Underscoring his lifelong philosophy
-“The Music Always
Comes First!” -
Ron Streicher has created a series of audio production
seminars. These tutorials offer you the opportunity to
share the knowledge, experience, and unique solutions he
has garnered during more than four decades providing audio
services for many of the world’s greatest musical artists
and organizations.
Seminar titles include:
• Microphone Technology
• Microphone Pragmatics
• Microphones As Divas
• Microphones: The Physics, Metaphysics, and Philosophy
• A Practical Guide to Ribbon Microphones
• Stereophonic Techniques
• Early Stereo — A Retrospective
• Critical Listening: Perception and the Audio Environment
• A Critical Listening Experiment: A-X-B Comparison
• Live “Hands-on” Recording Workshops
• Electrical Hook-up of Computer and A/V Systems
• Interfacing Your Computer With Your Home Entertainment
System
• How to Prepare a Presentation
Ron has presented seminars to Recording
Studies programs at colleges and universities, meetings of
the Audio Engineering Society, and other technical
organizations throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and
Australia. He is also a member of the Speakers Bureau of
the Los Angeles Opera League Community Educators Program.
“I would be
happy to visit your facilities and spend some time with
you. I invite you to call me to discuss how I can help you
and your program.”
Microphone
Technology How do microphones work? What
differentiates one operating type of transducer from
another? How and why do they sound different? What are
polar patterns, and how do they affect the way a microphone
responds to sound? What is “proximity effect” and why do
some mics exhibit more of it than others? What’s the truth
about capsule size — does it really matter? These are just
a few of the topics covered in this in-depth seminar on
Microphone Technology.
Microphone Pragmatics
This seminar won’t
tell you where
to put a microphone
in front of a performer or ensemble, but it will tell
you how
to put it there
effectively and efficiently. The world of microphone
hardware can be very confusing, but it is important to know
what is the best to mount your precious microphone safely
and get it where you want it. Among the topics covered in
this hands-on workshop are shockmounts, stereo bars and
similar devices, mounting hardware, popscreens and
windscreens, and special mic-stand configurations. Various
techniques for rigging microphones also will be shown. To
top it off, the proper way to coil a microphone cable will
be demonstrated — with audience participation. Learn all
the practical aspects of using microphones that they don’t
tell you at school or in the text books.
Microphones
as Divas Microphones are the
“paintbrushes” recording engineers use to create their
sonic illusions. Each has its own particular
characteristic sonic qualities. The art of the
engineer involves understanding these and choosing the
right microphone for any given situation. In both social
and educational gatherings among engineers, the
conversation frequently leads to a discussion comparing
various microphones and trying to define what gives each
its unique “personality.” Describing a microphone’s sonic
characteristics in simple terms is not an easy task, yet
there are many ways that people try: some cite
specifications or technical data; some use
subjective or descriptive terminology; still
others employ emotionally charged words. This presentation
focuses on several classic and iconic microphones and using
recorded examples, the sonic character of each is compared
to the unmistakable vocal quality of a diva from the world
of opera, the musical theatre, or popular music.
Microphones:
The Physics, Metaphysics, and Philosophy
Before you can
place the first microphone in the studio, you need to
develop a clear understanding of the sound that you want to
emanate from the loudspeakers when the project is finished.
To do this, you need to determine what are the elements
that are essential for creating the “sonic illusion,” and
then decide how to balance the often conflicting elements
and competing demands of technology vs. art. Microphone techniques —
although critical — are only a part of this process.
Equally important are the criteria for monitoring and
evaluating the results. Using recorded examples and
practical demonstrations, the various aspects of this
creative process are developed and brought into focus.
A Practical Guide to Ribbon
Microphones Although they were among the
first studio-quality microphones and remained favorites of
recording artists and engineers until the mid-1960s, ribbon
microphones fell into the shadow of the European condensers
for the latter part of the 20th Century. In the last few years,
refurbished originals and new recreations of the classics
from RCA as well as models from new manufacturers have
generated a renaissance of ribbon technology and
popularity. This lecture discusses how these microphones
work and why their unique properties have made them so
highly desirable.
Stereophonic Techniques
What is stereo? Why
and how do we hear with spatial acuity? How can we
realistically capture and reproduce the stereo soundfield
with just two microphones and two loudspeakers? These are
but a few of the questions discussed in this in-depth
seminar. The session begins with a discussion and
demonstration of how the human ear-brain hearing system
works. This is followed by a historical overview of the
development stereophonic recording. The main body of the
session presents a comprehensive analysis of the various
common stereophonic microphone configurations, and
concludes with numerous recorded examples for evaluation
and comparison of the techniques discussed.
