Every once in a while I get the itch to search the internet for "playback amps," you know, something for purchase on eBay, a schematic for a new design and so forth but, alas, except for the everpresent "Eros," I go to bed empty-handed.
Of course this is not true, strictly speaking: every tape machine is also a playback amp and their schematics abound. But that is not what I have in mind, after all it is probably 35 years since any one of those was designed. What I seek is something that benefits from improvements since: everyday we have new phono and, especially, mic amps that break new ground in lower and lower noise, distortion, feedback, what have you.
Most tape recorder playback amps have some hiss. I know this is nothing compared to the hiss on the tape but when we are so into this hobby would it not be nice to have ONE dead quiet amp, either new or modified from a mic amp but using all the low noise transistors and other technology?
I do it one way, just for a hoot: I record the head output via a super quiet mic amp to my computer, then equalize it in the digital domain. Works very well, but obviously that is not what I am talking about.
Anyways, food for discussion. Any thoughts, hints would be appreciated.
Ali Elam
