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EnglandMusic Technology

Recording techniques

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How does microphone placement shape a recording, and how do stereo miking techniques create a width and image?

Microphone placement: close, distant and ambient miking, the proximity effect, off-axis placement, and stereo techniques (spaced pair AB, coincident XY, ORTF, Mid-Side) and how each creates a stereo image.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9MT0 placement content, covering close, distant and ambient miking, the proximity effect, off-axis placement, and stereo techniques (spaced pair, XY, ORTF, Mid-Side) and the image each produces.
13 min answer →

How do microphones convert sound into a signal, and how do their type and polar pattern affect what they capture?

Microphone types (dynamic, condenser, ribbon) and how each transduces sound, polar patterns (cardioid, omnidirectional, figure-of-eight, hyper-cardioid), and how type and pattern govern frequency response, sensitivity and rejection.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9MT0 microphone content, covering dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones, how each works, polar patterns (cardioid, omnidirectional, figure-of-eight), and how type and pattern affect frequency response and rejection.
12 min answer →

How is a full multitrack recording built up part by part, and what does Component 1 reward?

The multitrack recording process for Component 1: planning a session, recording each part to its own track, overdubbing and the click track, monitoring and the headphone mix, capturing a clean balanced multitrack, and documenting the process in the logbook.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9MT0 Component 1 recording process, covering session planning, recording each part to its own track, overdubbing and the click track, monitoring, capturing a clean multitrack, and the logbook.
12 min answer →

What is the path a signal takes from microphone to recorder, and why does setting the right level at each stage matter?

The recording signal chain: microphone, mic preamp and gain, line and mic level, the A/D converter and audio interface, balanced and unbalanced connections, and gain staging to optimise the signal-to-noise ratio and avoid clipping.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9MT0 signal chain content, covering microphone, preamp and gain, mic and line level, the A/D converter and interface, balanced connections, and gain staging for signal-to-noise and headroom.
12 min answer →