UNIT 4 OUTDOOR RECORDING

TECHNIQUES

Structure
Introduction
Objectives
Types of Locations
4.2.1 Open Space with Wind
4.2.2 Open Space with Irregular Noise Sources
4.2.3 Open Space with Reflective Objects Around the Boundaries
4.2.4 Factory Premises
4.2.5 Office Premises
4.2.6 Streets and Public Places
Perspective
Signal Processing on the Spot
4.4.1 Portable Mixing Consoles
4.4.2 Auxiliary Processing Modules
Selection and Use of Microphones and Boom
Continuity
4.6.1 Continuity of Level
4.6.2 Continuity of Tone
4.6.3 Continuity of Background Sounds
Balancing and Matching
Report Writing
Let Us Sum Up
Glossary
Check Your Progress: Possible Answers

4.0 INTRODUCTION
The term Outdoor Recording means, 'a recording of sound that is primarily outside the
recording studio and probably in an open space'. This way, if one has to work in an enclosure
other than the studio, that too would mean outdoor. The Broadcaster's twin objectives in
outdoor recording are: instantaneous LIVE coverage of events and happenings and enriching
the programme with field-based recordings. The production process involved in both the cases
are very different from those of studio productions. The recording techniques too differ from
those of studio productions. This unit is designed to give you an insight into the subject.

4.1 OBJECTIVES
After reading this unit, you will be able to:
distinguish outdoor recording from studio recording;
describe different outdoor recording situations;
discuss the role of perspective in sound recording;
get acquainted with the selection and use appropriate microphones for outdoor recordings;
' outline the outdoor recording process; and
discuss the importance of report writing in outdoor sound recording.

4.2 TYPES OF LOCATIONS

The first topic we shall discuss in the Outdoor Recording techniques is that of different types
of locations. Theoretically, there can be infinite types of locations for OB, each one being
unique in its own way, but, for our purpose, the majority of locatioi~scan be listed in six
broad categories. These are:
open space with wind
open space with irregular noise sources
open space with reflective objects around the boundaries
 factory premises
office premises, and Outdoor Recording
Techniques
streets and public places.

4.2.1 Open Space with Wind

Open 'pace with wind comes
a location, the wind
closest to the description of outdoor While recording on
due to
can (and it surely does) hit the diaphragm officrophone
such
the the wind flow.
This force being much greater than what a human voice or
a instrument can
produce, causes all other sounds to be partially masked. also
produces a large at the microphone output. Therefore, leaving the w h d sound
un-attended can cause input overload at the recording device, and at limes, may damage the
movements the meter associated with it. Microphone wjnd-rhields can cope ulnd
flow. Use Of large
like an umbrella can help a bit if the microphone is placed in
such a way that it does not face against the wind. All these techniques can only help to reduce
the wind but none Can completely eliminate it or even canee] it, ~ h ~ ~611 the ~ f ~ ~ ~ ,
wind gives an occasional lull, if you can afford to. That is to say, ifyou are on a recording
which can be redone in the post production stage, you can go with
recording. On the other hand, if the location sound is going to be used as
it is, you have to
wait becomes less. Use of wireless microphones can be an solut,on,
provided You have them available on the spot. Hence, in the planning stage, some amount of
foresight should be exercised.

4-22 Open Space with Irregular Noise Sources

space with irregular noise SOUrCeS is an area that is somewhat &atant komcities,
aircraft or trucks passing by it. Recording can be done if thg noise is at a distance
and only adding as backgr~undambience without interfering with the main recording. While
planning a recordin&on such a locale, prior knowledge of, say, an airline time-table, or of
traffic on the street nearby at various hours of the day can help. The best time to record there
is during the hours of minimum disturbance.

4.2.3 Open Spaces with Reflective Objects around the Boundaries

Open spaces with reflective objects around the boundaries can be found within city or town
limits. This type of location is usually a playground, a stadium, a race course or similar place.
Usually, there are some building structures around these places. The hard walls of the
buildings can reflect-sound reasonably well and can also alter the direction of wind flow.
Some noise sources like road and rail traffic can be found in their vicinity. For recording
voices onsuch a location, selecting hours of minimum disturbance and correct placement of
microphone is recommended. Recording of music on such places can be undertaken only if
it is presented on a stage well designed from the acoustic point of view.

