14 Mixing Console Skills to Create Great Live Sound

And How to Avoid Common Bad-Sound Mistakes That People Make

Thank you for reading this free mini-report on mixing consoles. Tip: Print this report, it makes reading a lot easier. Here are the 14 mixing console must-master skills for sound engineers and musicians: 1. How the mixing console is designed and its purpose and possibilities, to easily be able to operate and work with any mixing console in just 10 minutes. 2. How to use all the knobs and buttons, to create great live sound 3. How to use digital and analog mixing consoles, to become familiar with both types. 4. How to use fixed, sweepable and parametric filters and how to use the equalizer correctly, to produce quality sound. 5. What aux sends does and learn the difference between pre and post aux sends to know the best ways to use of monitors and effects. 6. How to manage the faders, to avoid distortion and unnecessary noise. 7. How to optimize the mixing consoles gain structure, to make use of all available headroom while avoiding distortion. 8. How to use pfl, afl and the mixing consoles VU meter, to fully take control of input and output levels. 9. How to use hi pass, to create cleaner sound and more distinct bass. 10. How to use panning and routing, to create the stereo image as you want it and route the signal exactly where you want to have it. 11. How to make use of sub-groups to support creative mixing. 12. The correct terms of the mixing consoles in and outputs and what they are for, to be able to connect all parts of the equipment as quickly and correctly as possible. 13. How matrices work and to make use of them, to create several mixing setups for extended needs. 14. How VCA faders work and how to make use of their specific properties, to fully take advantage of their benefits. To summarize, this is what you must know to work seriously with PA-systems and to give yourself the best chances to create great live sound You need to know how to optimize the mixing consoles and the entire PA-systems gain structure from input gain, via equalizer and fader of each channel, to master faders. You also have a similar signal flow for each monitor system and each effect processor in use. You must have total control of input and output levels. You need to know in which order to adjust the levels. Because if your levels are too weak the noiseup becomes unnecessary severe and if the levels are too strong there will be distortion. And if some levels are weak and some too strong you have both problems simultaneously. You know how frustrating it is to have a constant backgroundnoise when everybody just wants to enjoy the show. Even worse if the sound is distorted and people cover their ears or start leaving You need to know how the mixing console is designed. You need to know its structure from input channels via sub-groups to master module. You need to be familiar with the five blocks in each channel: gain, equalizer, aux sends, addressing and fader. You must understand the mixing consoles internal signal flow and be familiar with solo functions, aux master, VU-meters, VCA-faders, matrices and scene-memories. Because you need to be able to start using any mixing consoles in less than 10 minutes, no matter size. All mixing consoles are designed in a similar way. The only differences are the number of functions in each block. Mastering the basic structure give you the opportunity to quickly start using any mixing console new to you.

www.CreateGreatLiveSound.com

14 Mixing Console Skills to Create Great Live Sound

And How to Avoid Common Bad-Sound Mistakes That People Make
You need to know how to use all of the buttons and knobs of the mixing console. You must know exactly what each individual button or knob is for. You must understand how to use gain and PAD, and how to adjust correct input levels. You must understand the equalizer and how it affects the input level. Do you know what helps you adjust correct gain? Are you familiar with different types of filters, like fixed, sweepable, parametric, hi pass, shelving, bell, and more? Do you know how to use the equalizer to highlight the characteristics of a single instrument and how to cut off frequencies not needed or that deteriorate the sound? Do you know how to use effects, panning, equalizer and volume to give each individual instrument its proper place in the sound image? Do you know how to send each instrument to monitors or to add effects with aux sends? Can you tell the difference between pre and post aux sends? Because you need to be able to quickly fix sound-problems using your ears. Your ears are your single most important tool. You need to hear how to adjust the sound. Otherwise, you wont be able start focus on listening how to improve the sound. And you wont be able to develop that magic flow from ear to hand, not involving the brain fully concentrated on the sound while automatically turning knobs to create great live sound. Good luck. Happy sound-engineering! Hans Nicklasson, www.CreateGreatLiveSound.com Do you want to learn all the functions of the mixing console once and forever? Do want to be able to focus more on the sound instead of all of the button and knobs? Do want to have the skills to take command of any mixing console in less than 10 minutes? Do you want to create great live sound? Then my best piece of advice to you is to invest a few hours reading my new book Live Sound Equipment to learn the fundamental technical skills. In chapter six I will teach you all there is to know about mixing consoles. In the rest of the 13 chapters I will guide you through each every part of PA-systems microphones, DI-boxes, cables and connectors, master equalizers, effect processors, crossovers, power amplifiers and speakers. I you want to create great live sound, this book is for you: Visit www.CreateGreatLiveSound.com now to learn more.

... The book is ambitiously produced. The book is well structured. The authors own experiences and personal reasoning s are well mixed with more unambiguous facts and truths to a composition well worth reading. - From the magazine Monitor issue no 10/2006 by Mikael Thieme: Hi! Thanks for a very useful and good manual of sound engineering. As an amateur engineer of a big band I have had an immense use of the book. It is priceless. - Lars Jernryd, XL Big Band

Live Sound Equipment In this e-book on live sound equipment you will learn about all of the equipment included in a PA system and how to Create Great Live Sound. Everything is explained i detail and visualised with distinct illustrations.

About the author: Hans Nicklasson was born in Sweden in 1964. He started with sound engineering 25 years ago. Today he manages the site www.ljudteknikern.se (only in Swedish) about sound engineering and is working as sound engineer at his own company, HN Ljuddesign. He is also teaching students in sound engineering at a high school for musicians.

www.CreateGreatLiveSound.com