ABSTRACT
A key component of audio engineering is to fully understand the analog model of signal flow, that is, how sound travels from the beginning to the end of its audio path. This chapter focuses on how to hook up the gear and figure out exactly what is going on along an audio path. Recording involves three specific stages. The first stage is capturing the sounds with a mic. The next stage is storing the sounds in a recorder/line. The third stage is hearing the stored sounds on speakers or headphones. The preamp is the first link in a recording chain when a microphone is used. A recording studio's collection of gear often includes both analog and digital components. Three levels of power correspond to the three stages of signal flow: mic level, line level and speaker level. Monitoring is the final stage in the signal's path, and can be achieved by listening to speakers.
