Chapter 5: The Audio Console

The accuracy of VU meters is sometimes questioned in two areas. What are they?

- VU meters have trouble indicating transients - sudden, sharp, short increases in volume of the sound signal - VU meters tend to overreact to the bass portion of the sound

In Figure 5.10, a reading of 50 percent on the scale is roughly equivalent to which reading on the dB scale?

-6 dB

A line-level channel of an audio console would have what type off equipment assigned to it?

CD player and audio recorder

Which of the following statements about digital audio consoles is not true?

Digital consoles do not accept analog inputs.

A segue is the basic sound transition in which one sound is mixed with silence. True or False?

False

Most audio consoles used in radio broadcasting are identical to the consoles used in music recording. True or False?

False

In figure 5.9, according to the pan pot position on the analog channel, what is the relationship between the sound signal going to the left channel and the signal going to the right channel?

Left would be greater than right (similar change).

Look at Figure 5.6. What happens if the PGM/AUD/UTL output selector switch of channel M-1 is in the audition position?

Sound can be going to an audio recorder.

In Figure 5.6, sound on channel L-1 would not get to program out to be broadcast or recorded unless what happened?

The PGM output selector switch is on.

It's possible to have music from an audio recorder go into a control board and then come out and be record on another recorder. True or False?

True

On an audio console, a pan pot and a balance control both serve a similar function. True or False?

True

solo switch

a button that allows one particular audio board sound to be heard one the monitor

mute switch

a control on an audio console that prevents the audio signal from going through a channel

variable resistors

a device that controls the amount of signal that gets through the audio console, and thereby controls the volume

feedback

a howling noise created when the output of a sound (usually from a speaker) is returned to the input (usually a microphone)

balance control

a knob on stereo input channels used to determine how much sound goes to the right channel and how much sound goes to the left channel

gain controls

a knob or fader that makes sound louder or softer

decibels (dB)

a measurement to indicate the loudness of sound

cold ending

a natural, full-volume ending of music or a song

monitor speaker

a piece of equipment from which sound can be heard

monitor amplifier

a piece of equipment that raises the volume level of sound going to a speaker

potentiometer (pot)

a round knob that controls volume

talk-back switch

a simple intercom on an audio console that allows the operator to talk with someone in another studio

VU (volume unit) meter

a unit that gives a visual indication of the level of volume

riding the gain

adjusting volume during a production

under modulated

an audio signal or recording in which the volume of the signal is too low, causing noise to be noticeable

tone generator

an element in an audio board or other piece of equipment that produces a tone that can be set to 100 percent to calibrate equipment

line level

an input that has already been preamplified

microphone level

an input that has not been preamplified

Which choose most accurately describes the monitor/speaker?

an output

Audition (AUD)

an output channel of an audio console

Auxiliary (AUX) (UTL)

an output channel of an audio console

Program (PGM)

an output channel of an audio console

Which expression describes a 20 percent reading on the VU meter in Figure 5.10?

being in the mud

output selectors

buttons that determine where a sound goes as it leaves the audio console

remote start switches

buttons that enable a piece of equipment to be operated from a distance

How can a channel of the digital audio consoles shown in Figure 5.9 be put into cue?

by depressing the CUE button

On an audio console, which term refers to a group of switches, faders, and knobs that are usually associated with one sound source, such as a CD player?

channel

If you were attempting to segue from one song to another, how sold the first song end?

cold ending

gain control (trim control)

controls on an audio board that are used to fine-tune the volume of each input

Which sound transition occurs when one CD is faded down at the same time as another CD is faded up?

cross-fade

If the digital fader in Figure 5.9 was at -3 and you moved it to -7, what would you have accomplished?

decreased the volume

Which feature of an audio console would allow the operator to alter the tonal quality of a sound going through the board?

equalizer control

The input signal of the analog channel is split into three frequency ranges. What are they?

high midrange low

What are the three primary function of any control board?

mix amplify route audio

What are other names for an audio console?

mixer control board

peaking in the red

modulating a signal so that it reads above 100 percent on the VU meter

sustain ending

music or songs that end with the last notes held for a short period of time, then gradually fadeout

Which statement about the master volume control on an audio board is true?

must be up for sound to leave the board

monaural

one channel of sound coming from one direction

A stereo board requires two masters. What are they?

one for the right channel one for the left channel

pegging the meter

operating sound so loudly that the needle of the VU meter hits the metal peg beyond the red area

in the mud

operating volume consistently below 20 percent on the VU meter

What is another name for a pan knob?

pan pot

fader

part of an audio console that moves up and down to control volume

Which expression describes a 3 dB reading on the VU meter in Figure 5.10?

pegging the meter

What is another name for pegging the meter?

pinning the needle

Which statement about the cue position on a fader is true?

sends sound to a small speaker in the audio board

What is another name for a fader?

slider

stereo

sound recording and reproduction that uses two channels, one coming from the right and the other coming from the left, to imitate live sound as closely as possible

input selectors

switches that are used to choose microphone or line positions on an audio board

Which feature of an audio console is a simple intercom system?

talk-back switch

master fader

the control that determines the volume of the signal being sent from the audio console

Which control found on an audio console might be used to help eliminate electronic hum on an audio recording?

the equalizer

Audible sound comes from what in Figure 5.8?

the monitor speaker

pan knob

the part of an audio board that controls how much sound goes to the right channel of a stereo system and how much goes to the left channel

audio console (control board)

the piece of equipment that mixes, amplifies, and routes sound

channel

the route an audio signal follows

equalizers

the unit that adjusts the amount of amplification given to particular frequencies such as high or low frequencies

headphones

tiny speakers encased in something that can be placed in, or close to, the ear

fade-in

to bring sound up from silence to full volume or the desired level

cross-fade

to bring up on sound and take down another in such a way that both are heard for a short period of time

segue

to cut from one sound at full volume to another sound at full volume

fade

to gradually increase or decrease the volume of music ro to from silence

amplify

to make louder

cue

to preview an input (such as a CD or audio tape) before it goes over the air

fade-out

to take sound from full volume, or the current level, to silence

Which of the following can help assure that the level that's being recorded on an audio recorder is the same as that coming from the audio board?

tone generator

overmodulated

too loud for the equipment to handle