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This lesson looks at the operation of the faders on the sound desk for a simple magazine programme. We will be dealing with presenters and guests microphones and VT play-ins.
It will help you to have watched the video on “Taking Level’ which shows how sources (microphones etc) are adjusted as the signal arrives at the desk and before the programme starts. In this lesson we assume that the sources have been levelled correctly.
Our example programme has two presenters, two guests and a video source for programme Titles, a video insert and End Titles/Credits.
The presenter and guest microphones are each on a separate channel or fader, and the stereo sound (combined left and right channels) from the video play-in (VT) will be on another fader. We can therefore adjust the level of each source separately…. an important principle in having control of the sound mix.
We put each source on air by pushing the appropriate fader up - putting the centre of the fader knob alongside the zero on the scale. This gives the correct level for that source, as tested before the programme starts.
But there is a technique which will give a smooth join between the different sound sources as we go through the programme. Watch the video below of how the faders are operated at the start of a show.
A few notes about what you are seeing in the video:
‘Zero’ mark where black fader knob should be positioned to get sound level as tested before the show starts (‘taking level’)
The green LED meter by each channel (left) shows the strength of the signal coming into the channel.
The white meter at the top left of the video (right) is showing the output of the whole sound desk.
If the meter goes into the red section, except very briefly, the sound level is getting too high.
If the programme starts with video titles, we need to have the VT fader up at the zero mark BEFORE the video starts. The Director and PA will make it clear when the video should start by counting down from 10 to zero. You should ‘open’ the fader - i.e.push it up - at around 3 on the PA’s count.
Similarly we must have the presenters’ microphones fully up at ‘zero’ BEFORE they start to talk.
The presenters (and everyone else on the studio floor) know to be quiet as the PA’s count gets down beyond 5, so you can safely open their faders at 3 on the count. The Floor Manager will be using hand signal by this time and so you should have a quiet studio until the presenters speak.
Now watch the whole show and notice how the faders are moved at each junction between sequences; from VT to presenters / from presenters to VT. Also notice that the guests’ microphones are only faded up for the section in which they speak. It is worth watching the video a few times to really get to grips with what is happening.
This tutorial is mainly about how to get the right sound on air at the time.
We also need to make sure our sound is of the highest quality, and we will be addressing this issue throughout your studio sessions.
Written by PS
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