Audio/Technology Timelines

Yesterday we discussed the evolution of technology and audio products.  You were given time to research dates and when products became available.  I would like for you to get artistic and put your data to paper and create a colorful timeline.  I will be taking the best ones from each class and posting on our classroom wall.

Get creative in creating your timeline.  They can be horizontal, vertical or any other way you’d like to make it.  Here is an example, but don’t let the example hinder your creativity.

Analog vs Digital

We’ve come a long way from 8-tracks and albums, cassette tapes and reel to reel recording.  I’d like for you to make an audio timeline similar to the example below.  You can focus on a specific aspect of audio or keep it general, but make sure to go back at least 75 years and go to the present day.  For extra credit, think of what the future has in store for audio.  For example:  MP3′s have been around for nearly 15 years, what will replace the MP3?

1) What is the difference between analog and digital?  Which is more widespread today?

2) What are the widths that audiotape is available in?

3) Name 5 ways to properly handle audiotape.

4) What is wow and flutter?  How is it caused?

5) What is bias?

6) What is sampling?  What are the common sampling rates used in digital audio?

7) What is quantization?

Define the following terms:

Analog Recording
Digital Recording
Audio Data Rate
Bandwidth
Bias Current
Calibration
Digital Audiotape

Desert Mirage Rampage

Visit our school newspaper and comment on 2 articles. Leave a comment with which articles you commented on.

Click the Ram to go to the Rampage!

Does your name shape your destiny?

How important is a name?  Can you imagine going through life with a completely different name?  Do you think your life would be different if your parents decided on a different name?  How much does your name shape who you are?  Would you change your name if given the chance, if yes to what?

Have you ever googled your name?  What comes up when you google your name?  Think about it for a few minutes and respond in a few paragraphs.

Also, check out the article from CNN found at this link (or click the picture below.)

MAC or PC?

Look at each picture and choose whether it is a PC or MAC.

Please read carefully before beginning: In this quiz, “PC” refers to any IBM-clone type machine/platform running Windows or its direct predecessors. We all know Macs are personal computers too, but for the purpose of the quiz, as it relates to the modern Mac/PC debate and all those great TV commercials, Mac = Apple and PC = IBM/Microsoft.

Question 1 of 10

I’m a?

Question 2 of 10

This design application is used on which platform?

Question 3 of 10

I’m a?

Question 4 of 10

I’m a?

Question 5 of 10

In default mode, without going into Control Panel or System Preferences and changing settings, pressing the SHIFT key 5 times in a row turns on a special feature on which platform?

Question 6 of 10

The key below can be found with MAC or PC?

Question 7 of 10

I’m a?

Question 8 of 10

I’m a?

Question 9 of 10

Sony Vaio is a MAC or PC?

 

Question 10 of 10

Is this a Mac or PC?

Audio in Media – Ch. 19

Chapter 19 – Use your book to answer the following questions.

1. All but one of the following are goals in mixing and rerecording: (p. 412)

a. to establish aural perspective
b. to maintain the definition of each sound
c. to use EQ as a substitute for microphone technique
d. to add any special effects

2. The audio frequency response of videotape is: (p. 414)

a. wider than the frequency response of 16mm optical sound
b. wider than the frequency response of CDs
c. not as wide as the frequency response of AM radio
d. not as wide as the frequency response of 35mm optical sound

3. In mixing for radio, the AM and FM mixes should be different. (p. 413)

a. true
b. false

4. In mixing for film, the “unisound” approach: (p. 415)

a. places dialogue, music, and sound effects toward the center of the stereo field
b. compresses the overall sound and rolls off the bass at 50 Hz and the treble at 10,000 Hz
c. cuts all sound below 100 or 200 Hz and above 5,000 or 6,000 Hz
d. boosts dialogue, music, and sound effects in the presence range to ensure that their clarity is uniform [[["presence range" OK?]]]

