Information is crucial and having more information on a given subject helps us in making vital decisions regarding our reaction and response to said information. Fortunately, or not, we live in an information society where answers are only a Google away. Most every question asked can be answered by entering a few keystrokes on one’s phone or computer. Technical, mathematical, scientific, literary and sociological questions (to name a few categories) can find an answer on the internet. In fact, any question can result in a multitude of answers, so it’s up to the questioner to discern the correct answer. However, most of all it’s up to us to ask the right questions, as well as questioning any of the given answers. What is the source of the answer to the inquiry? Is this a source to be trusted? Do multiple responses all give the same answer? It’s amazing how much fingertip knowledge is available to us, but a plethora of disinformation is also available — and the information highway runs in both directions.
Search engines aren’t our only access to information, and we are often bombarded with information we do not solicit. At any given time, I can open my iPhone to Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube and up-to-date news from every publication or broadcast network, as well as videos from anyone who wants to post. I can choose to watch movies, series, sports and more from a multitude of streaming channels. We can get every sport statistic, movie statistic, political analysis and fashion update. We have access to every conspiracy theory and exposé we could ever want — or need. We can watch channels that challenge our beliefs and we can tune in to videos that justify our opinions. We can get manuals for everything as well as detailed instruction on how to do, fix and build almost anything. The internet has opened vistas and admittance to information that did not exist before. Not to say that information wasn’t available before the internet, but in 2001, with the advent of cell phone ingress to the internet, one’s cell phone became a high-performance vehicle and the information highway dropped its speed limit and became the autobahn of internet driving.
As an audio engineer, I have spent much time trying to achieve a satisfying mix that is at once warm, fat, clear and punchy. Once I had the internet at my fingertips, I slipped down various rabbit holes in search of achieving that perfect mix which, when attained, can give the listener not only a great audio experience, but also a real visceral lift. Some of these rabbit holes took me away from audio mixing and into a world of audio weaponry, such as endless debates regarding the tuning of instruments to A432 compared to our now-standard A440. Sonar for location, ELFs (extra low frequency) for communication with submarines, ultrasound for medical imaging, breaking up of kidney stones and — recently — the use of acoustic levitation. I don’t think learning about these things has necessarily improved my mixing abilities, but it is interesting to delve into the power of the force with which we work. While information is to be shared, we should be diligent in vetting and sharing any information that comes our way.
The Pro Audio Side
One bit of information I thought would be useful to share with a couple of young engineers is the use of subgroups and DCA channels while chasing the visceral mix we are all trying to achieve.
Subgroups, VCAs (voltage-controlled amplifier) and DCAs (digital controlled amplifiers) are different in that a subgroup channel is a summing amplifier which takes the inputted channels and sums them into one channel that can be controlled by that group fader. A VCA or DCA does not sum the assigned channels, but adjusts them individually when the fader is moved. Depending upon how one likes to mix, these two forms of subgrouping can be used in various ways. In the analog days of live mixing, we didn’t have access to dynamics on each channel, so if we wanted to compress a section of four horns and had only one stereo compressor available, we could assign the horns to a pair of subgroups and insert the compression across the two channels. Another use of the subgroup that I have witnessed is some engineers assigning the lead vocal to a subgroup while sending both the subgroup and vocal channel to the left/right main output. As the summing amp of the subgroup adds 3 dB to the mix, the thought was that they could utilize that extra 3 dB in keeping the vocal above the mix. While this may have worked for them, I preferred to get my extra gain elsewhere in the mix.
VCA and DCAs adjust each channel assigned to it individually rather than adjusting a summed group. If one is doing an input mix — meaning that all the input levels are different to ensure that all the faders are at unity across the board — then the VCA or DCA can be used to increase or decrease the level of the assigned channels. Another way to use the VCAs or DCAs is when one is doing a fader mix rather than an input mix. This means that while setting up one’s gain structure, the input of each channel is at unity with the mix being controlled by the faders, which would be at varying levels. If, say, six vocals are assigned to a VCA/DCA fader, the level of said channels can be brought up or down together by one channel without affecting the mix relationship between the vocals. This also works well if one has multiple microphones on a single instrument during a fader mix and one does not want to lose the balance between them when adjusting the level.
Audio engineers spend a good bit of time processing signal information using the various tricks and tools available to them, with the end result being a cohesive mix that the listener can comprehend and enjoy. While subgroups, VCAs and DCAs are just a few of the many tools used to accomplish the mission of a great mix, another piece of essential information I often share with my young engineers is that just because an option is available on a console doesn’t mean one is obliged to use it.
Contact Baker Lee at [email protected].
