Music_Technology_in_the_60's

60’s Project: Research Report In this report I will identify and explore key historic developments in technology and techniques relevant to both signal processing and effects processing technology. I will also discuss the use of audio processing equipment identifying key devices and explore both creative and corrective techniques and how these have impacted on modern sound production. Towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century audio recordings were being recorded in a much higher quality as the years went on. The question now was how to enhance these recordings to make it stand out from other recordings. This involved a combination of microphone techniques and signal processing and of course the performance itself. In the past recording audio was a scientific process, were producers had to obtain written permission to move microphones closer to an instrument. Geoff Emerick had this problem when recording for The Beatles, Geoff had to get permission to move microphones closer to the sound source to get a better sound. Recording the initial signal path to a high standard meant that there was a lesser need of signal processing. Signal processors were originally added to the recording studio, to allow compensation for poor frequency response or dynamic range problems in equipment. When carefully used, they can add to the accuracy of the sound, and occasionally improve on reality. These devices have somewhat changed from their original conception, but they all use the same basic principles that have been used throughout audio recording. These devices include EQ, Compression, Gates, Reverb and Delays. I will discuss about the specific devices later in the report. Around the 1940’s and 1950’s saw the American public buy a lot more music after the great depression and end of the Second World War in 1945. In that same year the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) devised the RIAA EQ Curve, which allowed for more audio to be put into vinyl and improve sound quality. The record is cut with the low frequencies reduced and the high frequencies boosted, and on playback the opposite occurs. The result is flat frequency response, but with noise such as hiss and clicks arising from the surface of the record itself reduced (or "attenuated"). Also this process allows the record's grooves to be smaller and thus, more can be fit on a given surface area, creating longer playback times. This signal processing technique is still used in some modern turntables, and even some special pre-amps enable a user to use the RIAA EQ Curve on old records. This technique showed that the RIAA thought outside of the box to get a better quality recording on an existing format, and shouldn’t be over looked. This helps us to understand that even though vinyl technology wasn’t great compared to today, they overcame certain downfalls in the technology of their day. We should employ these idea’s to the technology we use today, to create better recordings. Another example of achieving a better quality audio recording with limited technology is the use of a technique called Automated Double Tracking (ADT). This is where two tape recorders were connected to the mixing console, and to each other. As the signal reached the record head of the first tape deck it was then sent to the record head of the second deck, then the playback from the second head was fed back into the record head of the first deck, thus creating another copy on top of the original recording on the first tape deck. This technique is now commonly known as ‘layering’, and it creates a stronger and more full sound, compared to the original recording. This technique is used on almost all vocals in pop records. As these techniques show, they create a better recording and more then often enough improving on reality. Another way on improving on reality is to add more to a sound. The most common ways of adding to a sound is to use Reverb and Delay. Either recording the sound in an echo chamber or physically manipulating equipment to get the desired effect created these techniques. Soon enough a way of adding to the sound after it was recorded was devised. These are called effects. The most common effects were Reverb and Delay. The most popular form of Reverb effect units in the 50’s and early 60’s were the plate reverb unit and the spring reverb unit. Both of these units gave a distinct sound, which formed a crucial part as the 60’s sound as we know it. Artists no longer needed to be in a chamber to be recorded with the natural reverb. This allowed producers to be creative in the use of these effects and add reverb to any audio they wanted, for example just add reverb to the snare of a drum kit. This helped move to sound from the 50’s to beyond. As reverb could now be added ‘artificially’, it could be used a little more creatively, for example alternating the wet and dry mix to create dizzy-like effect by changing from full wet mix to a complete dry mix. Thus creating a seemingly impossible ‘real life’ reverb situation. Another form of effects unit, which helped shape the sound of the 50’s and early 60’s, was the tape loop echo, in other words Delay. The most popular units were the Echoplex and in the 70’s the Roland's RE201 Space Echo. All of these units worked on the same principles of going about creating delay. A loop of tape passes around a series of heads starting with an erase head, followed by a record head fed from the signal to be manipulated. Playback heads are positioned after the record head to provide the echoes, and some of the delayed signal is fed back into the record circuitry to create decaying echoes. Switching heads or varying the tape speed varies delay time, and models with multiple heads usually had switching systems for setting up different delay patterns. Audio processing equipment can be used to enhance the quality of a sound, and also be used to add to the sound too. This equipment hasn’t really strayed too far from its basic principles when it was first