Re: USB sound cards (James Johnston )


Subject: Re: USB sound cards
From:    James Johnston  <audioskeptic@xxxxxxxx>
Date:    Fri, 19 Dec 2014 01:22:12 -0800
List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>

--001a113320186ee1bf050a8e3ede Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 It depends entirely on the design of the transducer and the enclosure it's in. And, in fact, the answer may vary at different frequencies. Sorry! jj On Fri, Dec 19, 2014 at 12:03 AM, Oberfeld-Twistel, Daniel < oberfeld@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Dear Bob, > > thanks for clarifying this! So I overlooked that the R is inside the > feedback loop, embarrassing... That's why I said don't trust my opinion as > a psychologist, I wished to have a better understanding of these EE design > issues... > > But what is the bottom line - is low output impendance better, or do > Jont's analyses indicate the opposite? > > Daniel > > > PD Dr. Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel > Johannes Gutenberg - Universitaet Mainz > Department of Psychology > Experimental Psychology > Wallstrasse 3 > 55122 Mainz > Germany > > Phone ++49 (0) 6131 39 39274 > Fax ++49 (0) 6131 39 39268 > http://www.staff.uni-mainz.de/oberfeld/ > https://www.facebook.com/WahrnehmungUndPsychophysikUniMainz > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: AUDITORY - Research in Auditory Perception > > [mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Bob Masta > > Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2014 2:57 PM > > To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx > > Subject: Re: USB sound cards > > > > On 18 Dec 2014 at 9:43 Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel wrote > > > > > > Series resistors are often put in for reasons of stability, for > > > example when driving capacitive loads. An example is shown in figure 2 > > > of the attached PDF. > > > > Please note that while resistor Rx is technically "in series" with the > load , it is > > *inside* the feedback loop of the amp (due to Rf). That forces the > output > > impedance to near zero, just as if Rx wasn't there. You can't detect Rx > from > > outside the circuit via normal methods of output impedance measurement > > (change in voltage drop when you apply a load). It's only effect (other > than > > allowing the amp to drive high capacitance) is that it does produce a > voltage > > drop inside the feedback loop, so the overall amp will not be able to > deliver > > quite as high an output voltage before clipping onset. > > > > > > > > I also always believed that a low output impedance is optimal for > > > precisely controlling a "reactive" load like a loudspeaker, although > > > this is of course not the most power-efficient design (-> see > > > impendance -matched transmission lines). At least that is what most > > > texts on amplifier design suggest - but anyway, that might be wrong > > > and hey, I'm only a psychologist, not an electrical engineer ;-) > > > > Those texts talking about matched loads and power efficiency are > referring to a > > case where you have a fixed driving impedance and want to maximize the > > power transfer to the load. That hasn't really applied to audio since > the > > vacuum tube and output transformer days. Solid state amps with "zero" > > output impedance are vastly better in this respect, where the power > transfer is > > essentially determined strictly by the load. (Assuming that the amp can > handle > > it without letting the magic smoke out... a separate issue.) > > > > This has made life a whole lot easier in the lab. In the Olden Days the > entire > > signal chain was standardized at > > (typically) 600 ohms, which meant you needed special matching "pads" > > between items that had different input or output impedances. Adjustable > > attenuators (Daven, for > > example) were elaborate affairs of switched resistor networks, to keep > the > > impedance constant at all attenuation positions. If you tried to drive > the wrong > > impedance, your attenuation wasn't what was marked on the knob. (For > those > > of us old enough to remember equipment with real knobs!) > > > > None of that nonsense is needed now... and good riddance! > > > > Best regards, > > > > > > Bob Masta > > > > D A Q A R T A > > Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis > > www.daqarta.com > > Scope, Spectrum, Spectrogram, Signal Generator > > Science with your sound card! > -- James D. (jj) Johnston Independent Audio and Electroacoustics Consultant --001a113320186ee1bf050a8e3ede Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div>It depends entirely on the design of the transdu= cer and the enclosure it&#39;s in.<br><br></div>And, in fact, the answer ma= y vary at different frequencies.<br><br></div>Sorry!<br><br>jj<br></div><di= v class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri, Dec 19, 2014= at 12:03 AM, Oberfeld-Twistel, Daniel <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mai= lto:oberfeld@xxxxxxxx" target=3D"_blank">oberfeld@xxxxxxxx</a>&gt;<= /span> wrote:<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;b= order-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Dear Bob,<br> <br> thanks for clarifying this! So I overlooked that the R is inside the feedba= ck loop, embarrassing... That&#39;s why I said don&#39;t trust my opinion a= s a psychologist, I wished to have a better understanding of these EE desig= n issues...