and   production   time.   For   shorter   productions,   the prerecorded   music   and   sound   effects   method   is recommended. RECORDER  AND  REPRODUCER  SETUP Before beginning production, you should make sure all  the  recorders  and  reproducers  have  calibrated  levels. Commonly, a 1000-cycle tone is used to set all the VU (volume-units)  meters  (both  in  record  and  reproduce modes) to 100 percent. The tone series as a reference point  for  aligning  the  different  recorders  you  maybe using. Most studios have the tone hard-wired into the control  board  or  the  control  room  patch  panel.  Other production  studios  have  the  tone  prerecorded  on  a cartridge. SPECIAL  EFFECTS In   audio   production,   there   are   times   when   an ordinary sound is not enough to convey the message or the intent of the script. Accordingly, you may enhance or change a sound electronically to produce an entirely different effect. The  five  most  commonly  used  special  effects  are  as follows: Filtering Equalization Reverb  and  echo Phasing All of the audio effects covered in this section are produced electronically using studio equipment (except phasing). Filtering A filter is an electronic circuit designed to pass only selected  frequencies  and  to  eliminate  all  others.  An audio signal filtering device is often built into the control board or wired into the studio patch panel. Using filters, you  can  reduce  the  lows  and  enhance  the  highs  of  a microphone signal to simulate a voice coming from a telephone or radio speaker. Filtering is most commonly used during the recording process. Equalization Equalization  is  similar  to,  but  has  more  exacting results  than,  filtering.  An  equalizer  is  a  piece  of equipment that alters the frequency response of an audio signal, allowing for the modification of specific portions of   the   overall   signal.   In   other   words,   whereas equalization  does  not  totally  eliminate  frequencies  —  it does vary their playback level. You can use an equalizer to  match  audio  originating  in-studio  with  on-location audio by adjusting specific audio frequencies. Another common use of equalization is to correct acoustical  problems  that  occur  at  remote  recording locations. Reverb and Echo The   terms   reverb  and  echo  are   often   used interchangeably,  but  are  two  distinctly  different  sounds. Echo is defined as the repetition of sound and is often achieved by using a reel-to-reel recorder. Reverb is the persistence of sound until it fades away and it is usually achieved by using a cartridge machine. The reason for the  difference  is  the  distance  between  the  record  and playback heads on the two different types of machines. The heads of a cartridge machine are closer than those of a reel tape machine. The closer the heads, the more persistent or reverberated the sound. The farther apart the heads, the more repetitive the sound, giving an echo effect. To get either effect, just open up that particular pot (potentiometer) of the machine while you are recording on that same machine. The more you open the pot, the greater  the  effect.  To  achieve  the  echo  effect  on  a reel-to-reel  machine,  you  must  set  the  machine  function switches  to  both  playback  and  record.  This  is  not necessary  when  using  a  cartridge  machine  because  it only has a record switch. Of the two effects, reverb can be distorted more easily. Both effects can be overdone to  the  point  that  the  message  cannot  be  understood. Therefore, you should use these effects with caution. Phasing Phasing   is   that   spacey,   wavelike   sound   you sometimes   hear   on   the   voice   for   rock   concert promotions. This effect adds depth to the sound and is usually used to enhance the voice. It is achieved when two identical audio sources are played back at slightly different  start  times. To get a better idea of what phasing is, try it out for yourself.  First,  record  a  piece  of  copy,  then  make  an identical copy of it on another tape. Record both copies onto  a  third  tape,  starting  the  first  two  a  split  second apart. If you start them too far apart, you will have an echo.  If  you  start  them  too  close  together,  the  phase effect will not be pronounced enough. You can produce other effects in the studio using the speed adjustments on the reel-to-reel machines. You can also edit the audiotape, taking out the pauses in the voice and  making  it  sound  as  if  two  different  sources  were 13-23