Page numbers followed by f indicates a figure and t indicates a table.

A

A/D converters, see Analog-to-Digital converters (A/D converters)

Absorption, 150–151, 151f

coefficient, 151

of lower frequencies, 151

Accent miking, 58f, 59

Acoustic guitar, 64, 64f

Acoustical treatment, 154

in bedroom, 154

Acoustics, 149

absorption, 150–151

diffraction, 152

diffusion, 152

materials impact, 151t

reflection, 150

room design, 149

room modes, 153, 153f

standing waves, 153, 153f

surface impact, 149, 152

ADAT, see Alesis Digital Audio Tape (ADAT)

AES/EBU connector, 230

Airy, 32

AKG microphones

C12, 75, 76f

C414, 75, 75f

C451 B, 76–77, 76f

D112, 67–68, 67f, 68f

D12, 66–67, 67f

Alesis Digital Audio Tape (ADAT), 163

lightpipe connector, 231

Ambient miking, 58f, 59

Amplitude, 3, 4f

in 3D ball, 20

unit, 3

Analog, 164

cons, 166

medium, 162

pros, 165–166

Analog connectors, 227–228

Banana plug, 229

ELCO/Edac, 229

MINI, 228

PHONE, 227

RCA, 228

Speakon, 230

Tuchel, 229

XLR, 228

see also Audio connectors

Analog-to-Digital converters (A/D converters), 123, 123f

Angelic sound, 33

Artist insecure, 40–41

Assistant engineer, 193

Attack envelope, 13

Audio

engineer, see Sound Engineer

files, 161

interfaces, 123

Audio connectors, 227–228

analog connectors, 227–228

digital audio connectors, 230–233

jack, 227–228

plug, 227–228

Audio history, 162–164

moments in, 162

recording, 162–163

Audio Technica AT4050 microphone, 77, 77f

Audix D6 microphone, 68–69, 68f, 69f

Auxiliary section, 96

Avantone CV28 TUBE MIC, 78, 78f

Avenson STO-2, 78–79, 78f

B

Balanced audio equipment, 225

technical part, 225

see also Unbalanced audio equipment

Banana plug, 229

Basic track, see Rhythm tracks

Bass, 63, 63f

Bass frequency, 5, 6f

Bass trap, 159

to build, 160

Beats per minute (BPM), 135

Beefy sound, 33

Beyer M 201microphone, 69, 69f

Beyerdynamic M 160 microphone, 86, 86f

Bi-directional mic pickup, 53, 54f, 55

Big sound, 33

Bit

depth, 169

rate, 169

sound, 33

Bleed-over sound, see Leakage sound

Blue Dragonfly, 79, 79f

Body sound, 33

Boomy sound, 33

Boxy or hollow sound, 31

BPM, see Beats per minute (BPM)

Breathy sound, 33

Brittle sound, 33

Bus, 93, 98

see also Universal Serial Bus (USB)

C

Cannon connectors, see XLR connectors

Cardioid mic pickup pattern, 53, 54f

Cascade Fat Head microphone, 86–87, 86f

CD, see Compact Disc (CD)

