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Portable Recorders

Handheld recorders are some of the hottest products in the audio world, and for good reason! You can take them almost anywhere and record an enormous amount of dialogue or music. Artists and engineers from all walks of life use these handy devices to record song ideas, jams, memos, and important conversations.

Storage Capacity

External storage options for handheld recorders are small SD memory cards. The three common types of SD cards found in handheld recorders are MicroSD, SDHC, and SDXC. The standard MicroSD card is capped at 2GB of storage. SDHC can handle up to 32GB of storage. SDXC cards are usually sold with 128GB capacities but can be purchased with storage space up to 1TB, and the price increases with data capacity. What does all of this mean? Simply put, the more space, the more audio you can record.

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Mixing Desk

A mixing desk is basically a console where sound signals are mixed during recording or broadcasting.

There are different types of studio mixers. However, I will be talking about 2 types.

Analog Mixers

An Analog Mixer is used a lot during performances on-stage to give that sharp and perfect sound from the stage to the audience. Their sizes vary from near pocket sized consoles to full pro-mixing consoles. If you have a grand performance but the venue is small, then an Analog Mixer is the right studio mixer to use. Some Analog Mixers also have effects and signal processors built inside of them.

Digital Mixers

Digital Mixers are like Analog mixers, as they also have sliders and tactile controls. however, digital mixers can mix multiple acts at the same time. You can easily create and recall multiple mixes, so each act has its own customized mix ready to go, with the touch of a button. And digital units can pack huge channel counts into deceptively compact audio mixers. In some cases, you can even expand your digital mixer’s channels and connectivity options by adding digital stage boxes; because they connect via Ethernet cable rather than a bundle of individual cables, these audio mixers offer unprecedented flexibility and a very clean setup for your live system. As a bonus, many digital mixers give you the ability to easily record the show. You can plug in your laptop, you can also attach your SD card or a USB Flashdrive.

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Safety Work Practices

What Does Safe Work Practices (SWP) Mean?

Safe work practices (SWP) are usually written methods showing how to perform a task with minimum risk to personnel, equipment, materials, environment and processes. These are guidelines like do’s and don’ts but may not always be suitable when a new hazard been identified. Employees should know, understand and follow the SWPs those are applicable to own work.

The following features are helpful in implementing safe work practices at workplace:

Induction training for new employees.

Training on communication and teamwork during normal and emergency situation.

Training on fire safety and emergency procedures.

Training on hazard identification, risk control, use of personal protection equipment (PPE) and first aid.

Observation of ergonomics to reduce injuries to workers.

Use and maintenance of appropriate tools for work and keeping them in good working condition.

Handling, application, labelling and storage of hazardous and non-hazardous materials so the workers are not exposed to danger.

Adherence to policies and procedures to set standard actions and reactions understandable by all and to reduce chaos in an emergency.

Housekeeping, cleaning and waste disposal considering environment safety and health (ESH).

https://www.safeopedia.com/definition/1490/safe-work-practices-swp

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Different types of Microphones and their professional use.

There are 4 types of microphone:

Dynamic Microphones

Large Diaphram Condensor Microphones

Small Diaphram Condensor Microphones

Ribbon Microphones

1. Dynamic Microphones

They’re cheap, durable and sound fantastic on some of the most common sources in recording. Using a movable induction coil suspended in the field of a magnet, dynamic mics work like a speaker in reverse! Dynamic mics are responsive to transients and handle high SPL very well. This makes them a natural choice for loud sources like drum kit close mics and guitar and bass cabs. Given how affordable and versatile they are, there should definitely be a dynamic mic or two in your collection. And if you only have room for one, there’s really only a single serious contender: the Shure SM57. The versatile SM57 is one of the most accessible tools in recording. It’s the go-to choice of many engineers for guitar cabs and snare drums—no home studio should be without one!

2. Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphones

They’re the large, stylish and serious looking mics that you see in most professional recording studio situations. Condenser mics work by using a capacitor (or condenser) to convert acoustic vibrations into an electrical current. That means they need a power source like 48V phantom power to operate. It also means that they’re much more sensitive than dynamic mics or ribbon mics and output a louder signal. Their sensitivity makes them ideal for quiet or extremely dynamic sources—like vocals! Large diaphragm condensers exhibit a number of sonically pleasing qualities for voices. They help create that “larger than life” sound that we associate with pro studio vocals. Large diaphragm condensers exhibit a number of sonically pleasing qualities for voices. But LDCs are effective on all kinds of sources. If you’re looking for one mic that can handle every task, consider a large diaphragm condenser. Many modern LDCs offer selectable polar patterns making them incredibly versatile and useful in tons of different recording situations and one of the best mics for building your studio around.

3. Small Diaphragm Condenser Microphones

But they’re just as useful, despite their small stature. Small diaphragm condensers have great transient response, extended top end, and consistent pickup patterns. This makes them great for realistic stereo techniques as well as acoustic instruments. If you sat in on classical music recording session, chances are you would see mostly SDCs. They often come in pairs for stereo recording, so they’re particularly effective for creating accurate stereo images of real acoustic spaces.

