Signal Path

[wardevans]

So, I was wondering if anyone had a link or an idea to a tutorial on signal path that actually shows you how a signal moves through a circuit? You know like watching the signal move from point A to B and so on.Does this type of thing exist? and if it does where can I find it? Thanks.

[Enzo]

Start with any book about tube circuits. It isn't cosmic.

Fir instance in the basic vanilla little tube circuit like on small Fenders, the signal comes in the grid of a tube, and the amplified output from that tube leaves via the plate. From there it proceeds to the next stage grid and out the plate there. There are complications like cathode followers where the signal comes in the grid, but leaves via the cathode instead of the plate.

And there are places like the tone controls where the path spreads out through several parts, but gathers back together before it leaves the stage. (usually)

WHile there are exceptions to just about anything, in the majority of cases, the grid is the controlling element of a tube. it controls the current passing through the tube from cathode to plate - just like your fingers control the flow of water through a garden hose if you pinch the hose closed or let it open.

One thing to remember about signal path is that it is the path of the SIGNAL, NOT the path of particular electrons. Imagine a bunch of kids in a town and they have secret meetings, and the meeting is signaled by a flashlight beam. Kid A flashes a block over to kid B, who then flashes to kid C across the train tracks. And then C flashes out the back to kid D two more blocks over. Now the SIGNAL went from A to B to C to D, but the LIGHT from A never went beyond B.

So if you are looking for a path through the amp for a particular flow of current, there is not one. Only the signal passes through. Look at the output. The speaker voice coil is wired across a transformer winding. ZERO connection to the rest of the world. Yet the signal gets there.