SOUND SYSTEM

OVERVIEW
RJA
 Electrical Sound Source Acoustic Sound Source
(CD, Record or Electronic (Voices or Acoustic
Instrument) Instrument)

Direct Microphone
(Direct Electrical Interface (Conversion of Acoustical
to Sound System) Energy to Electrical Energy)

Mixer
(Electrical device used to blend the sound from several sources)

Effects
(Electrical Manipulation of the Audio Signal)

Equalizer
(Tonal Control of the Sound)

Power Amplifier
(Electrical device to amplify or multiply the power of the sound)
Speaker
( Conversion of Electrical Energy back into Acoustical Energy)
 I. SOUND SOURCE
• Two Categories
1. Electrical Sound Sources
- are those where the sound originates as an electrical wave
generated by some piece of electrical equipment.
- Examples of Electrical sound sources include: recorded sound
(CD, record, or cassette tape player) and electronic
instruments (keyboard, electric guitar, electric drums, etc.).
2. Acoustic Sound Sources
I. SOUND SOURCE
- are those which naturally make sound that can be heard (at
least to some degree) without a sound system.
- Examples of Acoustic sound sources include: voices (talking or
singing) and acoustic instruments (acoustic guitar, horns,
drums, etc.).
 POWER SUPPLIES
• A device that supplies
electrical power to another
unit. Power supplies obtain
their prime power from the ac
power line or from special
power systems such as motor
generators, inverters, and
converters.
POWER SUPPLY SCHEMATIC
DIAGRAM
 RECTIFIER

• A device that passes current

in only one direction. The
rectifier consists of a positive
anode and a negative
cathode.
RECTIFIER CIRCUITS
 RECTIFIER TYPES:
• Half-wave power supplies
• DC voltage output = 0.45 of the voltage input
• Rectifier current = dc current
• Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV) = 1.414 Vac
• Ripple = 121%
 RECTIFIER TYPES:
• Full-wave Power Supplies
• Center-tapped
• Vdc = Vac
• Ripple = 48%
• Each rectifier carries ½ load current
• PIV = 2.828 Vac

• Full-wave bridge
• Vdc = 0.9 Vac
• PIV = 1/2PIV of center-tapped
 RIPPLE VOLTAGE
• The alternating component (ac) riding on the dc output voltage of a
rectifier-type power supply. The frequency of the ripple voltage will depend
on the line frequency and the configuration of the rectifier.
• The ripple factor is the measure of quality of a power supply.
 FILTERS

• A power-supply filter is a series of resistors,

capacitors, and/or inductors connected
either passively or actively to reduce the
ac or ripple component of the dc power
supply.
 CAPACITOR FILTERS
• Power supplies with an input
capacitor filter have a higher output
voltage than one without a
capacitor because the peak value of
the rectifier output voltage appears
across the input filter.
 INDUCTOR FILTERS
• An inductive filter employs a choke
rather than a capacitor at the input
of the filter, as shown in Fig. 19-5B.
Although the output voltage from this
type of filter is lower, the voltage
regulation is better.
LOAD REGULATION & LINE
REGULATION
• Line Regulation – The variation
in the output voltage as the
input voltage is varied from a
rated minimum to a rated
maximum with constant
current.

• Load Regulation – The

variation in the output voltage
when a load is connected to a
source.
 COMBINATION FILTERS
• Inductance-Capacitance filters

• Resistance-Capacitance filters

• Pi filters using inductance & capacitance

INDUCTANCE-CAPACITANCE
FILTERS

Inductance- capacitance filters,

sometimes called L filters, use an
inductor as an input filter and a
capacitor as the second stage of
the filter.

They are best used under varying

load conditions.
RESISTANCE-CAPACITANCE

Resistance-capacitance filters, RC,

employ a resistor and capacitor
rather than an inductor and
capacitor. The advantages of such
a filter are its low
cost, light weight, and the reduction
of magnetic field.
 PI FILTERS
Pi filters have a smooth output
and poor regulation. They are often
used where the
transformer voltage is not high
enough and low ripple is
required. By using the input
capacitor, the dc voltage is
boosted to the peak voltage.
 REGULATORS
• Resistance Voltage Dividers

• Constant Voltage Regulator

• Constant Current Regulator

 REGULATORS
Reference Element
- is the unit that forms the foundation of
all voltage regulators. The output of the
regulated power supply is equal to or a
multiple of the reference.

Control Element
- The control element is that unit that
maintains the output voltage constant. The
regulator type is named after the control
element. The control element is an
electronic variable resistor that drops
voltage either in series with the load or
across the load.
CONSTANT VOLTAGE
CONSTANT CURRENT
CONSTANT VOLTAGE – CONSTANT CURRENT
AMPLIFIERS
 TYPES AND DESCRIPTION OF
AMPLIFIERS
Types according to the quantity being amplified:
1. Voltage Amplifier
2. Current Amplifier

Types according to the input-output relationships by the amplifier:

1. Transresistance Amplifier
2. Transconductance Amplifier
FEEDBACK THEORY

Why add feedback on amplifiers?

