(a)

MINlAMP
Deflnltlon: A portable, low-power audio amp capable
ot driving a loudspeaker to moderate volume levels.
Figure 5-29
(a) I already have a couple of smalI practice amps,
so I built this one in a plastic enclosure for mini-
mum weight. It sounds pretty good, although
you 'II Ket better hass response with a wood cabinet.
(b) A closeup of the loaded circuit board.
(b)
Background:
Large amplifiers are not needed for ali occasions: mini-
amps will suffice for practicing and many recording ap-
plications. They are usually physically smali and battery
powered for portability.
Level of Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate
Construction Tips
Because this circuit hand1es more power than other book
projects, certain precautions should be folIowed.
Shield the wires going from the input jacks to both
controls, and from the controls to pad s A and B. Keep
output leads physically separated from the input wires
and the area of the board where the input wires termi-
nate.
For best results, build the miniamp into its own case
and give it its own power supply. I recommend using a
battery holder capable of holding eight "C" cells; for
smallest size, use eight "AA" cells. Either of these com-
binations produces 12 V.
The jlA706 uses anonstandard package. The lit tle dot
on the top of most ICs that normally indicates pin l is
Features
. Single IC design, no output transformer required
. Switch-seIectabIe speaker or headphone outputs
. Operates flam + I2V DC battery pack or car bat.
tery
. ReasonabIe frequency response and distortion
characteristics
. Suitable for recording wark:
-SmalI size alIows for unusual miking schemes
(see Using the Miniamp in the Studio)
-Simplicity of repair and maintenance
-Low output power minimizes Ieakage between
instruments, simplifies baffling requirements
-May be overdriven to simuIate large amp sound
without Iarge amp power Ievels
-Dual, individualIy mixable inputs for jarnming
with another player
Figure 5-30
Top view o! the ,tL4 706. A dot on the bottom o!
the IC indicates pin 14.
A smalI speaker baffIe makes an excellent enclosure
for the miniamp and batteries. Stuff with acoustical pad-
ding for best hass response, but keep the area around the
IC heat sink elear ofpadding.
If you expect to play at the loudest possible volume
level of which this amp is capable for extended peods
of time, glue a beat sink to the top of ICI with a ther-
mally conductive silicone glue (available at hardware
stores). Figure 5-34 shows the he at sink attached to the
IC.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Figure 5-34
Heat sink mounted on top o[ the IJA 706.
on the bottom of the jlA706 and indicates pin 14. The
top of the IC bas a metal strip that aids in dissipating
beat from the IC. (See figure 5-30).
The volume of the miniamp is highly dependent on
the speaker it drives. Paradoxically, high-cost/high-quali-
ty car radio speakers will usually produce far less volume
than the inexpensive speakers you find in table radios
and the like. Efficient musical instrument speakers (8"
to 15 ") typically provide the loudest sound pressure
levels.
Figure 5-31
Artwork for the foil side of the circuit board,
shown 1 to 1.
82
Using the Miniamp, Genera Instructions
. Che ck a11 connections thoroughly before applying
power. Plug one or twa instruments into the inputs, se-
lect speaker or headphone output, then adjust volume
controls to suit.
. If you beaT excessive noise or squealing, or if ICl
gets extremely hot immediately artel tum-on, shut down
power and determine the source of the difficulty. Other-
wise, play away.
. You may power twa sets of headphones without
problems; however, these should be of the same make
and model.
Using the Miniamp in the Studio
. There should be no hum (except for stray hum
picked up through the instrument being amplified),
since the amp is battery powered.
. The smalI size allows maRY unusual mic place-
ments to alter the ton al quality of the miniamp's sound.
Here ale some . . .
- Boost boss by miking close to speaker. Cut boss by
moving mic further away.
-Create phase changes by placing amp on floor;
hang mic about 20 cm (8") above the floor, pointing
at the floor, about 8-40 cm (4-16") from the amp.
Moving the height of the mic in relation to the floor
changes the sound by creating phase shifts.
-Point amp at wall; also point mic at wall to pick up
the retlected amp sound.
-Reduce treble by plac ing a piece of thin cardboard
between the speaker and mic.
