Handbook for Sound Engineers

Consoles 935

operators as possible. Messing around with system head
rooms does somewhat fall into the category of kludge,
but as a means to the end of facilitating the
music-making process less painful, who can argue? A
console is after all a creative tool, not a museum of
technical operating standards.

25.16 Consoles and Computers

Varying levels of logical control, remote control, auto-
mation, and data storage and recall were common on
analog consoles long before digital consoles came
along, on which of course there is no option. The
“Why?” of such digital control of analog was a much
harder question to answer at the time, but decent solu-
tions to most of the requirements were found.
Automated fader systems led to the quest for storing
and recalling all console functions, since the instanta-
neous storage, recall, and automation of console settings

had immediate application in several spheres of activity.

But by the time this was all achievable with a compa-

rable level of performance as from a nonautomated

console, digital mixers were becoming a reality. Since

they were of necessity completely programmable, and

the control hardware and software was by its very

nature already there and in place to do automation to

some degree or other, it was a done deal.

What has emerged out of the growth of digital

control is the fascinating question of control-surface

ergonomics; far from being shackled to the hardware

beneath them, now the surfaces can actually be

designed to best suit their purpose. Seconds aside, back

to back, ten paces then turn, please.

A further set of considerations comes from the

wisdom, necessity, and/or desirability of siting the guts

of the console (the signal-processing bit) remote from

the control surface. Apart from the need for extensive

communication between the two (usually attacked by

Figure 25-104. Component changes to operate channel at a depressed (10 dBu) level. (Refer to Fig. 25-96.)

Change existing

22 k 7 for 68 k 7 Add parallel 4.7 k^7

A. Correcting line in levels.

From IC 15

*Change 10 k 7

for 33 k 7

B. Clippling gain of post fader buffer amplifier. C. Maintaining correct cross feed level.

From

fader

wiper

Output