OK, we’ve looked at some of the basics of what goes on in the studio. Now here’s a look at a very interesting part of studio recording: the Mixing Board.
It’s true, today most records are produced “inside the box,” meaning it’s all taking place inside a computer. Still, a mixing board (console, desk) is a very useful tool. One big benefit is how they process the sound before it enters the computer. Another is the ability to route music signals throughout the studio environment. Sounds need to go several places: outboard processing gear; the studio monitor speakers; & the headphones of musicians as they play. And each of these “sends” may require a slightly different mix of instruments. A good board allows this to happen easily and cleanly. While you can achieve most if not all of these tasks from within the computer, it can take up a lot of processing power, which can affect the quality of the sound and create delays in processing.
What Are All Those Buttons?
When you look at a mixing board it seems like a confusing sea of buttons and knobs. Hundreds of them. How do you know what they all do?
Well, if you look closely, like in the video below, you see all the sliders, right? Well, each slider is an individual channel on the board, and it runs from right in front of the engineer all the way up to the top of the board. The secret is: all the channel strips are, for the most part, the same. You only really have to understand one, and the 20-30 buttons on it and you pretty much have the whole thing figured out. There are other options and setups around the board, they’re beyond the scope of this discussion, and largely beyond the scope of my understanding!
Starting at the top of each channel is where a sound signal enters. Here is where the signal’s level (think volume) gets adjusted. The main thing is you don’t want the signal too loud or it will distort and that sounds horrible.
Next in line are routing options… you can send the signal out to multiple destinations. You can route it through an effect, like an equalizer, or a compressor (more on these next send) for example, and have it come back and be added to the original signal.
Below this is the tone-shaping area. It allows for precise adjustment of highs, lows, and mids. Most recorded music takes advantage of tone controls and equalizers, both to reduce unwanted tones, such as boominess on an acoustic guitar, as well as enhancing other tones that may make an instrument sound clearer, or add a shimmer and a live feel.
This particular board has 2 sets of volume sliders: one to control what goes to “tape,” or, most likely these days, to the digital recorder in a computer. Here is also found that sweet little control: the Pan button. Short for panoramic, it’s exactly like the balance control on a stereo: it lets you place that sound anywhere from left to right across the stage. Without this all recordings would sound mono, with all the sound seeming to come from directly in the middle.
Next are the sliders, simple volume controls, that let you set the balance of how loud each instrument is. Simple, yet vital.
Here’s a little video close-up of the board:
One last thing: volume meters. You can see the flashing leds at the top of the board. They take the place of those old windshield-wiper type VU meters, and they let you see how “hot” or loud the signal is. The last thing you want to see is the top light going red. That’s bad. It means you have entered the… Distortion Zone! And you don’t want to be there.
In other contexts distortion can sound great, like on an electric guitar for example, or in the old days they would overload tape with a signal that was too loud, and it produced a rather nice sounding type of distortion, called Tape Saturation, or tapesat. Those are all analog-type distortion. Now, when you get digital distortion it sounds horrible, grating and harsh. Big yuk.
Next send: Equalizers & compressors & other fancy equipment
Thanks for being my fan!
John