Changing the Face of Music

These days, vinyl album covers are used for decoration. Sharing CDs
with friends is obsolete because of memory sticks. And now, the world of
music has evolved yet again.


With the creation of social media-music hybrids like Spotify and the
highly anticipated Google Music, social media users can share music for free
without any consequence.


These programs decrease music pirating, since users can listen for free
at any time (besides the occasional commercial interruption). The programs
enable users to choose their own music and give suggestions on similar
related artists.


This new music and social media pairing could potentially bring the
money back into the industry, since it encouragers users to buy tracks and
makes it easy.


Programs like Spotify benefit both the consumer and the record companies
by introducing such a wide variety of little-known music and influencing
consumers to pay for their music.


A major difference between Spotify and online radio programs, like
Pandora, is that you can import your current iTunes playlist and choose all
the music you listen to. On Pandora, you have no control, besides specifying
the artist or song that you are interested in hearing.


Still not convinced? Check it out for yourself: www.spotify.com

The Intern's Perspective

Halloween Music

Once upon a Halloween, my family decided to watch The Exorcist. I was always way too scared to watch horror movies, and chose to pass on the family bonding, opting to stay in my room and think about ladybugs, sunshine, and handsome princes instead. Unfortunately, the music from the soundtrack travelled up the stairs, reached my room, and turned my ladybugs into tarantulas, my sunshine into dark clouds, and my Prince Charming into Prince Charles. I had nightmares for weeks from the movie’s score alone.

Imagine watching your favorite Halloween movies with no background sound. I bet that you wouldn’t even be scared. Halloween music has a way of creeping up around you, building your tension, and startling you at the precise moment.

Here’s a musical treat for all your Halloween tricks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOtEdhKOMgQ

Dialog is key

In any good radio or TV soundtrack, the key to a great mix is getting the dialog recorded well. Having dialog with great "presence" allows the other elements (music and effects) to be mixed louder.

Presence makes a recording sound professional, and generally, dialog recorded in a studio will have great presence. However, dialog recorded in the field may have issues that can make the presence less than ideal.

Short of ADR, the simplest thing that will improve dialog presence is to add high-end EQ. Much like adding the "Sharpen Filer" in Photoshop, adding high-end EQ increases the dialog clarity and makes it sound more like the mic had been in the correct spot.

Another helpful step would be to mute all the dialog tracks, except for the one where the actor is speaking (assuming that each actor had been recorded to a separate track). This will eliminate any bleed.

Although doing these things won't fix a bad recording, they will usually improve it. Once the dialog presence is increased, the music and effects can be mixed louder, and the overall track will sound significantly better.

What’s missing?

In the late 1980s, Karlheinz Brandenburg and the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) invented the mp3 format. Dr. Brandenburg estimated that eventually one million users would listen to an mp3. Since then, from iPod users to broadcast radio, orders of magnitude more people now use the format than he had predicted.

Most people, including me, have no problem with mp3 files. They sound good, take very little file space, and are playable on almost every computer and audio device. However, be aware that there can be issues with mp3s.

Try this test if you have the time and available audio software. Listen to a stereo mp3 in mono with the phase of one channel inverted. You’ll hear the strange-sounding “audio pixilation” caused by the mp3 data compression.

Fortunately, people don’t listen to mp3s that way. However, it does make you wonder, “What else am I not hearing when listening to an mp3?”

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Since digital recording gear has become more affordable, many people now have rigs at home and are making recordings that used to only be possibly in professional studios. However, one major difference between home and studio recordings can be found in the microphones used for both. Home studios generally will use less expensive mics compared to professional studios, where a typical mic can cost over $3000!

Think of the microphone like the lens of a camera. No matter how many megapixels your camera has, if the lens system isn’t good, the picture is not going to be professional quality.

Working with Music Producers

In many ways engineering for a music producer is no different that any other recording session. The engineer quickly figures out what the producer expects of them. That is, do they want the engineer’s opinion and help in the production, or do they want them to simply “shut-up and push the buttons”. In either case, in addition to making sure that everything is properly recorded, most good engineers try to add some value to the session. It might be a suggestion of another way to accomplish what the producer wants, or pointing out something that the engineer heard during a take.

