Recording Basics
Owner’s Manual 11
English
Inside Your Mixer

Basic Structure

The purpose of configuring an audio system around a
mixer is to collect signals from all channels and mix to
achieve a good balance. Here is a greatly simplified
block diagram of a mixer to help you understand the
signal path.

Simplified mixer block diagram

■Input channel

1Head amp
The very first stage in any mixer through which the
input signal flows. The head amp features a gain
control that enables you to adjust the mixer’s input
sensitivity to match the level of the source.
You can amplify small signals, and attenuate large
signals.
2Compressor/Equalizer
This stage enables you to process the input signal.
A compressor attenuates the peak level of the input
signal, and raises the overall signal level at the same
time, to lessen the level difference and raise the
sound pressure.
An equalizer adjusts the tone by boosting
(amplifying) or cutting (attenuating) certain
frequency ranges. You can use an equalizer to
change the tone to suit the acoustic environment of
a particular room, or to create a new sound. An
equalizer could be a high pass filter that cuts the
sound below a specified frequency.
Some mixers feature compressors and/or equalizers,
and some do not.
3Level meter (input channel)
If the signal level is too high for the head amp or
compressor/equalizer to handle, the sound will clip
and be distorted. An input channel level meter enables
you to monitor this signal level. Some mixers feature a
channel peak LED that indicates only the peak level.
If the input signal is overloaded, adjust the head
amp gain control.
Most mixers have multiple level meters (including the
indicators). It is important to know the mixer stage for
which the meters are indicating signal levels.
4Channel fader
A channel fader enables you to adjust the level of
the corresponding input channel signal that is going
to be routed to the buses (excluding a pre-fader
signal).
This control is most often used during mixing.

■Bus

5Bus
Input channel signals are routed to buses, mixed
together there, then output in stereo (master).
Buses are categorized into a few types based on their
purpose: stereo bus for stereo mix, AUX bus for AUX
send, etc. Using the appropriate buses is one of the
keys to basic mixing.
The n8/n12 features the following buses:
• STEREO bus (L/R)
• AUX bus (L/R)
• REC bus (L/R)
• REVERB bus (L/R)
• SOLO bus (L/R)

■Master section

6Stereo (master) fader
The master section enables you to adjust the level of
signals routed from buses.
Use a stereo master fader to adjust the level of the
mixer’s main output from the stereo buses.
Depending on the design of the mixer, a fader is
provided for each bus so that you can adjust the
level of each bus output.
7Level meter (master)
This meter indicates the signal level in the master
section, which is the mixer’s final output level.
IN
OUT
BUS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
COMP
EQ
input channel bus
master
section
bus