Slate/Talk Back

[nay]

I have a tascam studio mixer. There's a slate knob and a talkback knob. In this section there's also a small mic (looks electret). I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on what the slate and talk back knobs do?

 

[Dom Franco]

"Slate" is a term from the motion picture industry. I am sure yo have seen those Clap boards (Slates) with TAKE 1, TAKE 2 etc...
This was done so the sound guy could sync up with exact frame of film...when the board closed the sound of the clap should be heard! So much for the history lesson...

Slate is this case means that the Engineer in the control room can "talk back" into the headphones of the performers, or even be routed to the tape as a count off or saying "TAKE 1, TAKE 2 " etc....

If you don't have a separate control room, and "Sound stage", then this will not be of any use to you.

Dom Franco