APPLICATION OF AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL DEVICES

TO BROADCAST AUDIO CONTROL

A. A. McGee
General Electric Company
Syracuse, New York

Sumiiary ple are involved - the talent, the boom

operator and the audio operator. Being
Present day broadcast program prac- human - and therefore not synchronized
tices have brought about more complex via a selsyn system, it's 'quite a task to
operational requirements with the result coordinate the effort of all three to pro-
that less effort can be devoted by the duce the best pick-up. In addition, the
operator to maintaining a desirable con- boom is swinging around the studio first
stant audio level. directed at one actor and then another.
Many times it is necessary to operate the
Recent developments in the audio audio console with the mixer and master
equipment field have provided new auto- gain control in the maximum position.
matic gain controlled amplifiers which This then means that there is no margin
can relieve the operator of many level of gain left to provide proper mixing or
control problems - and in many cases, balance of the show. Often times, it be-
can result in better over-all level con- comes necessary to operate microphone
trol than was possible by manual means. amplifiers in cascade in order to provide
sufficient gain. I think you will agree
that an amplifier must provide at least
two additional features in order to over-
The field of automatic audio level come these problems. It must have more
control is not new. For years, you have amplification in order to overcome the
been using limiting amplifiers to feed problems that arise when the talent is
your transmitters. There were many other not at the optimum distance from the boom
applications where the limiting amplifier microphone. The second important feature
could have been applied, but size and is that it must be able to automatically
cost made such applications undesirable. compensate for the continuously changing
conditions that occur when the talent is
Now, with the advent of Uni-Level moving in and out of the optimum micro-
Program and Uni-Level Pre-Amplifiers, phone range.
there is an AGC audio amplifier for every
application in a studio audio system. There is now available a new micro-
phone pre-amplifier having these two
The basic purpose of this paper is features: lst - it has 20 db more gain
to discuss how these amplifiers can work than a conventional pre-amplifier. It
for you. Therefore, the design of these has as a 2nd feature, and I believe a
amplifiers will not be covered. But I contribution to the industry, the ability
shall try to cover some practical appli- to provide automatic gain control over a
cations of these amplifiers as they could 30 db range.
be applied in your broadcasting station.
Fig. 1 shows the automatic gain char-
Let's consider the application of acteristics of the Uni-Level Pre-ampli-
an automatic gain control microphone pre- fier. Plotted along the base line are
amplifier. pre-amplifier input reference levels ex-
pressed in' dbm. The levels indicated
Experience has shown that the use cover the range of output signals gener-
of boom microphones presents many opera- ally associated with the many types of
ting problems the least of which is - microphones used today. Plotted along
insufficient level. the vertical axis is the Uni-Level Pre-
amplifier output level again expressed
These pick up problems have become in dbm. As you can see, pointed out on
more acute since the advent of television. the slide, the threshold of gain reduc-
As you know, it seems to be a cardinal tion occurs at an input level of -70 dbm.
sin to allow the microphone to be seen Let me define for you the threshold of
in the picture in many types of shows; gain reductioni. It is the point where
mainly those situations where its pres- the amplifier changes from a linear to a
ence would detract from the realism of non-linear device. With an input signal
the program. In most boom pick ups, the level to the amplifier of -70 dbm, the
talent is constantly moving in and out output of the Uni-Level Pre-amplifier is
of the optimum microphone pick up point. -10 dbm. This of course represents a
A boom microphone pick-up is another ver- gain of 60 db, which is 20 db more gain
sion of the eternal triangle three peo- - than conventional pre-amplifiers. Be-

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 LINEAR AMPLIFIER COMPRESSION
CHARACTERISTIC
GENERAL ELECTRIC
UNI-LEVEL PRE-AMPLIFIER
0 ~~~~~~~~-
TYPE BA-15-A
OUTPUT LEVEL
IN, D am

-10
/, THRESHOLDI
OF GAIN
REDUCTION

-20 / ~ ~~
I I
lf

- s4 -70 -55 - 30

INPUT LEVEL IN D SM
Fig. 1 - Gain reductio.n characteristic of BA-15-A mplifier.

MIX-ER

CONVENTIONAL
PRE,AMPLIF IER * MIXER BUS

I-30dbm
P RE-AMPLIFIER
INPUT LEVELS
* ,
| 70 dbm I
.:
.::..
.0
P. .4iii-M MIXER
"v W..