5. Which of the following is not good advice when layering sound? (p. 416)

a. position sounds to create relationships of space and distance
b. maintain a uniform loudness for all elements to avoid erratic perspectives
c. maintain spectral balance so that the aural space is properly weighted
d. vary sonic elements such as pitch, rhythm, timbre, and envelope to avoid masking or unintelligibility

6. A good mix can save a bad recording. (p. 421)

a. true
b. false

7. A comfortably loud monitor level that is usually considered optimal for mixdown is: (p. 421)

a. 65 dB-SPL
b. 85 dB-SPL
c. 95 dB-SPL
d. 105 dB-SPL

8. One of the following statements is not true about equalizing: (p. 396)

a. equalizing alters a sound’s harmonic structure
b. an absence of frequencies above 600 Hz adversely affects the intelligibility of consonants; an absence of frequencies below 600 Hz adversely affects the intelligibility of vowels
c. a 6 dB increase at 5,000 Hz gives an apparent increase of 3 dB to the overall mix
d. equal degrees of equalizing below 400 Hz and above 2,000 Hz are more perceptible than equal degrees of equalizing between those frequencies

9. Equalization used to help define instruments and keep masking to a minimum is called: (p. 423)

a. subtractive equalization
b. complementary equalization
c. shelving equalization
d. defined equalization

10. Flat midrange frequencies sound natural or smooth. They may also lack punch or color. (p. 398)

a. true
b. false

11. Low frequency boost adds power or weight to the sound. (p. 423)

a. true
b. false

12. High frequency roll-off can dull, muffle, veil, or distance sound. (p. 423)

a. true
b. false

13. Predelay is a major component of reverberation. (p. 427)

a. true
b. false

14. One of the following statements is not true. In a stereo field: (p. 429)

a. to highlight a solo, the instrument should be panned to the front center
b. the sound closest to the center and to us is the most predominant
c. sound placed to one side usually requires similarly weighted sound on the opposite side
d. a sound that is rear but center creates depth and a balance to the sound that is front and center

15. The difference between 3D sound and surround sound is that: (p. 429)

a. surround sound includes the dimension of height, and 3D sound does not
b. 3D sound increases sonic depth using the conventional two-speaker stereo array
c. surround sound requires three separate channels, and 3D requires only two
d. 3D sound can be simulated through a monaural matrix, and surround sound cannot

16. The placement of dialogue, sound effects, and music in the stereo (and surround sound) frame is called: (p. 429)

a. imaging
b. spectral balancing
c. perspective
d. localization

17. In stereo films and TV, the sound of the dialogue: (p. 439)

a. comes from the center of the screen, or close to it, regardless of where the actors are located
b. comes from wherever the actors are located
c. comes from wherever the actors are located except in a close-up, when it comes from the center of the screen
d. comes from wherever the actors are located but is compressed to avoid a sudden change in location because of an actor’s quick movement

18. One of the following is not a consideration in mixing surround sound: (p. 430)

a. sonic imaging should not rival what is on the screen
b. mix to the visual perspective on the screen
c. dialogue goes center channel and is usually not panned
d. the surround channel(s) and loudspeaker(s) are primarily for the music underscoring

19. All but one of the following are true about stereo-to-mono compatibility: (p. 448)

a. a wide and balanced stereo image played in mono may be center-heavy
b. avoid putting anything to the extreme left or right in a stereo mix if the mix is to be made mono-compatible
c. signals in phase in stereo cancel in mono, and signals out of phase in stereo add in mono
d. placement of voicings to the extreme left or right in stereo may result in a 3 dB or greater loss in their level(s), relative to the rest of the spectrum, when played in mono

20. In evaluating a master recording, all but one of the following are important in judging its sound quality: (p. 451)

a. tonal balance
b. linearity
c. dynamic range
d. definition

21. Rerecording is a term used in film mixing while mixing is generally used for music. (p.398)

a. true
b. false

22. The overriding challenge in mixing is to maintain aesthetic perspective. (p.399)

a. true
b. false

Chapter 14 and 15 (internet production and sound design)

Answer the following questions, you can use your book.  Click “Leave a Comment” to submit your answers.

