AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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| Week 4 - Questions |
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1. What is the function of mixing desk automation?
2. Why might the faders have to be moved during the mix?
3. What aspects of mixing would normally be automated on an analogue console?
4. Comment on VCA vs. Moving Fader automation.
5. Describe write/update/read.
6. How does an automated mix session start?
7. How would a section of automation data be re-recorded?
8. How are automation 'punch-ins' blended smoothly with existing data?
9. How could a complex series of moves be increased in level by say 3dB?
10. Describe fader grouping.
11. How could EQ, for instance, be automated using an analogue mixing console?
12. How would EQ be automated using a digital mixing console?
13. What is 'recall'?
14. What advantages does a digital console have over an analogue console regarding recall?
15. Does a compressor act upon loud signals or quiet signals? What does it do to the signals upon which it acts?
18. What is the function of 'make up gain'?
19. How is a compressor usually connected to a mixing console to compress a single signal?
20. How is a compressor connected to a mixing console to compress the entire mix?
21. Explain 'ratio', in the context of compression.
22. Describe the difference between hard knee and soft knee.
23. What are 'breathing' and 'pumping'?
24. What happens if the release time is too long?
25. What does it mean if the gain reduction meter is showing frequent changes?
26. Describe the effect of compression on noise level.
27. Describe the function of the stereo link switch.
28. What is the side chain input?
29. Describe a typical use of the side chain input.
30. Is a noise gate usually effective on a mixed stereo signal?
31. Is a noise gate effective on a signal where the instrument plays all the time?
32. Is a noise gate effective on a single noisy signal where there gaps in the playing?
33. Why is it often considered beneficial to gate some or all of the mics on a drum kit (except the overheads)?
34. How many gates are often used in live sound: none, a few or many?
35. How is the noise gate connected to the mixing console?
36. What is the function of the Threshold control?
37. What is the function of the Range control?
38. Comment on the Attack, Hold and Release (Decay) controls.
39. What would happen if a stereo signal was gated, but the stereo link function was not selected?
40. Why are side-chain filters beneficial?
41. Comment on the use of an external key to improve the reliability of gating.
42. What is an expander?
43. Why are compressors and gates often used together?
44. Comment on envelope shaping using a noise gate.
45. Comment on gated reverb.
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Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:57 pm |
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electrosushi
Tape Op
Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 21
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Here's my answers
1. What is the function of mixing desk automation?
The automation allows the user to record a variable level of a fader and then once recorded, everytime the console will go over that part, the fader will move following the recorded movements.
2. Why might the faders have to be moved during the mix?
A dynamic mix is necessary to highlight different instruments on each part, for example during the guitar solo, the channel of the guitar will be higher compared to the rest of the song.
3. What aspects of mixing would normally be automated on an analogue console?
Volume faders where possible.
4. Comment on VCA vs. Moving Fader automation.
While the automation uses a motorized fader to follow the user instructions which have been recorded, a Voltage Controlled Amplifier can be controlled by a fader obtaining a result similar to the Fader Automation, the VCAs will record the volume changes via software and will then display them in the computer monitor emulating the automation. Some users find that the VCAs can add some color to the sound by moving the fader high or low.
5. Describe write/update/read.
When talking about automation, write/update/read are the settings which can be selected on the console in order to record (write) an automation path, correct the automation path (update) or read only the automation datas pre-recorded (read).
6. How does an automated mix session start?
All faders are set at the lowest levels; at the start, all the channels relative to an instrument which will have to be recorded will be set to the right level.
7. How would a section of automation data be re-recorded?
By going over the interested area, setting the automation control to “Update” and then re-recorded.
8. How are automation 'punch-ins' blended smoothly with existing data?
With the use of the “update” feature, from the console it is possible to correct automation datas, the console will display the current automation datas during the playback but will allow the user to correct them.
9. How could a complex series of moves be increased in level by say 3dB?
By routing all the desired channel on a bus, then increase then the bus level of 3 dB
10. Describe fader grouping.
On the previous question I used the term bus meaning Grouping, it is a possibility offered by mixing consoles, it consists on routing several channels on 1 bus with the purpouse of appling for example the same effect to different tracks.
11. How could EQ, for instance, be automated using an analogue mixing console?
Parameters such as EQ would not be allow to take advantge of automation on an analogue concole as far as I could read.
12. How would EQ be automated using a digital mixing console?
A digital console such as the Tascam DM-3200 is capable of applying automation to several controls including EQ, so as earlier, set the console on WRITE and set the controls accordingly during the recording session. (Source Tascam DM-3200 User Manual)
13. What is 'recall'?
Recall is a function of a digital mixer which allowes the user to use a setting previously applied.
14. What advantages does a digital console have over an analogue console regarding recall?
An analogue desk with a recall fuction would be a very high end piece of equipment, certainly it would also be a lot larger rather than a digital desk with probably more “recall” capabilites.
15. Does a compressor act upon loud signals or quiet signals? What does it do to the signals upon which it acts?
A compressor reduces the range of an audio signal once this exceeds a threshold, making it more uniform, lowering the loud peaks and creating more presence for the quiet signals.
18. What is the function of 'make up gain'?
Once that signal gets compressed, in order to adjust its level, the gain comes useful. It adjusts the volume of the compressed sound in relation to the mix.
