Anyone can tweak and twiddle to get a sound system up and running. But, is your system optimized? Is it operating at its fullest potential?
This course addresses the signal chain in-depth, including gain structure, component specifications, and amplifier/loudspeaker deployment.
Test your skill level with this self-evaluation quiz.
Anyone can tweak and twiddle to get a sound system up and running. But, is it optimized? Is it operating at its fullest potential?
Why guess when you can have solid answers to the following questions.
✅ Is my system noise floor as low as it can be?
✅ Do I have the right amplifier for my loudspeaker?
✅ What is the maximum SPL my system can safely produce?
✅ Am I losing signal in my loudspeaker cables?
The answers to these and many other system questions are unique for each sound system. Course 200 – Signal Chain Optimization presents principles and procedures that will allow you to reason your way through the system setup and calibration. You can have confidence that your system is at its best, and you can know how to find the weak links when it is not.
View or download a detailed course outline.
Course Materials for you to keep include includes the video text, 22-page reference manual, and the CAFViewer™ Windows program. These are great resources for reviewing what you have learned.
Please note: SynAudCon training is set up similar to college courses. The lower level courses lay the foundational principles for the upper level courses. Course 50 – How Sound Systems Work and Course 100 – Principles of Audio are the suggested perquisites for this course. Taking the self-evaluation quizzes will help you determine if you need to take those courses first.
Check out an example video in tab 3.
The internet, and Google specifically, can be a great resource; providing a vast ocean of information only a quick search away. However, as anyone can quickly realize – you may get several different answers to your question. Some answers are in complete opposition to one another and others are just plain wrong!
As an audio professional, it is imperative you have the right answer – each and every time. There is no room for opinions when the client or your job hangs in the balance. SynAudCon training is based on physics, first principles, and a strong consensus among audio professionals.
Watch an example video from “Signal Chain Optimization” online training.
Watch a sample of a demo video.
Pat Brown is a 1978 graduate of the University of Louisville with a degree in electrical engineering technology. With a background as a musician, sound technician, retail music store owner, contractor, and consultant, he is familiar with the many aspects of audio. He served as an associate instructor to audio legend and SynAudCon founder, Don Davis. Pat along with his wife Brenda own and operate SynAudCon and have been providing training for the audio industry since 1996. Pat, the main instructor for SynAudCon, has the unique gift of being able to share his knowledge of complex technical topics in an easy-to-understand real world way through multi-media demonstrations. SynAudCon is recognized as an industry leader in audio education.
SynAudCon offers both in-person and online audio training. There are regularly scheduled in-person seminars and special one-time events on audio-related topics. With the release of the online training in 2010, SynAudCon training is now more accessible worldwide.
Pat writes articles for several publications. He authored three chapters for Glen Ballou’s Handbook for Sound Engineers and is co-author of Sound System Engineering 4th Edition. He considers SynAudCon online audio training courses as his most complete book, being able to explain the concepts and principles with animations and demonstrations.
He was chosen as NSCA Educator of the Year in 2005 and NSCA Mover and Shaker Award in 2011. He received Great Britain’s Peter Barnett Award in 2012.
SynAudCon has given private seminars to many companies and organizations, including the Kennedy Space Center, Disney World, Sea World, IMAX, Purdue University, the US military, Siemens and many audio manufacturers. He has conducted seminars in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, South America, Australia and Canada.
Pat and Brenda Brown founded a second business in 2005 Pro Sound Testing, Inc. Pro Sound Testing measures loudspeakers to produce data files for use in room acoustics modeling programs. Pro Sound Testing was the first company of its kind in the USA. The experience of developing a measurement facility and measuring hundreds of loudspeakers from dozens of manufacturers has allowed him to develop some methodologies and specifications that have influenced a number of industry standards.
Get to know Pat better in this 10 minute interview.
https://www.soundandcommunications.com/synaudcons-pat-brown-talks-online-learning/
How long will it take me to compete this course?
I hate to use the words “it depends” but is really does. It depends on your level of experience.
Here is a brief layout of the course.
Course 200 – Signal Chain Optimization consists of 11 lessons. After each lesson, you may take a quiz. Each quiz has 15 questions. The questions required that you have a good understanding of the principles that are taught.
After completing the lessons and quizzes, you may take a final exam. The final exam is about 45 questions. With a passing score, you will receive a certificate of completion and CEU’s.
