Acoustic Environments Glossary

Effect of the Acoustic Environment

The impact the space in which music is played has on the music itself e.g. outside might bring background noise, while a studio would have quite a controlled and dead sound or a large indoor space would give music natural reverb

Sound Spectrum

The full range of frequencies that are audible to the human ear

Reverberation Characteristics

Several terms are used to describe the characteristics of reverb. Decay or time is used to describe how long reverberation lasts. Saturation is used to describe how wet or reverberated a signal is.

Echo

The reflection of a sound off of a hard surface or the digital imitation of this

Empty and Full Hall

An empty hall is a space where music will be performed when there are no people inside, while a full hall is a space for performance at full capacity of people

Speaker Types/Positions:

Speakers used in studios come in several main types: Near field, Mid field and Far field. They all refer to the distance they are designed to be listened to from. They are positioned on the left and right of the listener who sits in the centre, near field speakers are usually headphones, midfield speakers are positioned a small distance from the listener and angled in towards them while far field speakers are positioned to try and reach the whole room.

Microphone Types/Positions:

There are two main types of microphone: Condenser and Dynamic. Dynamic microphones are less frequency responsive and have a generally lower fidelity sound. They are mainly used in live situations. Condenser microphones are much more sensitive and less durable so are more often used in studios. Where microphones are placed in relation to an instrument is referred to as positioning, common positions used on guitar amps include central, off axis and edge positioning.

Dead Spots:

These occur where two sound waves meet at a point in space and cancel eachother out

Feedback

The noise that happens when a sound loop is created between a device like a microphone or electric guitar and a speaker

Electronic Control of the Sound

Sometimes electronics are used to control the sound in recordings. This can include noise reduction, filters, EQ and other digital effects.

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