18. Write the translation of the paragraphs beginning with “mp3 completes with another audio file format…” and the next one. Lesson 8. Sound engineer

Lead-in.

What do you know about the job of sound engineer?

Do you think it’s interesting?

Would you like to do such job? Why / Why not?

1. Steve is a sound engineer. He describes his work and how you can make your own recordings of live music. The recording is in two parts:

Part 1: The job.

Part 2: Making your own recording.

Before you listen, try to match these specialist terms to their definitions:

1. compression	a) a complete unit of sound of any length is repeated
2. distortion	b) what happens to sound when a signal is too high
3. echo	c) weak signals are boosted and strong signals reduced so that the sound is compressed into a more easily recordable range
4. reverb	d) sound is reproduced in such a way that listeners feel they are in a room of a particular size

2. Listen to Part 1 and answer the questions:

1. Where does Steve work?

1. college

2. commercial radio station

3. recording studio

4. mobile disco

2. Where did he work previously?

1. college

2. commercial radio station

3. recording studio

4. mobile disco

3. When he was a school and college student, what interest did he have in sound?

1. he had his own band

2. he had his own mobile disco

3. he used to make commercials

4. he recorded live music

4. What was he recording that day?

1. a Japanese radio programme

2. a tape compilation

3. a self-study language tape

4. a whisky commercial

3. As you listen to Part 2, answer the following questions:

1. Which one of these is not required to make a recording?

1. mike

2. a tape recorder

3. a recording studio

4. a room with good acoustics

2. What allow you to make a proper recording?

1. a Portastudio

2. a VU meter

3. a bargraph

4. special effects

3. What does a Portastudio combine?

1. special effects and a cassette deck

2. a mike and a cassette deck

3. a mixer and a cassette deck

4. a VU meter and a cassette deck

4. Which one of the following is not a special effect?

1. reverb

2. echo

3. compression

4. distortion

5. What should you do before making the final copy?

1. take a break

2. check the recording levels

3. add special effects

4. run the tape backwards

4. Listen again to the complete interview and answer these more difficult questions:

1. What was unusual about the recording made that day?

2. What’s the difference between a commercial mixing desk and a Portastudio?

3. Why should you keep an eye on the bargraph or VU meter when recording?

4. How is mixing down like developing and printing a photograph?

5. What’s the danger of mixing down without a break?

Grammar. Used to

When we talk about past habits or states, we can use “used to” if we talk about the habits which are not true now. The main verb of the sentence is like this “used to + verb”.

1. I used to play football a lot when I was a boy, but now I don’t have enough free time.

2. We didn’t use to have classes in the morning last year, but now we have them.