AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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| Week 7 |
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Little less this week as some of the concepts are probably a little alien to you, though very important for the exam.
Good luck.
1. What is a 'talking book'?
2. Why is it desirable to record a novel onto cassette or CD?
3. What is the difficulty in recording a novel onto cassette or CD?
4. What does 'abridging' mean?
5. Can any book be abridged?
6. How does the producer of an audio book set about the abrigement process?
7. What are the three components of a story? (characters, narrative, description)
8. What is meant by 'first person' and 'third person'?
9. How is the choice of reader made?
10. Is it significant for the reader to be known to the public?
11. Is it significant for the reader to seem to have some association with the story?
12. What skills does it take to be able to read a story well?
13. Describe a recording studio suitable for recording an audio book.
14. What equipment would be required to record an audio book?
15. Would any effects be used?
16. Would any background music be added?
17. Would much editing be necessary?
18. What significance does the MP3 format have for talking books?
19. Is there a market for poetry?
20. Is there a market for recorded poetry?
21. How is poetry difference from audio books?
22. What is the relevance of audio-only drama today?
23. Comment on the quality of the images in radio drama.
24. Compare the cost of drama production in television and radio.
25. Describe the layout of the recording area of a radio drama studio.
26. Comment on the use of space in a drama studio.
27. Describe the use of live sound effects
28. Describe the use of recorded sound effects.
29. Comment on the playback of recorded sound effects through a loudspeaker in the studio.
30. Describe the use of acoustic screens.
31. Describe the use of screens to simulate a car interior.
32. Communications: describe the use of talkback (including radio or infra-red talkback and cue lights.
33. Compare the control room to the control room of a music recording studio.
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Mon Oct 13, 2003 1:25 pm |
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Albow
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 27
Location: Spain |
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1. What is a 'talking book'?
A talking book is a book narrated to tape or cd for people with visual
impairments. The narration is normally done by volunteers, not to be
confused with audio books, which are commercial products and use
professional narrators.
2. Why is it desirable to record a novel onto cassette or CD?
They are of particular use to drivers, who would ordinarily lose the chance
to read a book while they are driving. Novels can also be time consuming
and tough to get through. Some people find listening easier and
preferable.
3. What is the difficulty in recording a novel onto cassette or CD?
The sheer size of a novel may lead to either spreading it over several CDs
or tapes and/or to editing it to suit a vocal narrative.
4. What does 'abridging' mean?
The process above of editing the novel to cut out parts of the narrative
which are simply too detailed/lengthy to be put to tape. This would
pertain particularly to long descriptive passages.
5. Can any book be abridged?
Any book can be abridged, but it can be difficult to select parts to be
cut. Abridging cannot be done if there is no premission forthcoming from
the writer or publisher.
6. How does the producer of an audio book set about the abrigement
process?
The producer will either find or agree on a narrator, or several narrators
for dialogue purposes, that have suitable diction to tell the story. S/he
will be familiar with the novel and the story, and will choose which parts
can be left out that will not compromise the story's thread or impact.
They will do this with one eye on the clock to know how much needs to be
left out/left in to finish by the set time limit.
7. What are the three components of a story? (characters, narrative,
description)
Characters, narrative and description!!!!!!!!
8. What is meant by 'first person' and 'third person'?
The first person (represented by "I") is used when the story is narrated by
the character him/herself. The third person (referring to "he/she")is when
the narrative is told by a ominiscient authot on behalf of the charcters in
the narrative.
9. How is the choice of reader made?
Partly by financial restrictions. At the top end of the scale, a voice
well- known in cinema/TV would be chosen for their transatlantic commercial
appeal and their training and experience in vocal expression. Slightly
cheaper would be TV or Radio broadcasters. If a book is to be made into a
film or serialised for TV, the same actors in the film may be used to sell
the audio book as an offshoot of the film/TV series.
10. Is it significant for the reader to be known to the public?
It may be significant, as it is an extra selling point for the reader to be
known to the public. The works can then be sold with the sales pitch that
it features the person in question. Whether it is somebody who has respect
in broadcaster as a story teller or character actor such as Stephen Fry, or
somebody who is a sought-after celebrity such as Madonna, it will be an
extra selling point for the product.
11. Is it significant for the reader to seem to have some association with
the story?
Yes, if the reader is associated with a good performance in the story, for
example as an actor in the film version, then people may prefer to hear
that person than someone hitherto unconnected with the story.
12. What skills does it take to be able to read a story well?
Good voice projection, the ability to vary tone, volume and timing, the
ability to change voice-type for different characters, knowing how to
control breathing and when to either pause or run with parts of the script.
13. Describe a recording studio suitable for recording an audio book.
A sound proofed, small room, with recording equipment installed. I imagine
that this would be a small room in a broadcasting company's branch. A desk
and chair with recording eequipment. Equipment would be a microphone,
pre-amp, compressor. I would expect this to be built in to the desk.
14. What equipment would be required to record an audio book?
See above. Specifically a Shure 57 or AKG D202 for the microphone, a
recording studio to provide effects .
15. Would any effects be used?
To thicken the voice out and give the sound more resonance, reverb would be
used. To give the levels a constant control, a compressor.
16. Would any background music be added?
It may be added to the beginning and end of the story and in between
chapters. It could also be added throughout to complement the story and
the diction of the narrator, but that would be beyond the remit of most
productions. War of the Worlds is an example of this, but we have to bear
in mind that that was an enormous production.
