Phil's Research Task

Polar Patterns - These represent the microphone's sensitivity to sound relative to the direction or angle from which the sound arrives.

Cardioid - Cardioid microphones pick up sound within 120 degrees of the direction they are facing and take their name from the heart shape of their polar pattern.

Omnidirectional - An omnidirectional polar pattern covers all directions and picks up all sound in a 360 degree radius. These areideal for natural, ambient recordings and for tie clip microphones - as moving your head to one side will notchange the volume.

Hypercardioid - These have a tighter 100 degree pick up than the cardioid, they’re very similar.

Figure of 8 - These have a front and back pick up. Also known as Bi-directional.

Line and Gradient (Shotigun) - An extremely tight pick-up for long distance. The longer the interference tube, the tighter the polar pattern.

Phase Cancellation - This is when two signals of the same frequency become out of place witheach other which results in a net reduction of the overal level of the combined signals. Phase shows where in its cycle periodic waveform is at any given time. Out of Phase signals cancel each other out. Acoustic - two microphones are too close together and they pick up the sound from the same instrument and only one is picking it up a little later than the other because of the distance. Acoustic phase problems don't completely cancel each other out, only at certain frequencies. When the two are mixed together, it usually makes them sound hollow or lack depth in bottom end. The way to stop this is by moving the distance between the microphones. The direction also matters, point at the source of what you're trying to record. The 3 to 1 Rule is a multiple microphone placement rule that generally prevents the pickup of one microphone from interfering with the pickup of another. Two microphones, intended to pick up two sound sources must be placed apart at least three times the distance that either microphone is from it’s intended sound source.

Compression - This is when you reduce the highs and bring up the lows to achieve a balance in sound. It's essentially about reducing the loudest peaks and boosting the quieter troughs . When you compress something that usually means you flattern, squeeze but musically it means reduce. Compression can be used on most instruments. For bass it can help add balance when harmonics are used. A bassist like Jaco Pastorius who incorporates a wide range of harmonics rely on compression to help the harmonics sound just as prominent as the other notes. It can be very usfeul for guitarist to use compression as well, it will result in balance.

Noise Gate - This can be an electronic device or software that can be used to control the volume of an audio signal. Similar to a compressor, which reduces signals above a threshold, noise gates reduce the signals the register below the threshold. Noise gates are commonly used in the studio and sound reinforcement which is the combination signal processors, microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded sound louder and may also distribute those soundsto a larger or more distant audience. Musicians will commmonly use portable noise gates to control and usually reduce the unwanted sound from their amplifiers.

Comp Track - This consists of bringing the same track with different takes and combinging to find the best track. This can be very usefull for guitars and bass, if theres a mistake then you can combine your best takes if you wish.

Ambience - This relates to the sound quality/atmosphere of a recording space where sound is present. Room microphones will help to pick-up the overall ambience of a room. The ambience of a large hall is reverb, distinct reverb.

Bouncing - This is essnetially combing all the tracks together as one, it would be used for tapes due to there only being up to 4, 8, 16, 24 tracks, etc...so you would have to bounce tracks together to free up space for other tracks.

DAW - This stands for Digital audio workstation. It allows you to record, produce and edit audio files. Its an electronic device or computer software application.

Automation - This allows you to change the level of your effect. You use a pen tool in cubase to change the level of your effect. It can be volume, panning, wah, distortion. You assign it to whatever you what to automate.