hand made - attenuators
 

is it worth it making your own attenuators. i was thinking on making a 12 step with this- see pic


http://gainclone.platenspeler.com/ho.../uk_index.html

A 12 step may not give you much range but you can tailor it to fit your listening style.

For example

Really low
Low
medium1
medium2
typical1
typical2
medium3
medium4
Loud1
Loud2
Loud3
Party!

12 is enough if its steps are where you listen. and if you have the switches (which are the bulk of the cost unless you use boutique resistors) you might as well. If not send them to me and ill make some. :)

Ooooo, just thought of something, you could actually mix your resistors too, so that the lower softer settings are warmer and the loud sections are more analytical, or something like that.

Milo

i see. but would it sound good. meaning poping or noise when turning it up?. is this the way to go or just buy em outright?

anyone here sell em?

"but would it sound good. meaning poping or noise when turning it up?"

It may "pop" if you are switching the shunt resistor. It will not "pop" if you switch the series resistor.

With only 12 positions, I'd purchase a good attenuator. 12 positions doesn't give you enough audio level resolution.

You need to make sure that it's either break before make or make before break but I don't remember witch. I think its make before break but please correct me if I am wrong.

Milo

It's make-before-break, (also called shorting) that you need.

Build a 12 step attenuator using a rotary switch mechanism and appropriate wafers.

It will sound better than a pot of any sort, will not pop or click (unless the contacts get dirty) and is relatively cheap considering the improvement in sound quality that it will bring. ;)

Im working on a bunch of 40 throw rotary switches. Its actually fairly simple to make such, all that you have to take into account is that you have to find an easy way to make the contact pins. I have made a tool for that, that can cold forge them from solid silver.

Magura:)

If you post full details of that process, you may find you have a few thousand fans ;)

this is what i have to work with. witch one would u pick left or right


[quote]
Im working on a bunch of 40 throw rotary switches. Its actually fairly simple to make such, all that you have to take into account is that you have to find an easy way to make the contact pins. I have made a tool for that, that can cold forge them from solid silver.

yes post details:)

Well, the details are not easily explained without a digi cam...and I still havnt got such. A friend of mine though does, and have promised to make a few photos for me of my different projects.

The 40 throw switch project is now something like halfway through. Ive made the die to cold forge the contact pins. Those Im gonna solder in a PCB and machine them again once soldered in. The slider is to be made of CuBe2.5 and the whole thing is to be controlled by a step motor.

I intend to seal the switches as good as possible and to run the axle in a couple of ballbearings.

Magura:)