Paper 9MT0/04 · Component 4 · Section B · Question 6

Section B · Extended writing

The visual essay

Every year the paper hands you a picture of gear you have never used — a synthesiser, a pedal board, a processing chain — and asks the same thing: how would this sound, and does it work?

(Total for Question 6 = 20 marks)

AO3 knowledge · 5 of 20 marks AO4 evaluation · 15 of 20 marks
Stimulus
One unfamiliar diagram or picture — never a DAW screenshot
The task
Apply your knowledge to the unfamiliar setup and extrapolate how it would sound
How it is marked
Levels-based

01Learn the machine

The picture is the point

Seven years, seven unfamiliar setups — and an examiner who explains, every year, exactly why.

The stimulus, year by year

Never a DAW screenshot. Always real-world gear, deliberately unfamiliar.

YearWhat the paper showed
2019An old analogue synthesiser (a Roland Juno-6), to extrapolate a synth-pad sound from
2020A guitar processing chain — EQ, gating and reverb settings across two different guitars
2021Two drum-mic setups photographed — a densely multi-mic’d 2010s kit versus a late-1960s minimal setup — to evaluate and compare for a rock recording
2022Bass guitar pedals — overdrive, EQ, compression and wah
2023A three-processor vocal signal chain — compression, EQ and delay — in a rock context
2024An unfamiliar synthesiser diagram — LFO, VCO, VCA, VCF, sub-oscillator, envelope, portamento
2025A drum-kit synthesis diagram — waveform per drum element, envelopes, filters, pitch envelopes

Synthesisers have appeared three times, processing chains three times, and a mic setup once — knowing your synth architecture and signal chains covers most of the ground.

An old analogue synthesiser was used as the stimulus, rather than a DAW plug-in, because it’s unlikely that candidates would have used this particular model, so no candidates are advantaged or disadvantaged depending on what DAW they use.
— 2019 Principal Examiner’s Report
Candidates are expected to apply their knowledge to an unfamiliar diagram/picture and extrapolate how it would sound.
— Printed in the examiner’s report every year, 2019–2025

What earns marks

  • One subheading per processor or section2023: "Candidates who divided up the essay into three subheadings, one for each processor, provided the most concise and structured writing." 2024 repeats it: subheadings "yielding highest marks".
  • Say what it does to the sound, then judge its suitabilityAO4 marks are "awarded for describing the impact of the parameters on the sound, and the suitability of this sound" for the job in the question — naming the control is AO3; the other fifteen marks are what it does and whether it works.
  • Spot what needs improvingThe stimulus often contains a deliberate fault. 2020: "It was intended that some of the features of the mix required improvement, e.g. the gate threshold on the rhythm guitars which would yield silence! Only a few students noticed this."
  • Evaluate the chain, not just the boxes2022: "Candidates who scored highest applied knowledge to the pedals and evaluated how they would interact with each other in the signal chain."
  • Precision pays — a single sentence can earn heavilyEvery report closes the same way: "The most successful candidates were precise with their use of technical vocabulary, and were able to demonstrate an impressive depth of knowledge, often receiving a lot of credit for a single, well-constructed sentence."

What loses them

  • Do not write in AO3/AO4 columnsFour reports in a row say so. 2022: "Candidates would be better off not to trouble themselves with this and just enjoy showing their knowledge and evaluation without labelling it AO3 and AO4."
  • Padded introductions and conclusions2019, 2022 and 2023, verbatim: "Several students wasted time and space by writing lengthy introductions without any creditable content, or restating previous points in conclusion paragraphs."
  • Revision dumps that ignore the picture2019: candidates who wrote "detailed pages about the history of synthesisers and pop music in the 1980s… received little credit because they weren’t answering the question."
  • Annotating the picture and stopping2019: annotated-diagram answers "tended to only contain AO3 credit because there was no further evaluation of the parameters" — the 5-mark ceiling in action.
  • Offering two answers at once2025 introduces the examiner term "SONC" — split option, no credit: "the toms were made from either a sine wave or a square wave" earns nothing, because contradictory options cannot both be credited.
  • Illegible handwriting2022–2024 reports all warn credit cannot be given for illegible answers — "If teachers have any doubt at all about legibility of a candidate’s handwriting, the candidate should type their answers."

Read a marked answer

A real response to the stereo-recording question, marked at Level 4 — 15 out of 20. Select any highlight to read the marker’s thinking.

AO3 5/5AO4 10/15Total 15/20 · Level 4
How to read the marking — the exam board’s own notation
  • single underline — AO3, song-specific knowledge
  • double underline — AO4, evaluation
  • deep tint — credited in full
  • pale tint — partly credited
  • grey — not credited

Single for AO3, double for AO4 — the notation examiners themselves use in the exam board’s exemplar packs.