Channel strip, 91–93

Chimey sound, 33

Chorus FX, 118

Chunky sound, 33

Click track, 135

Close miking, 58f, 59

Coincident miking, 61

Coles 4038 microphone, 87, 87f

Compact Disc (CD), 163

Compression, 1, 110

attack, 111

bypass, 112

for dynamic range control, 110

GR, 111

link, 112

output gain, 111

ratio, 111

release, 111

side chain, 112

threshold, 111

uses, 110

Compressors, 201–203

Computers and audio, 171–175

best of, 175

music with computers, 171–174

software choices, 174–175

Condenser microphones, 52

AKG C 12 mic, 75, 76f

AKG C 414 mic, 75, 75f

AKG C 451 B mic, 76–77, 76f

Audio Technica AT4050 mic, 77, 77f

Avantone CV28 tube mic, 78, 78f

Avenson STO-2 mic, 78–79, 78f

Blue Dragonfly mic, 79, 79f

Earthworks TC30 mic, 80, 80f

fragile, 52

Mojave Audio MA-200 mic, 80–81, 80f

MXL 990 mic, 81, 81f

Neumann TLM mic 103, 81–82, 81f

Neumann U 87 mic, 82, 82f

Peluso Microphone Lab 22 251, 83, 83f

Rode NT5 mic, 83–84, 83f

Shure KSM27 mic, 84, 84f

Shure KSM44 mic, 85, 85f

Wunder Audio CM7 FET mic, 85–86, 85f

see also Dynamic microphones; Ribbon microphones

Connectors

see also Analog connectors; Audio connectors; Digital audio connectors

cps, see Cycles per second (cps)

Crispy sound, 34

Crunchy sound, 34

Cycles per second (cps), 4

D

DAWs, see Digital audio workstations (DAWs)

dB, see Decibel (dB)

dB pad, 50, 52

DB25, 233

dBFS, see Decibels at full scale (dBFS)

dBSPL, see Decibels sound pressure level (dBSPL)

DDP, see Disc Description Protocol (DDP)

Decay envelope, 13

Decibel (dB), 3, 226

levels, 3

Decibels at full scale (dBFS), 226

Decibels sound pressure level (dBSPL), 226

Deep sound, 34

Delay, 116

chorus, 117

depth, 118

EQ, 117

FX, 116

input, 116

mix, 117

output, 116

repeat/feedback, 117

speed, 118

sweep, 118

time/tap, 116

Demoitis, 142

Diffraction, 152

Diffuser, 157, 158f

to build, 157

see also Random diffuser

Diffusion, 152

see also Standing waves

Digital, 166

audio terms, 168–170

cons, 168

lossy vs. lossless, 170–171

pros, 166–167

Digital audio connectors, 230–233

ADAT Lightpipe, 231

AES/EBU, 230

DB25, 233

DIN MIDI connector, 233

Fire wire, 233

MADI, 232

S/PDIF, 231

TDIF, 231

TOSLINK, 232

USB, 232

see also Audio connectors

Digital audio workstations (DAWs), 91

DIN MIDI connector, 233

Direct

box, 62, 62f

path, 18, 19f, 57

Dirty sound, 34

Disc Description Protocol (DDP), 146

Distant

miking, 58f, 59

sound, 34

Distortion, 14, 119

DIY, see Do-it-yourself (DIY)

Do-it-yourself (DIY), 154

Doubling, 142

Dowd Tom, 164

Drumset, 62–63, 63f

Dry sound, 34

Dull sound, 34

Dynamic microphones, 52

AKG D 112 mic, 67–68, 67f, 68f

AKG D 12 mic, 66–67, 67f

AUDIX D6 mic, 68–69, 68f, 69f

Beyer M 201 mic, 69, 69f

Electrovoice RE20 variable-D mic, 70, 70f

Sennheiser E 609 mic, 70, 71f

Sennheiser MD 421 mic, 71, 71f

Shure Beta 52A mic, 72, 72f

Shure Beta 57A mic, 72–73, 72f

Shure SM57 mic, 73, 73f

Shure SM58 mic, 73, 74f

Shure SM7B mic, 74, 74f

see also Condenser microphones; Ribbon microphones

Dynamic range control, 110

using compression, 110

using noise gate, 113

see also Sound effects (FX) creation; Plug-ins

E

Ear, 15

analyzing music recordings, 24

earplugs, 17

frequency pyramid, 23

hearing loss, 17

human, 15

resonant frequency, 18

selective hearing, 23

3D ball, 20–22

see also Sound

Earplugs, 17, 17f

links, 17

Earthworks TC30, 80, 80f

Echo, 117

Edgy sound, 34

Editing, 142

Effects (FX), 92, 113

choice, 114

chorus, 117

ELCO/Edac connector, 229

Electronic musical instruments, 171

Electrovoice RE20 variable-D, 70, 70f

Envelope, 12–13

EQ, see Equalization (EQ)

