KLINKDETROIT
New member
Can you use linear pots for volume and tone controls and whats the sonic difference if any?
500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
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Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
There wouldn't be any sonic difference, other than a possible "percieved" 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.
There wouldn't be any sonic difference, other than a possible "percieved" 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.
Last edited:
rspst14
Tone Cat
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
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
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
italic zero
New member
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
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?
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?
Kommerzbassist
Thunderbirdologist
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
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?
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?
rspst14
Tone Cat
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
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
Kommerzbassist said: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
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
Kommerzbassist
Thunderbirdologist
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
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 "noticeable" 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
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 "noticeable" 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
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
An audio taper pot has most of its affect at the "top" of its rotation. If I start at "10", then bring the volume down to "5", 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.
An audio taper pot has most of its affect at the "top" of its rotation. If I start at "10", then bring the volume down to "5", 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.
Kommerzbassist
Thunderbirdologist
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
Strange... it seems reversed with mine But thanks Artie
Strange... it seems reversed with mine
But thanks Artie
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
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 "top".
I'll have to look this up again, and see if I can get this straight in my head.
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 "top".
I'll have to look this up again, and see if I can get this straight in my head.
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
btw - Here's one of my favorite links on this subject:
The Secret Life of Pots
btw - Here's one of my favorite links on this subject:
The Secret Life of Pots
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone 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!
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!
Re: 500 linear vs 500 audio taper vol/tone pots
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.italic zero said:
