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Audio Track List and Descriptions of Track Content

Track 1: Harmonic Series – 10 Harmonics and 17 Harmonics Sine Waves

Harmonic Series built in sine waves on C2. It is played twice, first with 10 harmonics

and then with 17 harmonics. Each series is first arpeggiated, followed by the harmonic

series as a chord.

Track 2: Harmonic Series – 10 Harmonics Performed on Piano

Harmonic Series performed on an acoustic piano, built on C2. It is played twice, each

containing 10 harmonics. The first series is without sustain pedal depressed, the second

with sustain pedal. Each series is first arpeggiated, followed by the harmonic series as a

chord.

Track 3: Sustained Piano Notes

Two sustained piano notes of D0. The first without sustain pedal, the second with sustain

pedal depressed. Notice the appearances, entrances and exits of the different harmonics

and overtones present throughout the duration of the two sounds.

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Tracks 4–13: Reference Frequencies and Reference Pitches

These are a few potential reference pitches and frequencies to assist the reader in learning

pitch estimation and in establishing one’s own pitch reference. The frequencies are

sawtooth waves. The pitches are each repeated three times, and are piano sounds.

Track 4: 60 Hz

Track 5 100 Hz

Track 6: 250 Hz

Track 7: 1 kHz

Track 8: 2.5 kHz

Track 9: 4 kHz

Track 10: A4 (440 Hz)

Track 11: C4 (261.6 Hz)

Track 12: B-flat4 (466.2 Hz)

Track 13: E2 (82.4 Hz)

Tracks 14–18: Pitch Register Boundaries

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A piano is performing the groups of pitches that form the boundaries or thresholds

between the pitch registers. Each is performed three times.

Track 14: LOW to LOW-MID Boundary

Track 15: LOW-MID to MID Boundary

Track 16: MID to MID-UPPER Boundary

Track 17: MID-UPPER to HIGH Boundary

Track 18: HIGH to VERY HIGH Boundary

Tracks 19–25: Pitch Area Evaluation Source Material

These drum and cymbal sounds may serve as source material for performing pitch area

evaluations, and may also be used for other exercises found throughout the book.

Track 19: Kick Drum

Track 20: Tom 1

Track 21: Tom 2

Track 22: Tom 3

Track 23: Snare Drum

Track 24: Crash Cymbal

Track 25: Ride Cymbal

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Recording session for drum tracks, showing some of the microphone placements.

Tracks 26–33: Time Judgment Exercise

On each track a snare drum sound is delayed, and the delayed sound is combined with the

direct sound. Each track first has the direct sound in the left speaker and a single delay in

the right speaker; after one second of silence the delay is repeated four times in both

speakers. All sounds are of equal amplitude.

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Track 26: 50 ms delay

Track 27: 40 ms delay

Track 28: 30 ms delay

Track 29: 20 ms delay

Track 30: 15 ms delay

Track 31: 10 ms delay

Track 32: 5 ms delay

Track 33: 2 ms delay

Tracks 34–36: Rhythms of Reflections

This is a realization of the patterns of reflections found in Figure 1.10. A snare-drum

sound is delayed and attenuated appropriately to demonstrate the patterns of reflections.

Track 34: Pattern 1

Track 35: Pattern 2

Track 36: Both patterns simultaneously

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Track 37: Musical Balance and Performance Intensity Closely Matched

The musical balance of the instruments in the mix closely resembles the performance

intensities of the original performance. This recording was made using an ORTF stereo

microphone technique with the addition of an accent microphone in the bass drum. A hall

reverb program was then applied to the mix.

Track 38: Musical Balance Changed from Original Performance Intensity

The musical balance of the mix presents instruments at different loudness levels than

their original performances. This mix has many unnatural relationships of performance

intensity versus musical balance; some are deliberately over-exaggerated to provide

clarity to this concept.

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Distant microphone placements for cello recording.

Tracks 39–41: Distance Location

A single cello performance illustrating different distance cues. A single performance was

recorded with ten different microphones tracked separately. Each microphone was at a

different distance (varying from several inches to over twenty feet), height, and angle to

the cello. Different combinations of the microphones provided proximity, near, and far

distance location qualities.

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Track 39: Proximity

Track 40: Near

Track 41: Far

Close and near microphone placements for cello recording.

Tracks 42–44: Stereo Location

A single guitar performance was recorded using several microphones at different

distances, height, and angles to the instrument. These separate microphone tracks were

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used to create the two spread-image sizes of tracks 42 and 43. Reverb was added to track

42 to create track 44; the reader might wish to add a different reverb to track 42 and

compare the results.

Track 42: Narrow-spread image of guitar performance

Track 43: Wide-spread image of guitar performance

Track 44: Narrow-spread image of guitar performance source with a reverb program

added to widen the image.

Close microphone placements for guitar recording.

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Distant microphone placements for guitar recording.

Tracks 45–47: Space within Space

Description: Various sound source and environment groupings provide examples of

space-within-space considerations. Some material is purposefully over-exaggerated

(without concern for artistic results) to allow for easier recognition of the concepts.

Track 45: The snare drum and high hat appear in the same environment but at

different distances. The bass drum is in a separate environment.

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Track 46: Additional different environments existing side by side are presented here.

The bass drum and snare drum have separate environments, and a third environment is

created for the toms.

Track 47: A distinct overall environment is superimposed onto an overall program to

apply a perceived performance environment. The environment has very pronounced

qualities and was applied at a high level to emphasize this concept. This environment was

applied to the mix of Track 53. The reader may wish to add a different hall or reverb

program or other processing to that track to observe other results.

Recording session for drum tracks, showing additional microphone placements.

