Pre-Gain pot taper?

[DS13]

Building on a FF topology, I am adding a pre-gain pot at input, currently using a C50K and leaving the ground open. I've tried a B50K and I think I am finding the C taper to feel more linear through the range.

I am now contemplating a 100K for some additional cut to the input signal, but at the same time reading some also use an "A" log pot for gain. I am confused since intuitively (to me anyway) a gain control it seems should be linear - so I am already contradicting that with the anti log pot.

So in my current "Paralysis by Analysis" mode, I am curious what do you use for a pre-gain and what was the deciding factor?

 

[BuddytheReow]

Pre-gain, at least in the sense of an input voltage divider, has only 2 settings for me: wide open or a “sweet spot” where I set it and forget it. Personally, I’d go with a switch.

 

[Feral Feline]

what do you use for a pre-gain and what was the deciding factor?

For a FUZZ FACE type circuit... I play bass, so for me there's not much use to manipulating the input with the volume-pot of the instrument like Eric John-Thomas — nor much use to having a pre-gain control; Fuzz Face, for me, is an all-out onslaught of slamming the signal through as hard as possible — no "pre-gain".

If I want nuanced control of dirt, I'm not looking to do it with a Fuzz Face.



So, proverbial grain-of-salt...

Throw your preconceived notions out the window.

Breadboard the circuit, or just wire up the different PRE-GAIN pots to the built circuit one at a time...

- Where do you prefer "NOON" to be?
- Where do you want/need/prefer the most adjustment? ex are you mostly having to adjust between 9-O'clock but would prefer the fine-tuning to be between 2-O'clock and 3-O'clock...
- Are you getting FULL RANGE OF USE on the knob, or is everything bunched at one end of the dial? ie Nothing happens turning the knob from fully CCW until you get to 4-O'clock and by 4:30 its done and the last bit before 5-O'clock you're back to the knob doing nothing...


What I like for PRE-GAIN depends on the circuit — and what does "PRE-GAIN" even mean?
Is "pre-gain" a pot wired as a passive rheostat or voltage divider, or wired as a voltage divider?
Is "pre-gain" a pot on a JFET boost's source-leg that feeds the main circuit? Or is it an LPB-1 type of affair with a voltage-dividing volume control that preceeds and feeds the main circuit?

FF or Fuzz Face... right. I'm very good at gabbing online, but when faced with your quandary myself —
I'm the king of analysis-paralysis procrastination.

Try a C100k for the additional cut, since you already preferred C-taper at 50k — but with additional cut, you may find a B-Taper works better with the 100k.



Hmm I think I need more sleep.

 

[DS13]

Thanks for that. Its not really a Fuzz Face - as I said above same topology, but borrowing some bits from a Meathead.

PRE-GAIN is as sensible as "pre-boarding" a plane, (getting on before you get on?). But, yes it's a gain knob at input (before the coupling cap) done as a variable R.

Since reflecting on what you said, other posts, and my own experiences / ear I went with a B100K *and* added a 15nF bright cap across it to retain highs / high mids. Works beautifully.