Acoustics - How to Make Your Home Theater Sound Better

When you think of all of the components required to design a functional home theater, chances are you probably have not considered the accessories needed to improve the acoustics of the room. Even if you purchase the most technologically advanced audio and video equipment, you will not have quality sound unless you have the proper acoustical equipment installed.
In recent years, home theaters have become much more commonplace than in the past. The popularity of home theaters and media rooms may be due to the affordability of electronics, like HDTVs and surround sound. The rise in movie prices may also be a factor in more people creating their own entertainment room at home. No matter what your reasons for installing a home theater, you will want to be sure that the room is designed and equipped with the proper accessories for the best sound quality possible.
Most people do not think about acoustics until they actually sit down to watch a movie. It is at that time that they may notice echoes or vibrations. Soundproofing your room as well as the strategic placement of sound absorption materials will improve acoustics and make your viewing experience more enjoyable and authentic.
Sound can bounce off of your walls, floor, ceiling and furnishings. When this happens, it can become distorted and hard to hear. When designing a home theater, it is essential that you have sound absorption features to improve the quality of sound in the room and eliminate echoes. Sound absorbers are light and porous. They are available in decorative designs and colors that will compliment the furnishings and décor of your room. Acoustic panels are durable and easy to install.
Another issue with home theater sound is soundproofing. You will not only want to reduce the amount of sound leaving your room, but also the amount noise coming in. Home theater soundproofing products are designed to trap the sound so that you do not bother the rest of the house each time you turn on a movie or watch the big game. Secondly, you will not be disturbed by noise from other parts of the house while enjoying your show. Noise reduction products insulate your space so that sound will not enter or exit the room. This will improve the acoustics of the room, improving the sound quality of your home theater.
A qualified installation expert will design your room for maximum listening quality. He knows where to place equipment for the best sound quality and how to manipulate the layout of the room so you enjoy the best possible acoustics. For example, you will not want to install your entertainment system in a corner. This is a bad placement because the sound is blasting toward the side walls. As a result, the sound is harder to absorb.
Materials like carpeting, drapes, couches and upholstery absorb sound while hard surface tend to make the sound seem harsh. This is why you see these features in most theaters that you visit. Natural materials like cotton and wool do a better job at sound absorption than synthetic materials.
Experienced installers know how important acoustics are for the enjoyment of your media room or home theater. This is why it is so important that you find an expert in your area to assist you with your room design so you have the best equipment and optimal sound for a true theater experience in the comfort of your home.

Audio Interface or Sound Card in Your Home Studio?

In this article you will learn:

• What a Sound Card/Audio interface does
• Why you need a Sound Card/Audio interface
• The differences between a Sound Card and an Audio Interface
• The internal pieces of a Sound Card/Audio Interface
• The Connection Types

What is an Audio Interface/Sound Card and what does it do?
A sound card receives audio signals and converts them into digital audio.
A sound card is synonymous in function to an audio interface.
The conventional Sound Card is a chip that is installed into your computers PCI slot.
An Audio Interface does the same thing. It converts input audio signals. It is just in the form of a hardware interface that connects to your DAW computer. An audio interface is an external device that receives an analog signal, and sends it to your music software application in its digital form.
For example; by plugging a microphone into an audio interface with a compatible audio sequencer, an audio interface can convert the analog microphone signal and record a digital audio file onto a track. This can be done with a sound card as well.
Why You Need a Sound Card/Audio Interface?
Music production and intensive audio processing requires more than your stock SoundCard can typically handle. Simple as that.
See, when an audio signal is recorded from your microphone and onto the hard drive of your computer, it goes through a process of conversion from an analog signal into a stream of binary code, which is the digital "representation" or "translation" of that original signal.
The main problem is what is known as latency. Latency occurs when the time it takes for conversion, and the output of the recorded track, along with any effects or signal processing that happens anywhere in between, is delayed. There is a lag, and you hear it late. Thus, "LATE"-ncy.
Clicks, pops, error messages, and other artifacts can result with a cheap Sound Card, or improperly optimizing the settings for your recording platform.
The Differences Between a Sound Card and an Audio Interface
They both have virtually the same function. The difference-primarily lies in the hardware itself. A Sound Card is a "card" that gets internally installed into the back your computer through a PCI slot, while an audio interface is an external piece of hardware that can sit on your desk and offer you the convenience of not having to reach around to the back of your computer to plug stuff in and adjust things.
The audio interface typically has a "breakout box" for all your inputs, as well a preamp, which converts a mic level signal into a line level signal.
The Internal Pieces of a Sound Card/Audio Interface
As described above, the core component of a Sound Card/Audio Interface is the digital audio converters.
The other important piece is the software drivers which manage the "code" of data flow and thus play a critical role in the overall effectiveness of your sound card.
The other piece that can be included with audio interfaces is onboard preamps. Preamps can be the most expensive part of an audio interface, and some don't have them.
Sound Card and Audio Interface Connection Options:

