Signal Path Basics
In a typical PA system, which device does the microphone plug into first before the signal reaches the speakers?
The mixing console (or audio interface)
Which type of audio signal uses a continuously varying electrical voltage to represent sound—analog or digital?
Analog
In a recording studio, which piece of equipment allows engineers to change signal routing without unplugging cables from the back of gear?
A patch bay.
If no sound is coming from the speakers, what is the very first thing you should confirm—before checking settings or software?
That the system has power and all cables are properly connected.
In signal flow, what does the term input describe: the starting point, the ending point, or the path in between?
The starting point where a signal enters a device.
What piece of equipment changes an analog electrical signal into a stream of digital data?
An analog-to-digital converter (A/D converter).
When using a mixing console, what is the function of an auxiliary send (aux send)?
It sends a copy of the channel’s signal to another destination, like an effect unit or monitor mix.
In audio engineering, what does the term gain staging mean?
Adjusting input and output levels at every stage of the signal chain to prevent noise and distortion.
Which device specifically converts acoustic sound waves into an electrical signal for processing?
A microphone
In digital audio, which parameter controls how many times per second sound is measured?
Sample Rate
If a band needs the audience to hear through the main speakers and the performers to hear through stage monitors, what routing method should be used?
Main mix goes to the speakers; aux sends create separate monitor mixes for the performers.
If your channel meter shows red clipping, what control should you lower first: fader, EQ, or gain/trim?
Gain/trim (the input level).
When a microphone’s signal travels through a preamp, then into an equalizer, and then into a compressor, what is this ordered sequence called?
A signal chain
In digital recording, what causes latency and how does it affect musicians wearing headphones?
Latency is caused by processing/conversion delays, and it makes the performer hear their sound delayed in the headphones.
What is the main difference between using an insert effect (like a compressor) and a send effect (like reverb)?
Insert effects replace the original signal with the processed signal; send effects blend the processed (wet) signal with the original (dry) signal.
If a signal routed through a compressor sounds distorted even though the speakers are fine, what is the likely issue inside the compressor?
The input or output level on the compressor is set too high, causing distortion.