Guitar Amp and Effects

(3-0-0-3)

CMPE Degree: This course is Selected Elective for the CMPE degree.

EE Degree: This course is Selected Elective for the EE degree.

Lab Hours: 0 supervised lab hours and 0 unsupervised lab hours.

Technical Interest Groups / Course Categories: Threads / ECE Electives

Course Coordinator: Aaron D Lanterman

Prerequisites: (ECE 3043 [min C] or ECE 3741 [min C]) and ECE 3084 [min C]

Catalog Description

Mathematical analysis and laboratory measurement of vibrating strings, electromagnetic pickups, vacuum tube amplifiers, solid-state distortion, and swept filter effects.

Textbook(s)

Course Outcomes

Quantify vibrating strings using the wave equation 

Approximate electromagnetic pickup behavior with linear circuit models 

Analyze preamplifier and power amplifier designs with vacuum tubes

Exploit the nonlinear behavior of semiconductor devices

Characterize time-varying filter effect circuits

Strategic Performance Indicators (SPIs)

N/A

Topic List

  1. Meet the electric guitar
  2. Vibrating strings
  3. Electromagnetic pickups
  4. Triode characteristics and small-signal models
  5. Self-bias schemes
  6. Introduction to single-triode amplifiers: common cathode, common plate, common grid
  7. Small-signal plate equivalent circuit
  8. Preamplifier stages: gain, input/output impedances
  9. Small-signal cathode equivalent circuit
  10. Cathode followers: gain, input/output impedances
  11. Fixed-bias schemes
  12. Frequency response analysis via open-circuit and short-circuit time constants
  13. Tone stacks
  14. Multistage amplifiers
  15. Distortion analysis
  16. High-voltage tube power supplies
  17. Pentode characteristics
  18. Output transformers
  19. Single-ended output stages
  20. Phase splitters
  21. Push-pull output stages
  22. Solid-state distortion
  23. “Wah” pedal circuits
  24. Allpass filters and “phaser” effects
  25. Bucket-brigade devices and “flanger” effects