The fantastic Conrad Johnson’s Premier 350 Amplifier
July 30, 2008
The Conrad Johnson Premier 350 is CJ’s first solid state amplifier in their premier line, and produces a full 350 watts per channel! Now it is an elegantly styled amplifier with gold brushed aluminium but as with many Conrad Johnson amplifiers there is nothing that really stands out about it, although pleasantly it does have a detachable power cord.
At the back the Conrad Johnson 350 has a set of binding posts and 5 way input connectors that are gold plated. Whilst the front end lights up with a red light emitting diode when it’s turned on. According to Conrad Johnson it has a ‘hybrid solid state circuit’ as well as a bucketload of other stuff. But this is not just fluff for marketing, the Conrad Johnson premier 350 does really deliver.
It’s difficult to talk about the 350 without referring to clich’s, but it has a fantastic transparent sound, it leaves the music in a completely neutral state neither enhancing or taking away from it. Conrad Johnson also gives “zero feedback” which they mange with a unique auto-linear gain block which is for the voltage gain stage, this gives you low distortion which is achieved from the symmetrical distortion properties of p and n FETs channels.
The CJ 350 transitions beautifully from deep down bass beats all the way up to heavenly extended highs which linger on.
It simply brings you back to why you got interested in audio in the first place - for the love of music. The sounds will tell you that it’s probably the best amplifier you’ve had in your system. It really will get the best out of any system, and it’s tough enough to take whatever you throw at it so you can be assured of that confidence in your purchase.
The web is a fantastic place to find deals on Conrad Johnson Amplifiers with many at prices a lot less than you’ll find in the shops, just search around.
Digital Audio Mixers for Sale or Rent
July 29, 2008
No one watching a live television feed such as the Grammys or the Academy Awards show, could fathom all that goes on behind the scenes! It may look smooth as butter on your television screen, but just beyond what the camera sees lies a veritable hive of activity complete with cameras, massive swinging jibs, boom mikes, many focused technicians, and miles and miles of wires. What may look off the cuff is anything but!
One of the most crucial jobs falls on the sound personnel. For a medium that evolved from movies with no sound, sound has become all important now. Modern digital audio mixers have made amazing strides in sound technology. Sound engineers have learned to love the Yamaha PM5D and PM1D as well as Digidesign’s more economical Profile.
No matter the brand loyalty they profess, sound technicians will tell you it is important to stay on top of the latest software and downloads and to have a dealer that is reliable. Whether you are renting a mixer for a concert tour or a live mobile broadcast or looking to update a sound system in a church or concert hall, you want to make sure you are using professionals who have your best interest at heart, professionals with a passion for great sound production.
Digital audio mixers, while they are easy to run by the touch of a fingertip, take know how. It is important to be completely trained if you expect to get the most out of your new equipment. Complete training should be a part of any purchase or rental, and follow up support is a must. A good staff member should show you how to put your audio console through its paces, either in the showroom or on the job site.
Finding an exceptional sound supplier is critical, and no sound establishment in the world has a better reputation that Hi-Tech Audio. The best sound technicians in the business turn to them for every need.
Cataloging Tips for Sound Effects
June 26, 2008
Once you have recorded a large amount of raw material and then edited this material into a batch of finished sound effects it is time to associate data with these products so that you can submit your library to distributors. This data is generally called metadata and gives potential licensees information on pertinent characteristics of each sound in your library. Main categories of data that have proven to be useful in my own catalog are discussed below.
First, it is important to choose the correct format for creating your metadata document. Generally an .xls project is the best way to organize your library using each sound as a row and each category as a column. Such a document allows for easy sorting and searching according to type, time length, or SKU number.
1. The first column should be title Main Category and should broadly include categories such as Amusement and Games, Home and Office, and Web Buttons. Minimalism in choosing main categories is the best means of having a tightly organized library right off the bat.
2. The next column, Sub-Category, should divide each main category into more specific types such as Vehicles:Cars, Vehicles:Trucks, Vehicles:Watercraft.
3. Assigning a SKU number that begins with three unique letters, such as your company’s initials, and five digits such as SFX00001_BirdChirp as you make them will add immediate organization to your library. The next sound should begin with SFX00002 etc. allowing each sound to be completely unique in title. This sort of numbered titling eases future confusion should you end you with 50 dog barks organized alphabetically.
4. Simply friendly titles such as Car Honk 1 are best for the Title category because they will be displayed for interested customers.
5. A simple but significant bit of metadata is Time Length since long sound effects are usually priced higher than shorter sound effects and the buyer deserves to know how much sound they are getting for their money.
6. Track info stipulates whether the sample is stereo or mono as well as the sample rate, bit rate , and file type such as Stereo 48k 24bit .wav which informs the licensee about the quality of the sample.
7. One of the main ways that clients find your sounds will be by searching for keywords and thus your Keyword category is very important. Plurals of the sound, related sounds, phrases that include the sound, and misspellings can all help your sounds be found such as car, cars, vehicle, vehicles, car driving, driving a car, kar, kars.
After successfully organizing your sound effects according to the seven above characteristics you can market and submit your library to online distributors for profit through licensing.
Tips for Recording a Sound Effect Library
June 18, 2008
To create sound effects for a respectable sound effect library one needs an audio recorder of professional quality. A digital recorder the size of a small digital camera will run you between $150 and $400 and will give you the quality you need for sound effects worthy of purchase and licensing. Also, many new recorders run easily on battery power, come with an acceptable T shaped microphone, can store up to 4 gigs of info via a flash card, and utilize USB connection.
