Basic Concepts of Digital Recording

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Chapter 5

• Basic Concepts of Digital Recording

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• Theory of digital recording goes back to Harry
  Nyquist in 20s, based on binary math developed
  in 1700s.
• Recording in Digital Domain
• Recording
• Rely on VU or peak meters for levels.
• Only goal capturing accurate sound.
• Too low background noise, hiss.
• Too high hard clipping, distortion.

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• (Recording, cont.)
• Rule of thumb for digital audio on a VU meter
  average audio level about -10 (Figure 5.1).
• Editing
• Editing is the most incredible feature of digital
  recording cut, paste, zoom.
• Easy to select edit points, ability to see the
  audio as a waveform.
• Editing is nondestructive to the original audio.

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• Mixing
• Adjusting audio levels on each track and blending
  them.
• Five elements
• Balance music, SFX, voice. Voice should
  usually be prominent.
• Sonic panorama left or right.
• Equalization (EQ) makes certain elements
  brighter, clearer.
• Dimension reverb, echo, delay.

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• (Mixing, cont.)
• 5. Dynamics difference in softest and loudest
  sound. Compression, limiting, gating used to
  control dynamics.
• EQ and compression/limiting/gating require
  experience and can cause harm to recording if
  used improperly.

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• Mastering
• Final tweaking and adjustments.
• Commercials should be played for clients
  approval.
• For us, this involves the command Mix down to
  File under Edit.
• In a radio station, commercial will be
  transferred to a server for playback, burned to
  CD for client, burned to CD for other stations,
  saved in archive file.

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• Adobe Audition
• Producing a Project with AA
• Two main views or workspaces, Edit View and
  Multitrack View.
• You can switch back and forth between the two
  views.
• Edit View for working on a single waveform.
• Multitrack View allows for mixing of multiple
  clips and tracks.

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• Info on ripping from CDs dont do this for your
  projects w/o my OK.
• Editing with AA
• Any time you make an error, go to Edit and use
  Undo.
• Mastering with AA
• In Multitrack, point to open area under Lock
  and FX. Right click opens Track Properties
  window (see Figure 5.16).
• To mute other tracks, click Solo.