Signal Flow & The Audio Console

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Styles of Recording Music

~ 1920’s

✓ ‘live’ recording with all instruments in one, continuous performance

✓ i.e. ‘capturing a performance’

✓ mostly ‘distant’ micing to capture sound

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Typical Recording Session ~ 1937

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1930’s - present✓use of more than one microphone when recording

✓all instruments not present during original recording •“re-record” to add more instruments (“overdubbing”)

✓modify recording w/ addn’l sources (“effects/reverb”)

✓‘creating a performance’

Styles of Recording Music

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•musicians listen to previous recording…

•“new performance” is blended with the original performance

•…“play along

“The Sheik of Araby” - Sidney Bichet (1932)

•a new recording is made

“Overdubbing” = adding instruments after original performance

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Patent for the first ‘reverb chamber’ (1935)

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early RCA broadcast ‘mixer’ (~1940s)

first ‘console’ built for modern recording

(~1950)

The Audio Console

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takes input (source) signal…

▪ Amplifies = “volume” ▪ Processes = adjust “tone” ▪ Combines = “spatial

positioning” ▪ Balances = “blend” or “mix” ▪ Routes = outputs to

recorder, monitors, etc.

The Audio Console - Basic Functions

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⦿ “path” through a system

⦿ important in describing use or function

Signal Flow

Block Diagram • describes a complete system by breaking it into sections or

“blocks” • each “block” has a function and the diagram shows how they

are connected together • shows inputs and outputs

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Signal Flow & Block Diagram (Flowchart)

microphone speaker

variable (rotary) amp

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mic(source)

(pre) amp(input)

volume combine(mixer)

volume(output)

recorder(destination)

DISCRECORDER

Block Diagram of Early Recording System

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Which one of these shows the correct “signal flow”?

Block Diagram of Early Recording System (1920 - 30’s)

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⦿ basically the same “signal flow” as earlier recording systems...

preamp vol mixmic

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⦿ with some additional signal “blocks” added...

send

monitoring

return bus

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⦿ to create functionality in the modern “console”...

preamp volsend

mix bus

monitoring

return

console

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⦿ to create functionality in the modern “console”...

preamp volsend

mix bus

monitoring

return

console

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Typical Audio Console - Basic Signal Flow

input(s)output(s)

‘processing’

monitoring

“mic” = microphones“line” =

•electronic instruments (e.g. electric guitar)•effects (e.g. reverb)•recording systems

• recording systems

• monitoring• effects

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5-Signal Flow & The Audio Console copy - January 4, 2017