All advice documents, training courses and blog entries tagged 'audio'
Audio advice tagged 'audio'
Audio Digitisation Services
JISC Digital Media contacted a number of digitisation service providers for more information about the services they supply. The following list is not an endorsement of any of the services, but is provided to help you identify services to evaluate in more detail.
Read full advice document...Recording Audio Voiceovers for Teaching and Learning Materials
This paper introduces the concept of voiceover for media resources and provides information and links to technical resources to help in creating voiceover resources.
Read full advice document...USB Microphone Guide
Everything you need to know about choosing and using a USB microphone for voice recording and communication.
Read full advice document...Portable Digital Audio Recorders
A guide to choosing and using a portable digital audio recorder, covering everything from digital dictaphones to professional field recorders. If you need a self-contained device for recording audio on location, audio note taking, or for any other scenario where recording with a computer is impractical or inconvenient, this document examines the alternatives.
Read full advice document...Audio Feedback - A How-To Guide
This document provides a simple step-by-step guide to creating and embedding audio feedback using Microsoft Word 2000 and 2007, the most common format for student text works. There is also a mention of embedding audio in PDFs, which is discussed at the end of this document, with a link to the appropriate Adobe online resource.
Read full advice document...Audio Feedback
This paper presents an introduction to audio feedback as a tool in teaching and learning in FE/HE. Drawing on previous research and case studies in the field, this paper discusses models of audio feedback and the potential of using audio over other methods of delivering feedback, as well as any notable drawbacks.
Read full advice document...Audio Post-Production Techniques for Spoken Word
This paper is aimed at those with a low level of confidence in working with digital audio. Whereas some basic knowledge and experience is expected, the techniques and concepts adopted herein are presented for the novice. This paper intends to provide an introduction to some of the main considerations when producing digital audio after the recording stage of a spoken word project. Post-production offers a huge expanse of technical and creative capabilities where the spoken word can be fine-tuned to sound crisp and clear, blended with music, or made to sound as if it were recorded in a different physical space. This paper aims to provide simple, practical solutions to common problems faced when working with spoken word, as well as tips to enhance recordings and help you achieve the best possible result.
Read full advice document...Free Online Audio Editors
There is a wide range of both free and commercial software which you can install onto your computer to record and edit digital audio, whether for podcast or music production. But what if you don't have the ability to install software on your machine, or it isn't powerful or fast enough for the task, or there isn't enough space, or if you simply don't want to?
For simple audio editing and processing tasks there are now a few versatile audio tools which you can access online via their providers' websites, and which run on remote servers while you remotely operate their interface through your familiar web browser, and stream audio to and from them via the internet.
Read full advice document...Headphone Guide
A guide to the types of headphones available for various listening tasks, their features, strengths, weaknesses and relative merits. This guide is intended to help users choose the best type of headphones for their needs.
Read full advice document...Creating an Audio Ident
This paper discusses some of the design considerations and practicalities when using and/or creating idents for audio resources. The paper is divided into two halves - the first offers an overview of audio idents, discussing areas including when idents can be effective, and the types of sounds that can be used in idents. The second provides a how-to guide on constructing and adding idents to existing spoken word recordings using the software Audacity.
Read full advice document...AAC Audio and the MP4 Media Format
A guide to the creation and use of AAC compressed audio resources. AAC is the successor to the popular MP3 format, and this document explains its advantages over MP3, as well as its place within the wider MPEG-4 media family.
Read full advice document...Uncompressed Audio File Formats
This document summarises the main features of uncompressed audio file types, including WAV, AIFF and Broadcast WAV (BWF). It gives an overview of these 'raw' formats, and a simple explanation of the common options they will offer the user when creating or working with digital audio. It also looks at lossless compression tools for subsequently reducing the size of these files which will allow reconstruction of their original audio data sonically unaltered. Several sections include links to further resources covering specific relevant topics in more detail, so this is a good place to start if you want to learn more about any of these formats.
Read full advice document...User Guide to MP3
A guide to the creation, manipulation and use of audio flies in the popular MP3 format, including a close look at the many audio and metadata options which MP3 offers, and its use within teaching and learning.
Read full advice document...Metadata and Audio Resources
Working with metadata can be a very time-consuming and resource heavy activity, so it is important to have a firm understanding of your objectives before initial decisions are made. Before reading this advice document, it is worth familiarising yourself with the document An Introduction to Metadata.
Read full advice document...Acoustic Treatment
An illustrated introductory guide to the various methods of acoustic treatment for improving room acoustics and reducing sound transmission, and some simple methods for identifying acoustic problems.
