COMMRC 0575 Intro to Radio Production

Flashcards for Exam #1

Carrier wave

a high frequency electromagnetic wave which can be attached to an audio signal to transmit a radio signal

Modulation

the process of superimposing audio signals onto a carrier wave

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

a federal agency that coordinates and assigns all radio frequencies to avoid interference

Groundwave propagation

an AM signal’s ability to travel over the earth’s surface primarily by conduction

Skywave propagation

a phenomenon where the long wavelengths of AM signals interact with the radically shifting layers of the ionosphere several miles above the earth’s surface

Wavelength

Distance between two corresponding points

Frequency

Number of waves that pass a point in a second

Amplitude

Height of the wave

Guglielmo Marconi

First person to commercialize radio by transmitting morse code on ships

Reginald Fessenden

Developed continuous wave transmission, allowing for the transmission of actual programming

Oscillator

creates a sine wave at the assigned frequency

Modulator

adds audio by altering the amplitude (AM) or frequency (FM) of the wave

Amplifier

increases the power of the modulated wave

Antenna

Both a transmitter and a receiver; captures radio signals then converts to a radio wave and transmits

Radio Frequency Amplifier

amplifies the signals so they can be processed by the tuner

Tuner

filters out all signals except the one on a particular frequency

Detector

separates the audio from the carrier wave

Audio Amplifier

makes the audio audible

AM Radio (Amplitude Modulation)

• Extremely long wavelength

  • Prone to static

• Groundwave and skywave propagation

• Range largely determined by power

• Limited bandwidth

  • About half of human hearing range

FM Radio (Frequency Modulation)

• Relatively short wavelength

• Range limited to line of sight

  • Determined by ERP and HAAT

• Cleaner signal but subject to multipath distortion

• Wider spacing of signals allows for deeper bandwidth

• Bandwidth and stereo improve music quality

Transducer

a device that transforms one form of energy into another

Sample

a snapshot of the voltage reading

Sample Rate

number of samples per second

Nyquist theorem

sample rate must be 2x the highest frequency to build the sine wave

Audio standard

44.1 kHz or 48 kHz

Bit Depth

The amount of data in every sample; Determines the number of possible amplitude values

Dynamic Range

measured in dB; 6x the bit depth

Standard bit depth

24-bit or 32-bit (float)

Dynamic Microphones

• Sound waves cause diaphragm to vibrate

• Coil moves through magnetic field

• Positives: Inexpensive, durable, effective in difficult situations

• Negatives: Limited frequency response, proximity effect

• Otherwise known as moving coil microphones

Ribbon Microphones

• Metal ribbon sits between poles of a magnet

• Very sensitive to pressure and velocity of air molecules

• Doesn’t pick up sound from sides well

• Positives: Great for high-frequency audio; warm, rich sound

• Negatives: Ribbons are fragiles; plosives tend to pop

Condenser microphones

• Uses voltage instead of a magnet

• Diaphragm and back plate form a capacitor to hold electric charge

• Movement of diaphragm causes voltage change, creating a signal

• Positives: Very versatile; Natural sound, especially at high frequencies; electric condensers are portable and high quality

• Negatives: Expensive; needs an external power supply; can fail in extreme temperatures and humidity

Pickup Pattern

the direction from which the mic is best able to pick up sound

Frequency response

what frequencies a mic can reproduce and how output varies within that range

Range

Which frequencies a mic can hear

Shape

which frequencies are exaggerated or attenuated; flat vs. shaped

Format

The type of programming on a particular station

Types of Pickup Patterns

• Omnidirectional

• Bidirectional

• Undirectional

  • Cardioid

  • Supercardioid

  • Hypercardioid

Mic Placement

• Begin 2-3” from mouth; adjust as necessary

• Closeness to mic brings warmth, but also noise

• Placement at 45-degree angle reduces popped plosives and sibilance

Phonation

The production of sound by the vocal folds

Resonation

The amplification and modification of voiced sound; a chain reaction of vibration

Articulation

The manipulation of oral and nasal structures to create speech

Diaphragmatic Breathing

• Breathe using abdominal muscles, not chest

• Proper posture is essential

  • Back straight

  • Hips tucked in

  • Feet comfortably apart

    • Weight slightly on balls of feet

• Test by placing hands below breastbone

Respiratory System

• Dual purpose

  • Breathing for life

    • Passive and automatic

  • Supporting speech

    • Air expelled under pressure

• Closed box system

Speech patterns to avoid

• Monotone → work on pitch patterns

• Slurred speech → Use your articulators

• Singsong → Speak naturally

• Poor pitch → Again, speak naturally

Adult Contemporary (AC)

Radio format featuring familiar pop hits, nothing too aggressive, primarily female demographic

CHR

Radio format also known as “top 40,” more dance/rap than AC, will sometimes debut new music

Urban

Radio format aimed at young city residents, wide variety of subgenres but often features hip hop and R&B

Country

Radio format mostly featuring songs from the last 20 years, increasing overlap with AC and even CHR, sub-genres include hot/classic/Christian

Classic Rock

Rock format with longer cuts and music sweeps, songs from the late 1960s-1980s

Active Rock

New and old hard rock format

Alternative

Rock format that peaked after grunge in 1990s

Adult Album Alternative (AAA)

Format featuring eclectic playlists, nothing too hard or edgy

Hot Clocks

• AKA format wheel

• Include all programming elements

• Program in 15-minute segments

  • Do all segments sound the same?

  • Is it the sound you want?

  • Are core artists played in every segment?

Promo

Commercial-style programming element that can be :15 - :60

Sweeper/Liner

Programming element that is under :15 and is used between songs or spots

Bumps

Short programming element used in/out of breaks or between different types of elements; Can refer to an announcement or the music bed

Legal ID

Required programming element that often takes place at the top of the hour

Waveform mode

- Edits underlying audio directly (destructive if saved).

- Some effects (including spectral frequency view) are available only in this mode.

- Heads-up display shows decibel scale for precise amplification.

Multitrack mode

- Non-destructive, safer for assembling voice + music.

- Treats clips independently on tracks; provides track controls (volume, pan, mute, solo, record).

- Use when layering voice and music and for mixing.

Effects

Anything impacting the mood, impact or appeal of a radio production, including audio effects, ambient noise, or music

Mixing

Combining multiple recordings into a single, finished product

Equalization (EQ)

Volume control for different frequencies