Audioguide: Production Basics

Welcome to Audioguide, a brand new podcast series from audio.com, where we explore the world of sound and audio production. I'm your host, Laura Michelle Smith, and in our first episode, we're going back to basics. We'll delve into the very foundations of audio production to help you understand the fundamental concepts that underpin everything to do with sound. Let's start with the building blocks of sound: sound waves. Sound is a form of energy that travels through the air in the form of waves. These waves are created when an object, such as a guitar string, drum, or even your own vocal cords, disturbs the surrounding air molecules. As a result, those molecules begin to vibrate and pass the energy along in the form of waves. One of the key properties of sound waves is frequency. Frequency refers to the number of vibrations or cycles per second, and is measured in hertz, often abbreviated to the letters Hz. Higher frequencies produce higher-pitched sounds, while lower frequencies create lower-pitched sounds. For instance, a high-pitched musical note, like a whistle, has a higher frequency, whereas a deep bass note has a lower frequency. Amplitude is another crucial concept. Amplitude represents the height of the sound wave, which in turn determines the loudness or volume of the sound. The greater the amplitude, the louder the sound. Think of it like the volume knob on your audio system. Understanding these fundamental concepts — sound waves, frequency, and amplitude — is essential because they form the basis of all audio production. Whether you're recording, mixing, or mastering, these principles are at the core of what you do. For instance, when you record audio, you're likely going to capture these sound waves with a microphone. The microphone's diaphragm moves in response to the incoming sound waves, converting them into an electrical signal that can be processed and stored. When mixing, you'll use tools like equalisation to adjust the frequency balance of different elements in your audio, and compression to manage the amplitude variations, ensuring a consistent sound. And in mastering, you'll make final tweaks to the overall sound, ensuring it's optimised for its intended playback environment. So, as you venture further into the world of audio production, always remember these foundational principles. They're the bedrock upon which your audio expertise will be built. That's a wrap for today's episode on audio production basics. We've covered the key concepts of sound waves, frequency, and amplitude. In future episodes, we'll delve deeper into these concepts and explore more advanced topics in audio production. If you liked this episode, why not share it with a friend? Got any feedback? Feel free to join our social channels or email us at social@audio.com. Thanks for listening, and until next time!