Diagram Plus guide

This circuit can be used for inductive pick-up elements and dynamic microphones Most soundcards have a ‘line’ input and one for an electret (condenser) microphone. To be able to connect an inductive tape-recorder head or a dynamic microphone, an add-on preamplifier is needed. Even in this day and age of integrated microelectronics, a transistorised circuit built from discrete part has a right of existence. The preamplifier described in this short article goes to show that it will be some time before discrete transistors are part of the silicon heritage. The preamplifier is suitable for use with a soundcard or the microphone input of a modem. As you will probably know, most sound-cards have input sockets for signals at line level (stereo), as well as one for a (mono) electret microphone.

For the applications we have in mind, connecting-up an inductive pick-up element or a dynamic microphone, both inputs are in principle suitable, provided the source signal is amplified as required. The author eventually chose the microphone input on the soundcard. Firstly, because the line inputs are usually occupied, and secondly, because the bias voltage supplied by the micro-phone input eliminates a separate power supply for the preamplifier. The microphone input of a soundcard will typically consist of a 3.5-mm jack socket in stereo version, although only one channel is available. The free contact is used by the soundcard to supply a bias voltage to the mono electret microphone. This voltage is accepted with thanks by the present preamplifier, and conveniently obviates an external (mains adaptor) power supply.

A classic design:

In true transistor-design fashion, the preamplifier consists of three stages. Capacitor C1 decouples the signal received from the microphone or pick-up element, and feeds it to the input of the first stage, a transistor in emitter configuration, biased to provide a current amplification of about 300 times. Together with the source impedance of the microphone or pick-up element, capacitors C2 and C3 form a low-pass filter which lightly reduces the bandwidth. In addition, the output low-pass, R2-C3, reduces the dynamic collector resistance at higher frequencies. In this way, the filter reduces the gain in the higher part of the frequency spectrum and so helps to eliminate any oscillation tendencies.

The first, high-gain, stage is terminated by T2. Unlike T1, this transistor does not add to the overall gain, because the output signal is taken from the emitter (common-collector circuit). T2 thus acts as an impedance converter, with C4 reducing any tendency to oscillation. The output stage around T3 is a common-emitter circuit again. In it, preset P1 determines the voltage amplification. T3 is biased by means of a direct-current feedback circuit based on components R7 and C5. To this is added an ‘overruling’ dc feedback path back to the input transistor, via R6. This measure guarantees good dc stability in the preamplifier. The circuit is small enough to be built on a piece of veroboard or stripboard, and yet remain reasonably compact.

To prevent interference from external sources, the completed board should be mounted in a properly screened (metal) enclosure, with the connections to the input source and the sound card made in screened cable. The preamplifier provides a frequency-linear response. In case the source signal is marked by frequency correction (e.g., RIAA), then a matching linearization circuit should be used if the relevant signals are used by the computer.

Here is the circuit diagram of a guitar preamplifier that would accept any standard guitar pickup. It is also versatile in that it has two signal outputs. A typical example of using a pick-up attached to a guitar headstock is shown in Fig. 1. The pickup device has a transducer on one end and a jack on the other end. The jack can be plugged into a preamplifier circuit and then to a power amplifier system. The pickup device captures mechanical vibrations, usually from stringed instruments such as guitar or violin, and converts them into an electrical signal, which can then be amplified by an audio amplifier. It is most often mounted on the body of the instrument, but can also be attached to the bridge, neck, pick-guard or headstock.

The first part of this preamplifier circuit shown in Fig. 2 is a single-transistor common-emitter amplifier with degenerative feedback in the emitter and a boot-strapped bias divider to secure optimal input impedance. With the component values shown here, the input impedance is above 50 kilo-ohms and the peak output voltage is about 2V RMS. Master-level-control potentiometer VR1 should be adjusted for minimal distortion. The input from guitar pickup is fed to this preamplifier at J1 terminal. The signal is buffered and processed by the op-amp circuit wired around IC TL071 (IC1). Set the gain using preset VR2. The circuit has a master and a slave control. RCA socket J2 is the master signal output socket and socket J3 is the slave.

It is much better to take the signal from J2 as the input to the power amplifier system or sound mixer. Output signals from J3 can be used to drive a standard headphone amplifier. Using potentiometer VR3, set the slave output signal level at J3. House the circuit in a metallic case. VR1 and VR3 should preferably be the types with metal enclosures. To prevent hum, ground the case and the enclosures. A well-regulated 9V DC power supply is crucial for this circuit. However, a standard 9V alkaline manganese battery can also be used to power the circuit. Switch S1 is a power on/off switch.