Glossary
AFL
Allows after-fade (post-fade) signals to be heard on the monitors and viewed on the main stereo meters.
Auxiliaries
Sometimes known as auxiliary sends, these are used as secondary mix buses. The mixes created on these buses are used to feed effect units or are fed back to performers as a Foldback feed. Every channel has access to the auxiliary mixes and the contribution of any channel can be varied using the appropriate auxiliary level control.
Auxiliary Master
Associated with every auxiliary there is an auxiliary master control to give overall level control rather than having to adjust the contribution from every channel. Auxiliaries can be switched pre or post fader and allocated to either the SF or LF signal paths. A further switch assigns the controls to a different pair of auxiliary buses, reducing the number of physical controls needed for the available auxiliary buses.
Bouncing
Bouncing, or track bouncing, is the process of moving one or more tracks from their existing position(s) to a new track. This is most often done to free up more tracks for recording.
Bus Master
Inputs are assigned to group outputs through a bus, allowing one or many inputs to feed the same bus. The group outputs usually correspond to inputs on the multitrack recorder. Each bus has a mixing amplifier whose gain is controlled by the Bus Master Trim, allowing the overall level sent to a multitrack input to be changed without disturbing the relative balance set by the individual channel faders.
Cut
The Cut or Mute control silences a signal path when it is not in use. This removes that path's noise contribution and can therefore help produce a quieter mix. There are Cut switches in both the SF and LF signal paths.
Dim
Reduces the Control Room loudspeaker level by a preset amount. DIM is brought into action automatically when talkback is used, helping to prevent acoustic feedback (howl-round).
Equaliser
The equaliser is divided into four bands. The high and low frequency sections are shelving and the turnover frequency is switchable. The two middle-frequency sections are peaking, with adjustable peak/dip frequency and continuously variable Q. The SF switches allow the HF/LF and MID equalisers to be independently switched into the SF signal path.
Flip
Allows the inputs to the signal paths to be swapped. Normally the LF path carries the TAPE input. With FLIP pressed it carries the MIC/LINE input while the TAPE input travels through the SF path.
Foldback
A mix returned to performers in the studio so that they can play in time with what is already recorded. It can use the console stereo output, but is more usually created from auxiliary buses so that the performer can receive a mix different from the main stereo mix. Talkback may also be included on the Foldback outputs.
In Line
A console architecture containing two signal paths within one physical module. The channel path can feed the multitrack recorder while the monitor path carries the recorder return to the stereo mix bus. Combining both paths in one strip allows a compact console to provide more signal paths, with selected facilities shared or switched between the two paths.
Insert Points
Allow the signal path to be broken so that a signal-processing device can be inserted in series. When not required, the device can either be switched out using the INSERT switch or unplugged from the console.
LF
The Long Fader is normally used to feed the mix. The lighter areas of the channel strip relate to the LF path. Where a dark switch marked SF appears beside a facility, that facility can be transferred into the Short Fader path.
Line
A high-level, high-input-impedance input intended for sources such as multitrack-recorder or sampler outputs.
Mic
The microphone input is a low-level, low-impedance input intended for low-output sources such as microphones. This contrasts with the Line input, which is intended for higher-level equipment outputs.
Mix
Routes signal to the stereo Mix bus, the main output of the console. This routing can be applied to both the SF and LF signal paths, which is particularly useful during mixdown when the maximum number of inputs may be required.
Pan
Short for panoramic potentiometer. It places a mono source within the stereo image by varying the proportion of signal sent to the left and right buses. Signals can also be panned across odd/even group outputs for stereo recording to the multitrack recorder.
PFL
Allows pre-fade signals to be heard on the monitors and viewed on the main stereo meters.
Q
An indication of the frequency range or bandwidth over which a peaking equaliser is effective. Low Q affects a wider range of frequencies while high Q affects a narrower range, allowing an EQ adjustment to be targeted while minimising changes to surrounding frequencies. The original manual additionally notes that very high-Q settings can sound less pleasant than broader settings; this is operating guidance rather than a fixed technical rule.
Routing
The process of selecting to which group output of the console a signal should be routed. Routing can be to multiple tracks. If an odd/even combination is selected, panning can be used to record a stereo signal onto the multitrack recorder.
SF
The Short Fader is normally used to feed the inputs to a multitrack recorder and therefore controls the recorded level. When SF appears by a control or group of controls, those functions can be switched into the Short Fader path.
Shift
Doubles the function of each routing switch. With SHIFT unpressed, routing is possible to tracks 1 through 12; with SHIFT pressed, tracks 13 through 24 are available.
Solo in Place
A method of previewing a channel by cutting all signals feeding the stereo bus other than the one(s) being soloed. This is a destructive monitoring mode because it affects the stereo/mix output.
Stereo Bus
The main stereo bus is the console's main mix path and feeds the stereo recording output. It is also used as the main monitoring source for hearing multitrack returns and establishing the mix balance.
Talkback
A means of communication from the mixing console to performers, routed through the selected Foldback/Studio communication paths.