Specifications

5
THE AUDIO CHAIN
A
lmost everyone has used a simple cassette tape recorder at one time
or another. In that instance, the process of recording sound is very simple:
press the Record button, talk into the microphone, and press the Stop button
when finished. In the world of audio-for-video, however, there may be many
pieces of equipment between the microphone and the videotape recorder. This
series of devices is collectively known as the audio chain. Common links in the
audio chain include a microphone (which transforms sound into an electrical
signal), a mixer (which adjusts the strength of the signal in relation to other
signals coming through the same system), and an equalizer, compressor, or
other signal processor (all of which merely alter the signal and are optional).
When it comes out of the mixer (or whatever extra signal processing
devices are required), the signal is ready to be fed into the audio input jack of a
video tape recorder or to an amplifier for playback through loudspeakers.
MICROPHONES:
DIFFERENT TYPES AND WHEN TO USE THEM
T
he first step in getting the sound of someone’s voice on to your videotape is the
microphone. Microphones serve a very basic purpose: to change acoustic
energy to electrical energy. They convert sound waves into an electrical signal
which can be modified, amplified, or recorded. Since the microphone’s function is
so basic, you might well ask why there are so many different kinds of microphones.
It’s simply because some types of microphones are better suited to certain uses
than others, just as pickup trucks are better than small sports cars for carrying large,
heavy loads. If you are familiar with the different types of microphones, and how
and when to use them, your productions will start sounding less like a home video
and more like the nightly news.
Audio chain