Patent ID: 7403626

Claim:
A level adjustment apparatus including a plurality of operators each operable in both a level increasing direction and a level decreasing direction, individual ones of said operators having respective set values associated therewith, said level adjustment apparatus comprising: a grouping section that individually sets each of operators, selected from among said plurality of operators, to a forward or inverse operational direction, so that at least one operator is set in the forward operational direction and at least one operator is set to the inverse operational direction, and groups the selected operators into one or more groups; a level control section that, when any one of said operators in one of the groups is operated, controls each of the set values of the operators in the one group in accordance with an operated amount generated through operation of the operated operator in such a manner that the set value of the at least one operator set to the forward operational direction is controlled by adding the operated amount while the set value of the at least one operator set to the inverse operational direction is controlled by subtracting the operated amount, wherein a sign of a value of the operated amount is same for a first case where the operated operator is an operator set to the forward operational direction and has been operated in an increasing direction and a second case where the operated operator is an operator set to the inverse operational direction and has been operated in a decreasing direction, and the sign of the value of the operated amount is same between a third case where the operated operator is an operator set to the forward operational direction and has been operated in the decreasing direction and a fourth case where the operated operator is an operator set to the inverse operational direction and has been operated in the increasing direction, the sign of the value of the operated amount being different between the first and second cases and the third and fourth cases, whereby, when any one of said operators in one of the groups is operated in a particular direction, said level control section performs control to actually move a respective position of each of other said operator in the one group, set to a same operational direction as the operated operator, in a same direction as the particular direction in which the one operator is operated, and performs control to actually move a respective position of each of other said operator in the one group, set to an opposite operational direction from the operated operator, in an opposite direction from the particular direction; a grouped state display section that displays respective grouped states of said operators grouped by said grouping section; and an operational direction display section that displays respective operational directions of said operators set via said grouping section.