What You Need to Know About a Sound Mixing Console？

Whether you're a newbie or a veteran sound mixer, you've probably seen a sound mixer at work. These tools are incredibly versatile and have many controls, all duplicated to make them easier to understand. There are many applications for sound mixers, including music studios and live performances, television and film studios, field shoots, and more. If you're interested in getting started as a sound mixer, there are several things you need to know before you begin.

A sound mixer usually has peak meters that indicate the levels for each channel and the master outputs. A sound engineer will adjust the input signal gain to achieve the highest possible signal-to-noise ratio. Most mixers also have additional outputs, such as auxiliary returns and individual bus outputs. These are intended for use with onstage monitors, as well as to drive other speakers. In addition to the main audio outputs, a sound mixer can also have cue systems and auxiliary inputs.

Some audio mixers feature VU meters to indicate the perceived loudness of a channel or stereo bus. This feature is controlled by the cue button and mutes everything except the channel you've soloed. The soloing feature can be useful during setup and troubleshooting. An audio engineer can use this feature to isolate a problematic channel and try to correct it by adjusting the volume level. Then, they can listen to the audio output.