Producers also have various ways of working with performers. Some music producers will have the performers do multiple takes before they even start to give any direction. Then they will direct many more, so that a great performance can be edited from the many available takes. Being able to keep all takes is perhaps the biggest advantages of non-linear systems over previous tape-based recorders.

Other producers prefer to have performers do fewer takes, so that they sound fresh and spontaneous. When I worked with Gnarls Barkley, producer Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) told me that Cee Lo always does one take only. Using a pen a legal pad, Cee Lo sat at the console and composed the lyrics to “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”. He then walked into the studio and we recorded his vocal in just one take. It was the easiest session ever!

The Voice - The New American Idol?

If you caught an episode of The Voice in the first season, then you're well aware of how different it is from American Idol. The question is: Which show is better?

It's undeniable that talented individuals are produced from both shows. However, it appears that The Voice gives much more creative control to the artists competing for the win, whereas American Idol contestants are hand held through the entire process. Many would say that the creativity in the performances and renditions of the songs chosen make The Voice much more exciting to watch.

On the other hand, even though American Idol's audition process could easily be confused with a circus act, it does specialize in taking the average Joe, who is a hit at the karaoke bar, and turning him into a Billboard chart topper. It's hard to compete with a show that makes the glamorized version of the "American Dream" come true. Viewers don't get to see the audition process on The Voice, we just have to leave it to the professionals to choose for whom the judges fight.

So, which show is better? We'll leave it up to you to decide.

Audio Home Ec.

We've been baking! Yes, you read correctly. Our audio engineers have been doing some home, or shall we say studio, economics, but it's probably not the kind of baking you might think.

Magnetic tape recorded after 1973 generally presents a problem when transferring. The issue is caused by humidity in the air that is absorbed by the binder that holds the oxide on the tape. This problem is called “Archival Shed Syndrome” (also known as “Sticky Tape Syndrome”). When these tapes are played, they very quickly slow down and eventually come to a complete stop as the tape becomes glued to the heads and guides of a tape machine.

To solve this problem, we use a process whereby we systematically bake the tapes in a convection oven. Our process “dries-out” these tapes so that the original recordings can be transferred safely to a digital format.

Need tapes transferred to digital files? Call Michelle Streitmarter at 513-241-7475 or email Michelle@SoundImages.com to find out how we can help you.

Employee Highlight - Adam Pleiman

As a “Jack of All Trades”, Adam joined Sound Images in 2010 with a wide-reaching depth of experience. He is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, sound designer, engineer and producer who also dives into 3D animation and design. This combination of talents has landed him in roles working with advertising agencies, Fortune 500 companies and artists like Coldplay, 30 Seconds to Mars, Vanessa Carlton, and Taking Back Sunday.

As a “Jack of All Trades”, Adam joined Sound Images in 2010 with a wide-reaching depth of experience. He is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, sound designer, engineer and producer who also dives into 3D animation and design. This combination of talents has landed him in roles working with advertising agencies, Fortune 500 companies and artists like Coldplay, 30 Seconds to Mars, Vanessa Carlton, and Taking Back Sunday.

Remixing the Beatles Part 2

As I was remixing the Beatles Sgt. Pepper album just for fun, I had a revelation. I found that I was able remix the 4-track stems to very closely match the actual album mixes, but that shouldn’t have been possible, at least without one more step.

The one more step being that generally after every mix session the materials are handed off to a mastering engineer. They adjust EQ and volume levels to correct for differences between songs. Then they dynamically compress the mixes in order and to make a louder LP or CD. However, I wasn’t hearing any additional EQ or compression. It wasn’t that Beatles’ engineer Geoff Emerick wasn’t using compression in the mix. The piano chord at the end of “A Day In The Life” lasts a whopping 45 seconds, which wouldn’t have been possible without a serious amount of compression. As Spinal Taps’ lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel once said, “Listen to that sustain.”

