UNIT 65: Step by step guide to

setting up a sound desk

STEP 1:

Gather all the equipment you need to set up the sound desk. This will include the following:

• The sound desk itself• Speakers

• Sound source• XLR cable• Kettle lead• Jacks

• Phono lead• Figure 8 lead

STEP 2:

Plug everything into the mains.

The sound source (in this case a CD player) using a figure of 8 lead and the speakers and sound desk using a kettle lead. Turn the speakers off so that they don’t get damaged when the sound desk is turned on. If you leave them on, the speakers will ‘pop’ and damage because of the sound coming through.

STEP 3:

Connect the sound desk to the speakers using the XLR cable from the main output of the desk to the inputs of the speakers. The

left output of the desk goes to the left speaker and the right output goes to the

right speaker.Speaker

input

XLR cable

Desk outputs

XLR cable

STEP 4:

Connect the sound source (CD player) to the desk using the phono lead. A phono lead is plugged into the CD player and a quarter-inch jack plugs into the desk. Plug them into the channels of the desk. The input on a desk can vary depending on your sound source, for example a CD player uses a line input

but a microphone would use an XLR input.

Phono lead Quarter-

inch jacks

STEP 5:

Next, turn on the sound desk, sound source and speakers. Press play on the sound source. The desk is turned on before

anything else to avoid the speakers popping. Also make sure the volume on the speakers

in turned right down to avoid this.

STEP 6:

On the desk, press PFL and turn the gain up so that the lights on the peak meter turn orange, not any higher. If the lights are red the sound is clipped,

whereas when the lights are orange, enough room is left for more sound to come through the desk

without being clipped.

PFL (pre fade listen)

Gain controls Peak meter

STEP 7:

As the speakers I am using are stereo and I’m using 2 channels for the speakers, I will pan the left speaker all the way to the left and the right speaker all the way to the

right. This makes the sound clear and come from both speakers.

STEP 8:

Switch both channels ‘ON’ and set the master volume fader to 0DB to give the

sound the ability to become louder at any point.

Master volume fader

at 0DBChannels switched ‘ON’

STEP 9:

Because the speakers are active they have volume switches on them. Turn them to at

least 12 o’clock so that there is no interference coming through the speakers.

Also adjust the faders on the desk to appropriate levels.

Faders

STEP 10:

Finally, now that there is sound coming through the speakers you can adjust the EQ

to suit the sound. For example you could adjust it so that the sound doesn’t come out

tinny.

EQ levels