Why is sound recording so important?

Sound recording is a huge part of media as audio has become such an important aspect in modern day productions. An audience can understand a lot of information through audio - specifically through tone, pitch, speed, volume, etc. Audio well recorded makes things easier for an audience to follow along with however when audio becomes ruined or distorted then this can become a distraction and can take away from the effect trying to be shown through the production.

Some basic things to consider when recording:

• SD card storage
• Surroundings
• Wind
• Battery percentage
• General background noise

Why would surroundings affect audio?

Audio can be affected by how reverberant a room is. Reverberance refers to the way in which sound bounces off of hard surfaces - creating an echo-like effect. The more reverberant the room, the more difficult it will be to obtain a clear recording as background noise will be louder. An example of a very reverberant room is a sports hall - it's the hard surfaces and the height of the room which make it reverberant.

An image of a sports hall.

Distortion in sound

When sound levels are set too high then you risk your sound becoming distorted and there is nothing that can be done to fix that other than rerecord it. 

Things to look out for when handling equipment:

• Battery percentage (make sure it's charged!)
• It's best to wear headphones (to monitor audio input easily)
• Learn how to use the equipment before giving it a try
• Always have a spare SD card and batteries on hand
• Be careful when selecting the suitable equipment for the job

SD Cards

There are two types of SD cards - Standard and Micro - and sometimes equipment needs a specific type of SD card to store their data on. The Zoom H1N sound recorder only takes a micro-SD card, however the Zoom H4N sound recorder takes a standard SD card. The main difference between these two cards is the size.

Studio Recording Equipment