Homework 10 A2 Questions Mixing Desks 1.

What types of equipment share the same basic audio design as an analogue mixing desk? Mixer Amps; Audio Recording Consoles; Live Sound Mixers; Digital Mixers; Software Mixers 2. What are the three main areas of a mixing desk? (Hint 16x8x2) Input channels; groups or busses; stereo output channels 3. (a) Describe what a bus is. 3. (b) give three examples of types of buses. Common routing of signal path. Aux; solo; master 4. (a) Explain what a pot is. 4. (b) what is a pots full name. 4. (c) give three places you might find a pot on a mixing desk. A rotary control used to change the values of certain control sections on a mixing desk. Potentiometer. Gain; EQ; Aux Send; Pan. 5. (a) What do we call the feature of an analouge mixing desk that shows a visual representation of input / output levels? 5. (b) Name the two different types of this feature. 5. (c) What is the difference between the two types? 5. (d) What does VU stand for? Meters; VU and LED; VU shows an average, where as LEDs tend to be more accurate but therefore rapid moving; Volume Units 6. Name the sections of the mixing desk in figure 1 below. A = XLR (balanced) inputs B = Line Level (unbalanced) inputs C = Gain D = EQ E = Aux Sends F = Pan G = Channel Faders H = Group Faders I = Master Fader J = Master Aux Sends and Returns K = Monitor or Phones Gain L = Volume Meters (digital)

7. (a) What do we also call 0dB on an analogue mixer? 7. (b) describe what this is, referring to input and output dB levels. (Further research using other sources than the A2 Revision Guide needed) Unity Gain; Input and Output dB levels are matched. 8. (a) Every 6dB of gain results in a doubling of amplitude. When does this happen in relation to negative, positive, and neither negative or positive (i.e. 0dB) decibel values? 8. (b) What is amplitude? Refer to waveforms as well as sound in your answer. This doubling in amplitude every 6dB happens above 0dB (positive dB values); higher waveform = louder sound and vice versa. 9. The *decibel values+ are not distributed evenly but follow a logarithmic scale. What does this mean? The difference in amplitude per decibel level gets larger from negative to positive dB values. (E.g. there is a greater difference in amplitude between 0dB and 6dB compared with -6dB and 0dB). 10. (a) If a pot is a rotary control, what is a fader and what does it effect? 10. (b) When would you use a group fader? Slide control effecting volume; to control the overall volume of many individual tracks (e.g. for drums or vocals). 11. (a) Analouge mixers have a range of EQ functions, depending on how advanced the mixing desk is. Label the EQ functions A and B that are missing on the more advanced EQ diagram on the right. A = Freq. B = Q control
Hi-Mid Gain Hi-Mid Gain

A=?

B=?

11. (b) What do A and B do? Freq. (A) selects the specific frequency and Q Control (B) selects the amount of spread around the selected frequency.

12. What is the name for the collection of controls that are identically present on every input channel? Channel Strip. 13. With the development of digital technologies, what digital features where often incorporated into analogue desks? Give two features. Built in digital effects; automated or flying faders; automated mute controls 14. (a) When were digital mixers first introduced? 14. (b) Comment on their early commercial success with relation to cost. 1990s; expensive and so relatively rare 15. Control 24 linked to Pro Tools Software with Digidesigns I/Os is an example of a control surface. What is a control surface? A digital mixing desk which controls corresponding mixing desk features in the software mixer realm. 16. List 5 advantages of digital mixing desks. Mix recall; automation; remote control; built in signal processing; resistance to interference 17. List 2 disadvantages of digital mixing desks. Early models suffered from latency that effected signal paths and monitoring; switches often assigned multiple tasks, which can be hard and time consuming to locate, and confusing. 18. List two advantages of a virtual mixer. Comes with DAW and therefore remains relatively cost-effective and portable; customiseable to a high level of detail.