Equalization (EQ), 5, 27

frequency comparison, 28t

frequency recognition, 30

high-pass filter, 29, 29f

low cut filter, 29, 29f

slope, 29

in sound, 27

subtractive, 30

Equalization points of interest, 31

airy, 32

big/fat, 31

boxy or hollow, 31

muddy, 31

presence and clarity, 32

subs, 31

“in your face,” 32

Equalization section, 94

parametric, 94f

shelving, 95, 95f

F

Fader, 96, 97f, 98

Fat sound, 34

Fire wire, 233

Flanger, 118

FOH, see Front of house (FOH)

Frequency, 4, 4f, 5f

boosting or cutting, 28

high or treble, 6

low high comparison, 28t

low or bass, 5

mid or midrange, 5

pyramid, 23

ranges, 15

recognition, 30

resonant frequency, 18

Frequency response, 55

linear, 55–57

non-linear, 55–57

Front of house (FOH), 131, 190

Fuzzy sound, 34

FX, see Effects (FX)

G

Gain reduction (GR), 111

Gear, 200–208

compressors, 201–203

computer for recording, 207–208

microphone purchase recommendation, 200–201, 203–206

recording software, 206–207

Glassy sound, 34

Go-between, 155–156

to build, 155–156

Gobo, see Go-between

GR, see Gain reduction (GR)

Guitar amp, 63, 64f

H

Haas effect, 18

Hard sound, 34

Harmonics, 10, 10f

even, 11

notes, 10

odd, 11

Harmonizer, 119

Headroom, 14

Hearing capability human, 15–17

HF, see High shelf (HF)

hi-fi, see High fidelity (hi-fi)

High fidelity (hi-fi), 32

High frequency, see Treble frequency

High shelf (HF), 95

High-pass frequency, 50

Hollow sound, 34

Home studio, 188, 195–196

advantages and disadvantages, 196t

benefits of, 195

factors to consider, 195–196

to start, 196

Hot sound, 34

Huge sound, 34

Hypercardioid mic pickup, 54, 54f

I

“In your face sound,” 5, 32

Internship, 177

ads, 183–185

audio, 179

dos & don'ts, 181–183

doubt clarification, 180

duration, 180

getting, 180–181

giving opinion, 181

resume, 181

rolling mic cable, 186

studio intern application, 183t

studio's role, 180

value of good, 178–179

Isolation issues, 137

J

Jack, 227–228

see also Audio connectors

L

Large-diaphragm condensers (LDC), 52

LDC, see Large-diaphragm condensers (LDC)

Leakage sound, 49

LF, see Low shelf (LF)

LFO, see Low-frequency oscillator (LFO)

Live recording session preproduction, 134

Live sound

benefits of, 189

venues, 188

Live sound engineer, 188–190

to be successful, 190–191

duties of, 189

earning potential, 189–190

getting opportunity, 189

lo-fi, see Low fidelity (lo-fi)

Long-playing (LP), 162

Loose sound, 34

Lossless

files, 170

formats, 171

Lossy

compression, 170

files, 170

Low fidelity (lo-fi), 32

Low frequency, see Bass frequency

Low shelf (LF), 95

Low-cut frequency, 50

Low-frequency oscillator (LFO), 118

LP, see Long-playing (LP)

M

MADI, see Multi Audio Digital Interface (MADI)

