Mixer Basics Flashcards
Cable
A wire or pair of wires usually encased in a rubberized coating. Special plugs have been attached at the ends of cables to allow them to make an electrical connection between two jacks. In this way, two different devices can be connected together.
Channel
A group of controls and jacks on a mixer that make up a channel. At the bare minimum, each channel has an input, gain control (a fader or knob), and a pan control (usually a knob). Channels are situated vertically on a mixer. Most mixers have 8-16 identical channels.
Desk
Another name for a mixer.
Fader
A control which allows you to determine a value by moving it in a linear fashion (i.e. up and down in a line). A fader is like a dimmer for a light. Faders are frequently used on larger mixers to control gain on each channel.
Gain
The volume of a particular channel on a mixer.
Headphones
Small speakers which can be worn over a listener’s ears which allow for private listening of sounds.
Input
A jack which accepts incoming signals. Inputs must be connected to outputs.
Jack
A small hole on a device which grips the plug on a cable and makes an electrical connection. By connecting the other end of the cable to a jack on another device, you can connect two devices together.
Knob
A control which allows you to determine a value by moving it in a rotary fashion (i.e. turning it clockwise or counter clockwise). A knob is like the volume control on your car radio. Knobs are frequently used on mixers to control panning on each channel, and are used to control gain on smaller mixers.
Master Gain Control
The master gain controls (also referred to as “master controls” or simply “mas- ter”) are knobs or faders which allow you to change the gain of all channels simultaneously. These controls can be thought of as a master volume control. Many mixers offer two sliders for master gain controls: one for their right output, and one for their left output.
Mixer
A device which allows you to mix the outputs of several different devices together. The incoming signals are combined inside the mixer, then emerge from two output jacks on the mixer. On the most basic level, mixers allow you to control the apparent volume level of each incoming sound (see gain), and allow you to position each sound in the perceived stereo field (see pan).
Output
A jack from which signals emerge. Outputs must be connected to inputs.
Pan
A knob which allows you to determine how much of an incoming signal is output to the mixer’s left output and right output. When the outputs are connected to speakers, you can make a sound seem to move side to side (left or right) by moving the pan knob.