<br> <br> But what is the bottom line - is low output impendance better, or do Jont&#= 39;s analyses indicate the opposite?<br> <span class=3D"im HOEnZb"><br> Daniel<br> <br> <br> PD Dr. Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel<br> Johannes Gutenberg - Universitaet Mainz<br> Department of Psychology<br> Experimental Psychology<br> Wallstrasse 3<br> 55122 Mainz<br> Germany<br> <br> Phone ++49 (0) 6131 39 39274<br> Fax=C2=A0 =C2=A0++49 (0) 6131 39 39268<br> <a href=3D"http://www.staff.uni-mainz.de/oberfeld/" target=3D"_blank">http:= //www.staff.uni-mainz.de/oberfeld/</a><br> <a href=3D"https://www.facebook.com/WahrnehmungUndPsychophysikUniMainz" tar= get=3D"_blank">https://www.facebook.com/WahrnehmungUndPsychophysikUniMainz<= /a><br> <br> </span><span class=3D"im HOEnZb">&gt; -----Original Message-----<br> &gt; From: AUDITORY - Research in Auditory Perception<br> </span><span class=3D"im HOEnZb">&gt; [mailto:<a href=3D"mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx= STS.MCGILL.CA">AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx</a>] On Behalf Of Bob Masta<br> &gt; Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2014 2:57 PM<br> &gt; To: <a href=3D"mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx">AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx= CA</a><br> &gt; Subject: Re: USB sound cards<br> &gt;<br> </span><span class=3D"im HOEnZb">&gt; On 18 Dec 2014 at 9:43 Daniel Oberfel= d-Twistel wrote<br> &gt; &gt;<br> </span><span class=3D"im HOEnZb">&gt; &gt; Series resistors are often put i= n for reasons of stability, for<br> &gt; &gt; example when driving capacitive loads. An example is shown in fig= ure 2<br> &gt; &gt; of the attached PDF.<br> &gt;<br> </span><span class=3D"im HOEnZb">&gt; Please note that while resistor Rx is= technically &quot;in series&quot; with the load , it is<br> &gt; *inside* the feedback loop of the amp (due to Rf).=C2=A0 That forces t= he output<br> &gt; impedance to near zero, just as if Rx wasn&#39;t there.=C2=A0 You can&= #39;t detect Rx from<br> &gt; outside the circuit via normal methods of output impedance measurement= <br> &gt; (change in voltage drop when you apply a load).=C2=A0 It&#39;s only ef= fect (other than<br> &gt; allowing the amp to drive high capacitance) is that it does produce a = voltage<br> &gt; drop inside the feedback loop, so the overall amp will not be able to = deliver<br> &gt; quite as high an output voltage before clipping onset.<br> &gt;<br> &gt; &gt;<br> </span><span class=3D"im HOEnZb">&gt; &gt; I also always believed that a lo= w output impedance is optimal for<br> &gt; &gt; precisely controlling a &quot;reactive&quot; load like a loudspea= ker, although<br> &gt; &gt; this is of course not the most power-efficient design (-&gt; see<= br> &gt; &gt; impendance -matched transmission lines). At least that is what mo= st<br> &gt; &gt; texts on amplifier design suggest - but anyway, that might be wro= ng<br> &gt; &gt; and hey, I&#39;m only a psychologist, not an electrical engineer = ;-)<br> &gt;<br> </span><span class=3D"im HOEnZb">&gt; Those texts talking about matched loa= ds and power efficiency are referring to a<br> &gt; case where you have a fixed driving impedance and want to maximize the= <br> &gt; power transfer to the load.=C2=A0 That hasn&#39;t really applied to au= dio since the<br> &gt; vacuum tube and output transformer days.=C2=A0 Solid state amps with &= quot;zero&quot;<br> &gt; output impedance are vastly better in this respect, where the power tr= ansfer is<br> &gt; essentially determined strictly by the load.=C2=A0 (Assuming that the = amp can handle<br> &gt; it without letting the magic smoke out... a separate issue.)<br> &gt;<br> &gt; This has made life a whole lot easier in the lab. In the Olden Days th= e entire<br> &gt; signal chain was standardized at<br> &gt; (typically) 600 ohms, which meant you needed special matching &quot;pa= ds&quot;<br> &gt; between items that had different input or output impedances.=C2=A0 Adj= ustable<br> &gt; attenuators (Daven, for<br> &gt; example) were elaborate affairs of switched resistor networks, to keep= the<br> &gt; impedance constant at all attenuation positions.=C2=A0 If you tried to= drive the wrong<br> &gt; impedance, your attenuation wasn&#39;t what was marked on the knob. (F= or those<br> &gt; of us old enough to remember equipment with real knobs!)<br> &gt;<br> &gt; None of that nonsense is needed now... and good riddance!<br> &gt;<br> </span><div class=3D"HOEnZb"><div class=3D"h5">&gt; Best regards,<br> &gt;<br> &gt;<br> &gt; Bob Masta<br> &gt;<br> &gt;=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0D A Q A R T A<br> &gt; Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis<br> &gt;=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 <a href=3D"http://www.daqarta= .com" target=3D"_blank">www.daqarta.com</a><br> &gt; Scope, Spectrum, Spectrogram, Signal Generator<br> &gt;=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0Science with your sound card!<br> </div></div></blockquote></div><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br><div class=3D"g= mail_signature"><div>James D. (jj) Johnston</div><div>Independent Audio and= Electroacoustics Consultant</div></div> </div> --001a113320186ee1bf050a8e3ede--


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