You will have 3 opportunities to pass the final exam. We consider 80% as the passing score.
What if I got into the first couple of lessons and realized I should have taken a more basic course?
No worries. The upper levels courses assumed you that you understand the principles presented in the lower level courses. If you need a more basic course, contact Brenda within 2 days of your key activation and she will exchange it.
We would like to urge you to take the self-evaluation quizzes. The quizzes will help you make a more informed decision.
We are developing an educational path for our employees. How does SynAudCon fit into this?
You will love this feature. SynAudCon online training is part of a Learning Management System which allows for tracking. Education supervisors may check the employee s progress, quiz and final exam scores.
Is there a time limit on watching the online training?
You will have 45 days to complete the course. The 45-day clock begins on the day that the course key is activated. If you need more time, no problem. Brenda will gladly extend it for you.
We want you to get the most of this learning opportunity. We would rather extend it than for you to rush through the course.
What course materials can I keep after the course?
Text to the training videos.
The 22-page Reference Manual.
These resources are comparable to a course manual if you were attending an in-person seminar.
Will I receive a certificate?
Of course. After passing the final exam, a certificate of completion will be emailed to you within one business day. The certificate will include the information that you will need for the Continuing Education Units.
How do I ask questions about the this training?
We have created a support forum for our online training. You may post your questions there.
If you are little uncomfortable with this approach, please email us directly. We will make every effort to answer questions within 24 hours.
Tell me about the purchasing process.
The online cart will request the credit card information. Add the name on the credit on the card, (not the person taking the training.) An automated email will be sent to the email address used in the purchasing process. If you do not get the confirmation, check your SPAM filter. The message will be coming from bbrown at prosoundtraining.com
The email will include:
✅ Credit card receipt
✅ Activation key to the training
✅ Directions to activate the key.
Forward the activation key with the directions to the person taking the training. The directions are quite easy but the learner can always call 812-923-0174 if help is needed.
May I share the video content I buy with others?
Purchased online training content is intended only for the learner who will be taking the course. Sharing SynAudCon online training is a violation of the terms and conditions of this site. All actions are logged and monitored, and this policy will be strictly enforced.
We appreciate your cooperation in this as it allows us to actively develop new material and keep the price low for everyone.
With respect to their privacy, we will only list their initials.
The calculators are a great tool for solving problems. They are simplify the work invested in one solution. H.I.
I found the course very helpful in understanding the science behind things I’ve been doing for years from just doing what I know best from work experience. The gain structure and mixing console setup was very helpful. I’ve never been able to run a console since I’m more in the corporate environment and have been exposed to live sound too much. It really helped me to watch all of the courses, see the calculation demonstrations at the end, and then go back and watch the videos over again. It really put things into perspective the second time around. B.A.
Always a pleasure. Really enjoy the case studies and real world applications. S.B.
I enjoyed learning about the voltage rating of loudspeakers, this is something that hasn’t really come up in other audio training I’ve had. G.S.
Excellent info! J.P.
I plan to take many more SynAudCon courses and assign them to my employees as well. His teaching style with the practical examples was exceptional and I enjoyed trying them for myself. B.R.
I love your courses. This was great! One of the best audio courses I’ve ever taken. A.B.
Very thorough and detailed. A nice refresher of things I learned in college! A.B.
Test was good. V.S.
The presentation was excellent and clear. More examples for the calculators would be great. S.L.
I thought the course was very good. Maybe some more examples with the SPL calculator but once I figured it out I was good. A.B.
Great suggestion and certainly doable. I will add it to the suggestion list for this course. Thank you. Brenda Brown
Was very in depth, had to really pay attention. J.O.
This course made me go it through twice. Each time I picked up something new. P.W.
I think my brain has atrophied a bit as I have moved further away from engineering and more toward sales and marketing. Harder than I expected, or remembered. T.J.
Excellent course. I had realized good system gain before by clipping amplifiers and working backwards but now I have a larger tool set to input a sinewave, or work with a piezo, etc. to maximize systems potential. Truly helped me to start thinking of system audio design in relation to ohms law and focus on voltage opposed to wattage. M.D.
Good course…. I honestly was way off in setting up mixing boards and now have a better understanding. B.F.
I felt at times it was hard to follow and felt needlessly dense in certain areas. It was also difficult at times to connect the concepts to real world use cases. J.B.
