INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHESIZERS - hol.gr

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A synthesizer and two sound modules being mixed to a stereo output Audio mixers come in a huge variety of forms, shapes, sizes and prices. Let's see what's common for them! A property for every mixer, is the number of channels the mixer can handle. A channel is simply the number of separate audio lines that can be mixed together. If you have two synthesizers, with one left and one right output each, then you will need four channels to be able to mix them. The simplest keyboard mixers have four channels, while complex studio mixer consoles can have as many as 64 channels and more. Tascam TM-D8000 40-Channel Digital Mixer How many channels you need depends on how many sound modules and synthesizers you intend to hook up in your studio simultaneously. For a normal home studio consisting of a couple of synthesizers, a simple, rackmounted 16-channel line mixer is a good choice. It will allow you to grow along with it without forcing you to mortgage your house. A mixer has usually a plethora of knobs and buttons. But don't let the sheer number of knobs intimidate you: most of the buttons and sliders are repeated for each channel. The most prominent parts of the mixer console are the following: • Fader • Panpot • Equalizer • Aux send and return Let's look at these in turn! 24
The faders The sound volume for each channel is controlled with sliders, usually called faders. By moving a fader upward, we increase the sound volume for the sound on that channel and by sliding the fader all the way to the bottom, we eliminate all the sound for that channel. On some keyboard mixers the faders are labeled "Gain", but their function is the same. Most mixers also have a button to mute the whole channel, thus instantly eliminating the sound from that channel. As soon as there is no intended sound from a certain input, it should be muted to eliminate every single trace of background noise and electric hum generated by cables and synthesizers. Many mixers can also solo a channel, so you only hear the sound on this channel. The output from the mixer is controlled by a pair of master faders, which control the sound volume for all the channels at once. For instance, by slowly sliding the master faders to the bottom, you create a fade-out, without affecting the relative sound levels for each of the individual channels. Pan In a mix, you will want to be able to position all the sounds in the stereo field - left, right or somewhere in between. This is usually called the panning of the sound, and is controlled with a dial on the mixer, appropriately labeled "Pan". The pan control is similar to the balance knob on a home stereo. In practice, this makes it possible to simulate the original location of each performer in the finished stereo mix. When you plug in a stereo synthesizer in your mixer, you usually use up two channels: one channel for the left output of the synthesizer, and one channel for the right. If you wish to retain the stereo field of the synthesizer, you must set the pan of the first channel to the extreme left, and the other channel to the extreme right. A good mix has an even balance between left and right. Putting all the drums to the left and all the voices to the right be sound pretty funny, but is most often not a very good mix. Sometimes you may want a certain sound to keep moving from the left to right in the stereo field. This is done by turning the Pan knob from the extreme left to the extreme right and back. Equalizer The equalizer (or EQ) controls the "brightness" of the sound on the individual channels. It's really the same as the Bass and Treble knobs on a regular home stereo, only more precise and more exact. The standard equalizer settings are high, middle, and low, but on some mixers you may find other combinations as well. 25
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INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHESIZERS - hol.gr

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