Stereo Recording Techniques · topic 1.2 Recording[20 marks]

A spaced pair uses two omnidirectional microphones placed several feet apart, typically either side of the sound source. The stereo image is created by time-of-arrival differences — sound reaches the closer microphone first, and our ears interpret this delay as spatial position. This produces a wide, natural-sounding stereo field that captures the ambience of the recording space effectively. However, spaced pairs can suffer from phase cancellation when summed to mono. Because the microphones are physically separated, the same sound arrives at slightly different times, and when these signals are combined, certain frequencies cancel out. This is a significant limitation for any content that might be played back in mono, such as club PA systems or smartphone speakers. A coincident pair, often called XY, places two cardioid microphones with their capsules as close together as possible, angled between 90 and 135 degrees apart. Because the capsules are at essentially the same point in space, the stereo image relies entirely on intensity differences rather than timing. This means there are no phase issues when summed to mono, making XY a reliable choice for broadcast work. The trade-off is that an XY pair produces a narrower stereo image compared to a spaced pair. The recording can sound less spacious and immersive, which may not suit orchestral or ambient recordings where a sense of width is important. Mid-side recording uses two microphones: a forward-facing cardioid (the mid) and a sideways-facing figure-of-eight (the side). The side signal is duplicated, with one copy phase-inverted, and the two copies are panned left and right. By adjusting the level of the side signal relative to the mid, the engineer can control the stereo width after recording. This post-production flexibility is what makes mid-side particularly valued in broadcast and film work. When the side signal is removed entirely, only the mid cardioid remains, giving perfect mono compatibility. This is why mid-side is the preferred technique for television broadcast, where mono playback must be guaranteed. In conclusion, the choice of stereo technique depends on the recording context. Spaced pairs deliver the widest stereo image but risk phase problems. XY offers reliable mono compatibility at the cost of width. Mid-side provides the most flexibility, allowing stereo width to be adjusted after recording, making it ideal for situations where both stereo and mono playback are required.

  1. Level 11–4 marks
    • Demonstrates limited knowledge and understanding of production techniques/technology used, some of which may be misunderstood or confused. (AO3)
    • Shows limited analysis and deconstruction of production techniques/technology used with little attempt at chains of reasoning. (AO4)
    • Makes limited evaluative and/or critical judgements about the production techniques/technology used. (AO4)
    • Makes an unsupported or generic conclusion, drawn from an argument that is unbalanced or lacks coherence. (AO4)
  2. Level 25–8 marks
    • Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of production techniques/technology used, which are occasionally relevant but may include some inaccuracies. (AO3)
    • Shows some analysis and deconstruction of production techniques/technology used with simplistic chains of reasoning. (AO4)
    • Makes some evaluative and/or critical judgements about the production techniques/technology used. (AO4)
    • Comes to a conclusion partially supported by an unbalanced argument with limited coherence. (AO4)
  3. Level 39–12 marks
    • Demonstrates clear knowledge and understanding of production techniques/technology used, which are mostly relevant and accurate. (AO3)
    • Shows clear analysis and deconstruction of production techniques/technology used with competent chains of reasoning. (AO4)
    • Makes clear evaluative and critical judgements about the production techniques/technology used. (AO4)
    • Comes to a conclusion generally supported by an argument that may be unbalanced or partially coherent. (AO4)
  4. Level 413–16 marksthis answer sits here
    • Demonstrates detailed knowledge and understanding of production techniques/technology used, which are relevant and accurate. (AO3)
    • Shows detailed and accurate analysis and deconstruction of production techniques/technology used, with logical chains of reasoning on occasion. (AO4)
    • Makes detailed and valid evaluative and critical judgements about the production techniques/technology used. (AO4)
    • Comes to a conclusion, largely supported by a balanced argument. (AO4)
  5. Level 517–20 marks
    • Demonstrates sophisticated and accurate knowledge and understanding of production techniques/technology used throughout. (AO3)
    • Shows sophisticated and accurate analysis throughout, and deconstructs production techniques/technology used with logical chains of reasoning throughout. (AO4)
    • Makes sophisticated and valid evaluative and critical judgements about the production techniques/technology used. (AO4)
    • Comes to a rational, substantiated conclusion, fully supported by a balanced argument that is drawn together coherently. (AO4)

Before you hand anything in

0/6

Ready to try the question this answer came from? Write the stereo-recording essay yourself on the resources site.

02Practise the craft

Build the muscle

Read a diagram and a pair of photographs the way the question asks, mix an essay at the desk, then keep the scaffold sharp until you no longer need it.

Practise on a visual — the way the real question asks

A lead vocal in a rock mix passes through this chain. Work out how it would sound, and whether each setting is appropriate. This diagram is ours, modelled on the 2023 stimulus as the examiner’s report describes it.