Read full advice document...Choosing an Audio Interface - Unit Specifications
A comparison of the features and specifications of some popular and suggested audio interfaces.
Read full advice document...Choosing an Audio Interface - Technical Considerations
Explanation of the various specifications quoted for computer audio interfaces, and their relevance to functionality and sound quality.
Read full advice document...Choosing an Audio Interface - Project Requirements
The implications of different types of audio and video project for your choice of audio computer interface.
Read full advice document...Audio Processing - Dynamics and Compression
How compression and other forms of dynamics processing work, and how they can be used to improve the impact, clarity and subjective quality of your recordings.
[Note: In the context of audio signal processing, 'compression' has a completely different connotation to 'compression' when used to describe file compression in the computer domain. Though they share the same term the two are entirely unrelated, and should not be confused!]
Read full advice document...Using a Mobile Phone as an Audio Recorder
Examining the potential uses of mobile phones and other mobile devices as simple voice recording and audio blogging tools.
Read full advice document...Recording Skype Calls
This is a simple step-by-step ‘how to' guide to recording Skype phone calls. Skype is a free VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) software tool which allows free calls to be made over the internet. This guide assumes that you already have Skype installed and running on your computer and that your speakers/headphones and microphone are already configured to make and receive calls via Skype.
Read full advice document...Recording Telephone Conversations
Guidance on the principle, ethics and practice of recording telephone conversations for Remote Interviews and Oral History.
Read full advice document...Setting up an Audio Workspace
A guide to some of the considerations when installing a Digital Audio Workstation, and preparing and optimising the space for recording and listening.
Read full advice document...Creating an Audio Podcast
An introductory guide to recording an audio podcast on a computer with a microphone and free open-source software.
This advice document will help users with little or no experience of recording audio to record their voice onto their computer using free software and simple peripherals. It then covers basic processing and editing of their recording and mastering it to a final format - in this case MP3. Simple instructions are then given for delivering this recording as a podcast through an institution's VLE and for archiving projects.
Read full advice document...The Digital Audio Software Environment
At first glance the interface of your digital audio software (DAS) can be somewhat intimidating. This document breaks down the main components of the software environment and introduce you to their functions and features.
Read full advice document...Basic Audio Mixing
This paper offers an introduction to the basic principles of audio mixing within digital audio software.
The principles of mono and stereo audio are summarised in this short screencast.
Read full advice document...Audio Digitisation Workflow
This paper discusses the considerations needed when planning a workflow for digitisation. It outlines some of the preparation needed when creating a workflow and precepts that need to be incorporated. The paper then offers an example generic workflow for digitising open-reel audiotapes onto a computer hard drive system.
Read full advice document...Working with Digital Audio Files
In the physical world we learn how to interpret sounds through hearing and perception. In the digital realm sound waves are traditionally represented in graphical form. This document introduces some of the precepts helpful when beginning to work with digital audio in audio software packages.
Read full advice document...An Introduction to Using Digital Audio Software
This document provides some background information regarding digital audio production software and discusses some important precepts and explains some common terminology unique to digital audio software.
Read full advice document...Choosing your Digital Audio Software
It can be a difficult task to choose the right audio software for your specific project, especially if you are new to the world of digital audio. This paper discusses some of the key factors to consider when choosing audio software and provides a comparison guide to some of the most popular packages.
Read full advice document...Choosing a Digital Audio File Format
The choice of file formats can often prove overwhelming for someone new to the world of digital audio. The aim of this document is to discuss some of the key factors that should be considered before choosing a format and suggest suitable file formats for specific applications.
Read full advice document...Equipping an Audio Digitisation System
This document aims to provide information needed when equipping an audio digitisation project of analogue media to a digital hard drive. This document is written with the digitisation of stereo and mono files in mind. For information regarding digitising multi-track recordings, there is a section at the end of this document with some recommendations and considerations. This document is intended to provide a guide to staff who wish to undertake digitisation projects of any scale, be it small or large.
Read full advice document...Audio via Blackboard
An overview of using Audio in Teaching and Learning, and an introductory guide to the facilities of Blackboard VLE for supporting audio-enriched content and communication.
Read full advice document...Selecting an Audio Digitisation System
This document is a discussion of some of the primary audio digitisation systems available for digitising analogue audio media. This document is intended to be of use to staff engaged in the digitisation of analogue audio, whether dealing with only a few or a few hundred tapes.
