[LAU] Questions on New Recording Gear

[fons at kokkinizita.net]

On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 11:02:58AM -1000, Joel Roth wrote:

> Just to underline that, gain controls are usually pots
> that *attentuate* the signal. The top setting (danger!
> ohnoes!) is just letting the signal through with no
> attenuation.

That would be true for most mixer faders and
for normal volume controls. But in that case
it's not done as in your drawing, but by using
the pot as a voltage divider:

    ____
   in   |
        r
        r
        r______
        r    out
        r
        r
    ____|______
     ground

The exception is the gain control in a mic
preamp where the pot is normally used as a
variable resistance (as in your drawing),
but there it is part of the feedback circuit.
There's normally no attenuation in the signal
path (except for a -20dB pad or something
similar).
 
Ciao,

-- 
FA

O tu, che porte, correndo si ?
E guerra e morte !