1. RTV1240C Chapter 1

2. The Production Studio Room full of audio equipment – Prod 1 & 2 – PDX – Digital audio workstation – DAW Computer Pro Tools Audition

3. Production studio Most radio stations have at least two studios – On-air studio – Production studios Material to be broadcast later – Commercials – PSA’s – Station promo’s – Interviews The production studio can be a back up to the on-air studio

4. Performance Studio Also called announcer booth – Voice overs – interviews

5. Studio considerations Acoustics – How sound “behaves” in the room Ergonomics – Design consideration to increase comfortable use and reduce fatigue To make the studio easy to use

6. The Audio Chain The route audio takes to be ultimately broadcast or recorded – Audio Sources Voice, CD, audio recorder – Audio processing Equalizer, reverb, compression – Monitoring Headphones speakers

7. Audio chain

8. Sound Sources Microphone CD player Computer Reel-to-reel or cassette Minidisc DAW – digital audio workstation

9. Audio Console All audio sources feed into the audio console – This allows mixing, processing, and monitoring

10. Studio layout U-shaped layout – Allows the operator to reach all of the equipment Working in “Combo” – The announcer is also the equipment operator Working with Engineer assist – Announcer works with an engineer, separated by a window Studios can be confiured as “sit down” or “Stand up”

11. Production Studio Furniture Provides the foundation for the production studio – Supports all the equipment Custom built Modular design Designed for computers – Monitor should not be more than 2 feet from viewer – Top screen line should be slightly below eye level – Keyboard should align with monitor

12. Production Studio Furniture Most studio furniture is plywood or particleboard with laminate counter tops Equipment racks use passive air flow to cool equipment

13. Studio sound considerations The physical room will impact the sound made in it Things to consider – Sound isolation – Noise an vibration control – Room acoustics How sound “behaves” in the room

14. acoustics When sound strikes a surface (such as a studio wall), some sound is: – Reflected back – Absorbed – Passed through – “penetration” Reflected sound from irregular surfaces is “diffusion” (irregular reflection). Direct sound – moves from the source directly into the microphone

15. acoustics Indirect or reflected sound reaches the microphone slightly later than direct sound Echo – sound reflected from one surface Reverberation – sound reflected from two or more surfaces, includes “decay” (hello – oo – oo - oo) Sound life cycle – combination of direct and indirect sound

16. acoustics Reverb ring – the time it takes for a sound to die out, or go from full volume to silence Reverb route – the path sound takes from the source to reflective surfaces and back to the original source. Excessive reflection emphasizes high and mid frequencies, resulting in a “harsh” sound, blurs the stereo image to cause a “muddy” sound.

17. acoustics Absorption and diffusion are used to control reflected sound This can be done with curtains, carpet and specialized studio walls. – Absorption creates a “dead studio” with a very short reverb ring This is considered “dry” and unlike most any common sound environment – A “live studio” has a long reverb ring and produces a harder more brilliant sound

18. acoustics Diffusion uses irregular room surfaces to break up sound reflection – This decreases the intensity of the reflection, making them less noticeable Most studios use a combination of absorption and diffusion techniques One common approach is a live end / dead end studio – The dead end absorbs sound and excess reflection – The live end adds desirable sharpness so the sound isn’t totally “dry” Other approaches are – Sound scattering – using a great deal of diffusion – Reflection free zone – using a great deal of absorption

19. Studio construction materials Materials should minimize sound escaping – Penetration – Soundproofing Features – Sealed doors – Double glass – Acoustically treated walls Carpeting Egg crate foam – Special flooring Sound absorption coefficient – How much sound is absorped – Coefficient of 1.00 = all sound absorped – Coefficient of 0.00 = no sound absorped

20. Studio size and shape The production studio should not be overly reflective – Standard room construction tends to be more reflective Parallel, box-shaped walls can produce standing waves – Standing wave is combination of a sound wave going in one direction and its reflective wave going in the opposite direction More ideal is spayed walls at more than 90-degrees Cubic construction should be avoided when possible

21. Studio aesthetics Avoid fluorescent lighting – Fatigue, hum Lights on dimmers Comfortable chairs and stools Decorations Anti-static – Static touch pad Connected to electric ground

22. On-air recording lights On-air light is connected to when microphone is turned on and active, the “on-air” or “recording” light is on Ettique is to never enter a studio when the light is on – Be quiet when near or in an on-air studio – A “stand by” que alerts everyone to be silent, the recording is about to begin

23. Radio hand signals Stand by Que Two minutes Cut Give more level Stretch it, sow down Speed up Wrap it up

24. Noise and distortion Noise – any unwanted sound, or any sound not in the original recording Signal to noise ratio – Most audio equipment is designed to provide at least a 60-1 signal to noise ratio (S/N) A 60db S/N or better is considered ok Distortion – unwanted change in the sound due to inaccurate reproduction of the sound – Sound recorded too loud for the equipment to handle – Overdriven = muddy – Analog equip is especially prone to distortion

25. Production studio set up Keep working spaces tidy Set audio console to neutral – Use a tone generator is possible Good practice to keep notes o sound setting such as levels and signal processes applied to make it easier to reproduce those settings later, if needed. – Note music tracks and sound effects used Use a track sheet to make notations

26. assignments Quiz on chapter one next week – 10 Questions from the end of each chapter All Answers are provided in the book Project 2 – chap. 1 – Suggest a redesign of the production studio using room 2140 as an example Project 3 – chap. 1 – Draw an audio chain flowchart for your production studio Review figure 1.2 in the book