Read full advice document...Case Study: Good Newts / Bad Newts
A representative scenario, designed to help address common areas of interest regarding the audio and screen capture of PowerPoint presentations in lecture theatres.
Presented to us as a fictional scenario, designed to incorporate typical real-world issues and key areas of interest.
Read full advice document...Audio Troubleshooting Guide
A step-by-step guide to diagnosing and rectifying some common technical problems encountered when preparing a recording system
Read full advice document...Stereo Recording Techniques
A more advanced guide to various stereo microphone techniques.
Read full advice document...Microphone Technique
A guide to using microphones in some of their common applications in recording. Covers good practice in setting up and connecting microphones, and includes tips on getting the best from your equipment and subject.
Read full advice document...The Physical Principles of Sound
An introductory guide to the physical properties of sound and a basic introduction to the acoustics of enclosed spaces.
Read full advice document...Digital Equalisation
An introduction to the most common types of equaliser available within software, and equivalent purpose-built hardware units, suitable for live sound reinforcement, recording and mixing.
Read full advice document...An Introduction to Digital Audio
A guide to the theory of digital audio, explaining the process of analogue to digital conversion and how sound is represented and stored in digital form.
Read full advice document...Microphone Guide
A guide to microphone characteristics, selection and care
Read full advice document...Basic Audio Editing
This document addresses some basic techniques used when editing digital audio within a DAE (Digital Audio Editor). It assumes little or no previous knowledge and experience of audio editing and offers advice on how and when to use common tools within the editing environment
Read full advice document...Review of Audio Search Engines
This paper forms part of a series of JISC Digital Media review papers which look at how a range of resources can be found on the Web using search engines. In particular, this paper will look at how search engines can be used to locate audio files.
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Cross-media advice tagged 'audio'
Preparing for an Interview
Aside from correctly addressing the technical concerns when conducting an interview, the success of a good interview also relies heavily on the interaction between the interviewer and the subject and the pre-production preparation undertaken. This document aims to provide some useful tips and thoughts to help you enhance your interviews and create a relaxed and productive conversational environment.
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Training courses tagged
BTEC Professional Certificate in Digital Imaging: 3 days
The following units are the BTEC accredited assessment components of our still image professional development certificate and award.
Read course description...Video Production 1: Lectures and Interviews 2-day course
The use of video in education has ceased to be an occasional occurrence, but the quality of videos has not kept pace with their popularity. This course is intended to instil basic competence in the many areas of knowledge that are needed to produce good video work. A hands-on approach is taken, such that during the two days of learning about video techniques the participants will actually produce two short videos. All equipment and facilities will be supplied.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a two-day course. Course fees are as follows:
- £275 for participants from UK Higher or Further Education
- £325 for participants from government, charities, libraries, galleries or museums
- Prices for all other participants are available on request
JISC Advance - Digital Media and Copyright Seminar
Bringing together experts in digital media and copyright law this seminar created by the JISC Advance services, JISC Digital Media and JISC Legal, uses common real-world scenarios to focus on how copyright impacts on the use of digital media. The seminar will allow participants to gain an understanding of the common issues and challenges facing institutions in the current copyright landscape.
Seminar fees: £100 per participant. Includes lunch and refreshments. There will be a pre-seminar online exercise attendees are requested to complete. This is merely to provide some background knowledge prior to the seminar.
Objectives
- To increase confidence in dealing with multi-layer intellectual property rights in digital media
- To identify appropriate approaches to dealing with the uncertainties of copyright law in relation to digital media
- To share experiences of both issues and solutions to IPR challenges in relation to digital media
Building Effective Screencasts
Screencasts - videos of on-screen computer activity, accompanied by voice-over, and possibly other media (webcam video, Powerpoint slides etc) - have in recent times increased massively in popularity, scope and acceptance, and can now provide a sophisticated learning experience, incorporating slides, images, video, audio, screen annotation, subtitles, interactive quizzes and more.. Whether you want to narrate a presentation, demonstrate the use of software, or record and share your screen for any other reason, a screencast may well be the answer.
This practical one-day workshop provides an opportunity to learn how to maximise the value of screencasting in presentation, demonstration and digital storytelling for teaching and learning, in the context of the whole workflow from planning your own short screencast to rendering it as a video. We've even had some delegates posting finished screencasts to YouTube by the end of the day!
