In
audio, a
mixing console or
audio mixer is an
electronic device for combining(also called "
mixing"), routing, and changing the level,
timbre (tone color) and/or dynamics of many different audio signals, such as microphones being used by
singers, mics picking up acoustic instruments such as
drums or
saxophones, or signals from electric or electronic instruments such as the
electric bass or
synthesizer. In the 2010s, a mixer is able to control
analog or
digital signals, depending on the type of mixer. The modified signals (
voltages or
digital samples) are
summed to produce the combined output signals, which are then broadcast, amplified through a
sound reinforcement system or recorded (or some combination of these applications).