Sound Recording
Different environments can have a big effect when recording audio, for example if you record outside the wind would get picked up by the mic. Different rooms can have different effects on the the audio, for example a large open room with hard surfaces would would be very loud and reverberant (Echo-y) but a room with soft surfaces such as a carpet or sofa and some decorations on the will will be more quiet and dry (Not Echo-y).
We were tasked with finding different places around the college to record in and test the different qualities of sound in each area, for example the sports hall and stairs had a lot of reverb and were quite loud, whereas the recording room was dry and quiet to record in.
One important thing to consider when recording audio is your location as you have to make sure you have as little background noise as possible, for example recording in a 'dry' room to reduce the reverb. Another important thing to consider is the position of the mic as if it too far away it will struggle to pick up on what the actor is saying but if it is too close it could end up getting in the way. There are different mics that are better in some situations compared to others, for example a lavalier microphone can fit onto clothing and is easy to hide so it is often used on tv, in theatre and when public speaking as it allows the actor to keep their hands free and still be heard. Another example is the boom mic which is a microphone that is placed on the end of a long pole and is kept just outside of the shot but still picks up audio which can be helpful when you record in a area with low wind as they can pick up audio in a specific area that it is pointing at. Similarly the rifle mic also records audio in a specific area but you can put it on top of the camera so that it records what you are shooting.
Some of he mics that we have in college are the Zoom H1N and the Zoom H4, the H1N is a lot smaller than the H4 which can make it easier to move around with. The H4 has a more features than the H1N and as a result it is a lot bulkier but hat does let it pre-record audio, have a LED-backlit display and a rechargeable battery. The H4 can also be connected to boom mics and several other extensions and record through that whereas the H1N can only do that with lavalier.
Soundproofing is where you stop any noise from entering or exiting the room by insulating it which can be helpful as you could record in it without being interrupted. Acoustic treatment is where you use absorption or diffusion devices to control the acoustic properties of the room as it can make it sound more neutral and natural which is also helpful for recording audio.