Radio and TV Equipment and Facilities

• Radio Microphone


  A device that transforms acoustic energy (sound) into electrical signals, which are then transmitted, amplified, and reconverted back into sound
• Microphone pick-up patterns


  • Omnidirectional/nondirectional
  • Bidirectional
  • Unidirectional
• Omnidirectional/nondirectional microphones


  • Can pick up sounds well from all sides or directions
  • Commonly used for taping dramas, roundtable discussions, panel discussions, and group singing
• Bidirectional microphones


  • Accepts sound coming from the front and back only, rejects sound coming from the sides
  • Recommended for interviews where speakers stay on opposite sides
• Unidirectional microphones


  • Can pick sounds from one side only, usually from the front
  • Commonly used by radio broadcasters or disc jockeys in live broadcasts
• Microphone positions


  • On mic
  • Off mic
  • Fading on
  • Fading off
  • Behind obstructions
• On mic


  Performer speaks in front of the mic, brings listener to the imaginary setting where the performer is located
• Off mic


  Performer is some distance away from the microphone, usually at the center of the scene, suggesting that the sound or voice is at a proportionate distance away from the physical orientation of the listener
• Fading on


  Performer slowly moves towards the microphone while speaking, to the listener the performer is approaching the physical center of the action
• Fading off


  Performer slowly moves away from the microphone while speaking, to the listener the performer is leaving the physical center of the action
• Behind obstructions


  Performer sounds as if there is a barrier between him and the focal point of the audience's orientation, e.g. performer behind a door or outside a window
• Pointers in using the microphone

  • Do not blow into the mic to test if it is working
  • Talk or speak on the mic
  • Do not expose the mic to gusts of wind
  • Protective covers should be placed on sensitive mics before moving them
  • Microphones should not be subjected to extreme temperature
  • Always tie the mic cord to a firm point nearest the mic to avoid damage
  • Never make adjustments on mic units, this is the duty of engineering people or technicians
  • Most mics have strong magnets, do not place a mic where it may pick up or attract iron filings or any similar substance
  • Do not play with or touch the mic while you are talking
  • Adjust the position and distance of mic before you use it, not while you are using it
• Turntable


  Picks up pre-recorded information on a disc or record and sends it to the control board for amplifying, mixing, processing, and integrating other sound elements
• Turntable


  • Made of the following components: plate, switch, speed control, and tone arm
• Turntables are considered obsolete equipment in radio broadcasting, although some radio stations in the country use them</b>
• CD players


  Became standards in radio stations, does not have grooves used in a turntable, information is read by a laser beam contained in the CD player, CDs cue automatically
• Tape Recorder


  Indispensable in the day-to-day operations of any radio station, used to record program productions such as dramas, documentaries, plugs, or even musical programs, does not have grooves used in a turntable
• Types of Tape Recorders


  • Console-mounted Tape Recorder
  • Portable alternating current operated tape recorder
  • Portable cassette tape recorder
• Console-mounted Tape Recorder


  • Considered the most expensive tape recorder of a radio station, provides ideal broadcast quality recording
• Portable alternating current operated tape recorder


  • Lightweight recorder usually used in outdoor broadcasts, provides quality recording similar to that of larger studio machines
• Portable cassette tape recorder


  • Best suited for outdoor interviews and for gathering local news, widely used because of its portability, however does not provide broadcast quality recordings
• Console


  Heart or brain of the radio station, amplification, routing, and mixing of audio signals
• TV Microphones


  • Boom microphone
  • Lavaliere/lapel microphone
  • Cordless microphone
• Boom microphone


  • Can be situated closer to the source of sound, can follow moving talent, and rotated for good mic positioning
• Lavaliere/lapel microphone


  • Small, lightweight, unobtrusive, with good frequency response, can be clipped to a person's clothing, used in game shows, talk shows, interviews, news, and sports programs
• Cordless microphone


  • Used when the presence of a microphone cable is a problem, needs a transmitter, which is located in the mic housing, an antenna, and a receiver
• TV camera


  Most important piece of TV production equipment, eye of the production
• Areas of audience attention that can be changed through a camera


  • Distance between the audience and the subject
  • Amount of subject the audience sees
  • Audience position in relation to the subject
  • Angle at which the viewer sees the subject
• Camera mounts


  • Tripod
  • Pedestal
• Tripod


  • Cheap, lightweight, only allows the camera to be used in one static position
• Pedestal


  • Highly sophisticated carefully-engineered one-man camera mounting, allows subtle or marked changes in the camera position and height while shooting
• Control Room


  Nerve center of the TV program production, where all elements of TV production are channeled, coordinated, and unified, contains equipment to mix sound, switch camera, roll film and videotape, and blend all elements
• Video recorder


  Functions similarly to audio recorder, records electronic impulses on a magnetic tape, in video recording, both the picture and the sound are recorded simultaneously
• Video switcher


  Video inputs coming from the studio or remote sources are channeled through the video switcher before going on air or to tape, director decides on shots to be used
• Lighting instruments


  • Floodlight
  • Spotlight
  • Ellipsoidal spotlight
• Floodlight


  • Consists of a reflector and a large incandescent lamp, ranging from 500 to 2,000 watts
• Spotlight


  • Most commonly used studio lighting instrument, it produces a soft-edged beam for specific area illumination
• Ellipsoidal spotlight


  • Has a "hard" well-defined edge, usually used to outline a specific area
• Dimmer panel


  Used to turn the light on and off and to control their intensity