Outcome 4.2: Capturing, Managing, and Shaping Audio for Video Production

directionality

The property of a microphone that describes how sensitive it is to sound arriving from different directions.

polar pattern

Describes a microphone's sensitivity to sound from various angles, determining which sounds are captured and which are rejected.

omnidirectional

A type of microphone that picks up sound fairly evenly from all directions.

cardioid

A microphone polar pattern most sensitive in front, less on sides, and strongly rejects sound from the rear.

supercardioid

A polar pattern with a narrower front pickup than cardioid but with a small rear lobe, effective at rejecting side noise.

hypercardioid

Similar to supercardioid, but with an even narrower front pickup and a more pronounced rear lobe.

shotgun microphone

A highly directional microphone designed to capture sound from a specific direction while rejecting off-axis sounds.

bidirectional microphone (figure-8)

A type of microphone that picks up sound from the front and back, rejecting sound from the sides.

dynamic microphone

A type of microphone that is rugged, handles loud sources well, and typically does not require external power.

condenser microphone

More sensitive and detailed than dynamic microphones; often requires power and captures subtle nuances in sound.

form factor

The physical design of a microphone and how it is used, such as handheld, lavalier, or boom.

lavalier microphone

A small microphone clipped to clothing, typically omnidirectional, allowing freedom of movement.

boom microphone

A microphone mounted on a boom pole to capture sound while remaining out of the camera frame.

room tone

The ambient sound of a location, captured to fill gaps in audio during editing.

monitor placement

The strategic positioning of speakers or headphones to avoid feedback and ensure accurate sound monitoring.

feedback

A loop created when a microphone captures sound from a speaker playing back its own signal, creating distortion.

file format/container

The structure that holds audio and video data, defining how it's stored and accessed.

uncompressed audio

Audio that retains full quality, typically in WAV or AIFF formats, used for recording and editing.

lossy compressed audio

Audio formats like MP3 that reduce file size by discarding less audible information.

multimedia container

A file format, such as MP4, that can hold multiple types of data (audio, video, or subtitles) together.

diegetic music

Music that characters within a scene can hear, such as a band playing or a radio on.

non-diegetic music

Music that only the audience hears, used to enhance emotion or storytelling without the characters being aware.

stems

Separate audio tracks for different elements of a music piece (like drums, bass, melody), used for easier mixing.

licensing

The legal permission required to use copyrighted music in a production.

EQ (equalization)

The adjustment of frequency levels in sound to improve audio clarity and balance.

room acoustics

The characteristics of a physical space that affect how sound behaves, such as reflection and absorption.

plosives

Burst of air from certain speech sounds (like 'p' and 'b') that can cause distortion in recordings.