UCLA Phonetics Lab RECORDING EQUIPMENT

• Direct to disk recording: Virtually all recording in the lab is done directly to disk. The soundbooths in the Phonetics Lab and the Psycholinguistics Lab each have a dedicated PC for this purpose (the Phonetics Lab computer is physically outside the soundbooth). 

• In the Phonetics Lab booth one setup is a balanced-input Shure head-mounted SM10A microphone into an external XAudio box. This requires PCQuirerX as the recording program, but should give the best quality recording. Printed instructions for recording with PCQuirerX are posted in the booth.
• Another setup in the Phonetics Lab booth is a balanced-input Shure head-mounted SM10A microphone into the computer's soundcard, via the TUBE-Pre pre-amp. This is also used for the audio channel of stereo EGG recordings. Printed instructions for recording with Audacity are posted in the booth.
• Another option for connecting a balanced-input microphone to a computer is the Shure X2U XLR-to-USB adapter (see Henry)
• In the Psycholinguistics Lab booth the default setup is a pair of balanced-input Shure head-mounted SM10A microphones into the computer sound-card via a pre-amp. (Two microphones so that for Ling. 103 term project recordings, the speaker and the student each wears a microphone.) Printed instructions for recording with Audacity are posted in the booth.
• The Phonetics Lab also has laptops that can be borrowed for offsite recordings, with a choice of microphones. Various microphones available for borrowing are kept in the hallway cabinet, sorted by connection type.
• Other microphone options in the Phonetics Lab are the AKG C520 headworn condenser microphone (balanced input), the CAD U37 condenser microphone (USB input), or the CAD Equitek IIB tabletop electret condenser microphone (balanced input, large dynamic range) - see Henry for any of these.

• HERE IS A HANDOUT  ABOUT MICROPHONES, not necessarily up-to-date re our lab (because we are only using balanced-input mics in our soundbooth)
• Here is a helpful page of information about recording options from the UCL lab.

 Sign up for both soundbooths online - no more paper sign-up sheets. Go to phonetics lab soundbooth or psycholinguistics lab soundbooth.

• Analog cassette tape and DAT: These older media can be digitized/transferred to the computer in the Audio Lab; there are printed instructions by the equipment.

• Video: The lab has a good digital video camera and a couple of older cameras.  (VCR for VHS playback is in the general lab.  We no longer have a ready setup for digitizing from VHS (or film); instructional materials can be digitized by the Instructional Media Lab; other items by local commercial providers, e.g. Bel Air Camera.)

Last updated June 2011 by Pat Keating