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Plotting the individual sources against the time line, without concern for levels and rates of activity of the component parts of a sound, will allow the listener to compile preliminary information on the material without get-ting overwhelmed by detail. This process is also an excellent first step in getting acquainted with the activity of writing down material that is being heard (the taking of dictation). It may become a common initial activity each time the listener undertakes a detailed evaluation of a sound event. A reliable ability to place sources against a time line (and, of course, cor-rectly identifying the time line) will be assumed throughout the remainder of the book. This process will be repeated, at least conceptually, before almost all future exercises. This is also an excellent exercise for learning to identify all the sound sources (instruments and vocals) present in a mix—

something that sounds simple and often proves otherwise.

Listing sound sources is an important first step in many evaluations and will need to be undertaken as a first step toward plotting sources against a time line. It is important that all individual sources be identified and listed separately. These individual sources often act independently and were usually recorded with some degree of separation, giving the recordist an independent control of the sound that will be evaluated in many ways. Lists of sound sources should identify all independent vocal parts separately. Groups of background vocals presenting one musical idea should be listed as a single sound source; similarly, groups of stringed instruments playing one line or musical idea would also be labeled as “strings.” Instruments should be listed by names. When more

than one instrument of the same type is used the instruments should be numbered either by order of appearance, or by range—with the highest instrument usually the lowest number. Sounds should not be listed by descriptive terms (lush guitar, happy flute, etc.). If the listener is at a loss as to what to call a sound, using terms such as “unknown 1” would be appropriate. Performing a sound quality evaluation (even a general one) would allow the listener to further define the sound as “unknown 1, with long final decay.” When the listener does not know the names of instru-ments, or the sound sources are very unique, listing sound sources must be undertaken with care, and will take effort. For example, it would be a great undertaking to list the sound sources from “Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles. Many of the song’s sound sources would need to be described in terms that addressed the sound source or the sound quality.

As a common activity, the reader should (1) create a listing of the sound sources in the sound event, (2) create a time line of the event, and (3) plot the listed sound sources against the time line. The reader should practice Exercise 5-2 (at the end of the chapter), and become comfortable with the process.

Figure 5-3 provides an example of sound sources plotted against a time line. The listener will be able to follow the figure while listening to The Beatles’ “She Said She Said.” The recordist must be able to quickly recognize sound sources and focus on the activity of each. As an addi-tional activity, complete the graph by plotting the presence of the high hat part against the time line.

High Hat

Figure 5-3 Sound sources placed against time line, The Beatles: “She Said She Said.”.

Notating Sounds in Snapshots of Time

Some important components of sound might not change over time. While they are static, their status may be a very important characteristic of the sound event/object. These sound components can be evaluated without a time line, as states that exist throughout a defined time period. Sounds are examined for the states of their component parts that remain unchanged over the time period, as if examining a snapshot of the sound’s existence over the time period.

The location of instruments on a sound stage is one such possibility.

While it is very possible for sound sources to change stereo location or distance location, sound sources often remain in the same location for extended periods of time (entire verses or choruses, for example). It is also common for some sound sources to remain in the same location throughout an entire song.

The graphs used for plotting the components can also be used to show the static, unchanging states. The X-axis can be used to provide a place for each sound source that is present, instead of a time line. Many sources can then be placed against the same vertical axis. In addition, the diagrams of the perceived performance environment can also be used to show placement of sound sources and the dimensions of the sound stage, when appropriate (as will be discussed in Chapter 9).

Summary

Graphs will often need to be supplemented by verbal descriptions to com-plete evaluations of sound events or sound objects. Simply graphing a sound does not complete the evaluation.

The contents of the graphs need to be reviewed, and then described through observations of the content and activity of the materials. In all instances, the language and concepts used to define and describe the sound must be completely objective in nature. All descriptions refer to the actual levels and any changes of levels, of the components of the sound.

The descriptions lead to overall observations about the qualities of the sound itself, and its relationships to the other events/objects and the entire recording.

The listener must never use subjective impressions or descriptions of the sound in the evaluation. Such impressions are unique to each indi-vidual, cannot be accurately communicated between individuals (they mean something different to all people), and do not contribute to an understanding and recognition of the characteristics of the sound.

