Small- Signal Audio Design [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Solid-state analog amplification has been around a long time. In recent years, the most important changes have been in fine-tuning componentry and circuit design to minimize noise and distortion. This book appears to give the state of the art for 2010, and it offers a cookbook-style approach for those who would like to build them, or just gain more insight on how things work.

The author defined his content, structured it well, and wrote about each topic at approximately the same level. This consistency is very helpful in treating the subject.

In my comments below, I point out some areas that are not covered. I do this to describe the book - NOT to criticize it. When a topic is missing, it is because it is outside of the intended scope of the book.

CONTENT

This book provides full coverage of high-quality, low-noise, and low-distortion analog audio preamplifiers and mixers, from circuits to amplify very low signals (mikes, phono cartridges), to input selection, volume and tone controls, balance and panning, metering, compression, and more. For each subject, he describes the circuit at a high level, with some discussion of key aspects of the design, and provides alternatives with their advantages and disadvantages.

Each circuit is a module that can be combined with others to create complete systems, for example, a preamp for a high-quality stereo system or a mixing board. To help you put it together, he has a short chapter on combining modules for a complete preamp, and some discussion and mixing board architecture.

At the end he includes a chapter on a variety of power supplies of the quality that is required for the audio circuits. Rather than give a complete treatment of power supplies, he gives several examples that illustrate the range that might be required.

Digital audio processing is NOT covered, except that he offers circuits for converting between analog to digital and vice versa, and for selecting inputs under digital control. Power amplification is not covered here: he has a separate book on that subject.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This is a cookbook with many practical circuits, complete with semiconductor numbers and values for all components, such that a person experienced in building electronics circuits could take the diagram, buy the parts, and build it.

It is not a beginners' book. He does not discuss how to build circuits, provide parts lists, circuit boards design, provide suppliers of parts, etc. There are many project-oriented books that offer this level of detail. Instead, we get many more design choices and the flexibility to build as we see fit.

It is also not an engineering text to teach you to design such circuits; he has done that for us.

For me, this practical treatment is perfect. I am confident I could build anything here from my past experience, and I don't need to know the operational details.

For those who would prefer the availability of circuit boards, unbuilt but complete kits, or built and tested versions, search the Web for "The Signal Transfer Company", which has some of these circuits available in kit or built forms. The link is also at the end of the book.

BOTTOM LINE

In a world where the electronics hobby has been snowed by ever-increasting complexity as the state of the art advances, this book is a breath of fresh air that makes sense of it all, and makes it possible for a non-pro to build precision equipment. For those seeking a cookbook of circuits they can combine to build what they need, it is exceptionally useful. It is everything I could want in a book of this subject, and better than any other treatment I have seen, so I can only give it five stars.

NOTE: I am an Amazon Vine reviewer. This book was provided to me free for my review, but I am not paid. My opinions are not influenced by getting a free book, nor am I asked to write positive reviews: I call them like I see them, and my reviews are not always positive.

I am very impressed with this book because of the guidance it gives for the design of low noise, low distortion analog circuitry. Once the concepts in Self's book are mastered, the audio frequency range engineer can design circuits that rival the performance of vacuum tube circuits which have been the "gold standard" devices in the past.

The book is directed to relatively low signal level audio frequencies, but many of the principles can be extended to circuits for somewhat higher frequencies if the designer has the correct electronics engineering skills. All of the functions that an analog engineer would want to perform on a signal are covered. Once the signal has been modified in the desired manner, it can then be amplified to increase power. It is much easier the manipulate analog signals at low amplitude and power levels.

Audio circuits are the primary focus of this book, but instrumentation engineers, and control engineers will also find this book to be very helpful as well as anyone performing designs in these frequency ranges.

One of the other reviewers gives an excellent outline of the contents of the book so I won't try to repeat that information.

To fully understand and apply the information on this book, the designer should have experience in analog design using op-amps as well as semiconductor transistors of various types. Also, an analytical background in electronic circuitry would be very helpful to understanding and applying the principles in this book. The "hobbyist" would need some experience in analog design. A bachelor level electronic engineer would find it to be at the right level.

Anyone doing this type of design who is struggling with improving the noise and distortion performance of their circuits will find this to be an extremely helpful book.

In what seems like a previous lifetime, I once worked as an audio design engineer for the pro-audio division of a consumer electronics company. This text would have been perfect for me back then.

I eventually cobbled information together through textbooks, databooks, and manufacturers' handbooks such as National Semiconductor's Audio/Radio Handbook, Analog Device's Applications Reference Manual, and Burr Brown's application notes. This book can just about replace all those.

It focuses on small signal audio design. There is no mention about audio power design and little information included about converters and digital filtering. That is just as well since those are topics worthy of complete books by themselves.

Self's coverage of small signal audio design is exemplary. This book really seems aimed at professional audio equipment designers. While hobbyists would undoubtedly learn a lot, those individuals are typically not restricted by economics and can afford to specify higher quality components for their low quantities. For high or moderate volume equipment designers, cost is a key constraint.

I was happy to see Audio Precision (AP) graphs included in the text. First, they provide easy to interpret performance metrics. Second, I used an AP system for most of my testing and it's good to see they're still around.

This book may have a limited audience, but for those interested in small signal analog audio design, it is a first rate book.