Introduction to Recording Studio September 30th 2016

introduction-to-sound-studio

recording studio

(rɪˈkɔːdɪŋ ˈstjuːdɪəʊ)

Definitions

noun

a studio where music and other recordings are made

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/recording-studio

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Today we had our first visit to the Recording Studio. We experienced studio tour,basic operation of mixing desk, wiring up a mic,  and introduction to recording from the mixing desk.

A very important rule of the recording desk is

No Drinks allowed

A recording studio isused for a variety of purposes such as

• Band Recording.
• Sound Effects.
  • Theatre.
  • Film.
  • Foley.
• Audio Books.
• Voice Overs.
• voacl Acting.
• Music
  • Bands
  • Singers
  • Soloists
• Games
  • Soundtracks
  • Voiceovers
  • Effects
• Radio

It is perfect for the task of capturing audible sources due to the following characteristics/benefits

• Isolating Individual Aspects.
• No/Less Spill.
• Re-record.
• Easily Modified.
• Edit Separate Tracks.
• Easy to Edit.
• Control Over Mixing.
• Click Track – Metronome.
• Accurate Capture of Sound.
• high quality/Expensive Equipment.
• Room Acoustically Treated.
• Range of Equipment.

The studio seems like a standard set-up with a control room and a large isolation booth.

Recording studio

These area are separate by a wall with a double door. There is also a window midway along this wall to enable the engineer and others to view the inside of the isolation booth and vice versa. Each room has its specific uses and and equipment. In the most basic terms the control rom is where the enginer sits and is where the recording equipment is. The isolation booth is where the artists perfrom.

Both rooms are acoutsically treated to avoid any ‘colouration’ of the sound, we are looking to recording sounds as they are orginally intended, bad acoustics and sound polluton (spill) will effect pour final output. We need to be sure the recording will sound the same whereever it is played. This acoustic tramtn has various guises with roof baffles, darped heavy curtains and wall mounted baffles. Also contributing to this is the sepration wall and rthe double door enterance. These absord the sound and change the room shape thus reducing and altering the paths of sound reflections.

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Control Room

The largest piece of equipment in the control room is the mixing desk.

Midas Verona

Mixing desk in use

The desk is ‘Midas Verona 320’ (1287247400-midas_verona_manual) which has 16 inputs from the control room hardwired into it.. These channels are inputted via multicore from the isolation room. Within the isolation room is a patch bay for xlr‘s (sound cables). These are numbered and each number is routed to the relevant channel on the mixing desk.

Signal Flow of Recording Studio

So as can be seen from the diagram above also in the control room are the sudio interfaces and the computer. The diagram is a simplified version as also in the room are various racks of effects and equalisers. There is also storage in this room for microphones etc.

Large Isolation Booth

This is the room where the artists to be recorded are situated. There are drum baffles, these are panels which fit round the drum kit to avooid sound spill, also in this rrom are headphones for montoring and talkback, xlr cables, mic stands and the multicore patch bay.

Multicore Patch Bay

Wiring up the desk

The desk is pre-wired so we shouldn’t need to change that at all. However before recording we need to set up the levels. This is done by.

1. Ensure everythuing fadedrs and pots are zeroed.
2. Move the gain pot on the desired channel ideally the LED meters would be showing green with occasional amber – avoid the red LED.
3. Move master fader (red one) up to 0db.
4. Fade up the channel that you are recording from.
5. Repeat process for any other channels.

Remember phantom power if required.

If artists want to here themselves aux 1 and 2 are the headphone pots.

 

Recording

For recording we use a Mac pro with Studio One software installed.

1. Open Studio on1.
2. Create new file
3. Name it
4. Add track
5. Name track
6. Select input channel
7. On mixing desk use the central fader blue to send to the software.
8. Pre-arm the track
9. Press record on Studio one.

Types of Microphone

Dynamic	Condenser
General use	Costly
Resilient (durable)	Non robust (delicate)
High volume levels	Heat and Humidity can effect recording
No internal amp	Requires phantom power (48v)
Don’t require external power	Sensitive
Moving coil (Dynamic)	Wide frequency range
Moisture resistant	Greater transient sound response
Cheap	Expensive
High SPL (Sound Pressure Level)	Some can change pick-up pattern
Tailored to frequency range
Usually cardioid pick-up pattern
Uses	Uses
Live band application	Vocals
Amplified Instruments	Acoustic Instruments

 Pick-up patterns of microphones

Cardioid – used in live performances, from karaoke to big arena concerts. Other common uses include miking loud instruments like drum kits and guitar speakers.

Omni – -You can use these mics in studios and other venues (like old churches) with great acoustics, and can also be used for live recording of multiple instruments, as long as the noise level is low

Bi or Figure 8 – 2 vocalists or instruments, radio interviews.

Shotgun – commonly used for film and theatre, they also make great overhead mics for capturing things like singing groups, chorals, drum cymbals.

Using microphone patterns effectively

Microphones in the studio

Microphone	Type	Uses	Cost	Picture
Shure SM58	Dynamic. Unidirectional	Stage – Vocals	£90	Shure SM58
AKG 414	Condenser. Large Diaphragm	Studio – Vocal Overhead – Acoustic	£1,500 pair	AKG 414
Audix D6	Dynamic. Cardioid	Kick Drum. Low frequencies	£170
AKG 451	Condenser. Small Diaphragm	Overhead Vocal, High hat, percussion, acoustic guitar	£535	AKG 451
Shure SM57	Dynamic. Unidirectional	Amplified acoustic instruments	£90	Shure SM57
Rode NT5	Condenser. Small Diaphragm	Acoustic. Drum overheads, cymbals. Live performance	£280	Rode NT5
Sennheiser E604	Condenser. Unidirectional. Clip-on	Toms, Snares, percussion. Brass Woodwind	£240	Sennheiser E604
Behringer C-2	Condenser. Unidirectional	Piano	£45	Behringer C-2
Shure SM7B	Condenser. Adjustable frequency	Vocals. Talking	£360	Shure SM7B

Wiring Up a Mic

This is a fairly staright forwad procedure.

• Choose the microphone for the given application
• Plug XLR cable of desired length into microphone
  

  Rear view of microphone showing XLR socket

  

  XLR
• Fix microphone to stand and position in desired location
• Plug other end of XLR into desired channel on patch bay.

A Quick note on XLR cables, the end connectors on everycable are always paired. One being female (connector with holes) and the other being male (connector with prongs) as such it is next to impossible to wire these in incorrectly. As can be seen in the pictures above the femal end will go to the microphone and the male end will got to the patch bay. This is indusrty standard and XLR cables will always run in this fomat.

Also note that some microphones require ‘Phantom Power‘ this is a 48v current supplied to the microphone and is turned on via the mixing desk.

 

Microphone placement – microphone_techniques_for_recording_english

Parts of microphone (wip)

• Popshields
• Cage etc

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