Typical capacitor values for audio

[Newmarket]

While tantalum have the enviable shelf, I'm not too keen to blow too many thing up at first haha... So - I'm thinking about mainly C0G for audio path stuff. Any thoughts? I'm happy to buy more specific stuff later, but for tinkering and bread boarding, it would be good to have a longish shelf life stock of audio related values.

COG is good. But be aware of restricted values depending on cost / space.
As a default I'd suggest that all caps are voltage rated to handle P48 Phantom Power where practicable.

 

[Ike Zimbel]

No one has said anything about brands, so I will. For electrolytic caps I have stuck with Panasonic and Nichicon for the last 20+ years and have not regretted it for a second. I have occasionally tested, say, a Neotek Elite master section that an out-of-town client has sent me for re-cap/upgrades, in a desk that I have worked on locally, and been amazed at how close they sound to each other, even though the local one had been in use for at least a dozen years.

 

[jBam]

Good shout @PermO on storage. Funnily enough I'd just been planning some of that too. I actually have cleared out a set out drawers in my studio... will be similar to your setup... maybe not quite as much in there to start though . Was thinking of buying a sheet of ply and making the inserts...

@Newmarket - yeah, I'm realising that about C0G (limited values)... nonidea of their size too I guess (although I've probably soldered a few without really knowing). I might end up doing C0G up until a certain price point, and film in the larger sizes.

@Ike Zimbel thanks... I'm not quite sure where I'm aiming for in terms of brands and quality. I kinda want a good value point for experimenting. Definitely don't want crap quality... also don't want to find myself designing up a pcb with mid-level components only to find that high quality have a different footprint. I don't need boutique. But I don't aspire to make cheap gear either. Thoughts on KEMET or Vishay for C0G? Mouser doesn't seem to stock Panasonic / Nicho in C0G (or they don't make them). Hard to gauge opinions on KEMET on other forum searches.

EDIT: Thoughts on WIMA??

 

[CJ]

Check and see if there is an electronics surplus store .near you.

 

[jBam]

Check and see if there is an electronics surplus store .near you.

I'm in Melbourne Australia... at first glance it doesn't seem like there is... or not one with enough stock in things I'm interested in. Sometimes these things take a little more hunting though.

 

[jBam]

As an aside - what's driving me nuts is I can't find out how to sort by price in mouser on mouser mobile Website (android). I'm kinda losing my mind looking for sort lol.... and 99% of my research is late nights with my 4 week old daughter in my arms, so not at a computer.

I mean, it's gotta be there right? Specifically only an issue with mobile Web browser.

Downloaded the app. It's junk though lol. Now I can sort by price in exchange for painfully long search updates haha...

 

[CJ]

Send a PM to Kev

He is in Melbourne, he might have some surplus stuff.

 

[Newmarket]

a
@Ike Zimbel thanks... I'm not quite sure where I'm aiming for in terms of brands and quality. I kinda want a good value point for experimenting. Definitely don't want crap quality... also don't want to find myself designing up a pcb with mid-level components only to find that high quality have a different footprint. I don't need boutique. But I don't aspire to make cheap gear either. Thoughts on KEMET or Vishay for C0G? Mouser doesn't seem to stock Panasonic / Nicho in C0G (or they don't make them). Hard to gauge opinions on KEMET on other forum searches.

EDIT: Thoughts on WIMA??

Panasonic / Nicho mainly electrolytics ime. Lytics not for precision stuff in signal chain. Larger values reduce distortions. I know people have their fave brands but anything that's not some dodgy never heard of brand should be okay. 105 Deg C and higher working voltages are good to get longer life ie larger uprating from the datasheet lifetime figure.
All the manufacturers mentioned are good quality ime.

 

[DB_]

@jBam I have gone through this recently, also have a 4 week old daughter which makes getting to the computer difficult, but when I can I’d be happy to contribute to a “So You’ve Decided to Take On Audio DIY” guide for newbies.

My first evening shopping for components involved a spreadsheet and at least 5 concurrent shopping carts.

 

[jBam]

@jBam I have gone through this recently, also have a 4 week old daughter

Oh, nice one mate - congrats ... yeah cool... might compare notes on my supply list and see where I end up... would be handy to have fresh input.