4.2.4 Factory Premises

Factory premises are occaSionally used for recording, depending on the requirements of
the programme. The voices recorded at such a location may be noisy. The orientation of a
microphone should be in such a manner so as to avoid,facing a noise source in such situations.
Wireless lapel microphones are of a great advantage for such situations. There can be some
relatively less noisy spots in a factory. A quick round through the premises with an attentive
ear proves fruitful. Once again, break periods in a factory or some such quiet hours (which
can be found out with some efforts) can be used for the recording.

4.2.5 Office Premises

Office premises are used to cover interviews in doctunenvaries or feature Programme.
to be a major factor to be considered here. Oace premises are
Building acoust,cs msout
designed to be comfonable to work and to 100k good a r c h i f e ~ u but~ unfOmately'
~~~
 secondly, some of the decorative materials tend to affect a certain band of audio more than
others, mking the voice sound r n a U a l or 'coloured' to the extent that oneexclai*l "it does
not sound like my voice"!
me remedy for these problems is to go around the accessible pads ofthe building with an
ear carpeted
attentive with air-conditioner~turned off are Some of bebest possible
recording spots an office building. A time other than the usual business hours of the office
and On less
is preferable, chiefly because less number of people produce less
machinery in general.

4.2.5 Streets and Public Places

Streets and public places like Railways Stations, BUSStations, Airpods etc. are the *Ost
difficult for making an outdoor recording. Usually, during the recording, the producer, can
have a very little control over the things happening over the Place. Wireless lape1
microphones, are to be used on such occasions.

4.3 PERSPECTIVE
<Perspective7is a much talked &out attribute of recorded sound. It broadly denotes the
impression of depth that one gets on account of variations in loudness. These variations help
to indicate whether a person is speaking fiom a distance of tW0 feet Or ten feet, and lead to
forming an impression of the source of sound and its distance.

The intensity of sound decreases as per the square of the distance you go away from the
source. This principle is embodied in what is known as the Inverse Square Law. AS far as
Sound waves are concerned, this law holds good strictly in an ideal situation; where there
would be no reflections or sound that manage to reach the measuring device. On an outdoor
location, we can make use of this law as a broad guideline for determining microphone
placement positions.

To use the inverse square law, a small check has to be performed with the microphone-
recorder combination. In practical situations, standard sources of sound that emit a known
sound pressure level are not available, so a person whose voice is of an acceptable level has
to be selected to speak in front of the microphone. Slhe should be made to speak a text in
a normal voice at a convenient distance fiom the microphone. On a trial and error basis,
he distance at which hislher voice drives the VU meter fully to the 100% mark should be
determined. Takin this distance as the unit, now you can know where the voice level
would drop to 114d! or 118' and so on. This way a controlled manipulation of levels can be
,' accomplished to a fair extent. Although not always possible, to find time and resourcefulness
to conduct the above test, still it is desirable.
A word of caution here is to avoid the pitfall of making a low level recording, In spite of all
the talk about dynamic range and noise figures and signal to noise ratios, it is not advisable
to attempt r recording that rides near the lower end of the W meter for most of the time,
A typical W meter has -20 db as its lowest mark and that, usually also is the end of useful
recording range for outdoor work. Secondly, it is a good practice to record at 1.00% when
in doubt. If not in doubt, giving a 5 to 6 db margin for the post production work is a good
conservative practice. Remember, it is better to have slightly higher level of a sound in order
to correct the perspective; than to increase it at the post production stage,

Apart from the level, some spatial characteristicsof the locale also affect our impression of
the paspective. Most important of these are the reflections that can be encountered on some
- devoid of any refl&ed pa*ca give the
locations, For example, a voice that is feeble and
~ -~:-~

impression of high ~ItiNde,while a voice W i n g a large reflected pad create8 m impreasion

of a character that is close by. Such peculiaritin can be uwd effectively in 8peial libtion8
like a person being behind a glass or an image reflected in water or a minor ac,H ~ ~
this
leads us emnine the relationship of aiganl to noise ratio with the penpective,L
