Gain Staging And Amplification Flashcards
What is the function of a DI box?
To boost instrument level to mic level, to attenuate line level to mic level.
An engineer should always use a passive DI box with a passive instrument. True or False?
False
Who invented the first working PNP transistor?
John Bardeen, William Shockley, Walter Brittain.
What sonic characteristic do solid state amplifiers have?
Clean
What is the KMG standard for nominal level for headroom?
-6dBFs
What does a transformer use to function?
Electromagnetic Force
An engineer should always use an active DI box with a passive instrument. True or False?
True
What sonic characteristic does tube amplifiers have?
Warm
Tube amplifiers produce what type of harmonics?
Even
What is rail voltage?
Rail voltage refers to the maximum amount of voltage an audio device can handle before it begins to clip.
What is the function of a mic preamp?
Mic preamps boost a mic level signal to line level, Supply DC voltage for phantom power.
Analog headroom is what?
Forgiving
Which is a solid state amplifier? Diode OpAmp Transformer Transistor Triode
Transistor, Transformer, and OpAmp
An active DI box needs what to function?
A battery, Phantom power, and a DC power source
How does an OpAmp function?
An operational amplifier is a DC-coupled high gain electronic voltage amplifier with a differential input and, usually, a single ended output. (Flips one wave in order to amplify)
Explain how a tube functions.
One tube in the signal chain is used to boost the signal in two amplification stages. The power amp tube is used to boost the signal even more and then is sent to an output transformer which powers the speaker.
Explain what Gain staging is.
Gain staging is the act of setting the gain for each amplification stage in a sound system to achieve a target system volume that minimizes noise and distortion.
Explain what headroom is.
In digital and analog audio, headroom refers to the amount by which the signal-handling capabilities of an audio system exceed a designated nominal level.
Explain how a transistor functions.
Transistors are made of a semi conductive material such as silicone. The silicone is lightly “doped” with a more conductive material such as boron which changes how the electrons flow through it. The device is used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power.
