Acoustics & Ambience
Acoustics
background noise/atmosphere... Sound is a form of energy that travels in waves. How or whether those waves bounce or reflect around a space based on the space’s acoustics. Acoustics, meaning the way sound is transmitted or behaves within a space, is affected by a space’s size, shape, and materials. High ceilings, flat and parallel surfaces, and harder materials make for more reflective space and things like uneven surfaces and soft materials reduce that reflection. Reflection is not bad…When recording we need to think about the acoustics of the space in which we are working as acoustics have a significant impact on the quality. Were we to record in a space like BC’s Bapst library, it might occur to us that the echo could negatively affect the recording, as we know it can be difficult to understand someone speaking in such a space. But would it occur to us that the reflective nature of this office might be an issue as well? Not always (and maybe not at all). Space recorded in a sound like this can sound tends to be cold and sharp and, in cases where the reverberation is a bit more extreme, distracting. It also can sound, for a lack of a better word, cheap.
The Bapst Library has cathedral ceilings and...
The Fine Print Reading Room in the Burns library has...
This standard office has...
Podcasting room
Ambience
While all rooms have ambient noise, it is probably the element of sound we thinking about the least. In addition to getting a sense of the acoustical nature of the Bapst Library, Fine Print Reading Room, and office above, you also can hear the ambient noise in the space, the most notable space being Bapst. Ambience can be the result of things like fans, humming refrigerators, air conditioners, distant traffic, and nature sounds like wind, rain, and birds. Like reflection, ambience is not a bad thing. We just don’t want it to be distracting or overpower the intended primary source of sound. When recording it is best to get a recording of the ambient noise alone. This will be helpful for when you are editing and have empty space, which if not filled with ambient noise (or something else like music) you jar the listener by having complete silence. In this example...
In section the [Recording in Action section], we will talk about how to manage acoustic and ambience issues. Before having that discussion, however, it is important to address another major factor in recording, microphones. Room tone