Potentiometers – Modifying the taper #Engineering #Restoration
If you have done enough builds, you’ve probably had a few instances where you did not have a potentiometer with the ideal taper for the circuit you were working on. Maybe a schematic calls for an audio taper, but you only have a linear taper potentiometer.
First, it’s good to know that using a different taper will not change the way the circuit operates in any way. You can always use a linear taper pot in place of an audio/log taper pot (assuming identical specs otherwise) and vice-versa. The taper only determines how the resistance is distributed around the potentiometer’s rotational travel.
The practical effect of using different tapers is that it will change the way the potentiometer “feels” to use.
Antique Electronic Supply has a great tutorial on how to use extra parts to get the response characteristics you may be looking for in a potentiometer. Read it here.
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