SoundBetter

Find out how to make your audio work or radio productions sound better.

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• Stages
  • Planning and Preproduction
  • Production
  • Postproduction
    • Audacity

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• Stages

  • Planning and Preproduction

    • HowToMakeRadio - Plan and prepare
    • Where appropriate, write the process message for the production:
      • "After the audience member has listened to or experienced this production, the audience member will do the following actions: ..."
    • HowToMakeRadio - Do preproduction
    • Prevent problems - so you do not need to solve them later
      • Where appropriate, address sound-related issues in the preproduction stage effectively, so you do not need to address those issues in production or in postproduction.
    • Site survey

      Where appropriate, do a site survey at each location where you plan to record:

      • Try to select a time and conditions that are similar to the ones that you will encounter when you will be recording.
      • Where appropriate, bring an audio recorder (even an inexpensive one) with a microphone.
        • Use that recorder to record a few seconds of ambient sound.
        • Say aloud relevant information (for example, location and direction in which the microphone is facing) into the recording.
        • Slowly turn around completely, allowing the recorder and microphone to record from each direction (in a circle).
      • Listen to the ambient sound (the sound around you, when you are not deliberately causing sounds to be made).
        1. If appropriate, close your eyes briefly and listen quietly.
        2. Cup your hands behind your ears to listen directionally. Then listen carefully as you slowly turn around in a complete circle.
        3. Write notes about what you hear.
           • What desirable sounds or conditions - and undesirable sounds or conditions - do you encounter?
           • If present, how loud and frequent are these sounds:
             • electrical (alternating current or AC) hum from fluorescent lights?
             • traffic noise?
             • sounds of activities of people (talking, shouting, or moving around, for example)?
             • wind noises?
             • air conditioning equipment?
             • computer system fans?
             • other sounds?

  • Production

    • HowToMakeRadio - Do production
    • Prevent problems - so you do not need to solve them later
      • Where appropriate, address sound-related issues in the production stage effectively, so you do not need to address those issues in postproduction.

  • Postproduction

    • HowToMakeRadio - Do postproduction
    • Audacity
      • Introduction to Audacity
        • Introduction to Audacity (PDF) (576 KB)
          • Find out how to view or display PDF files.
      • From Oceans to Teardrops
        • Audacity practice
          • To help you practise using Audacity, you might convert the "From Oceans to Teardrops" script into an audio production.
        • Script (PDF) (59 KB)
          • Find out how to view or display PDF files.
        • File including Script, Audio elements, and Example of audio results (.zip) (1,645 KB)
          • To uncompress this file (to access the contents of this file), you might use EnZip or other .zip file management software.
          • This file contains:
            • List and description of contents
              • readme.txt - Contents list (2 KB)
            • Script
              • fottscr.pdf - Script (PDF)
            • Audio elements
              • fottscr.ogg - Script (417 KB) - Announcer: Barry G. Wong
              • flush.ogg - Toilet flush (161 KB)
              • shower.ogg - Shower (73 KB)
              • fillcup.ogg - Filling a cup (45 KB)
              • drop.ogg - Water drop (12 KB)
                • If you wish, you might try to remove the noise (the hissing sound). Hint: In Audacity, look in the Effect menu (from the menu bar).
              • bgwmus.ogg - Music / stinger (132 KB) (Stereo) - "From Oceans to Teardrops" stinger - Copyright 2004 by Barry G. Wong. All rights reserved.
            • Example of audio results
              • prfott.ogg - From Oceans to Teardrops (774 KB) - audio - Example produced by Barry G. Wong - Copyright 2004 by Barry G. Wong. All rights reserved.

This page was updated on July 14, 2004.

Copyright © 1998-2004 by Barry G. Wong. All rights reserved.