Welcome to Optical
Sound Recording
Optical Recording
Optical recording of sound is of two type:
1. Recording on Photographic films: this is
done by converting audio signals into
variation of light intensity falling on the film.
2. Recording on compact disc: this is done
by laser beam ON and OFF by digitized audio
signals. These beams fall on a photoresist
material on a rotating disc and cause pits
Methods of Optical Recording of Sound on Film
There are two methods for varying the intensity of light in accordance
with the sound pressure variations:
• Variable-density recording
• Variable-area recording
• Variable-density recording: A photographic sound track in which
the area of exposure is held constant and the density of the
exposure is varied. This type of sound track was used by Westrex
Company.This method was not popular.
Variable Density method of Optical
Recording
Variable-Density Recording
• In this method, sound is picked up by the microphone,
converted into electrical signals which are amplified.
• This amplified audio signal is fed to the anode of a special
type of Vacuum Tube called AEO Lamp.The lamp
contains a little quantity of helium gas.
• The intensity of light coming out from the lamp various in
Variable-Area Recording
Variable-area recording:
A photographic sound track in which the exposure is held constant
while the area of the exposure is varied. This type of sound track is
used by both RCA and Westrex company
Block diagram of Variable-area sound
recording
• Variable-area recording:
Method of recording of variable-area
recording
•In this method, light of constant intensity falls on a slit.
• The area of slit opened for this light varies in accordance
with variation of sound pressure.
• The area of the slit is made variable with the help of a mirror of
a galvanometer
• The audio signals are amplified and reach the coil of the mirror
galvanometer.
• The current carrying coil is placed in a magnetic field and
Method of recording of variable-area
recording
• A mirror is attached to the coil assembly. The mirror is
also deflected.
• Light from a lamp, duly focused by a lens system, is made
to fall on the mirror.
• The light reflected from the mirror goes to narrow slit.
• when the mirror deflects, the slit area exposed to the
light changes.
• The light from the variable area of slit falls on the
sound track edge of the film and is recorded in the
Reproduction of sound from film
Reproduction of sound
Reproduction of sound from film
• A sharply focused narrow beam of light is made to fall on
the sound track of the film.
• As film moves, light passing through bright and grey shaded
portions in case of variable density record and through
bright portion of variable area record, falls on photo-electric
cell which converts this light into electrical signals.
• The output of photo-electric cell will, therefore, be audio
Different type of Variable-area sound
track
• Bilateral Sound Track: Mono Optical
• Double Bilateral Sound Track: Double mono optical, in case of
Dolby, it is stereo
Optical Recorder
• Optical Recorder:
Compact Disc
Compact disc (CD), a molded plastic disc containing digital data that
is scanned by a laser beam for the reproduction of recorded sound and
other information. It is commercially introduced in 1982. Co-invented
by Philips Electronics NV and Sony Corporation in 1980, the compact
disc has expanded beyond audio recordings into other storage-and-
distribution uses, notably for computers (CD-ROM) and entertainment
systems (DVD).
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Optical Recording on Disc
• A compact disc contains record of digital audio signals in the form of pits
of 1micro meter depth and 0.5 micro meter width but of variable length.
• Recording done on disc with the help of powerful laser beam. The laser
beam is modulated by digitized audio signal.
• When laser beam is ON, a pit is formed and when OFF, a flat is formed.
Reproduction
a) Laser beam, produced by solid state laser of semiconductor aluminum
gallium arsenide is incident on the compact disc through half silvered
mirror.
b) The mirror allows the beam to pass through itself but does not allow
the returning beam to pass.
c)The returning beam is reflected from aluminum flat surface.
d) Thus the returning beam is the replica of original laser beam
modulated by binary digits of audio signal.
Advantage of Compact Disc
• Signal to noise ratio is high, 90dB, an improvement of 30dB
over conventional gramophone disc.
• Dynamic range is high, 90dB, an improvement of 35 dB over
conventional gramophone disc.
• Channel separation is high, as high as 80dB, an improvement of
35 dB over conventional gramophone disc.
• Wow and flutter doe not exist.
• Frequency response is excellent and covers complete audio
range from 20Hz to 20KHz within only plus minus 0.5dB