In the
be a Of
other tbrn the direct signal e d a e d by the sovrce is designaacd
reflections or ambient sound c m o t be taken as , N ~as ~such, ~ ~ ,
The amount of ambient sound also affects OF impreasion of the perspcefive though in a
manner that can not be readily pl.edicted,
Check Your Progress: 1 Outdoor Recording
Techniques
Note: 1) Use the space below for your answers.
2) Compare your answers with those given ar the end of this unit.

1) What are the types of locations a producer comes across while doing outdoor recordings?
............................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................
2) What is Perspective?
.............................................................................................................

4.4 SIGNAL PROCESSING ON THE SPOT

Signal processing refers to the improvement or changes on the quality of sound recording in
accordance with the requirements of the programme. The signal processing is an area that
was solely the domain of post-production work in studios in the past. With the advent of
miniaturisation, it has now become possible to carry portable mixers to the OB spot along
with a few signal processing devices. Some of these devices are: Portable Mixing Consoles,
and Auxiliary Processing Modules.

4.4.1 Portable Mixing Consoles

Portable mixing consoles offer a great flexibility if music or a large public programme
has to be covered on the location. Added with number of channels are useful in opening
strategically placed microphones, at the right time. The mixers offer ample amount of signal
treatment in terms of equalisers and filters. Another advantage is that the meters found on
niixers are usually of a larger dimension and are easy to view. The faders too are bigger
because, there are few restrictions on their sizes here, unlike the recorder in which there may
be sonle. Some mixers have built-in monitor speakers, though small in size, of a good quality.
A mixer is capable of delivering line levdl signals which can be given to the recorders.

4.4.2 Auxiliary Processing Modules

The most typical of processors found are reverbldelay lines and graphic equalisers.
The reverberation devices allow for enrichment of voice and they are often used carefully.
A reverberated voice sounds good so long as the words can be easily recognised. An
excessive amount of reverb may actually be detrimental to the voice clarity and speech
recognition. A reverb unit can also be used for a musical instrument in order to enrich the
harmonics. Typically, it is seen that instruments of rhythm, that too of the percussion
category should not be reverberated e.g. Tabla, Mridangam, Banjo etc.

A graphic equaliser helps to shape the overall frequency response curve. Its faders are
arranged in such a way that they indicate the frequency response graphically. This tool
of signal processing needs even more care in use. It is also possible to apply the graphic
equaliser to one instrument or to a group of instruments. Equalising plain spzech should
nornully be avoided. If the equalised speech does not match with an earlier recording of
the same voice, such as commentary speaker or drama artiste, undoing the equalisation
is normally not pos$ib\e.
4.5 SELECTION AND USE OF MICROPHONES
AND BOOM
The selection of microphone is undoubtedly the most critical part of the outdoor recording
activity. If there is a well planned recording schedule it could be a bit easier. By and large,
the type of microphone to be selected is determined by the type of location and the kind of
programme being undertaken. Thus, for our purpose, we can start off by classifying the
microphones from the utilitarian point of view:
Battery operated
Non battery operated
Wireless

Within these, we can further classify as:

Ordinary
Highly sensitive
Highly directional
Miniature
Special purpose, like Contact Microphone

We can, of course, classify further as inexpensive and expensive. This classification, though
it sounds very non-technical, is one of the most useful ways of deciding as to what to carry for
the recording schedule. The technical classification based on the principle of operation and
pickup patterns is of little use here.

Within this classification, we can go for the s~ecialisedones if the programme is largely
taking place in a single location whose acoustical attributes are familiar. For a hectic schedule
in which more time is spent in travelling, rather than recording, a non-battery operated
directional microphone is ideal. In relatively quiet locations, sensitive microphones can be
best utilised to get the best possible results. For noisy locales, less sensitive microphones turn
out to be better, because they pick up less noise and on close placement coupled with some
cooperation from the artistes would give good results. Sensitive microphones tend to pick
