Edexcel Music Technology A level - paper 3

Define signal to noise ratio

a comparison of the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise (noise floor).

define frequency response

a visual representation of how well an audio component reproduces the audible range of sound.

What is a clavinet

An electric piano

Also known as a clave

Manufactured from 1964

The timbre is harsh and Sharp, which sounds a little like a guitar

What is a theremin

An electric musical instrument controlled without physical touch

Has an eerie sound

What is a mellotron

An electro-mechanical musical instrumenr

Has a bank of samples (most note-worthy being the popular flute sound)

Illustrate the differences between a vocoder and a talk box

A vocoder is an electronic device used with synthesisers. You talk or sing into a mic usually while playing a synth. The electronics then apply the tone of the voice to the notes of the instrument. A talk box is a mechanical device - a small speaker connected to a plastic hose. When using a talk box, no actual talking or noise occurs, just the mouthing of words.

Define fuzz

a more aggressive style of compressed distortion achieved by heavily saturating and clipping your signal.

When answering Q5 (Evaluating and comparing the production techniques), what features of the song should you talk about

Production techniques not musical comparison

capture - how was it recorded, what was the mic techniques used, was a daw used, was it recorded live/ in one take, how many mics

texture - does one have lots of pads to thicken the texture, or overdubbing, or is the song stripped down, or acoustic

instrumentation - the uses/ changes in instrumentation (e.g synthesisers) and how well it meshes with the genre + how it makes the song sound (e.g drum machines aren’t normally used in jazz and it makes the music sound more mechanical)

editing - has the remix sampled/ cut up audio, has the remix altered the structure, quantising, sequencers + samplers

processing - if one is more heavily processed, variation in dynamic processing (e.g no/less/more compression), sidechain compression (normally in dance) - mostly audible as pumping on a synth pad/ string timbre, EQ

use of effects - additional of effects, gtr effects + how they work (soft clipping occurs cuz of a valve amp + other types of amps), how it effects the overall feel of the sound, if it changes how specific instruments sit in a mix (vocals)/ makes it sound more/less ambient, artificial repeats to create emphasis, filtering to add/ remove specific frequencies, stuttering, reversing, scratching, panning

impact of the technique on production - e.g why would a specific tempo be used (for certain genres), effect of panning on separation, if a technique used is stereotypical of the era/genre

10 marks for evaluation (impact of techniques used on production/ context)

What is the dolby noise-reduction system, and how did it effect tape/analog recordings

a series of noise reduction systems developed by Dolby Laboratories for use in analog audio tape recording. When utilised it would improve the signal-to-noise ratio by pre-emphasising high frequencies before they are recorded onto tape in order to make them larger than the tape hiss noise with which they compete.

define sample rate

the number of snapshots taken to recreate the original sound wave

define bit depth

determine the number of possible amplitude values you can record for each audio sample

describe the process of analog to digital converters

an anlog-to-digital converter captures thousands of audio samples per second at a specified sample rate and bit depth to reconstruct the original signal. The higher the sample rate and bit depth, the higher the audio resolution.

what’s the negatives of bouncing down a lot

Bounced audio is set in stone/ can’t be edited

Increased background noise

Loss in high frequencies the more you bounce

describe the differences between old school samplers and modern samplers

modern samples have a better bit rate and depth

different types of synthesis/ re-synthesis are available (e.g granular)

how did build in compression effects pop music

Producers expected compression to always be used on all tracks therefore resulting in most/if not all tracks are compressed leading to a loss in dynamic range.

state some limitations of 1940’s recording technology

• mono-recording

• poor balance

• lack of multitracking/ overdubbing

• only a single mic used

• poor signal to noise ratio

• hiss/rumble/background noise

• distortion/ saturation

• limited frequency response

• no effects/little eq

state a characteristic of a single take recording (live)

• mistakes

• string buzzes in guitar

• no audible cuts/ no looping

• abrupt fade at the end

describe how a 1940”s recording engineer could add reverb to a recording

• natural reverb by recording in a reflective room, using ambient/distant micing,

• chamber reverb by playing back a recording into a concrete room/reverbarent space and re-recorded using ambient/distant micing