BUS

Fig. 2 - Comparison of output levels of a stadard and a Uni-Level Pre-amplifier

with different input levels.
yond this point, as the signal from a Let's set up a typical example of
microphone increases, it will be reduced how the automatic gain control micro-
by this amplifier at a 3 to 1 compres- phone pre-amplifier could be working for
sion ratio. That is, for every 3 db you. Fig. 2 shows a comparison between
change in the input signal level, the a typical pre-amplifier having 40 db gain
output will only change 1 db. Compres- with linear characteristic and the Uni-
sion ratio is a measure of how much the Level Pre-amplifier. Let's assume that
dynamic range or the program is reduced. the input levels to the pre-amplifiers
It is usually expressed in how many db are the same. A -70 dbm signal fed into
change at the input is required to change the standard pre-amplifier will give an
the output level 1 db when the signal output of -30 dbm and a -10 dbm out of
level is above the threshold point. the Uni-tevel.Pre-amplifier. With a -55
Chanoes are you have alread-y used auto- dbm signal fed into th pre-aps the out-
matic gain control amplifiers with this put of the conventional pre-amplifier is
I to 1 compression ratio. -15 dbm and a -5 dbm from the Uni-Level
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Pre-amplifier. Should the input rise to switch - either toggle, lever or turn key
-40 dbm, the pre-amp with linear charac- will allow instant connection of the VU
teristics and the Uni-Level Pre-amplifier meter for either VU or Gain Reduction
will be 0 dbm. As you can see, the varia- indication. The gain reduction scale
tion at the standard pre-amplifier output does not indicate actual compression but
is 30 db and the Uni-Level Pre-amplifier rather how much the input signal supplied
is 10 db. If the optimum signal from a to the Uni-Level Program Amplifier is
boom microphone supplies a signal to the above the threshold point. Thus, with
Uni-Level Pre-amplifier equivalent to -55 the recommended compression ratio of 3
dbm, variations in sound level of ±15 db to 1, the output will rise 1 db for each
can be controlled with but 5 db change 3 db rise in input signal above the thres-
in program level. hold point.
This high gain AGC Pre-amplifier is The maximum effectiveness of the
particularly useful in an Announce Booth, Uni-Level Amplifier can be had by incor-
or any studio microphone input where it porating it in the audio console as the
is desired to maintain a regulated level. program or line amplifier. It then op-
erates as a combination compressor-ex-
The Uni-Level Pre-amplifier will be pander. As an example, the input signal
an aid in relieving your studio personnel to the Uni-Level Amplifier should be ad-
of many exacting level adjustments, as it justed so that what is considered an
will control levels with a minimum of average signal will cause about 15 db of
attention to individual controls. gain reduction to be indicated on the
Gain Reduction Meter. It is now possible
Many of you are already deriving the to have an additional increase of 15 db
benefits of an AGC device as a program or in the input signal with a resultant in-
line amplifier in your audio system. crease in output level of 5 db. When the
Since the introduction of the first of input signal level decreases from the
these units more than three and a half average indication on the meter by as
years ago at the NARTB in Chicago, they much as 15 db, the output signal level
have become what you might describe - a will decrease 5 db. With this type of
household commodity. operation, the operator no longer has to
ride gain with his eyes glued to the VU
Having covered the Uni-Level Pre- meter to maintain the correct output
amplifier, let's see what a Uni-Level level.
Program Amplifier can do for your opera-
tion. First of all, it can increase You are all ramiliar with the sudden
your average signal supplied to the trarm. changes in level when switching between
mitter. This is certainly important to different program sources. A good ex-
you because the higher the average signal ample is the different audio levels en-
level the greater will be your coverage. countered in TV film operations, this
This is probably more important to you presents quite a gain control problem for
A.M. broadcasters. The important point your operators. Here, the difference in
for you television broadcasters is that exposure and development between differ-
the audio portion. of the signal is ent variable area and variable density
smoother and less apt to be too high at sound tracks spliced one after the other
one minute and down in the mud the next. will cause vast and abrupt changes in
the input level to the console. Because
The Uni-Level Program Amplifier of this, it has become the practice of
functions a little differently from the some operators to set their levels low.
Uni-Level Pre-amplifier in that it takes Result? - Low output accompanied by
its signal from a mixer bus - which is a rapid and objectionable changes of level
composite from many different sources, in the home receiver. These undesireable
such as microphones, turntables, projec- variations can be reduced to a range of
tors, tape recorder, or remote sources. + or - 3 db when the Uni-Level Program
Amplifier is properly applied.
I believe that an automatic level
control amplifier will eventually be as To those of you who use a combina-
indispensable as a VU meter in every tion disc jockey and engineer, an auto-
studio. With that thought in mind, a matic level control amplifier will be a
metering circuit was developed for the third hand. It makes an inexperienced
Uni-Level Program Amplifier which uses a operator sound like a first class engi-
standard VU meter as an indicator of gain neer.
reduction. A decal is supplied with the
Uni-Level Program Amplifier and may be Another type of operation is to set
applied to the VU meter scale without up the Uni-Level Amplifier as an auto-
changing its original usefulness. The matic fader control as shown in Fig. 3.
scale is calibrated on a 3 to 1 compres- Let's assume there are two sources of
sion ratio. Installation of a DPDT signal, one being a turntable and the
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 MI X ER MASTER threshold will instantaneously cause a
BUS GAIN' reduction in gain equal to the signal
above threshold, thus holding the output
LINE constant.
AM ~~~OUT
Most limiting amplifiers previously
available, have departed from the ideal
by allowing an appreciable increase in
TURN-, output signal with inputts above thres-
TABLE hold, and by not having a gain reduction
action rapid enough to catuch fast peaks.

