A Beginner's Guide to Audio Consoles

By Steve Collins

An audio console is comprised of an electronic device called a soundboard. This soundboard reroutes audio signals or alters its level, this is called "mixing". Depending upon the type of mixer that is being used. An audio console can mix many different analog and digital signals. Mixing consoles have been used for television and radio shows for many years. As time has progressed, so has the development of the audio console. People use them in a recording studio, and broadcasting stations, as well as TV stations.

Each console features many rotary control knobs, which control things such as gain, and trim or static. These knobs buffer the sounds, enabling a regular signal level. The console uses different devices such as input connectors, and tip ring sleeves to reduce any interference and to help balance the noise. Auxiliary send routing is a way to split an incoming signal to an auxiliary bus; they can be either a pre-fader or a post-fader, which is set by the auxiliary send control. Sounds are sent through an external processor, such as a reverb, and then rerouted back through another channel on the mixer.

Channel equalization of these signals separately boosts the range of the frequencies, such as bass, treble, and midrange. The larger consoles, that have 24 channels or more, usually have what is called sweep equalization in the bands of a parametric equalizer, which affects bandwidth as well as the frequency. The smaller mixing consoles will only have few equalization controls, if any at all.

Each subgroup or mixing router has an audio potentiometer, which can be controlled a sliding volume control, called a fader. The fader adjusts only a specific channel and therefore only affects a distinct level of each signal from the microphone or audio source. Also there are master output controls which contain a matrix routing section. Conversation is allowed by talkback controls to the performers in the studio wearing their headphones.

Digital mixers have become very popular since 1990, because of the versatility of digital consoles rather than the analog. They are also made to reduce much of the extra noise that an analog console mixer has, because the digital consoles resistance to outside interference makes them the pinnacle of audio consoles.

About the Author:

Steve Collins is a writer based in Encino. In an attempt to demystify the world of Audio Consoles he has written this useful guide to Audio Console.