ruffrecords
Well-known member
When using multiway switches in preamps and EQ, do you tend to use break before make (BBM) or make before break (MBB) contacts?
In some situations it seems to me the answer is fairly straightforward - for example if the signal passes through the wiper (like in a passive EQ maybe) then you use MBB (shorting) contacts because the complete loss of the signal is more disconcerting than the momentary odd EQ you get by shorting two sections of EQ.
In other cases I am not so sure. Take a mic pre gain control for example, With non-shorting (BBM) contacts the gain momentarily drops to the minumum between each switch position but with shorting (MBB) contacts the gain jumps above the next setting. On balance I think I would prefer a generaly small upward gain increase rather than a potentialy large downward drop in gain so I would use MBB.
Are there any general rules for this sort of thing?
Ian
In some situations it seems to me the answer is fairly straightforward - for example if the signal passes through the wiper (like in a passive EQ maybe) then you use MBB (shorting) contacts because the complete loss of the signal is more disconcerting than the momentary odd EQ you get by shorting two sections of EQ.
In other cases I am not so sure. Take a mic pre gain control for example, With non-shorting (BBM) contacts the gain momentarily drops to the minumum between each switch position but with shorting (MBB) contacts the gain jumps above the next setting. On balance I think I would prefer a generaly small upward gain increase rather than a potentialy large downward drop in gain so I would use MBB.
Are there any general rules for this sort of thing?
Ian