Read course description...Digital Media Restoration (Audio-Visual only)
Analogue media deteriorates at an alarming rate and few digitisation projects can hope to retrieve great signals from aged collections. In order to archive maximum usefulness some basic digital remastering is often required. Fortunately, today's digital tools mean we can easily remove unwanted 'defects' whether hisses and scratches from shellac discs or the distorted colours of old videotapes
N.B. This course covers digital restoration of audio-visual resources only. It does not cover restoration of still images
Read course description...Advanced Techniques in Digital Image Capture
This course looks at the technical background behind, and procedures for, image capture and optimisation delivered through hands-on activities. This workshop will teach you how to produce the correct end product for your intended purpose and teach you the easy 'science' of scanning to remove the guesswork from your image capture.
Read course description...Digital Photography - Taking Control of your SLR
This action packed course looks in depth at using a digital SLR's creative controls to put you in charge of your photography. You will also have plenty of hands-on practice with the camera and be shown how to effectively illuminate 2D and 3D objects using tungsten and fluorescent studio lighting.
Read course description...Digital Photography - Getting Started with your SLR
This entry level course will provide you with an understanding of the techniques and skills needed to produce great quality images from a digital SLR camera with ease. Some illuminating background theory will be supported by hands-on practical exercises in photography.
Read course description...Colour Management
Effective colour management is vital within the digital workflow and anyone working with digital images should understand and be employing the core principles. This training course introduces colour management theory and 'good practice' to ensure that you understand how to achieve consistent and accurate colour between applications, platforms, and devices.
Read course description...Audio Production: Recording Lectures, Seminars, Interviews and Podcasts
This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to record and produce recordings of spoken word audio, with specific emphasis being placed upon the recording of lectures, seminars and events. You will learn the basic concepts of recording technologies and through practical exercises you will learn how to confidently apply these to practical situations. The workshop will also introduce you to ideas for delivering new media such as podcasting, and suggest methods for managing your digital recordings.
Read course description...Introduction to Image Metadata
This course is designed specifically to help you consider how to effectively incorporate metadata into the fabric of your image collection, through explanation, discussion and practical activities.
Read course description...Digitising Analogue Video Recordings
Over the past fifty years the videotape has grown from an obscure television production tool into a vibrant and vital social document. But videotape has proved to be a fragile long-term medium and its contents are at risk. This risk can only be mitigated through careful planning. This workshop will investigate the challenges associated with the preservation of videotapes. Through practical exercises, we will look at how digitising materials to archival standards can both safeguard and help develop a collection. We will also look at the challenge of creating a sustainable digital collection. Quality assurance procedures and best practice will be referred to throughout.
Read course description...Essential Techniques in Digital Image Capture
This entry level course provides an easy to understand theoretical overview of digital images and image capture combined with practical exercises using both a scanner and digital SLR camera for those getting started with creating digital images.
Read course description...Using Digital Media in VLEs
This one day workshop focuses on the effective use of digital media online including the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). During the workshop attendees will discover how to improve their presentation resources, know when and how digital media can be used to enhance learning materials and be able to successfully embed their new knowledge in their VLE and online services.
Read course description...Finding Free-to-Use Images, Video and Audio
If you've ever needed to find images, video or audio you can use in your work materials then this course is for you. It will guide you to all the best places to locate free-to-use, copyright-cleared digital media resources for use in teaching and learning. You'll never use Google to find digital media again!
Read course description...Essential Photoshop Skills
This course will get you up and running with Adobe Photoshop. You will learn key concepts and skills to enable you to understand and start using this exciting application with confidence.
Read course description...Managing Digital Media Collections
Now that many important materials are in a digital form, building an accessible online media collection which successfully delivers images, sounds, video and other media is a goal of many institutions.
Until recently, expensive Digital Asset Management systems where the most viable option, but now open source server applications such as Dspace, Omeka and Drupal hold the promise of truly interoperable and standards-based collection management.
This one day course will offer a model of digital collection management, based upon open source solutions. Attendees will gain hands-on experience of planning, building, managing and delivering a digital media collection.
Read course description...Image Optimisation for Print and Web
This course covers the essential skills you need in order to maximise the quality and visual appeal of digital images from both scanners and digital cameras. You will learn the tips and tricks necessary to transform your images quickly and easily.
Read course description...Building a Departmental Image Collection
This course will provide you with a hands-on experience of creating, managing and delivering a departmental image collection. You will acquire the foundation knowledge required to make well informed decisions about building an image library. You will also have the opportunity to discuss and share information with people from the HE/FE/Cultural sector facing similar issues in order to help you develop practical solutions.
