Solid state amplifier simulating vacuum tube distortion characteristics
AssigneeSt. Louis Music, Inc.
InventorsJerrold S. Tiers, Thomas E. Kieffer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A preamplifier for audio frequecy electrical signals generated by a musical instrument such a guitar having distortion characteristics simulating those of a vacuum tube amplifier. A solid state amplifier has an input for receiving electrical signals generated by the musical instrument and has an output for providing an output signal. Circuitry asymmetrically clips the output signal to provide as the output signal a nonlinear asymmetrically clipped signal having harmonic content which varies as a function of the amplitude and duration of the received electrical signals. The clipped signal has musically desirable harmonic overtones and produces different tonal responses simulating the characteristics of an overdriven vacuum tube amplifier.
Claims21
A preamplifier for audio frequency electrical signals generated by a musical instrument such as a guitar, said preamplifier having distortion characteristics simulating those of a vacuum tube amplifier, said preamplifier comprising:
- a solid state amplifier having an input for receiving electrical signals generated by the musical instrument and having an output for providing an output signal;
- and
- means for asymmetrically clipping the output signal to provide a nonlinear output signal having harmonic content which varies as a function of the amplitude and/or duration of the received electrical signals and having decreasing clipping asymmetry over time in response to received electrical signals of increasing amplitude and/or increasing duration whereby the clipped signal has musically desirable harmonic overtones and produces different tonal responses simulating the characteristics of an overdriven vacuum tube amplifier.
A preamplifier for audio frequency electrical signals generated by a musical instrument such as a guitar, said preamplifier comprising:
- a first solid state amplifier stage having an input for receiving electrical signals generated by the musical instrument and having an output for providing as a first output signal a nonlinear asymmetrically clipped signal having harmonic content which varies as a function of the amplitude and/or duration of the received electrical signals;
- a second solid state amplifier stage having an input for receiving the first output signal and having an output for providing as a second output signal a nonlinear asymmetrically clipped signal having harmonic content which varies as a function of the amplitude and/or duration of the first output signal;
- and
- means for simultaneously controlling the gains of the first and second stages.
A preamplifier for audio frequency electrical signals generated by a musical instrument such as a guitar, said preamplifier comprising:
- a first amplifier stage having an input for receiving electrical signals generated by the musical instrument and having an output for providing as a first output signal a nonlinear asymmetrically clipped signal having harmonic content which varies as a function of the amplitude and/or duration of the received electrical signals;
- means for attenuating the output signal of the first stage;
- and
- a second amplifier stage having an input for receiving the attenuated first output signal and having an output for providing as a second output signal a nonlinear asymmetrically clipped signal having harmonic content which varies as a function of the amplitude and/or duration of the first output signal, said second amplifier stage asymmetrically clipping the half-wave opposite to the half-wave clipped by the first amplifier stage.
A preamplifier for audio frequency electrical signals generated by a musical instrument such as a guitar, said preamplifier comprising:
- a first amplifier stage having an input for receiving electrical signals generated by the musical instrument and having an output for providing as a first output signal a nonlinear asymmetrically clipped signal having harmonic content which varies as a function of the amplitude and/or duration of the received electrical signals;
- means for attenuating the output signal of the first stage;
- a second amplifier stage having an input for receiving the attenuated first output signal and having an output for providing as a second output signal a nonlinear asymmetrically clipped signal having harmonic content which varies as a function of the amplitude and/or duration of the first output signal;
- and
- wherein each amplifier stage includes means for clipping its respective output signal with respect to a bias level and means for shifting the bias level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.