Hello all
I am currently putting together a list of contents for a Third edition of Small Signal Audio Design.
Please be aware this is a very early stage in the project and it will not be hitting the bookstores for a year or more.
The Second edition was already about as large as my publishers consider practical, which is why all the phono amp material (plus a mountain of new stuff) was split off as Electronics For Vinyl in 2018. See: Electronics for Vinyl
The Third edition will have just two smallish newly-written chapters on MM and MC preamps, but nonetheless they will contain new stuff that is not in Electronics For Vinyl.
Obviously I would like to know what new stuff you would like to see in the Third edition.
Here is what is already planned:
Complete new chapter on variable gain stages.
Complete new chapter on tape machine electronics.
Complete new chapter on guitar peamplifiers.
and stuff on:
Frequency response, Frequency response of cascaded stages
Phase perception
Three-layer PCBs
Resistor accuracy: three resistor combinations
Distortion in Sallen & Key filters: 3rd & 4th-order lowpass/highpass single-stage
An improved Baxandall active volume stage with lower noise
The Newcomb and Young loudness control
Combining a Baxandall EQ stage with an active balance control
Wien fixed middle EQ: altering the Q
Improving fader offness
Balancing tracks to reduce crosstalk
The multi-function summing amplifier
Please let me know what else you would like to see.
I am currently putting together a list of contents for a Third edition of Small Signal Audio Design.
Please be aware this is a very early stage in the project and it will not be hitting the bookstores for a year or more.
The Second edition was already about as large as my publishers consider practical, which is why all the phono amp material (plus a mountain of new stuff) was split off as Electronics For Vinyl in 2018. See: Electronics for Vinyl
The Third edition will have just two smallish newly-written chapters on MM and MC preamps, but nonetheless they will contain new stuff that is not in Electronics For Vinyl.
Obviously I would like to know what new stuff you would like to see in the Third edition.
Here is what is already planned:
Complete new chapter on variable gain stages.
Complete new chapter on tape machine electronics.
Complete new chapter on guitar peamplifiers.
and stuff on:
Frequency response, Frequency response of cascaded stages
Phase perception
Three-layer PCBs
Resistor accuracy: three resistor combinations
Distortion in Sallen & Key filters: 3rd & 4th-order lowpass/highpass single-stage
An improved Baxandall active volume stage with lower noise
The Newcomb and Young loudness control
Combining a Baxandall EQ stage with an active balance control
Wien fixed middle EQ: altering the Q
Improving fader offness
Balancing tracks to reduce crosstalk
The multi-function summing amplifier
Please let me know what else you would like to see.
Well, I'm going to do my best, but a comprehensive study just of tape electronics (I'm not planning on tangling with the mechanical side) would be a full-length book, so there will be some emphasis on the replay electronics as these are (I imagine) of more interest. Everybody, please tell me if I'm wrong.
No problem there- I've already written some new stuff on that.
Do you want to go into any more detail?
Recommended best practices for relay-based stepped attenuator volume control / balance control:
Emulating make-before-break switching in uC software which controls a stepped attenuator: is MBB a bad idea, a dont-care, or a must have feature? What is the recommended best practice timing diagram?
Same as above except BBM, break-before-make
Recommended choice: non-latching or latching coils?
Recommended choice for relay contacts: SPDT (dual mono, lowest interchannel crosstalk, incorporates Balance Control for free), or DPDT?
Recommended choice: shared coil current reducer circuit vs. individual reducers one per relay?
Same as above except BBM, break-before-make
Recommended choice: non-latching or latching coils?
Recommended choice for relay contacts: SPDT (dual mono, lowest interchannel crosstalk, incorporates Balance Control for free), or DPDT?
Recommended choice: shared coil current reducer circuit vs. individual reducers one per relay?
This is a universal weak point, so distortion, channel separation, bandwidth, noise, tracking,
pot types, and types of ICs, resistors and switches/relays for switched controls.
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Umm- like Chapter 5 in the current edition?
If you know of some good candidate opamps not already covered, let me know.
The most interesting thing about tape recorders was the recording bias. I often wondered if a PWM signal would have worked well? But like tube circuits, I don't think it maters any more.
Most important thing for a guitar pre-amp is super high input impedance because the pick-ups are huge inductors. This is also why the cable matters. In the late 60s I built a killer guitar box, which sounded great with ~no distortion. In retrospect that was largely due to a bootstrapped input which provided hi-Z and a bit of 2nd harmonics.
Most important thing for a guitar pre-amp is super high input impedance because the pick-ups are huge inductors. This is also why the cable matters. In the late 60s I built a killer guitar box, which sounded great with ~no distortion. In retrospect that was largely due to a bootstrapped input which provided hi-Z and a bit of 2nd harmonics.
Respect to kevinkr and my own past--- tape is "dead". It is more than a whole book. The few still geeking about it won't pay an author's rent. Tape preamps are often just re-figured phono preamps. Tape bias is a potentially simple balance among too many conflicting objectives, and very situational. Summarize what comes easy and fits in a chapter. Leave "tape book" for when you are very idle and have many eager tape-fans clamoring.
Likewise I'd thing "guitar" belongs in its own book BUT there seem to be eager readers and potentially more than $2/hour in it. At least there are many books, each with a unique slant, yet still room for yours.
"variable gain stages"... volume knobs or fast electronic (AGC) controls? (Just curious- not planning anything ATM.)
Likewise I'd thing "guitar" belongs in its own book BUT there seem to be eager readers and potentially more than $2/hour in it. At least there are many books, each with a unique slant, yet still room for yours.
"variable gain stages"... volume knobs or fast electronic (AGC) controls? (Just curious- not planning anything ATM.)
I've said tape was dead several times, but I was wrong. It's coming back with a vengeance. According to Ken Kessler in this month's Hifi News,Thorens are bring out a new playback-only machine, and the used market is going mad. People are selling pre-recorded tapes again. I know it's only fashion, but it's real. I am going to dig out my old Fostex R8.
It certainly could be a whole book, and I am pondering the matter...
By that I mean stages with a wide gain range, that may or may not include zero. A wider range than a volume control which typically only goes up to +10 dB.
Well I've used the AD8656 dual 5V CMOS opamp. Seems to tick a lot of boxes quite well, though not cheap.
I suggest the logical course is to buy twenty copies of the 2nd edition at once.
I second kevinkr’s appreciation for this post. I’ve really gotten a lot from your previous publications. The audio switch section quite invaluable. You provide quite a bit on measurements dilineated by topic. I think it would be great if you had a chart on the specs of various switching topologies.
But just a brief look at ‘small signal’ TOC makes me doubt what could be improved on such an awesomely comprehensive book.
Maybe the PSU section could be expanded to talk about current sources and super regs. As well as PSU impedance.
Thanks sooo much for all your hard work.
But just a brief look at ‘small signal’ TOC makes me doubt what could be improved on such an awesomely comprehensive book.
Maybe the PSU section could be expanded to talk about current sources and super regs. As well as PSU impedance.
Thanks sooo much for all your hard work.
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