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Preamplifier
A preamplifier, also known as a preamp, is an electronic amplifier that converts a weak electrical signal into an output signal strong enough to be noise-tolerant and strong enough for further processing, or for sending to a power amplifier and a loudspeaker. Without this, the final signal would be noisy or distorted. They are typically used to amplify signals from analog sensors such as microphones and pickups. Because of this, the preamplifier is often placed close to the sensor to reduce the effects of noise and interference. Description An ideal preamp will be linear (have a constant gain through its operating range) and have high input impedance (requiring only a minimal amount of current to sense the input signal) and low output impedance (when current is drawn from the output there is minimal change in the output voltage). It is used to boost the signal strength to drive the cable to the main instrument without significantly degrading the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Power Amplifier
An audio power amplifier (or power amp) amplifies low-power electronic audio signals, such as the signal from a radio receiver or an electric guitar pickup, to a level that is high enough for driving loudspeakers or headphones. Audio power amplifiers are found in all manner of sound systems including sound reinforcement, public address, home audio systems and musical instrument amplifiers like guitar amplifiers. It is the final electronic stage in a typical audio playback chain before the signal is sent to the loudspeakers. The preceding stages in such a chain are low-power audio amplifiers which perform tasks like pre-amplification of the signal, equalization, mixing different input signals. The inputs can also be any number of audio sources like record players, CD players, digital audio players and cassette players. Most audio power amplifiers require these low-level inputs, which are line level. While the input signal to an audio power amplifier, such as the si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microphone
A microphone, colloquially called a mic (), or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public events, motion picture production, live and recorded audio engineering, sound recording, two-way radios, megaphones, and radio and television broadcasting. They are also used in computers and other electronic devices, such as mobile phones, for recording sounds, speech recognition, Voice over IP, VoIP, and other purposes, such as Ultrasonic transducer, ultrasonic sensors or knock sensors. Several types of microphone are used today, which employ different methods to convert the air pressure variations of a sound wave to an electrical signal. The most common are the dynamic microphone, which uses a coil of wire suspended in a magnetic field; the condenser microphone, which uses the vibrating Diaphragm (acoustics), diaphragm as a capacitor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mixing Console
A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for Audio mixing (recorded music), mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals from electric or electronic instruments, or recorded sounds. Mixers may control analog or Digital signal (signal processing), digital signals. The modified signals are summation, summed to produce the combined output signals, which can then be broadcast, amplified through a sound reinforcement system or recorded. Mixing consoles are used for applications including recording studios, public address systems, sound reinforcement systems, nightclubs, broadcasting, and post-production. A typical, simple application combines signals from microphones on stage into an amplifier that drives one set of loudspeakers for the audience. A DJ mixer may have only two channels, for mixing two record players. A coffeehouse's small stage might only have a six-c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Instrument Amplifier
An instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal of a musical instrument into a larger electronic signal to feed to a loudspeaker. An instrument amplifier is used with musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an electric bass, electric organ, electric piano, synthesizers and drum machine to convert the signal from the pickup (with guitars and other string instruments and some keyboards) or other sound source (e.g, a synthesizer's signal) into an electronic signal that has enough power, produced by a power amplifier, to drive one or more loudspeaker that can be heard by the performers and audience. Combination (combo) amplifiers include a preamplifier, a power amplifier, tone controls, and one or more speakers in a cabinet, a housing or box usually made of wood. Instrument amplifiers for some instruments are also available without an internal speaker; these amplifiers, called ''heads'', must pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phonograph
A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as corresponding physical deviations of a helical or spiral groove engraved, etched, incised, or impressed into the surface of a rotating cylinder or disc, called a ''Phonograph record, record''. To recreate the sound, the surface is similarly rotated while a playback #Stylus, stylus traces the groove and is therefore vibrated by it, faintly reproducing the recorded sound. In early acoustic phonographs, the stylus vibrated a Diaphragm (acoustics), diaphragm that produced sound waves coupled to the open air through a flaring Horn loudspeaker, horn, or directly to the listener's ears through stethoscope-type earphones. The phonograph was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison; its use would rise the following year. Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Distortion (music)
Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain (electronics), gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distortion is most commonly used with the electric guitar, but may be used with other instruments, such as bass guitar, electric bass, electric piano, synthesizer, and Hammond organ. Guitarists playing Chicago blues, electric blues originally obtained an overdriven sound by turning up their vacuum tube-powered guitar amplifiers to high volumes, which caused the signal to clipping (audio), distort. Other ways to produce distortion have been developed since the 1960s, such as distortion effects unit, effect pedals. The growling tone of a distorted electric guitar is a key part of many genres, including blues and many rock music genres, notably hard rock, punk rock, hardcore punk, acid rock, grunge and heavy metal music, while the use of distorted bas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Electret Microphone