Makeup gain, see Output gain

Mastering, 145–147, 193

CD text, 146

compression, 146

editing, 146

engineers, 193

fees, 147

index and time information, 146

ISRC codes, 146

levels, 146

master copies, 147

song order, 146

space between tracks, 146

tone equalization, 146

Mellow sound, 34

Meters, 99–100

peak, 100, 100f

VU, 100, 100f

Mic connectors, see XLR connectors

Microphone placement, 57, 58f

accent miking, 59

ambient miking, 59

close miking, 59

distant miking, 59

see also Microphones

Microphones, 47

for acoustic guitar, 64, 64f

for backing vocals,65–66, 65f

for bass, 63, 63f categories, 47

choice of, 205–206

condenser, 52

for drumset, 62–63, 63f

dynamic, 48f

for guitar amp, 63, 64f

leakage, 49 linear frequency response,55–56

non-linear frequency response,55–56

pickup patterns, 53–55

pop filter,50

preamp knob,49

purchase recommendation,200–201

ribbon, 53

switches, 50–52

transducer, 48, 48f

transients, 48–49

vocal, 64, 65f, 203–205

see also Condenser microphones;

Dynamic microphones;

Ribbon microphones

Mics, see Microphones

Mid frequency, see Midrange frequency

Midfield monitors, 101

MIDI, see Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)

Midrange frequency, 5, 6f

areas, 6

MINI connectors, 228

Mixer, 103

Mixing, 103–105,143–147

additional editing, 143

automation, 143

balance of instruments, 143

compression, 143

equalization, 143

FX, 143 improving skills, 105–107

panning, 143

processing steps, 104

requirements, 104–105

Mixing console, 91–93, 91f, 92f

auxiliary section, 96

bus, 98

channel strip, 91–93

EQ section, 94–95

fader, 96, 97f, 98

master section, 98–99

meters, 99–101

monitor, 97

monitoring sound, 101–102

patchbay, 102–103

preamp, 93–94

see also Mixer

Mixing skill, 208–215

indicator of quality, 214–215

3.5mm connectors, see MINI connectors

Mojave Audio MA-200 mic,80–81, 80f

Monitor, 97

Muddy sound, 31

Muffled sound, 35

Multi Audio Digital Interface (MADI), 232

Music recording, 122

with all-in-one recorder,128–129, 128f

with audio interfaces, 127

with laptop, 126–127

live performance, 129–130,130f, 131f

with software types, 128

stages, 122

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), 163, 171, 174, 213–214

controllers, 175

keyboard controls, 171

MXL 990 mic, 81, 81f

N

NADY RSM-2 mic, 87–88, 87f

Nasally sound, 35

Nearfield monitors, 101

Neumann

TLM mic 103, 81–82, 81f

U 87 mic, 82, 82f

Neutrik connectors, see XLR connectors

Noise, 14

Non-technical skills, 37

Normalization, 169

Nyquist theorem, 168

O

Octopus, 164

Omnidirectional mic pickup, 54f, 55

On axis, 53, 54f

1/8”connectors, see MINI connectors

Open Sound Control (OSC), 174

OSC, see Open Sound Control (OSC)

