How does an audio op amp work?
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An operational amplifier is a type of analog circuit which can do mathematical operations like additions, multiplications, division, etc. on analog signals. They are used a lot in various different analog circuits and have multiple use cases in audio processing. The simplest way to use it is as a basic pre-amplifier. An op-amp have a very high impedance input but a lower impedance output so if you just configure it to multiply the input by one you get an identical signal but this can be used to power other amplifiers or audio processors down the line. You may even add a variable resistor in the circuit so that you can vary the multiplication factor to adjust the levels. This may not be the best pre-amplifier but it is very good for its cost and being just one component.
It works pretty much the same as any other opamp. The main difference is that they value specific attributes over others. They likely have lower noise and higher power output capabilities.
If you’re asking how opamps in general work, then that is a much more involved subject. They’re basically just a difference amplifier with extremely high gain. There are numerous circuits where you use negative feedback to perform functions and maintain stability.
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