An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal. It is a two-port electronic circuit that uses electric power from a power supply to increase the amplitude 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: 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 effects unit, effects processor, or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
In signal processing, distortion is the alteration of the original shape of a signal. In communications and electronics it means the alteration of the waveform of an information-bearing signal, such as an audio signal representing sound or a video signal representing images, in an electronic device or communication channel.
An audio power amplifier 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.
Dynamic range compression (DRC) or simply compression is an audio signal processing operation that reduces the volume of loud sounds or amplifies quiet sounds, thus reducing or compressing an audio signal's dynamic range. Compression is commonly used in sound recording and reproduction, broadcasting, live sound reinforcement and some instrument amplifiers.
Audio system measurements are used to quantify audio system performance. These measurements are made for several purposes. Designers take measurements to specify the performance of a piece of equipment. Maintenance engineers make them to ensure equipment is still working to specification, or to ensure that the cumulative defects of an audio path are within limits considered acceptable. Audio system measurements often accommodate psychoacoustic principles to measure the system in a way that relates to human hearing.
dbx, Inc. is an American manufacturer of professional audio recording equipment owned by Harman International, a subsidiary of South Korea-based company Samsung Electronics. It was founded by David E. Blackmer in 1971.
Solid State Logic Ltd. (SSL) is a British company based in Begbroke, Oxfordshire, England that designs and markets audio mixing consoles, signal processors, and other audio technologies for the post-production, video production, broadcast, sound reinforcement and music recording industries. SSL employs over 160 people worldwide and has regional offices in Los Angeles, Milan, New York City, Paris, and Tokyo, with additional support provided by an international network of distributors. Solid State Logic is part of the Audiotonix Group.
Scholz Research & Development, Inc. was the name of the company founded by musician and engineer Tom Scholz to design and manufacture music technology products.
Clipping is a form of waveform distortion that occurs when an amplifier is overdriven and attempts to deliver an output voltage or current beyond its maximum capability. Driving an amplifier into clipping may cause it to output power in excess of its power rating.
Gain compression is a reduction in differential or slope gain caused by nonlinearity of the transfer function of an amplifying device for large-signal inputs.
Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distortion is most commonly used with the electric guitar, but may also be used with other electric instruments such as electric bass, electric piano, synthesizer and Hammond organ. Guitarists playing electric blues originally obtained an overdriven sound by turning up their vacuum tube-powered guitar amplifiers to high volumes, which caused the signal to distort. While overdriven tube amps are still used to obtain overdrive, especially in genres like blues and rockabilly, a number of other ways to produce distortion have been developed since the 1960s, such as distortion 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 bass has been essential in a genre of hip hop music and alternative hip hop known as "SoundCloud rap".
Technical specifications and detailed information on the valve audio amplifier, including its development history.
United Recording Electronics Industries (UREI) was a manufacturer of recording, mixing and audio signal processing hardware for the professional recording studio, live sound and broadcasting fields.
Universal Audio is an American company that designs, imports, and markets audio signal processing hardware and effect pedals, audio interfaces, digital signal processing, virtual instrument, and digital audio workstation software and plug-ins.
The LA-2A Leveling Amplifier is an audio compressor produced by Teletronix Engineering Company from 1965 until 1969, and reissued in 2000 by Universal Audio.
Introduction
The NE5532, also sold as SA5532, SE5532 and NG5532 is a dual monolithic, bipolar, internally compensated operational amplifier for audio applications introduced by Signetics in 1979. The 5532 and the contemporary TL072 were the first operational amplifiers that outperformed discrete class A circuits in professional audio applications. Due to low noise and very low distortion, the 5532 became the industry standard for professional audio. According to Douglas Self, "there is probably no music on the planet that has not passed through a hundred or more 5532s on its way to the consumer". The performance of the 5532 remained best in class for almost thirty years, until the introduction of the LM4562 in 2007. As of 2021, the 5532 remains in mass production as a generic product.
The Fairchild 660 is a tube-based single-channel audio compressor invented by Rein Narma and manufactured by the Fairchild Recording Equipment Corporation beginning in 1959. The 660 was the first intelligent automatic volume control limiter. The Fairchild 670, introduced shortly after the 660, is a dual-channel version. The rarity of Fairchild compressors has made them highly desirable and very valuable, with a used 660 now selling for $20,000 or more and a 670 selling for $30,000–$40,000 or more. They are commonly referred to as the "holy grail" of outboard gear.
The Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor/Limiter is an audio compression unit designed by Dave Derr and first sold in 1995. The name is a portmanteau of distortion and compressor.
