Firstly for sheriton, sorry I had not replied to the last help you advised and requested, I will get back to that. My request this time is that I have a Yamaha RM800 mixing desk and can't get my head round it! Could anyone explain the signal paths and the operations to get it to the speakers.Also how do I connect a CD player to the said machine.I have gone through the manual but it doesn't tell you how to proceed with the signal from start to end.I want to become as good as I can be at this sound reinforcement so I do genuinely appreciate your help.

You could always start here

or here

Edited by atarimad (24/09/07 09:22 AM)

Hi, Thanks for the link, some useful stuff. I have the manual but don't have enough experience to operate the desk properly.
I am learning the job for a 3 piece rock band and have been using a small mini mix which is adequate at the moment but when it comes to miking the drums it will be no good at all.Help appreciated.

I think Paul White has written a book on basic live sound for musicians. I've not read it but believe it comes recommended as a good starting point when trying to learn about live sound.

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There's nothing we can't face... Except for bunnies

Thanks sheriton, I have that book, been reading it but although it's good doesn't actually help me on a step by step on the mixing section.But I was having another go at the mixer
in the house trying to 'sus the signal path out. I have managed it, using a mic I got it to the speakers. I just need now to go back to the drawing board and find how and why. The desk itself I bought from a guy for £150.00 and it's got everything we will ever need I think, it's just a bit on the hefty side and it's difficult learning to drive the thing.

Desks always tend to look intimidating to the newcomer - "how do you know what all the knobs do?"

I tend to think of it as follows:

Signals come in to the top of the desk and flow down towards the bottom. At various points, part of those signals are tapped off and fed in to buses that run horizontally across the desk (left to right).
E.g. a signal from a mic enters the desk at the top of channel 1, passes down through the EQ section then hits the aux section. At this point, a bit of that signal is sent off to the right along the aux 1 bus. Our original signal still carries on down the desk and when it reaches the fader, it again heads off to the right, but this time on the LR bus. It's a very visual way of representing the signal flow.
Having a good play (with the desk manual and Paul's book close to hand) is a good way to learn, away from the pressures of an actual gig.

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There's nothing we can't face... Except for bunnies

That's quite a graphic way of picturing the operation ( pardon the pun). Thanks for that. And yes you are right about it being intimidating.