1. Connection speed affects:  (p. 323)

a. audio quality

b.  file types allowable

c. microphone techniques

d. computer choice

2.  The faster the connection speed: (p. 323)

a. the lower the audio quality

b. the higher the audio quality

c. the more file formats you can send

d. the more compression required

3. Which of the following is not a way to improve audio quality in Internet audio: (p. 324)

a. improving connection speed

b. increasing the size of the files

c. increasing sampling rate

d. compression

4.  There is one basic type of digital file format used in Internet audio. (p. 325)

a. true

b. false

5.  Downloadable nonstreaming formats: (p. 325)

a. utilize the principle of buffering

b. require that the user first download the entire file and store it on the computer’s

hard disk.

c. require specific server software

d. is incredibly fast to download

6.  ISDN made it possible to produce a recording session in real time between studios across town or across the country.   (p. 327)

a. true

b. false

7. All internet audio including MP3 is at or near CD quality. (p.323)

a. true

b. false

8. Reducing the size of internet audio files may improve the quality. (p323)

a. true

b. false

9. Sound design is the process of creating the: (p. 328)

a. sound effects

b. music

c. audiotography

d. overall sonic character of a production

 10. The pitch of a sound refers to its: (p329)

a. highness or lowness

b. strength or weakness

c. loudness or quietness

d. tonal quality or color

 11. Timbre refers to a sound’s: (p. 199)

a. highness or lowness

b. strength or weakness

c. loudness or quietness

d. tonal quality or color

 12. One of the following characteristics is unlikely to be associated with slow tempo: (p. 199)

a. monotonous

b. controlled

c. agitated

d. dignified

13. Indirect narration: (p. 190)

a. describes what is being seen or heard

b. describes something other than what is being seen or heard

c. is narration recorded off-mic

d. is narration that is voiced over what is being seen or heard

14. In speech, the nonverbal sound can carry the primary meaning. (p. 334)

a. true

b. false

 15. In speech, meaning can be communicated through pace. (p. 334)

a. true

b. false

 16. By placing inflection on certain words, a speaker may: (p. 334)

a. change the sentence meaning

b. change the sentence syntax

c. change the sentence grammar

d. change the sentence structure

 17. Narrative sound: (p. 202)

a. emanates from and duplicates a sound source as it is

b. adds more to a scene than what is apparent

c. provides a verbal context to what is being seen or heard

d. provides factual rather than emotional information

 18. When sound parallels Picture: (p.330)

a. Neither the aural or the visual element is dominant

b. The visual element leads the aural element

c. The aural element follows the visual element.

d. The focus is always on the visual element

 19. When sound and picture define effect: (p.331

a. The aural and visual elements are equal

b. The aural and visual elements are different yet complimentary

c. The visual element defines the effect

d. The effect is always the same.

Define the following Key Terms:

Connection speed

streaming formats

Sampling rate

nonstreaming formats

File manipulation

transmission

File formats

ISDN

MP3

So you wanna be a DJ?

After viewing the short video clip, answer the following questions.

1) What genre of music is the DJ discussing?

2) Name 2 of the DJ’s interviewed or mentioned in the video

3) What do you remember from the video?

4) Where are they being interviewed (location, city)?

5) Name 2 of the scratches mentioned in the video.

Chapter Summary and Questions

Below is a chapter summary. Read and answer the 7 questions. (questions below, after Learning Objectives)

Chapter Summary

The ability to record sounds began in 1877 with Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph. Though Edison’s machine could record and play back sound, it was relatively fragile and the foil-covered cylinders could not be reproduced nor did they stand up to repeated playing. Emile Berliner’s gramophone, however, played music on flat discs that were stronger than Edison’s cylinders and could be mass produced. This technology allowed musical performances to be stored and replayed. As prerecorded music became widely available, the nature of music consumption changed. People’s major contact with music became recordings by professional musicians rather than live performances by amateurs.

