Audio Operations
Signal flow
Audio questions reward understanding signal flow: source → input → mixer → processing → amplification → output (speakers). Know the difference between microphone level, line level, and speaker level, and why matching matters. Understand gain structure: set gain at the input, then balance with faders to avoid clipping or noise.
Equipment and concepts
Know microphones (dynamic vs condenser), DI boxes, mixing consoles (analogue and digital), equalisation, dynamics processing (compression, gating), and effects. Understand feedback - its causes (gain too high, mic too close to speaker) and controls (EQ, positioning, gain).
Cabling and safety
Balanced vs unbalanced cables, XLR and TRS connectors, and phantom power (48 V for condensers). Speaker cables must not be confused with signal cables. Cable routes must avoid trip hazards and power interference. Hearing conservation matters - monitor levels and use protection.
Traps
Questions often confuse gain with volume fader, or ask which cable carries phantom power (XLR balanced). Another trap is feedback: the correct first response is usually to reduce gain or reposition, not to add EQ blindly. Beware options that mix line and mic levels.
Worked example
A vocal mic feeds back. Reduce channel gain slightly, check the mic is behind the speakers, and only then apply narrow EQ cuts at the ringing frequency. Fixing the cause beats masking the symptom.
Rule of thumb
Trace the signal from source to speaker; the fault is usually where the level or connection breaks.