Volume Pot for GC...

[mourip]

Hi,

I am gathering parts to make a GC around Brian's boards and I am still deciding about the volume control. I am used to making tube amps and usually have 50k or 100k pots. I have also used Alps pots in the past, sometimes using a shunt resistor to raise the sound quality a bit. I might go for a stepped attenuator this time. BTW, anybody tried a transformer based attenuator with a GC?

I guess that I would like to start a thread or poll of what type, brand, and value attenuator folks here are using. Tips on locating good attenuators are also greatly appreciated. Michael Percy and GoldPoint are on my short list right now as sources.

Thanks for all of the great posts on this board. I have a long list of tips already going into this project...

Best,

Paul

ps. Yes, I did a search but I am hoping for some GC specific opinions based upon personal experience...

[saabie22]

Hi

I used an Alps 100k paralleled with 20k resistors. It seems a bit too touchy for me so I'm going to try it without the resistors first and then maybe something like 47k.

[S.C]

Originally posted by mourip
Hi,

I am gathering parts to make a GC around Brian's boards and I am still deciding about the volume control. I am used to making tube amps and usually have 50k or 100k pots. I have also used Alps pots in the past, sometimes using a shunt resistor to raise the sound quality a bit. I might go for a stepped attenuator this time. BTW, anybody tried a transformer based attenuator with a GC?

I think you can do a search for PD's Pre-T1 for a transformer based attenuator, but it is expensive.

[cdoggy81]

If you feel like building one try an Elma 24 position switch with your resistor of choice. If you got the $$$ go for a TKD. Have not heard anything about the cheaper TKD CP2511 pot though. One can also try the DACT CT2 20K Stereo Attenuator. The budget winner IIRC is the Noble. Good luck

[Nuuk]

I suggest for sound quality at the best possible price, make a 12 position stepped attenuator as shown here .

As regards a new thread on volume controls, this has really all been covered here before.

[Upupa Epops]

If you will use pot, go on lowest value which is possible, by Alps is it 10 kOhm. With Elma is possible do it on several kiloohms ( certainly only with semiconductor preamps).

[Hybrid fourdoor]

Finding rotary switches with 2 poles 12 positions or more is kinda hard though. Mousers has a 2P 24 position switch, but its $50, then you gotta buy resistors (and of course I always buy at least 10 of each resistors at a time )



DS1802's and regulators are free along with some associated hardware and pushbuttons.

[garbage]

Originally posted by saabie22
Hi

I used an Alps 100k paralleled with 20k resistors. It seems a bit too touchy for me so I'm going to try it without the resistors first and then maybe something like 47k.

Hi

I am using a Alps Black Beauty 100k pot with output and ground paralleled with a 15k 1% resistor on my passive preamp.

Just put the 15k resistor in last night. It seems to me that the noise level is raised. I'm not too sure about that though, as I just replaced the Noble 50k pot with the Black Beauty.

What are your impressions regarding using different resistors with your Alps?

[garbage]

I just removed the 15k 1% resistors this morning.

The noise is lessened. Not too sure if the resistors helped... did not listen to them for an extended duration to find out. (was busy soldering a p2p lm3875)

btw, i had my resistors at the rca pins, and not on my pot's pins.

[carlmart]

Originally posted by garbage
I just removed the 15k 1% resistors this morning.

The noise is lessened. Not too sure if the resistors helped... did not listen to them for an extended duration to find out. (was busy soldering a p2p lm3875)

btw, i had my resistors at the rca pins, and not on my pot's pins.

Are you using a NIGC or IGC?

If your pot is 100K you should use a larger resistor in parallel.



Carlos