AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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| Week 6 |
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Focussing entirely on digital mixing consoles and their operation this week.
This is hardware based rather than software so you are going to have to research lots of different models.
When descibing these do also think about how the function works in terms of the binary.
Describe and explain digital mixing consoles and their operation:
• Comparison with analogue consoles
• Analogue components of digital mixing consoles
• Microphone preamplifiers and line-level inputs
• Talkback and communications
• Interface with analogue and other digital equipment and systems
• Features and functions
• Assignability in digital consoles
• Operational procedures
• Automation and recall
• Plug-ins
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Tue Apr 10, 2007 7:36 pm |
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resol69
Joined: 31 Dec 2002
Posts: 69
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| still working, here is what i have so far... |
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Comparison with analogue console
Differences in sound:
First, let's talk about the sound quality these consoles produce. Some engineers like the warmer sound produced by tube pre-amps found in analog consoles. Digital consoles produce a much cleaner sound. In some studios where I interned, engineers get the best of both worlds. Recording on and mixing digitally, then sending the final stereo mix to tape to get the warmth created by analogue systems. The final tape is then used to produce the master stereo recording. The downside is that you are also adding tape hiss, so it's a tradeoff. I think this is becoming less and less of an issue, and tape is going by the wayside due to the expense in maintaining analog tape machines and the cost of the tape itself. Some studios also use vintage analogue consoles (like a Trident, NEVE or SSL) and then route the sound to a digital recording and mixing program like Pro Tools. There are also hybrid boards such as SSL'S "Duality" which is an analogue board designed to work seamlessly with different digital workstations.
Differences in how they work:
Saving your mix: When using a digital console the changes in your mix and effects (such as EQing a track) can be saved and then recalled at any time. On an analogue console, your changes are lost unless you leave the board controls exactly as you need them (and no one else uses your board), or you take a lot of notes. Neither option is very practical, especially if working on multiple projects or renting time in someone else's studio.
Automation: Digital faders are motorized volume changes on your tracks can be saved and faders will move automatically using automation. Fader changes are manual on analogue console, unless computer automation has been added as a separate component. Effects can also be automated. MIDI can be used to control automation.
Latency: while both consoles will have some latency since the sound has to travel from the board to the speakers, digital systems have some additional latency since the digitized data needs to be converted by to analogue system before it is sent to the speakers. The conversion is where binary comes in. Using a digital console, sound is changed to a series of 1s and 0s. Here's a quote from an article that sums this up nicely:
"Digital Recording changes sound to numbers, by graphing the waveform's level at several thousand points each second, assigning a number to each point, and storing this list of numbers in order. This is done by an analogue to digital (A/D) converter. To change the numbers back to audio, a digital to analogue (D/A) converter is used." From the "Analog vs. Digital", web article on Rockshop.com by Rob Dewar.
Advantages of digital recording and mixing:
easy format conversions with little sound quality loss
lossless copying with no generational noise
effect processing with little or no sound degradation
non-linear editing
Analogue components of digital mixing consoles
Digital consoles have analog inputs including XLR and line inputs. The analog input is then converted to and stored as binery information (1s and 0s) as described above. Likewise, the 1s and 0s are converted back to analogue signals and through analogue outputs to the monitors.
Microphone preamplifiers and line-level inputs
The signal coming in from a microphone is low, so it needs to be brought up to line-level once it gets to the board. Microphone pre-amps do this job.
Line-level inputs to do not include pre-amps. Signals such as those from a direct line from an electric guitar or bass come in to the board already at line-level.
Talkback and communications
Digital consoles have a built in mic. The mic routes to the headphones to converse with the folks in the recoding room or booth. When you hit the talkback button to listen to the room, the monitors in the studio are lowered by -20dB to help stop feedback.
Interface with analogue and other digital equipment and systems
A digital mixer can be routed to outboard analog or digital equipment (compressors, gates, other effects) using insert points, as well as aux send and aux returns. Stereo output can also be send to a cd-burner or analog tape machine to make a master of the final mixdown.?
Features and functions
Usually can accommodate 24-64 channels.
Input panel: features mic inputs and line level inputs.
The control features a group of controls for each channel, usually in this order:
Mic or line level: mic level will include pre-amplification to bring the signal up to line level.
Gain: raise or lower signal level
Insert point: connecting directly to a processor such as a compressor
EQ section: changes volume of hi, low or mid frequencies
Aux send: send to a processor, outboard effect module or headphone mix (choose pre or post fader)
Routing Section:
pan (send signal to left or right monitors)
mute and solo buttons to listen to only one channel or a group of channels)
group buttons to create a subgroup of channels (example you could group all the drum channels together to listen only to your drums)
Master Panel:
Aux Sends: one for each bus on your console
Aux returns: signals return from effects processors. One return is used for mono input, two are needed for stereo input.
Monitor section: heat the main mix, or what is going to tape., includes control room volume level, headphone level. Talkback controls are also in the monitor section.
Assignability in digital consoles
In an analog console, buttons or pots are hard wired to complete a certain function. In a digital console, these controls can be assigned to do different things. So you need fewer controls and that will take up less space on your board. Assignability adds flexibility to your board.
?Operational procedures
In what respect? Don't know how to answer this.?
Automation and recall ?Digital faders are motorized volume changes on your tracks can be saved and faders will move automatically using automation. MIDI can be used to control automation
Plug-ins
Software that is designed to be integrated within another software environment. Plug-ins are a common method programmers use to provide additional tools for users of a given product. This is advantageous for everyone because it means that the user doesn't have to switch to an entirely different application to perform one specific task that's its specialty. (Sweetwater.com glossary). An example would be a de-esser plug in used in Pro-Tools. The Pro-Tools software remains open while the de-esser controls show up in a pop-up window. You apply the de-esser to the part of the sound wave as desired, then close the de-esser software. Plug-in effects certainly take up less room in your studio than outboard equipment, but are more expensive. I find it hard to handle the controls sometimes. If you're using an EQ plug in, it's hard to sweep the button on your screen than it is to sweep using the pot on an outboard EQ effects module.
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Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:39 pm |
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AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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GREAT
Some good research here Nancy!
I like the point you make about warmth, and it is worth noting that plugins will also do this these days and quite often engineers will put some outboard gear/plugins over the main LR outputs to emulate the analogue colouration.
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Sun Apr 22, 2007 1:30 pm |
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