Audio Basics

The gear, the signal, and how to get sound from a source to a room

Most audio problems on a live job are not mysterious, and almost none are solved by turning something up. This book covers the equipment: the three signal levels and why they must not be confused, gain and headroom, how a microphone actually works and which of the three types to reach for, polar patterns and placement, what a mixing console is doing behind its channel strip, buses and monitor sends, how a loudspeaker turns a signal back into air, powered versus passive, and feedback as a loop you can break in four places.

Inside: What Sound Actually Is - The Audio Signal & Gain Structure - Microphones - The Mixing Console & Signal Path - Speakers, Amplification & Feedback - Where to Go Next - Glossary.