Review; PSR LO1.1

Learning Objective 1

1.1 Critically assess audio technology in relation to recording and production requirements.

For my recordings in this project I will be using the zoom H1 ‘handy recorder’ for my interviews and atmospheric sounds and I will be using the Sennheiser e835 microphone which is located in the recording studio.

The zoom H1 ‘handy recorder’ was the perfect choice for my interviews and atmospheric sounds as it says its ‘handy’. This recorder was exactly what I needed as unlike omnidirectional microphones, which pick up sound all around indiscriminately, the H1 microphones ignore the unwanted noise behind them. The H1 can also record linear PCM (WAV) files at 24-bit/96 kHz which results in a higher quality of sound as well as this the H1 can also record in MP3 format to maximise the recording time. The H1 also allows for an additional microphone which is something that given the situation would be rather useful. Also the H1 meets the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 specification which therefore means it can quickly transfer files which has proved useful in this project as time was of the essence.

The Sennheiser e835 microphone is what I will be using for my talk as this is the microphone that is located within our recording studio. This microphone is built with a shock-mounted capsule which provides suppression of handling noise, which is key as I will require clear crisp sound. This microphone will be better suited for pre-recorded items as for these I will want the highest sound quality possible and this will be give me exactly that and the zoom H1 ‘handy recorder’ is perfect for my live recordings as I it will provide me will excellent sound quality and connivance.

As previously stated the zoom H1 can record in WAV files at 24-bit/96kHz which means that you are recording the raw sound. This formatting means you are getting the best sound possible out of recordings however these files are huge as MP3 is about 25% the size of WAV so therefore to save space on the hard drive many convert the files to MP3 however I will be recording in WAV format as I want to get the best sound quality possible.