Studio design

The Sound Studio

I dedicate this Seventh Edition to my son Guy rather belatedly, since he trod his own distinctive path towards the virtual studio and can now tell me a few things about what goes on there. I guess he doesn't really need this book ± but it's the thought that counts.

The Sound Studio
Audio techniques for radio, television, film and recording

Seventh edition
AlecNisbett

Focal Press An imprint of Elsevier Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP 200 Wheeler Road, Burlington MA 01803 First published 1962 Second edition 1970 Third edition 1972 Fourth edition 1979 Fifth edition 1993 Sixth edition 1995 Reprinted 1995, 1999, 2000 Seventh edition 2003 Copyright # 1962, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1993, 1995, 2003, Alec Nisbett. All rights reserved The right of AlecNisbett to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyrightholder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, England W1T 4LP. Applications for the copyright holder's written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher Permissions may be sought directly fromElsevier's Science and Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone: (+44) (0) 1865 843830; fax: (+44) (0) 1865 853333; e-mail: permissions@elsevier.co.uk. You may also complete your request on-line via the Elsevier homepage (www.elsevier.com), by selecting `Customer Support' and then `Obtaining Permissions' British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Nisbett, Alec The Sound studio: audiotechniques for radio, television, film and recording. ± 7th ed. 1. Sound ± Recording and reproducing I. Title 621.3H 893 Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN 0 240 51911 6 For information on all Focal Press publications visit our website at: www.focalpress.com Typeset by Integra Software Services Pvt.Ltd, Pondicherry, India www.integra-india.com Printed and bound in Great Britain

Contents

Introduction
About the author

ix
xi

4 Studios and acoustics
The range and function of studios Noise and vibration Reverberation Coloration Studios for speech General-purpose sound studios Music studios Dead pop music studios Television and film studios Acoustic treatment Using sound absorbersThe use of screens Altering the acoustics of concert halls Acoustic modelling of studios Acoustic holography

34
34 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 46 47 48 50 53

1 Audio techniques and equipment
Studio operations The sound control room Studio layout for recording Studio communications

1
2 3 5 6

2 The sound medium
The nature of sound Wavelength Waves and phase Waves and obstacles Energy,intensity and resonance Overtones, harmonics and formants Air resonance The voice The human ear Sound volume and the ear Loudness, frequency and hearing

9
9 11 12 13 14 15 18 20 21 21 22

5 Microphones
Microphone properties Directional response The frequency response of practical microphones Proximity effect Cardioid and hypercardioid microphones Switchable microphones Highly directionalmicrophones Noise-cancelling microphones Microphones for use in vision Boundary microphones Personal microphones Radio microphones Contact and underwater microphones

54
55 57 59 61 63 65 66 70 72 74 75 77 79

3 Stereo
Two loudspeakers Reduced loudspeaker separation Alternatives to two loudspeakers Hearing and stereo Microphones for stereo Stereo compatibility

25
25 27 27 29 30 33

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