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Welcome to Audio & Video Principles: AUDIO MIXERS & FX EQUIPMENT

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What this session will cover:What a mixer does The input section and its facilities Typical mixer channel controls The master section and its facilities Signal flow through a mixer How to set up a basic mix The equalisation section and how it affects different instruments The Low frequency (Bass) Eq control range The Mid frequency Eq control range The High frequency (Treble) control range Reverberation Incorporating an effects loop into a sound mixer Parametric & Graphic equalisers Compressors & limiters

Audio Mixers

A typical small mixer built by Soundcraft

What a mixer does All mixers, no matter how simple or complex, carry out one basic function to blend and control the level and volume of a number of input signals. In addition, depending on the mixer complexity they may modify the frequency spectra of the signals, apply various effects, and provide one or more outputs of the mix for a variety of purposes.

Mono Inputs A: Mic In Used to connect low level sources (-40dB to -80dB) to the mixer. Can also be used for connecting D.I. boxes. Often has the option of switchable phantom powering. B: Line In Used to connect high level sources (-20dB to +20dB) to the mixer. Typical high level sources include audio/video tape machines, outputs of other mixers, drum machines, keyboards, samplers etc. C: Insert Point Used to connect external signal processors such as compressors, limiters & reverb devices.

Note that on many studio mixers the above facilities may be found on equipment bay jackfields, or jackfields associated with the mixer.

D: Direct Out Allows the signal to be sent from the channel output to an external device such as a tape recorder, effects unit, headphones, or other studio. E: Channel Gain Used to optimise the gain of the mixer with respect to the level of the input signal. F: High Pass Filter Cuts out unwanted low frequency sounds such as rumble or mic popping. Can also be used to clean up male vocals and remove hum. G: Equalisation Used to modify the frequency spectrum of the input signal. Expert use of this section is essential if the sound quality is to be optimised. H: Aux Sends In effect, separate little mixers. Combined with the aux outs of other channels they provide mixed feeds for a wide variety of purposes. I: Pan (Panoramic Potentiometer!) Determines the left/right position of the signals image in a stereo mix.

J: Solo/PFL/Solo in Place Allow the monitoring of this channels signal level and quality independent of the other channels. K: Mute Temporarily turns the channel off. L: Fader Controls the level of the signal within the overall mix. M: Routing Selects where the output of the channel will be sent. It could be sent directly to the master fader, or sent with the outputs of selected other channels to one of a number of Group Faders. Makes control of a large number of channels easier.

T: Most electronic musical instruments only provide a mono signal, which is then panned. However, keyboards, samplers, drum machines Minidisc & VCR players, and incoming sources from other studios may well be in stereo. To accommodate this a mixer may be provided with a number of stereo channels. This avoids the need to gang two mono channels together. The stereo channels will have fewer effects facilities since the incoming signal will already have been processed.

Once the incoming signals have been processed, they can be assigned to sub-groups or groups. This makes the handling simpler, since all the sources in a group can be controlled by a single fader or processed by a single effects unit.

THE MASTER SECTION N: Main mixer outputs. May well be on XLR connectors at rear of desk console. On a broadcast desk these will go to the C.A.R. O: Monitor/Tape/Local outputs. May well be on XLR connectors at rear of desk console. On a broadcast desk these will go to local destinations. P: Tape returns Sometimes referred to as 2-track returns. Provide off-tape monitoring of the recorded output. Q: Aux Masters Control the overall levels of the individual Aux groups. R: AFL Allows monitoring of the individual aux feeds. S: Meters Usually show the main output, but can be switched to show PFL levels, 2-track return levels and aux send levels. T: Stereo Returns Allow signals from off-board processors to be returned to the main mix without using up individual channels. U: Phantom Power Supply On some desks the +48V phantom power supply is switched on individual channels, on some desks there is just one switch for all the channels. V: Headphone jacks Usually only found on portable or transportable desks. Studio desks usually have jackfields.

SIGNAL FLOW This signal flow diagram shows a typical signal flow path through a mixer. A block diagram would be more complex, showing more electronic information, signal paths and switching information. We looked at the block diagram for this typical desk in the lecture on interconnecting.

CONNECTING IT ALL UP

INPUT DEVICES Microphones, D.I. boxes, Electronic Line Output devices. Usually connected to channel inputs via XLR connectors, but may have A-gauge jacks which will require adaptor leads. EQUIPMENT REQUIRING BOTH INPUTS AND OUTPUTS External effects units (reverb, parametric equalisers, noise gates), external processors (compressors, limiters), multitrack tape machines, mastering (2-track) machines. The details of how these are connected is beyond the scope of this lecture, but will be dealt with in practical sessions. Notice from the diagram above that some of these devices, for example the effects unit and compressor/limiter appear only to have one lead. This is because some desks and devices carry the send signal on the jack tip & the return on the ring. OUTPUT DEVICES Power amplifiers and loudspeakers, headphones, artists foldback, clean feeds. Power amplifiers are needed to drive loudspeakers as the signal levels within the desk have insufficient power capability to provide any significant volume except in headphones. Typically, over 50 Watts per channel is required.

HOW TO SET UP A BASIC MIX Setting the gain The input channel gain control is designed to adjust the level of the input signal to the optimum for the mixer. How much gain is needed will depend on the nature of the signal source, with microphones generally requiring more gain than electronic signal generators such as keyboards.

In general terms, the correct amount of gain has been applied when the channel fader has about 10dB of gain in hand.

If the channel fader is set too low, the signal level is too high and may distort. If the channel fader is set too high, the signal level is too low and may carry too much noise. In any case, if the fader has to be set too high there will be no adjustment in hand if the signal level drops. If all the faders are at about the same operating level it will be easier to control them. Master faders should be set to OdB on their scales.

The Low Frequency (Bass) EQ Control Range

The Mid Frequency EQ Control Range There are separate controls for frequency and degrees of Lift and Cut

The High Frequency (Treble) EQ Control Range

REVERBERATION

When we listen to a sound in an acoustic environment we dont just hear the direct sound from the source, but we also hear the sound that has bounced around any boundaries. These indirect sounds will be perceived either as reverberation if the delay time is short, or as echo if the delay time is long. Most studios are made acoustically as dead as possible to minimise the amount of indirect sound bouncing around, or we place microphones so close to the individual sound sources that they pick up negligible indirect sound. We do this to have better control of the sound. If we want reverb or echo, we use an electronic device that adds it under our control. This is an example of Effects. The diagram on the next page illustrates how an effects unit is incorporated into a sound mixer.

INCORPORATING AN EFFECTS LOOP INTO A SOUND MIXER

In this case the Fx feed is taken as Pseudo Stereo from a channel Aux feed after the channel fader. Its level in the Fx mix is determined by the Aux post gain control. Other channels can also be fed into the same Aux Bus. The output of the Fx unit is fed into a Stereo channel input where the Fx level can be operationally controlled by the Stereo channel fader.

A PARAMETRIC EQUALISER IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SIGNAL PROCESSING DEVICE

A GRAPHIC EQUALISER IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A SIGNAL PROCESSING DEVICE

COMPRESSOR/LIMITERS CONTROL THE SIGNAL DYNAMICS

Output Level (dBu)

Unity Gain

2:1 compression

5:1 compression

Threshold 20:1 Compression (limiting)

Input Level (dBu)