17. Would much editing be necessary?
Editing would be needed to root out extraneous sounds - fidgeting, pages
turning, coughs, Also human errors such as misreading, pregnant pauses etc.
ATo get through a whole book faultlessly is not a realistic prospect.
18. What significance does the MP3 format have for talking books?
The significance it has is that more volume can be put onto portable
storage. As mp3s are compressed files, there is the scope to put whole
books on to one or two CDs as oppased to a whole boxset of tapes/cds.
19. Is there a market for poetry? 20. Is there a market for recorded
poetry? 21. How is poetry difference from audio books?
There is a market, but it is small compared to novels or non-fiction. This
is true of the printed word. It is even more true of the audio world, as
one possible feature of poetry is how it is actually seen on the printed
page. Furthermore, the sheer lack of volume concerning the words used, may
lead to either a very short CD, or a considerable amount of poetry needing
to cover a CD. Economically, this does not hold much promise.
22. What is the relevance of audio-only drama today?
Audio-only drama lives on in The Archers and any number of plays on
culturally higher-brow radio-stations such as Radio 4. However, as opposed
to decades ago, when it may have had a considerable following, in the
modern age with so many available formats on offer, it is very much a
niche-market sub-culture.
23. Comment on the quality of the images in radio drama.
The quality of the images depends entirely on those in the book and the
reader's ability to convey them. Although less work is done to create an
image for the consumer, the addition of sound effects and performance of
the actors can actually be preferable to a visual production. The classic
example of this is Hitch Hikers' Guide to the Galaxy, whereby the visual
production compared unfavorably to the images conjured up by the listener's
mind.
24. Compare the cost of drama production in television and radio.
Drama production in radio generates considerably more expense. Crudely,
there are more things to spend money on. On top of the audio equipment,
money has to be spend on video equipment, film media, camaramen, directors,
make-up artists, wardrobe a full cast of actors, where with audio, actors
could double-up and play more than one part. Several locations for scenes
may have to be chosen for video production whereas the same room can be
used for audio production with sound effects providing the backdrop for
each new location.
25. Describe the layout of the recording area of a radio drama studio.
There will be an area that absorbs all sound for the simulation of an
outdoor environment. There will also be an internal area where sounds
bounce naturally off surfaces for indoor space simulation. There will be a
Foley stage for the recreation of sound effects, and a booth for the
narrator.
26. Comment on the use of space in a drama studio.
Although confined, there will be space for the actors to move around to
make their exchanges more realistic. If it is a live production there will
be a small stage and space to site the audience.
27. Describe the use of live sound effects
Live sound effects are used sparingly due to the difficulty of reproducing
them perfectly. The sounds used will predominantly be ones that are easy
to produce and introduce a change in the plot - a slam of a door,
footsteps, the ring of a telephone, a doorbell.
28. Describe the use of recorded sound effects.
Recorded sound effects will have to be used to reproduce sounds of natural
occurrances - the outbreak of thunder, rain, a car screeching off, an explosion.
They will come from a sound effects library and will be more successful when
edited in later than if an attempt was made to include them live.
29. Comment on the playback of recorded sound effects through a
loudspeaker in the studio.
This would be fine for providing a musical background, for example a scene in
a pub. The recorded sound effects would be useful as cues for the actors, who
would consequently act with better timing.
30. Describe the use of acoustic screens.
Acoustic screens are used to create reverberations or stop reverberations for
the different needs of a particular sccene. For example, the inside of a car
may be simulated by creating a closed off space with acoustic screens.
31. Describe the use of screens to simulate a car interior.
This can be done by enclosing the actgor(s) in a triangle of acoustic
screens in close proximity to the actors. If a glass panel can be added in,
then the simulation will sound better still.
32. Communications: describe the use of talkback (including radio or
infra-red talkback and cue lights.
Talkback can be used to prompt the actors in a live situation in an
emergency, or to get them to move quicker through dialogue if it is going too
slow. With infrared talkback, there are no extra wires cluttering the studio.
To time an entrance or a change in position or scene, cue lights will be used
for the actors to respond to.
33. Compare the control room to the control room of a music recording
studio.
As the sound being recorded is of a simpler nature, the recording studio will
be more spartan. There will be less equipment, less effects, a smaller mixing
desk, cue lights and a microphone to communicate with the actors.
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Wed Oct 15, 2003 7:38 pm |
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AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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| Zippi |
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quote:
Some people find listening easier and preferable.
Yes, so true albow. I do, in fact I just bought an Italian version of Mulan. I also enjoy having my Girlf read her books out loud while in bed.
quote:
Characters, narrative and description!!!!!!!!
Really? Hehe
quote:
Authot
You what? 
quote:
the same actors in the film may be used to sell the audio book as an offshoot of the film/TV series
Ah yes getting the most out of each environment possible.
quote:
Good voice projection, the ability to vary tone, volume and timing, the ability to change voice-type for different characters, knowing how to
control breathing and when to either pause or run with parts of the script
Yup and don’t forget they need to be able to read well and communicate the emotion from the pages.
quote:
Specifically a Shure 57
Yuck, I wouldn’t. – I’d choose a “warm” condensor.
quote:
There is a market, but it is small compared to novels or non-fiction. This is true of the printed word. It is even more true of the audio world, as
one possible feature of poetry is how it is actually seen on the printed
page. Furthermore, the sheer lack of volume concerning the words used, may lead to either a very short CD, or a considerable amount of poetry needing to cover a CD. Economically, this does not hold much promise.
