Switch for capacitor swap for tonal options

[abbey road d enfer]

That helps explain why I adjust the coupling cap to output transformer cap value and like to add highpass filters in microphones

Most of the music you hear on records and on the radio is high-passed at 40 Hz.
It's only in cinema an live "music" that the last octave is present.
Regarding music, I could very well do without it, since it's used to amplify unwanted noises.

 

[Purplenoise]

The level of subsonics in a program affects the perception of the rest of the spectrum. Depending on the program, filtering out even as little as 1/3 octave of the subsonic content can result in a perception of added clarity in the upper registers.

By the way, really interesting article. Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[Purplenoise]

Were all your tests double-blind? If not, your perception WILL have been influenced, by default.

My test was flawed. Just recorded a pass and listened/compared. I wasn’t going for anything scientific, just curiosity. And again…I am not comparing new “perfect” caps. All the caps I used are old so many other things could be at play. For me the most important thing was basically the two values, one more modern and full bandwidth and the other more vintage with less sub information…I just got carried away in the process haha

 

[xeawr]

as my day job nowadays requires an understanding of psychology, and demands objectiveness, self-reflection and healthy self-criticism I am used to conducting experiments as (double) blind-tests. I'm very strict with the procedure to be as unbiased as possible.

To make a long story short: I can often hear differences between capacitors, but not always and the sonic change becomes more apparent the more capacitors you change.

But I agree and believe that the vast majority of people judge from a personal bias. As (now part-time / former) mixing engineer I've fooled myself many times messing around with the EQ and for a moment actually HEARING a difference, until I noticed the EQ was actually turned off. It's hard to admit, and I know it happened to the best, we've all been there...

 

[Gus]

Hey guys. I have finished a d-ef47 ( Dany Bouchard board) and I swapped a few output capacitors to try out. I have found two that I like very much but they give the mic a different character.
Is there a simple and efficient way to install both and just swap between them with the use of a switch so I can have both tonal options in the mic?
Thanks in advance.

With transformer out microphone circuits I often try .22uf, .33uf, .47uf .68uf, 1uf etc. to do a final selection. The value of the cap changes the interaction with the transformer and other parts and is something you can sometimes hear and measure.

 

[rogs]

The level of subsonics in a program affects the perception of the rest of the spectrum. Depending on the program, filtering out even as little as 1/3 octave of the subsonic content can result in a perception of added clarity in the upper registers.

Audio content that travels slower than the speed of sound?? ... I'm thinking you probably mean infrasonic content, rather than subsonic content?
( OK, I'm being a pedant -- sorry! )

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Audio content that travels slower than the speed of sound?? ... I'm thinking you probably mean infrasonic content, rather than subsonic content?
( OK, I'm being a pedant -- sorry! )

OK I got it.
Subsonic is an accepted term in concert sound parlance; I'll try to remember next time.

 

[rogs]

OK I got it.
Subsonic is an accepted term in concert sound parlance; I'll try to remember next time.

I agree - 'sub' is widely used to represent low bass frequencies in audio.
At the other end of the scale 'supersonic' is sometimes used where 'ultrasonic' is the more accurate term.
Another old chestnut is 'RMS Watts' . No such thing of course - you can't 'qualify' a unit of power - but still widely used.
(I think I'm guilty of danger of high jacking the thread here -- sorry! )

 

[Purplenoise]

I agree - 'sub' is widely used to represent low bass frequencies in audio.
At the other end of the scale 'supersonic' is sometimes used where 'ultrasonic' is the more accurate term.
Another old chestnut is 'RMS Watts' . No such thing of course - you can't 'qualify' a unit of power - but still widely used.
(I think I'm guilty of danger of high jacking the thread here -- sorry! )

As the thread starter…I don’t mind. A little bonus info haha…cheers

 

[RuudNL]

As (now part-time / former) mixing engineer I've fooled myself many times messing around with the EQ and for a moment actually HEARING a difference, until I noticed the EQ was actually turned off. It's hard to admit, and I know it happened to the best, we've all been there...

I think this has happened to everyone who works in the audio world.
And those who say they never made this mistake, are lying...

 

[Purplenoise]

I think this has happened to everyone who works in the audio world.
And those who say they never made this mistake, are lying...

Shhhhh…we are professionals

 

[FIX]

Probably have 1meg resistors in series with each of the two caps; the "free" ends of those both connected to the (SPDT) switch common (to minimize DC differences between the two caps, to hopefully minimize pops when switching), and the two ends of the switch connect in between each cap & resistor. As in, the switch alternately shorts out each of the 1meg resistors.

What he said.

 

[FIX]

I think this has happened to everyone who works in the audio world.
And those who say they never made this mistake, are lying...

 

[Purplenoise]

Hahahaha..