One goal is to get a selection now that represents the likely things I'll continue to use (including future availability). I see some bargains here and there on nearly obsolete stuff but I think I'm a little more comfortable finding the right cost/quality balance for current issue bits and pieces.

Haven't had a chance to fill out my cart... will share details when I do... that'll be resistors and caps done... then diodes, OpAmps and transistors... I mean I guess the works really... inductors too, but nothing too fancy in that space

I think my "get some stuff quick" is turning into a nicer "get my head around it, and get it right"

 

[Brian Roth]

FWIW, when I was traveling this region doing "house calls" for service of "old" desks and multitracks I carried a small stash of 'lytics. Like CR suggested, I had a "ladder" using the 1.0/2.2/4.7/10.0/etc pattern.

For resistors, I carried several carbon film kits from Digikey, but I can't find those anymore online.

Bri

 

[Whoops]

Oh - and for other discussion points: I'm not doing any tube / high voltage stuff. Just keen for line level for now... 24V +/- max I'd imagine. 500 series or maybe 18V is more likely.

For those voltages get 50V rated capacitors for electrolytic and 100V for Film capacitors

For Lytic capacitors buy from Mouser or Farnell any Panasonic series that is rated at 105 degrees,
all of them are really good

Get also some 1000uf and 2000uf at 100V , for PSU's for the Phantom Power rail

 

[Whoops]

For resistors buy a "resistor assortment" from ebay and you're sorted:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3038385...LjReJAaWCXRQEEYLe8NIVvc6FCFX|tkp:BFBM0JO0wotj
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3033778...3cZC4lnFD6yG97NJOcke7FVuo=|tkp:Bk9SR9KTtMKLYw

 

[Whoops]

For Transistors get some:
2N5088, 2N5089, 2N4401, 2N3904, 2N2222, BC550C, BC560C and MPSA18 (used to replace the BC184C in Neve Projects)

These transistors cover a lot of ground and can be used in a multitude of projects in place of other transistors.
As a rough guide for substitution you can use this:

 

[Whoops]

Get some voltage regulators:
LM317 and LM337
LM7809
LM7805
LM7812
LM7816 and LM7916
LM7818 and LM7918

For Ceremic capacitors get C0G NP0

Then don't stress too much about it at this point,
after you start doing projects you will have to order parts, when you order those parts for a specific project buy a litle bit more for each component than what you need.
After doing some projects you will have a nice stock gathered

I use a few of these modules to organize and keep my stock,
these are great drawers, with compartments inside, it was a great investiment. The outside is made of metal and it's quite sturdy. The brand is called SUC, it's Portuguese and very good quality, I don't know if they sell to other countries but you can find locally something similar even if not the same type of quality:

 

[Brian Roth]

For resistors buy a "resistor assortment" from ebay and you're sorted:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3038385...LjReJAaWCXRQEEYLe8NIVvc6FCFX|tkp:BFBM0JO0wotj
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3033778...3cZC4lnFD6yG97NJOcke7FVuo=|tkp:Bk9SR9KTtMKLYw
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From personal experience, when ordering those Ebay kits, check each resistor INDIVIDUALLY with an accurate DVM before using them. Had tooooo many bad parts.

Bri

 

[Whoops]

From personal experience, when ordering those Ebay kits, check each resistor INDIVIDUALLY with an accurate DVM before using them. Had tooooo many bad parts.

Bri

I have personal experience with the exact same Kits I posted, and the resistors were always spot on,
I use them for some years now.
But I also measure every resistor and capacitor before I fit it into a circuit, just in case, but I do that independently of the source of the component, better safe than sorry

 

[Brian Roth]

OK....not making an argument...just basing my comments on personal experience. "Marking color bands say 22K....measures 175K".

Suggestions for 1/4W and 1/2W?

Thanks!

Bri

 

[jBam]

Wow... thanks @Whoops ! Legendary effort there... you might have saved me literally days of head scratching, possibly a week...(despite my comments of "enjoying learning", it's a huge help to start in the right place haha).

 

[Whoops]

Suggestions for 1/4W and 1/2W?

From Ebay I only bought those 1W kits.

For 1/4w and 1/2W I bought from Banzai,
check the resistors value packs they have in this page:

https://www.banzaimusic.com/Sets-Kits-Specials/