4. Ribbon Microphones

Ribbon microphones use an ultra-thin (wait for it) ribbon of electro-conductive material suspended between the poles of a magnet to generate their signal.

Early ribbon designs were incredibly fragile. Moving them improperly, or even subjecting them to high SPL could cause the ribbon to break.

But their sound was worth the trade off in durability. Ribbon mics are prized for their warm, vintage tone.

Ribbon mics are prized for their warm, vintage tone.

They’re perfect for when you need to tame excessive or harsh high-end: sources like guitar amps, drum overheads or brass.

Ribbon microphones naturally produce a perfect figure eight polar pattern and respond to EQ extremely well.

Hot Tip: Even though today’s ribbon mics aren’t quite as fragile as the early designs, they’re still easier to damage than dynamics or condensers. Be careful while handling them!

The most important rule of ribbons is never EVER supply 48V phantom power to ribbon mics. You risk electrocuting the ribbon itself!!!

Choose microphone types wisely

In recording, microphone choice is probably the most important factor after the quality of the instrument itself.

Learn how to get it right by selecting the right microphone types and get the best mic for your needs.

Now that you know when to choose dynamics, ribbons or condensers get back to your music and mic something up!

5. Microphone pick-up patterns

80% of your audio quality is determined by your choice of microphone and how you use it. So it is crucial to first think about your options and test what works best for your setup. It’s amazing how much of a difference you will get by having the ideal microphone position and the right pick-up pattern (also called polar pattern) for your recording.

6. Unidirectional

This pick up pattern can be referred as a cardioid as it looks like a heart. It also covers an area of 120⁰.

7. Omnidirectional

This pick-up pattern is equally sensible in all areas, and it covers an area of a whole revolution {360⁰}.

8. Bi-Directional

A bidirectional microphone has a figure-8 polar/pickup pattern. It is equally sensitive to sounds from the front and back while rejecting sounds from its sides (ring of silence). The sound captured from the front side capture is opposite in polarity to the sound captured to the rear side.

9. Phantom Power

- Phantom Power simply is tiny amount of power needed to make the diaphragm move.

- Condenser microphones, use Phantom Power and 48 volts.

10. Frequency response curve

Frequency Response Curves are used to understand the behavior of an Amplifier or a Filter. It gives the quantitative analysis of the output spectrum of a system/device in response to an input. It gives measure of the Magnitude (Amplitude/Gain) and Phase response w.r.t frequency. 3 dB bandwidth is the frequency at which the power level of the signal decreases by 3 dB from its maximum value or falls to 0.707 of the gain in mid-frequency range. 3 dB decrease in power indicates that the signal power has become half of its maximum value. fc is the cutoff frequency and fL and fH are the lower and upper corner frequencies, respectively. The bandwidth of an amplifier amplifies, without attenuation, all frequency components present in the bio-signal.

11. Pop shield

Even the best controlled singers (who naturally turn to one side or back off from the mic when singing loudly or plosively) tend to get microphone popping on occasions, so in most studios you'll see circular nylon-mesh screens that clip to the mic stand and sit a couple of inches in front of the mic. You can see how effective these are by trying the candle trick again. A good loud plosive with a pop screen between the mouth and the candle should barely disturb the flame. The way the pop screen works is simple — sound passes through the fine mesh with just a little high-frequency reduction, but plosives are stopped dead. As the puff of air from the mouth hits the mesh, it breaks up, becomes turbulent, and loses its coherence, so what starts off as an organised mass of air ends up being randomised so that the air molecules are no longer all pushing in the same direction. It's simple, but it works!

12. Wind muff

A. Foam Microphone Windscreens– For effectively blocking gentle wind ONLY This is the most common type of windscreen, and it is often used in studios and indoor recording environments because it blocks the least amount of wind compared to the other wind muffs.Many microphones are supplied with a  foam windscreen made of polyurethane—a material that is effective at blocking the wind at less than 1 m/s (about 2 mph). Typically, the denser a foam windscreen is, the better it is at reducing wind noise.

B. Dead Cat Mic Covers– For keeping your audio clean even on a budget The fluffy “dead cats” use a lightweight synthetic fur material to block wind. (No actual cats were injured in the making of these handy accessories). But take one look, and you’ll understand why they earned their delightfully morbid industry nickname. This is the best choice for anyone with a tight budget. The furry material blocks wind but allows audio to pass through without losing the high-frequency response of a microphone.You can also combine the dead cat with the foam windscreen for an even better effect to block wind blowing at a high speed, like 6 m/s (about 13 mph).