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Tracks 48–53: Sound-stage Dimensions and Production Aesthetics

Description: These tracks were made from a single drum-set performance, recorded by

fifteen close microphones, four stereo microphone techniques and six microphones

capturing room sound. Various mixes and stereo microphone technique recordings were

made from the same solo drum set performance for the tracks in this section. They were

also used to create tracks 37, 38, 45, 46 and 47.

Track 48: Mix of close microphones resulting in a wide and deep sound stage.

Images have many different widths and distances and appear in individualized locations.

This is a highly controlled mix with crafted sound qualities and unnatural relationships of

sounds.

Track 49: This is the mix of track 48 with the addition of a pair of cardioid

microphones in an X-Y coincident technique. The microphones were located

approximately 0.75 meters above and 0.25 meters behind the drummer’s head. The

stereo pair adds an overall environment to the drum set for another space-within-space

relationship and it changes the listener-to-sound stage relationship.

Track 50: ORTF (near coincident) stereo microphone array using Neumann TLM

103 microphones located approximately 0.5 meters above and 0.25 meters behind the

drummer’s head.

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Track 51: Spaced omnidirectional microphone technique with two DPA 4006-TL

microphones located approximately 2 meters from each side of the drum set.

Track 52: Tracks recorded with closely placed microphones are mixed to

approximate a live performance. The relationships of performance intensity and musical

balance are closely aligned, and sounds are focused in the center area of the sound stage.

A single overall environment has been subtly added to provide common sonic traits to all

sounds, and create a sense of fusion.

Track 53: The musical balance (dynamic levels of the mix) of track 52 is used here,

unaltered. The sound stage is widened significantly, and some distance locations are

altered. Instruments are placed in one of four distinct environments: bass drum and snare

drum have separate environments (the snare drum’s environment has a shorter decay than

it had in track 46), all cymbals are in a single environment, and all toms are in a single

environment (the tom environment has a significantly longer decay than it had in track

46).

The reader might want to use this track (or any of the other drum mixes) to experiment

with changes to the overall qualities of the recording, especially perceived performance

environment, timbral density, and program dynamic contour. Subtle changes in these

areas are often elements of mastering a recording.

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Tracks 54–56: Playback System Set-Up and Calibration

The following tracks are presented to assist the reader in evaluating the quality of their

playback system and to help them prepare for accurate listening to the audio tracks and to

the musical examples cited in Understanding and Crafting the Mix.

The listener’s playback system should not have a loudness button or tone control

engaged. Loudspeakers should be located away from walls and reflective surfaces, and

the listener seated appropriately. Chapter 15 discusses playback system and listening-

location considerations. These sections should be examined to establish as accurate a

playback system and environment as is reasonable for one’s situation and financial

means.

Performing listening evaluations with an inaccurate playback system will lead to

inaccurate conclusions. The material will be misperceived and learned incorrectly. The

reader/listener must hear the tracks and musical examples cited in this book accurately in

order to learn to recognize these new materials.

An inexpensive sound-pressure level meter will greatly assist you in this process.

Track 54: Setting an appropriate listening level

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Pink noise is played in two 8-second segments. The first segment should be at a nominal

listening level. The second segment is 5 dB higher, and represents loudness levels that

might typically be reached during a typical music recording.

Set your loudness level so that the first segment is at a comfortable, though somewhat

loud level. If a sound-pressure level meter is available it should read approximately 85

dB SPL. This will be your nominal listening level, and should become the average level

of the program material you will hear.

Do not adjust the level. The second segment will be noticeably louder, but it should be

tolerable and should not cause distortion to your playback system. If it is not tolerable,

lower the level and listen to the first segment again. If you are noticing a distortion in the

sound, your playback system is in need of attention. You must address this situation

before using the playback system for listening exercises.

Track 55: Evaluating the loudness balance between left and right loudspeakers

Pink noise is now directed to individual channels. In 5-second segments, pink noise will

appear at the left speaker, the right, then center (each speaker equally). This sequence is

repeated three times. All sounds are at the same loudness level and should be played

back at your nominal listening level that was set while listening to track 54.

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Use these pink-noise segments to ensure that the loudness relationship between the two

speakers is correct, and that radical room interference or alterations to sound are noticed.

Any reversed loudspeaker polarity should be apparent. Listening carefully, one should try

to determine that there are no differences in spectrum (sound quality) and amplitude

between the speakers and when they are combined. Any detectible differences between

the left and right channels are cause for concern and need to be traced. The SPL meter

will be very useful for balancing the loudness levels of the two speakers.

Track 56: Evaluating frequency response

Six 5-second sine tones are presented in the following order:

1 kHz

100 Hz

5 kHz

500 Hz

15 kHz

40 Hz

All sounds are at the same sound-pressure level, and you should be playing them back at

the same nominal listening level that was set in track 54. The first four tones should be

readily apparent, and near the same loudness level—depending upon your nominal

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listening level. If this is not the case, a serious problem is present in the monitoring

system that must be corrected before using the system to evaluate sound.

The last two tones are at the extremes of the hearing range and are likely near (or just

beyond) the limits of your playback system. These two tones will appear significantly

softer, though they are recorded at the same SPL as the other four. While this should not

cause alarm, readers must be aware of the limits of their playback systems as well as their

own hearing. These tones provide a first step that will lead to that knowledge.

CREDITS:

Cello: Eli Cohn

Drums: Thomas Yahoub

Guitar: David Janco

Piano: Daniel Bolton and Sage Atwood

Engineers: Phil Reese and William Moylan

Assistant Engineer: Erh-Chaun Lai

Producer: William Moylan

Mastering engineer: Adam Ayan

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Recorded and mixed in the Sound Recording Technology Studios at the University of

Massachusetts Lowell.

Mastered at Gateway Mastering Studios, Inc. Portland, Maine.

Copyright and Phonorecord ℗ 2006 by William Moylan. All rights reserved.