Fig. 3 - Uni-Level Amplifiers BA-9-A, used to Fig. 4 shows the gain reduction
provide automatic fader operation. characteristic of the Audiomatic Limiting
Amplifier. Up to the threshold point, it
other a microphone. Adjust the turn- is a linear amplifier. From the threshold
table signal level so that it causes 2 point and for a range of 20 db, there is
to 3 db of reduction to be indicated on essentially no change in the output level
the Gain Reduction meter. The level of The variation of the output level is less
the microphone channel at the mixer bus than 1 db over this range - thus it has
should be set so that it is 20 db higher a compression ratio of better than 20:1.
than the turntable at the same point.
Now our "automatic fader" is set so that Although a high compression ratio
it is only necessary to speak into the is essential, it is also necessary that
microphone and the music will fade down the compression characteristic be effec-
and is separated from the microphone by tive for rapidly changing wave forms as
20 db. The difference will be the amourt well as those changing slowly. If the
of the separation of the microphone and limiting amplifier is to catch fast pro-
turntable signals at the mixer bus. The gram peaks, voltages rising in micro-
resultant change in level fed to the seconds must be controlled in accordance
limiting amplifier is only 6 to 7 db, a with the curve, otherwise instantaneous
level change which is well within the over-modulation could occur. Thus, a
range of the limiting amplifier. good limiting amplifier must be very
fast-acting; that is, it must have a
Automatic level control amplifiers short attack time. The Audiomatic Lim-
can be used in many places to overcome iting Amplifier has an attack time of
the need for constant gain riding. An approximately 70 microseconds.
example might be a remote pick-up of a
dance band or a church service. These Here I would like to depart for the
types of installations are more or less moment from the application of this de-
on a permanent basis and once the level vice and explain the "why and wherefore"
is adjusted, it should remain quite con- of its recovery circuits.
stant over a relatively wide signal
range,. Most of you are familiar with the
action and application of previously
Since the Uni-Level amplifier is a available limiting amplifiers. Because
relatively slow acting device, both in of a unique recovery circuit in the
attack and recovery times and utilizes Audiomatic Limiting Amplifier - Type
relatively small compression ratios, it BA-7-A, you may further increase your
is not recommended that it be used as a average modulation level.
transmitter limiting amplifier.
So, you will recall that when large
The new General Electric Audiomatic amounts of gain reduction are employed
Limiting Amplifier, Type BA-7-A, is with a limiting amplifier using conven-
ideally suited and is designed for this tional R-C time constant recovery cir-
application. cuits, a certain type of program distor-
tion is introduced which in broadcasting
The BA-7-A is a peak limiting ampli- is called pumping. This is a periodic
fier designe'd to permit a substantial in- rise of background noise or low level
crease in the average program level with- material at a rate determined by these
out danger of any audio peaks exceeding R-C time constants. In an AGC amplifier,
a pre-determined level. The design in- such as the Uni-Level Amplifiers, this
corporates an improved thump reduction type of action is minimized because of
circuit, extended limiting range, high the relatively long recovery time con-
output level, and a unique program con- stants. In peak limiting amplifiers, it
trolled recovery circuit. is important that this recovery time be
made short in order to maintain high
The ideal peak limiting amplifier average program level. In conventional
is one in which the input signals above R-C circuits, the time constant usually