up more noise and occasionally even undergo input overload in a noisy place. When the
microphones have to,provide for movement of the persons speaking, miniature wireless
microphone come handy. Batteries and specially the rechargeable ones are tricky as they
are sensitive to various climatic conditions. For example, if your batteries fail on the top of
a mountain in a distant vilhge in Hirnachal Pradesh, it would be a catastrophe!

Microphone Placement
Microphone placement plays an important part in the tonal rendition of the sounds. Bearing
this fact constantly in t h e M d would save you from the pitfall of compensating for placement
errors by processing~dev~ces. For example, placing a microphone off the axis of a voice and
trying to get sharpness bythe equaliser is a bad idea. The aim should be to start with a clean
signal from the microphone. Being on axis with the source, avoiding low level pick up of
sound, avoiding overloading and wind Wows, are de5kable of a good microphone placement.
Even if permitted by the microphone sensitivity, going rather too close to a sound source
should be avoided. This helps to prevent proximity effect which manifests itself as an abnonnal
reproduction of the frequencies of the source with reference to each other. In addition, if the
source is a voice, breathing, lip smearing and nasal sound may be picked up by an extremely
close placement.

Use of Boom
Manoeuvering of the microphone using a specially made contraption is called the Boom or
the Fish Rod. The basic purpose of using a boom is to be able to manoeuvre the microphone
over a wider area and to be able to get close enough to the sound source.

The boom is a strong, rigid and light weight bar that has a microphone clamp at one of its
ends. This can be metallic or non-metallic depending on the cost and design. It is usually
hollow in order to reduce the mass and to discourage the transmission of sound through its
body. It is to be remembered at this point that sound travels better in a metallic medium, in
fact its velocity is three to four times its velocity in air. A remedy to the problem of vibrations
being transmitted through the boom rod is to use a special iind of clamp, i.e, a clamp having
an Elastic Suspension for the microphone.
The orientation of the boom is another important factor that affects the recording quality Outdoor Recording
and the attributes like perspective of sound and the signal to noise ratio. In general, it should
be held high above the head making a pentagram like formation, while ensuring that the
microphone points correctly towards the source which in most of the cases is the mouth of
the artiste. While aiming for the source, the microphone should not be looking towards the
ceiling or the sky because, many nolse sources are situated in that direction, for example,
noisy tube lights, birds and may be people, radios, stereos or other sources of sound are to
be found near a building

While one onents a boom in the correct direction, there is an imminent danger of transmtting
v~bratlonsto the boom. To avoid doing that, the person should take as large a stride as one
can, so that the boom moves in a smooth contoured path. In addition, another person can
take care of the connecting cables which mav be either coming in the way, or be otherwise
undergoing motion that may get transmitted to the boom.

Check Your Progress: 2

Note: 1) Use the space ~P!C)W for your answers.

2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.

1) Fill in the blanks:

a) ...............................microphones should be used when mobility of the speaking

person is important.

b) Directional microphones should be used in the situations where.. .......................is

important.

c) Noise canceling microphones are useful for ...............................like locations.

d) When going for recording schedules involving ......................................

places
non-battery operated microphones should be preferred.

4.6 CONTINUITY
When a listener listens to a programme, s/he expects that the programme is free from jerks
or discordant levels or tones. Continuity is one of the most essential parts of sound recording,
whether outdoor or indoor, which helps to meet this expectation of the listeners. Aural
memory and written reports form the backbones of continuity and one without the other
is incomplete. Continuity basically pertains to three attributes of sound, namely -
level
tone
background sounds

4.6.1 Continuity of Level

The continu~tyof level is easiest to understand and to maintain out of all the three. Stated
simply ~tmeans; that between two consecutive chunks of recording, there should be no drastic
difference of levels, at least not as drasoc so that it would be noticeable to draw attention. The
meters on recording devlces can serve as good tools in maintaining continuity of level. You