The lack of mastering compression and EQ might have been because, after all, it was the Beatles’ record, and no one wanted to do anything that might screw it up. The mastering engineer may have gotten a note from George Martin that said something like “Press Lacquers Flat”, meaning don’t do anything but a straight transfer of the tape to disc. I suspect that it was both of these, plus the fact that unlike today, recording artists in 1967 were not all in a race to see who could make the loudest record.

Remixing the Beatles

Recently I downloaded a digital transfer of the original 4-track tape master of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper album. (Google is Wonderful!) Just for fun I remixed several of the songs to try to duplicate the sound on the original LP.

In the process I discovered some things about the recording I had never heard before. For instance, at 3 minutes into “A Day In the Life” there is a sneeze on the piano and shaker track that you can actually hear in the final mix. There is also a conductor counting on the vocal track during both of the orchestra build sections that was muted in the final mix. You can even hear Paul McCartney counting to himself before he starts singing the middle section of that song.

On the 4-track master of the title song, track 1 is the entire rhythm track (guitar, bass, piano, drums), track 2 alternates between lead guitar licks and brass ensemble, track 3 is all the vocals premixed with reverb, and track 4 is the crowd reactions.

Remixing these songs made me remember how difficult it used to be to record and remix on analog tape machines with a limited number of tracks. When material on a track changed during the mix (like going back and forth from guitar to brass) the engineer would have to adjust volume, panning, EQ, reverb, and other processing instantaneously as the tape rolled. They did this without any of the automation that engineers today take for granted.

Watching the faders, panners, and effects move after the my mix had been automated, I could almost see the Beatles’ engineer Geoff Emerick’s hands (along with producer George Martin’s) working the knobs.

How Music Adds Drama

Here's a great example of how the right music and effects can add drama to your message.

This is a clip from the Colbert Report (www.comedycentral.com).

Click Here

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National Sound on a Basement Budget?

It seems nowadays that everyone has a friend who has recording gear of some sort, be it Pro Tools, Logic, Nuendo, etc. All of these are great pieces of software and can greatly improve your ability to capture and create music. However, just because you have the software doesn't necessarily make you an expert, (just like having a driver's license doesn't necessarily qualify you for the NASCAR circuit). So let’s tackle some of the most common errors people make with home recordings.

It's all about the Room -
Just like good coffee starts with clean water, a good recording starts with a quiet, isolated room. A good sounding room doesn't have to have foam all over the walls but it does need to be devoid of any odd sounding reverberations, echoes or slap back. Professional studio combat these issues by not having any parallel walls and occasionally having wall and ceiling treatments to diffuse the bouncing sound waves.

It doesn't hurt either to find a good way to block out all exterior noise like traffic, lawnmowers, and birds, and even interior sounds like HVAC and appliance noises, as well as dog barks.

Creating a great room for home audio recording would require a bit of construction work. Remember that sound travels through solid material as well as through air. You'd need an elevated floor built on rubber pucks. You'd also need walls and a ceiling built inside your room that contains a load of insulation as well as an air gap. Don't forget to make sure the air vents are bigger than they need to be so they don't make noise, or you’d better be willing to turn off the heat and air conditioning before you start recording. Also, make sure that all electric is plugged into outlets that are on the same power phase to avoid electrical hum.

Lastly, to create a truly "quiet" room you'll also need to make sure that the floors and chairs don’t squeak. (There was a vocal track recently that had to re-record because there were too many floorboard squeaks in the track.)

What am I really hearing? -
That’s the question. If you have no accurate way to playback a mix, how do you know what you are actually recording. You’re rolling the dice. That's why you have a professional engineer in a recording studio. It's the job of the engineer to make sure that what is being recorded is accurate and will translate well to the final product. To do this at home means that you'll need to find a place to listen to your recording, have a set of monitors that you understand, and know how they sound as well as how they interact with each other and the room. A professional studio's tuned control room will likely have a very short learning curve, whereas a home studio will take longer to identify what a good mix is supposed to sound like.