• spring reverb by using a vibrating spring and pic-ups at the end of the spring

• plate reverb by having a metal plate vibrate and are picked up by a pick-up

define spring reverb

a type of reverb where spring is under tension and signal is sent down the spring using a speaker/transducer. The spring vibrates/resonates, and an output transducer at the other end captures the echoes of the signal. The reverb time/tone is changed by adjusting spring tension. Also gives a mid range/ ‘twang’ sound

define chamber reverb

micing up a space with certain reveb characteristics and either recording their, or re-recording audio with ambient micing

define plate reveb

a type of reverb effect that traditionally uses a large metal plate to create a spacious, bright, and distinctive sound.

state how you would remove unwanted noise from histortical master recordings

• hpf/ remove low frequencies

• lpf/ remove high frequencies

• band filter to remove low and high frequencies

• noise reduction

• crackle removal filter

• fades at the start and end of tracks

define a process used when remastering in an album

• compression

• multi-band filer

• normalising

• stereo widening

• eq-ing

• noise reduction

• reducing the length of silences at the start and end of the track

• re-digitisation at a higher bit/sample rate

• analog to digital conversion

describe how you would talk about the automation of filterinng

• the type of filter

• the direction the filter moves in (e.g if it ‘opens up’ or ‘closes’ or sweeps up/downwards

• if there’s resonance

describe some audible features of lo-fi

• crackle/vinyl/record surface nose

• atmospheric samples

• telephone effect/ filtering

describe how you would select and place microphones to record a string section

• condenser microphones

• mics with a wide dynamic range

• mics with a good frequency response

• mics with a fast frequency response

• omnidirectional mics for ambience

• ambient mics spaced far from orchestra (>/2m)

• mics placed above head

• stereo pairs of microphones (e.g AB, XY, mid-side, space omni)

• cardiod/ hypercardiod/ just directional for for close mics to reduce ambience/spill (30-90cm)

• pale multiple mics to avoid phase issues

• acoustic screens for spill

define hall reverb

a type of reverb which sounds big and immersive with a long decay

define cathedral/church reverb

a type of reverb and sub-category of hall reverb, emulating a highly reflective space with very long decay times.

define the being its of using a multi-band limiter when preparing for a song’s commercial release (mastering stage)

• compression reduces the dynamic range

• increases the loudness more than a single band compressor

• compresses each band differently

• lower frequency sounds can have a higher ratio whilst higher frequencies can have a lower ratio

• avoids mid/high frequencies sounding squashed and avoids pumping

• can help improve instances of poor balance in a mix

• can change the tonal balance/eq of  the master

what is a rhodes piano

• also know as the fender Rhodes piano

• an electric piano which became popular during the 1970s.

• the timbre is mellower, with a bell like sound (more closer to a sine wave)

what is the hammond organ

• an electric organ first manufactured in 1935

• it generates sound through creating an electric current from rotating a speaker/ rotary cabinet (which creates a phase/doppler effect)

what is the wurlitzer

• an electric piano produced from 1954.

• has a sound more similar to a sawtooth save giving it a more sharper, punchier sound

what is the Yamaha DX7

• uses FM synthesis

• has a harsh, glassy, chilly sound with a rich, bright tone.

• is polyphonic

• produced in 1983

• know to have complex menus and difficult to use

what is a chamberlin

• an electro-mechanical keyboard

• precursor to the mellotron

• developed from 1949-56

• most are keyboard based, some wee early drum machines

• each key had a tape playing mechanism under to play pre-recorded sounds

define an inverted asdr

a feature of some electronic musical internments which allows the to invert the asdr envelope. during the attack phase the modulated sound fades from the max amplitude to zero, then during the decay phase rises to the value specified by the sustain parameter

how do you figure out delay time with just the bpm of a project (when note length is 1/4)

6x10^4/ bpm = delay time of ¼ (divide by 2 to get 1/8, and 2 again to get 1/16)

describe some production techniques to add interest to a lead vocal

• delay to bring out key words in the song

• reverse reverb effects to create dynamic change/ a feeling of motion

• filtering/eq/telephone effect causing the vocal to move back in the mix, thereby restricting frequency response

• decreasing/bypassing/turning off reverb to bring vocal closer/reduces brightness of the vocal

compare the capture techniques of a sound produced in 1968 and 2002

1968 is recorded using tape/ analogue technology as well as early multi-track (4 tracks). Recording is done live, all in one take. Few mics.

