Recording Methods

This lesson is part of the Fundamentals of Sound & Music module.

Objectives

• Students will be familiar with the fundamental aspects of various types of recording media, including wax/vinyl, magnetic tape, optical, and digital media.
• Students will understand strengths and limitations of various recording methods/media.
• Student will be familiar with the general features of microphones & speakers and how they transduce sound.
• Student will understand the difference between analog and digital methods of recording (including "sampling rate")
• Student will be familiar with various methods and techniques of digital audio compression and file types.
• Student will be able to critically assess recordings as a type of musical trace or sound representation.
• Student learn various ways that recordings, and thus all elements of sound, can be edited or manipulated.

Resources

Readings

• Elsea, UCSC Electronic Studios:
  • Microphones
  • Analog Recording
  • Digital Recording
• Music Technology Musician:
  • Lesson 7 - Microphones
  • Lesson 5 - Digital Audio/Sampling
  • Lesson 8 Subsection on Sound Systems (page 1, 2, 3)
• Wolfe, Physclips: How Loudspeakers work.
• “Reflections on the MP3 Format: Interview with Jonathan Sterne,” Geert Lovink, Computational Culture #4 (November 2014)
  • More essays by Jonathan Sterne on compression and fidelity can found here

Listening and Videos

• Soundfly: "Guide to Microphones"
• Into the Ordinary: "How do microphones work? Dynamic Microphones & Speakers"

Class Activities

• Discussion and definition recording methods throughout history. Bring in physical objects when possible.
• Experimentation with recording sounds using different media and with different types of compression, and comparison of results.
• Sampling demonstration: Demonstrate sampling of a continuous variable and errors in reconstruction due to sampling rate. A child's growth curve or day-to-day temperature measurements are good examples.
• Microphone recording demonstrations based on polar patterns and placement.
• Gear ID: Identify type of media, microphone, or speaker.

Assignments

• Compression of an audio file using various methods.
• Create an online shopping list: Create a recording scenario for students to shop for appropriate recording gear. Employ Sweetwater sound buying guides for microphones and PA speakers.