Seems fair enough , Albow.
quote:
Drama production in radio generates considerably more expense. Crudely, there are more things to spend money on. On top of the audio equipment, money has to be spend on video equipment, film media, camaramen, directors, make-up artists, wardrobe a full cast of actors, where with audio, actors could double-up and play more than one part. Several locations for scenes may have to be chosen for video production whereas the same room can be used for audio production with sound effects providing the backdrop for each new location.
Very good.
Well done Albow, and fast work!
Cheers
Chrish
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Wed Oct 15, 2003 7:58 pm |
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ruiabreu
Joined: 15 Sep 2003
Posts: 12
Location: Portugal |
| recording techniques week 7 |
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1. What is a 'talking book'?
It’s an audio record of the reading of a certain book. The ‘talking book’ is intended for blind consumers and usually has high recording standards as opposed to ‘audio book’.
2. Why is it desirable to record a novel onto cassette or CD?
The consumer of this record might have difficulty reading, he may get tired quickly. He might enjoy listening to a novel in a car travel or he might appreciate dramatization of a book to reading it. Also voice is an essential part of you’re life as a social being and you don’t get that reading a book. It’s like when you leave a cat alone in a flat. If you leave the radio off the cat will be more affectionate when you return home after a long day of work on your first rate studio, with radio on the cat will be less affectionate before doesn’t miss the sound of a human voice so much.
3. What is the difficulty in recording a novel onto cassette or CD?
An entire novel recording has an average duration time of 6 hours. On a cassette or CD you can put 2 hours on a cassette and a maximum of 74 min on a CD. This means you need several CDS or cassettes for a complete recording witch is not very practical. Also there is no immediate way to bookmark a C recording although on a cassette you can simply stop and the recording will restart the next day on the same position when you press play.
4. What does 'abridging' mean?
Means selecting parts of the novel to remove on the recording of an ‘audio’ or ‘talking book’ tend so diminish the overall time of recording. By removing these parts of the novel the action must not be altered and so these parts must be carefully chosen. Usually the long description is sacrificed because they normally do not have great impact on the action of the novel.
5. Can any book be abridged?
Some books more than others. Some books rely on big description to give you a feel of the atmosphere the author wants to create on the book. You have to be careful not to cut all the descriptions part, leaving the important parts, because sometimes description is important to the development of the action. Books that rely more on the narrative of the actions are more difficult to ‘abridge’ because there is less parts to remove. In these cases the books may already be smaller. If you still have to abridge, you can maybe try to select a complete part of the story that may be aside of the main story and can be completely cut off without affecting the overall action.
6. How does the producer of an audio book set about the abridgement process?
As stated on the last question the produce must have an understanding of the type of book he/she is going to ‘abridge’. Just then be might chose the parts he can remove for the ‘audio book’ recording.
7. What are the three components of a story? (Characters, narrative, description)
Characterization is the part of the story were you define the characters. Narrative is the action itself with the dialogs. The story moves forward in these parts. Description is parts that set the stage for the action giving a story its atmosphere.
8. What is meant by 'first person' and 'third person'?
In a ‘first person’ book the narrator is evolved on the action and these are usually books about the memories of the narrator. In a ‘third person’ book the action is narrated by a character no directly connected to the action although be might be a part of the story.
9. How is the choice of reader made?
The reader must preferably have experience on the field, usually an actor that is experienced on spoken word. This way you probably need less time to make the recording because mistakes will be fewer.
10. Is it significant for the reader to be known to the public?
Sometimes, it’s always good publicity. It’s up to the producer to decide if the additional cost is worth it. Also public figures don’t have experience in the field and you will need, as a producer, to spend more money in studio type to rehearse and correct mistakes.
11. Is it significant for the reader to seem to have some association with the story?
Sometimes. If you have a story were the narrator is supposed to have a special character or accent then you may want someone with that kind of character instead of a professional actor.
12. What skills does it take to be able to read a story well?
The reader must have a pleasing tone of voice. A high pitched voice may become very irritating on a long time listening. He must have good skills at interpreting the characters emotional fluctuation and make then noticeable on the record.
13. Describe a recording studio suitable for recording an audio book.
Because you are just going to record voice a small radio studio is suited to ‘audio book’ recording. The room must have a ‘dead’ sound. The microphone is placed directed to the mouth of the reader but with an angle. Usually the microphone is placed ’downwards’ (top down) to diminish ‘pop’ sounds. The reader can be seated or standing-up so you need a chair and a table.
14. What equipment would be required to record an audio book?
Normal studio equipment. No specialized equipment. Just a microphone and a recording device. The recording device is usually a DAW because it’s much easier to edit the take this way.
15. Would any effects be used?
Usually no. The voice must be natural to mimic a normal speech situation. Effects may irritate the listeners when used for long time recordings. You can use compression to maintain an even dynamic across the speech especially if you have great signal level variations across the speech.
16. Would any background music be added?
Yes. Depending on the book. Background music might be of a style related to the book atmosphere. A sci-fi book might have a sci-fi related atmosphere, or if the books as its action on downtown Lisbon then a ‘Portuguese Guitar’ background or a Fado song might be appropriate. Attention must be taken not to overdo it as high level background music might the tiring to the listener. You can also use music to introduce the ‘audio book’ or to separate chapters.
17. Would much editing be necessary?
No much. You might just cut the silence before and after the speech or you might want to redo a part of the speech that wasn’t very good.
