Ladder attenuator pots in panning circuit

[rjuly]

In reseaching options for rotary faders and pan pots I am coming across an option I don't understand the implications of. It looks like there are two options - the traditional potentiometer and the ladder circuit. The circuits are these:



My question is whether these ladder circuit type pots can be used the same way as the traditionanal potentiometer, particularly for use in a panning circuit. The manufacturer says only that these ladder circuits cannot be used as a resistor, only for contolling audio level.

Richard

 

[Winston OBoogie]

Compared to a cross-coupled pair of pull-up slugged linear pots, there is some advantage in using a pair of stepped attenuators as far as crosstalk (offness) is concerned. But no advantage to those attenuators being ladder type.
You'd calculate your values for a standard series string based on the panning law you decide on, whether that be -3dB @ centre, -4.5dB @ centre etc.

Edit: if the pan is used purely for placing a signal in the stereo field, then it's debatable whether using stepped attenuators is worth the extra effort and expense. Hard left/right off of 70dB is probably more than enough for that.
I can see the advantage if the pan is also used for track assign but then, maybe a simple pan "off" switch along with your bus assign switches is the way to go... all extra effort and cost/finances etc. considered.

 

[zamproject]

The manufacturer says only that these ladder circuits cannot be used as a resistor

With some math in the specific arrangement of series and parallel resistance like in a ladder type attenuator you'll see that resistance ratio r1c/r2c have a strange curve (when voltage ratio can have a nice log)
That's why you can't use a ladder type as a variable resistor

Best
Zam