ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Signal flow

Signal flow is like a game of telephone. When we want to communicate with someone, we speak into a microphone, which records our voice and converts it into a signal. This signal then goes to an amplifier, which makes it louder, and then to a speaker, which broadcasts the signal to the listener's ear.

Similarly, when we listen to music, the sound waves from the musical instrument are converted into a signal, which goes through a series of electronic devices, such as a mixer, effects processor, and amplifier. The signal is then broadcast through a speaker or headphones, which vibrate the air, producing sound waves that we can hear.

Think of it like a chain of events: the signal flows from one device to another, like a river, in a sequence that is determined by the person who sets up the equipment. This sequence is called the signal path, and it determines how the sound is processed and amplified along the way.

So basically, signal flow is a way to control how sound moves through a system of electronic devices, like a conductor leading an orchestra. It's an important part of recording and broadcasting music and other types of audio, and it helps to ensure that the final output sounds the way it's supposed to.
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