I'll fix it in the mix -
9 out of 10 times you won't. Get it right the first time.

Tweaking tones, editing, and mixing is fun and can be a creative process unto itself, but there may be times you find yourself battling the sound of the environment on your tracks.

When that happens, chances are the problem is how the tracks were recorded. When in doubt, move the mics. During a recent session with 30 Seconds to Mars, the guitar tone was a little too bright for the section we were recording. We could have just tried to fix it during the mix, but rather than hoping it was usable, a simple mic adjustment made all the difference, and it took only a few seconds to get it right.

If you find yourself making too many compromises, or you’re not able to achieve the sound you’re envisioning, it may be time to try something different… the room, the set-up, the mics, the gear, or all of the above… or call the studio 513 241-7475. I'll show you what can be done to improve the sound of your recordings.


A demo is different from a release -
Think of it this way. An artist who spent years sculpting a statue, would want everyone to see their true vision. They wouldn't want cracks or dents in it. They wouldn't want it to be discolored or misshapen. This is their hard work.

Your songs are an extension of who you are. Listeners will associate your track with your name. Why cheapen your name and song with a bad mix?
Musician's can often see through a bad mix, understand, and even appreciate the writing beneath. However, radio stations and what you hope will be your fan base can’t. Serve yourself, serve the song, repeat.

Written by: Adam Pleiman - Producer - Engineer - Composer

Congratulations 2011 AdClub Silver Medal Award Winner Jack Streitmarter!

Congratulations to the Owner and Creative Director of Sound Images, Jack Streitmarter!

In recognition of outstanding contributions to advertising and furthering the industry's standards and creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern.

Special Thanks to Michel Keidel, Judy Thompson, Jay Petach, Kristina Stewart and Larry Holt for making the video come together.

Now it's time for....
You Don't Know Jack!

Part 1:

Part 2:

What is Mastering?

When a band finishes tracking and mixing their record, they will usually have the material mastered before it gets replicated to CD. The mastering engineer looks at the entire body of work, and makes sure that the sound quality and volume levels are consistent from track to track. They also look at the audio spectrum and the dynamic range and make adjustments. The value added by mastering can be quite dramatic.

Many agencies and film producers now own their own editing systems and are mixing final audio on their in-house computers. While having an editing system in-house may be a convenience, most of these systems lack two very important features for
mixing audio.

1. Most of these systems don’t have many of the audio processing devices (plug-ins) that the professional audio recording studios have. Digital workstations (especially video editing systems) come with surprisingly few audio plug-ins, which are the computer equivalent of the analog signal processors found in recording consoles and outboard devices. Most of the better plug-ins must be purchased separately from a third party and can cost as much as or more than the basic workstation system alone. So many people mixing audio on their home or business computers don’t always have the best tools for the job.

2. Theses systems unfortunately don’t come with an in-house professional audio mix engineer. Just because a computer system has the application doesn’t mean that you should use it to mix audio. People who don’t mix audio every day are extremely lucky if they produce a final mix that is remotely comparable to one done by a professional audio mixer. If agencies and film producers want to assemble their productions using their own equipment, they at least should consider sending the audio files to a professional audio studio to be mixed and mastered. The studio’s considerable arsenal of audio plug-ins and the expertise of the professional mixers would add high value to the quality of the audio track for a surprisingly low cost.

Happy Easter!

Creating Your First Talent Demo Pt 2

Remember the clock starts ticking at the top of the hour. Whether you are prepared or not and whether you are here or not. When you are booking studio time you are also paying for editing and review time not just record time. When you book an hour of studio time that does not mean you have an entire hour to record. A good rule of thumb, it's usually a 1:3 ratio for record and edit time. If you record for 15 minutes it'll take about 45 minutes to edit.