This course was great! These courses are always jam pack with information. Signal Chain Optimization is a great course and it showed me more in depth information with signal flow and amplifiers/loudspeakers. Z.V.
I am a big fan of the CAF calculator I can see myself coming back to use it! A.W.
I’m supper happy with the ability to work with the calculator myself!!! Takes it to a whole new level. D.F.
It was very helpful learning about proper gain structure. It helped to put to practice in real world scenarios in conference rooms and the church sanctuary. D.A.
I thought signal chain optimization was an excellent course. The calculators are a nice take-home gift to use as a system designer. A.K.
This course was very helpful and I learned a ton about system calibration and fine-tuning. The first half of the lessons were much more practical and easier to follow, while the second half was heavily focused on math and calculations, which made for a slow progression toward the end. P.E.
I really enjoyed the format and the opportunity to go back and review things multiple times. That was always a little more difficult in live training. T.S.
I thought I understood all there was to know about gain structure until I went through this course. It was good. F.B.
I really enjoy the challenge of these courses. Admittedly, I have some more work to do to really say that I have this knowledge in my toolbox and can apply all of it in the field. I look forward to breaking out my course notes. M.M.
Loved seeing how you use the XL2 meter. I have one that I use for a variety of other functions but haven’t played much with the oscilloscope function. Now I would feel more comfortable and adventurous doing so. M.N.
I thought it was fantastic how you demonstrated gain staging with a high end NTI RTA/sig generator, and then the same principles with a cheap piezo speaker. In my work I am fortunate enough to have access to the proper measurement tools, but don’t always have them on hand, so it’s nice to have alternate methods using cheaper tools I can include in my field kit. Great info! E.S.
Excellent job in this training. Very challenging for me! C.N.
This was one of the most informative courses I have taken. I love learning more and more audio. Thank you! D.K.
The course was straight forward and easy to use. Z.S.
“I have been doing sound for over 15 years and never knew how to setup gain structure like in these videos. Very cool to learn!” B.P.
Really Tough but the doors been opened to understanding abit more complex audio concepts. A.C.
Excellent! I really enjoyed the course. I like the way the topics are explained (straight to the point with no redundant information), and I appreciate the fact of having the info written as well as explained in the videos. At some points one was easier to understand than the other and vice versa. C.C
“I really appreciated the tools provided like the CAF viewer and the training coverage on the tools. They will be helpful.” A.B.
“I found the course very informative and enlightening especially in terms understanding the critical relationship between an amplifier’s output voltage and speaker impedance. I love the CAF viewer calculator, wish I had it long ago.” D.L.
This was a well laid out course. More examples couldn’t hurt. K.B.
There’s a world of Information, A little overwhelming at times. Like everything in this industry ,there seem to be various Methods of accomplishing final result. Did not always agree with solutions , but I’ll have to go with the Experts. Always a joy and gets the old age cob-webs out. Thank you. A.A.
Overall I very very much enjoyed the course. It helped me gain a more whole picture and a process for system design and integration. The example videos in particular were very helpful and concise, and a lot of what I took most clearly from the course were those examples. V.F.
This course is well explained and with a great details. I’m learning in-depth theory of the knowledge that i’ve already had from field experience. Y.W.
Good course, just hard to retain some of the information in an online format. M.W.
I’m a college student and someone out working in the field. From what I have watched so far, this course has been excellent. My professors do not possess this level of knowledge, they only know the art, so it is great to learn from you. Will definitely be taking the other courses in the future, specifically Course 300! J.B.
The course was well laid out. The example videos are the best part of the course. It brings in the in-class feel. J.G.
I really enjoyed taking the course. I have been in the business for 20+ years and always continue to learn something from other folks experiences. The one thing that can hurt any audio professional is to think that they always know everything and have nothing to learn. In our field things are always changing. The basic math and principals stay the same but product and technology is always changing. Keep up the good work and I hope to get to meet you guys in person hopefully InfoComm 2021. T.M.
Thank you! The courses have been very informative and full of a lot of knowledge that I wasn’t fully educated on until this course. It certainly will help me in my position as a design engineer. Thanks again! J.P.
It was a lot to process, but you guys did a great job. J.C.
I enjoyed the CAF tools and the course in general to solidify the concepts that may have been gray areas to me in the past. T.B.
