TS vs TRS: What’s the Difference?
TS vs TRS: What’s the Difference? TS and TRS cables are used everywhere in audio production and entertainment. You’ll find them in large professional recording studios, stadiums jam-packed with fans for a live musical performance, and in smaller home installations. But what’s the difference between the two? In this article, we’ll compare TS vs TRS connectors and cables, and look at when and where you should use each to get the best out of your investment. Other Names TS and TRS cables and connectors are commonly grouped together under a couple of different umbrella terms depending on the outside diameter […]
Ribbon Microphone vs Condenser
Ribbon Microphone vs Condenser The crown jewel of every modern recording studio is it’s mic cabinet. Inside, you’ll commonly find dozens of microphones of all shapes, sizes, and types, each used for a specific situation or application. Using the right mic for the job is a fusion between both science and art, as is the case with many other aspects of audio production. In this ribbon microphone vs condenser comparison, we’ll investigate the inner workings of the two and look at major differences in design, function, and utility. Let’s dig in. What is a Ribbon Microphone? In order to compare […]
How Do Wireless Headphones Work?
How Do Wireless Headphones Work? Modern technology is a true miracle. The past 100 years have brought an exponential explosion in technological innovation, jumpstarted by the Industrial Revolution. More advancements have been made in this time period than in the sum of the rest of all of human existence, which is both pretty astounding and also somewhat unsettling. In this article, we’ll break down a recent technological innovation that enabled us to make the jump from wired consumer headphones to wireless headphones. How do wireless headphones work, and who invented the wireless technology that enables them to function? Let’s take […]
What Does XLR Stand For?
What Does XLR Stand For? If you’re involved in music production and pro audio, you’ve most likely heard the acronym “XLR” being thrown around here and there. We use XLR cables to connect condenser microphones to audio interfaces, and even high-end headphones sometimes use mini XLR connectors. But what does XLR stand for? In this article, we’ll take a look at the meaning behind the acronym, and some history behind our favorite mic cables. Cannon Electric & XLR History Well, what does XLR stand for? It’s important to know the history behind XLR connectors in order to gain an understanding […]
Dynamic Range Control Using Compression
Dynamic Range Control Using Compression Dynamic range compression sounds scary. Almost like some kind of horrible disease or ailment. Fortunately, the concept isn’t as bad (or confusing) as it sounds. Compression is a form of dynamic range control, and an important topic in signal processing, audio engineering, acoustics, and music production. Let’s break it down! Boring Terminology If you’re not a nerd, you may fall asleep reading this. But I’d argue that knowing these things will help you understand compression and other dynamic range control methods. Do not read while driving or operating heavy machinery. Dynamic – describes something that […]
Harmonics & Additive Synthesis
Harmonics & Additive Synthesis A waveform is a periodic mathematical function (or sum of functions) defined by frequency, amplitude and phase. Frequency is the number of full cycles or periods that the waveform goes through in one second. And a harmonic is a waveform with a frequency that is a perfect integer multiple of the frequency of any given fundamental waveform. When the frequency is not an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, we call it an inharmonic. Harmonics and inharmonics are both grouped into a larger category that we call partials. Partials are all of the simple component waveforms […]
Audio Signal Filtering
Audio Signal Filtering Your pool guy would tell you they keep things out of your pool. Your car guy would tell you they keep things out of your engine. Your computational fluid dynamics guy (you have one of those, right?) would tell you they keep things out of your Navier-Stokes equations. And I’d tell you that filters keep things out of your audio signal. Fourier analysis and theory says that a signal (electrical, audio, electromagnetic, etc.) can be decomposed into an infinite number of different sinusoidal waveforms all with different frequencies, amplitudes, and phases. A filter in electrical engineering, communications, […]
Frequency Modulation
Frequency Modulation Frequency modulation, also known as FM, is a signal processing method used around the world in radio broadcasting, radar, medicine, music production, and a load of other technologies. And yes, that’s what the “FM” stands for in FM radio. But what is it exactly, and how does it work? This article will demystify the concept for you. Modulation The word “modulate” really just means to instantaneously change some property of a signal waveform using a different waveform. When one signal waveform “modulates” another, it changes a property of the signal being modulated. We call the signal being modulated […]
Waveform Phase & Phase Cancellation
Waveform Phase & Phase Cancellation In order to understand music production, we first need to understand how waveform phase and phase cancellation can effect the interactions between waveforms. Without a fundamental understanding of this subject, it may become difficult to identify and pinpoint phase problems, especially when we’re dealing with audio. Sinusoidal Functions Sine waves are periodic mathematical functions represented by the equation y(t) = A sin(ωt + θ). It may look confusing to those of us who have never been exposed to it, but this equation basically says that the y-value (height) in a time-versus-height graph depends on the […]
Spectral Analysis & Fast Fourier Transforms
The Fourier Transform Arguably one of the most important developments in applied mathematics in modern times is the Fourier transform. The Fourier transform is a mathematical operation that takes any waveform and breaks it down into individual component sine waves at different frequencies and amplitudes. These are then represented by peaks in a frequency spectrum, and this whole process is called spectral analysis. A waveform as a summation of many simple sine waves is a concept seen in all oscillatory physical phenomena, including electromagnetic radiation, AC electricity, rotational motion, and the most important one for our purposes… sound. Let’s dig […]
