Audio Mixing Console Group Assignment for Reduced Hand Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional audio mixing consoles for digital mixers face challenges in operability due to the need for extensive hand movement across a wide panel, layer checking, and difficulties with touch panels, including delicate parameter adjustments and potential errors in parameter changes.
Innovation Solution
The audio mixing console organizes channels into groups, featuring a group selection operation section and assignment channel strip section on the operation panel, allowing operators to easily manage and change parameters through a display with a position sensor, reducing the need for extensive hand movement and minimizing errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If channels are arranged in multiple channel strip sections across a wide panel, then the number of operable channels increases, but the operator's hand movement distance increases and operability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The plurality of channels are divided into multiple groups, with each group assignable to a specific channel strip section. This segmentation allows operators to work with smaller subsets of channels at a time, reducing the need to reach across the entire wide panel while still providing access to all channels through group switching.
Solution Approach 2:
Channels are pre-grouped into multiple groups before operation begins. The group selection operation members allow operators to pre-select which group of channels should be displayed and operated in each channel strip section, preparing the system in advance to minimize hand movement during actual channel operations.
2Quantity of substance
If layer switching is implemented to operate more channels with fewer strip sections, then channel capacity increases, but the need for layer checking increases and operability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The group selection operation members are illuminated to visually indicate which group is currently assigned to each channel strip section. This visual feedback eliminates the need for operators to check layer settings mentally or through small displays, as the active group is clearly indicated by illumination, making group switching intuitive and error-free.
3Device complexity
If touch panel is used for parameter control, then the number of physical controls is reduced, but parameter adjustment precision decreases and error risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
A group selection operation section with illuminated group selection operation members is introduced as an intermediary between the operator and the channel parameters. This intermediary provides clear visual feedback through illumination about which group is active, preventing erroneous operations and enabling precise parameter adjustment by ensuring operators are always aware of the current operational context before making parameter changes.
Data Source
AI summary
In an audio mixing console, a channel strip section is disposed on an operation panel on the basis of a group, which is derived by classifying a plurality of input channels and output channels in groups, and using channel strips provided to the channel strip section, a parameter setting can be performed for each of the channels. In such an audio mixing console, an assignment channel strip section is provided on the center portion of the operation panel for enhancing operability, and the respective channels of the group are each assigned to their corresponding assignment channel strips through operation of a group selection operation member to enable the parameter setting. In a group selection operation section including the group selection operation members on the operation panel, the group selection operation members are disposed in a corresponding manner to the disposition positions of the channel strip sections on the operation panel. Through such disposition, it becomes possible to readily recognize which group of the channel strip section is assigned to the assignment channel strip section.