5they use pots like 1m audio for the balance pots how do they affect the balance controls? are their special pots for the balance frequency? where do I find them?
It's just a dual gang volume pot (linear) with the legs wired opposite for each channel so that as one increases, the other decreases.
what do you mean "balance frequency"!?
what do you mean "balance frequency"!?
In the early days it was simply a high value pot with each end connected to Left and Right and the wiper connected to Signal Ground.
In later years it became two pots as laplace states, one with its left hand leg connected to one channel and the other with its right hand leg connected to the other channel. Both wipers were then connected to signal ground. They are acting as volume pots, in the centre position both are at half volume, as you move off centre one volume goes up and the other goes down. The unused pins of the pots are at signal ground.
There should be no frequency altering components in the balance circuit at all.
Are you possibly getting confused with loudness control ?
Strictly speaking the pots should be (L) LogA and (R) Reverse LogA, but I've never seen one. They are therefore linear pots. Our ears are used to the logarithmic nature of the volume pot but seem to allow for the non-log nature of a balance pot.
In later years it became two pots as laplace states, one with its left hand leg connected to one channel and the other with its right hand leg connected to the other channel. Both wipers were then connected to signal ground. They are acting as volume pots, in the centre position both are at half volume, as you move off centre one volume goes up and the other goes down. The unused pins of the pots are at signal ground.
There should be no frequency altering components in the balance circuit at all.
Are you possibly getting confused with loudness control ?
Strictly speaking the pots should be (L) LogA and (R) Reverse LogA, but I've never seen one. They are therefore linear pots. Our ears are used to the logarithmic nature of the volume pot but seem to allow for the non-log nature of a balance pot.
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You have to get a logarithmic and Antilogarithmic one in the same axe. I guess Alps can offer them. I don't know if in One meg but I am sure that they are not linear. Anyway somebody can connect a linear one.
Here is one sort of balance circuit:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
As I said, strictly speaking they should be logA and reverse logA but the adjustments are usually quite small and one-off so it's more usual to use a dual linear pot.
It's a bit like the fellow that never touches his volume control once he's got it set as he wants it. You can use linear pots if you only touch them rarely, just don't expect the volume to vary linearly (I should say as you expect it to), your ears are logarithmic when it comes to volume.
It's a bit like the fellow that never touches his volume control once he's got it set as he wants it. You can use linear pots if you only touch them rarely, just don't expect the volume to vary linearly (I should say as you expect it to), your ears are logarithmic when it comes to volume.
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There are various ways to adjust balance, so there is not a generic component called a 'balance pot'. In most cases balance controls use a variable potential divider, but the actual arrangement varies from one circuit to another. It is also possible to put the gain variation in a feedback loop.
To seek explanation you need to pick a particular balance circuit and ask how that one works.
To seek explanation you need to pick a particular balance circuit and ask how that one works.
When balance is adjusted, should it be so that the total power is constant ?
Then, in theory, when one channel is set to completely mute (~ -80 dB), the other channel should have double power i.e. +3 dB.
Then, in theory, when one channel is set to completely mute (~ -80 dB), the other channel should have double power i.e. +3 dB.
Equal power or equal voltage? I'm not sure. With a restricted range of balance control the difference between these two reduces. There is no reason for a balance control to go down to zero at the extremes, yet this is often provided. +-3dB ought to be enough for most rooms.
I suppose a passive balance control can only offer attenuating
dady, I like your link ... 'the secret life of pots'
btw, these days most balance controls might be found in guitars, and maybe PA/DJ gear
Broskie's way of doing it is quite clever
dady, I like your link ... 'the secret life of pots'
btw, these days most balance controls might be found in guitars, and maybe PA/DJ gear
Broskie's way of doing it is quite clever
how do bass mid and treble pots work?
what I meant was how do bass mid and treble pots work? are they any different from volume pots or are they the same?
what I meant was how do bass mid and treble pots work? are they any different from volume pots or are they the same?
I like this name too, like the music: The secret life of plants of Steve Wonder.
I remember adds on Audio Amateur magazine, about special alps for use in balance control, they was build with one gang logarithmic and the other one inverse logarithmic or antilog...and with a click in the centre.
I forgot the use of this control in my devices, but the thread give these memories.
Volume is refereed to gain or loudness controlling, cause the response of our hear is logarithmic needs one logarithmic variable resistor. For tone controlling is a complete different thing at all, they use linear potentiometers (variable resistors also)but they use for change filters response with the goal of rise or down the gain of determinate frequencies.
physically they are with the same aspect, they have the same values also but always they are linear.😉
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okay so If I use a linear pot what will happen? what is the different from each pot at each frequency 250hz 500hz and 1000hz? I think that's it.
As my answer for your original question about balance pots said, it depends on the circuit. Some tone controls use linear pots, some use log pots. The pot is just a tapped resistor. The tone control is really the circuit which happens to include a pot. I rather suspect that this is going to be one of those questions which cannot be answered in a way which satisfies you; if you could understand the answer you would not need to ask the question.
Read about first order CR filters, as that is what most tone controls actually are.
Read about first order CR filters, as that is what most tone controls actually are.
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