would recall, that in our discussion on perspective, it was stated that the impression of depth
is more ~mportant.Thus, the recordings that give the impressions of different depths need not
necessarily to be drastically different levels. Usually, a change in excess of 2 dB is essential
for causing a sensation of level variation in the human ear. In the earlier units we have talked
about level as-seen in the meter in relation to the loudness experienced by the ear.

4.6.2 Continuity of Tone

The continuity of tone is a bit more abstract and requires keen attention on the part of the
recordist. Tone Implies the pitch of a source. The continuity of tone manifests itself as a
consistenc5in the tone of a voice or an iqstrument over different sections of a programme.
Recording ~ l t h o ~ few
gh ears would ever notice this consciously, they too react to it without
being aware of it. The tone is an important factor in establishing the 'character' of a source,
as important a factor as the face is to a man or a woman. This indeed is the goal of the
recordist in most of the cases, i.e., keeping the same settings for monitoring sounds
throughout the recording.

4.6.3 Continuity of Background Sounds

Continuity of background sounds is a desirable but seldom controllable aspect of outdoor
recording. When you are on an assignment that involves recording on a location that has
a wide variety of ambient sounds that keep changing, this dimension of continuity makes
itself felt. Trying to record in a factory at different hours of the day is a concrete example.
If two recordings of that location are joined, and if they have very different ambient sounds
(either in variety or level) it produces a kind of jerk that would be noticed easily even by an
untra~nedear.

Having grasped the idea of what 1s meant by the continuity of hackerolit~ s

*lriis.~t 1s 11uw
t ~ m eto explore the means uf'ach~evingit. Thrsi. . < , I , , ,, f i r i $ . I , LC \ C A L I t ( 7 , i ~ c o q l i s h
11,

this: one, have minimum possible amount o' . i ~ n h l ~,(%.-!iL:,

~ l ~ ~r:1;11 ~~lllltlale the recording
and, two, pay attention to the klnd and l e ~ i, nt ambient sounds arriving. The first method is .
more of a theoretical solution, whereas i l e second one involves a deliberate effort in order
to maintain a consistency, which thouah difficult is achievable Zn practice.

It is found that the sequence of tF, kind of background sound is more important than the
differences in level. If the bar:.gound sounds of the same type come at different levels, it is
less jarring than totally dif. lent \ aneties of background sounds which follow in succession.
It is also helpful to avo1 ' :be background sounds that appear less frequently, for example,
if you are on an assip. I , ltnt to cover a sports event like tennis, you can enjoy the public
reactions in voice an I applause but, the sound of an occasional alrcraft passing overhead at
close quarters shoul i be controlled by the fader. Such sounds are at times powerful enough
to overload the input.

4.7 BALANCING AND MATCHING

TKs part of outdoor recording requlres a great deal of sk~ll.You have read about balance
in unit 2 of this block. In t h s unit we are focusing on balance from the point of view of
outdoof recording. For the purpose of present discussion, we can classify the sound in two
br-dCategories, i.e. primary and secondary. The primary sounds here are the sounds we are
primarily interested in recording and, the secondary sounds are the ones which are present
on the location. To understand the process and meaning of balance we can take this example:
if therb 2s a conversation between three persons taking place on the bank of a river, the
voices are the primary sources and the river 1s the secondary one. In fact it would be possible
to record the voice only and to add the river sound in the post production stage.

In the above example, the process of maintaimng a pre-conceived relation between the
voices is what balancing IS all about. However, there are other dimensions to it. Similar
to the balance of voices, the inter-relation between primary, secondary, and noise sources,
the relation between dialogue, music and effects are well known elements of balance. In
a concert of classical music, the relationship between various instruments and voices is a
well established convention.

A balance of various sounds present on the location is not by any means the end of a job.
The sound recorded on one occasion has to go well with that on another occasion, which
we address as a matching of the two. This matching is primarily of the level, tone, signal
to noise ratio and b&kground sounds. Expressed mother words, matching aims maintain
continuity. Recordings that do not match in their respective attributes seldom go well with