1. Improve stability of the gain
2. Increase Bandwidth
3. To reduce noise/distortion

The amplifier is
positive feedback if :

The amplifier is
negative feedback if :
OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIERS

• It can be unbalanced or balanced,

positive or negative feedback,
inverting or non-inverting output.
 MIXERS

• Mixers combine audio signals

from multiple sources

• Provide a volume level control

for each source

• Some mixers are designed to be

frequently adjusted, others are
simply adjusted and set

• Outputs typically feed the inputs

of power amplifiers, recording MIXER
devices or broadcast equipment
A simple analog audio mixer combines
several incoming signals into a single
output signal. This cannot be achieved
simply by connecting all the incoming
signals in parallel and then feeding
them into a single input, because they
may interfere with each other.
 INPUT GAIN CONTROL

In the signal flow, the first section is the input

gain control (rotary fader type) which is
commonly known as Pre – Amp (pre-
amplification). This control adjusts the degree of
amplification provided by the input amplifier
and is labeled in decibels (dB) either increasing
or decreasing steps.
 EQUALIZATION

This section will have controls for two frequency

bands (in the case of the figure provided), the
high and the low frequency. Boost and cut of
around ±12 db over low and high frequency
bands is available. In this section we can
control the tone of the signal through boosting
and cutting of the high and low frequencies.
 CHANNEL FADER
• The last control of the input section is the
channel fader which controls the overall
level of the channel. It provides a small
amount of gain (up to 12 db) and infinite
attenuation (decrease). The fader
control is specially designed for the
purposes of level control.
• There are two types of Faders:
1. Rotary Faders. For example –
Input gain control, equalization,
etc.
2. Straight Movable Faders or
Channel Faders. For example –
stereo bus, etc.
 PAN CONTROL
• Pan control on a Mixer is used for
placing a signal anywhere
between left or right in the stereo
field. It works by splitting a single
signal from the input into two
signals.
• Only 18 dB of level difference, is
required between left and right
channels to give the impression
that a source is either fully left or
fully right in a loud speaker stereo
signal.
PFL (PRE FADER LISTENER)

This is a facility which provides a signal to be

monitored without routing it to the main outputs
of the mixer. It also provides a means for
listening to a signal in isolation in order to adjust
its level or EQ.
 EQUALIZER
• Equalizer is used to adjust the tonal quality of
each input and to reduce or eliminate
feedback.
• Low end (low cost) mixers may only have treble
and bass tone controls.
• Better mixers have high, mid, and low
frequency controls.
• Top of the line mixers have additional
equalization controls which include frequency
adjustment capability.
 TYPES OF EQUALIZERS
• Tone Control
- The simplest form of equalizer is the
tone control as used on portable
radios. The control only acts to
attenuate the high frequency or low
frequency or both.
 TYPES OF EQUALIZERS
• Graphic Equalizers
- A graphic equalizer is used to shape
the overall spectrum of program
material. The term graphic refers to
the way that the controls are set out
on the front panel such that the
positions of the slider controls draw the
desired frequency response.
 TYPES OF EQUALIZERS
• Parametric Equalizers
-Parametric equalizers allow
adjustment of the filters in term of the
three main parameters that define a
filter. The boost or cut in dB.
• The boost or cut in dB.
• The center frequency.
• The bandwidth or Q.
SPECIAL TYPES OF EQUALIZERS
• Semi-Parametric Equalizer - A reduced
version of the parametric equalizer is
commonly found on mixing consoles. This
is the semi-parametric or swept
frequency equalizer. This type has only
the center frequency and cut or boost
controls.
 III. EFFECTS PROCESSORS
• Adds special effects such as reverb, echo, or delay to
the sound
• Reverb
• Give the sound a more spacious or roomy feeling
• Digital Delay
• Provides one or more echoes of the original sound.
• A delay set for just a 10 to 30ms makes the sound
fuller, like two people are singing.
• Delays greater than 40ms are clearly noticeable.
• Multi-tap delays give a repeating echo.
 III. EFFECTS PROCESSORS
• Multi-Effects Processor
• Provides a large variety of effects in a single unit.
• Usually includes reverb, delay, multi-tap delay, chorus, flange,
tremolo, vibrato, gates, and other effects.
• Some units allow effects to be combined.
• Some units allow you to program your own effects (if you know
how).
 III. EFFECTS PROCESSORS
• Gate
• A gate keeps the signal turned off until its volume
reaches a pre-set threshold, then it is turned on.
When the signal becomes quiet again it is turned off.
• This process happens very rapidly and can be used
to eliminate background noise when the person is
not speaking (even between words).
• It Especially useful to eliminate low level background
noise
 III. EFFECTS PROCESSORS
• Compressor / Limiter
• It useful for a performer whose voice varies from very
quiet to very loud, beyond the dynamic range of the
sound system.
• It reduces the dynamic range of the sound. It allows
low volume sounds to pass through unchanged, but
loud sounds are reduced in level.
• It can be used to prevent over driving the power
amplifier. This prevents distortion and possible
equipment damage.
 AMPLIFIER
• Increases the electrical power of a sound signal.
• The amplifier receives the combined or mixed signal
from the mixer.
 AMPLIFIER
• In order for an amplifier to make the sound twice as
loud, it must supply 4 times as much power. Ex: it
takes a 400 watt amplifier to be twice as loud as a
100 watt amplifier.
• Always use an amplifier capable of supplying more
power than you need. Distortion increases
dramatically when an amplifier is operated at its
maximum power.
• It is important that an amplifier have very low
background noise. Even a small amount of "hiss" can
be very objectionable.
• The power rating of the amplifier and the speakers
must be similar to reduce the chance of damaging
the speakers