Mixer construction is one of the most important issues any sound engineer should know.
An analog mixer board is divided into several parts. Some of these parts are also divided into smaller parts.
In this article, I will explain the channel input strip in mixers from the mixer building.
Channel entry bar
The input bars can be mono or stereo with the capabilities of each in their respective columns.
Usually, each channel column has rotary levers (switches), switches, power supplies (linear volumes) to control the gain of the amplifier.
Which can adjust the channel equalizer. Check the direction of the incoming signal.
And check the channel's participation in the mix. The inputs that can be connected to mixer channels can be multipurpose or multiple.
Like the XLR jacks, for microphones and DI BOX, or the 1.4-inch phone jacks for line inputs from audio sources.
DJ mixers use RCA inputs to capture sound from CD players and phonographs to digital devices.
Depending on the type of mixer, the input columns may have different paths for the channel to be monitored, they may have autos to reduce the signal strength to prevent clipping, or active functions such as high pass filters and some more expensive mixers have graphics or semiparametric equalizers, especially for the frequency band.
Mixer input components
Each channel usually has a number so that the sound engineers can separate the channels (like the Dynacord PowerMate 2200-3 mixer).
This helps a lot to make the soundtrack less misunderstood. Channel input jacks can also have a number, such as jacks 1, 2, 3 and ... for each channel.
Usually the input part of mixers has the following parts:
- Input jacks and connectors
- Microphone preamplifier
- equalizers
- Compressors
- Routing
- Axillary
- Monitoring and writing
- Feeders (can be linear or rotary)
- Mono input
- Masterful part
- Stereo input
Not all mixers can include the above mixer components.