each other. A programme comprising such recordings sounds particularly unpleasant to the
listener. With audible jerks, one's attention is drawn towards the defects, alie~ptingone from
the subject or the content of the programme, and when this happens, it is a defeat of the
whole purpose of producing a programme. Recordings that match with each other are more
suited to be edited into a professional programme. Such recordings save a lot of time and
expense for the programe producers and earn a good reputation for the recordist.
I Check Your Progress: 3 Outdoor Recording
Techniques

I Note: 1) Use the space below for your answers.

2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.

I 1) What are the three basic attributes of sound involved in continuity?

I 2) What do you understand by the term matching in sound balance?

F 4.8 REPORT WRITING

Report writing is that part of the outdoor recording procedure which helps in making a
successful career. A well written report is useful to the recordist in terms of maintaining
continuity, balance and overall consistency. In broadcasting parlance, report writing is also
referred to as Cue Sheet Preparation. The format of a written report can change fiom person
to person and for different media. However, it is possible to make a general guideline as to
what a Sound Report should contain. In general, the sound report should have the date, name
of the programme, name of the recordist, recording medium attributes such as speed, tape
numbers, footage count, address of the reference signal, its level etc. in its heading. The
identification of cuts or takes, artistes and locations should figure in the report.

A widely accepted alibi for not writing reports is that there is hardly any time on the location
to take such elaborate jobs of report writing. However, this kind of reasoning is only a lame
excuse for lethargy. It may happen for a few times but not frequently enough to justify total
neglect of report writing. In the worst case, you may miss a few takes for which you can leave
gaps in the report and recollect it when you have sufficient time. After all, an incomplete or
broken report is still more useful than having no report at all ! Another method is to carry
proforma and report sheet which radio stations usually have.

Report writing has several advantages and the primary advantage is that you can keep track of
the number of hours you have put in, or how long the present spool or cassette can run. In
case you notice that the recording chunk that is being attempted is longer than the remaining
capacity of the cassette, a change of tape can be made in order to save repetition of efforts on
everybody's part. A person who can save duplication of efforts or who can give exact
information as to what was done yesterday is sure to gain respect from histher colleagues,
subordinates and superiors. Thus, a well made recording, accompanied by a neat report is a
sure way for going to the top of this profession.

Check Your Progress: 4

Note: 1) Use the space below for your answers.

2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.

1) Fill in the blanks:

a) The Inverse Square Law. is primarily useful in maintaining the continuity of ......
b) By using the same microphone for a particular person of,muskal instrument the
continuity o f . . ...............can be easily maintained.

2) In the following situation what according to you should be the relative sound levels?
Use percentage scale.

Four persons are sitting around a small fire at night. We have to establish in the listeners'
mind that they are coolies outside a railway station. Apart from their speech, the sound
effects for fire, railway station and night ambience have to be included in our sound
track.
Recording
4.9 LET US SUM UP . ..

In this unit, we have explained the different types of locations for outdoor recording.
Recording outdoors is beset with a number of problems. Wind is the most difficult problem
to be solved in outdoor recording locations. To avoid wind and some predictable noises,
it is best to choose a windless or noise free hour of the day to record on such a location.

Perspective relates to the depth in the sounds recorded that one gets on account of skillful
variations manipulated in loudness levels. Intensity of sound decreases as per square of
distance from the source of sound to listeners and the principle is known as Inverse Square
Law. The Inverse Square Law holds good more in outdoor locations. It is better to record
at slightly higher level as it is easier to reduce the level later. However, boosting a low level
sound adds noise.

A portion that sounds good by itself but does not quite match in quality with rest of the
programme, would do more harm than good. Mixers, effects processors and other gadgets
can help to make a good programme sound brilliant; but, they cannot make a bad one sound
