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Step 5Faders, PFL's and AFL's, Pre/Post Fader auxes
The fader (present in small mixers as a level or volume knob) is used to set the volume of that channel's signal in the mix. It is the most basic component in any channel strip. Faders are essentially volume sliders, set in a logarithmic scale of dB (if you don't know what that means, ignore it). Faders are also used to set the volume of the buses, or subgroups, and the main mix or mixed mono, and VCA's if applicable. I'll get into those next step.
Auxes, you should know, are normally pre-fader by default. This means that changing the level of a channel on the fader will not affect the sound of that channel in the auxes. However, many medium-large boards have a button near the aux knobs that allows you to change them from pre-fader to post-fader or vice versa.
Example of pre/post fader auxes:
You are running sound for a rock band playing in a large room. Being the sound perfectionist you are, you have set up some subwoofers to help properly produce the low frequencies of the kick drum, floor tom, and bass guitar. The band also has monitors set up on stage. If you have the option, you will naturally want the monitors to be pre-fader, so that changes on the faders will not mess with the monitors. You will also, however, want the subwoofer auxes to be post-fader, so that the mains-subs balance remains the same after changing the fader settings. When you turn up the bass guitar fader, you want the bass signal in the monitors to stay the same, but the bass in the subwoofers needs to increase along with the bass in the main speakers.
Most medium-large size desks also have a headphones jack for the engineer to use headphones. You will also see a button near the fader on each channel labeled PFL. This stands for Pre-Fader Listen. This allows you to listen directly to the signal in any channel via the headphones, unaffected by the fader setting. You may also see a button near the aux masters (they set the total volume of the auxiliary outputs) labeled AFL. This stands for, you guessed it: After-Fader Listen. This allows you to hear the exact sound and volume coming out of the monitors or whatever else you have plugged into the auxes.
You should also realize that above the fader, just after the auxes, is a pan knob. This is simply used to "pan" the channel's signal to left or right. All the way to the left would put the signal only in the left signal, and vice versa, with the middle sending equal to both sides.
Auxes, you should know, are normally pre-fader by default. This means that changing the level of a channel on the fader will not affect the sound of that channel in the auxes. However, many medium-large boards have a button near the aux knobs that allows you to change them from pre-fader to post-fader or vice versa.
Example of pre/post fader auxes:
You are running sound for a rock band playing in a large room. Being the sound perfectionist you are, you have set up some subwoofers to help properly produce the low frequencies of the kick drum, floor tom, and bass guitar. The band also has monitors set up on stage. If you have the option, you will naturally want the monitors to be pre-fader, so that changes on the faders will not mess with the monitors. You will also, however, want the subwoofer auxes to be post-fader, so that the mains-subs balance remains the same after changing the fader settings. When you turn up the bass guitar fader, you want the bass signal in the monitors to stay the same, but the bass in the subwoofers needs to increase along with the bass in the main speakers.
Most medium-large size desks also have a headphones jack for the engineer to use headphones. You will also see a button near the fader on each channel labeled PFL. This stands for Pre-Fader Listen. This allows you to listen directly to the signal in any channel via the headphones, unaffected by the fader setting. You may also see a button near the aux masters (they set the total volume of the auxiliary outputs) labeled AFL. This stands for, you guessed it: After-Fader Listen. This allows you to hear the exact sound and volume coming out of the monitors or whatever else you have plugged into the auxes.
You should also realize that above the fader, just after the auxes, is a pan knob. This is simply used to "pan" the channel's signal to left or right. All the way to the left would put the signal only in the left signal, and vice versa, with the middle sending equal to both sides.
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