Output gain, 111

Overdrive, see Distortion

Overdubs, 140, 142

doubling, 142

editing and clean up, 142

fixing errors, 140

instrumentation, 142

percussion, 142

solos, 142

vocal performances, 142

P

Panning, 20, 21f

Patchbay, 102–103

Paul Les, see Polsfuss Lester William

Peak

frequency, 29

meters, 100, 100f

Peluso Microphone Lab 22 251, 83, 83f

Pencil condensers, 52

People skills, 37

Phantom power, 52

Phase, 7

flip, 8

meter, 8

mono button, 8

sound waves, 7f, 8

Phaser, 118

PHONE connectors, 227

Phono connectors, see RCA connector

Piano note, 5

Pickup pattern, 53

avoiding proximity effect, 55

bi-directional, 54f, 55

cardioid, 53, 54f

hypercardioid, 54, 54f

omnidirectional, 54f, 55

subcardioid, 54f, 55

supercardioid, 54, 54f

Plug, 227–228

see also Audio connectors

Plug-ins, 119

advantages, 119

uses, 120

see also Sound effects (FX) creation; Dynamic range control

Polar pattern, see Pickup pattern

Polsfuss, Lester William, 164

Pop filter, 50

Post-production, 193

engineer, 193–194

see also Preproduction

Preamp, 93–94, 122

knob, 49

Preproduction, 133–134

details to consider, 135

for live session, 134

rehearsal, 135

see also Post-production

Presence and clarity, 32

Pro Tools, 163, 175

Producer, 194

duties of p 194

Putnam, Bill, 163

Q

Quantization, 168

¼” T/S (tip/sleeve), see RCA connector

¼”connectors, see PHONE connectors

R

Radio production engineer, 194

Random diffuser, 159f

to build, 158–159

RCA connector, 88, 89f, 149, 225, 228

Real LA-2A limiter, 119

Record, 162

Recording, 162–163

compression and EQ, 211–213

computer for, 207–208

Dowd Tom, 164

earning potential in, 221–222

factors to consider, 147–148, 192

future of, 222–224

getting started,215–218

home studios, 188

innovators, 163–164

jobs in, 37–38, 187, 219–221

MIDI and, 213–214

moments in, 162

music, 45

opportunity for,218–219

Paul, Les, 164

Putnam, Bill, 163

rehearsals, 135

required education,210–211

software, 206–207

see also Audio history

Recording engineer

body language, 43–44

communication skills, 42

insecure artist, 40–41

jobs opportunity, 37–38, 187,219–221

meeting people, 45–46

opinion, 40

patience, 41–42

recognizing song structure, 42–43

scheduling song, 44

Recording session

mastering, 145–147

mixing, 143–147

overdubs, 140–142

preproduction, 133–134

rhythm tracks, 139–140

rough mixes, 142

setup, 136–139

stages of, 133

Recording studio

engineer, 191

internship in, 191

rates in, 191

Reflection, 150

early, 18, 19f, 57

Rehearsal, 135

Release envelope, 13

Reverb, see Reverberation

Reverberation, 19, 19f, 57, 113

bypass, 116

decay time, 115

FX choice, 114

input, 114

mix, 115

natural, 114f

predelay, 115

Rhythm tracks, 139

correction, 140

establishing time and tune, 139

and headphones, 140

scratch track, 140

Ribbon microphones, 53

Beyerdynamic M 160 mic, 86, 86f

Cascade Fat Head mic, 86–87, 86f

Coles 4038 mic, 87, 87f

Nady RSM-2mic, 87–88, 87f

RCA 44 mic, 88, 89f

Royer R-122 mic, 88, 88f

Se Electronics Voodoo VR1 mic, 89, 89f

see also Microphones

Ringy sound, 35

Rode NT5, 83–84, 83f

Room miking, see Distant miking

Royer R-122, 88, 88f

Ruben's tube, 10

S

S/N, see Signal-to-Noise Ratio (S/N)

S/PDIF, see Sony/Phillips Digital

Interconnect Format (S/PDIF)

Sampling rate, 168

Sawtooth wave, 14

Scratch track, 140

SDC, see Small-diaphragm condenser(SDC)