After you record, we suggest that you spend some time with the producer/engineer and discuss your final demo. Discuss your expectations. At this time the engineer will map out a “blueprint” for your demo, highlighting the reads that are most impressive and discussing those that may not hold much significance. When you are done recording and discussing your expectations with the sound engineer, you are done in the studio. It’s after you leave that the editing begins. Typically talent is not in the studio during the editing process.

Depending on studio demands you may wait a few hours or a few days for your demo. The sound engineer can typically give you a time-frame to expect your demo before you leave. When you receive your final demo make sure you review, if you have questions or would like to make changes, be sure to ask. This piece of audio is going to be your first impression with clients, make sure it accurately represents you.

Keep in mind, it’s our goal to make sure you are satisfied with your demo but it’s also our goal to help place you for work. When you have a great demo it’s easier for us to get you work. Quality really does matter and you get what you pay for. Remember creating a demo is an investment in yourself, it’s an investment in your career!

Creating your first demo Pt 1

The best way for a producer to hire a voice over talent is to hear of a sample of their work through a voice over demo. But putting together your first demo is often a classic case of “Catch 22” – how can you produce a demo if you have never worked before?

The solution is to come up with spots that you create. So now, you must become not only the actor, but the producer and the writer as well.

The first thing you must do is asset your own strengths and weaknesses. What do you think you really could be cast for? Crazy guy? Urban hip got-it-all-together guy? Intelligent doctor? The guy next door? A caring mother? Crazy shopper? Used car salesman? Surfer dude? Laid back nothing-ever-bothers-me-fellow? Straight announcer type? Comedian? You should have at least 3 - 5 different types of characters that for which you think you would be cast.

Listen to commercials. Watch TV shows. What is the popular culture? Maybe everyone is looking for Reese Witherspoon or a Jennifer Aniston... or maybe a Johnny Depp or a George Clooney.

Now, armed with your particular “type”, start looking for copy that allows you to experiment with those characters that fit your personality. Find the copy in magazines, on the airwaves, in the internet. Adapt the copy to “your character,” make all the sentences short, read it out loud, and practice, practice, practice.

Now it's time to record, edit & review your demo... To be continued!

ADCLUB CINCINNATI CONGRATULATES 2011 SILVER MEDALIST JACK STREITMATER

The Silver Medal Award Program was established in 1959 by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) to recognize men and women who have made outstanding contributions to advertising and who have been active in furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern. Annually, AAF member clubs bestow this honor upon outstanding members of the local advertising community.

The Silver Medal is the highest award that can be given by the Cincinnati AdClub. A panelist of judges select each years recipient. The judges base their selection on the following criteria: Contribution to his company, creative ability, contributions to the general advancement of advertising, contributions to the community.

Jack has received numerous recognitions for his work with over 150 advertising awards, over 30 ADDY's, an Emmy Award, two prestigious CLIO Awards, three Brass Ring Awards and four Telly Awards. In addition to his many accomplishments in the advertising world Jack is also very committed to his community. For many years he has demonstrated his generosity as he donated not only time & money but studio time to local non-profits.

From everyone here at Sound Images, Congratulations Jack!

05.18.11 Annual Silver Medal Honors Jack Streitmarter

Cincinnati, OH
18 May 2011 11:30am

What: AdClub Annual Silver Medal Luncheon
Where: Radisson Hotel, Covington

When: Wednesday, May 18.Cost:$25 Members (AdClub or Ad2)

• $40 Non-members
• $18 Students
• $350 Table for Ten with Member
• $400 Table for Ten, no Members

Reservations are required for everyone. Non-members must pre-pay online (or make arrangements for check or cash pre-payment). Members may register online or reserve by phone and pay at the door.

Click Here to Make Reservations!

Rocksmith… the real guitar game

We’ve all heard about and probably played Guitar Hero… The music video game where players match notes that scroll on-screen to colored fret buttons on the controller, strumming the controller in time to the music in order to score points, in an attempt to keep the virtual audience excited. Well now let me introduce you to “Rocksmith”, no more of that fake plastic toy with color-coded buttons. Rocksmith will really teach you how to play a real guitar.