Radio was an outgrowth of work done on the telegraph by Samuel Morse. Physicists such as Heinrich Hertz conducted early experiments on the detection of radio waves, but Guglielmo Marconi developed the commercially viable wireless telegraph.

Radio was used initially as a tool for sending messages from one person to another. David Sarnoff was among the first to see radio’s potential as a tool for mass communication; CBS founder William Paley saw its potential as an advertising medium that incidentally provided entertainment. KDKA, the first commercial radio station, went on the air in 1920, ushering in the golden age of radio, in which radio was the dominant medium for home entertainment. Radio was also a major source of news, offering an intimacy and immediacy that newspapers couldn’t match.

The organizations ASCAP and BMI were established to ensure that musicians and composers would be paid for the music they wrote and performed on stage, on records, and on the radio, as well as songs published in written form.

A wide range of recording formats has been used over the years, including the 78-rpm disc, the 45-rpm single, the LP, the compact disc, and the MP3 computer file. Each has given rise to concerns about changes in the purchasing and use of music.

Rock ‘n’ roll was a hybrid style of music that grew out of white hillbilly music and black rhythm and blues in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Because rock ‘n’ roll crossed racial lines, it became part of the integration of American society in the 1950s and 1960s. Rock ‘n’ roll became popular largely through recordings sold in record stores and played on the radio rather than through live performances. It evolved into an art form that existed primarily for recorded playback rather than live performance.

In the 1960s and 1970s rock music became more heavily produced, and there was a shift from hit singles to albums. Music by groups like the Beatles and Pink Floyd brought the role of the producer to the forefront, a move that accelerated with the development of disco and rap.

Parents and other adults have expressed concern about lyrics, which include profanity, discussions of suicide and violence, and sentiments that are derogatory toward women.

As television displaced radio as the dominant broadcast medium, radio was transformed into a companion medium with a wide range of formats designed to appeal to narrow, specific audiences. These formats include many types of music, Spanish-language broadcasting, talk, news, and sports.

FM has gradually replaced AM as the dominant radio band. Although FM has a shorter broadcast range, it has much higher quality sound (higher fidelity).

Although the majority of radio stations are commercial, public radio—a staple of FM radio programming—provides an important alternative. Terrestrial radio is still the dominant sound medium; however, it faces growing competition from Webcasting, podcasting, and satellite radio.

Learning Objectives

Understand the technologies and inventions of early radio and identify their originators.
Know the significance of the telegraph and wireless telegraph in removing limitations of communication.
Understand the progression of the adoption of advertising as an integral part of radio broadcasts.
Know what the golden age of radio was and what programming it featured.
Understand the origins of rock and roll and the artists that brought this music genre to the American public.
Understand the developments of the LP, 45, and compact disc.
Know the new forms of radio, such as Internet and satellite, and what they offer in comparison to traditional radio.
Understand webcasting and podcasting.

Review Questions

1. What were the differences between the phonograph and gramophone?
2. What was the significance of the Radio Music Box memo?
3. What was payola?
4. Who were Amos and Andy?
5. How were concept albums different than earlier recordings?
6. What is the difference between webcasting and podcasting?
7. What can the recording industry do if it wants to survive?

The Hue Music & Arts Festival in Coachella gives new bands big break

Click the image below to read the article and answer the questions below.

1) What is the name of the Festival mentioned in the article?
2) Who created this festival?
3) Where is the festival held?
4) How often is the festival held?
5) How many bands and dj’s performed at the festival?
6) How many stages were setup at the festival?
7) What DJ was interviewed in the article?
8) What band was interviewed in the article?
9) What time did the festival begin and end?
10) Make sure to view all the pictures in the article!