2002 uses DAWs and digital technology. Tracks can be added in post-production.

compare the sequencing and sampling techniques of a song produced in the 1960s and 2000s

1960s doesn’t use any sequencing or sampling or looping as they weren’t available at the time.

2000s has sequencing and sampling technology, and has the ability to tunicate, loop, reverse, pan, modify and effects to sequences and samples.

the use of samples and loops is found primarily in what genre?

hip-hop

the use of pitch-shifting creates what quality

creates a processed quality which sounds contemporary/synthetic

illustrate the style of panning prevalent in the 1960s

hard panning was extremely common as stereo recordings only became prevalent in the late 1950s

the use of sweeping, resonant, spacey fxs create what effect

creates motion/ spatial changes

how does the use of little/no compression effect the sound of a mix

• ensures the dynamic range isn’t compressed

• allows parts to jump out in the mix

• sounds more natural

how does the lack of daws/ sequencers effect the sound of a 1960s production. (rhythm)

no ability to quantise which gives a human/loose feel to the music. Does however make mistakes more prevalent.

how does the use of daws/ sequencers in the 2000s effect the sound of a 2000s production. (rhythm)

quantising and time stretching is available, creating a more mechanical result and marketing mistakes less prevalent.

describe the effects of early 2000s technology on the length of an audio track

longer in duration due to a lack of time limitations/ little limitations on release mediums and radio play

describe the effects of 1960s technology on the length of an audio track

short duration of songs could also be due to the limitations of other release mediums (vinyls) and time requirements of 1960s radio stations

describe the effects of 1960s technology on the capture/ sonic characteristics on a sound

• limitations on the amount of instruments used for a ‘good sounding song’

• bouncing is available but too much bouncing can negatively effect the sound of a track.

• Multitrack only just started expanding so only 4 tracks therefore a limitation on instruments

• variable balance due to few mics and ambient sound.

decried the effects of 2000s technology on the capture/ sonic characteristics on a sound

• increased number of tracks

• contemporary production techniques

explain the changes and effects of new piano capture techniques from the 1960s to now

• equipment is less noise/ digital rather than analog - greater dynamic range and less unwanted noise

• more microphones/tracks are available - better separation of instruments in a mix

• a combination of close and ambient microphones are available - creates the desired bland between mire isolated close mics and the ambience of space/directional microphones

evaluate the use of sequencing technology and the impact it had on music production since the 1980s

• sequencing makes it possible for 1 person to develop multiple instrumental parts for a song - supported the rise of bedroom/home studios

• as few home studios recorded live instruments (and if so only a few), home studios could use 4 and 8 track tape machines synchronised to the sequencer

• allows for the rhythm of audio to be edited

• allows for the creation of complex lines that can’t be easily played out live

• eliminates human error

• began to replace acoustic drum parts with drum machine parts (drum replacement)

• quantising became more common

• sequencers are digital so therefore non-destructive, allowing for faster editing

• encouraged the composition of music in loops

• creation of dance music genres

• daws were born allowing for all sequencing, sampling, recording and effect processing to be handled natively on the computer

• contemporary music production predominately uses daw sequencing technology for production processes

• emerging technology has made it possible to easlity correct pitch and rhythm errors in audio recordings and apply quantising to them - leading to the production of songs with perfect pitch

the use of a sequencer/sampler/drum machine for a drum part sounds what way?

tighter/mechanical/robotic as it has an identical velocity and sample length

layered percussion lines effect a song in what way

it reinforces the narrative of a song

how does looping/re-triggering effect the sound of a song

creates a consistent rhythm and provides landmarks to punctuate the chorus

state how you would describe a delay effect

• the type of delay

• the number of repeaters/ taps/ whether it’s a multi tap or not

• if it has feedback, if so approx numbers

• pan of repeats (stereo/pingpong,ect)

• level of wet and dry approx

state the type of midi techniques that would be used to make drums sound less mechanical

• swing/groove quantising

• humanise/iterative quantising

• leaving some parts unquantised

• different quantise values per line

state some effects that can be heard on a sampler

• looping

• stuttering/note repeat

• reversing

• cutting up sample into separate beats than re-recording

what reason (relating to compression) could an instrument suddenly decrease in volume when a drum (or other loud instrument enters)

• master compression/mix bus compression

• limiter/high ratio

• relatively low threshold

• drums/ loud instruments are high energy

• instrument may also be side-chained to decrease in volume automatically when drums play

