Typically found on consumer-level amplifiers, this knob allows the user to select the right or left channel or anywhere in between. The normal position is straight up; when turned to the right (clock-wise) the right channel will remain the same volume while the left channel will be slowly faded out. Turning the knob to the left (counter-clockwise) from the center point produces the opposite effect. A similar control is found on the input channels of a mixer. see also pan

A control on a stereo amplifier or mixer used to adjust the left/right balance of the stereo program.

In stereo systems, a control to adjust relative sound levels in the left and right loudspeakers. In multichannel systems there is a front-back balance adjustment. In car audio, the front-back adjustment is called a 'fader'. Balanced Connection A method of interconnecting audio components using a three-wire cable in which there are two signal wires and one ground wire, all of which may be inside a cylindrical shield that is also grounded. The two signal conductors both have the identical impedances to the common ground terminal, hence the name Balanced. Because of this such interconnections are highly immune to ground-originated noises and hum. It is widely used in professional audio systems which routinely have very long cable runs and very complex interconnections of signal and power grounds. The XLR plug is commonly used. See: Unbalanced Connection.