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 -- - - -- - - - - - - riliti --
TYPICAL GAIN-ADJUSTING
CHARACTERISTICS OF
- - - - - - - - - - - - - ~~~~~~GE
TYPE BA-7-A
LIMITING AMPLIFIER
LINEAR AMPLIFIER

E-

0
L..1 tl e e t GAIN REDUCTION

THRESHOLD
1tt 41X1I 1 I I IIti H t Ek
X tt i l l 1 1 1 1 1 | 1 t~~~~~~I l~ A. A l0
l
-rs -4; -e U + e- +0 +0 +1UL +1<4 +.L4 +eu +ee9 ID
R E L A T I V E I N PU T L E V E L
Fig. 1 - Gain reduction characteristic of the BA-7-A Limiting Amplifier.

CONTRuL
VOLTAGE

Cl

R5

-V

Fig. 5 - BA-7-A Limiting Amplifier gain recovery circuit.

is limited to about 0.5 second. This is switch in position 1 connects the stand-
generally determined by listening tests. ard R-C circuit, R3 being the resistor
in the recovery circuit. With the switch
The Audiomatic Limiting Amplifier in position 2, diode Dl is substituted
incorporates 2 different types of recov- for R3 in the R-C recovery time constant.
ery circuits. By a switch position se- A negative voltage is applied to the plain
lection, you may choose between the con- of Dl, of sufficient magnitude to bias
ventional dual R-C time constant, which the diode to cutoff for any value of con-
incorporates one R-C circuit for single trol bias voltage. Program audio voltage
short peaks and a shunting series R-C is applied to the plate of Dl, from trars-
circuit for sustained level changes or a former Tl at a level to cause Dl to con-
new type of recovery circuit which is duct at a fixed point on the gain reduc-
dependent upon the nature and intensity tion curve, normally about 3 db above the
of the program material. We call this a threshold point. Thus, the discharge
Program Controlled Recovery Circuit. rate of Cl is determined by two factors:
the type of program material and the
Fig. 5 shows the bias generator of value of R4. Diode D2 is shunted across
the Audiomatic Limiting Amplifier. The Dl and biased to prevent the intensity

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or the program level from causing too fier is indicating about 30 db of gain
rapid a discharge rate of Cl. reduction, the amount of gain reduction
being applied, by the limiting amplifier
Note, and this is particularly im- is about 10 db.
portant, that when there is an absence or
program material, the Audiomatic Limiting This then gives a saf ety margin of
Amplifier can not recover and will remain about 10 db which the Audiomatic Limiting
at the previous peak of gain reduction Amplifier can use to catch those very fast
until the next program peak causes the peaks missed by the Uni-Level Amplifier
diode to conduct - you will recall that because of its slower att4ck time*
this program peak need be only about 3 db
above the threshold point. In addition t Today, there are available new auto-
to minimizing pumping this type of recov- matic level control amplifiers and im-
ery circuit prevents the limiting ampli- proved types of limiting amplifiers offer-
fier from returning to full gain. This ing performance characteristics which were
prevents bad ground noise from being em- thought impossible a few years ago. When
phasized during the absence of Program. properly applied to your operation, these
If for instance, there should be a fairly units can improve your operating efficien-
long pause at the end of a disk and the cy by eliminating unnecessary level chan-
start of a following spot announcement. ges, and by increasing your average audio
power output. Increased program efficien-
When the Uni-Level Program Amplifier cy and increased power can result in in-
is working in conjunction with the Audio- creased profits for you.
matic Limiting Amplifier, it would be best
to operate them in the following manner: I would like to express my thanks to
A. C. Angus and R. N. Blair of the General
Set up the Audiomatic Limiting Amp- Electric Company for their assistance in
lifier so that when the Uni-Level Ampli- the preparation of this paper.

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