THE STUDIO

COMBINING SOUNDS

Sounds are combined at various stages of any Audio Production.  Many microphones are sometimes combined to a single track or stereo pair.  Individual tracks of a song are combined into a single stereo mix.  Individual mixing board channels send sounds to be combined in a BUSS to be affected together (such as being put into a common reverb device).

Recording / Mixing consoles (audio desks) process and combine sounds.  Sounds are combined using an AUDIO BUS (sometimes spelled BUSS).

An audio BUS is an audio output that can be fed from many sources rather than one.  Combined sounds are used in many ways:

• Combined sounds provide the final sound output.
• Combined sounds can be sent to a single device to give many sounds the same effect, like that of being together in a very large room.
• Combined sounds can be sent to a single destination track and recorded together.