Introduction to sound

1. AUDIO FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Knowing when and why...

2. •Audio interviews give the subject a voice, which
complements the photojournalist's taking of a
photograph.
BENEFITS OF GATHERING AUDIO

3. •The act of interviewing can lead a photojournalist
to important picture opportunities as they learn
more about the subject.
BENEFITS OF GATHERING AUDIO

4. •Regardless of whether the audio is published, the
interview process will add extensive detail to
captions or even lead to a full text story, which
increases the chance of getting published.
BENEFITS OF GATHERING AUDIO

5. •Audio can help communicate information that may
not be communicated as well via images or text.
BENEFITS OF GATHERING AUDIO
- Emotion and humor
- Music for mood
- Ambient sound
- Detail and color

6. •Audio provides the all-important narrative spine
necessary for linear media productions in
broadcast and on the Web.
BENEFITS OF GATHERING AUDIO
Source: MediaStorm

7. AMBIENT AND ANECDOTE

8. CAPTURING PROCESS

9. HEADPHONES
• The most essential tool of audio recording

10. • Pocket Recorders
• Tascam
• Zoom
H4N • Marantz
TYPES OF RECORDERS AND PLUGS
• XLR:This is the highest quality
connector. It is called a "balanced"
connection, which means both
the positive and negative signals
are balanced out to prevent
interference. Secure connection.
• Marantz 1/8 plug
• Tip-Ring Sleeve
(TRS) or 1/4" jack:
This connector is
also a balanced line,
so you get all of the
benefits of an XLR
cable. Semi-secure
connection.
• Mini or 1/8"
jack:This is the
worst type of
connector.They
are generally
very low quality,
and the plugs
are notorious
for static/drop-
outs.

11. TYPES OF RECORDERS AND PLUGS
• Line input available via XLR jack
• XLR jack with a locking latch for professional use
• Uni-directional and omni-directional microphones
• Up to 96kHz/24-bit WAV recording
• 32 to 320kbps MP3 recording
• XLR or RCA 1/8” line input
• Rugged aluminum casing
• Records to SD or SD-HC card (2GB card included)
• Mini USB 2.0 jack and cable
• Built-in speaker
• Tripod Mount
• Included Li-ion battery, windscreen and carrying case
LOOKING ATTHE STATS

12. • WAV (.wav) - "Wave" or waveform audio format.An industry standard
uncompressed format.
• AIFF (.aif) - "Audio Interchange File Format." An Apple proprietary audio
file format that uses lossless compression, meaning it doesn't lose any quality.
• MP3 (.mp3) - "MPEG 1 Audio Layer 3" format.The most ubiquitous audio
file format.This is a lossy compressed file, meaning you will lose some quality
when recording to this file.
• AAC (.m4a or .aac) - "Advanced Audio Coding" format.A very similar
type to mp3 used heavily by Apple for its iPod and iPhone players. It also
uses lossy compression.
• WMA (.wma) - "Windows Media Audio" a Microsoft Windows
proprietary format that can be both compressed or uncompressed.
AUDIO FILETYPES

13. • Shotgun
• Hand-held
• Lapel
THREE BASICTYPES OF MICS

14. HOW SOUND WORKS
Omnidirectional -
- Great all purpose microphone
- Gathers a wide range of sounds from all directions
- For good quality sound, the mic must be held close to its subject

15. HOW SOUND WORKS
Unidirectional –
- Great for focusing in on a specific sound and blocking ambient noise.
- Not necessarily for distance
- Highly directional and must be pointed directly at the subject to capture the best sound quality.
Shotgun Mic

16. HOW SOUND WORKS
Cardioid –
- Heart-shaped
- Mic pics up sound mostly from the front and sides of the microphone and also a bit from behind.
- Handheld microphones used for gathering news usually have this audio pattern

17. PROTECTING AGAINST WIND
“Dead Cat” –
- Synthetic fur on the outside helps reduce wind noise

18. • Notepad/Pen
• Audio Recorder
• Headphones
• Mic and cables
• Batteries and
Memory cards
WHATTO PACK

19. BE LIKETHESE DUDES
• plan ahead • bring headphones • prepare for anything

20. TIPS FOR RECORDING
• No matter the mic,
proximity is
important
• Always be
monitoring
• Avoid making
sounds yourself
Capturing Good Sound onVimeoVideo School

21. COMING UP...
• On Monday: Demo audio recorders in class
• Handout Assignment #1
• Read Pg. 15-23, 41-47
In Dropbox:
This American Life
“Rest Stop”