Übertrager specifications

Category : Lexicon

Electronic component that works like a transformer. The transformer usually focuses on the transmission of information, while the transformer focuses on the transmission of energy. In some areas, the two terms are used interchangeably.

For the operation of a transformer or transformer, see the web links given below.

Today, transformers are relatively rarely found in audio devices. A distinction is made between different areas of application, each of which also requires its own types of transformers:

These transformers may be found in the input of a microphone preamplifier. Due to the relatively high price of such a transformer, and its mechanical size, this solution is reserved for higher-quality devices. The advantages of a transformer in this application are:

These transformers are used to adapt an MC pickup system to a preamplifier for MM pickups. As with microphone transmitters, the impedance and level adjustment takes place via a corresponding winding ratio.

Due to their design, most tube amplifiers have a relatively high output voltage and require a relatively high-impedance load. This fits poorly with a typical speaker that is low-impedance. For impedance matching, a transformer is therefore connected in between, which at the same time also keeps potentially life-threatening voltages away from the loudspeaker connections due to its galvanic isolation.

In this case, of course, it's not just about information transfer, but also about the transfer of some energy to the operation of the speaker, depending on the amplifier. Accordingly, output transformers of considerable size and weight are offered.

Transistor amplifiers have lower output voltages that match the speakers used directly, so that no transformer is required.

These are used in particular in the ELA technology (100V technology), and largely correspond to the output transformers of tube amplifiers. However, they are not installed in the amplifier, but in the speaker. This facilitates the parallel operation of many loudspeakers on one amplifier.

Here the galvanic isolation of the signal is in the foreground, an impedance matching does not happen. The winding ratio is usually 1:1. Such transformers are sometimes found at the inputs or outputs of devices in order to make the transmission over cables independent of the ground level of the device. This can effectively avoid humming loops. For this purpose, external transformers can also be found, which can be looped into cable connections.

These transmitters are used in event technology to be able to feed the electrical signal from an electrical musical instrument directly into the microphone input of a mixing console (DI = Direct Injection), instead of taking the signal by microphone. Again, this is especially about the impedance matching, because the impedances of the instruments may differ greatly from those of a microphone. In addition, the galvanic isolation is helpful for suppressing hum disturbances.

This type of transformer has two or more secondary windings, so that an input signal can be distributed in a correct impedance to several galvanically separated paths. This is used, for example, in event technology, when a signal is to be distributed to several mixing consoles (front-of-house, monitor, OB van)

These transmitters can be used with digital audio interfaces (AES /EBU , S/P-DIF, etc.) to achieve galvanic isolation. Compared to LF transformers, the size and thus the price is quite small. Some special forms allow impedance matching between different transmission standards.

1 NF audio transmitter
- 1.1 Microphone transmitter
- 1.2 MC phono transmitter
- 1.3 Output transformer for tube amplifiers
- 1.4 Loudspeaker transformer
- 1.5 Isolation and balancing transformer
- 1.6 DI transformer
- 1.7 Branch transformer (splitter)
2 Digital audio transformers
3 See also

1.1 Microphone transformer
1.2 MC phono transformer
1.3 Output transformer for tube amplifiers
1.4 Loudspeaker transformer
1.5 Isolation and Balancing transformer
1.6 DI transformer
1.7 Branch-off transformer (splitter)

Good common mode rejection, as a result of which there is a good immunity to interference with interference signal coupling into the microphone cable.
Possibility of impedance matching between microphone and preamplifier, which can achieve low noise. This impedance matching is particularly important for the very low-impedance ribbon microphones, in which corresponding transformers are therefore directly installed. The impedance matching takes place via a corresponding ratio of the number of turns between the primary side and the secondary side.
Simple option for phantom power supply of the microphone via a center tap of a transformer winding.
Galvanic isolation