Hi

Does anyone know where I can source a good quality rotary switch (2
pole and 20 ways) to make a stepped attenuator??

I've looked at previous posts reccommending Blore Edwards but I can't
seem to find them on the web....maybe they're not trading anymore??
Farnell and RS gave me no joy.

I've got a home made amp and I'm currently using a conductive plastic
pot but I'd like to hear the difference in going to a stepped
attenuator.

Thanks in advance

Steve

One simple step forward is a linear cermet 1meg pot with a law faking
resistor to bring it down to 100k or 10k or whatever you want - that
should improve over conductive plastic.

I use 12 way cheap Lorlin switches as shunt attenuators in balanced
mode - simple and effective. I can live with 12 steps (now don't take
that the wrong way....)

I do believe stepped attenuators beat the rest - including Alps blue
and Black Beauties (I've used both). I have some Elma ones with gold
contacts. These are currently available.from various sources.
http://www.hificollective.co.uk/comp...tiometers.html is
one.

There was a firm called Sussex Surplus which used to do big silver
contact switches - I think they changed their name - anyone know?

In article .com,
Andy Evans wrote:
I do believe stepped attenuators beat the rest - including Alps blue
and Black Beauties (I've used both).

I'm old enough to well remember stud faders used in broadcasting - built
regardless of cost (balanced faders would probably cost over 1000 quid if
available today). And the regular need for cleaning them. Conductive
plastic was a welcome invention...

--
*If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
writes
In article .com,
Andy Evans wrote:
I do believe stepped attenuators beat the rest - including Alps blue
and Black Beauties (I've used both).

I'm old enough to well remember stud faders used in broadcasting - built
regardless of cost (balanced faders would probably cost over 1000 quid if
available today). And the regular need for cleaning them. Conductive
plastic was a welcome invention...


Blimey!, I've still got some of them around somewhere, made by Painton IIRC
signal box levers I thing we used to call 'em..

And I had a load of P&G faders and gave them away too!....
--
Tony Sayer

In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
I'm old enough to well remember stud faders used in broadcasting -
built regardless of cost (balanced faders would probably cost over 1000
quid if available today). And the regular need for cleaning them.
Conductive plastic was a welcome invention...


Blimey!, I've still got some of them around somewhere, made by Painton
IIRC signal box levers I thing we used to call 'em..

Quadrant types weren't balanced though - it was only the older vast round
ones from Type A desks.

--
*Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
I'm old enough to well remember stud faders used in broadcasting -
built regardless of cost (balanced faders would probably cost over 1000
quid if available today). And the regular need for cleaning them.
Conductive plastic was a welcome invention...


Blimey!, I've still got some of them around somewhere, made by Painton
IIRC signal box levers I thing we used to call 'em..

Quadrant types weren't balanced though - it was only the older vast round
ones from Type A desks.

I remember those cylindrical ones. In fact I think I may have a couple of
them at home in the UK. When I was a teenager, we sometimes used to
hang around a small local studio.. The owner had a six channel mixer,
either Grampian or Vortexion, with carbon pots. When they got noisy,
he used to take the back of the pot case, and rub the carbon track with
a soft led pencil. It was a low tech wonder-cure.

Iain

"tony sayer" wrote in message
...
In article , Dave Plowman (News)
writes
In article .com,
Andy Evans wrote:
I do believe stepped attenuators beat the rest - including Alps blue
and Black Beauties (I've used both).

I'm old enough to well remember stud faders used in broadcasting - built
regardless of cost (balanced faders would probably cost over 1000 quid if
available today). And the regular need for cleaning them. Conductive
plastic was a welcome invention...


Blimey!, I've still got some of them around somewhere, made by Painton
IIRC
signal box levers I thing we used to call 'em..

And I had a load of P&G faders and gave them away too!....

Maybe Dave was referring to the BBC *rotary* stud faders.
Mechanical works of art they were, with a knob the size of a saucer.
The fader assembly fitted into a cylindrical case a bit like a shell-case,
and latched with a comforting "click"

Iain

wrote:

Hi

Does anyone know where I can source a good quality rotary switch (2
pole and 20 ways) to make a stepped attenuator??

I've looked at previous posts reccommending Blore Edwards but I can't
seem to find them on the web....maybe they're not trading anymore??
Farnell and RS gave me no joy.

I've got a home made amp and I'm currently using a conductive plastic
pot but I'd like to hear the difference in going to a stepped
attenuator.

The classic switch for this in days of old would have been a Painton part.

You might try an Elma switch or maybe Grayhill.

Graham

On 2006-06-05, wrote:
Does anyone know where I can source a good quality rotary switch (2
pole and 20 ways) to make a stepped attenuator??

What about a ready-made attenuator, like a DACT CT2?

http://www.dact.com/html/attenuators.html

Not cheap but it saves much work and the UK distributor is:

http://www.audiocominternational.com/

(There's some fault on the webite but a search for CT2 works.)

--
John Phillips

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi

Does anyone know where I can source a good quality rotary switch (2
pole and 20 ways) to make a stepped attenuator??


I've got a home made amp and I'm currently using a conductive plastic
pot but I'd like to hear the difference in going to a stepped
attenuator.


The DACT stepped attenuator is good value for money.
They also make multiway switches if you really want to
try a homebrew..

Also Grayhill UK will supply switches to any format.
If you want a really high-grade stepped attenuator try TKD.
Not much change from UKP350 bought retail.

I am currently working on a valve power amp, with a
pair of TKD stepped attenuators (40 way) on the inputs.
A pal of mine here has fitted stepped motors to them
with a remote which works beautifully.

The main advantage of a stepped attenuator is the tracking
accuracy. You will certainly hear a difference. There are
people who will tell you a resistor is a resistor is a resistor.
They also think a saxophone is a saxophone is a saxophone.
Listen, compare, and make up your own mind.

Good luck
Iain