HANDBOOK OF RECORDING ENGINEERING

HANDBOOK OF RECORDING ENGINEERING

HANDBOOK OF RECORDING ENGINEERING John Eargle Inm51 VAN NOSTRAND REINHOLD COMPANY ~ New York

ISBN 978-94-010-9368-2 ISBN 978-94-010-9366-8 (ebook) 001 10.1007/978-94-010-9366-8 Copyright 1986 by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc. Softcove reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 1986 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 86-4100 All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be produced or used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems-without permission of the publisher. Manufactured in the United States of America Published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc. 115 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10003 Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Limited Molly Millars Lane Wokingham, Berkshire RGII 2PY, England Van Nostrand Reinhold 480 Latrobe Street Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia Macmillan of Canada Division of Gage Publishing Limited 164 Commander Boulevard Agincourt, Ontario MIS 3C7, Canada 15 14 13 12 II 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Eargle, John. Handbook of recording engineering. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Sound-Recording and reproducing. TK7881.4.EI6 1986 621.389'3 1. Title. 86-4100

PREFACE The Handbook of Recording Engineering is a logical outgrowth of the first two editions of Sound Recording. The ten years since the first edition have seen no slackening in the development of recording technology, and they have witnessed an almost phenomenal growth in the teaching of recording and audio engineering at all academic levels. The earlier editions of Sound Recording have been widely used as texts at all educational levels, and it is the author's intent in the Handbook of Recording Engineering to produce a book which is even more suited to these purposes. At the same time, the book has been organized as a true handbook, which presents a broad array of reference material in easily accessible form. The organization of the book is unique in that it progresses as the signal transmission chain itself does-from the recording venue on through the microphone, transmission channel, and finally to the listening environment. The first six chapters thus form a logical sequence, and the author recommends that instructors using the Handbook follow them accordingly. Chapter One presents a discussion of acoustical fundamentals, including an introduction to some basic psychoacoustical considerations having to do with performance spaces. Chapter Two covers the basic operating principles of microphones, while Chapter Three extends the discussion of microphones to cover the entire range of stereophonic imaging phenomena. Chapter Four presents an extensive discussion of the many aspects of audio transmission systems, underscoring the importance of a thorough quantitative understanding of the principles involved. Chapter Five covers monitor loudspeakers from the point of view of the performance, rather than principles of operation, and Chapter Six covers the vast array of signal processing devices. Chapters Seven and Eight present detailed studies of classical and popular recording production techniques, respectively. The discussions are drawn largely from the author's own experiences, and the aim here has been to underscore v

vi PREFACE the importance of musical and acoustical requirements in making technical decisions. These chapters may be introduced to students while they are still covering the basic early chapters. Chapters Nine, Ten, and Eleven present principles of disc recording, analog magnetic recording, and digital recording. These discussions cover both fundamental and operational aspects, and they are best studied after the basic sequence has been completed. Chapter Twelve presents an overview of the low-cost studio, that phenomenon which has been responsible for the rapid expansion of the economic base of recording and post-production over the last decade. Finally, for the benefit of the experienced recording engineer, a comprehensive Appendix will allow quick access to all topics covered in the Handbook. JOHN EARGLE

CONTENTS Preface / v 1. Acoustical Fundamentals for the Recording Engineer / 1 2. Microphones / 43 3. Basic Stereophonic Imaging Techniques / 70 4. Audio Transmission Systems / 112 5. Monitor Loudspeakers and the Monitoring Environment / 162 6. Signal Processing Devices and Applications / 183 7. Classical Recording Production Techniques / 232 8. Popular Record Production Techniques / 265 9. Analog Magnetic Recording / 296 10. Analog Disc Recording and Reproduction. / 320 11. Digital Recording / 357 12. The Low-Cost Studio: An Overview / 377 Index / 393 vii

HANDBOOK OF RECORDING ENGINEERING