Se Electronics Voodoo VR1 mic, 89, 89f

Selective hearing, 23

Sel-Sync-Octopus, see Octopus

Sennheiser

E 609 mic, 70, 71f

MD 421mic, 71, 71f

Setup, 136–139

to get levels, 138

headphones, 139

isolation issues, 137

labeling, 139

Tuning drums, 139

Shimmering sound, 35

Shiny sound, 35

Shock mounts, 52

Shure

Beta 52A, 72, 72f

Beta 57A, 72–73, 72f

KSM27, 84, 84f

KSM44, 85, 85f

SM57, 73, 73f

SM58, 73, 74f

SM7B, 74, 74f

Signal flow, 121

A/D converters, 123

analog model, 124, 125f audio interfaces, 123

input level, 122

live performance recording,129–130, 130f, 131f

music recording, 122

preamp, 122

recording with all-in-one recorder, 128–129, 128f

recording with audio interfaces, 127

recording with laptop, 126, 127

recording with softwares, 128

unity gain, 122

Signal processors, 109

dynamic range control, 110

plug-ins vs. real deal, 119–120

sound FX creation, 113–116

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (S/N), 14

Sizzly sound, 35

Slap sound, 35

Slope, 29

Small sound, 35

Small-diaphragm condenser(SDC), 52

Smooth sound, 35

Soft sound, 35

Solos, 142

Song

bridges, 43

scheduling, 44

sections, 42–43

verses, 42

Sony/Phillips Digital Interconnect Format (S/PDIF), 231

Sound, 1–2

amplitude, 3–4

characteristics, 1, 2–8

direct path, 18

early reflections, 18

envelope, 12–13

EQ in, 27

frequency, 4

harmonics, 10–11

leakage, 49

loose sound, 34

mellow sound, 34

periodic waveform types, 13–14

phase, 7–8

quality concern, 36

reverberation, 19

shimmering sound, 35

shiny sound, 35

sizzly sound, 35

slap sound, 35

small sound, 35

smooth sound, 35

soft sound, 35

subs, 31

thick sound, 35

thin sound, 35

tight sound, 35

tinny sound, 35

tiny sound, 36

tubby sound, 36

velocity, 8–9

warm sound, 36

wavelength, 9

wet sound, 36

see also Live sound; Noise; Soundproofing

Sound effects (FX) creation

delay, 116, 117

reverberation, 113–116

time-based FX, 117–118

see also Dynamic range control

Sound engineer

accounting knowledge,197–198

duties of, 137, 189

equipment maintenance and repair, 197

fee, 198

independent, 191

internship in, 191

jobs opportunity, 37–38, 187, 219–221

questions before recording, 147–148, 192

self-employed, 192

see also Assistant engineer; Mastering engineers; Post-production engineer

Soundproofing, 154

Source, 1

Spaced pair, 61, 61f

Speakon, 230

Square wave, 13

Standing waves, 153, 153f

Stereo miking, 60

direct box, 62, 62f

spaced pair, 61, 61f

XY technique, 60f, 61

see also Diffusers; Trapping bass

Subcardioid mic pickup, 54f, 55

Subs sound, 31

Super chunk, 159

Supercardioid mic pickup, 54, 54f

Sustain envelope, 13

Sweet spot, 101

T

T/R/S connectors, see PHONE connectors

T/S (tip/sleeve) connectors, see PHONE connectors

Talkback mic, 99, 99f

TASCAM Digital Interconnect Format (TDIF), 231

TDIF, see TASCAM Digital Interconnect Format (TDIF)

Thick sound, 35

Thin sound, 35

3D ball, 20

adjusting EQ, 21

using amplitude, 20

panning, 20, 21f

Tight sound, 35

Timbre, see Harmonics

Tinny sound, 35

Tiny sound, 36

TOSLINK connector, 231f, 232

Transducer, 48, 48f

condenser microphones, 52

dynamic mics, 48f, 52

ribbon microphones, 53

Transient response, 49

Transients, 48

Trapping bass, 153

Treble frequency, 6, 6f

Triangle wave, 13

Tubby sound, 36

Tuchel connectors, 229

U

Unbalanced audio equipment, 225

see also Balanced audio equipment

Unidirectional pickup pattern, see Cardioid mic pickup pattern

Unity gain, 122

Universal Recording Electronics Industries (UREI), 163

Universal Serial Bus (USB), 232

UREI, see Universal Recording Electronics Industries(UREI)

USB, see Universal Serial Bus (USB)

V

Velocity, 8

Verse, 42

Vibe, 39–40

Virtual computer instruments, 171

Virtual software instrument, 173

Vocal, 64, 65f

backing, 65–66, 65f

performances, 142

Volume see Amplitude

Volume units (VU), 100, 100f

VU, see Volume units (VU)

W

Warm sound, 36

Waveform, 13

sawtooth wave, 14

square wave, 13

triangle wave, 13

Wavelength, 9

Wet sound, 36

WUNDER AUDIO CM7 FET, 85–86, 85f

X

XLR connectors, 228

XY technique, 60, 60f