Be aware, however, that any device you use must record up to at least a 48k sample rate because video uses audio with a 48k sample rate, not 44.1k. Any 44.1k samples you have will have to be upconverted to be used in a video production and this process always runs the risk of audio damage. Because of these potential problems with lower quality files, 48k sound effects are generally valued more by video editors and thus command a higher sale price should you choose to sell your sounds online.
Two basic categories of sound effects to be recorded are “ambiences” and “hits.” Hits are single audio events like a burp, splash, or car horn. Ambiences are longer recordings generally between 30 seconds and 10 minutes that contain background sounds such as those found on city streets, in a hotel lobby, or a doctor’s office.
In creating a library it is most valuable to have many of both types as they are both used in sound design. You will find that ambiences are the easiest to obtain, as you merely have to go to a new location such as a supermarket or post office and just stand there and record. Hits need a little more forethought and preparation such as collecting the items you’d like to record or stalking the neighbor’s dog for that perfect dog bark.
The basics of recording a sound effect is literally as simple as hitting the record button. However, there are several tips to keep in mind in order to get the best recordings possible.
2. Record all of your sounds as “hot” as you can, meaning as loud as possible without overloading the microphone. You need to pull back from your source if you notice a red LED light on your recorder which signals that your incoming signal is too hot. Capturing the strongest signal without distorting is the goal.
2. Very loud sounds such as explosions or loud cheering requires that you purchase a 10dB pad which will allow you to record high volumes. This sort of pad lowers strong signals by 10dB and can be bought on the web for $20.
3. Try to keep background noises at a minimum but don’t be too obsessive over a “pure” recording because these background sounds can often afford surprising results such as an unexpected car honk, bird call or human noise. Remember that much of the background noise can be filtered out when editing your recordings and will slow yourself down being overly strict about the “perfect” recording environment.
4. Protect the microphone with a windscreen or simply keep your recorder out of the wind by using physical barriers such as trees, walls, or even your jacket, because wind hitting the microphone head will ruin your recording efforts. Sometimes wind noise can be cut out during editing with a high pass filter and cutting frequencies below 200-500 khz but for the most part wind will destroy your work.
5. Keep background music from loudspeakers or live performances out of your recordings. Your efforts will be compromised if you inadvertently include music in the background, such as the music played in a restaurant. This music is copyrighted and if it appears in your ambience recordings you will be violating copyright law.
The previous points, though simple, are mentioned to help the aspiring sound designer in the assembling of a valuable sound effect library. Articles that cover the editing, organizing, and promotion of these recordings will follow in the future.
Advice on Recording Sound Effects for a Sound Effect Library
June 18, 2008
In order to record sound effects for a personal or professional sound effect library one first needs a quality recorder. Personally I’ve tried all sorts of pricey gear and microphones throughout my sonic adventures only to discover that a solid $150 to $400 handheld digital recorder no larger than an old-school cassette tape box suffices to create sounds good enough for placement in any Film, TV, and media project. In addition, these units run on battery power and the recorded files can be dragged onto your desktop via USB.
You must make sure that any recorder you purchase records up to at least a 48k sample rate .wav file because audio for video is prepared as 48k. Any 44.1k samples you have would work fine on a CD but for DVD usage they will have to be up-converted to 48k which can result in “aliases,” sort of sonic ghosts that compromise the quality of your recording. Also, 48k sound effects command a higher price on downloadable sites because their sound quality is simply better due to more samples per second of audio.
You will need to record two distinct types of sound effects: “ambiences” and “hits.” Short single sonic moments such as glass breaking, an explosion, or a light switch click are called hits. Longer recordings of background noises such as those found on a playground, at a train station, or in an airport are called ambiences.
Any quality sound effect library needs both types of sound effects so you should be intent on recording both types. Ambiences are the easiest to obtain because they require only being at a location, standing there, and recording. Hits, though, need more planning because you often need to do foley to get what you need or wait around at various locations for the right moment, such as visiting a new mother and her newborn in order to capture that perfect baby cry.
The basics of recording a sound effect is literally as simple as hitting the record button. However, there are several tips to keep in mind in order to get the best recordings possible.
1. When you record you want to have the loudest signal possible without clipping the microphone, called recording as “hot” as possible. If you notice a small red LED light lighting up during your recording then you need to pull back from the sound because your incoming signal is too loud. The goal is to avoid distortion but capture the strongest sound possible.
2. Purchase a 10dB pad that fits between your microphone and digital recorder will enable you to record sounds with high decibel levels, such as jet engines or weapons. The pad lowers the incoming signal by 10dB and can be found online for $20.
3. Try to keep background noises at a minimum but don’t be too obsessive over a “pure” recording because these background sounds can often afford surprising results such as an unexpected car honk, bird call or human noise. Remember that much of the background noise can be filtered out when editing your recordings and will slow yourself down being overly strict about the “perfect” recording environment.
4. Wind hitting the head of your microphone will ruin your recordings so keep your recorder out of the wind by using trees, walls, or your body as a physical barrier. If you cut frequencies below 200-500 khz during editing you can get rid of some wind sound but usually your recordings will be ruined by wind.
5. Music from live performances and loudspeakers must remain out of your recordings. If you accidentally include such music in the background of your ambiences it will make your recordings useless. Selling and using sound effects with such music is a violation of copyright law since that music itself is copyrighted.
The previous points, though simple, are mentioned to help the aspiring sound designer in the assembling of a valuable sound effect library. Articles that cover the editing, organizing, and promotion of these recordings will follow in the future.