• Fire-wire: Speed
• USB: Plug and play quick
• PCI: More tracks and no need for attach/unattachment, because it is installed.(Some high-end studios use state of the art HD Sound Cards that are capable of the highest possible sampling rate and bit depth.)

In most cases they all produce similar sound quality, (with exception to the pro HD card) but offer different advantages with each connection option.
There are two components within both of these devices which factor into making a unit - produce superior/inferior audio recordings.

• Drivers - Software that ships with your product.
• Digital Audio Converters - The conversion of audio to digital audio, for editing and processing on your PC. (See my Analog to Digital Converter section for more on this subject.)

Some audio interfaces may have built in Preamps, which can be an added benefit and may help produce a better recording. (See my Preamps section for more on this subject.)
As I mentioned earlier there are areas in which both the audio interface and sound card excel. Of course, you must research that the audio interface/card is compatible with your set-up. You should also evaluate whether or not you want to do more portable (on the road) or stationary (in the studio) recordings. (Respectively)
If your just starting out and looking for something with good sound quality, reasonable prices, and can withstand a few accidental BANGs! A portable audio interface will give you many options to start with and expand on.
If you're looking to record solely from your home or project studio with a generally large track count - A traditional sound card or PCI chip with a breakout box will offer stable conversion and a large track count at very fast speed.

• Most importantly the digital audio converters, which touches the sound, is the most important component in both. This is the thing that transfers the input audio and transforms it into digital audio.

In Conclusion:

• Make sure you have a handle on the concepts of both before looking for specifics.
• Research the compatibility of the interface/card and your PC/Laptop.
• Keep in mind you are really looking for good: A/D/A/Converter/Preamps and Driver within the unit.

Remember, if you are just starting out: This is one important component among a number of important components involved in a quality home recording studio. So assess your budget/needs carefully.

A Home Audio Systems Guide

Should you be looking for a fantastic home audio system, you need to cautiously investigate your options. Audio systems for homes do not come inexpensive nowadays. The least expensive you can get is approximately $200, and the majority of audio systems with good quality cost thousands of dollars. You do not want to waste your hard-earned money for a mediocre piece of crap, do you? That said, you should play your cards well to ensure that your purchase is a smart one.
The first step in purchasing a home audio system is performing some investigation. Search the Internet to find high-quality home sound systems as well as great deals on audio packages. It will not be difficult to find one, as several websites offer home sound systems that match every need at competitive prices. Examine customer as well as expert reviews on different home sound systems offered, since reviews can assist you pick the best sound system. You may also go to greater lengths by getting in touch with the sales representatives of the online companies you check out. Or you can speak with sales people of audio stores in your area. Doing this, you will get an idea on which features you would like for your audio system.
Since each home audio system has its own own good and poor features, you need to know them to be able to select the one that satisfies your expectations. Be acquainted with the brands, expenses, as well as features of the products.
Purchasing separate sound components is generally a better move than choosing a complete package. Why? Because home sound packages generally include low-priced components to make the price tag on the package more appealing to buyers. Buying individual audio parts provide you with the freedom to choose the ones that precisely match your preferences.
With regards to home audio system expenses, you certainly get what you pay for. Typically, you get poorer sound quality if the price of a home sound package is lower. A reasonable price range for a good-quality sound system for homes is about $400 to $4,000. However if you cherish sound quality, then you might need to pay out more bucks.

