Sometimes Yes

Transformer

Impedance N/A Transistor-Based Vacuum Tube

Converter (FET/JFET)

Power Source N/A Phantom Power External Power

(Typical) Supply Unit

Sensitivity Very Low High High

Ratings

Output Low But Very Low And Low And Levelled

Impedance Frequency-Depende Levelled
nce

Self-Noise N/A Lower Higher

Audio Quality Accurate But Accurate And Accurate And

Dependent On Relatively Cold Relatively Warm
Preamp

Durability Fragile Diaphragm Fragile Fragile Diaphragm

Diaphragm And Tube
Components

Price Moderate-High High Highest

Ribbon mics are very fragile.

They sound very natural and warm but their sound is very preamp dependent because most
standard preamps can’t bring their signal up enough. The solution is usually to use special
ribbon mic preamps. Because of their bi-directional pattern, they are mostly used in the
studio. They excel at recording: vocals,brass, drum overheads, and guitar amps.
Vocals: They sound great and warm on vocals, but you need to be careful to use a pop filter
to not damage the ribbon.
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EQ:
The musicfrequencycheatsheet.pdfPDF can be helpful when trying to bring out certain
characteristics of an instrument's sonority. It can help me find my way around the equaliser.
TURN OFF THE ANALYZER WHEN WORKING ON AN EQ.

Headroom : amount of volume we have left before distortion

Never over -6 => average -12 to -18
Mixing:
Set faders at 0db and leave them alone
Gain Staging: gain plugin to make the level of tracks right for the headroom
Panning:
Vocals : middle
Vocals: anywhere - not middle
Bass: quite middle
Guitars : mostly mirror to each other

EQ:
Compression:
Turn autogain off, (rule of thumb:release should meet the beat on the next sound)
Threshold: Sets up the level at which the compressor starts working
Ratio: The amount of compression that is applied, 4:1 (every 4 decibels over threshold only
1 is heard)
Makeup-gain: the amount of gain that compensates for the level loss after compression
Knee: How quickly the compression comes in after kicking in
Release: How quickly the compression stops
Attack: How quickly the compressor kicks in
Mix: The amount of wet and dry signal
Input/Output Gain: don’t touch

Creative Effects: (delay, reverb….)

Submix:
Phase inversion:

Sends:
Takes the sound and copies it and puts somewhere else
Used with creative effects => creates more data
Reverb sends:
Good to have 2 (dry, wet/small,big)
Outs: takes the sound and puts it somewhere else
Used when bussing tracks together
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Track goes somewhere else (no original)

Output Bus/Send Bus

Sidechaining compressors:
Finding space between dynamics
Mastering : Adaptive Limiter:
Put it on the end of work
Set threshold at -0.1 db
Quieter tracks get more balanced with the louder ones
Enveloper:
Don’t touch the output
Threshold (want to be low)
Gain controls( left one :controls attack, right one controls the decay)
Noise gate:
Silences sound below the threshold
Release time decides how quickly the gate closes (if release is too high noise gate is
effectively not working)
Good for controlling reverb tails
Can be sidechained
Good for removing floor noise
Only removes noise in quieter parts
Expander:
Does the exact opposite of a compressor
Gives contrast between transients and quieter parts
Loudens loud parts quiets quiet parts
Also clears the noise in louder parts of audio
Notch filter:
Filter that pulls down a precise frequency

SYNTHESISERS:
Been around longer than we think
Analog:
Consistent signal - no brake in a waveform
Creates sound by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) which creates sound in desired
frequency
Sine wave, Triangle wave, Sawtooth wave, Square Wave - sine has no harmonics
Fundamental wavelength - frequency that gives the pitch, is stronger than the harmonics
Doubling and halving the fundamental changes the octave
Analog synths are subtractive - start with a soundwave then take bits out to change the
sound
Oscillator - Pitch - generates soundwaves
Filter - Tone - LPFs/HPFs and more
Amplifier - Volume - How loud a sound is
LFOs (low frequency oscillator - don't make sound (they function under 20hz) - Modulate
sound - makes the part its rooted to louder or quieter
Envelopes - how sound is played over time
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MIDI FX:
Arpeggiator
Note Repeater
Velocity processor

Side chain compression :

Lets stuff get out of the way of each other
Drums/synths

Digital :
on/off inconsistent- can find holes in the waveform

Soft Synth - software synth

History of sound synthesis

Sound on Sound
Music Tech

Glyn johns technique - 2 microphone drum sound

The microphones need to be the same distance from the sound source
+ Cheap
+ Easy to set up
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- Less control when mixing

Kick drum mic shouldn't be in the sound hole but not too far away from it
XY stereo pair microphones, + removes phasing problems

Filters:

FX that cut frequencies out

Hi pass - cuts out the low fq

Lo pass - cuts out the high fq
Band Pass - has 2 cut out points
Notch - removes a precise frequency
Band stop - cuts out middle fq and boosts lo and hi

Auto filter
LFO - can create a wah effect
ENV - envelope

1.Compression
2.EQ
3.FX

Fx on stereo out:
Linear EQ
Final compressor
Multipressor (you can compress certain frequencies
Stereo spread
Adaptive limiter
(little clipping available)

READ UP on QUANTISATION:

Reverb:
Types of reverbs
Characteristics

Wet level:
Amount of signal created by the reverb
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Limiter:

Any Multiband :

Guitar effects:
Differences in recording piano now and then:

Digital:
You can quantize, change sound afterwards, loop…
No background noise
60s :
We have more tracks = more mics = stereo field = higher quality microphones

1.correctly label track

group tracks
2.colour code tracks
3.setup fx channels
4.Faders at 0(controlling the gain)
4.5 gain control
5.panning
6.EQ ( producers cheat sheet)
7.compression FET compressors -> drums
8.creative fx (reverb, delay)

MOck:
Low pass filter question
Filter + Synth = filter-lfo/ filter-envelope
Multiband fx
Compressor settings, listening
Frequency alteration listening
Piano recording in the past

Sampling research
Cubase VST
Midi

ADC - analog to digital converter

DAC - digital to audio converter
Balanced leads get rid of interference from power sources
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Average Jack cable - unbalanced

Average XLR - balanced