How to read the diagram
  • boxes — the three processors, in signal order
  • amber values — the settings you must judge
  • arrows — the signal path, left to right
Lead vocal1 · COMPRESSORRatio10:1Threshold-24 dBMake-up gain+9 dBAttack2 ms2 · EQLow shelf (100 Hz)+4 dBMid bell (1.2 kHz)+5 dBHigh shelf (8 kHz)+6 dB3 · DELAYTime L1/8 (synced)Time R1/8 + 15 msFeedback85%Mix35%To mix
How to attack it
  1. Work through the chain in order, one subheading per processor.
  2. For every setting: name it (AO3), then say what it does to this vocal and whether it suits the mix (AO4).
  3. At least one setting in each processor deserves a judgement — is it appropriate, and what would you change?
Write your three subheadings first — then compare with what examiners saw in 2023

Practise on a photograph — the 2021 question, restaged

That is the 2021 paper’s own question, word for word. The photographs below are ours, restaging the insert it came with — a figure from each era, exactly as the paper described them.

How to read the figures
  • Figure 1 — count the microphones and their placements
  • Figure 2 — notice what is absent, and what that commits you to
6

Evaluate and compare the drum recording techniques for a rock recording.

(20)
Black and white photograph of a modern studio drum kit rigged for dense close-miking: a dynamic microphone at the kick drum port, clip-on microphones at the snare and toms, a pencil condenser at the hi-hat, and a stereo pair of condenser overheads on tall boom stands, in a treated live room with acoustic panels.
Figure 1 — A drum mic setup typical of 2010s recordings
Black and white photograph of a vintage four-piece drum kit with a pearl wrap finish, recorded with only two microphones: a single large ribbon microphone on a tall boom stand above the kit, and one dynamic microphone low in front of the kick drum, in a wood-panelled studio with a parquet floor.
Figure 2 — A drum mic setup typical of the late 1960s
How to attack it
  1. One subheading per figure, then a third for the comparison — the structure the reports reward every single year.
  2. For each microphone: name it and its placement (AO3), then say what it does to the recorded sound and whether that suits a rock recording (AO4).
  3. Commit to a judgement between the two. Offering both at once is the SONC trap — contradictory options cannot both be credited.
No examiner report exists for 2021, so unlike the chain above there are no “what examiners saw” answers here — these pointers are ours, applying the machinery the reports reward every other year.
Practise the craft · Extended writing · 20 marks

The Essay Desk

Four faders, one answer. Push a strand up and the essay rewrites itself on the page — and the same fader brings its instrument into the mix. A thin mix is a thin answer. (The real Q6 also hands you a diagram — here the paper stays blank so you can watch the craft.)
Core points — the claims you makeTerminology — the technical registerDetail — numbers that prove itEvaluation — the top-band strand
Core points
stem: drums
how many points you actually make
Terminology
stem: bass
plain words become the register examiners credit
Detail
stem: chords
dB, Hz and ratios — evidence you’ve done it
Evaluation
stem: lead
weighing alternatives — unlocks the top band
Master · Marks
0/ 20
Level 1 · Identifies
Names a technique or two, then stops.

Keep the scaffold in your hands

The support fades in three steps — then you plan from memory and only check the scaffold afterwards.

Exam question

Evaluate the use of dynamics processing in the production of a modern pop track.

20 marks · AO3 5 · AO4 15

Read through the complete scaffold. Understand why each point is included and in this order.

IndependenceGuided
  1. 1AO3Definecompression and its role in controlling dynamic range
  2. 2AO3Explainthreshold, ratio, attack & release with practical examples
  3. 3AO4Evaluatecreative vs corrective compression — when and why each is used
  4. 4AO4Compareparallel compression to standard insert processing
  5. 5AO4Concludewith impact on final mix balance and commercial loudness

From Essay Scaffold Practice on the resources site.

03Do it for real

Write one, then hold the pen

A real past question, your own marking first — and if your class runs the dashboard, your teacher closes the loop.

First, mark it yourself

Write against a real past question, under the clock. Then pick up the pen: single underline for knowledge, double for evaluation — the board’s own notation — and set your script beside a marked exemplar to see the gap.

In a class that runs the dashboard?

Then the loop below closes it — your own teacher does the marking. Nothing on this page is sent anywhere.

  1. 1WriteYou write a set essay at your own student link.
  2. 2MarkedYour teacher marks it line by line, against AO3 and AO4.
  3. 3ImproveYou act on the notes in an improvement round.
  4. 4ReleasedMarks and feedback come back to your dashboard.
Open the grades dashboardSign in with your student link — ask your teacher if you’ve lost it.