Acoustics is the study of sounds. In order to get the sounds we need we must know how they are produced, how they react in different situations, so that we can reproduce and record the sounds accurately. Say you record the sound of a Crow croaking in your balcony, it sounds perfect when you hear it, but as soon as you record and listen to it, you can hear strange sounds, or increased ambience. Why does this happen? This lesson is going to explain exactly that.
Now sounds behave differently when they come in contact with different surfaces. They reflect, refract, diffuse or get absorbed. The details of which are as follows:
- Hard/ Smooth Surfaces- Sounds reflect with loss of energy.
- Polished Surfaces- Energy of sounds remains intact.
- Curved Surfaces- Sounds reflect at different angles, loss of energy.
REVERBERATION
Echo is the single reflection which is so delayed from the original sound that is recognized as a separate sound. But if the delay of reflected sound is less than 1/18th of the second. It becomes a part of original sounds it is called Reverberation. The prolongation or stretching of sound is called Reverberation.
Reverberation Time- Reverberation Time is the time taken for sound to die down to its 1 millionth of its original intensity when the sound if cut off abruptly.
The following RT exists in the given places:
- Living Room- 0.6 seconds
- Small Talk Studio- 0.4 seconds
- Orchestra- 0.8 seconds
- Concert Hall- 1 to 2 minutes
- Large Church- 5 to 8 minutes.
Considering this, we have to choose the place where we record particular sounds. There are two types of studio's which are as follows:
DEAD STUDIO
- There are less or no reverberations here.
- No extra noise
- Realistic sounds record same.
- But performers get tired since voice doesn't get accentuated so the performers have to make a lot of effort to produce audible sounds.
LIVE STUDIO
- High Reverberation( which is different for different sounds)
- Heavy Accentuation ( of unnecessary sounds as well)
- Easy to add reverb but can be removed once recorded
- Strong Acoustic Reflection mask original sounds and produces a sort of muffled sounds.
- Good to record voices, since voice gets accentuation speaker need to be loud.
