Studio design

1.   +4dBu and -10dBV are two commonly found measurement units of signal level. One uses balanced cabling and connections, the other unbalanced; which is which? and what are some of the differences between using these standards?

 

+4dBu is the signal level for balanced cabling and -10dBV is for unbalanced. This is because +4dBu is a stronger  signal than -10dBV, by roughly 11dB. Therefore, +4dBu needs to be balanced in order to cancel out noise signals from passing currents that get picked up when the analogue data goes to the A/D converter. The difference between using these standards is that +4dBu is more professional and modern as the sound quality is that of a higher velocity than -10dBV. 

 

2. What kind of connections/cable would you need to plug a portable mp3 player (iPod etc.) into a) a DJ style mixer, and b) a professional studio console?

 

The cable you would need to plug an mp3 player into a dj style mixer would be a usb cable. To plug it into a professional studio console you would need a jack cable or possibly a usb cable depending on the device.

 

3. Given the specifications of the following two microphones, which would be the most suitable, technically, to use when recording a classical guitar recital?   Mic A (Frequency Range: 40Hz - 18kHz, Signal to Noise Ratio : 73 dB SPL(A), Max SPL:142dB ), or Mic B (Frequency Range: 20Hz-20kHz, Signal to Noise Ratio: 81dBSPL(A), Max SPL: 135dB). Explain your choice.

 

Mic B would be most suitable to record a classical guitar as the frequency range is mid which resembles that of a classical guitar. Also the spl is lower than mic A - which is fine as a classical guitars velocity range is relatively low as its acoustics come from inside its body and not electronically.

 

4. Which microphone (from the above) would be more suitable for recording amplified electric guitar?

 

Mic A would be more suitable for this instrument as the velocity of it is much higher - therefore the mic would need a higher spl level to be able to record without distortion as the instrument is amplified electronically and can also be very loud.

 

5. A digital recorder has the following recording settings: 16, 20 or 24bit wordlength; and 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96kHz sampling rate. Which combination of these two settings would you use if the recording will ultimately end up on CD?

 

The combination of settings one would need to use would be 24bit wordlength and a 48khz sampling rate in order to get a CD quality bounce of a track.

 

6. When compiling a list of studio equipment, which area (microphones, audio interface, monitoring etc.) should you spend the most money on? Which piece of equipment is the most important? And should these two answers be the same?

 

In my opinion people should spend at least £300 on the audio interface as this determines some of the quality of the sound. Also, how effectively one can record as the better the interface the more inputs and outputs and soundcard. However i believe that monitoring is one of the most important parts of the studio as this enables one to mix the track well as the output of the track is better quality if played through good speakers.

 

7. Monitor speakers are an essential (and very possibly expensive) part of a recording studio. What should an engineer be aware of to prevent short and long term damage to them?

 

Firstly, an engineer should not turn up the volume of tracks playing to a level that causes the monitors to vibrate. Secondly, they should also not use them for long periods of time as this can cause them to overheat. Also, if they do overheat allow them to cool down before continuing to use them.

 

8.   If you were asked to work in a studio that you had never been to before, what kinds of things would you check even before turning anything on?

 

The gain knobs on the mixer/amps because if theyre up it will make a loud noise. Also, check what equiptment i will need and set it all up. I will also need to make sure that phantom power is not on.

 

9. Supply a list of all equipment, with explanations, pricing and wiring configuration (block diagram), that you would recommend for the following situations:

A ‘bedroom’ demo studio. The client already has an up to date computer with USB ports, running ‘Logic’ DAW. He/she needs to input MIDI information via a keyboard and be able to record a vocal and/or a guitar whilst monitoring on headphones. They also require small, but accurate monitoring for mixing. Space is a real issue. The budget is £600. 2) A project studio. The client has just moved into a purpose built, but empty, recording studio complex comprising of a live area and a control room linked by a 16x8 multicore loom. The studio needs to be able to record a wide variety of sources but will initially concentrate on local solo vocalists and small bands as well as mixing other projects. The client has no preferences for equipment except that it must be of high quality and that they already use ‘Logic Studio’ on a Mac Pro as their main recording platform. The budget is £10,000.

 

1) The client will need a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface which can be bought for £119. This allows 2 in puts and 2 outputs therefore the client can hook up a midi keyboard and guitar/microphone. They can also put the headphones in one of the output sockets in order to monitor what theyre recording. For monitors they can buy a pair of Fame RPM 5 Active Studio Monitors for £150. Each speakers measurements are 280mm height x 190mm depth x 224mm width which is pretty compact and should be fine if one does not have a lot of space.
Sony MDRZX100B Headphones - £10
M-Audio keystation - £39.99
Shure sv100 dynamic microphone ( comes with 6.35 mm jack plug on 4.5 m XLR lead) The XLR cable can be used to plug it into the audio interface  - £29.99
 

 

2) Genelec 8040A Active Studio Monitors, Matt Black - £1,398

Genelec 8040-408 Stand Plate for 8040/8240 IsoPod - £39.99 x 2 - £79.98

Genelec 8000-409B Adjustable Floor Stand x 2 - £90.09 each £180.18 for two.
All of this will provide one of the best monitoring systems. Having stands will make sure that the monitors are away from any wires and cables that can interfere with the sound. Also, the positioning of the monitors ensures a better and clearer sound which will be beneficial in the mixing stages. 

Zoom R16 Digital Recorder, USB Audio Interface and DAW Controller - £279 (8 track simultaneous recording). This will enable the client to record a full band at once instead of single recordings as they will have multiple xlr cable to link to the microphones and record more than one person at a time as the audio interface have multiple inputs. This is good so the band can play together in order to get a good performance as they will be more in time with eachother. It will also save a lot of editing time.

Neumann KMS 104 BLACK Condenser Vocal Microphone x 2 - £798. This microphone will ensure that vocals which are recorded are recorded with quality.

Audix OM-7 Dynamic Vocal Microphone x 4 - £177 each £708 for four. This microphone picks up analogue signals with a high gain before the feedback stage on the mixer.
Adam Hall 3meter xlr cable - £4.22 x 10 - £42.20
Advanced Acoustics silent space isolation vocal booth 1.2m by 3m - £6,279

Total : £9764.36