Recording at a studio consists of aspects such as recording
audio, equalization, mixing and mastering audio. In this field,
there are 3 types of working methods. They are Digital, Analog
and Hybrid systems. In digital systems, normally a computer
with a digital audio workstation (DAW) is used. A digital audio
workstation is a software that allows dealing with audio signals.
Examples for most popular DAWs are Cubase, Ableton Live,
FL Studio and Protools. By using DAWs, audio engineers can
affect audio in many paths such as applying effects to audio
signals, compressing audio signals, mixing, mastering, creating
new audio signals and recording. In these audio productions,
engineers use plugins called VST plugins. These VST plugins
are created in most popular studios in the world which have a
good environment to record sounds. And the instruments are
played by popular and talented musicians. These VST plugins
are user-friendly and we don’t need instruments to record
its sound. The quality of these digitally produced sound is
relatively inferior compared to the sound produced by using
analog systems. Reasons for that difference is due to the
machines that add different harmonics to the sounds. But it
is costly to produce audio by using analog systems. The other
type is hybrid production. It is a combination of both digital
and analog systems. Quality sounds than digital production
can be obtained by hybrid production.
Above factors are the main uses of audio engineering in the
music field. In the music production field other than the song
production, there are factors such as film music production,
music production for advertisements, etc.
In the past, it was very difficult to produce a song as all the
instrument players had to play together to take the recording.
If one player made a mistake, all players had to play and
record the whole song again. As a result of the development
of audio engineering today, it has become much easier. Today
instruments record individually and then they are mixed to
get the whole song. If a player made a mistake, instead of
recording the whole thing again, the mistake can be edited
and corrected properly by the technology
Generally, in the current context, many music lovers go
forward to experiment and learn about this emerging field of
audio engineering. Lots of new equipment and technology
is getting invented as well. Therefore, the field of audio
engineering is developing rapidly along with the quality of
sound
Vishwa Abeywardana,
First year undergraduate,
Faculty of engineering,
University of Peradeniya.
GAUGE Magazine University of Peradeniya
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