C. Professional Blimp Windshield – For heavy-duty wind protection The most effective windscreen on the market is the  blimp, a microphone cover that is shaped like a giant pill. It is a hollow cage that creates an open chamber of space of still air around the mic. Unlike other muffs that only cover the mic head, blimps enclose the whole microphone, including the body, to completely protect it from vibration. This is important in extreme weather conditions where the wind can shake the base of the mic and distort the sound it records. With a blimp housing the microphone and absorbing shock, noise can be substantially reduced from the final audio output.Depending on your recording situation, you may or may not need a blimp. If you are seeking one, make sure to check the material and weight, as the newer versions are often much lighter than the old ones.

References

- https://mynewmicrophone.com/what-is-a-bidirectional-figure-8-microphone-with-mic-examples/

- https://audio-technica.com.au/microphone-pick-up-patterns-and-positioning/

- https://blog.landr.com/microphone-types/

- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/frequency-response-curve

- https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/pop-shields-why-you-need-them

- https://www.movophoto.com/blogs/movo-photo-blog/what-is-microphone-wind-muff-for

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Active Stage Monitors.

1. TOURTECH PSM5 POWERED MONITOR SPEAKER.

TOURTECH PSM5 Powered Monitor Speaker is a great option. It provides a 150 Watt peak power, it also has x2 Combiner's Microphone inputs, x2 Aux inputs, a built-in Echo effect system and a Phantom power for condenser microphones. Its cost price is £119 (British Pounds).

11. BOSE S1 PRO PA SYSTEM WITH BATTERY PACK

The Bose S1 Pro PA System appears in our best PA speakers blogs as it’s just so good! It is designed with an Auto EQ system function that automatically detects the speaker orientation and makes self optimizations for different types of applications. This means when one is using the stage monitor as a floor monitor, the Monitor Mod EQ pumps out equal optimal equalization to better the sound qualitY. When the PA system sound monitor is fully charged it provides up to 6hours of sound. It gives out 103 Decibels of quality Bose sound straight into you ears. This multiple position PA is perfect for floor monitoring applications where sound quality on stage is paramount.

3. Sound Loop (Feedback)

A sound loop or feedback, is caused when the microphone is pointing towards the stage monitor or speaker, and it creates what we call a loop between the microphone, stage monitor and sometimes, an amplifier; which creates a high frequency noise that is called a "howl".

The professional use of stage monitors

Here is the professional set up of the stage.

In-ear monitoring

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Different Types of Headphones

1. Over-Ear Headphones

Conversely, over-ear headphones feature larger earcups with larger ear cushions, such that they generally only sit on the outer ear. This, in turn, makes them more comfortable to wear for long stretches of time, as they don’t have to clamp your head with as tight a grip. They also have a more expansive sound stage, courtesy of the larger space the drivers are given to work with.

2. On-Ear Headphones

With on-ear headphones, the ear cushions sit directly on your ears. This allows for the earcups to be much smaller, which can help reduce the weight of the device as well as make it more suitable for outdoor use.

However, this also means that on-ear headphones have to clamp your head with more force to stay in place, which isn’t really a positive trait, as far as comfort is concerned. Since they funnel the sound directly into your ear canal, their sound stage can come across as constrained.

3. Headsets

If we are clear on the definition of headphones, then there’s nothing easier than explaining what a headset is – headphones with a built-in microphone. This microphone can be detachable or non-detachable, fixed, movable, bendable… it doesn’t matter.

4. Open back headphones

Open-back headphones don't offer much (if any) isolation from the surrounding environment. This is due to the way that air flows in and out. When the ear cushions are placed snugly on or around your ears, you can hear all the sounds around you like normal (although slightly reduced, depending on the headphone design). This can be ideal if you want or need to have situational awareness at all times. If you enjoy music while jogging or running, you'll stay safer by hearing vehicle traffic and warnings. Or, maybe you want to be accessible to friends or family calling for your attention.

The advantage of using open-back headphones is the presentation. Since the space underneath the cups is not confined, sound waves and the associated energies flow freely past the ears and out. The result is a soundstage that sounds larger, wider, deeper, and more open and airy. Think of the open-back headphone experience like listening to a properly placed set of stereo speakers. The music seems more immersive and enveloping (like a live event) instead of emanating from in your head.

5. Closed back headphones

The soundstage—the perceived depth and width of the audio performance—of closed-back headphones seems smaller, less airy, and more cloistered than open-back headphones. The music you hear also feels like it comes from inside your head, rather than flowing past your ears. This effect ranges from subtle to more pronounced, depending on the headphones.

6. Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Noise-cancelling headphones were designed to accomplish one thing and one thing only– cancel noise, or at the very least, muffle it so much so that it becomes harmless. Every other thing they do is dependent on how well they can rid us of the noise.

Who would have thought office noise could be that pernicious? But here’s where noise cancelling headphones come in, not only does it help you block out noise, it also sends a message to your co-workers that you’re trying to concentrate and would appreciate it if you were left alone.

references

- https://www.lifewire.com/differences-open-closed-back-headphones-4135434

- https://www.earbudszone.com/headphones-vs-headsets-vs-earphones-vs-earbuds/

- https://krisp.ai/blog/noise-cancelling-headphones-pros-cons/