Audio control and soft-switching amplifiers

The soft switching is enabled by a BD131 transistor wired as a switch in emitter follower configuration. The collector is wired to a permanent supply voltage, the 2H series inductor serves only to filter out power supply hum. This inductor is not too important and may be omitted if the DC supply is adequately smoothed. The control voltage is applied to the BD131 base terminal, the 10u capacitor and 10k resistor having a dual purpose:- i) a gradual charge of the 10u capacitor ensures that the transistor will switch linearly from 0 volts to full supply, and ii) serves as a hum filter ensuring a very smooth dc supply to the amplifier and tone controls. LED1 will light when the amplifier is on. The control voltage should ideally be 0 volts when the amplifier is off and full supply voltage when on. The LM380 is shown driving two 8 ohm loupspeakers, the load is therefore 4 ohms. The 4u7 capacitor acts as a crude crossover, lower frequencies are impeded and so this loudspeaker may be a "tweeter" type.