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  • Is Your Mic-Pre Clean Past 30 kHz?

    by Benchmark Media Systems January 01, 2000 3 min read

    Is Your Mic-Pre Clean Past 30 kHz?

    By Allen H. Burdick

    Who Should Care?

    You Should Care!

    High-Frequency Intermodulation Distortion is a Critical Mic-Pre Parameter!

    The mic-pre function is one of the most difficult challenges facing the audio engineer. A mic-pre is often the limiting factor in the audio chain. When selecting a mic-pre, everyone looks for great specifications, along with some magic, that will set their recordings apart from the crowd. Overall, the technology of low noise amplifiers has progressed superbly during the past 30 years from warm, but noisy, tube amplifiers, through the harsh sound of the early discrete transistor amplifiers, to the relatively clean op-amp designs of today.

    One electronic element that has historically been a part of almost every mic-pre design is the input transformer. We have listened to preamplifiers with transformers so long and so often that we've been educated to expect the sound of iron without even realizing it! When we listen to a truly clean transformerless mic-preamp we often say that something is missing in the low end. And, of course, we're right! What's missing is the distortion generated by the non-linear core of the transformer. The engineers at WGBH-FM in Boston are among those with time to do extensive listening, and who possess the best in both types of mic-preamp systems.  They have been able to make the long term comparisons everyone wishes they could. Now that their ears are re-educated, they consistently pick the clean amplifiers for their recordings.

    But "clean" does not only come from the absence of iron and nickel. High frequency intermodulation (IM) distortion can also ruin otherwise good performance in a mic-pre. Essentially, all distortion is caused when signals are passed through a non-linear element. Harmonic distortion and intermodulation distortion are both created by the same mechanism. This may be a narrowband amplifier, an amplifier that is slew rate limited, or an intrinsically flawed design element in the amplifier, such as the output stage. At low frequencies, the large amount of feedback in today's audio amplifier elements all but eliminates distortion products. However, at high frequencies the intrinsic gain of an amplifier element is significantly reduced and therefore the percentage of gain available for use in feedback becomes severely limited. Excellent high frequency performance requires a careful use of wide bandwidth, intrinsically clean circuit elements, and the proper amount of feedback.

    High frequency IM distortion can result from two significant sources in a mic-pre. The first is intermodulation between genuine high frequency audio signals that are present from the source, such as the sounds from a triangle, rich in harmonics. The late Deane Jensen measured significant energy from cymbals out past 30 kHz.  If your mic-pre can't properly amplify those signals, the intermodulation products that reflect back into the normal audio band will be most unpleasant.

    The second source, and perhaps the most pernicious, is that of RF induced IM distortion. This is a result of 1) amplifier stages that have not been protected from strong external RF signals, and 2) from a lack of proper feedback compensation which allows the amplifier to intersect its open loop gain curve. When this occurs in the presence of RF, the amplifier becomes non-linear and intermittent IM distortion is the result. And intermittent it often is. A product may measure well on the bench, but when placed into a system or when taken into the field, users may find that its performance is far less than stellar. Here at Benchmark, we are convinced that most of the "bite", "edge", and otherwise undesirable characteristics of many amplifier designs are a result of poor RF immunity. RF causes non-linearity to create new, unexpected, and unwanted audio signals from the incoming audio. And whether you want it or not, this new extra audio comes free with most mic-preamps! To achieve truly clean audio at 30 kHz, the 3 dB bandwidth should extend past at least 200 kHz and still be RF stable. This is no trivial task!

    Who should care? At Benchmark, we care! We have created "clean" with a very careful transformerless design. The Benchmark MPS-420  has wideband - 500 kHz for outstanding performance at 30+ kHz; flawless square wave response - a powerful measure of RF stability; and a common mode filter that removes RF from the microphone input line.  RF protection has been accomplished without limiting the bandwidth, without degrading the 1 dB noise figure, (see the "Noise Primer" in "A Clean Audio Installation Guide™") and, most notably, without compromising the distortion performance. See the  100 kHz DIM, and the  CCIF twin tone IM sweeps.

    Still want "warm" (2nd harmonic distortion)? Fine. Keep a good tube mike, an Aphex® Aural Processor, or a tube compressor in your bag of tricks. That way, YOU are in control. But don't settle for high frequency IMD that comes free. The cost is too high: it eliminates the magic!


    Also in Audio Application Notes

    Closeup of Plasma Tweeter

    Making Sound with Plasma - Hill Plasmatronics Tweeter

    by Benchmark Media Systems June 06, 2023 2 min read

    At the 2023 AXPONA show in Chicago, I had the opportunity to see and hear the Hill Plasmatronics tweeter. I also had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Alan Hill, the physicist who invented this unique device.

    The plasma driver has no moving parts and no diaphragm. Sound is emitted directly from the thermal expansion and contraction of an electrically sustained plasma. The plasma is generated within a stream of helium gas. In the demonstration, there was a large helium tank on the floor with a sufficient supply for several hours of listening.

    Hill Plasmatronics Tweeter Demonstration - AXPONA 2023
    While a tank of helium, tubing, high voltage power supplies, and the smell of smoke may not be appropriate for every living room, this was absolutely the best thing I experienced at the show!
    - John Siau
    Read Full Post
    Benchmark AHB2 Power Amplifier

    ChatGPT Reviews the AHB2 and Includes Listening Impressions!

    by John Siau June 02, 2023 2 min read

    What happens when you ask ChatGPT to write a review?

    I asked ChatGPT to review the Benchmark AHB2, and I was shocked at the results!

    It turns out that ChatGPT wrote a review by gleaning information from the many publicly available reviews of the AHB2. I recognized phases and sequences of words that had appeared in prior reviews, and yet the text was new, original, and well written. The ChatGPT review seemed to summarize the collective impressions of the reviewers without directly quoting any particular reviewer.

    It should be possible to ask ChatGPT to write a review on any well-known product and the result will be an AI-generated review that reflects the collective opinions of many human reviewers.

    These AI-generated reviews may be more useful than traditional search results!

    If I am not mistaken, ChatGPT seems to have golden ears!

    Here is my dialog with ChatGPT:

    John Siau PFP

    John Siau:

    Write a review of the Benchmark AHB2 complete with listening impressions.

    chatGPT logo

    ChatGPT:

    Title: Unleashing Sonic Purity: A Review of the Benchmark AHB2 Amplifier

    Introduction: The Benchmark AHB2 amplifier has gained a reputation for its exceptional audio performance and unwavering dedication to sonic purity. In this review, we delve into the heart of this powerhouse amplifier, exploring its features, design, and most importantly, the listening impressions it evokes...

    Read Full Post
    ChatGPT Logo

    ChatGPT and John Siau Discuss Star-Quad Cables

    by Benchmark Media Systems May 30, 2023 7 min read

    Today, Benchmark's John Siau and OpenAI's ChatGPT had a conversation about star-quad cables. It turns out that ChatGPT got quite a few things wrong, but learned quickly when these errors were pointed out by John Siau.

    ChatGPT is quick to recognize mistakes, and quick to provide detailed corrections. In each of the first few corrections, additional errors were made. As each of these were pointed out, ChatGPT began to provide accurate information.

    Here is my conversation with ChatGPT: 

    John Siau PFP

    John Siau:

    How do star-quad cables reject interference?

    ChatGPT logo

    ChatGPT:

    Star-quad cables are designed to provide improved rejection of ...

    Read Full Post