Internal Trimpots: Sonic properties, pros or cons?

RockStarNick

RockStarNick

Active member
I figured while we're on the subject or new modules, module modding, etc. I'd throw out an idea, and see what Jeff's response was.

There are lots of pedal makers these days that have, lets say, a basic overdrive pedal with Volume, tone, and drive on the outside of the box, but inside, there are mini-trim pots for bass response, presence, midrange Q, compression, etc.

My questions are:

#1: Being a variable resistor, do mini-trimpots have a positive or negative effect on tone? For example, if you had a trimpot set to neutral, and a hard-wired resistor of the same value, would the resistor sound better?

#2. With some posts about modding the EG3/4's 1000pf cap to a smaller or higher value, would there be a way to have a variable, user adjustable "darkness" trimpot? Or for some midrange trimpot or something?

I know that this may be another ridiculous idea, but I guess my question is more about the sonic impact of using trim-pots, as opposed to hard-wired resistors.

Seems like for people who tweak constantly, and perhaps changing the value of ONE resistor could make or break a module for them, giving them more tweakability would be a good thing, no?
 
RockStarNick":393ek1iw said:
I figured while we're on the subject or new modules, module modding, etc. I'd throw out an idea, and see what Jeff's response was.

There are lots of pedal makers these days that have, lets say, a basic overdrive pedal with Volume, tone, and drive on the outside of the box, but inside, there are mini-trim pots for bass response, presence, midrange Q, compression, etc.

My questions are:

#1: Being a variable resistor, do mini-trimpots have a positive or negative effect on tone? For example, if you had a trimpot set to neutral, and a hard-wired resistor of the same value, would the resistor sound better?

#2. With some posts about modding the EG3/4's 1000pf cap to a smaller or higher value, would there be a way to have a variable, user adjustable "darkness" trimpot? Or for some midrange trimpot or something?

I know that this may be another ridiculous idea, but I guess my question is more about the sonic impact of using trim-pots, as opposed to hard-wired resistors.

Seems like for people who tweak constantly, and perhaps changing the value of ONE resistor could make or break a module for them, giving them more tweakability would be a good thing, no?
Click to expand...
:thumbsup: They could put a another knob on the front.
 
Two part answer.
1) Certainly one could replace a fixed resistor with a small trim pot. There would be no effect on tone because of the pot material but, of course changing the value (turning the pot) would have a potentially dramatic effect. This is why we avoid having hidden adjustments that effect tone inside or even on the rear of the amp. You never know where the last player left those adjustments and, if they are not aware that the tone is affected by this hidden control, the next person may not like the sound simply because of the setting of the hidden knob.
2) They don't make adjustable capacitor trimmers like resistor trim pots. I wish they could. This means there is no adjustable capacitor available to take the place of the capacitor on the tube board, or anywhere else for that matter.
 
bruce egnater":3ujfnn19 said:
Two part answer.
1) Certainly one could replace a fixed resistor with a small trim pot. There would be no effect on tone because of the pot material but, of course changing the value (turning the pot) would have a potentially dramatic effect. This is why we avoid having hidden adjustments that effect tone inside or even on the rear of the amp. You never know where the last player left those adjustments and, if they are not aware that the tone is affected by this hidden control, the next person may not like the sound simply because of the setting of the hidden knob.
2) They don't make adjustable capacitor trimmers like resistor trim pots. I wish they could. This means there is no adjustable capacitor available to take the place of the capacitor on the tube board, or anywhere else for that matter.
Click to expand...

Bruce, Let me ask another question regarding capacitors. Could you say, wire up a circuit with 3 different capacitor values controlled by a 3 position selector knob on the front of the module? Just curious due to the recent modding being talked about on the EG3/4 and SL2.
Related to that, is there high DC voltage present at that capacitor location in the module--on the vertical board that houses the tubes?
 
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