Sound Effects Workflow
For early evolution of sound for theatre, see the separate page
Playback medium: Reel to reel tape (1970s - 1990s)
Right: Revox B77 Tape Recorder / Player (1977)
Reel to reel tape was the only medium used for most playback in theatres for 20 years. The tape was played at 7.5 inches per second (7.5ips), so long lengths of tape were used for even the shortest effect.
- Find piece of music on vinyl record or on compact disk (1983 onwards). If the vinyl record isn't in the theatre, find it in a record library or order it from a record shop. Wait a few days for it to arrive.
- Play the record or compact disk on a suitable player while recording to reel to reel tape.
- Stop playback and recording devices. Using chinagraph pencil, mark the end point and start point of the sound effect or piece of music on the bottom side of the tape, by listening through the tape and winding it back and forth by hand to find the exact point.
- Release the tension on the tape by gently winding the reels in opposite directions. Place the tape (brown side down, black side up) in a metal splicing block, so that the start point is on the cutting groove. Cut the tape using a single sided razor blade.
- Cut a short length of clear leader tape (around 4cm) on the splicing block. Lay this next to the start of the sound recording. Cut a short (1cm) piece of splicing tape (adhesive) and use the razor blade to place it across the join. Smooth the tape down using a cotton bud.
- If this is the first cue of the show, use a long (60cm) length of green leader tape and splice this to the clear leader tape. If it's not the first, use a 20cm length of yellow leader tape.
- Wind the effect onto the right hand reel of the reel to reel recorder, until you reach the end of the sound effect. Cut the tape on the splicing block.
- Splice on around 30cm of yellow leader tape (between effects).
- Repeat for every sound / music / recording in the show, adding in tape from other recording sessions (e.g. voice recordings) as necessary. Time taken: Around 5 minutes editing / splicing time for each recording, plus the length of the recording, which has to be made in real-time, plus the time to locate and retrieve the original source material in the first place.
Extending a piece of music: Copy the piece of music from the source device (CD or Vinyl) onto tape the required number of times. Find the point where you want the extended section to start on the tape, and make a mark on the bottom side of the tape with a chinagraph pencil. Make the tape slack by winding the reels inwards, and place the marked part of the tape in a splicing block. Make a cut using a single-edged razor blade. Repeat for the next section of music on the tape, and splice the two ends together. Listen back and see if it sounds OK. Remove the splicing tape and make adjustments if necessary. If you've cut too much off, you may have to start again.
Time taken: Up to an hour, depending on the complexity of the music and the number of edits required.
Looping a recording: Record the effect or music onto a piece of tape. Mark the start and end points with chinagraph pencil. Make the tape slack by winding the reels inwards. Make diagonal cut at the start and end. Bring the start and end points together on the splicing block and join them with splicing tape. Remove the reels and place the tape through the reel to reel recorder, so that the capstan wheel pulls it through. The rest of the tape loop should be carefully hooked around anything in the studio that will support it without causing it to stick. Smooth surfaces are best (e.g. bottles). Press PLAY on the tape machine and listen to the loop. If it sounds OK, connect the playback machine to another reel to reel machine and copy the resulting loop for the duration that you need it during the show.
Time taken: Around 30 minutes, again, depending on the length of the track.
Equipment:
- Revox B77
- Chinagraph Pencil
- Splicing Block
- Splicing Tape