Simple Circuit Limits Amplifier's Output

Abstract: To enable an audio amplifier to accommodate both loud and soft-spoken voices without clipping the loud waveforms, you can implement a nonlinear transfer function by adding a few components to a standard application circuit.
Maxim > App Notes > Amplifier and Comparator Circuits Audio Circuits
Keywords: audio amplifiers, nonlinear transfer functions, gain compression Dec 22, 2010

APPLICATION NOTE 4551
Simple Circuit Limits Amplifier's Output


Abstract:To enable an audio amplifier to accommodate both loud and soft-spoken voices without clipping the loud waveforms,
you can implement a nonlinear transfer function by adding a few components to a standard application circuit.

A similar version of this article appeared in the August 16, 2007 issue of Electronic Design magazine.

Amplifying the human voice presents tough challenges. One of the toughest is providing enough amplification to make a soft-
spoken person understood while allowing suff