Sound mixing console

Abstract

A sound mixing console operative for combining or processing sound signals of a plurality of input channels is described. The sound mixing console comprises a plurality of sound signal input channels, an input channel fader control system having a plurality of input channel faders which can be selectively coupled to respective ones of said plurality of sound signal input channels. A master section has a plurality of control group faders each for collective control of a different selected group of sound signal input channels. Means are provided for coupling the sound signal input channels of one of said selected groups to respective input channel faders thereby to permit individual adjustment of the sound signals of the input channels of said selected group.

1 . A sound mixing console comprising:
 a plurality of input channels;   a plurality of input channel faders configured to be selectively coupled to respective input channels, the plurality of input channels being greater in number than the plurality of input channel faders and having no fixed one-to-one relationship between input channels and input channel faders;   a plurality of control group faders;   an assignment circuit configured to enable user assignment of groups of input channels to a respective control group fader of the plurality of control group faders, and   a coupling circuit configured to enable a user to electrically couple individual input channels of a group of input channels associated with a given control group fader to a respective input channel fader of the array of input channel faders to enable individual adjustment by a user of each input channel.   
     
     
         2 . The sound mixing console of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling circuit includes a plurality of switches and each switch of the plurality of switches is associated with a respective control group fader to enable coupling of input channels to respective input channel faders. 
     
     
         3 . The sound mixing console of  claim 1 , comprising a scrolling device configured to scroll the coupling of the input channels of the selected group to the input channel faders to accommodate more channels in the selected group than input channel faders within the input channel fader control section. 
     
     
         4 . The sound mixing console of  claim 1 , wherein each of the control group faders is configured to control the input channels of their respectively assigned group of input channels simultaneously. 
     
     
         5 . The sound mixing console of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of control group faders are touch sensitive and the plurality of input channel faders are touch sensitive. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a first plurality of input channels;   a first sub-panel that includes:
 a first plurality of channel faders, each channel fader configured to control an input channel, wherein the first plurality of channel faders is less in number than the first plurality of input channels and there is no fixed one-to-one relationship between the first plurality of channel faders and the first plurality of input channels; and 
   a master panel that includes:
 a plurality of group faders, each group fader configured to be assigned a group of input channels of a desired number and composition from the first plurality of input channels and configured to control the respective input channels of the group of input channels simultaneously; and 
 a first plurality of switches, each switch of the plurality of switches associated with a respective group fader of the plurality of group faders and configured to enable assignment of the group of input channels associated with the respective group fader to the plurality of channel faders. 
   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising one of:
 a first visual display configured to display information about the first sub-panel and the master panel; and   a first visual display configured to display information about the first sub-panel and a second visual display configured to display information about the master panel.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein each of the channel faders and group faders has an associated visual display. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a second plurality of input channels   a second sub-panel having:
 a second plurality of channel faders; and 
 a second plurality of switches configured to couple the second plurality of channel faders to the second plurality of input channels. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the number of input channels in the group of input channels is less than the number of channel faders in the first plurality of channel faders. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein channel faders that are not assigned to one of the input channels of the group of input channels are not utilized. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein channel faders that are not utilized are disposed furthest away from a user's normal working position. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the group of input channels has more input channels than channel faders in the first plurality of channel faders. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a scrolling device configured to scroll the coupling of the input channels of the group of input channels to the channel faders. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 selecting a plurality of input channels to form a group of input channels of a desired size and composition;   assigning the group of input channels to a group fader, the group fader being configured to control the group of input channels simultaneously; and   activating a first switch associated with the group fader, the switch being configured to assign the group of input channels to a plurality of input channel faders, wherein there is no one-to-one relationship between the plurality of input channels and plurality of input channel faders; and   controlling the input channels of the group of input channels individually with the respective input channel fader.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the number of input channels in the group of input channels is greater than the number of input channel faders. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 scrolling of the input channels of the group of input channels to assign the greater number of input channels in the group of input channels to the input channel faders.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising directly assigning at least one of the plurality of input channels to at least one of the plurality of input channel faders.