signal flow and audio consoles
TRANSCRIPT
Signal Flow & Audio Consoles MSD2013 – SOUND DESIGN I
Prepared by: Mr. Ajoi
Signal Flow
Why…??
Knowing the audio path through a mixing console is absolutely critical to a sound engineer’s success.
Using this information, the engineer can quickly TROUBLESHOOT the likely causes of common problems, and can even narrow down the possibilities of unexpected major problems.
Basic Signal Flow
Pre-Amplifier
Consoles
Power Amplifier
DAW (PC)
Analog Console Signal Flow
Mixer vs. Console
Mixer vs. Console
The terms mixer, mixing console, console, board, and desk are often used interchangeably.
All are used for combining and re-routing audio signals from a set of inputs to a set of outputs, usually with some added signal processing, and level adjustment.
Mixer vs. Console
Console is an abbreviation for mixing console.
Mixer generally refers to a small unit, either rack mountable or with fewer than 10 to 12 input channels.
The differences between them are that a mixer is small, quite portable, and performs limited processing functions.
The console is larger, substantially so in many models, more complex, and perform numerous processing functions.
Portable Microphone Mixer
Analog Consoles
Console: Mackie CFX16 MkII
Analog Consoles The basic path of an audio signal is as follows: •mic or line input to mixing bus to master level control to
output.
Mic or Line Input
Mixing Bus / Channel Strip
Master Level Control
Output
Analog Console Signal Flow
Channel Strip
The Channel Strip Sections Inputs
Inserts
Auxiliary/Effects Sends
Equalizations
Pan pots
Channel Assignments
Channel Faders
Inputs Section Microphone-line input selector
• controls which signal source enters the input section.
Phantom power • Just ahead of the microphone preamplifier is the phantom power supply ( 48 volts
DC). • When activated it provides voltage for condenser mics, thus eliminating the need for
batteries.
Trim/Gain Knob • The trim is a gain control that controls the nominal input levels of various input sources.
Pad • reduces the power of a signal. It is used when the trim, by itself, cannot prevent
overload in the mic signal.
Inputs Section
Inserts Section High-end production consoles usually include a inserts/dynamics section after each I/0 module for added signal processing.
It often includes compression, limiting, and noise gating.
Auxiliary Sends Section
The aux (auxiliary) send control (also called
effects [EFX or FX} send, reverb send, or echo send) feeds the input signal to an external
(outboard) signal processor, such as a reverberation unit,
compressor, or harmonizer.
Equalizations section An equalizer is an electronic device that alters a signal's frequency response by boosting or attenuating the level of selected portions of the audio spectrum.
Most production consoles have separate equalizer controls for selected frequencies grouped in the lo, middle, and high ranges.
Pan Pots Section
pan pot (short for panoramic potentiometer) is a control that can shift the proportion sound to any point from left to right between two output buses and, hence, between the two loudspeakers necessary for reproducing a stereo image.
Channel Assignment / Buss Sections
This is a group of switches on each
channel strip used to direct the signal from
that channel to one or more outputs; or
several input signals can be combined and
sent to one output.
Solo & Mute Switches Solo
• This is a group of switches on each I/O channel used to direct the signal from that channel to one or more outputs; or several input signals can be combined and sent to one output.
Mute
• The mute function, also called channel on/off, turns off the signals from the I/O channel.
Channel Faders The channel and
monitor faders control the channel level of the signal being recorded and its monitor level,
respectively.
During recording channel levels to the
multitrack recorder are set for optimal signalto-
noise ratio.
Other Sections • master buses, master fader, aux (or
effects) send, aux (or effects) return, and meters.
Master section includes:
• Speakers volume, recorder select, send, mix, loudspeaker select, and mono switches.
Monitor section includes:
• talkback, slate/talkback, and oscillator.
Communications section includes:
Video Mixing Console Explain (Part II):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_11Z3BEUArY
Digital consoles
Digital Consoles Digital consoles use the assignable concept in
three configurations:
• in an analog console that is digitally controlled
• in an all-digital console • in a virtual console which is not a console per
se, but an integrated system that combines a harddisk computer and specialized software to record and process audio direct to disk.
Digital Consoles
With digital consoles, instead of individual controls for channel-to-track routing on each channel strip, these functions have been centralized into single sets so they can be assigned to any channel.
Digital Console: Mackie d8b
Digital Consoles Signal Flow
References
Alten, Stanley R.. Audio in media. 6th ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Co., 2002. Print.
Davis, Gary D., and Ralph Jones. The sound reinforcement handbook. 2nd ed. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 1989. Print.
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