Sound
The 2023 Syllabus
Embedded Files
Welcome to Sound!
Welcome to Sound!
The sound component for the HSC calls on your existing knowledge of sound reinforcement systems, relying on both course learn't knowledge, and industry experience.
In order to excel in this area of the course, you should spend some time volunteering in an audio capacity. Whether this is school productions, concerts, church volunteering, young people theatre associations, etc. your ability to
Table of Contents:
Table of Contents:
Difference between audio & sound
Industry Terminology (NEW!)
Roles & Responsibilities (COMING SOON)
Communication Protocols (COMING SOON)
Documentation (COMING SOON)
Audio Operation Effectiveness (COMING SOON)
Variations in Audio Requirements (COMING SOON)
Interrelationship between audio opeartions and other technical & creative areas (COMING SOON)
- Difference between 'audio' and 'sound'
Audio and sound. Both exactly the same. Right? Nope!
During this course, you will be using industry specific terminology, and this is a great example of societal and industry terminology. English speakers tend to use these terms interchangeably, such as the 'audio jack', or the 'sound cable', however, in the entertainment industry, we use these terms to determine the type of energy being used.
For sound, this refers to the mechanical wave of energy (longitudinal sound wave) such as the human voice, or a speaker.
Audio, is the electric energy used to transmit the the longitudional sound wave from one place to another. This can be done either through analogue or digital transmission methods.
Example of audio being converted into sound. Speakers convert electrical energy into sound waves
2. Industry Terminology
2. Industry Terminology
Exploring both specific to audio terms and geographic variations
Many students forget to use industry specific terminology, such as calling a mixer a 'sound board', or use industry jargon incorrectly when writing a plan to a non-technical individual (which is sometimes the case in assessment tasks). Just like how an IT professional won't ask you to 'update the CSS, to improve the overall UI', we have a duty to provide clear information to those unfamiliar with industry terminology.
See below for some terms which can be useful in your next task
Image of 1/4 inch jack. Notice the black rings on the tips: one ring means mono, two for stereo, three for stereo + ground.
Active/Passive
Active/Passive
In electronics (particularly audio), an 'active' circuit operates with an external power supply and is usually low power, while a 'passive' circuit operates directly on the signal using the inherent power of the surrounding circuitry.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth
The range of a piece of sound equipment.
If an equalizer has cutoff frequencies of 200 and 2000 Hz, then the bandwidth is the difference between them, in this case 1800 Hz.
Cue
Cue
The command given to technical departments to carry out a particular operation. E.g. Lighting Cue, Fly Cue or Sound Cue. Normally given by stage management, but may be taken directly from the action (i.e. a Visual Cue).
Decibel (dB)
Decibel (dB)
Relative measurement for the volume (loudness) of sound. One dB is the smallest variation in loudness that the human ear can detect. Also used to measure the difference between two voltages, or two currents.
Active/Passive
Active/Passive
In electronics (particularly audio), an 'active' circuit operates with an external power supply and is usually low power, while a 'passive' circuit operates directly on the signal using the inherent power of the surrounding circuitry.
Mixer
Mixer
Also referred to as a console, both sound and lighting mixers are used to take ‘unmixed’ signal from inputs, and adjust volume, EQ’s and sends the audio to appropriate outputs.
Patching
Patching
Hard wiring one item into another. Eg. Patching a light into outlet 34 or patching choir mic 3 into channel 19.
XLR
XLR
A standard connection for audio in theatres, which connects microphones and some instruments to mixers.
BONUS FACT: XLR stands for External Line Return
I would highly recommend going to the TheatreCrafts website to see all relevant sound terms, and familiarising yourself with the Australian terms, as these will be crutial in exams, and can often be used by HSC writers to confuse with either archaic, or niche terms.
Digital or Analogue?
Digital or Analogue?
When I first started in the industry, I trained on an Allen & Heath GL2200 mixer: a 32 channel behemoth mixer with hundreds of little dials. The first major shift came when I first started learning on a GLD80. It was like driving a Mercedes instead of a Honda Civic. For live productions, most people choose to use digital consoles due to the ability to create scenes - a copy of every level, EQ, and effect at a saved time. Analogue mixers cannot do this.
One of the benefits of an analogue mixer in 2023 is the cost - buying an analogue mixer may cost a few hundred, whereas digital mixers may cost thousands. Another reason people still use analogue mixers is ease of use. The XLR on the back of the mixer corresponds with one fader, which all gets sent to FOH, and possibly a few foldbacks, which can be adjusted by using a fader; digital mixers can assign the input locally, on a digital snake, or can be a virtual port, and can assign the audio to be pre or post-fade, which can cause issues later if not configured correctly initially.
HSC QUESTION: (3 Marks)
Extracted from the 2020 HSC ExamHSC QUESTION: (3 Marks)
FOCUS POINTS:
Muted Input
Check Cabling
Accidental disabling of phantom power
Routing issue (if digital desk)
"During one of the performances, the audio desk loses all audio signal from the electric guitar.
How may this situation be rectified?"
Sample Answer:
"The first check would be to assess the channel, to see if the input is muted or no longer delivering phantom power. If the problem still persists, checking physical cabling on stage, or if an amp is creating the sound, that the amp is plugged in and turned to an acceptable volume."
1 Mark for each underlined point"The first check would be to assess the channel, to see if the input is muted or no longer delivering phantom power. If the problem still persists, checking physical cabling on stage, or if an amp is creating the sound, that the amp is plugged in and turned to an acceptable volume."
Using Industry Terminology in an HSC Response
Using Industry Terminology in an HSC Response
It is important to use relevant industry terminology in all short and long answer responses, as this is one of the points markers look for for exemplar responses. When drafting a response, think:
Have I used any jargon or colloquial phrases?. This could include calling an IEC cable a kettle cable, jug plug, etc.
Include any information relevant to the question, regardless if it goes without saying or not. It never hurts to include checking everything once over before a show, or troubleshooting from microphone to console as an addition to your response.
Be prepared to write in the first person. Use your industry experience, as well as in-school training to explain why you would do something, such as use a condenser mic instead of a dynamic mic.
3. Roles & Responsibilities (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
3. Roles & Responsibilities (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
Who does what in the theatre
It is important to know both the reporting structure within the theatre, as well as the responsibility of each individual. Make sure you understand which roles are collapsed or combined for smaller productions (eg. the SM and DSM are the same person), or roles being split due to the large scale nature of the production. (Eg. Co-Directors, Sound designers). This list is an example of a medium to large production, in a theatre of about a thousand seats:
Director
Director
Develops an overall artistic vision for the production, and unifies all departments into a coherent production.
Producer
Producer
Responsible for the productions contractual and budgetary constraints, working with the director to practically facilitate the production, as well as department managers with their overall budget.
Venue Manager
Venue Manager
Manages the entire site and is responsible for building maintenance.
They are not connected to the production company; they are working for the venue.
Technical Manager
Technical Manager
Works with all departments to successfully create the production
Sound Designer
Sound Designer
Sound Engineer
Sound Technician
Radio Technician
Stage Hand
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