Skills development portfolio Week 7 Audio Skills Different

‘Skills development portfolio’ Week 7 Audio Skills Different type of microphones and pick up patterns Audio task

https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=0 cj 18 E QQAm 8

“Heart shaped” pattern, can also be considered unidirectional or directional. PROPERTIES: Cardioid microphones are most sensitive at the tip and pick up very little sound from a 90 degree angle and behind. USES: Interviews in crowded areas, karaoke, musicians seeking to record the sound of one instrument.

Slightly narrower pick up pattern than cardioid with slight rear pick up pattern. PROPERTIES: Hypercardioid microphones can capture more sound from the sides, but still do not capture sounds coming from 90 degrees away on either side of the front, and very little from behind. USES: Same as Cardioid microphones with maybe some background noise for ambience.

Picks up audio equally well in all directions. USES: Recording ‘ambient’ sound, recording more than one person talking or singing at once e. g. Choirs, orchestras , debates etc.

Understanding the Microphone https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=27 d. LLnis. H 2 M DYNAMIC MICROPHONES: Versatile and ideal for general purpose use. They use a simple design with few moving parts. They are sturdy and resilient to rough handling. Dynamic microphones are better suited to handling high volume levels such as from certain musical instruments or amplifiers. They have no internal amplifier and do not require any external power or batteries.

Understanding the Microphone CONDENSER or CAPACITOR MICROPHONE: Requires power from batteries or an external source. The audio signal from this microphone is stronger than that from a Dynamic microphone. More sensitive/responsive than Dynamic mics so well suited to capturing subtle nuances in sound. Not ideal for high volumes as sensitivity makes them prone to distort.

Audio task In this week sessions you will learn about different type of microphones and their pick up patterns. Through experimenting, recording sound with different pick up patterns you will learn how different acoustics effect sound recording and determine choice of equipment.

Task: In groups record 4 sound effects (this is individual task). Use at least two different pick up patterns for each sound effect to study the difference in quality of recorded sound. Group task: Record 4 ambient sounds (two indoors and tow outdoor). Group task: Record 4 ‘vox pops’ (used different pick up patents for each ‘vox pop’ interview to study the difference in quality of recorded sound). Remember you are working in a group so each one of you need to take equal part in this task.

Evaluation: Please save your sound files and reflect on the following: List the sounds you have recorded? Describe the location, sound and microphone pick up pattern for each sound recorded. What can you notice about the quality of the sound recorded? How did the location and microphone property effected the quality of sound recorded? What did I learn from this exercise? Reflect on your contribution in the exercise and working with others.