18. What significance does the MP3 format have for talking books?
MP3 is a format that compresses a audio signal, diminishing his size without altering significantly the sound quality. A MP3 file is roughly ten times smaller than its CD file format equivalent. This way you can put more tan 10 hours of speech on a CD enabling a whole novel to fit just one CD.
19. Is there a market for poetry?
Not much. A poetry book is usually small and so the record would be small two. A consumer looks also for quantity and not just quality and he will more easily pay faster for a 6 hour recording than he would for a 1 hour recording.
20. Is there a market for recorded poetry?
Oh! A trick question. To answer this question read the question above. And to answer the question above, there’s always a market for poetry although I’m not a big consumer. I prefer poetry in the form of a good song lyric.
21. How is poetry difference from audio books?
It’s smaller. Being a more ‘artistic’ type of book you may take some liberties on editing and adding effects to the signal.
22. What is the relevance of audio-only drama today?
There are always people that prefer an audio than an image drama, but nowadays there isn’t much market for it since radios then to have an airplay list type of programs.
23. Comment on the quality of the images in radio drama.
It varies greatly depending on the person that is “watching” the program. It’s a matter of imagination.
24. Compare the cost of drama production in television and radio.
Radio drama production costs less. You don’t have the costs of costumes (and other visual components), video equipment and of paying to big television stars. Still you make less money on advertising, and on products derived from the visual part of television. For example you can’t sell a toy that is based on a television drama. Bottom line on radio drama you spend less to earn less. It’s our choice.
25. Describe the layout of the recording area of a radio drama studio.
It’s usually a stage like studio with the space divided in smaller spaces each with a different atmosphere. If you have an outdoor scene you need to have a space that mimics outdoors, if you have a bedroom scene you need a space that mimics a bedroom and son on.
26. Comment on the use of space in a drama studio.
The various environment types of space described on the last question must be distributed in a way that an actor can go from one to another quickly. This is because these dramas are played in a continuous manner and an actor as to be able to go from the kitchen to the living room like in real life.
27. Describe the use of live sound effects
You can have in the audio drama studio devices to mimic real life sounds. For example if you want a slam door sound you must have in the studio a door to slam. Using live sound effects it’s practical and it’s usually very convincing.
28. Describe the use of recorded sound effects.
Sometimes a live sound effect isn’t possible. For example it’s difficult to have a car making a curve at high speed in a studio. In this case you can use recorded sound effects.
29. Comment on the playback of recorded sound effects through a loudspeaker in the studio.
You can have a person responsible for firing the live or recorded sound effects at the exact time on the drama. Of course you need an amplification system and loudspeaker for this sound. The best way to fire the sound effects is by using a hardware or software sampler, using a midi keyboard as an interface.
30. Describe the use of acoustic screens.
Acoustic screens are devices used to separate acoustically different parts of a studio. These screens enables you the construction of different types of atmospheres.
31. Describe the use of screens to simulate a car interior.
Place four acoustic screens in a square and another screen on top. One of the screens can have a window to simulate a windshield.
32. Communications: describe the use of talkback (including radio or infra-red talkback and cue lights.
Talkback in radio drama recording is mainly used by the producer to give indications to the actor about the drama action. For example the producer might want to recall the actor that he/she must change to another acoustic space, or he can recall the lines in case the actor forgets it.
33. Compare the control room of a radio drama studio to the control room of a music recording studio.
The radio drama studio doesn’t need as much material as a music recording studio. You just need a recording device and maybe a compressor. You don’t need much outboard gear. Also you don’t lose much time mixing the recording on a radio drama studio so the acoustic specifications of the studio are less state of the art. |
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Fri Oct 17, 2003 2:18 am |
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AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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| Cats and emotion |
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quote:
Also voice is an essential part of you’re life as a social being and you don’t get that reading a book.
Just to aid you a little with the grammar, you’re means “you are”, you meant to say “your” I think.
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with radio on the cat will be less affectionate before doesn’t miss the sound of a human voice so much.
That’s a sweet way of indicating the emotional content of voice, and how it differs considerably from the written word.
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Also there is no immediate way to bookmark a C recording although on a cassette you can simply stop and the recording will restart the next day on the same position when you press play.
Good stuff here, in fact this is a big problem with spoken CDs, which is of course a problem due to the lack of track markers used in the PQ coding. Also the problem exists for such things as tuitions CDs, say for learning a language.
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Communications: describe the use of talkback (including radio or infra-red talkback and cue lights.
You might to just check up on the infra-red and cue lights, i.e. how they work.
Well done, some interesting stuff there.
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Fri Oct 17, 2003 4:17 am |
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julesf
Joined: 31 Aug 2003
Posts: 58
Location: Southampton, UK |
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Hi Guy's.
Here is week 7 RT from sunny Spain 
RT Week 7
<b>1. What is a 'talking book'?</b>
A talking book is a book that is recorded onto a commercial media, there is normally minimum production and
It is primarily designed to cater for the blind and people with other particular requirements.
<b>2. Why is it desirable to record a novel onto cassette or CD?</b>
There is a market for audio books, these can be popular with disabled people and able bodied
People alike. Some people like to listen to an audio book while driving.
<b>3. What is the difficulty in recording a novel onto cassette or CD? </b>
It is a long process and requires a lot of media to complete.
<b>4. What does 'abridging' mean? </b>
Abridging is the process of condensing the material to allow for a shorter recording whilst
Still maintaining the main detail of the book.