Early Stereo — A
Retrospective The first documented
experiments in “stereo” were conducted in 1881. Why, then,
was it not until the mid 1950s that stereo entered the
commercial consumer marketplace? What were the two very
different approaches to stereo that were being developed
simultaneously and independently on opposite sides of the
Atlantic Ocean? The work of the three most significant
pioneers in the development of stereophonic sound (Clement
Ader, Alan Blumlein, and Harvey Fletcher) will be
presented, complete with recorded examples originating in
the early 1930s. A surprise guest, critical to the
commercial realization of stereophonic sound, also will
make a recorded appearance.
Critical
Listening: Perception and the Audio Environment
This seminar is a
day-long analysis of the listening process, focusing on the
relationships between the physical elements of sound
propagation — frequency, intensity, and spectrum — and
their perceptual counterparts — pitch, loudness, and
timbre.
The analysis and discussion of the human hearing system
includes demonstrations of many of the physiological and
psychoacoustic phenomena which cause us to perceive sounds
in a manner not simply related to their physical stimulus.
Considerable attention is given to the important
characteristics of sound propagation and the hearing system
that affect the perception and enjoyment of music. Special
emphasis also is given to the factors that can result in
hearing damage or loss.
The lecture employs numerous visual and sonic
demonstrations, and includes excerpts from materials
prepared by the Acoustical Society of America, Dr. Diana
Deutsch, F. Alton Everest, and others.
A Critical Listening Experiment: A-X-B
Comparison Audio engineers and laymen
alike often have to undergo comparison listening sessions —
whether purchasing a new pair of loudspeakers or
headphones, deciding what microphone to put in front of the
singer, or evaluating which recording technique sounds best
in any given situation. The most exhausting and stressful
of these experiences, however, can be the “comparison
listening test” often imposed by audio sales people (or
others with a commercial interest to promote) to get you to
select one piece of equipment over another. Come and learn
how to listen critically and fairly.
Live “Hands-on” Recording
Workshops Whenever a musical ensemble and
appropriate performance and recording facilities are
available, I also can conduct a “hands-on” recording
session workshop using the given equipment and facilities.
Preferably, the ensemble should be acoustical
instruments and
music (classical, opera, jazz, folk, or ethnic) and
sufficiently rehearsed that they can perform well together
without need for additional rehearsal time in the “studio.”
This session will involve the participants in all aspects
of the recording process: determining the
manner
of the recording;
selection of microphones and other equipment; setup of the
recording venue; microphone rigging and placement; cable
management; signal flow and the recording process; proper
logsheets and other documentation; striking the session;
etc.
An appropriate amount of time should be allocated for these
sessions, and this will depend on the scale of the project
and the desires of the participants. At least a half-day
should be considered as a minimum.
Appropriate recording facilities must be available: a
studio or appropriate performance space for the musicians;
a control room (or appropriate space) for the recording
equipment; an adequate selection of microphones; microphone
stands, mounting and rigging hardware (if/as needed), and
cables; and an appropriate complement of recording
equipment — mixing console, recording devices, monitors,
communications, etc.
Electrical
Hook-up of Computer and A/V Systems Computer systems (or any
complex audio/video system) are comprised of a number of
components, all of which require AC mains
power to operate.
Connecting all of these components together often can be a
rather daunting experience — particularly when an
electrical fault could mean not only the loss of a piece of
equipment but also, and more seriously, the loss of that
project you have been working on for the past six months.
The worst case, of course, is the risk of fire or personal
injury. Proper electrical hook-up, grounding, and safety
are just some of the concerns covered in this session.
Devices for protection against interference and noise in
the AC power line, brown-outs, and black-outs also will be
discussed. The session concludes with a brief discussion of
electrical products and techniques for international
travel.
Interfacing Your Computer With Your
Home Entertainment System As Internet Service Providers
offer increased programming content, personal computers,
portables, and even iPods are rapidly becoming an important
conduit for bringing entertainment into the home. For
some people, these even are replacing the more conventional
sources such as radio or broadcast, satellite, and cable
television. The traditional small screens and
loudspeakers common to computers no longer need to limit
your enjoyment of this entertainment, however, because
there are several ways to interface your computer into your
home entertainment system. Nonetheless, difficulties
can arise when trying to cope with the variety of standards
and formats for audio and video and, of course, proper
electrical connections for all of the equipment.
This presentation begins by discussing the potential
problems and providing solutions for the safe connection of
all of the equipment to your electrical system. Next,
all of the various audio and video connectors and signal
formats will be explained so that you will understand what
is the best way to interface your computer into your A/V
system. Finally, potential hum and noise problems
resulting from "ground loops" or other sources of
interference will discussed, with recommendations for
eliminating or minimizing them.
