MUSI20174: The Laptop Recording Studio

Project Development Blog

Logbook, Week 2: Trying to determine the speed of sound

Aim of the session: By constructing a simple ‘sound cannon’, the echo time is used to estimate the speed of sound.

Objectives:

Calculate the speed of the sound.

Assemble a simple sound cannon using a plastic cup and a balloon.

Record a slow-mo video of the sound being generated with my phone, placed at a known distance to a wall

Estimate the duration of the echo time.

Logbook, Week 3:

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Logbook, Week4; Testing and analysing different recording approaches

  • Aim of the session: To select for a clean vocal recording sample using either my iPhone mic or macbook internal.

    Objectives:
    By the time I’ve completed the session, I should have done the following:

    1. Create 4 recordings, 2 each on laptop and iPhone that contrast close-miking and ambient miking in a single recording environment (bathroom);
    2. Transfer the recordings to Audacity and carry out a visual analysis of the recordings;
    3. Audition the recordings and make notes about quality and any recording artefacts, and
    4. Suggest additional steps for refining my recording approach based on the results.

    In this session, I explore the recording quality of my iPhone mic and macbook in-built microphone. The room I am recording is more or less quiet, with some sudden noises from the surroundings as I live in a student accommodation. Below is a raw recording sample from my macbook mic, while sitting at my desk, about 55 cm away from the mic.

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