19. How is a compressor usually connected to a mixing console to compress a single signal?
In order to compress a single signal there 2 ways, 1 consisting of placing the the compressor before the signal path enters the console or the second way, by using the “send/return” fuction on the console.
20. How is a compressor connected to a mixing console to compress the entire mix?
In the case of compressing the all mix, the compresor will be placed as send/return and then finally routed to the main output.
21. Explain 'ratio', in the context of compression.
Ratio is the strength of the compression applied, generally represented as 2:1 or 3:1 etc. it indicates that when a signal exceeds the threshold, which in the given example can be 2 or 3 (dB), it will increase the output of 1 dB
22. Describe the difference between hard knee and soft knee.
The knee is the point where the compressor slope changes its inclination. In the case of a soft knee, th compression will be less heard than a hard knee. An instrument with a hard knee will be heard more in the mix than a soft knee compresed signal.
23. What are 'breathing' and 'pumping'?
If a signal gets too compressed, also the background noises are compressed. In case the background noises get compressed too mauch and the instrument signal is weaker, the noise generated from this is called breathing or pumping.
24. What happens if the release time is too long?
As release we mean when a compressr has processed a sound which have gone higher than the threshold and it’s now coming back in the range. If the release is too long, the gain meter will hardly go down to 0, so the sound would result pumped.
25. What does it mean if the gain reduction meter is showing frequent changes?
That there is an active compression going on and the relaese is not long.
26. Describe the effect of compression on noise level.
A compressor tends to increase a noise level in quieter parts. The compressor should always be monitored and possibly automatized so in presence of noise level the compressor would pick it up less.
27. Describe the function of the stereo link switch.
It ensures that the same compression is applied to both channles.
28. What is the side chain input?
In addition to the normal signal input, a compressor has a 'side chain' input.
In normal use, the amount of compression or expansion is related to the dynamics of the input signal. The side chain allows the signal passing through the unit to be controlled by the dynamics of another separate signal. (sourse: www.record-producer.com)
29. Describe a typical use of the side chain input.
See above
30. Is a noise gate usually effective on a mixed stereo signal?
Depending by some specific cases it can be, usually a gate is placed on a specific track which needs to be gated.
31. Is a noise gate effective on a signal where the instrument plays all the time?
Not really, the gate purpouse is to cut all the noise below a certain threshold, so if a signal would always stay above this threshold, a gate would not be necessary.
32. Is a noise gate effective on a single noisy signal where there gaps in the playing?
Yes, in this case the gate would kick in the gaps and mute them in case they had some background noise.
33. Why is it often considered beneficial to gate some or all of the mics on a drum kit (except the overheads)?
A drum kit can have a lot of background noise such as rattles, in this case the gate would screen those noise off and would allow the drum sound, to pass through.
34. How many gates are often used in live sound: none, a few or many?
It is a case sensitive problem, generally gates are used when there problems of unwanted background noises such as a noisy guitar amplifier. There are cases where no gating is necessary.
35. How is the noise gate connected to the mixing console?
In a scenario where the a single channel needs to connected, the gate will be placed between the insert of this channel on the console and source; speaking in regards of a drum kit, it would be possible to route them on a bus channel of the console.
36. What is the function of the Threshold control?
The threshold control allows the user to set the level of operativity of the gate, by setting the threshold to a higher level, only the loud noises will be let through.
37. What is the function of the Range control?
It sets the amount of attenuation when the gate is closed. Normally the attenation is complete meaning that no signal will pass through when the gate is closed. (source: Wikipedia)
38. Comment on the Attack, Hold and Release (Decay) controls.
These controls manage the enevlope of the gate, they allow a very tailored use of the gate, in the case of speech for example the decay can be set to a level where the gate would not close between oauses thus no clicking noises.
39. What would happen if a stereo signal was gated, but the stereo link function was not selected?
The stereo image would be confusing, it is necessary to use the stereo link fuction to distribute equally the gated signal.
40. Why are side-chain filters beneficial?
A side chain gate has the ability of being triggered by a different audio source than the one on which the gate is operating.
41. Comment on the use of an external key to improve the reliability of gating.
This is a very useful feature, the gate can be set to open and close from a different source or even the same source but with an effect applied. This helps improving the relaibility of the gate which in some circumstances may be hard to achive, especially in terms of decent sound quality. This feature is useful when for example there is a reverb which will not be infulenced by the release of the gate’s envelope.
42. What is an expander?
It is the opposite of a compressor it increases the signal, applying the same proportion of a compressor, but on the opposite way.
43. Why are compressors and gates often used together?
I suppose that as earlier discussed, a compressor can create some breathing into the signal, in this case a gate would help contrasting the amount of these backgrund unwanted noises .
44. Comment on envelope shaping using a noise gate.
It is a very important path, the envelope shaping will regulate the behaviour of the gate and its sonic result, a tailored made envelope will improve the sound quality but it is a very case sensitive topic.
Offten a gate problem is give by a click which can be heard when the gate opens, this is a problem relaated to an attack too high.
45. Comment on gated reverb.
It is a technique used to record drum kits, it enreaches the drum sounds making them punchy keeping the mix clean from background and unwanted noises. In the “classic” analogue method, this technicque involves the use of an external key on the close mics. While modern method consisting of using digital consoles, already have gated reverbs presets. |
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Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:28 am |
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