ABSTRACT
In the audio post production studio, the ‘mixing surface’ is the main working area and at the heart of the sound system. This mixing device may be a selection of pages from an audio workstation specifically devoted to sound mixing or it may be a separate ‘control surface’. This is variously described by manufacturers as a mixing console, board, desk or even human interface device! Whatever the system, the person who is mixing the sounds should be in a position to hear the best possible sound, to view the picture comfortably, and to have good access to the various facilities on the mixer. There may be other devices needed for additional editing and tracklaying, such as a workstation, CD players, DAT players and sound processing gear – not built into the mixing console, but close at hand. Such equipment is called outboard equipment, equipment within the console being known as inboard. In the large specialist audio studio, where little soundtrack preparation takes place and only mixing, the mixer may not require access to equipment such as the picture players or audio machines, so these are kept in a soundproofed room close to, but away from, the mixing environment.