-Boost midrange, and create resonances, by placing
amp and mic inside a large cardboard box willi the
mic pointing away from a direct line willi the speaker.
Change size of box, cut holes in box, or change mic/
amp positioning to vary the effect.
Figure 5-32
Component layout lor the miniamp.
~
C11 A4.
.R1
@~
e
@)
~
C6
C2( )
C3 c==)
" -' -RS-
C 1 c:::> .A5
'~n' "R3-
.P1. R2
s GBADCH+
83
In Case of DifficuIty
. Distortion: Back orf on input controls. Check
rower supply voltage while playing through amp; if it
drops much below 9V or gO, the batteries need to be re-
placed.
. Low volume: Use more efficient speaker.
. Oscillations, excessive noise: Check lead layout
and shielding, referring to Construction Tips section.
. ICl overheats or bums out: Increase beat sinking.
. Resonances, buzzes: Check enclosure for tightness.
Make SUTe all joints are glued together well and are pre-
ferably caulked.
Modifications
. Reducing ClI to 250jlF trades orf hass response
for longer battery life. This has a negigible effect on the
sound, since most smalI speakers will not respond effi-
ciently to low hass frequencies anyway.
. For more power, you may use 10 "C" celI s con-
nected in series to create a + 15V supply. In this case,
a heat sink for ICI will be mandatory.
. Lowering the values of R2 and R3 (typically to
lOn) trades off more headphone volume for slightly
more noise. Raising R2 and R3 (typically to 56 or B2n)
trades off less volume for less noise.
Specifications (taken with 12V battery pack)
Quiescent current consumption: typically 15mA
Typical maximum current consumption while playing:
175mA@ 800mW out
Frequency response: t2dB, 100Hz-10kHz
Maximum input before clipping @ 1kHz: 250 mV pk-pk
Maximum power into SS"2@ 1kHz: approximately IW
Figure 5-33
Miniamp schematic
R4
How it Works
The biggest tradeoff in a miniamp is battery life vs. output power; mOle
power me ans decreased battery life. The chosen output power, approxi-
mately l W, seems like the best compromise between output level and
power consumption.
ICI is an audio power op amp, and is similar to a regular op amp ex-
cept that it has been optimized to provide large amounts of output cur-
rent. Signals couple in flam the iwo inputs via R6/R7 and C4/CS. CI adds
stability and discourages radio frequency interference. RS, located be-
tweeD pin 8 of ICI and ground, sets the overall operating level of the amp.
The various other capacitors associated with the op amp provide frequency
shaping and/oT bypassing to improve stabilityand power supply rejection.
The output couples into the speaker through ClI; C6 is, again, designed
to promote stability (power amps do not like feeding inductive loads such
as speakers). Switch SI allows you to choose headphones or speaker, but
not both. R2 and R3 cut down on the signal going to the phones in order
to attenuate the noise coming out of the amp a little bit, and to bring the
output level down to something reasonable for OUT ears. Use 8- to 16-Q
headphones for best results, although most any type will wark satisfacto-
rily.
Project No. S PARTS LIST
Resistors (alI are 1/4W, 10% tolerance, except as noted)
Rl-R3 33n
R4 4?n
R5 270n
R6, R7 100k
R8 470k
R9 1M audio or linear taper pot-controls channelllevel
RIO 1M audio or linear taper pot-controls channe121evel
Capacitors (rated at ~ 2V or moce for + 12V supply except as noted)
CI
C2
C3
C4
C7
C8
CI
CI
20pF, ceramic disc
390pF (polystyrene preferred, disc acceptable)
O.OlJjF (mylar preferred, disc acceptable)
O.22JjF, mylar or ceramic
l OOJjF , electrolytic or tantalum
1 OOJjF, electrolytic or tantalum, 6V or more
220JjF, electrolytic
1 OOOJjF, electroytic
Semiconductors
Fairchild JJ.A706 or TBA641B audio amplifier
Mechanical Parts
J1,J2
J3,J4
SI
Misc.
Open circuit 1/4" mono phone jack
Open circuit 1/4" stereo phone jack
SPDT toggle switch-selects speaker/headphones
Case, knobs, 14-pin IC socket, circuit board, 12V bat
tery pack, solder, wiTe, loudspeaker, etc.
85
-C6
,C9
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