Fundamentals of Audio Production

1. Fundamentals of Audio Production Chapter Fifteen: Field Recording Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

2. Multitrack recording sessions • Three phases • Basic tracking – recording the rhythm tracks (e.g. bass, drums, guitar, piano) • Overdubbing – adding lead instruments and vocals synchronized with the existing tracks, and correcting mistakes with punch-ins • Mixdown – blending the tracks into a stereo or surround sound mix Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

3. Session work • The engineer operates the console and recorders • The producer makes the artistic and aesthetic decisions that guide the engineer • Assistant engineers or seconds may set up microphones and take care of cabling • Some engineers also produce Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

4. History • Recordings were once made direct-to-disk • The signal from the microphones was routed directly to the disk cutting lathe Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

5. Direct-to-disk Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

6. History • The introduction of tape recorders allowed re-takes and editing • Tape recordings could be used to duplicate disks of a single performance Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

7. History • Ampex introduced the three-track recorder in 1955, originally for the motion picture industry • One track for dialog, one for music and one for sound effects • The Ampex three-track recorder also allowed overdubbing, or adding tracks later that were in sync with existing tracks Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

8. Ampex mono recorder Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

9. Ampex six channel mono mixer Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

10. History • Track capacity expanded through the 1960s and 1970s with the introduction of four, eight, sixteen, and twenty-four track recorders • Digital multitrack was introduced in the 1980s • Digital audio workstations were introduced in the 1990s Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

11. Modern mixing consoles Consoles offer dozens of inputs and flexible outputs Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

12. Modern mixing consoles Digital consoles offer automated mixing and recall of other settings Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

13. Modern digital recorders Stereo digital audio tape (top) and digital multitrack (bottom) recorders Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

14. Laying basic tracks • Recordings are often made asynchronous or “out of sequence,” and recorded in different locations and over a period of time • Rhythm tracks are the first to be recorded • A click track is recorded for musicians to stay in time during subsequent sessions • Scratch vocals may also be recorded Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

15. Laying basic tracks • Tracking engineers record basic tracks with maximum gain before distortion • Tracks are recorded without effects and with little equalization • Musicians hear the tracks through headphones • A rough mix of the tracks may be made for each musician’s headphones Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

16. Microphone placement • The common technique for studio music recording is close miking • Cardioid microphones are placed close to the sound source • Minimizes leakage of other sounds into the microphones • The 3-to1 rule will help minimize phase coloration from microphone leakage Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

17. Microphone placement • Experience is the best guide for microphone placement on any given instrument • Knowing where on the instrument to capture its sound • Knowing which microphones work best on which types of instruments • Good recordings start with good quality instruments that well-tuned Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

18. Overdubbing • Overdubbing is the part of the recording process where lead instruments and vocals are added, and mistakes are fixed • Punch in is the process of replacing mistakes by “punching” the record button as the musician plays along with the recording • Punch ins may be automated on DAWs Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

19. Overdubbing • Comping from “compiling” or “composite” is the process of recording and keeping several performances and assembling the best of all takes onto a final comp track • A number tracks can be bounced to a stereo mix on a pair of DAW tracks • Those bounced mixes are sometimes called stems and are kept for later use Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

20. Mixdown • Blending the individual tracks into a “sonic image” is called mixing • Tracks may be mixed into a stereo mix or surround mix • Placing the sounds across the stereo sound field is accomplished by panning • Loudness of individual tracks will convey how close the instrument is to the listener Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

21. Mixdown • Traditionally bass guitar, kick drum and snare drum have been mixed in the center of the stereo field • This was necessary to avoid skipping in vinyl records • Loud transients and bass signals would cause the cutting stylus to vibrate excessively and cut through into adjacent grooves Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

22. Mixdown Overdriving the recording stylus can break the land between grooves on a disk recording and cause skipping Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

23. Using effects • Equalization and effects are added during the mixdown • “Outboard” effects devices are connected to the console using an effects loop • The dry signal is sent to the device, and the wet, or effected, signal is returned to the console and added to the mix Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

24. Effects loop Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

25. Effects loop Before electronic effects, dry signals were sent to a speaker in an acoustic chamber, captured by a microphone, and returned to the console Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

26. Using effects • Patch bays are used to expand the number of outboard effects that can be connected to the console • Many patch bays provide a normalized connection that will be interrupted when a patch cable is inserted Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

27. Patch bays The normalized connection in the top drawing sends the signal to device #1. In the bottom drawing, inserting a patch cable interrupts the signal and reroutes it to device #2 Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

28. Patch bays Bantam or TT patch bay (top) and quarter inch TRS (bottom) Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

29. Using effects • “Less is more” • Effects should not call attention to themselves • Instead they should help create the “sonic environment” in which the performance occurred Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15

30. Record keeping • Recording sessions should be documented using track sheets • Information on track assignments, equalization, and effects will be useful to subsequent engineers working on the recordings Fundamentals of Audio Production. Chapter 15