Lesson 6 2/2/13 - Posted on 2013-03-04 by Ryan Catlett

The console- the most important piece of equipment either at a live show or in a recording studio.  This is where everything happens.  It was a lot of fun seeing how the signal chain flows from signal source to speaker.  There is a lot that goes on that, previously, I had no idea about.  The console is where all the EQing, levels, gains, compression, gates, and effects get adjusted.  An example of a signal chain from a microphone to monitor would be the mic goes into a preamp, the preamp sends an insert to a compressor, the compressor returns the insert point to an EQ(to tape), the EQ goes to the upper fader, the upper fader is attached to the routing matrix, the routing matrix goes into the DAW and is returned into an EQ (from tape), the EQ is routed to the aux sends, the aux sends are routed to the lower fader, you adjust the pan knob after the lower fader, then the master fader which sends signal to the monitors. 

I am getting some great hands on experience with the Avid Venue digital console.  It's literally Pro Tools in a board.  You have everything you would want right at your fingertips.  I have been getting really familiar with the Yamaha analog board and doing more stage monitors as the weeks go on.  It's been a lot of fun patching and labeling the monitor board to ensure the show goes as smoothly as possible.  While the Yamaha doesn't have the bells and whistles that the Avid does, I prefer to start here and work my way up.  I haven't been told yet that I made a bad mix.

Artists I've worked with since last post:

Buckstein

Solterra

Zero

Banda Limon