<b>5. Can any book be abridged?</b>
Technically any book can be abridged, however legally the publishers must grant permission for the
Book to be abridged which may be refused.
<b>6. How does the producer of an audio book set about the abridgement process?</b>
Firstly the producer must read the works. Then the producer will set about the task of abridging
And re-scripting the book. It is likely that the final copy will need to be approved by the publishers
Prior to recording and release.
<b>7. What are the three components of a story? (Characters, narrative, description)</b>
Characters are the individuals within the story. Narrative is the dialect that portrays the story line.
Description adds detail to the story such as describing the characters and their looks, perhaps their
Nature and how they got on with other characters. Also the surroundings within a scene.
<b>8. What is meant by 'first person' and 'third person'?</b>
The first person defines a character speaking for himself, or herself. " I am the explaining this to you myself as the
First person". The Third person defines a person (maybe the first person) referring to another character. " He was a strange one that Jules especially on a Sunday as I recall"
<b>9. How is the choice of reader made? </b>
This depends on the budget and criteria of the book. It is always desirable to use a reader with voiceover experience, though the cost can be high the sessions can be quicker and the end result more desirable which will mean better sales. These artists can portray characters with different voices and add dimension to the book. A good example here is Steven Fry reading "Harry Potters" "The order of the phoenix".
<b>10. Is it significant for the reader to be known to the public?</b>
It is wholly desirable for the reader to be known to the public as this is likely to lead to
More extensive sales of the product.
<b>11. Is it significant for the reader to seem to have some association with the story?</b>
Again this can be a good approach to marketing the product, but the reader will demand a Significant fee and this will pace a higher budget on the project.
<b>12. What skills does it take to be able to read a story well?</b>
The ability to characterize the story and add dimension by using different voices and accents for the characters,
Clear pronunciation with good delivery timing. Also useful is good mike technique to avoid sibilance, 'P' pops
And lip smacks. An interesting voice is also useful.
<b>13. Describe a recording studio suitable for recording an audio book.</b>
A fairly basic studio is all that is required. Probably similar to a radio studio.
A control room and a dead room area. A table and a copy holder would be useful.
Acoustic Screens should be available.
<b>14. What equipment would be required to record an audio book?</b>
A mixing desk 8 - 12 channel 8 bus. An 8 track recorder. Or a quality DAW
would be useful because a lot of editing will be necessary.
<b>15. Would any effects be used?</b>
Yes it will be necessary to add surrounding ambience to the scenes.
For example if the scene is in a cave or cavern, then effects will be required to set the
Correct ambience.
<b>16. Would any background music be added?</b>
Yes it would be likely at certain points say, the beginning and the end music will be used.
<b>17. Would much editing be necessary?</b>
This type of project will require substantial editing.
<b>18. What significance does the MP3 format have for talking books?</b>
Mp3 has a significant advantage for talking books as a lot of recording time
Can be achieved, long talking books that may have taken a number of CD's may fit on just one
CD in the Mp3 format. However in certain areas the format is still not that well supported.
<b>19. Is there a market for poetry?</b>
Yes there is still a market for poetry however I suspect that it is not as large as other
Media markets.
<b>20. Is there a market for recorded poetry?</b>
There is a very limited market for recorded poetry and though
The cost of producing recorded poetry is significantly lower than producing an audio book,
It may be that the market is not significant enough to warrant the costs of production and distribution.
<b>21. How is poetry difference from audio books? </b>
Poems are a lot shorter and do not require any effects. Poetry will need a reader who understands how to portray the poetry and may actually be a poet themselves.
<b>22. What is the relevance of audio-only drama today? </b>
Many people still enjoy audio drama though I suspect that it is not as popular as it was and probably not so much for the young as the old. It is also appropriate for people who are sight impaired that may have no other choice for drama entertainment..
<b>23. Comment on the quality of the images in radio drama.</b>
Audio only images have to come from the imagination of the listener. Therefore each individual is going to conceive the imagery in their own way. However the content of the production, sound FX and the ability of the reader to convey the scene will all have an impact on the end quality of the perceived image.
<b>24. Compare the cost of drama production in television and radio.</b>
Radio Drama production costs a lot less than TV drama production. Less people are
Involved in the process and smaller studios with less equipment can be used.
<b>25. Describe the layout of the recording area of a radio drama studio.</b>
There will need to be a control room which will house the recording equipment, engineer and producer. The recording equipment will need to be at least 8 tracks and there will need to be a small desk say 16 channels. There will need to be a glass between the rooms so as the producer can give visual prompts.
Their will need to be a talkback system so as the producer can talk to the voiceover artists. Sound effects can be added later though their may be value in providing sound FX for the voiceover artist to work to so as to promote a better performance.
<b>26. Comment on the use of space in a drama studio.</b>
for a budget small drama production there will need to be a live/dead area where the voiceover artists will sit or stand. There will need to be a table and or copy holders to hold the scripts. The live area should be very dead and sound proofed to prevent outside sounds from spoiling the takes. However the process for a big drama production
can be very different. The BBC traditionally record the process on the fly in real time. This is mainly because the have experience in this type of live production dating back to 1920. For this process they built huge production studios with staging and many different acoustic areas to allow the production of many different sound ambiances.
Here sound effects can be added in real time as the actors portray their parts during the scene. There are microphones situated to record a stereo image from the staging. Any music is also played back in real-time for the actors to work with.
http://www.irdp.co.uk/production.htm
<b>27. Describe the use of live sound effects </b>
Live sound effects may be used in real-time but on a budget production they may be added afterwards
from a sample library.
