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Preamplifier
 
 
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A preamplifier (preamp), or control amp in some parts of the world, is an electronic amplifier
Electronic amplifier

An electronic amplifier is a device for increasing the Power and/or amplitude of a Signal . It does this by taking energy from a power supply and controlling the output to match the input signal shape but with a larger amplitude....
 which precedes another amplifier to prepare an electronic signal for further amplification or processing. The preamplifier circuitry may or may not be housed as a separate component.

st of common low-level signal sources would include a pickup
Pickup (music)

A pickup device acts as a transducer that captures mechanical vibrations and converts them to an electrical signal, which can be instrument amplifier and sound recording....
, microphone
Microphone

A microphone, sometimes referred to as a mike or?more recently?mic, is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal....
, turntable
Phonograph

The record player, phonograph or gramophone was the most common device for playing Sound recording and reproduction sound from the 1870s through the 1980s....
 or other transducer
Transducer

A transducer is a device, usually electricity, electronics, electro-mechanical, electromagnetic, photonic, or photovoltaic that converts one type of energy or physical attribute to another for various purposes including measurement or information transfer ....
.






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Musicalfidelityelektrae200
A preamplifier (preamp), or control amp in some parts of the world, is an electronic amplifier
Electronic amplifier

An electronic amplifier is a device for increasing the Power and/or amplitude of a Signal . It does this by taking energy from a power supply and controlling the output to match the input signal shape but with a larger amplitude....
 which precedes another amplifier to prepare an electronic signal for further amplification or processing. The preamplifier circuitry may or may not be housed as a separate component.

Description


In general, the function of a preamp is to amplify a low-level signal to line-level. A list of common low-level signal sources would include a pickup
Pickup (music)

A pickup device acts as a transducer that captures mechanical vibrations and converts them to an electrical signal, which can be instrument amplifier and sound recording....
, microphone
Microphone

A microphone, sometimes referred to as a mike or?more recently?mic, is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal....
, turntable
Phonograph

The record player, phonograph or gramophone was the most common device for playing Sound recording and reproduction sound from the 1870s through the 1980s....
 or other transducer
Transducer

A transducer is a device, usually electricity, electronics, electro-mechanical, electromagnetic, photonic, or photovoltaic that converts one type of energy or physical attribute to another for various purposes including measurement or information transfer ....
. Equalization
Equalization

Equalization, equalisation or EQ is the process of using passive or active electronic elements or digital algorithms for the purpose of altering the frequency response characteristics of a system....
 and tone control may also be applied.

In a home audio system, the term 'preamplifier' may sometimes be used to describe equipment which merely switch
Switch

In electronics, a switch is an electrical component which can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the Electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another....
es between different line level
Line level

Line level is a term used to denote the strength of an audio signal used to transmit analog sound information between audio components such as compact disc and DVD players, TVs, audio amplifiers, and mixing consoles, and sometimes MP3 players....
 sources and applies a volume control
Attenuation

In physics, attenuation is the gradual loss in intensity of any kind of flux through a medium. For instance, sunlight is attenuated by dark glasses, and X-rays are attenuated by lead....
, so that no actual amplification may be involved. In an audio system, the second amplifier is typically a power amplifier (power amp). The preamplifier provides voltage
Voltage

Electrical tension is the potential difference between two points of an electrical or electronic circuit, expressed in volts. It is the measurement of the potential for an electric field to cause an electric current in an electrical conductor....
 gain (about: 10millivolts to 1volt) but no significant current
Electric current

Electric current is the flow of electric charge. The electric charge may be either electrons or ions.The International System of Units unit of electric current intensity is the ampere....
 gain. The power amplifier provides the higher current necessary to drive loudspeakers.

Preamplifiers may be:
  • incorporated into the housing or chassis of the amplifier they feed
  • in a separate housing
  • mounted within or near the signal source, such as a turntable
    Phonograph

    The record player, phonograph or gramophone was the most common device for playing Sound recording and reproduction sound from the 1870s through the 1980s....
    , microphone
    Microphone

    A microphone, sometimes referred to as a mike or?more recently?mic, is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal....
     or musical instrument
    Musical instrument

    A musical instrument is an object constructed or used for the purpose of making music. In principle, anything that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument....
    .


Examples


  • The integrated preamplifier in a foil electret microphone
    Microphone

    A microphone, sometimes referred to as a mike or?more recently?mic, is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal....
    .
  • The first stages of an instrument amplifier
    Instrument amplifier

    An instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the inaudible electric or electronic signal from musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an bass guitar, or an Hammond organ into sounds which can be heard by the performers and audience....
    .
  • A stand-alone unit for use in live music
    Live Music

    Live Music is a reggaeton company owned by DJ Blass...
     and recording studio
    Recording studio

    A recording studio is a facility for Sound recording and reproduction. Ideally, the space is specially designed by an acoustics to achieve the desired acoustic properties ....
     applications.
  • As part of a stand-alone channel strip
    Channel strip

    An audio channel strip may be a stand alone unit or one of many units built into a mixing desk. As a minimum, the unit will include a microphone preamp and some form of audio equalisation....
     or channel strip built into an audio mixing desk.
  • A masthead
    Masthead

    Masthead may refer to:...
     amplifier used with television
    Television

    Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
     receiver antenna or a satellite
    Satellite

    In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an Physical body which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
     receiver
    Receiver

    Receiver may mean:* The listening device part of a telephone* The handset containing that device* Receiver , an electronic device that converts a radio signal from a transmitter into useful information...
     dish.
  • The circuit inside of a hard drive connected to the magnetic heads or the circuit inside of CD/DVD drive which connects to the photodiodes.
  • A switched capacitor circuit used to null the effects of mismatch offset in most CMOS comparator based flash analog to digital converters


See also


  • Buffer amplifier
    Buffer amplifier

    A buffer amplifier is one that provides electrical impedance transformation from one circuit to another. Two main types of buffer exist: the voltage buffer and the current buffer....


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