CHAPTER 27AUDIO THEORY
THERE ARE THREE elemental ways to use sound in a play: live sounds – including those made by actors; playback of previously recorded elements; and sound reinforcement through amplification. Historically, sound effects were made using live devices in the manner of an old radio program. Later on records for were used for playback, and then audiotape, and now digital recordings. Sound reinforcement requires a host of electronics to amplify a performer’s voice, and that equipment requires a lot of study to understand. But it is more than just equipment; the physical arrangement of an auditorium is itself an object of study. The way that audible sound waves are affected when they bounce around a room is known as acoustics ...
