Follow the Signal

I am finally taking my first studio class for my Recording Industry degree, and have found it as overwhelming as I expected: dozens of knobs, faders, and settings each with the ability to manipulate, and guide the audio signal to its destination. The concept of audio signal flow from it's origin (microphones, synths, etc.) to it's destination (the final recorded and mixed product) is actually quite simple when broken down by individual lanes, but when added and layered together one can get in the multiple lanes on the highway of an audio mixer. A single signal from a microphone can be split, multiplied, manipulated and mixed back into the final mixdown in countless of ways. So with all of these inputs and outputs how do we define a good mix? How do we know that the path that we're on will not lead us to a dead end?

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Seemingly infinite creative possibilities are at the hands of a recording engineer only limited by the equipment at their disposal. So how can the Source of infinite creativity be defined and corralled into a corner with a single path leading to it? Is diversity of belief due to our erroneous nature or is it a clue in a feeble attempt to explain the infinite? Christopher Seab over at Seekers Spiritual Vision of Truth explains that our diversity of belief is a boon to our existence.

"It is only through such diversity that humankind can integrate the many different parts to forge the greater strength, understanding, and wisdom of the whole." -Christopher Seab

Each religion grants humanity a different window to peer out of into the realm of the unknown, the spiritual, the Divine. This does not mean we must explore other religions to be spiritually satisfied, but I believe we can expand our appreciation and overall earthly experience by peering out multiple windows simultaneously. A recording engineer can use a handful of audio pathways to get a good recording, but she/he has the ability to integrate the musical (and not so musical) parts through various paths which can manipulate the audio signal in seemingly infinite creative possibilities. The overall sound of the recording depends on how you layer and balance all of the musical parts. Likewise, humanity's overall experience throughout history was (and still is) enriched by our diversity of beliefs. If God can use multiple colors to paint a rainbow why should the creative spirit of man be stuck with one way in describing the Infinite, the awe-inspiring, source of all reality? One path can be enough for anyone, but I don't want just enough, I want to swim in and surround myself in infinity.