Stepped linear potentiometers ¿where to find?

[JAY X]

Hi!

I'm looking for 10k linear dual or single stepped potentiometers, like the ones used in DBX compressors 166xl 266xl... these have a notch in the rear side and a wiper that reads every notch so it makes it "recallable", despite being a regular linear or log pot. ¿where can i find them?

Thanks a lot!

Jay x

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Look for "detent". Usually these pots are listed as 21 or 41-detent.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Just to be clear stepped pots that involve small resistors arrayed in a circle, are significantly more expensive than pots using mechanical click detents to provide the apparent steps.

I doubt true stepped pots are used in any mass market gear. I haven't seen them around for decades (IIRC Alps made some).

JR

 

[living sounds]

You could get stepped "pots" using surface mount resistors from China a few years ago, at single digit EUR cost per dual unit. Look on ebay and aliexpress.

 

[JohnRoberts]

You could get stepped "pots" using surface mount resistors from China a few years ago, at single digit EUR cost per dual unit. Look on ebay and aliexpress.

do you think those were used inside dbx 166/266?
===
OP appears to want pots with mechanical detents.

JR

 

[living sounds]

do you think those were used inside dbx 166/266?
===
OP appears to want pots with mechanical detents.

JR

These "pots" have mechanical detents. The difference to "real" pots is that they are much more accurate and better matched. And probably lower noise than the usual carbon track pots. And they are not that pricy.

 

[living sounds]

Look for "dact type smd stepped attenuator".

 

[TwentyTrees]

Look for "dact type smd stepped attenuator".

Yep, I've used these for a number of builds - though I've only been able to find log, not linear. Please do let me know if you find linear, as a detented potentiometer is the cheapest stepped option that I've found there.

 

[living sounds]

Yep, I've used these for a number of builds - though I've only been able to find log, not linear. Please do let me know if you find linear, as a detented potentiometer is the cheapest stepped option that I've found there.

Pricier, but it exists:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193058757954

 

[TwentyTrees]

Pricier, but it exists:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193058757954

Brilliant, thanks!

 

[scott2000]

You may need to be somewhat aware of the resistor values used in some of those dact pots in case you end up with some wonky usefulness in certain functions.

 

[pucho812]

You may need to be somewhat aware of the resistor values used in some of those dact pots in case you end up with some wonky usefulness in certain functions.

being linear wouldn't it just be the pot value divided by the number of steps which woud give you the same resistor value each step or are you referring to other then linear?

 

[scott2000]

being linear wouldn't it just be the pot value divided by the number of steps which woud give you the same resistor value each step or are you referring to other then linear?

I may have it mixed up but when asking about them for Heikki's vari mu, there was an issue using them somewhere... maybe they were backwards for use for the threshold or something

 

[JMan]

FWIW, that eBay listing above does show a chart of the resistors, and at least according to that they are all identical. (Not that that says anything explicitly about the usefulness of the step sizes within a circuit...)

 

[TwentyTrees]

Sidenote: it also notes that they're thick film resistors, which may be relevant given their higher noise than thin film.

 

[Heikki]

I may have it mixed up but when asking about them for Heikki's vari mu, there was an issue using them somewhere... maybe they were backwards for use for the threshold or something

I thin we were looking at volume control stepped attenuator which has large steps in dB in one end and very small steps in the other end.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/304439894952

 

[JAY X]

Hi!

Wow! thanks for the replies!. Now i know the diference between "stepped" and "detented". I was looking for detented pots... I think there is a distributor in Germany... I saw in a thread.. 12 or 16mm alpha potentiometers. Alphastat.de

Thanks a lot!

Jay x

 

[living sounds]

But stepped is better in principle (if it can be sourced with the correct values), much more precise and 100% reproducible.