Describe how acoustic drum kit production techniques have changed since the 1960s

• more mics so each drum kit element has its own track, or multiple tracks and can individually be processed, panned or balanced

• lower freq in kick drum can be heard better & sounds more sub-bass as a result of separate miking

• stereo overheads to give a picture of the full kit and for better left-right separation

• condenser microphones on overheads to give a greater high frequency detail

• microphones tend to be placed closer giving proximity effect/ less natural reverb

• drums tend to be recorded in a dry/less reverberant space to give greater control in editing and mixing

• digital recording gives less noise and no warm saturation of analogue tape medium

• daw production allows for detailed rhythmic editing/audio quantising

• heavier/more widespread use of compression to limit dynamic range

• typically recorded to a click/ not normally played live with other instruments, so less spill

• drum replacement for a better balance in heavy music

state possible sources of unwanted noise in a recording

• mains/earth/electrical interference/electronics

• traffic noise/ spill from outside the building/ noise from other musicians

• tape hiss

• dirty tape heads

• microphone being knocked

explain the way balance between instruments were controlled when making direct to tape mono recordings in the 1930-1950s

• instrument positioning so the loudest instruments (e.g drums) were the furthest away

• instruments moving closer to microphones during solos to give a level boost

• making physical modifications to instruments/ musicians changing their performance (opening lid of piano/singer belting song/ adjusting gtr/bss amps)

• use of screens so louder instruments don’t cause the larger acoustic space to be excited

• use of multiple mics (when avaliable) so balance between instruments could be manipulated using a mixer (early 4 track)

• spot microphone on quieter instruments (e.g double bass), so low frequencies are present in the mix

• making best use of directional polar patterns, such as musicians moving closer to a directional microphone for proximity effect

the use of samples/ sequencing are seen in what type of genres

dance, hip hop, edm, digital genres

the use of very quiet/incomplete vocals/bvs effect the sound of a song (2010s)

it leaves more space in the stereo field for more layers

the use of subtle room/plate reverb create what sort of sound in a song (2010s)

creates a more intimate sound

timed delay on a song creates what sort of sound in a song (2010s)

creates space/motion and reinforces the rhythm

how does compression on a bus (mix compression) differ from a heavily compressed track

• mix compression is normally lighter and ensures good impact whilst also retaining some natural dynamics, which achieves a gentle build

• a heavily compressed track tends to have pumping and a high level (low dynamic range)

evaluate the impact distortion has had on music production from the 1950s to the present day

• offers a range of textural and lo-fi effects

• harder-edged/gritty music production

• initially was avoided whenever possible, but later became a desired sound/effect

• valve technology was widespread on gtr, bss gtr, electric piano and organ

• the overdriven gtr sound was born out of broken equipment

• modifications such as cutting speaker cones were made to amps to produce distortion

• tape delays can be pushed into high levels of distortion with high feedback levels to create a warm saturated sound

• with large format multitrack recording, engineers and producers experimented with pushing levels to tape into distortion

• tape overload added warmth and a subtle form of compression

• analogue mixer pre-amps to create distortion

• transistors/diodes popularised fuzz effects

• external effects/ pedals in rock music

• amp modelling gave a much wider no of distortion/amp combination

• because of the daw era, instruments that were’t guitars were regularly featuring distortion

• in the daw era bit crusher became popular (as it was digital and not previously avaliable)

• in the daw era producers began to emulate the sound of early samplers + computer game music w a lower bit depth (8-12 bits)

• plug-ins have made it possible to emulate soft clipping associated with with analogue studio equipment (e.g tape machines, mixers, valve pre-amps)

• analogue summing during mixing/mastering

describe the types of reverbs (natural, chamber, plate, spring, digital, daw, convolution)

natural reverb:

• primarily pre-1950

• earliest form of reverb

• captures the rooms reflections

• captured at the time of recording

• can’t be easily removed afterwards

• reverb sound captured is unique to the specific audio/ area

• reverb effect by distance/height of mic and wall angles/room shape

• size of rom effects reverb time, decay time and pre-delay

• reflective surfaces give a brighter reverb

• absorbent materials reduce reverb time/dampen

• increased reverb with omni mics

• still widely used for classical music/jazz/drum recordings

• settings can’t easily be adjusted

chamber reverb:

• pre-1950s

• added post recording

• dry signal played in a room via speaker (in a stairwell/concrete basement/church)

