Signal flow Flashcards
What is signal flow?
The path that the audio signal takes from the input to the output in an audio console.
Describe the first stage, or input.
The signal first enters the console through an input - usually a balanced signal that enters at mic level but can sometimes be at line level which is 50db higher than mic level.
What happens after the signal goes through the input?
The input passes the signal to the preamp which is controlled by the gain. The preamp and gain raise the signal to the correct amplitude (line level) to pass through the console.
What happens after the signal goes through the preamp?
The signal then passes to the on-board dynamics (compressor, gate, limiter) and also EQ.
What happens after the signal goes through dynamic processing and EQ?
The PFL (pre fade listen) can be used to solo a channel for listen only in the monitor headphones.
What happens after the signal passes through the PFL?
The signal then passes to a channel fader, which is used to adjust that channels specific level during live mixing.
How is the channel fader different to the gain?
Unlike the gain, which is set at the beginning and held constant through the mix, the fader is used for fine tune adjustments during mixing.
What happens after the signal passes through the channel fader?
The signal passes through the pan, which can change the placement of the channel from left to right in a stereo mix.
What happens after the signal passes through the pan?
It passes through a mute, which can turn off the entire signal.
What happens after the signal passes through the mute?
After all the channels have been mixed, the level of the left and right bus is controlled by the master fader before the signal is outputted from the console.