Did the course meet your expectations? Exceeded. I LOVED the course. I did not expect such detail on FIR vs. IIR, all the filter types and crossover methods, ANC, AEC. I like the background on ‘audiophiles care about this.. etc..’ it’s nice to know an application instead of ‘here’s a bunch of different filters’. A.K.
I like your course very much. It’s very informational and useful. I have learn a lot. D.M.
Just great, easy to follow and examples and calculators really help. J.N.
This has reinforced the lessons learned in other courses and in practical AV work around gain structure.
It has helped me get a better handle on the tools in the CAF software. I had mostly been staying with the Amp Calc software.
I have a better understanding of Amplifier selection for a speaker system.
These tools are really practical and I use them daily when designing and preparing quotes for projects. G.P.
This course is very well put together and very easy to follow. D.M.
A lot of great material and examples. I did have quite a few moments where I had to re-watch something to try and understand it, which can be expected. Sometimes the math was a bit confusing but I guess that is why we have the calculators. Maybe an example of running through the selection of loudspeakers, amp, and mixer based on some criteria might be nice to see the whole process and recap what all should be considered based on spec sheets. Overall I am happy with the course and have a deeper understanding of these components, and a new tool to use for calculations and finding max Vrms quickly for loudspeakers. Thank you Pat and Brenda! J.B
Thank you J.B – we like this idea. We hope to add it soon. Brenda Brown
This course was good for me. I was used to breezing through some of the lower level training but this one definitely challenged me and I’ve found some areas of weakness I need to work on now pertaining to my Audio wisdom. Thanks again to you and Pat and your organization for the training experience you’ve offered and for your always prompt response time to my emails. C.C.
I took the Audio Applications training and it was great contents. K.I.
There was a lot of information to absorb from this course, I like how the online course is set up now, reading the information first and then looking at a chart, then watching the video/Audio repeating of what I read is helps me grasp and focus better when watching the video. J.K.
This course really helped me gain more of a foundation and a better understanding of the amp power ratings and loud speaker power ratings. M.L.
I appreciate the training and teaching manner. Very easy to understand. J.M.
I’m enjoying your videos a lot. There is much good information from the physics side of the whole process to achieve good sound system. Thank you again. Hope to see you one day in one of your seminars too:) S.O.
I really enjoyed this course. J.D.
This course is great, a strong fundamental class that really gave me an understanding of acoustics and basic sound physics. A.M.
Good training! Hands on training is always the better way to absorb this intense concepts.
Content great! Concise. Could have a bit more modulation in the delivery – appear to be a machine reading. Alternatively, a small video caption of the trainer at the bottom would help. Would give a small human touch! GP.
The class was very informative. C.D.
The course is awesome, this is the 3rd time for me but still have something different am discovering. J.C.
I think training is pretty good. I don’t think I would change a thing. R.C.
“The course was very intense, I think what is missing is detailed sheets with steps for doing certain jobs like testing a mixer, loudspeaker and more. Separate sheets to use it in our daily jobs. Other than that this was a great course.” A.H.
Excellent real world non-manufacturer specific training so far. J.P.
Great info. I have never had such detail on this one topic. It is normally glossed over in other classes. M.O.
Thank you very much for the training opportunity. Your courses are overflowing with helpful information. I feel incredibly lucky to have access to your programs. L.N.
Nicely done. Foundations well developed and concepts presented in a logical order. S.W.
Thank you for helping me to fall in love with audio/acoustics all over again. My father bought me piles of audio engineering and acoustics books when I was in junior high and high school, and I found myself reading a 3″ thick Audio Engineering Encyclopedia just for fun in between college engineering classes. Previous career choices killed these passions, but they are coming back, thanks to your courses. There’s something about looking at curves and graphs/plots and analysis and formulas that is so interesting… 🙂 This was another interesting and challenging course! I’m really interested in audio and acoustics and measurement/analysis again, and am now trying to figure out how I can apply my newly gained knowledge in my field. Course 200 was full of SO much interesting and challenging information, I found myself looking at other online videos of measurement tools/software to try to reinforce these concepts. M.H.
Great course! My only critique would be working in more real-life examples of the theoretical material. Most of us have grown up ‘playing’ with sound so understand it more from a hands-on standpoint. Relating that with the theory would help it make more sense. C. B.
