Audio Engineer's Reference Book, 2nd Edition

2.7 Analogue sound mixing equipment

2.7.1 Introduction

Sound mixing equipment comes in a wide variety of types and sizes, and is referred to in a sometimes confusing number of ways. There are audio mixers, sound desks, mixing consoles and control panels, used for mixing, recording, re-recording, broadcasting, production, postproduction, dubbing, editing, sound reinforcement and public address, and available in mono, stereo, on-air, self-operated, multitrack, film or theatre format.

The basic function of an analogue audio mixer is to combine two or more signals, each the electrical analogue of an acoustic waveform, into a suitable output signal. The mixer must therefore provide a means of adjusting the levels of the incoming signals and of the ...