• captures a unique reverb depending on specific studio

• reverb effect by distance/height of mic and wall angles/room shape

• size of rom effects reverb time, decay time and pre-delay

• reflective surfaces give a brighter reverb

• absorbent materials reduce reverb time/dampen

• wet sound blended with dry signal

• omni mics typically used

• stereo mic combonations

• more control over level than natural reverb

• widely used on snare drums

• dense reverb tail

• settings not easily adjusted

plate reverb:

• post 1950s

• added after recordings

• parts captured dry/close mic

• analogue/mechanical

• metal object vibrates

• transducers/pick-ups pick up the sound

• dampeners/tension to adjust reverb time/characteristics

• mono/stereo available later on

• bright tone

• popular on vocals/drum

• short pre-delay

• found in professional studios

spring reverb:

• post 1950s

• added after recordings

• parts captured dry/close mic

• analogue/mechanical

• metal object vibrates

• transducers/pick-ups pick up the sound

• dampeners/tension to adjust reverb time/characteristics

• mono/stereo available later on

• used on gtr/organ/home studio use

• built into amps + organs

• twangy/boing/slack sound

• mid range heavy/ lacks hf

• knocking springs for creative effect

digital reverb:

• post 1980s

• added after recordings

• hardware/rack

• uses algorithms/ series of digital delays

• room/hall/cathedral are common algorithms

• very exact settings possible/ tempo sync/tap tempo

• typically stereo

• easily adjustable settings

• eq/filtered reverb

• gated/reverse/non-linear

• gated reverb used on drums/short samples

• gated reverb adds power without making the sound too muddy

• live use

• midi control

daw/plug-ins:

• post 1990s

• added after recording

• multiple instances

• processes unlimited tracks

• plug-ins such as chromaverb/ space designer

• plug-ins emulate hardware units

• algorithms/ series of digital delays

• very exact settings/ tempo sync/ tap tempo

• easily adjustable settings

• typically stereo

• all settings adjustable (e.g pre-delay, reverb time, decay time)

• eq/filtered reverb

• gated/reverse/non-linar reverb

• presets

• automation of parameters

convolution:

• captures/re-creates acoustic spaces and hardware

• cpu intensive

• in sound design/computer games use

• omni mics typical

• stereo mic combos

what analogue machines were overloaded/modified to create distortion

• valve/tube technology (amps)

• broken equipment

• cutting speaker cones

• tape delay units

• tape

• analogue mixer pre-amps

• transistors/diodes

define intermodulation distortion (IMD)

Distortion in which two or more signals are used in a non-linear system. The output of the non-linear device will consist of the original signals + the sum and difference of the input signals along with their harmonics.

define diodes

unidirectional electrical conductors and part of the Semiconductor family

when was analogue mixer pre-amp overload mostly used

widely in 60s/70s rock

what quality did tape overload add to a song

added warmth and a subtle form of compression

what genres of music was tape delay popular in

psychedelic, reggae and sci-fi soundtracks

the use of distortion on multiple tracks has what effect on the overall sound of a song

• limits dynamic range

• makes everything consistently loud

• blends parts together

gentle saturation/clipping adds what to a song

• adds saturation/analogue/lofi warmth

• gives a mid range eq boost

describe the quality of electric guitar distortion (soft clipping/overdrive/ harmonic distortion)

• high gain/drive gives a high level of sustain

• gritty sound

• not as harsh as non-harmonic/fuzz distortion

how does overdrive effect the timbre of a drum

affects the eq/ timbre

how does heavy compression affect the sound of a drum

• high ratio sounds more aggressive

• pumping from fast attack

• adds sustain

• extremely heavy compression might sound like distortion

how does the use of a valve amp affect the sound of a gtr/bass

warm/soft clipping can be heard

how would you describe the use of sequencing in a song

• the type of sequencer (drum machine, sampler, hardware sequencer)

• if it’s quantised

• the type of quantising/ note entry (e.g 8th/16ths)

• the velocity (is it fixed or varied/humanised)

how is the pitch of a synthesised sound changed

• adjusting the oscillators pitch control/frequency control/vco knob/ coarse tuning

