Music Recording Essay
A transducer converts one form of energy into another. Speakers, human ears, and microphones are all examples transducers.
Transient- A short, quick burst of energy that is non-repeating. Commonly associated with the attack of percussive instruments. However, all music contains transients. In speech, transients are associated with consonants. Transients are typically weak in energy and associated with the higher frequency range.
Transient response- How quickly the microphone reacts to a sound wave and specifically to those transients just described. This differentiates one mic sound from another. Condenser mics typically have the best transient response. Preamp- A control used to boost an audio Signal's level. Microphones are plugged into preamps. The preamp knob is turned up to a useable and desired signal level. This level is generally sent to a recorder or a set of speakers. Bleed- The amount of sound that bleeds into the source being recorded. Leakage could be anything from room ambience to another instrument sound. This is common when a full-band performs together with all the instruments in the same room or stage. Microphones with tighter pickup patterns provide less leakage from other sources and the environment. A mic with a hypercardioid pickup pattern provides the best isolation and prevents the most bleed-over from other sounds. Pop Filter- A nylon screen around a hoop or a perforated metal disk placed in front of the microphone in order to avoid plosive “b," “p," and “t" sounds that create destructive air movement. Pop filters are usually mounted on the mic stand with the mic or on a separate mic stand and are placed a few inches away from the mic.
Frequency response refers to how well a particular mic is able to respond to all the frequencies that strike it.
Cardioid patters are the most common. Their pickup pattern is heart-shaped. Cardioid mics are sometimes referred to as unidirectional. With a top address
Transient- A short, quick burst of energy that is non-repeating. Commonly associated with the attack of percussive instruments. However, all music contains transients. In speech, transients are associated with consonants. Transients are typically weak in energy and associated with the higher frequency range.
Transient response- How quickly the microphone reacts to a sound wave and specifically to those transients just described. This differentiates one mic sound from another. Condenser mics typically have the best transient response. Preamp- A control used to boost an audio Signal's level. Microphones are plugged into preamps. The preamp knob is turned up to a useable and desired signal level. This level is generally sent to a recorder or a set of speakers. Bleed- The amount of sound that bleeds into the source being recorded. Leakage could be anything from room ambience to another instrument sound. This is common when a full-band performs together with all the instruments in the same room or stage. Microphones with tighter pickup patterns provide less leakage from other sources and the environment. A mic with a hypercardioid pickup pattern provides the best isolation and prevents the most bleed-over from other sounds. Pop Filter- A nylon screen around a hoop or a perforated metal disk placed in front of the microphone in order to avoid plosive “b," “p," and “t" sounds that create destructive air movement. Pop filters are usually mounted on the mic stand with the mic or on a separate mic stand and are placed a few inches away from the mic.
Frequency response refers to how well a particular mic is able to respond to all the frequencies that strike it.
Cardioid patters are the most common. Their pickup pattern is heart-shaped. Cardioid mics are sometimes referred to as unidirectional. With a top address