What is the purpose of the ST Button? Setup of an Audio Mixer
An audio mixer’s “ST” button is responsible for what.
This lesson will cover the ST button, including what it does, where it is located on the mixer, and how and when it should be used. The two sorts of ST buttons that you could come across will also be discussed in this section.
The ST button has traditionally been used to indicate that you wish to transfer audio from that channel to the main stereo outputs. The ST button may be turned off to transport audio to a group or aux instead of the main mix, allowing it to remain separate.
In An Audio Mixer, There Are Two Types Of ST Buttons
Mixing Console for Audio Yamaha MG10XU
Check the price of the Yamaha MG10XU
The Yamaha MG10XU and Yamaha MG12XU audio mixers are reviewed in the video that follows. Each of them has a unique version of the ST button on their keyboard.
In contrast to the MG12XU, the ST button is implemented in a more conventional manner, which we’ll discuss in further depth later in this article. It will be discussed towards the conclusion of this article how the MG10XU’s usage of the ST button is optimized for live broadcasting.
Is There a ST Button? What Does It Do?
It’s an abbreviation for “to stereo,” and it’s a means of informing your audio mixer that you want to send a channel directly to the stereo output, rather than sending it to a group or aux output.
The ST Button Isn’t Visible Anywhere.
Mixer for audio produced by Yamaha MG12XU
Most of the time, the ST button will be located near the fader or rotary knob that controls the volume for each channel. It is often represented by a red toggle button, and it is commonly seen with other numbered buttons, which we will discuss in more detail later on in this article.
Using the ST Button: What Is It Good For?
Our goal is to have the audio from our channel flow directly into the main stereo output 99 percent of the time, therefore we rely heavily on the ST button. This is how we integrated it into our workflow:
Set the mixer to its default state at the beginning.
Ensure that all of the faders, gain/level knobs, and buttons are set to their highest possible setting.
To adjust the right amount of gain for the audio source, press the PFL button and listen to the output.
Toggle the channel’s mutes on and off
If you wish to transmit this audio to the main stereo output, choose ST from the menu bar and press enter.
Channel volume should be raised.
If You Use The ST Button, What Should You Do?
To include the audio in the main stereo mix, toggle the ST button on and off as needed. 99.99 percent of the time, we push this button.
The ST Button Should Be Avoided When Possible
If you don’t want the audio from a particular channel to be routed immediately to the main stereo mix, avoid pressing the ST button. Consider the following two instances.
Audio sources are organized into groups.
A group of channels can be useful when you have multiple mics coming into the mixer from a drum kit and you want to be able to control the overall sub-mix with a single fader. When you have multiple mics coming into the mixer from a drum kit, it can be more convenient to send all of those channels to a group where you can control the overall sub-mix with a single fader.
In this case, the numbered buttons that we spoke about previously will be useful. You hold down those buttons to send the channel to a group, and then hold down the ST button for the group to send the sub-mix to the main stereo output….
Audio routing is complicated.
If you’re using a mixer in a church, school, or theater, it’s possible that you have audio sources streaming through your mixer that you don’t want to be heard over the main mix.
The output of speakers in the lobby or another section of the building may be controlled by a group created in your audio mixer’s configuration. Suppose you just want to make announcements in the lobby, for example.
Connect a microphone to your mixer’s input and hit the group button to complete the task at hand. The channel and group ST buttons are both left turned off in order to prevent the announcement from being heard in the main auditorium..
On/Off Switch for the Yamaha MG10XU
In addition to the TO MON/TO ST button, which toggles between transmitting audio to monitors/headphones and the main stereo mix, certain mixers, such as the MG10XU, make use of the ST button in a somewhat different way.
This ST button is exclusively responsible for the USB input and is intended for use with the Yamaha MG10XU for live streaming purposes alone. In order to avoid creating a feedback loop, you should avoid sending audio originating from a computer back to a computer via the stereo output.
Setting the ST button to MON will enable you to monitor the audio coming from the computer while also avoiding this feedback loop from forming in the first place!