• modulate by a random lfo

• portamento/glide

• changing cut off on resonant filters

• allow an octave/multiple octave/ wide range pitch bend

how would you reverse a sound in the 1960s

• use tape, reverse the tape direction, record tape playing backwards

• tape speed may change

• track numbering may be reverse

• use tape, cut/splice/turn tape around, re-record reversed part on another tape

explain how uncontrolled peaks/clipping can be solved if a daw was used

• compression can be used to reduce peaks and reduced dynamic range to avoid clipping

• volume automation to reduce the peaks/draw in changes just before peaks

• manual gain reduction to drum hits reduces the peaks

• transient shaper reduces attack/punch and softens transients

• multiband compressor/limiter focuses on specific instruments and stops it sounding too squashed/compressed

• paste part from similar section of a song

• forms a patch/ crossfade to disguise join to avoid phase issues

described the process for setting up for an electric guitar recording without the use of a hardware amplifier/microphone

• jack/unbalanced cable from guitar

• use DI box

• select instrument on DI box

• use a guitar specific audio interface

• ensure DI has power if required (e.g battery/phantom)

• adjust gain

• use amp simulator effect in DAW

• turn on software monitoring

explain one process that could be used to maintain a high average level of a extremely high master waveform

compressor/limiter/multi-band compression  to reduce transient peaks and increase avg level w/o distortion

state some techniques that could be used when re-mastering a song (specifically old songs), and the effects it would have on the sound

• eq - lpf/high shelf cut to remove hiss, hpf/notch filter to remove rumble/hum

• noise reduction - removes hiss/crackle/hum/distortion, however artefacts from noise reduction is audible

• noise gate - cleans up the start and end

• compression- high perceived loudness, reduces transients/peaks

• top and tail trimmed - very short gaps at start and end/ no unwanted noise audible

describe the challenges associated with close miking a saxophone, and how the challenges could be overcome

• noise of the keys - point/place mic away from keys

• breath noise - point mic away from players mouth

• wide frequency response - use a condenser/dynamic/ribbon with a wide frequency response

• wide dynamic range - use a condenser mic with a fast transient response

• capturing a balanced sound across the full range/unwanted resonances - don’t mic directly on the bell/move further away from mic

• player moving around - place mic further away/use a clip on mic

• high spl/ clipping - use a dynamic mic/pad on mic/ place misc slightly further away/ place off axis/ reduce gain

• too much proximity/ low end - place mic slightly further away axis/ use omni mic/ use hpf

describe the challenges associated with close miking a trombone, and how the challenges could be overcome

• high spl/ clipping - use a dynamic mic/pad on mic/ place misc slightly further away/ place off axis/ reduce gain

• player moving around - place mic further away/use a clip on mic

• loud/harsh transients - large diaphragm mic to smooth out transients/ use a mic with a slower transient response (NOT ALL THE TIME)

• wide frequency response - use a condenser/dynamic/ribbon with a wide frequency response

• too much proximity/ low end - place mic slightly further away axis/ use omni mic/ use hpf

• valve/slide noise - point/place mic away from thumb valve/use valve oil or grease

the use of quantising/ an arpeggiator/ looped guitar/ limited velocity shaping creates what sort of sound

• creates a tighter rhythm/ mechanical rhythm

• lacks human feel

not compressing lead vocals/ having natural vocal dynamics creates what sort of sound

gives more expression/impact/sounds more natural

light mix compression affects a master in what way

• makes the master seem quiet (by modern standards)

• leaves a wider dynamic range

• lower perceived volume

panning an orchestra across the entire stereo field creates what effect

• gives an audience perspective

• gives more instrument separation

having both the bv’s and lv being panned centre creates what effect

gives a unified vocal texture

what is ADT

automated double tracking

a lot of tracks panned close to centre is good for what sort of music and why

edm/house/club music as it has good mono compatibility

wah pedal and a guitar sounds similar to what

vocals/ vocal-like-expression

what sort of guitar tone is suitable for disco/funk

cleaner w/ less distortion

describe ways in which piano capture techniques have changed since the 1960s

• equipment is less nosy/ digital rather than analogue  - greater dynamic range/ less unwanted noise

• more mics/ tracks available - better separation of instruments

• stereo capture - gives a pleasing stereo field

• combination of close/ ambient mics - creates the desired blend between more isolated close mics and ambient of recording space

• sampled/software instrument/sequenced piano lines more commonplace  - opportunities to change the piano sound/ no problem with spill or isolation/ ability to quantise and correct mistakes