Photo via Eva Rinaldi
We’ve all been there. Waited months to see our favourite band, queued for hours to get into the gig. Got so excited when they played our favourite tune, that we just had to video it on our smartphone. Then, when we got home to relive that special moment, the sound sucked.
Well, thanks to a fantastic new audio innovation, that’s all set to change. Nokia Rich Recording takes video sound to a whole new level of brilliance. Here’s the lowdown of one of the Nokia 808 PureView’s most exciting tech highlights.
What is it, exactly?
Simply put, Nokia Rich Recording is a technology, which improves the microphone on your smartphone, enabling you to record vastly improved audio. Not only does it provide full bandwidth to match the way you hear, but it also has an extended dynamic range. This means it can better catch very low frequencies and very loud sounds, and everything in between with stereo quality.
Why do we need it?
Conventional digital microphones in smartphones start to introduce distortion and clipping (when all the notes begin to sound equally loud), once sound pressure levels reach ca. 120 dBSPL. For example, loud bass drum transients may cause such clipping. A common way to avoid this type of problem is to apply a high-pass filter, but it cuts off the low frequencies, making the recording sound thin.
How does it work?
Thanks to the extended dynamic range of Nokia Rich Recording, it’s possible to record sound pressure levels up to 140 dBSPL with no perceptual distortion. So, now you can record four times louder sound pressure levels than with traditionally used microphones. As high amplitude audio levels are tolerated, there is no need to limit frequency response. This creates the full audio bandwidth to match your hearing capabilities.
What’s so great about it?
Nokia Rich Recording is perfect for events where high average sound pressure levels are often exceeded with much higher amplitude transient sounds. So, if you have a Nokia 808 PureView, next time you video your favourite band, the recorded audio will sound exactly like you hear it. To hear for yourself what we mean, check out this video of a Nokia Rich Recording video, when compared with videos by two other popular smartphones.
Pretty darn impressive, hey? Nokia Rich Recording also allows you to listen to true stereo sound and catch sounds as low as the hum of an engine. Now your smartphone videos will not only look exactly like the world around you, they’ll sound like it, too. If you’re eager to know more about this priceless innovation, drop a question in the comments below or get in touch at @Nokia_Connects.