Live Sound Basics for Beginners
Where can you get started with learning how to make use of mixers and other sound equipment? We have put together this free, step-by-step course for beginners who are interested in learning the fundamentals of audio engineering, with a specific focus on live sound operations. Students will develop the skills necessary to work effectively with audio mixers and sound systems.
Course Objectives:
- Gain a solid understanding of audio engineering principles and terminology.
- Identify and comprehend the functions of various components within a sound system.
- Learn how to operate audio mixers proficiently, including proper gain staging techniques.
Introduction to Audio Engineering
- Overview of audio engineering principles
- Roles and responsibilities of a live sound operator
- What is good sound and why is it important?
- Overview of a sound system: A means to good sound.
- Cables: How signals flow within a sound system
- What a Mixer Does: An Introduction
- Different types of speakers and their applications.
Basic Mixer Operations
- Understanding signal flow through a mixer.
- Explanation of bus routing.
- Getting sound into a mixer: microphone inputs, line inputs, instrument inputs.
- Getting sound out of the mixer
Introduction to Gain Staging
- Importance of proper gain staging in achieving optimal sound quality.
- Understanding signal-to-noise ratio and headroom.
- Techniques for setting gain levels at each stage of the signal chain.
- Troubleshooting common gain staging issues.
More About the Mixer
- Phantom power: explanation and usage.
- EQ (Equalization): understanding frequency bands and basic EQ adjustments.
- Aux sends and returns: understanding their purpose in mixing.
- Effects sends and returns: introduction to onboard effects processing.
- Pan control: understanding stereo imaging.
- Solo and mute buttons: basic signal management.
- Explanation of subgrouping.
- Subgroup and master fader control.
- Patching and routing signals within a mixer.