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Signal Flow : Effects Routing
Table of contents
Effects Routing
Say you want to put a bit of reverb on a vocal signal. The
signal will be at line level already, because we cannot work with mic level
signals. One way to do it would be to send the output from the mixing desk to
an effects unit, then send the output from the effects unit to the power amp.
The downside to this is that the output would contain 100% reverb.
Because
of this, mixing desks usually provide an auxillary send bus. This allows you
to split the signal from any track so you have 2 signals that are identical.
Each channel on the mixing desk will have an 'auxillary
send' knob. Sometimes it is called 'FX send', 'Pre send'
or 'Post send'. This allows you to adjust the amount of signal that
goes to the 'auxillary output' socket. We then use a cable from the
auxillary output on the mixing desk to the input on the effects unit. This means
that any signal coming out of the auxillary output goes into the effects unit.
Next we have to use the resulting signal from the effects
unit, which is typically sent to a line-level input on the mixing desk. Some
mixing desks have an 'FX return' socket, which is a line-level input
for this very reason. The 'FX return' knob allows you to mix the amount
of the affected signal in the final mix.
It is preferable to use a line-level channel for effects
returns, if it is possible. Most mixers have some channels with line-level
inputs, or the channels may allow you to select if the input is line-level
or mic-level.
It is better to use a real channel for effects returns,
because it allows you to add EQ to the affected signal. Be careful not to
send any auxillary signal from the effects channel, because it will create
feedback!
- Auxillary out on the desk goes to the input on the effects unit.
- Output from the effects unit goes to the FX return on the desk.
- Raise the Auxillary send knob on channel 1 to 2 o'clock.
- Raise the FX return knob to 20%.
So in summary, the process of adding an effect requires
that the signal be split into two identical signals. One signal is sent through
an effects unit and returned to the mixer via an FX return or line-level channel.
The original signal and the affected signal are then mixed together and sent
out the main bus to the amplifier.
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