software

Can you use linear pots for volume and tone controls and whats the sonic difference if any?

There wouldn't be any sonic difference, other than a possible quot;percievedquot; difference due to the roll-off being different. An audio taper control will roll-off the volume or tone much faster than a linear.

To tell the truth, I'm still trying to make up my mind which I like better.

Edit: Ooops . . . I keep getting the tone control backwards. Volume rolls off quicker, tone (highs), roll off slower.

Personally, I don't like linear pots. They may roll off the volume and tone in a linear fashion, but your ears won't necessarily hear it that way. There's a reason audio pots were invented in the first place...our ears hear changes in volume in a logarithmic fashion, not a linear fashion. Gibson uses linear pots on a lot of their guitars, but I still think audio taper is best for both volume and tone pots.

Ryan

It always seems like my tone pot has a very narrow range near the bottom end (when the pot is almost all the way rolled off) where the highs get rolled off very suddenly. Would a linear pot help or make this worse? Is it just the cheap capacitor?

I think a linear pot would help you with that...

Another thing... isn't it quite unlogical to use a logarithmic pot for volume? Wouldn't it have to be exponential? I mean logarithmic means it has large intervals on the low volume levels and small intervals on the high volume levels where you don't hear the difference so much... I mean it like if the volume's at 1 and you turn it up to 2, it's a change of 100%, while when at 10 and switching to 11 (this isn't actually the number on the pot knob.. just an example ), it's only a 10% difference. So a logarithmic scale even makes this effect worse... doesn't it?


Originally Posted by KommerzbassistI think a linear pot would help you with that...

Another thing... isn't it quite unlogical to use a logarithmic pot for volume? Wouldn't it have to be exponential? I mean logarithmic means it has large intervals on the low volume levels and small intervals on the high volume levels where you don't hear the difference so much... I mean it like if the volume's at 1 and you turn it up to 2, it's a change of 100%, while when at 10 and switching to 11 (this isn't actually the number on the pot knob.. just an example ), it's only a 10% difference. So a logarithmic scale even makes this effect worse... doesn't it?

Try this: on a guitar with an audio tapered pot, play a note with the volume on 10, then turn the knob down to 0 as the note is sounding. Now start at 0, play a note, and turn it up to 10. Notice how there is a smooth change in volume each time? Now try the same thing with a linear tapered volume pot. The change in volume will seem much less smooth and much more abrupt. Even if it seems counterintuitive, the audio tapered pot will be the one with the smooth change in volume because it matches the way in which our ears interpret a change in volume. An audio pot sounds linear to us, but an actual linear pot will not sound linear...if that makes any sense. The decibel scale is done in terms of logarithms for that reason, because it matches the way our ears interpret sound.

Ryan

But a log volume doesn't really sound linear for me.. it seems like I have to turn the knob halfway down to have a quot;noticeablequot; difference, while at the lower half it changes quite quick...

Also, because of us hearing in a logaritmic scale, you'd have to use an exponential scale to counter effect that because they're...uhm... what's the english word now... like... the counter function? The complimentary function?... ah you know what I mean

An audio taper pot has most of its affect at the quot;topquot; of its rotation. If I start at quot;10quot;, then bring the volume down to quot;5quot;, I've reduced the output voltage by 90%. On a 500k pot, approximately 450K would be above the wiper, and 50k below.

Not sure if thats helpful, but thats what happens electrically.

Strange... it seems reversed with mine But thanks Artie

Yours may be. They do sell a reverse-taper audio pot. There's a letter designation that identifies which is which, but I can never remember what it is. I always thought that it went the other way too, but I measured mine, and they all have the taper at the quot;topquot;.

I'll have to look this up again, and see if I can get this straight in my head.

Audio Designation
A= Audio Taper
B= Linear Taper
c= Reverse Audio Taper
No such thing as reverse linear taper or for that matter a metric crecent wrench or left handed screwdriver
Dom L

btw - Here's one of my favorite links on this subject:

The Secret Life of Pots

I sed to teach a psychology lab in sensation and perception (among other things) when I was in grad school. You guys need to go the nearest university/college bookstore, and pick up the text for that course and dig into sound and JND (just noticeable difference) That will get you straight. And psychoacoustics aside, it's a preference. I like the slight roll off at the top and then fast at the end. Some like it the other way - it's all about how much control you want and where you want it!


Originally Posted by italic zeroIt always seems like my tone pot has a very narrow range near the bottom end (when the pot is almost all the way rolled off) where the highs get rolled off very suddenly. Would a linear pot help or make this worse? Is it just the cheap capacitor?
Its true your treble will roll off because you are changing the load on the pickup, Thats why active buffered pickups where designed so you can turn them down without rolling off the treble amoung other things.