Mixer
Mixer serves for blending different signals or "substances", like sugars and zimt. One finds it both within the artistic range and in Production plants and Laboratories.
One calls a mixer for video's treatment conventionally also cut desk, usually however Picture mixer. To Lighting of Stages become frequently Light mixers used. Mainly one uses this term however in connection with that Audio engineering.
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Audio mixer
Audio mixer (also: Ton-Mischpult, Mixer, Mixer, Console) is considered as the heart one Tonstudios. It serves for it, electrical signals of different Sources of sound signal (z. B. Microphone or electronic sound producers) on 2 or more Output sums or penalty, usually after frequency response and dynamic changes, to join. For Stereomischungen z become.B. all signals to the Stereo channels, resting against the mixer, "left" and "right" in summary.
There are similar, digital and hybrid (similar with digital technology combined) mixers. In analog mixers the signal is an electrical image of the sound and also in such a way is always processed. In digital mixers against it the clay/tone becomes in digital Signal converted and from processors (usually DSPs) processes. Hybrid desks possess a digital control and a similar signal processing.
All these techniques have their pro and cons. So a small mixer (mixer) can be manufactured more favorably in analog technique, since a smaller schaltungsaufwand is necessary. With the number of the channel courses and exits the schaltungsaufwand and thus the price constantly increase. Large mixers can be manufactured mostly more economically in digital technique, because a basic equipment expensive, an extension and an allocation are however more inexpensive, there the digital signals of microprocessors become "led" and not from electrical conductive strips. In addition with digital desks mostly at the number of control elements one saves, because an automatic controller or a key with different functions can be occupied. With today's digital desks all attitudes can be mostly stored and fetched back if necessary completely again. Hybrid desks offer this possibility also for similar signal processing. The schaltungsaufwand and thus the price are for this however high and find predominantly in professional Tonaufnahmestudios use.
There are most diverse mixers for respective clay-technical applications (admission, Mixture, Acoustic irradiation, DJ), itself regarding size, Ergonomics, Sound characteristics and price (of 50 € to over 1 million €) strongly to differentiate to be able and with consideration selected should. The mixer is regarded to each clay-technical mechanism as the "heart" and plays therefore a key role.
The most important characteristics of a mixer are the number of input ports, the number of the output penalty, the sound processing options and the ergonomic arrangement of the control elements for the respective range of application. On the purely technical side the crucial characteristic is the signal quality. That Frequency response should be as linear as possible, and that Dynamikbereich, D.h. the distance between the self-noise of the mixer and its distortion border, should be as large as possible.
Usual structure
Usually all today's tonmischpulte follow a similar structure of the control surface. As the first the clay/tone input signal is entered over the LINE entrance or the microphone preamplifier entrance and adapted then to the optimal work area of the mixer. This happens with an automatic controller (eingangsverstaerkung, Gain). So that high distorting signal points can be recognized and prevented, becomes the signal by an indicator (Peak meter, VU meter) represented. Afterwards the tone quality can by filters, called Equalizer, are changed. Before it or afterwards the dynamics of the signal can with some desks (Dynamic processor) to be affected. In the same place are usually so-called INSERT sockets positioned, Grind in permit from further effect devices. Subsequently, one selects, where the signal is sent. Here several possibilities for the selection stand: The signal can on so-called effect or monitor penalty, also mentioned Auxiliary ways, on Subgruppen (additional totals, Auxiliary penalty) or the main exit (master bus) to be sent. Also one decides, where the signal spatially located becomes (Panorama automatic controller = Panpot). Before all signals resting against the mixer are merged, the channel volume control (Fader) specifies the portion of the single signal of the output sum (Masterfader). In addition DJ mixers have nearly always one Crossfader, in order to over-dazzle from a channel on the other hand.
FOH mixing
With front OF House and/or. FoH (English house front) one originally designates the place (the stage), their signals of the technicians as sound at the place of event for the public mixes. One speaks there of FOH mixing or simply of the FOH. All signals of the stage are if necessary first split (z.B. for a separate monitor-mix or an admission) and over Multi-core led to the mixer at the FoH. The mixed Stereosignal becomes usually over the multi-core back (Return) to the output stages that Pa = Public-address system (Public ADDRESS) led, likewise the monitor ways, if no monitor-mix more separately one drives.
DAW
With DAW (digital audio workstation) one marks the digital treatment of audio and MIDI in a computer. By appropriate Software becomes virtual an almost complete Aufnahmestudio on one Computer copied. The audio signal is converted here over appropriate sound maps (external as well as internal) and can be further worked on. Likewise the sound production can take place in addition, in the PC (over SynthesizerSoftware). The software imagines here mostly a mixer and sometimes also peripheral devices and Multi-trace tape recorder after.
see also
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Examples of digital mixers:
Examples of large mixers:
Examples of medium sized mixers:
Examples of inexpensive, semiprofessionelle mixers:
Mixer requirements particularly for DJs:
Examples of software:
