Digital Mixer Mix-Minus Control With Visual Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional digital mixers lack clear indicators for the mix-minus function, making it difficult to determine if the processing is active and prone to operational mistakes, and they cannot respond to demands for adjusting signal levels effectively.
Innovation Solution
A digital mixer with a memory system that stores ON/OFF states and send levels for each input channel, allowing users to easily toggle and adjust these parameters through a user-friendly interface, and includes a display controller to visually indicate the processing status and levels, enabling precise control over signal routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mix-minus function completely mutes the signal from an input channel to a mixing bus, then the signal removal is effective, but the capability to adjust signal levels is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static mute function into a dynamic system by introducing a send level parameter that can be adjusted continuously. The second controller dynamically adjusts the signal level based on the stored send level parameter, allowing the system to transition between complete mute (0% send level) and full signal transmission (100% send level), thereby providing both effective signal removal and flexible level adjustment capability
2Device complexity
If conventional digital mixers use simple parameter settings for mix-minus, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation and reliability are worsened due to lack of visual indicators and accidental parameter changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs visual indication mechanisms (analogous to color changes in TRIZ) by implementing a display controller that visually indicates when mix-minus processing is active and shows the current send level parameters. This allows operators to easily identify active mix-minus channels and their parameter states, preventing operational errors while maintaining simple underlying parameter structures
Solution Approach 2:
The display controller provides real-time feedback to the operator about the state of mix-minus processing and parameter values. This feedback mechanism allows operators to verify the current configuration state, reducing the likelihood of accidental parameter changes and improving operational reliability without complicating the device architecture
3Adaptability or versatility
If the send level parameter is always editable, then the adaptability is improved, but the reliability is worsened due to accidental changes by users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a conditional editability mechanism where the parameter editor is configured to allow changes only when specific conditions are met (when mix-minus processing is active). This preliminary condition checking prevents accidental modifications to parameters when they are not intended to be changed, while still allowing deliberate adjustments when needed, thus balancing adaptability and reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A digital mixer includes a MO switch and a MO fader in a signal transmission route from each input channel to a bus of a MIX_MINUS type, a signal of the input channel is supplied to the MIX bus without control on its level when the MO switch is OFF, while being supplied to the MIX bus after being controlled on its level by the MOL fader when the MO switch is ON. When the MO switch is changed from OFF to ON, a level adjustment amount by the MOL fader is set to a value so that a signal passing therethrough comes to have zero level.