Switch for capacitor swap for tonal options

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Purplenoise

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Sep 19, 2019
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
Thank you so much, sounds simple enough. I’ll look into it. Really appreciate it.
 
I would've doodled something out to make it clearer, but i'm on my phone on the bus to work, so...

(Later edit)

On second thought...
 

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I would've doodled something out to make it clearer, but i'm on my phone on the bus to work, so...
No worries at all. If you have some time to do so when you have some time I would really appreciate it but you gave me plenty of food for thought already. Thank you again for taking the time.
 
..just prepare to be disappointed if you're expecting to hear any difference between (non-defect) capacitors at that point. Perhaps start with a (correct polarized) electrolytic or tantalum as one of the choices, just to get an idea of how little it matters..

I once had a box of previously-extracted "known-bad-sounding" electrolytics I would use to detect "sensitive" circuit spots. That is, when I was young and mistrusted all theory.

/Jakob E.
 
..just prepare to be disappointed if you're expecting to hear any difference between (non-defect) capacitors at that point. Perhaps start with a (correct polarized) electrolytic or tantalum as one of the choices, just to get an idea of how little it matters..

I once had a box of previously-extracted "known-bad-sounding" electrolytics I would use to detect "sensitive" circuit spots. That is, when I was young and mistrusted all theory.

/Jakob E.
Hey Jakob, thank you so much. I am well aware of the “controversy “ haha. I am using two different values and I am sure that makes the biggest difference but I am sure that sometimes slight “inaccuracies “ in components contribute in changes in sound…sometimes positive. Although highly subjective. Thanks again.
 
I think a lot of psychology is involved in the capacitor comparisons...
If you want to hear a difference, you certainly will hear it.
I have worked for over 25 years in professional audio, but never heard any difference between capacitors.
(Maybe I am only using the 'good' ones...)

Another example: a collegue sound engineer always wanted to use the gray microphone cables, "because they sound better than the black ones". Both gray and black cables came from the same manufacturer...
I think he once made a recording that sounded good, while he was using the gray cables and from that moment on he believed that the microphone cables contributed to the success of the recording. But I never believed him!
 
I think a lot of psychology is involved in the capacitor comparisons...
If you want to hear a difference, you certainly will hear it.
I have worked for over 25 years in professional audio, but never heard any difference between capacitors.
(Maybe I am only using the 'good' ones...)

Another example: a collegue sound engineer always wanted to use the gray microphone cables, "because they sound better than the black ones". Both gray and black cables came from the same manufacturer...
I think he once made a recording that sounded good, while he was using the gray cables and from that moment on he believed that the microphone cables contributed to the success of the recording. But I never believed him!
Thank you for your reply. I don’t have the knowledge to support any claims, I just go with what my ears tell me. In this build I tried a few different nos caps and most sounded slightly different. Maybe some were out of spec although on my cheap tester Vloss and esr were acceptable…not the same in all but low. Two in particular sounded very different but I liked both equally. Although different values there was a timbre difference as well. One is a Siemens MP and the other is a green k42 ( the k42 I never liked by the way so I had absolutely no expectations for a positive outcome).
Again I don’t know if what I am hearing is a difference in capacitors or a difference of something that drifted out of spec over the years but there is an audible difference.
That’s why I am thinking about the switch…not for swapping caps as a gimmick but for those two particular components.
Hard to blend science and feelings right? Haha..
 
Of course, if they have different values, they would sound different! :confused:
Hahaha I know I know. But the difference was not only in the low/high end extension or resonant frequency. I have tried the same type/brand with those two values and the difference was not as dramatic.
 
But the difference was not only in the low/high end extension or resonant frequency.
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.
 

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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.
Totally, this is something I know a little too well since I’ve been recording and mixing for 25 years. I am well aware of “ear tricking” pitfalls. Building equipment is a fairly new thing for me but critical listening isn’t.
As I said I tried two film caps of same brand but different values ( 1uf -0.47uf) and the difference was not as dramatic as the nos Siemens MP 1uf and k42 0.47uf. Are both of those caps up to spec? I don’t know but I liked both for different reasons. One of the reasons and the most important one is the different value itself. Do I believe that different capacitors of same value sound different? Well…I believe that every component, construction, material affects sound to a degree, sometimes audible enough to notice. Enough to change the character of a mic? Very rarely.
 
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.

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