The game is played very similarly to Guitar Hero, notes scroll down the screen until they hit a target spot. The key difference with Rocksmith is that the notes are actually on a virtual guitar fretboard with numbers that correspond to the different frets. So just like other music video games, the players must hit the notes as they hit the target spot on the fret board.

The game is designed to help you learn and perfect your skills so unlike other music video games Rocksmith doesn’t penalize you for experimenting between required notes and doesn’t cut out when you miss a note. This evolution in music video gaming could be very interesting… Stay tuned for the September release!

So What is Audio Forensics?

So what do lawyers do when they have audio evidence that is garbled and hard to understand? Sometimes it’s so bad that audio evidence can be rendered useless as evidence in court.

Sound Images has been salvaging important audio evidence for years through its audio forensic department. But, don’t expect all the drama as played out in the sexy rolls of TV detectives. Rather, think of it more like watching paint dry.

The technical sound engineer extricates the important information through a process of eliminating certain frequencies, and enhancing others - which finally reshapes vital information into a usable (and listenable) recording. This enhanced audio evidence, when presented in court has often been the key in persuading a jury, or in convincing the other side to settle.

The technical advances in sound equipment today, plus the expertise of the engineer, can produced some amazing results. When you hear the impact, it is probably the closest thing to magic that is still admissible in court.

A bit of advice - Be sure to evaluate how important the piece of audio truly is to your case. If it is, then spending a few hundred dollars to add clarity, may be the easiest way to argue - and win your case.

Mark Mallory goes undercover

The mayor of Cincinnati, Mark Mallory, becomes the first elected official to go undercover as a municipal employee, working as a mechanic repairing public transportation vehicles and a sanitation worker. What did you think of the episode showcasing the Queen city?

A History Detective Pays a Visit

Wes Cowan of the History Detectives stopped by this morning to do some voice over recording.

"His credentials include a Ph.D. in Anthropology, and ownership of an auction company that specializes in historical Americana.

The team looks to Wes for informed opinions on almost any item from our national past, from furniture to folk art, political ephemera, and rare old prints."

The History Detectives airs on PBS.

Wes Cowan is also known for his work on Antique Roadshow.

Cincinnati connection to the Grammy Awards?

Grammy winners Cee-Lo Green (Gnarls Barkley) and John Legend performed at the Grammy's last night. They have also recorded right here in Cincinnati at Sound Images Recording Studios. And did you see the movie trailer for "I Am Number 4" promoted during a Grammy Awards break? Well Sound Images also performed ADR Automated Dialog Replacement for the motion picture due out this month. This is the process where the actors are re-recorded, or Dubbed over the original location recording. Sound Images has performed ADR for Dreamworks, Disney, Warner Brothers, and many other Film Companies.

"It was fun to see some of our friends in the Grammy spotlight", said Jack Streitmarter, President of Sound Images. "Much of what we do is so far behind the scenes, that most people don't know that this work is performed right here in Cincinnati."

Why are TV Commercials Louder Than The TV Program?

People often complain about the volume of TV commercials compared to the volume
of the actual program. And they’re surprised when I tell them that they’re exactly
the same! They both have a maximum volume (10dB below digital zero). Why then
are commercials so much louder?

First, understand the difference between loudness and volume. The basic difference
can be illustrated with the question… “if a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one
around, does it make a sound?”

The answer depends on whether you’re talking about volume or loudness. If you
define sound in physical terms you’re describing volume. The tree falling disturbs
the air and creates measurable sound waves that have a definite volume.

If you define sound in a physiological sense, you’re talking about loudness.
Loudness depends on the response in a living creature. For example, to a deaf
person the tree wouldn’t make a sound, even though they might feel the impact of
the tree hitting the ground. In the same way, a sound outside the frequency range
of human hearing (like a high-frequency dog or dolphin whistle) would have a
definite volume, but would have zero loudness for any human.

Speaking Dolphin?

But you say, how does that explain commercials being louder than the programs
they appear on? The actors in the program aren’t “speaking dolphin”, and the music
and sound effects are all in the audible range for humans. The answer is the
average volume.

