best smartphones for sound recording
Voice enhancement is often needed for phone recordings. Audio capabilities of phones can differ a lot so It’s not just a matter of choosing the most high-end phone you can afford. Music and audio aren’t the main focus for every device maker.
What is frequency response?
The frequency response of a speaker, a microphone, or a pair of headphones describes the device’s ability to pass audio frequencies from its input to its output. Some devices will pass all frequencies from input to output evenly. Other devices will overemphasize some frequencies while underemphasizing other frequencies.
What is dynamic range?
Dynamic range is the difference between the softest and loudest passages of your audio recording and is expressed in decibels (dB). For a better picture, a healthy hearing person’s auditory system can perceive sounds from around 30 dB to 120 dB (do the math, and the dynamic range is about 90 dB). A whisper is about 30 dB, normal speech is 60-70 dB, and a jet engine from 100 feet away is about 120 dB. Anything above that approximate limit, referred to as the peak level, would be hard for our auditory system to accommodate, which may distort our hearing, make us experience pain, and even cause hearing damage. On the other hand, the quietest ground is called the noise floor. Thus, dynamic range is the range of sounds between the noise floor and the peak level.
What is noise floor?
Imagine noise as a room in your house. When it’s super loud, it’s all the way up at the ceiling. But when the noise is super quiet, it’s down at the floor. That’s the noise floor. Every electronic device produces noise. This includes your microphones, cables, and audio interface. It refers to the amount of noise a piece of equipment naturally creates. Usually, these devices have such a low noise floor that you can barely hear them. Sometimes, a condenser microphone makes a subtle hum. You can hear it if you turn up the gain and listen closely. Noise floor can also refer to background noise. This could be the sound of a car driving by outside, the distant rumble of an air conditioner, or your neighbours upstairs.
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and now a look at common formats
