AUDIO: SOUND CONTROLS AND HOW TO PRODUCE SOUND AESTHETICS Pertemuan 8 Matakuliah: O0382 – Dasar-dasar Produksi Siaran Televisi Tahun: 2010

Analog & Digital Production Equipment: Studio (1/5) The important components of audio equipment: (1) audio console, (2) patching, (3) analog and digital audio recording systems. Audio console The function of audio console is to control the sound during the process of television production. And audio console is built to perform the task of: input: to pre-amplify and control the volume of the various incoming signals; Mix: to combine and balance two or more incoming signals; Quality control: to manipulate the sound characteristics; Output: to route the combined signals to a specific outputs; Monitor: to listen to the sound before their signals are recorded or broadcast. 3

Analog & Digital Production Equipment: Studio (2/5) Patch bay Patch bay primary functions are connecting and routing audio signals to and from various pieces of equipment. The functions of patch bay can be conducted by using actual wires or with computers that rearrange the signal. Audio recording systems Audio recording systems record audio signals in analog or digital form. Although much of audio recording is done digitally, analog recordings are still applied in television production. Analog recording systems The most common analog recording systems are open-reel audiotape recorder and the cassette tape system. And the analog cart machines that use a single reel that forms an endless loop that rewinds, plays, then cues automatically. 4

Analog & Digital Production Equipment: Studio (3/5) Digital recording systems The major digital recording systems include (1) digital audiotape recorder, (2) MDM recorders, (3) DTRS, (4) the digital cart system, (5) computer disks (hard disks and high-capacity floppies), (6) the mini disc, and (7) the CD and DVD. Audio Control Areas: Studio Audio control booth Audio control booth houses the audio or mixing console, analog and digital recording and playback equipment: cassette recorders, a reel- to-reel analog audiotape recorder, DAT recorders, a mini disc player, CD- RW and/ or DVD machines, and a turntable. 5

Analog & Digital Production Equipment: Studio (4/5) Audio Production Equipment: Field The key to good field audio is keeping the primary sound as separate from the surrounding (environmental) sounds as possible. Mixer Most portable mixers have only three or four input channels and one or two outputs. Basic Audio Operation Basic audio operation relates to the production of a good television audio track. Therefore, the discussion on basic audio operation has basic audio control factors: (1) audio system calibration, (2) volume control, (3) live studio mixing, and (4) live field mixing. 6

Analog & Digital Production Equipment: Studio (5/5) Audio system calibration To calibrate means to make the VU meters respond in the same way to a specific audio signal. Volume control After the calibration process is completed then the finer points of adjusting the volume of the incoming sound and of using the automatic gain control. Taking a level Taking a level means adjusting the input level so that the talent’s speech falls more or less within the tolerable volume range. Live Studio Mixing Live mixing means that the combining and balancing sound are completed while in production is in progress. 7

Audio Postproduction Activities (1/3) The demand for high quality of television audio has become the primary importance in order to balance the existence of sophisticated video editing techniques and large screen and high definition video displays. Analog and digital sound editing Analog audio editing There are 2 (two) steps that need to be completed when editing the audio track of a videotape: Select the video and audio portions from the source VTR that contains the original footage; Copy the video and audio (or audio only) to the edit master tape of the record VTR; Adjust the record VTR or the video edit controller so that it reads the audio track independent of the video track; Put the video-editing into insert mode system. 8

Audio Postproduction Activities (2/3) Digital audio editing The advantages of having digital (non-linear) video editing system: Sound is still edible when editing is in progress; The sound can be seen in the graphic form on the screen; The visual presentation helps audio editing extremely precise; The sound can be synchronized with the selected audio or it can be moved easily from one place to another. Editing video to audio and transcribing audio Transcribing audio means typing out every spoken word. This method applies for both analog and digital system. With this method the video editing, especially the editing of longer and more complex speeches, will be more time saving. Correcting audio problems Correcting audio problems is not as simple as correcting one word and it may spend extra hour for the audio production people to do it. It is better to care during audio acquisition for more time saving in the long run. 9

Audio Postproduction Activities (3/3) Postproduction mixing Postproduction mixing is the process similar to live mixing only it remixes separately the recorded sound tracks instead of live inputs. Mixdowns is a condition when a multitude of discrete audio tracks are combined and reduced to stereo or surround sound tracks. Controlling sound quality In management (controlling) sound quality, the production people must get used to with types of signal processing equipment (such as equalizers, reverberation controls, and filter), and must have a trained ear. In all aspects of television production, it is the communication goal and the aesthetic sensitivity, not the availability and production capacity of the equipment, that must be the important points and that should be delivered to the audience. 10

Sound Aesthetics (1/2) When dealing with television sound production, there are 5 (five) basic aesthetic factors that must be paid attention: Environment: the inappropriate sound takes place during studio recording. If intend to do some postproduction, use one microphone and one audio track of the videotape for the recording of the main sound source, and the second audio track for the recording of the ambient sound. Figure ground: figure-ground principle Perspective: sound perspective means that close-up pictures are matched with relatively nearby sounds, and long shots correspond with sounds that seem to come from farther away 11

Sound Aesthetics (2/2) Continuity: sound continuity relates to the consistency of the sound quality that is clearly shown during postproduction. The inconsistency of sound quality may be the results of using dissimilar equipment during on and off camera. Sound continuity can be avoided by conducting the following steps: –record the narration on site; –employ similar microphone during on and off camera narrations; –try to match the on-camera sound quality through equalization and reverberation; –when recording quality sound, mix it with the off-camera narration. Energy: refers to all factors in a scene that communicate a certain degree of aesthetic force and power. For example high-energy scenes like battle movie or sport show will be of much different with tranquil scene like romantic movie. 12

Stereo and Surround Sound Stereo sound is especially the horizontal audio field (left-right or right-left positioning of the major audio source). Stereo sound will be best performed when using large screen, home-theater HDTV video projections. Surround sound is a technology that produces sound from front, side and behind the listener. Surround sound enables the listener to hear sounds from multi directions. Surround sound is originally used for film reproduction but now it is used for HDTV. 13

Audio Postproduction Room The equipment that is used to support good quality sound is stored in audio postproduction room. The machinery that is installed in the room depends on the sound designer or sound editor. The basic equipment will include audio console, a patch bay, analog and digital audio- recording systems, and several videotape recorders. With additional equipment such as: analog audio synchronizer digital audio workstation (DAW) keyboards and samplers, larger production centers even sport automatic dialogue replacement (ADR) room. 14