Pot taper, audio vs linear etc

[roadtonever]

Found this on MyLesPaul forum, a graph comparing audio tapers on a few standard a well as "premium" pots:

As you can see the TVT and RS exibit a less steep audio taper.
Another graph posted of a WD Music 10% CTS pot shows a strong resemblance to TVT and RS.


This is interesting to me as I usually find audio tapers too steep at either end of the rotation so I just stick to linear. Now at least for tone controls I might consider one of these less steep ("vintage")audio tapers.

The sources for these less steep audio pots are WD Music (10% tolerance), RS guitarworks(Superpot) and Crazyparts(TVT) of Germany.

Hope someone finds this useful down the line.

[newey]

This is interesting to me as I usually find audio tapers too steep at either end of the rotation so I just stick to linear.

Part of your issue here may be that there really isn't a true log taper (i.e., audio taper) pot. It is too difficult (and therefore too expensive) to manufacture a pot with a true log curve taper. All of these are a curve pieced together from segments of linear taper, as your curves demonstrate.

See: ChrisK's "Audio Taper Pots- Not Really"

You may want to experiment with reverse audio taper pots, some folks find that curve more to their liking.

"Reverse taper pots- not just for lefties anymore!" ;D

[roadtonever]

I've considered a rev log pot actually (Why don't go ahead and I try one?)

In defence of log pots they seem more conducive to wah effects:

[roadtonever]

I've been overlaying some graphs people have made of their pots in photoshop and compared to an ideal log taper. The "custom vintage tapers" and Bourns pots actually miss the mark the most and the standard CTS log taper look better to me overall. That said theory doesnt correspond with practice.

FWIW

[JohnH]

Interesting info.

I also find that standard audio taper pots fall too fast as you turn down, but that this is nicely compensated by a treble bleed circuit, in which the resistor from centre to hot lug, which is an important part of keeping he tone consistent, tends to have the helpful side effect of also flattening the pot taper.

John