MUSIC AMPLIFIER WITH TONE MODIFYING STAGE

• US 3,553,338 A
• Filed: 02/19/1969
• Issued: 01/05/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Howard E. Holman
• Original Assignee: Howard E. Holman
• Inventors: Holman, Howard E.
• Application Number:
  US04/800,515
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• US Class Current: 84/701
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/04 in untuned amplifiers

Abstract

A music amplifier for amplifying voice or musical instrument signals has a tone-modifying stage including one or more tone modifying circuits for modifying or distorting the input signal to produce different musical effects, such as fuzz, tremolo or reverberation, in the output signal. Each tone-modifying circuit is separate from the remainder of the amplifier and may be either functionally disabled through the operation of a switch or physically removed from the amplifier for repair or replacement without otherwise impairing the operation of the amplifier.

Claims

1. A music amplifier comprising an input stage having input and output terminals, an output stage having input and output terminals and a tone-modifying stage connected between said input and output stages, said tone-modifying stage including a circuit connected between said output terminal of said input stage and said input terminal of said output stage and including a plurality of resistors connected in series with one another, and a plurality of tone-modifying circuits each connected in parallel with and across the ends of a respective one of said resistors for producing at the output end of such associated resistor a modified form of the signal appearing at the input end thereof.

2. A music amplifier as defined in claim 1 further characterized by a plurality of switches each associated with a respective one of said resistors and manually operable to make or break the circuit between its associated resistor and the associated tone-modifying circuit.

3. A music amplifier comprising an input stage having input and output terminals, an output stage having input and output terminals, and a tone-modifying stage connected between said input and output stages, said tone-modifying stage including a first circuit connected between said output terminal of said input stage and said input terminal of said output stage and including a resistor, a tone-modifYing circuit having input and output terminals and operable to produce at its output terminal a modified form of the signal appearing at its input terminal, and means connecting said tone-modifying circuit in parallel with and across the ends of said resistor, said tone-modifying circuit being at least in part part of a module physically separate from said input stage, said output stage and said first circuit, said module including said input and output terminals of said tone-modifying circuit, and said means connecting said tone-modifying circuit in parallel with and across the ends of said resistor comprising connector means releasably connecting said module with said resistor.

4. A music amplifier as defined in claim 3 further characterized by said first stage including a plurality of resistors connected in series with one another, a plurality of tone-modifying circuits each having input and output terminals and operable to produce at its output terminal a modified form of the signal appearing at its input terminal, each of said tone-modifying circuits being at least in part part of a module separate from said input stage, said output stage and said first circuit, there being a plurality of said modules one for each of said tone-modifying circuits, and each of said modules including said input and output terminals of its associated tone-modifying circuit, and connector means for releasably connecting each of said modules with its associated one of said resistors so as to connect the tone-modifying circuit of said module in parallel with and across the ends of such resistor.

5. A music amplifier as defined in claim 4 further characterized by a plurality of switches each associated with a respective one of said resistors and manually operable to make or break the circuit between its associated resistor and its associated tone-modifying circuit.

6. A music amplifier including a tone-modifying stage having input and output terminals, said tone-modifying stage including a plurality of resistors connected in series with one another between said input and output terminals, and a plurality of tone-modifying circuits each connected in parallel with and across the ends of a respective one of said resistors for producing at the output end of said resistor a modified form of the signal appearing at the input end thereof.

7. A music amplifier as defined in claim 6 further characterized by each of said tone-modifying circuits being at least in part part of a module separable from the remainder of said amplifier, and connector means for releasably connecting each of said modules to its associated one of said resistors.