conceived, but as I will explain, certain features and enhancements have been made to the equipment as technology has advanced over the years. I’ve talked about developments in technology and techniques relevant to both signal processing and effects processing technology, but what about the use of audio processing equipment' Below I have identified key devices and explained both creative and corrective techniques and how these have impacted on modern sound production. A type of audio processing could be the use of a compressor or EQ, but also the use of Gating, filters and limiters can be used to manipulate audio signals. I will explain these below. Compression: A compressor allows a user to stabilize audio levels. For example in one vocal phrase some words are quiet and others are loud, and to even these levels out you would either ‘ride the gain’ (adjust the audio level using the gain fader) or use a compressor. Other corrective uses for a compressor could be adding the punch back into a kick drum sound, as the microphone used was of poor quality. If you set the compressor to have a fast attack and release time, the compressor quickly acts on the initial peak and releases before the next peak, and then you would increase the make-up gain to create the punch sound. A creative way to use compressors is ‘gain pumping’. This technique is used on a constant regular peak, mainly a kick drum, and when applied over the whole mix it causes the rest of the mix to change in level because of the compressor acting on the kick drum. The compressor has a fast attack and release time and this makes the mix change in volume in time with the kick drum. This creating a pumping sensation in the track, and is mainly used in dance music. Some of the classic compressors include the Altec and the Fairchild, which were used on many Beatles recordings. These early compressor were very harsh and very often produced over compressed results, which gave them there sound. Geoff Emerick agrees, as he used the Altech compressor, which famously had a fast attack time on some of the early Beatles recordings. Now day’s compressors can sound different because of the added functions to the compressor. For example the use of Hard or Soft knee controls. Hard Knee compressors apply the user-set amount of compression as soon as the threshold is met, while soft knee applies the compression gently (rising the ratio level until it reaches the user defined ratio) as it nears the threshold. This creates a soft form of compression, and is less noticeable to the ear. This shows that, as I mentioned early in the report, all these devices work in the same way, but have their own characteristics, which in turn define the sound of the period the device was made and used. EQ: An equalizer is a device that can alter the frequency content of an audio signal. The device can either add or take away frequencies using the boost or cut frequencies functions. From here you can alter the width of the frequency range you want to alter using the bandwidth function. Typical examples of equalising are high pass, low pass, band pass and band reject, which allow high frequencies pass, low frequencies pass, cut frequencies outside of a specific range and reject frequencies within a range respectively. Another more recent function on an Equalizer is the ‘Q’ utility. This allows a user to define the bandwidth setting a lot more accurately. A low Q setting covers a wide range of frequencies and a high Q allows the user to home in a certain frequencies. Setting a high Q is what the Q function was initially conceived for, and suddenly users had total control over all of the frequency range A creative way of using EQ is to make a bass heavy sound into a tiny sound by cutting all the bass frequencies using the high pass function. Thus only letting through boost high frequencies. Filters: A filter is a circuit that sharply reduces the amplitude of signals of frequency outside of specified limits. It is very similar to using a low or high pass on an EQ unit. A filter is mainly used for two situations, to cut out frequencies and also as an effect. A filter has some of the same methods used on an EQ unit to manipulate the frequencies of audio, for example low pass or high pass filters. At the point where the frequency is attenuated is called the frequency cut-off. A creative way of using a filter is the move across all of the frequency range very quickly to create a sweeping effect. This is called a Filter Sweep. As the filter moves across the full frequency range, with a small bandwidth, it will only allow frequencies within the small bandwidth to be heard, and the rest of the range cut out completely. Limiters: A limiter is a device, which turns the gain down whenever the signal exceeds the limit. Limiters are useful to prevent extreme distortion and possibly damaged speakers from accidental volume increase. This is why this equipment is an important part of any studio. The limited can also be used to add a form of distortion if the threshold and release times are used in a way that the effect of limiting a signal is applied gradually. Just like a Soft knee on a compressor. Creative ways to use a limiter is to use the bass drum as the trigger with a fast attack time, and when the bass drum releases the limiter, it brings back the volume for the cymbals, as the release slowly sucks up the cymbal from a low level back up to its original level. This creates a reversed like effect on the cymbals. Bibliography Cunningham, M. 1999, Good Vibrations: A History of Record Production, Sanctuary Publishing Ltd. Massey, C. 2000, Behind the Glass: Top Record Producers Tell How They Craft the Hits, Backbeat UK. Owsinski, B, 2006, The Mix Engineers Handbook, Music Sales Ltd. White, P. 2001 January, VINTAGE ADVANTAGE, Understanding & Emulating Vintage Effects, Sound on Sound. White, P. The Rough Guide - Part 1: Compress Yourself - With Style, mixbuss.com. White, P. May 2001, ADVANCED GATING TECHNIQUES: Advanced Gating Techniques: Part 2, Sound on Sound.