For someone who has to commission sound systems in various venues (not myself), this is a good course to take. It also provides good insight into some equipment selection during the design process (my position), especially for amplifiers and speakers. G.S.
I really like the Ampzilla and “Big Amp” labels for the generic amplifiers in the videos. I find them Hilarious. J.S.
I really feel like the online training was effective the way it was structured. Brenda was great extending my deadline to adjust for my busy schedule. K.R.
Thank you I love these courses. D.M (Taken 4 online courses.)
Thank you so much and a big thank you to you for extending my course duration as it’s been a huge challenge to find spare time to do the course with a new baby around ?
One more module to go…. can’t wait as this one is of particular interest to me.
I can honestly say that I have been amazed at how much I have learnt thus far and to apply my knowledge to my job has really set me above the rest. Pat and yourself have done a fantastic job with the content. I am very grateful. S.V.
This course is superb , I learn may many things form it (even though it’s difficult for me) especially amplifier rating. The software is very useful. K.K.
This course was great! I am always selling installed audio systems, but as an Inside Sales Rep, I don’t get many chances to get out into the field and tune systems. This course has provided excellent ground-work for when I do get those opportunities. Z.S.
As of now I think this is all great! Very useful in the day to day AV. G.M.
Material was well written, well planned and covered a wide variety of useful topics. P. C.
I like the fact that you can save the .pdf version of the summary to follow along with the videos and to be able to study without having to login every time. E.S.
The importance of the time domain in equalization, which I have never learned anywhere else. R.H.
I loved this course. I was excited to take this course because I knew most of the problems I regularly face when running sound would be addressed. Most of these issues we face come from poor gain structure and speaker placement. This course is an absolute must for anyone that runs sound regularly. G. A.
Wow thank you so much Brenda! This will be VERY well spent! You guys have an awesome program going. I’m thoroughly enjoying brushing up on the things I know and the things I have no clue about. Thanks again! E.P.
Thank you for making learning audio possible for me.
Pat and Brenda I have to say that you Guys are sent from Heaven for me. I know learning audio it is very expensive but you guys made it possible to every one. I joined yesterday as member of SynAudCon and I couldn’t sleep because a lot of information I was looking and struggling from I found them in there.
Thank you so much for making Africa Tanzania better again in audio through me. I can’t wait to meet Pat next year at Infocomm.
Thanks a lot.
Jedidia Chilijila (Taken five online courses)
Comparing online training to in-person training.
The training was great! I have attended 2 in-person classes and thoroughly enjoyed this course. It was a great refresher and helped firm up some concepts I already knew or forgot while adding to my knowledge base. Compared to the in-person training I feel that nothing is lost in the online courses I almost find the online training to be better because you don t have to drink from a fire hydrant over a day or two. I can review/repeat the modules to increase my retention. Kudos SynAudCon!
Warren Davis
This course changed my mind about online training.
The training was extremely valuable. It was by far one of the best training courses I have taken in a long while.
I have never been a fan of online training, but this course has changed my feelings on that for the following reasons.
1. I like having the ability to go back and review all the course material.
2. I was able to rewind and watch something 3 or 4 times until I fully understood the explanation.
3. I like doing the lessons at my speed, so I was not overloaded with all the information at once.
I’m so glad we have access to this training, I look forward to taking additional training from SynAudCon over the next few years.
Avery Prindall, CVE, CTS, DMC-D, VICOM (Virginia Integrated Communication)
It solidified the bits and pieces of knowledge I had picked up over my years.
I really enjoyed this course. I had many holes in my knowledge of sound reinforcement. This course really solidified the bits and pieces of knowledge I had picked up over my years in the a/v world. I especially liked the approach of the online training you developed. It was crucial for me to have the ability to rewind or repeat lesson material. Thank you for the instruction.
Paul Smith, iSoft Solutions
A small investment it has paid for itself over and over.
Best Regards and thanks to SynAudCon for enhancing my professional life. I mean SynAudCon has made an enormous difference in my career since my first class in 1994 and that translates to a better life in general for the small investment. It has paid for itself over and over.
Mike Mosakowski, Moe Co Inc.
Feedback from Course 200 – Signal Chain Optimization
Did this course meet your expectations?
Yes
Course difficulty level?
About right
Course vs others online?
Above average
Was the course worth the price?
About right
Phone: 812-923-0174
Synergetic Audio Concepts, Inc.
Located in Southern Indiana USA
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