Read course description...Copyright and Digital Media
This informative and stimulating course is run by a leading expert in copyright. It looks in-depth at how copyright and other legal issues impact upon digital media and it will enable you to develop practical approaches to clearing and managing those rights within your own collections.
Read course description...Digitising Analogue Audio
To meet the skills required by libraries, archives and institutions to digitise their existing analogue collections, this course aims to provide a complete introduction to the theory and practicalities of successfully digitising analogue audio resources. The workshop will provide hands-on tuition alongside presenting theoretical knowledge with group discussions of topics surrounding the digital lifecycle, in a digitisation project based context. The workshop has been designed as a precursor for our more technical, media specific training modules. The practical elements will involve digitising audiocassette tapes as example media.
Read course description...Scanning with the CLA Licence
This course provides a thorough practical overview of how to digitise images and text from print-based materials. You will use a desktop scanner and related technology to effectively enable you to leverage the rights granted to you by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) scanning licence.
Read course description...Digitising Grooved Discs and Open Reel Audio
This course is designed to meet the requirements of staff in libraries, archives and other related institutions needing to digitise existing analogue collections. The course builds on our Digitising Analogue Audio workshop, by introducing a range of legacy audio media and examining them in more detail.
The workshop will provide the opportunity to both handle these media and configure the equipment needed for their successful playback. A recommended, pragmatic workflow will be followed.
Essential theoretical and interesting historical information is included which together contribute to understanding: the development of audio recording technologies; how to handle and best reproduce each medium; how to digitise each medium to archival standard.
Read course description...
Blog entries tagged 'audio'
Mono your Mac
A quick way to get mono audio from your Mac
Read blog entry...Podcasts for teaching music and visual arts
'The effectiveness of educational podcasts for teaching music and visual arts in higher education' by Cheung On Tam looks at the results of 128 students views on podcasts to support their study.
Read blog entry...Podcasting and principles of narrative – a case study
Over at the Online Journalism Blog, Paul Bradshaw has written a case study on using and understanding narrative to improve your podcasts.
Read blog entry...Audio recording on Android
Following a little research into audio recording on an Android device, a couple of observations...
Read blog entry...Samson Meteor USB microphone
First impressions of the Samson Meteor USB microphone
Read blog entry...ProTools opens up
Avid adds open standard compliance to their industry-standard audio software.
Read blog entry...On the 11th day of JISC Digital Media Christmas…
...use your mic wisely.
Read blog entry...Ardour 3: The new Open Source Digital Audio Workstation
It is widely felt that for creating audio resources in the education community Audacity is the standard go-to (and free!) software of choice.
Read blog entry...On the 8th day of JISC Digital Media Christmas…
...monitor with headphones.
Read blog entry...Talking over the top
Our new advice document, Recording Voiceovers for Teaching and Learning Materials offers an overview of the ways in which media used in education can be enhanced with spoken word overlaid.
Read blog entry...On the 4th day of JISC Digital Media Christmas…
...pile up the cushions.
Read blog entry...On the 1st day of JISC Digital Media Christmas…
...remember to use a pop shield.
Read blog entry...The 12 Days of JISC Digital Media Christmas
Tuesday the 7th of December 2010 sees JISC Digital Media launch the 12 Days of JISC Digital Media Christmas, a very lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek series of videos.
Read blog entry...USB microphones - the direct connection
A new advice document focussing on microphones which connect directly to computer via USB.
Read blog entry...Be Jackson to my Bashir
Our new advice document discusses the all important, and often ignored, topic of preparing for interviews.
Read blog entry...HD Video on the Touch
Latest iPod Touch adds microphone and cameras
Read blog entry...Portable recorders
A new guide to the different types of Portable Digital Audio Recorders, from digital dictaphones to professional field recorders.
Read blog entry...Multi-channel USB microphone experiments
Setting up multiple USB microphones for multi-channel recording.
Read blog entry...Telling it like it is - a how-to guide on creating audio feedback
Following on from the release of our document Audio Feedback, this accompanying paper Audio Feedback - A How-To Guide provides a step-by step guide on creating and embedding digital audio files for delivering as audio feedback.
Read blog entry...
Training courses
- Building Effective Screencasts 12 June 2012
- Managing Digital Media Collections 14 June 2012
- Digitising Analogue Video Recordings 20 June 2012
- Introduction to Image Metadata 05 July 2012
- BTEC Professional Certificate in Digital Imaging: 3 days 09 July 2012
- Video Production 1: Lectures and Interviews 2-day course 25 July 2012
