Quality Parameters of Audio Signals
Quality Parameters of Audio Signals
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Quality Parameter of Audio Signals (530KB) Download this document in Acrobat format for printing and offline viewing. |
Professional radio broadcasting should have the ambition to make sound productions and transmissions of high quality.
Quality in audio broadcasting has two aspects:
1. A sound production should represent the original intention of the artist (writer, composer, interpreter etc.). It is the task of the production team to use the studio equipment in such a skillful way, that this aim is achieved.
2. Pre-recorded material should be reproduced in such a way, that it is identical to the original recording. The "sound" of the recording should not be changed. Any undesired change to the original recording is considered a loss in sound quality. The professional broadcast equipment normally used has to comply with the highest sound quality standards and is therefore very expensive.
This course will deal with the second item only, the technical aspect of sound quality. The first item would be subject of a producer course.
The sound quality obtained in the broadcasting studio is for the benefit and the pleasure of thousands or even million of listeners. In expectation of this quality, some of them make quite some investments in expensive radio sets, to make full use of this sound quality. It is therefore the duty of all broadcasting personnel to make sure, that the quality of the equipment is fully used.
All broadcasting personnel is involved in keeping up the sound quality of radio productions, but their parts in it are different. Some of their concern could be listed as follows:
Producers/Announcers: - operate the equipment properly,
- identify poor sound quality,
- report problems to the maintenance department.
Operators: - operate the equipment properly,
- identify poor sound quality,
- report problems to the maintenance department.
Maintenance: - communicate with the operators and producers,
- identify poor sound quality,
- maintain the equipment properly.
Although the duties of the three groups are different, there are some very important abilities, which are required by all of them:
- To be aware of the demand for high sound quality.
- To be able to identify deficiencies in sound quality.
- To have the basic knowledge to avoid improper operation of the equipment.
- To be able to communicate with others about sound quality problems.
It is the aim of this course to train all groups of broadcasting personnel in the skills listed above.
In order to be able to communicate with others about sound quality, it is necessary to get acquainted with the terms used to describe sound quality. These are the sound quality parameters. Although these are technical or physical terms, also the non-technicians will have to use them, in order to have a common vocabulary to discuss sound quality problems. But it is not mandatory for everyone to have a full knowledge of the complex technical background for all of these terms. This course will therefore only deal with the basic definitions of these terms.
The number of sound quality parameters used in broadcasting is limited. Some people would argue, that more parameters are necessary to analyse and describe the quality of some equipment fully. In order to keep the matter understandable and also to keep the maintenance procedures in economical limits, the following parameters could be sufficient:
- Signal level,
- Frequency response,
- Distortions,
- Noise,
- Wow and Flutter.
Unfortunately sometimes different terms are used for some of these parameters.
This course will deal with each parameters in one chapter, discussing the practical and the theoretical aspects. The knowledge transfered in this course, should be mandatory for producer and operators.
Maintenance technicians or engineers have to deal with this subject more in detail.
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Quality Parameter of Audio Signals (530KB) Download this document in Acrobat format for printing and offline viewing. |
Quality Parameters of Audio Signals