Terje Brooks has written articles online for many years. He likes to write about sound systems like for example car audio electronics

High End Audio Devices for Residential Use

The concept of high end audio was introduced in the 1960's with the launch of a Stereophile magazine. The instruments and devices that are used to produce the sound are very expensive and are available only with limited number of authorized dealers. Not only the sound quality but the fidelity is also considered and special instruments are used to monitor the levels. A limited number of high end audio brands manufacture such products and they can be customized depending on the requirements. The devices used are capable of delivering excellent and organic audio which is very superior to the sound that is usually heard by people. The outputs of these devices are measured using audio systems measurement where every quality possessed by a sound is measured. The use of such high end audio devices is closely associated with the measurement instruments to differentiate them from regular music. These set ups were initially used in studios and other places related to professional sound recording.
The demands of people have changed and there are many who want such products for home use. To cater to this demand the home automation companies have started providing such products for home use by customizing some components. It is made sure that the quality is not affected and the user can check it using the necessary measurement system. These devices are capable of delivering both analog and digital noise and it can be selected by the user. The other components that are usually measured while playing high end audio are frequency response, output power, harmonic distortion, transient response and noise ratio. Accuracy and precision is what the users will find in such devices as they are made using costly materials that minimize the errors. These materials are costly and individual warranty is provided on the parts. The components used in making the players increase the price to such an extent.
A two channel audio system is considered to be ideal for home use as it is made for smaller areas. The makers or the distributers of these products have specially designed showrooms where they are tested for the quality. People who are interested in buying such high end audio devices can visit the showrooms as that would be the best place to experience the difference in the quality. In case of commercial recording and sound mixing studios the makers are directly contacted as personalized setup is needed depending on the budget and demands of the recording company. These products were not popular until now but the modifications made in the technology have helped the manufacturers to reduce the price without affecting the quality. There are outlets where people can get a live demo of how the devices work and notice the difference in the sound. Home audio solutions are available that are set up after analyzing the rooms as perfect placement is very important for these music players. People can visit the online portals of the leading brand distributors and make the bookings for their system.

Make Money From Digital Audio Typing At Home - Exciting Times Are Ahead for Home Typists

here are thousands of women like me who used to be (or still are) secretaries or typists who would love to make money from home using their typing skills.
A few years ago it was quite difficult to do audio typing from home for several reasons:
#1 In the very early years of the Internet it just wasn't considered that audio could be shared via the Internet. So if you wanted to do home-based audio typing you would have to have an audio transcription machine which took tapes.
You would then have to advertise both offline and online (mainly offline) about your audio typing services but you would also have to collect the audio tapes from your customers. This meant that your clientele would have to be local unless people were happy to post their cassette tapes to you and vice versa.
#2 Even when the Internet progressed and audio was introduced, downloading and sharing digital audio files was a nightmare because of slow Internet connections making downloads either impossible or painfully slow. At this stage digital audio typing was still not a feasible idea.
However, fast forward a few years to today where technology has really progressed with thanks to the impressive broadband, and now fibreoptic broadband. These broadband connections make the Internet much faster and robust so sharing and downloading audio digital files is a breeze. This consequently opens up a whole new era and marketplace for the small business person - all of a sudden the world seems to have become a lot smaller!
But this isn't a bad thing of course. What this means is that you don't need to stay 'local' any more as a small business Internet service provider. You could just as easily do audio transcription typing for a client in Australia as you could in your hometown of Sheffield in the UK or a small suburb in the US - geographical location is not an issue in today's digital era.
How To Get Digital Audio Typing Work At Home?
#1 If you can, set up a small website. You can do this for free at weebly (.com). Then advertise with your website address (domain name) on all your advertising efforts.
#2 Put adverts on Craigslist and Gumtree.
#3 Advertise your website in Online directories such as Yell and ThomsonLocal.
#4 Send letters to local small businesses in your area advertising your audio and typing services.
Those are just a few ways you can promote your typing service from home, there are many especially if you use your imagination.
Jobs As an Audio Typist
I'm not saying that there isn't any, but they are very very hard to come by. I'm a typist and did look for months for employment jobs to work from home typing but there just isn't any, not legitimate ones anyway.
You could look to online typing agencies and see if they are advertising vacancies within their online typing service, some do outsource their overflow of work to other typists. However, there are that many women looking for typing jobs Online that the competition is fierce.
My best advice to you (as a self-employed typing service provider) is to set up your own little typing business from home. You can start by doing the four points above to get your website up and running and start advertising your services in as little as one week.