<b>28. Describe the use of recorded sound effects.</b>
These days it is more likely that recorded sound effects would be used, these may be from DAT or
Mini disc or from a sample library selected and added to the mix from a hardware or soft sampler
<b>29. Comment on the playback of recorded sound effects through a loudspeaker in the studio. </b>
it is possible that sound effects will be played back through a speaker into the studio for the artists to interact with. Certainly the BBC production process would call for this technique. While it is good practice to do this it is also argued that a good performer would be capable of delivering the part without the need to hear the sound effect.
<b>30. Describe the use of acoustic screens.</b>
Acoustic screens may be used to turn an area which would normally be to "live" for
Recording into a "dead space". Screens can also be useful to isolate recording areas
from other unwanted noise. Also screens are useful to emulate the sound of some soft interiors
and to avoid the whole book sounding the same.
<b>31. Describe the use of screens to simulate a car interior. </b>
Screens can be used in a square or triangular shape to simulate the soft dead area of a car.
Sound FX can be added to produce the engine, road, and wind noise.
32. Communications: describe the use of talkback (including radio or infra-red talkback and cue lights.
A good talkback is very important, in a small production where artists are sitting or standing with little movement a conventional talkback over headphones could be used. In larger productions where the artist is moving about to different areas of the drama set then a wireless infra red link can be used for the talkback. Cue lights can be set up to give the artists a visual cue to come in on a part during a scene.
33. Compare the control room to the control room of a music recording studio.
Generally less equipment is required, a smaller desk and recorder can be used as fewer channels and tracks are required. There would need to be more room for the scripts and perhaps a place for a second engineer to cue the sound effects and music in real time if required.
See ya all Sunday.
Cheers,
Jules  |
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Sat Oct 18, 2003 1:37 am |
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AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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quote:
" I am the explaining this to you myself as the
First person".
I kind of know what you mean.
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A good example here is Steven Fry reading "Harry Potters" "The order of the phoenix".
Yes, Jules, an example is always a good idea as it helps cement the idea that you know the medium to the examiner.
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It is wholly desirable for the reader to be known to the public as this is likely to lead to more extensive sales of the product.
I can’t argue with that, you are correct.
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A fairly basic studio is all that is required. Probably similar to a radio studio. A control room and a dead room area. A table and a copy holder would be useful. Acoustic Screens should be available.
Yes I agree here, although I notice nobody has yet mentioned that there may be more than one reader present. Something to think about?
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14. What equipment would be required to record an audio book?
A mixing desk 8 - 12 channel 8 bus. An 8 track recorder. Or a quality DAW
would be useful because a lot of editing will be necessary.
This is a bit too thin for an answer Jules, I’d have expected a bit more from you.
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16. Would any background music be added?
Yes it would be likely at certain points say, the beginning and the end music will be used.
Again this is very “lean”. Think of something like War of The Worlds.
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17. Would much editing be necessary?
This type of project will require substantial editing.
Yes, looking for examples and more analysis though.
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Mp3 has a significant advantage for talking books as a lot of recording time Can be achieved, long talking books that may have taken a number of CD's may fit on just one CD in the Mp3 format. However in certain areas the format is still not that well supported.
So very true, it is not really very well supported at all, outside of an ADSL or modem connection.
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The cost of producing recorded poetry is significantly lower than producing an audio book, It may be that the market is not significant enough to warrant the costs of production and distribution.
Probably, and this is known as “The Law of Diminishing Returns”.
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Poems are a lot shorter and do not require any effects.
Predominantly yes, though I have heard effects added on occasion. Again no set rule book here.
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However the content of the production, sound FX and the ability of the reader to convey the scene will all have an impact on the end quality of the perceived image.
Yes, and we as audio engineers have a major part in all of this.
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24. Compare the cost of drama production in television and radio.
Radio Drama production costs a lot less than TV drama production. Less people are Involved in the process and smaller studios with less equipment can be used.
You could have been very specific here and “Shown Off” your knowledge of the two mediums. You know?
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Describe the layout of the recording area of a radio drama studio.
This is going back to Ben’s idea of “KEYWORDS”, here it is layout, not equipment.
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26. Comment on the use of space in a drama studio.
GOOD!
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Live sound effects may be used in real-time but on a budget production they may be added afterwards from a sample library.
Was hoping for more here, Jules.
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28. Describe the use of recorded sound effects.
These days it is more likely that recorded sound effects would be used, these may be from DAT or Mini disc or from a sample library selected and added to the mix from a hardware or soft sampler.
Sure, that may have been typical, although I would think in a more professional environment these assets would be archived and stored on a computer network with high-speed data transmission for speedy retrieval.
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While it is good practice to do this it is also argued that a good performer would be capable of delivering the part without the need to hear the sound effect
.
Yes and so very British! Hehe
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31. Describe the use of screens to simulate a car interior.
Screens can be used in a square or triangular shape to simulate the soft dead area of a car. Sound FX can be added to produce the engine, road, and wind noise.
This is a popular answer. Though very achievable through some software like the Acoustic Modeller from Sonic Foundry (is that correct Ben?). Record the “fingerprint” once and save it for easy retrieval. Always look to update the question if you can.
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In larger productions where the artist is moving about to different areas of the drama set then a wireless infra red link can be used for the talkback. Cue lights can be set up to give the artists a visual cue to come in on a part during a scene.
Good, and of course the “On Air” light is very important!
