Audio flash cards

THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AUDIO EQUIPMENT

-audio console, -the patchbay ,-analog or digital, tapeless and tape-based, audio recording systems

COMPUTER PATCHING

-in computer patching the sound signals from many sources, such as mikes, direct boxes, CDs, DVDs, or video recordings, are routed to the patch panel programmer, which assigns the multiple signals to specific fader modules of the audio console for further processing.

TAKING A LEVEL

-taking a level means to adjust the fader so that the talent's speech falls more or less within the tolerable range between 60 & 100 percent (on meter).

SOUND QUALITY

-the operator must know how to use their equipment -no VU meter in the world can replace a trained ear... listen to the product..

AIDING GOOD SOUND CONTINUITY

Always record a,"wild track"-- room ambients and background sound and room tone) before and after recording, or when ambients changes dramatically, -this sound, when layered under, your video will help visual continuity. -cut on the beat, to create continuity ,between contrasting images.

There are five aesthetic factors that are of concern when dealing with sound for video -

ENVIRONMENT, -FIGURE/GROUND, -PERSPECTIVE ,-CONTINUITY, -ENERGY,

AUDIO CONSOLE -regardless of the individual models -- analog or digital -- all audio consoles, or audio control boards, are built to perform five major functions

INPUT, output, quality control, mix, monitor, thats all I know

ENVIRONMENT

In TV/video, ambient or background sounds are extremely important. They help establish the general environment of the event. If operator has two mike inputs, one mic can be used for the main source (witness responses, etc) and the other for the ambient sound.

LIVE vs POST MIXING -

Live on-going mixing means the Post-production mixing is the final created sounds that are manipulated in the audio production room following the production of a video. -when doing either, always ensure each I/O is labeled on the console or mixer so users can recall what input is controlling what source.

PATCHBAY

The primary function of the patchbay, or patch panel, is connecting and routing audio signals to and from various pieces of equipment. -two rows of jacks -upper row usually for output and lower for input

WIRED PATCHBAY -

a patch panel with a series of holes, called jacks, which represent the outputs and the inputs of the audio paths. The connection between output and input is made with a patch cord.

CALIBRATION

activate the tone with all the faders down -then bring the master (line out) fader on the console up to the 0dB mark -then bring the fader that controls the calibration tone up until the master reads 0dB -turn up the volume control on additional piece of equipment (VTR) until 0dB

VOLUME CONTROL

all sounds fluctuate in volume (loudness). decibels (dB) Some sounds are relatively weak, therefore must be increased in order to make perceptible. Other sounds come in so loud that they overload the audio system and become distorted or outweigh weaker ones.

CONTINUITY -

audio consistency from shot, to, shot

FIGURE/GROUND -

emphasizing the most important sound source (figure) over the general background sounds (ground) -Listeners have the ability to perceive the sounds they want or need to hear (the figure)

ENERGY

energy refers to the factors in a scene that communicate an aesthetic force and power -high-energy scenes may be a series of hockey game or a band in action will be served more appropriately by "high-energy sounds"

PEAK PROGRAM METER -PPM

is a digital meter in an audio console which responds much quicker than the needle of a VU METER. Especially sensitive to volume peaks, it indicates overmodulation.

calibration. process

monitored using VU METER or PPM -you must adjust the line out (the sound waves that leave the mixer and console) and the input volume of the video recorder.

surround sound

surround sound is a technology that produces a sound field in the front of, to the sides of and behind the listener. Enables one to hear sounds from the front, sides and back simultaneously

PERSPECTIVE -

the relationship a sound has to the spatial distance of the source

VU METER -

the volume unit meter is a way to visually gauge audio signal in decibels (dB). Both analog and digital forms