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	WPI Technical Theatre Handbook: Compact Disc (CD)
	Compact Disc (CD) Another format familiar to most people is the compact disc. Until recently, this media was for all intents and purposes play-only. No consumer equipment existed to record CDs, so recording was an option only for the wealthy. Other folks were forced to use pre-recorded material, which wasn't a total loss, as several good sound effects libraries are available on compact disc. A CD is a circular plastic disc just under 5 inches in diameter. Encased in the plastic is a thin layer of aluminum or gold. This aluminum has a series of pits and bumps that represent digitally encoded data. These pits and bumps are read by shining a low-powered laser at the disc and detecting the reflection. Compact discs, like DATs, store information digitally. They offer 16-bit resolution at a 44.1KHz sampling rate. Compact discs and their associated players offer many advantages over any form of tape. First, CDs have no moving parts, and reading data off of a CD is largely a non-contact operation. This means that CDs have an extremely long life. Playing a CD does not appreciably affect the media, which is an incredible advantage over tape. Secondly, CDs have an effective indexing scheme so that up to 99 individual audio tracks may be called up almost instantly. The seek speed is a function of the actual CD player being used. Recent advances in technology have made affordable, personal CD recording equipment possible. Recordable CDs are made of a metal alloy and a special organic dye. The recording process involves the use of a laser to heat the dye, and consequently deform the metal alloy layer. This creates pits and the bumps, just like those on mass-produced CDs, which are manufactured in an entirely different manner using a press. Recordable CDs can hold up to 74 minutes of audio, and as of this writing cost about $5 each. Recordable audio CDs can only be written once, they are not erasable. For well under $1000, a CD burner can be purchased for a personal computer. With appropriate software, audio CDs can be created with relative ease. Several facilities on the WPI campus offer the capability to burn CDs, generally for only the cost of the blank CD. Use of information in this document implies understanding and agreement with the copyright and terms of use. Specifically, no warranty is expressed or implied regarding the accuracy of the information contained within. YOU USE THIS INFORMATION AT YOUR OWN RISK. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. You must obtain permission from the author before using the contents of The Handbook for anything other than private use.	Table of Contents [Whole book in PDF 5.3MB] Contents Introduction Goals Sources Methods Conclusions Costumes Introduction Procurement Fabrics Color Patterns Fitting Rehearsal Clothing Design How to Begin Color Practicality Documents The Set Introduction Set Pieces Platforms Flats Stairs Rakes Other Structures Floor Coverings Construction Materials Tools Finishing Painting Types of Paint Mixing Paints Applying Paint Draperies Design How to Begin Documents Computer-Aided Design A Typical Set Construction at WPI Rigging Introduction Common Rigging Hardware Rope Wire Rope Thimbles, Wire Rope Clips, and Swages Shackles, Turnbuckles and Hooks Chain & Rapid Links Slings Fly Methods Non-Counterweighted Pulley Systems Counterweighted Fly Systems Lifts Chain Motors Flying Set Pieces Lighting Introduction Lighting Instruments Scoops Cyclorama Lights Parabolic Reflector Cans Fresnel Spotlights Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlights Automated Instruments Color Color Theory Primary, Secondary and Complementary Colors of Light Light Mixing Practical Use of Color Glass, Gelatine and Plastics Dichroic Color Filters Patterns Dimmers Dimmer History Cables and Connectors Lighting Boards Control Design Washes Specials Cyclorama Lighting Color Lighting Angle Simulating Exteriors Lighting Design Paperwork Shop Order Instrument Plots Focus Sheets Computer-Aided Lighting Design A Typical Lighting Hang at WPI Audio Introduction Input Microphones Converting Sound to Electricity Directionality Analog Tape Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Compact Disc (CD) Mini-Disc (MD) Digital Samplers Computer Sound Cards Mixing Boards Signal Processing Equipment Equalizers Compressors and Limiters Noise Gates Effects Processors Output Power Amplifiers Speakers Crossovers Cabling and Connectors Line-Level Speaker-Level Automation Design Creating and Obtaining Effects Editing and Processing Effects Designing the Sound System The Input Section Signal Processing The Output Section A Typical Audio Setup at WPI Power Introduction Basic Theory Power Feeds Power Distribution Boxes Power Protection Important Considerations Special Effects Introduction Animated Costuming Smoke and Fog Pyrotechnics Acknowledgements References List of Figures Index About this document ...

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