Generally good, and I’m only picking on the bits I feel could be improved upon. You are certainly able to produce responses of a more critical nature, interleaving and interpolating cross-references etc, I’ll be watching for those, “gems” in the coming weeks.
We want to aim for a distinctions right?
Cheers
Chrish
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Sat Oct 18, 2003 4:52 am |
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julesf
Joined: 31 Aug 2003
Posts: 58
Location: Southampton, UK |
Thanks Chris,
Point taken mate,
Respect,
Jules. |
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Sat Oct 18, 2003 8:04 am |
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mommi
Joined: 21 Apr 2003
Posts: 47
Location: Tallinn, Estonia |
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Hi guys,
Here is week 7 RT from rainy Estonia (I'm sure you won't mind me paraphrasing you, Jules )
<b>1. What is a 'talking book'?</b>
Talking book is a recorded audio representation of written text for people with disabilities, be they blind or unable to turn pages etc. The requirement is to have many texts available in such a form while the recording quality has to be just adequate. So the readers are often volunteers with good intentions, not professionals. Talking books are not commercial products as opposed to audio books, and can mostly be borrowed from libraries along with the playback devices.
<b>2. Why is it desirable to record a novel onto cassette or CD?</b>
Whether to read a novel or listen to a recorded form of it is a matter of preference and circumstances. Listening has such advantages like
a) being able to listen to the novel reading while driving a car
b) benefit from the way a good reader interprets the text
c) it can be more relaxing than reading
d) it avoids eye fatigue
<b>3. What is the difficulty in recording a novel onto cassette or CD?</b>
a) Duration. A complete reading of a novel can last up to six hours or so, while a CD can hold up to 74 minutes of recording. So several CD-s are required. Cassettes can hold more, but the problem is of similar nature.
b) Bookmarks. With paper book, you just stop the reading when appropriate and put a bookmark there, so you can return later to that point and continue. In the case of CDs you have to remember the track number and, if you left off in the middle of the track, also the offset from the track start. With cassettes it is a bit easier.
c) Tolerance of duration. In general, people prefer the recorded novels to be shorter.
<b>4. What does 'abridging' mean?</b>
It means shortening, cutting off the text while retaining the overall go of the book. This is necessary because recording of the whole text could take too much CDs and/or cassettes and because people usually prefer the recorded text to be shorter that the written one.
<b>5. Can any book be abridged?</b>
I would say yes, though it is a matter of how high standards you set. Some books are easier to abridge than others. For example, books written in first person are often more dense and as such more difficult to shorten.
Also, permission from the author/publisher is required.
<b>6. How does the producer of an audio book set about the abridgement process?</b>
First of all he/she must be very acquaintant with the text in particular and the storytelling process in general. An idea about how much abridgement is needed should be developed. Then the decisions about what text to cut off can be made, the main candidates being descriptive sections.
<b>7. What are the three components of a story? (characters, narrative, description)</b>
Characterization is about defining the characters, their background, general behavior and manners.
Narrative is about the action itself, this is where the story goes on.
Descriptive passages describe the environment of action, the scene.
<b>8. What is meant by 'first person' and 'third person'?</b>
When the story is told as seen through the eyes of the main character, it is said to be written in first person. E.g. "I then tried to jump over my cat." When somebody else tells the story, it is said to be in third person. E.g. "He then tried to jump over his cat."
<b>9. How is the choice of reader made?</b>
The reader should be trained and experienced in delivering the spoken word. He/she should have a pleasant voice, of course. The reader would be able to vary his/her voice's timbre, pitch and timing according to the text's demands. Personal involvement with the story might be advantageous, though not strictly necessary.
<b>10. Is it significant for the reader to be known to the public?</b>
It would definitely be good were the reader known to the public. If the reader possesses a good reputation, it acts like a kind of quality guarantee then, helping to promote sells. On the other hand, if his/her fame comes from other fields not specifically from spoken-word world, there might appear drawbacks in reading skills, which in turn induce more work in the studio.
<b>11. Is it significant for the reader to seem to have some association with the story?</b>
It certainly has significance, though whether it is advantageous or not depends on the particular text and the reader as well. E.g. when the text is about history of some region, it might be good to have it told by someone with origins in that region. But personally, were the text about someone with strong accent, I wouldn't like to listen it read by someone from the street just because he has got that accent. Once again, a balanced decision between reading skills and other demands must be made.
<b>12. What skills does it take to be able to read a story well?</b>
It needs skills to understand the text, the background, the characters' themselves and their feelings. The reader should be able to communicate well the different characters, their emotions and actions through variations in his/her voice's timbre, pitch and timing. Technically, the reader should be able to control his/her breathing and unintentional sounds like lip smacks.
<b>13. Describe a recording studio suitable for recording an audio book.</b>
The room would be very dead. This is because ambience information tends to position the reader in space, which might not coincide with the location where the listener's imagination was supposed to look. There would be a chair and a table (the so called 'acoustic table') covered with soft cloth and having acoustically transparent supports to avoid reflections.
<b>14. What equipment would be required to record an audio book?</b>
A microphone suitable for the spoken word, preferably with "inherent" resistance to popping. A mike stand.
A hard disk recorder. This has advantages of quickly marking locations, and offering good opportunities for editing.
A means for communication, be it through studio monitors, headphones or cue lights.
<b>15. Would any effects be used?</b>
Mostly not, except for dynamics processing by means of a compressor. During extended listening, even a small amount of e.g. reverberation could become irritating.