Subjective impressions or descriptions do not contribute pertinent, meaningful information about the sound.

Evaluations or descriptions that are based on an individual’s personal perceptions or impressions about a sound cannot communicate concepts and ideas that will contribute to an understanding of the characteristics of sound. While they may be important in another way to the individual, they have no place in the evaluation process that seeks to discover and define information about the characteristics of the sound. Subjective observations may, however, be important to artists or listeners. These are different concerns and must be approached as such. Often these observa-tions are based on feelings, moods, emoobserva-tions, or personal interpretaobserva-tions of any other sort. These matters will not be addressed in this book.

The next five chapters will take the reader through the artistic ele-ments and perceived parameters of recordings, working through the system for evaluating sound. The sequence of activities outlined above, and the process of notating (graphing) sound will be core activities of those chapters.

In order to benefit the most from these chapters, the reader should take the time to work carefully through the examples and exercises. The many nuances of sound contained in recordings will gradually become more apparent, and the reader will gradually acquire an ability to talk about sound in ways that have clear meaning to others. Further, the reader will find they are better able to understand their own recordings, and better able to approach recording projects creatively.

Exercises

The following exercises should be practiced until you are comfortable with the material covered.

Exercise 5-1

Time Judgment Exercise.

Using a digital delay unit and a recording of a high-pitch drum (or a drum machine):

1. Route a nondelayed signal to one loudspeaker and a delayed signal to the other loudspeaker.

2. Delay the signal and perform many repetitions of the sound while changing time-increments that are easily recognized. Always move by the same time increment, such as 100 ms, during any given listening session.

3. As confidence is obtained in being able to accurately judge certain time units, move to other time units—both smaller and larger—and repeat the sequence in Step 2.

4. When control of time relationships is accurate within certain defined limits and you are confident in this ability, test that accuracy by routing both the direct and delayed signals to both loudspeakers (or to a single loudspeaker).

5. Continue to work through many repetitions of time increments in a systematic manner, comparing the qualities of the time relationships of each listening to previous and successive material, in a logical sequence (a suggested pattern/sequence: 150 ms, 125 ms, 100 ms, 75 ms, 125 ms, 150 ms).

6. Continue moving to smaller and smaller time units, until consistency has been achieved at being able to accurately judge time increments of 3 to 5 ms.

Being able to recognize small time units—such as several milliseconds—

will take considerable practice. It is, however, quite possible to develop skill in recognizing the sound quality of these time units when they are presented as delay times of repeated sounds. The different time delays will have distinctly different sound qualities, once you are able to recognize and remember the individual qualities. These time delays will be heard as

“timbres of time.” Time units will actually have a characteristic sound, as they transform the sound quality of the reiterated drum sound. These unique sound qualities of sound reiterations will transform all other sounds in a similar way.

Exercise 5-2

Exercise for Plotting the Presence of Sound Sources Against the Time Line.

Graph the first few major sections (verse, chorus, etc.) of a piece of pop-ular music, using the following steps:

1. Compile a list of all the sound sources of the song. Individual percus-sion sounds and vocal parts should be listed separately.

2. Create a suitable time line by:

a. Determining the pulse (metric grid) of the song;

b. Grouping the pulses into measures (weak and strong beats); and c. Plotting those measures on the horizontal (X) axis in increments

that clearly show the material being graphed.

3. Plot the individual sound sources against the time line. Each sound will have its own location on the vertical axis, making it unnecessary

to make distinctions between the lines of each sound source on the graph. When an instrument is playing, place a line for that ment in the appropriate location against the time line. If the instru-ment is playing in the measure, extend the line through the entire measure. Alternately, you can change this resolution to make note of instruments appearing every half measure. If still more detail is sought, a smaller time increment could be used.

4. After several days return to the graph. Check the time line for accu-racy and listen several times again for sound sources. It is not unusual for sound sources to appear in the music that were not heard in previous hearings.

5. Listen several more times to check the entrances and exits of the instruments against the time line.

Evaluating Pitch in