To use an illustration, if you drive 50 miles in one hour, one might assume that you
drove 50 mph the entire way. But your speed probably varied from zero to well
above 50 mph during the trip. Volume levels in a program are not always constant
either. There are portions at higher levels and also at lower levels. The difference
between the highest and lowest volume levels is called the dynamic range.

Absolute Peak Volume

There is an absolute peak audio volume that television networks require program
material and commercials not to exceed. I mentioned it earlier as 10 dB below
digital zero. But how often is the volume at this level? In commercials it’s at or near
this level much more than in movies and other television program material.

Compressors and Limiters

Commercials stay close to the maximum volume from beginning to end. This is done
by using signal processing devices called compressors and limiters. These devices
act like the cruise control on a car, which allow drivers to drive at the maximum
speed limit almost all the time. It’s not that movie and television program mixers
(and broadcasters themselves) don’t use these devices. They do. They just don’t
compress and limit the dynamic range as much as commercial mixers.
So by maintaining a higher average volume level, commercial mixers make the audio
track louder. Now that you know why and how, maybe those loud commercials will
seem less annoying…but probably not.

Posted by: Jay Petach - Audio Engineer

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Proper microphone selection (there are lots to choose from), and the placement of the mics with respect to the talent are the first two steps in achieving great presence. Generally microphones used to record studio voice talent have a unidirectional pick-up pattern. This would be analogous to a close-up lens on a camera. An omni-directional microphone that picks up sound from all directions, would be like a wide-angle camera lens, and is seldom used in studios, because it would also pick up more room reflections and possibly unwanted sound (bleed) from other voice talent who are speaking.

It should be noted the lavaliere mics, (lavs) that are worn by the talent on film shoots are omni-directional, since the on-camera actors could be turning their heads as they speak. Lavs are usually augmented with a boom (shotgun) microphone which is highly-directional. The live sound mixer then generally decides between the two, or possibly records both and lets the audio editor choose.

In a studio setting, generally every talent gets their own microphone. If there are two actors, the mics are typically placed with the two actors facing each other. If there are three actors, the mics are placed in a triangular pattern with each talent facing the center of the room. With four people, the mics are in a diamond pattern, again with the actors all facing inward. Since the unidirectional mic picks up primarily on the front side facing each actor, arranging all the mics in this way minimizes the bleed from the other actors.

Dreamworks - "I Am Number Four"

At Sound Images, you never know what's going to happen next. That's the beauty of working at a recording studio, the excitement never stops. Late last year we received a call from Dreamworks studio in Hollywood about an upcoming film. A local Katalyst talent, Jack Walz (pictured to the right) had been casted in the upcoming film and needed to do an ADR session. It was a great time and we are all excited about seeing the completed film!

Check out the trailer for the upcoming release of Dreamworks - "I Am Number Four"

Posted by: Kristina Stewart - Studio & Marketing Director

A Good Voice Recording Requires Presence

When people think about professional announcers, most assume that all of the men must have pipes of steel and a basso profundo vocal range. However, there are as many successful male voice actors that don’t fit this description as the ones that do. So besides being able to read and interpret a script, do a bit of acting, or a vocal characterization, what separates a successful voice talent from the average announcer? The answer is presence.

Think of presence as the ratio of direct sound to reflected sound. It’s like a photo that’s sharply in focus compared to a blurred picture. A bad recording, where the talent is far from the microphone (or not properly focused on the microphone), will have sound reflections, reverberation, room tone, and a lack of high frequency that can cause it to sound “distant” and less intelligible. Conversely, a good recording, where the talent is very focused on the microphone will sound louder, even when it’s played at a lower volume than the bad recording.

Posted by: Jay Petach - Studio Engineer

So it begins

Sound Images is happy to be blogging again! Feel free to visit our website at soundimages.com. Browse our blog for our latest happenings, ideas, etc. We hope to engage our clients and community here and provide expertise insight into the audio world.