<b>16. Would any background music be added?</b>
It might, depending on the text, the producer's approach and budget. The music could introduce the reading or offer some relaxing separation between the chapters. Or it could be used to color or emphasize some points in reading.
<b>17. Would much editing be necessary?</b>
There certainly would be well-read sections and sections with mistakes or other problems like extra unnecessary sounds (e.g. page turning) etc. The reader might have been corrected his/her mistake in one go. So some editing is unavoidable, though there wouldn't be too much of it, I think.
<b>18. What significance does the MP3 format have for talking books?</b>
Mostly the "future significance". In the MP3 format, one CD can hold as much as ten hours of text, so possibly fitting a whole, unabridged novel onto the CD. Right now there is not much use of it though, as standalone CD readers with MP3 capabilities are rare.
<b>19. Is there a market for poetry?</b>
There is, though considerably smaller than for other forms of literature.
<b>20. Is there a market for recorded poetry?</b>
This is proportionally even smaller than for the written poetry. One reason for it is that one aspects of poetry is how the text is laid out on the page.
<b>21. How is poetry difference from audio books?</b>
The main difference is in quantity of text - there is very much less material in poetry. This allows for more liberty and creativity in using effects and music, would the producer desire it.
<b>22. What is the relevance of audio-only drama today?</b>
Audio drama has significantly less market in todays heavily advertisement-dependent radio programs, since the limited playlist of popular songs is assumed to bring in more advertising money. Nevertheless, audio drama still has its place in programs of more "cultural" or state radio stations.
<b>23. Comment on the quality of the images in radio drama.</b>
Images in radio drama are constructed purely in the listeners mind. The quality of acting, sound effects and music used have their influence on the listener's imagination. Some people actually prefer the audio form of drama because for them it has "better images" than the visual form.
<b>24. Compare the cost of drama production in television and radio.</b>
All the scenes in an audio drama are auditory, so there is no need to spend money on costumes and visual part of the recording room or props or equipment (e.g. you don't need a video monitor and recorder). Less people are involved in production there also. This results in lower cost for radio drama.
<b>25. Describe the layout of the recording area of a radio drama studio.</b>
The recording area of a radio drama studio is divided into several subareas. There is a dead area with hardly any reflections at all, used for "outdoor" scenes. Then a live area with variable reverberation time dependent on surface coverings used, used for "indoor" scenes. Special acoustic environments such as kitchen, telephone booth, staircase or car are simulated in effects areas. There also are devices for making common sounds - doors, links, keys, kitchen equipment, telephone, water tank etc.
In addition, there would be a narrator's booth so the story could be on while the actor's are moving to the other area.
<b>26. Comment on the use of space in a drama studio.</b>
Rather than situate each actor steadily in front of their own microphone and try to mix their voices so as to create a necessary sound image, the actors move and act physically in space. If there were sets, costumes and props it could even be appropriate for live public to attend the performance.
<b>27. Describe the use of live sound effects</b>
On audio drama, live sound effects (effects produced on the stage) are always preferred to the recorded ones. That's because these sounds blend more naturally into the sound image. For producing these effects, the studio is equipped with necessary devices like doors, links, keys, crockery and cutlery, water tank, telephone etc.
<b>28. Describe the use of recorded sound effects.</b>
Effects that cannot be produced live must be pre-recorded and then played back at the appropriate time. Skilled operators play in the effects during the course of the drama. This is often done through the loudspeaker in the studio.
<b>29. Comment on the playback of recorded sound effects through a loudspeaker in the studio.</b>
Recorded sound effects are sometimes played back through a loudspeaker in the studio instead of simply mixing them in from the playback device. This way the effects are shaped by the room acoustics and merge with the action more naturally. Also the actors have a chance to react to the sound effect then, because they can hear it.
<b>30. Describe the use of acoustic screens.</b>
Acoustic screens are used in an audio drama studio to simulate various acoustic environments like kitchen, staircase, car etc. This is done by choosing screens with appropriate design and surface covering.
<b>31. Describe the use of screens to simulate a car interior.</b>
Taking three or four screens with glass panels (normally used for acoustic separation while maintaining visual contact) and arranging them triangularly or rectangularly allows creating an environment very similar to a car interior. Additional details like an absorbent material on the floor will increase the fidelity further.
<b>32. Communications: describe the use of talkback (including radio or infra-red talkback and cue lights.</b>
Audio drama production usually has a very tight time schedule. Dramas are played into the air live or recorded 'as-live', while the rehearsal often means one or two read-throughs. It is evident that such environments need effective communication between the program director or producer and people on the stage (stage assistants or actors themselves). Sometimes it is enough to use studio loudspeakers for talkback, though headphones are preferable. As the environment is very busy, it is good to get rid of any additional cables, so radio or infrared links turn out to be handy.
On other cases there is no need for anything else than a 'go' signal. For that purpose, a cue light system can be used. Cue lights are also used on studio doors and control rooms to indicate 'on air' status.
<b>33. Compare the control room to the control room of a music recording studio.</b>
There would be less outboard equipment from the effects side. The mixing desk would preferably have lots of channels for quickly switching between different locations in the studio. For playback of music or sound effects, the playback devices and the desk should support 'fader-start' function - it means when the fader is moved away from the completely off position, a microswitch will close, sending a CD player or tape machine a command to start playback.
It is good to have a MIDI keyboard and a sampler for playing back and combining different sound effects live. |
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Sun Oct 19, 2003 3:04 am |
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