good.

While selecting microphones for outdoor work, their classification from utilisation point of
view should be considered. A good microphone is one that whieh gives a reasonably good
sound and does not fail on the location. The meaning of microphone boom and how proper
handling of the boom is a key to good recording results was also discussed.

Balancing implies the control of multiple sound sources in order to achieve their desired
inter-relationship in the combined output. Judiciously maintained continuity of level, tone
and background sound, is the work of recordist and the editing becomes easier. Matching
is the end result of maintaining continuity of level.

Finally we discussed the importance of a well-written report about the recorded programme
which is a key to professional success. A sound report should have technical data of the
medium, take numbers, artiste names, footagehime-code etc., equalisatiod processing data
in compact form and, production data, such as, name of the programme, the producer, the
recordist and the date.

4.10 GLOSSARY
Equaliser : Historically, an active device to accurately compensate for the
transmission loss that..a signal undergoes while travelling through
a cable. Presently, an active device that can alter the frequency
response of a signal and, provide gain to cancel the power loss
incurred while altering the signal.

Graphic Equaliser : An equaliser that can display its frequency response setting in a .
graphical form. Usually it is done by sympathetic positioning of
closely spaced sliding faders (i.e. level controls).

PPM : Peak Programme Meter. The European standard device for

measuring audio levels. Its reading indicate the peak audio levels
with reasonable accuracy.

4.11 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: POSSIBLE ANSWERS

Check Your Progtess: 1

1) Theoretically, there can be infinite types of locations, each one being unique in its own way,
However, we can divide the majority of locations into the fbllowing six broad categories:
open space with wind
open space with irregular noise sources
ophh space with reflective objects around the boundaries
factory premises
office premises and
streets and public places.
 Outdoor Recording
Techniques
2) 'Perspective' broadly denotes the impression of depth that one gets on account of
variations in loudness levels so manipulated.
I

Check Your Progress: 2

1) Fill in the Blanks:

a) Wireless microphones should be used when mobility of the speaking person is

important.

b) Directional microphones should be used in the situations where rejection of

background sounds is important.

c) Noise canceling microphones are usefit1 for factory like locations.

d) When going for recording schedules involving remote and inaccessible places
non-battery operated microphones should be preferred.

Check Your Progress: 3

1) Continuity basically pertains to three attributes of sound, namely: level, tone and
background sounds.

2) The sound recorded on one occasion has to go well with that on another occasion, which
we address as a matching of the two. This matching is primarily of the level, tone, signal
to noise ratio and background sounds. In other words, matching aims at maintaining
continuity. Recordings that do not match in their respective attributes seldom go well
with each other.

Check Your Progress: 4

1) Fill in the Blanks:

a) The Inverse Square Law is primarily useful in maintaining the continuity of level.
b) By using the same microphone for a particular person of musical instrument, the
continuity of tone can be easily maintained.

2) The percentage of sound levels should be:

Speech: 80%;
Railway station ambience: 10%;
Night ambience: 5%; and
Fire effects: 5%.
FURTHER READING
Alhn Glyn, (1992), Sound Techniquesfor Video and Sound Operations, Focal Press, London.

Ballou Glen (ed), (2001), Handbook of Sound Engineers, Butterworth-Heinmann, M .

Borwick John, (1987) Sound Recording Practice, Oxford University Press, New York.

Everest Alton, Handbook of Multi-channel Recording, TAB Books.

Eargle John, Sound Recording, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.

Ford Tyree S. (1 993), Sound Studio, Butterworth-Heinmann, UK.

Howard David M. and James Angus, (2001) Acoustics and Psycho-acoustics,

Focal Press, UK.

Nisbet Alec, Talbot Smith (1995), Sound Studio, Butterworth-Heinemann, UK.

Nisbet Alec, (1994), Use of Microphones, Elsevier Science & Technology Books.

Nisbet Alec (1979) The Technique of the Sound Studio for Radio, Recording Studio,
Television and Film, Focal Press, London

Sinclair, Ian R. (1989), Audio Electronics Reference Book, BSP Professional Books.

Spratt, HSM, Magnetic Tape Recording, Heywood and Company, London.

Tombs David, Sound Recording, David and Charles ~ k . UK.

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