How to
Prepare a Presentation Whether a student or
professional, whatever your field of interest, at some time
you may be called-upon to give a presentation —it may be
about your work, your hobbies, your travels, or whatever.
When that time comes, knowing how to prepare and deliver an
effective presentation will save you the embarrassment of
standing in front of your audience and fumbling with your
script, the slides, or even the simple basics of organizing
your materials effectively.
This seminar will not tell you how to organize your
thoughts, but it will help you to understand how to put
them together into a meaningful and carefully crafted
computer-aided slide show. Although this presentation
specifically focuses on the tools found in the KEYNOTE
application by Apple, similar principles and techniques are
applicable to Microsoft’s Powerpoint.
Many of the various aspects of creating a good presentation
are covered: proper use of fonts, slide builds and
transitions, special effects, drawing tools, creating and
importing graphics, and using audio tracks.
Special attention also is given
to the practical aspects of presenting the lecture: what
equipment and are accessories needed, setup and testing of
all facilities, effective layout of the room, etc.
Facilities Requirements for My
Lectures
This is a System Diagram of my equipment setup and
requirements.
For a Full Size PDF of Diagram, Click
Here.
The
following items shown in black on the diagram are to be
provided on-site by the venue. If you have any questions
regarding the availability or suitability of any of this
equipment, please do not hesitate to contact
me.
1. One AKG C-414 – or an equivalent multi-pattern condenser
microphone, such as a Neumann TLM-170, capable of providing
omnidirectional, sub-cardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid, and
bidirectional patterns (no stand needed)
2. One pair of Shure SM57 or SM58 or similar moving-coil
hand-held microphones – with standard mic mounting clips
3. Two conventional microphone stands with boom-arms
4. Four standard microphone cables, tested and working –
minimum ten-feet in length
5. One two-meter by one-meter table for my equipment setup
– positioned to the audience-left of the projection screen
if possible without blocking the loudspeaker (#7)
6. One stool (preferred) - or chair
7. One pair of powered studio monitors (or loudspeakers
with power amplifiers) suitable for high-quality playback
with good coverage in the presentation room
8. Speaker/amplifier input cables as shown in black on the
above diagram (¼” -TRS plugs at the mixer end) – long
enough to reach each speaker from the equipment table
without causing a hazard on the floor
9. One computer projector (VGA or DVI/D input) adequate for
the room – with projector stand – with power cable long
enough to reach to the equipment table without causing a
hazard on the floor
10. DVI/D or VGA cable long enough to reach from the
computer to the projector without causing a hazard on the
floor
11. One projection screen, large enough for adequate
visibility throughout the room
12. One AC MAINS power outlet at the table
13. Tape to secure cables to the floor if/where they might
cause a hazard
14. OPTIONAL (not shown on diagram) one dual-trace XY
oscilloscope with a large enough display to be seen by the
audience; check with me first if you intend to provide this
to ascertain whether it will be helpful to the presentation
I
will provide the following items, shown in
red
on the above diagram:
1. MacBook Pro portable computer system - with DVI/D to VGA
adaptor
2. D-to-A computer audio output interface
3. Custom-built Presentation Demo Controller with internal
Mid/Side matrix
4. Custom-built A-X-B Comparison Demo Controller (only if
needed for Critical Listening Comparison lecture)
5. Spirit “Notepad” mixer (4 mic inputs and 2 stereo line
inputs; balanced stereo line-level output from ¼” -TRS
jacks)
6. Appropriate audio interconnect cables as shown in
red
for my equipment
7. Two Countryman E-6 head-worn mics (one for translator if
needed)
8. One Shure A55HM shockmount; other mounting and rigging
accessories for demo include: string, rope, shoelace
9. One stereo audio isolation transformer (if needed)
10. AC MAINS power distribution system (110-240VAC) for my
equipment
I anticipate normal setup time to be around 30 - 40
minutes. However, I prefer to have a minimum of one hour
available for setup and testing of the system before the
audience arrives.
After the presentation, I expect it to take about 20
minutes to pack-up and load-out my equipment.
Please be sure that the venue has been booked for
sufficient time before and after the scheduled
presentation.
All presentations have planned opportunities for Q&A.
For longer presentations (more than two hours) I usually
provide time for a break mid-way through. It is better if
refreshments are not provided, as they tend to lengthen the
break. If refreshments are provided, these should precede
or follow the presentation.
To
answer your question before you ask it: For preservation of
copyright, I do not provide copies of any of the audio or
video materials used during my presentations. I do provide
references, where appropriate, at the end of the
presentations.