Setting Audio Levels

Below is a video and notes on how to set audio levels on the Studer Vista desk in the Gallery

Studer Desk_ Setting Levels.pptx

Studer Vista Desk : Inputs

The channels to the left of the Studer desk are in two Fader Bays of 10 channels each. These are all input channels.

Every channel has the same knobs and switches, so once you understand one of them you will understand them all.

Sources

Lots of different audio sources can be connected to the input channels.

You can organise and label them as you like:

Basic Channel Controls

Level Controls

Setting Levels

We set the level of each incoming source before a recording or broadcast.

The aims are to:

●Confirm the source is what we expect - e.g. the correct microphone

●Test it is working correctly

●Listen to the source in terms of audio quality

●Adjust the incoming level

Confirm

A show can consist of many audio sources; multiple microphones on people or

instruments, wired connections to video players etc. It is important to check we

know which channel is controlling which source. So we listen and identify each

one.

Test & Listen

Are we getting the best sound? Is the mic in the best place?

A radio mic might be muffled by clothing, or be too far under the chin to give

good sound. A mic pointing at a guitar may need repositioning.

And we want to make sure there are no pops, crackles or other unwanted noises

due to faulty cables or connections. If there are, we need to fix them.

Adjust

We need to adjust the level of sound on each channel - even on each and every video clip played through the same channel - so that when we put the source on air we know it will be at the right level in our programme.

Too low (quiet) and the audience will struggle to hear it.

Too high (loud) and it will stick out and surprise or annoy the audience.

Different levels of audio are used creatively, of course.

Drama production, particularly, needs to have quieter, reflective or intimate

scenes interspersed with louder action or argumentative ones.

So ‘setting levels’ is not the quite the same for each style of production, but in

all cases we are setting up the mixer so that we can control levels as we desire.

General Production (non-drama)

Once we have the microphones in the right place we can ask the presenter(s) and guests, via the Floor Manager, to ‘say some words for level’.

Briefly press the Prefade Listen (PFL) button at the bottom of the channel strip to hear each microphone. Do NOT push the fader up: we are preparing the

desk ready for rehearsal or broadcast and do not need to send the sound anywhere else yet.

The person in the studio needs to speak as they will do in the programme. Presenters can read their script - perhaps from Autocue - to make them perform as

they will on air. Guests should be helped by the presenter by being engaged in conversation.

Anyone ‘giving level’ should be prepared to keep going until sound are happy they have everything set correctly.

As you adjust the GAIN control watch the meter at the side of the fader.

Adjust the GAIN until the presenter or guest’s voice make the lights towards the top of the green section light up - but no higher.*

This represents a strong signal which will not get lost because it is too quiet and will not be too loud and overload or distort the system. Release the PFL button by briefly pressing it.

When you raise the fader you will broadcast the source.

It will get louder the more you push up the fader.

*A signal which lights the orange segments of the meter VERY occasionally is fine.

Putting it 'on air'

WARNING: Are you listening correctly....?

LEVEL …

is the strength of signal going through our production system, measured and controlled by the Sound Mixer.

Changing LEVEL affects final listening experience.

VOLUME …

is the adjustment of speakers

or headphones by anyone listening - at home or in the studio.

Changing VOLUME does not affect LEVEL in the production system.

Summary

The whole point of setting levels is to get the incoming audio signal at a level where the channel fader can control it… from nothing to a good strong level, but without distortion.

We work with the fader up at ‘0’ so that if the sound gets a little quiet during the show we can raise the fader a little more to try and compensate.

Operation of the fader differs depending on the style of production, the type of source and the requirements of each script.

Other learning resources for the Studer sound desk:

Input Connections & Set-up

Signal Routing

Automixing (VistaMix)

EQ for voices

Compression for voices

Written by PS

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