Behind radio....

Sibusiso Banda

Radio unlike television is a blind medium. It does not afford the audience visual so that they can be able to see and understand content. Being a blind medium, radio depends only on sound alone, the south must be very clear and accurate and it should be able to stimulate imagination.

The aural impressions often last longer that of the work seen on the stage of the screen. Sound recording and radio production professionals have to create visual images in the audience's theatre of mind. These two disciplines are both an art as well as science and should be systematically learnt. By estimating imagination, radio is able to give listeners the same experience that TV viewers have by painting mental pictures.

Since radio is depended on sound audio, most care should be placed on sound.

 

The correct radio friendly sounds should be met that the recording level. When recording, make sure that the equipment is set in the correct sound level. The recorded sound should not be extremely loud or distort or be poorly assembled as it will be tiring for the listener resulting in loss of understanding and attentions. It should rather be in the radiogenic acceptable level.

Reporter need to learn the techniques of using the microphone and also the benefit of the different type of microphone. This will enable proper usage in capturing the sound in different situation. It does not matter how good the content (or ideas) or the how polish the presentation is being broadcasted are, but if the sound level is poor listeners will lose attention. Radio broadcasting being instantaneous in nature and pervasive in reach, is a cost effective means of reaching the mass audience.

A reporter in the field should have a clear and attractive voice because voice is central to the production of sound related products. It would be helpful to the maker of sound related products to be adept in scripting the presentation, handling sound mixing and recording equipment as well as have trained ears.

For example in the case of radio being a blind medium, descriptive language or commentary should be accurate in giving or describing. In order for the commentary or radio story to be effective natural sound or descriptive commentary that appeals to the five human senses should be employed. The sound of striking singing worker will help listeners to understand better the story as they will have mediate association if not recognition of the struggle songs sung by the workers.

To be able to think of radio in terms of feelings, pictures and different landscapes of sound is one of the secrets of creating great radio. The cry of a seagull, and you can almost see the sea. The noise of a school playground at break-time, and your childhood memories come flooding back. Radio really has the power to transport the listener through time and space. Whether it’s news or drama, the radio man or radio woman can weave into one broadcast very disparate events and places. The one limit, one which must be respected, is the comprehension of your listeners. They have only their ears to follow the story, and you have to make sure they are with you every step of the way.

The following are some of the most important things to consider when recording:

Rhythm is the art of breaks and transitions. It can suddenly break monotony and grab the attention of the listener, it play a part in creating an atmosphere. It consists of structuring the lengths of the various sequences within a broadcast so as to will create the impression of monotony – regardless of how interesting their content.

The tone and atmosphere of a broadcast depends on its rhythm. The tone of a broadcast can be serious, light, nostalgic, or worrying.

Voices
A rapid delivery, a high-pitched tone, a rasping voice, can create an atmosphere of urgency, of stress, or of confusion. A lower-pitched voice, a slower, more deliberate and calmer delivery lends authority.

Using music
Music is one of the basic tools of radio. The musical "colour" of a broadcast depends on the choice of clips, on their ability to evoke an idea or atmosphere.

Sound effects
Just like with music, sound effects are chosen for their ability to evoke. This effect can be direct or metaphoric. On could, for example, evoke a crowd of people taking the metro by recording a flock of sheep! To use an effect such as this, however, you must be sure that the metaphor is sufficiently obvious to the listener.

Silence
Silence is powerful. A silence of several seconds after a sequence is one of the most powerful ways there are to accentuate strength, to prolong emotion. It can have a dramatic effect in an interview. And after all, isn’t radio the art of mastering silence?

In the case of radio news, each news story should have a sound bite accompanying it or be strictly written in radio pictorial language. This will creates a theatre of the mind for listener enabling them to relate by visualizing and understand the news content. When a voice comes of a speaker, the listener attempts to visualize the source of the sound and create their minds eyes the owner of the voice. The pictures are created when the voice comes out depend on the emotions carried by the voice and content being presented.

The usage of sound bite in radio news like the same purpose of TV visual, sound gives radio news colour and variety. They make them less plain by affording listener opportunity to hear first hand from the source of the news. This in turn makes radio news not to be vocally monotonous. This can be well achieved if the reporter is able to understand the following four principle of editing:

1, To rearrange recorded material into a more logical sequence.

2, To remove uninteresting, repetitive or technically unacceptable sound.

3, To reduce running time.

4, For creative effect to produce new juxtapositions of sound, music, speech and silence.