An electret microphone is a microphone whose diaphragm forms a capacitor (historically-termed a ''condenser'') that incorporates an electret. The electret's permanent electric dipole provides a constant charge on the capacitor. Sound waves move the diaphragm, changing the capacitance , which produces a corresponding voltage change across the capacitor of . The electret's constant charge eliminates the need for the polarizing power supply required for non-electret condenser microphones, though a preamplifier is typically incorporated to boost the audio voltage signal. Electret material An ''electret'' is a stable dielectric material with a permanently-embedded electric dipole that persists for hundreds of years due to its high resistance and chemical stability. The name comes from ''electr''ostatic and magn''et''; drawing analogy to the formation of a magnet by alignment of magnetic domains in a piece of iron. Electrets are commonly made by first melting a suitable die ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sound Card
A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an internal expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under the control of computer programs. The term ''sound card'' is also applied to external audio interfaces used for professional audio applications. Sound functionality can also be integrated into the motherboard, using components similar to those found on plug-in cards. The integrated sound system is often still referred to as a ''sound card''. Sound processing hardware is also present on modern video cards with HDMI to output sound along with the video using that connector; previously they used a S/PDIF connection to the motherboard or sound card. Typical uses of sound cards or sound card functionality include providing the audio component for multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video or audio, presentation, education and entertainment (games) and video projection. Sound cards are also used for computer-b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noise Figure
Noise figure (NF) and noise factor (''F'') are figures of merit that indicate degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that is caused by components in a signal chain. These figures of merit are used to evaluate the performance of an amplifier or a radio receiver, with lower values indicating better performance. The noise factor is defined as the ratio of the output noise power of a device to the portion thereof attributable to thermal noise in the input termination at standard noise temperature ''T''0 (usually 290 K). The noise factor is thus the ratio of actual output noise to that which would remain if the device itself did not introduce noise, which is equivalent to the ratio of input SNR to output SNR. The noise ''factor'' and noise ''figure'' are related, with the former being a unitless ratio and the latter being the logarithm of the noise factor, expressed in units of decibels (dB). General The noise figure is the difference in decibel (dB) between the noise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Recording Studio
A recording studio is a specialized facility for Sound recording and reproduction, recording and Audio mixing, mixing of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enough to record a single singer-guitarist, to a large building with space for a full orchestra of 100 or more musicians. Ideally, both the Studio recording, recording and monitoring (listening and mixing) spaces are specially designed by an acoustician or audio engineer to achieve optimum acoustic properties (acoustic isolation or diffusion or absorption of reflected sound reverberation that could otherwise interfere with the sound heard by the listener). Recording studios may be used to record singers, instrumental musicians (e.g., electric guitar, piano, saxophone, or ensembles such as orchestras), voice-over artists for advertisements or Dubbing, dialogue replacement in film, television, or animation, Foley (filmmaking) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Electronic Amplifier
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a Signal (information theory), signal (a time-varying voltage or Electric current, current). It is a two-port network, two-port electronic circuit that uses electric power from a power supply to increase the amplitude (magnitude of the voltage or current) of a signal applied to its input terminals, producing a proportionally greater amplitude signal at its output. The amount of amplification provided by an amplifier is measured by its gain (electronics), gain: the ratio of output voltage, current, or power to input. An amplifier is defined as a circuit that has a power gain greater than one. An amplifier can be either a separate piece of equipment or an electrical circuit contained within another device. Amplification is fundamental to modern electronics, and amplifiers are widely used in almost all electronic equipment. Amplifiers can be categorized in different ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Line Level
Line level is the specified Audio power, strength of an audio signal used to transmit analog (signal), analog sound between audio components such as compact disc, CD and Digital Versatile Disc, DVD players, television sets, audio amplifiers, and mixing consoles. Generally, line level signals sit in the middle of the hierarchy of signal levels in audio engineering. There are weaker signals such as those from microphones (Mic Level/Microphone Level) and Pick up (music technology), instrument pickups (Instrument Level), and stronger signals, such as those used to drive headphones and loudspeakers (Speaker Level). The "strength" of these various signals does not necessarily refer to the output voltage of the source device; it also depends on its output impedance and output power capability. Consumer electronic devices concerned with audio (for example Sound card#General characteristics, sound cards) often have a connector labeled ''line in'' and/or ''line out''. ''Line out'' provides ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
