Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – With mixer
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2004-04-27
Isen, Forester W. (Department: 2644)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
With mixer
C381S061000, C700S094000, C084S625000, C084S600000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06728382
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of functional display consoles such as those used in audio mixing consoles. More particularly, this invention relates to a functional design of the channels of an audio mixing console that maximizes the operator's perceptual capabilities of pattern recognition and peripheral vision.
2. Description of Related Art
Audio mixing consoles are used in the music industry and other industries to produce professional quality audio products. For example, studios used by artists, producers or engineers use mixing consoles to produce music for live performances, compact discs, television or films on a project by project basis.
In a typical mixing production, several inputs are coupled to the mixing console with a separate audio channel provided for each input. Depending on the type of production, these inputs might consist of prerecorded tracks of individual instruments or voices, or might be a combination of several instruments and voices. Each channel includes a number of functions such as equalizer functions, dynamics processors, fader processes, and the like. Using the audio mixing console, an operator is able to manage the characteristics of the functions being used in a particular channel to alter the audio characteristics of the input provided to that channel. The processed signals that emerge from each of the channels can then typically be combined together, or mixed, to produce a final mixed audio product.
Traditionally, mixing consoles have utilized analog style controls to monitor and effect changes to the signals resident in the mixing console channels. As mixing productions have become more complex a need for more flexible and automated mixing consoles has rapidly developed. Although analog consoles have introduced various features such as motorized automated faders in order to meet this growing demand, the capability of the traditional analog mixing console is being stretched to its limit.
The ability of the operator of a mixing console to properly operate a console is directly limited by its size. Simply stated, even the most accomplished operator can not feasibly operate an analog system once it grows beyond some critical dimension because the operator cannot reach the controls. Thus, the number of parameters under control is limited by physical size in the prior art. On the other hand, digital control mixing consoles have the ability to add the complex functionality and automation needed by today's professional sound mixes without adding significantly to the overall size of the mixing console. This is because by using digital circuitry, switches and functions that were once dedicated to performing a single task on an analog console can more easily be given numerous assignable functions and controls. Digital control consoles offer the added advantage of easier and more complete automation, as digitally assignable components may be directly controlled by a computer at the request of the operator. Using digital consoles also improves the performance of the console with respect to heat generation, serviceability, portability and power consumption.
Since modern digital mixing consoles can apply computer power and software flexibility to enhance, automate and streamline the mixing process that has traditionally relied largely upon manual control, one would assume that the industry would move quickly to the use of digital over analog. However, a large percentage of the professional audio mixing industry continues to use analog mixing consoles. Some of the reasons are purely economic. One of the major reasons however, is the fact that a lot of the operators in the industry find the typical digital console too complex and non-user friendly. This is especially true in those sectors of the industry involved with processing live broadcast audio where a mistake caused by an operator's unfamiliarity with the controls is irreversible and broadcast to millions of listeners. Therefore, a large group of professional sound engineers would rather forego the advances in capability and performance offered by digital systems in order to continue using an analog system with familiar but inferior controls.
FIGS. 1 and 2
are heuristics that illustrate a simplified example of a major problem that digital consoles with multi-function channel capability have created for operators.
FIG. 1
is a simplified top view of the layout of a portion of a prior art digital audio mixing console with a plurality of channels. As can be seen in
FIG. 1
, the console includes a control device
100
. The control device
100
generally includes a central operations area
110
, that may include a variety of controls and indicators for overall management of the console. The control device
100
further includes a plurality of channel strips
140
on either side of the central operations area
110
as represented by first channel strip region
120
and second channel strip region
130
. Each channel strip
140
consists of a channel control module
150
that is used to control the audio processes that are applied to the audio inputs to the channel strip
140
. Each channel control module
150
includes a set or sets of function controls
152
, a clustered set of function choice switches
156
, and a fader
160
.
FIG. 2
is a more detailed top view of four of the channel strips
140
.
FIG. 2
also includes an illustration of some of the audio processing functions that a typical console would include in its set of function choice switches
156
. These functions, which will be discussed in more detail later, include: Equalization (EQ), Dynamics (Dyn), Auxiliary Send (Aux), Operator Programmable Function (*), Channel (CH), and Pan.
When an operator of the console of
FIG. 1
desires to control a particular function in a channel strip
140
he selects the function by operating the appropriate function choice switch
158
in the set of function choice switches
156
in the channel control module
150
associated with the identified channel strip
140
. Assuming that the function is allocated, then the indicator for the operated function choice switch
158
will give visual feedback, such as a light, to indicate to the operator that it has been selected. After making the selection the operator can adjust the parameters associated with that function by operating the function controls
154
in the set or sets of function controls
152
in the channel control module
150
. In this manner the operator can select whatever function he wishes to currently control in any given channel assuming that the function has been allocated resources.
It is important that the engineer be able to quickly identify what functions are being controlled on each one of his channels. A console that allows an engineer the luxury of scanning his console to identify currently controlled functions frees up the engineer's time to perform the mix without worrying about the complexity of his controls and without having to leave his seat to interrogate the status of channels he is unsure of
As illustrated in
FIG. 1
with reference to
FIG. 2
, typical prior art digital consoles have failed in providing this benefit to operators. First function control grouping
170
represents a grouping of channels on which the operator has decided that “EQ” will be the function controlled the majority of the time. Similarly, second function control grouping
172
represents a “Pan” grouping, third function control grouping
174
represents an “*” grouping, and fourth function control grouping
176
represents a “Dyn” grouping. These settings are simplified for the purpose of this example.
Referencing the layout of the function choice switches
158
in the set of function choice switches
156
shown in
FIG. 2
, when EQ is selected in a channel the top middle indicator in the set of function choice switches
156
will give visual feedback such as an energized light. Thus, for each of the aforementioned groupings one through four, the appropriate light will be on. Th
Euphonix, Inc.
Grier Laura A.
Isen Forester W.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
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