Welcome to my website for audio enthusiasts and professionals alike. My name is Bob Cordell and I hope you will enjoy the contents here. I am both an engineer and a DIY hobbyist, and I love to mix the two.

Designing Audio Circuits and Systems

Routledge • ISBN 978-1-032-01089-2

Designing Audio Circuits and Systems is now available for pre-order at Amazon. It will be published by Routledge/Focal Press in May 2024. The 700-page book covers just about everything in audio circuit and system design with the exception of audio power amplifiers, which are covered in the second edition of Designing Audio Power Amplifiers. The broad subject of audio design is covered in a way that is intended to be readable and valuable to professionals, enthusiasts and educators alike. In order to cover audio design with depth and breadth, many foundational electrical engineering subjects are covered as well, making the book especially effective in electrical engineering education. These include circuit design, semiconductors, low-noise design, negative feedback, network theory, active filters, switch-mode power supplies, passive components and others. Coverage of these topics makes the book a valuable electrical engineering resource that goes well beyond the subject of professional and consumer audio.

I have tried to make the book broad and deep, with 30 chapters covering preamps of many types, including microphone preamps for dynamic, condenser, active ribbon, electret and MEMS microphones, as well as line-level preamplifiers for audiophile and professional applications. Digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and audiophile phono preamp designs are discussed. Headphone amplifiers and crossfeed circuits are described. Live-sound, broadcast and studio consoles are also covered. Pro audio functions like equalizers, compressors, voltage-controlled amplifiers, active crossovers and self-powered loudspeakers are covered in depth. Take a quick tour of the book by clicking below to see the preface, chapter listing and table of contents. Whether you are new to audio design or a seasoned professional with years of experience, I think you will enjoy the read.

learn more ...

What's on this Site

Here you'll find design information and examples for audio electronics, loudspeakers, test instruments (including a DIY THD analyzer) and SPICE simulation. Over the years I've published a number of journal papers and magazine articles on audio. PDF's of those are also available here.