Home Theater System - Best Customized Mode of Entertainment

Until recently the best way to watch movie was to visit a nearby movie theater. As watching movies on big screen gives an ultimate experience and one gets too engrossed into it which makes you feel part of the show. Watching movie in cinema, especially in multiplexes with big audio system gives a rocking sound with awesome experience. Here amalgamation of sight and sound together to takes you to a far off place.
Thanks to the recent advances in technology which has produced fantastic Home Theater System which helps to enjoy a full-fledged cinematic experience in your living room. A home theater helps to enjoy the best multiplex experience. A home theater system consists of three key components, DVD player, display and the speakers. It offers realistic portrayal of everything whatever you watch from a largest parameter to the smallest of the smallest picture.
With the introduction of DVD players, LCDs and many more new televisions one can get an opportunity to watch detailed high-resolution pictures.
Nowadays more and more people prefer to buy home theater systems instead of normal TVs as people find it more convenient to watch at home instead of going to a movie theater as its picture and sound quality is great.
Many advantages of buying a Home Theater System is that by staying indoors and watching your favorite movie at comfort in your living room sounds more enthralling than driving to a theater chain in car. It helps to avoid the contact of general public who disturb others while talking on cell phones during the show.
One important component of home theater amplifier is Preamplifier. It is meant to connect the transducer to amplifiers. Transducer is any audio device e.g. microphone. Preamplifiers are used to increase and amplify a signal from a low-level to a high level. These are used to adjust and amplify the signal through equalization; also known at EQ. These are most commonly used in home audio systems and other live concert music performances being organized in to enhance the overall listening experience.
In order to get the full effect of the car's audio system, one can install a car amplifier to power or boost the speakers. Subwoofers can be additionally installed to power the amplifiers. Car audio amplifier installation is a simple task which can save money on the car stereo system. Pre-amplifiers help boost and enhance the audio signals coming from an audio device such as a microphone, so the singer can be heard by everyone in the auditorium.

Home Theater System Setup Guidelines

Nowadays, most people have audio visual system at home. It is extremely popular not only for music lovers but also for the movie fanatics as well. This technology is considered to be a big competition to cinemas as people tends to stay at home watching movies instead of watching in cinemas. A good knowledge of home theater setup is important in order to get the best viewing and listening experience possible for home relaxation and home entertainment.
There are many factors in setting up a home theater system. One of these factors is taking into consideration the shape and size of the room where you are placing the home theater system. The system must match the size of the room in order to get the best possible surround sound and life like performance. Small room should use lesser power speakers and lesser number of speakers compared to a much bigger room. A home-theater-in-a-box may be enough for small rooms. This consists of a 5.1 sub-sat system. If you have a bigger room, this home-theater-in-a-box setup may not be adequate. You may consider using bookshelf speakers or even some floor standing designs. In addition, you can gear towards 7.1 home theater systems. Some people start with small systems consisting of 2 front speakers first. Then, they add some speakers in a later time. This is possible if you are in a limited budget, however, make sure that all speakers compliment and match each other in acoustics and sound quality. You cannot get a realistic surround sound if your speakers are imbalance, with different sound quality and frequency response.
Aside from size of the room, you also need to consider the room acoustics. The walls should absorb the sound coming from your speakers instead of bouncing it. You can choose a soft wall materials as well as addition of thick curtains. Carpeting of floor is also a good solution in avoiding room echo.
Other components of a home entertainment system are DVD players or Blu-ray players, home theater receivers and the visuals, such as TV or Projector. Some are including the gaming consoles in the setup of their home entertainment room. The selection of the components will vary depending on your requirements as well as how much you are willing to invest for such package. Aside from the main components, another important factors in home theater system are the accessories, such as speaker cables and audio-visual cables. These cables largely affect the system performance. If you have a high-end system, it is a good practice to use a high-end cables as well to get the most out of your system.
Do not forget that you also need to consider the type of furniture for your entertainment room as this will also affect your relaxation and viewing pleasure. This may include the TV stand and component desk and speaker stands, couch and home theater seats. Lastly, seating position relative to visuals and speakers should also be designed properly to get the best possible viewing and listening experience from your home entertainment system.