SergeModular

This is a new take on "My New Attenuator Panel/Cabinet..." posted by Andrew at Jan 18, 2010

Hello Andrew,
I saw your posting about the attenuator module you built. It looks very good.
Like you I will need a bunch of passive attenuators, since I'm gonna use boosters, overdrive, etc, inserted at different points in my modular setup. All in order to squeeze as much sound as possible out of the modules.
Are you just using a pot with the incoming signal at one end, ground at the other, and the attenuated signal taken from the viper. As simple as it is, doesn't that add noise? What's the value of the pot, is it a log one, and do you use other components, resistors, capacitors....?
You're also mentioning a trigger push button. I assume that's something apart from the attenuator, or is it an on-off switch?
Regards, Lars

Ok, so let me add some details and maybe it will be helpful for all. These are I believe 100k Log/Audio pots with the input to the In of the pot and the wiper connected to the output. All the grounds are connected to a single jack that connects to the power supply. The 1/4 hot is connected to a banana an the ground also connects to the jack in the back/power supply.

In "my" experience, and since I am using these within the little system, they work fine a don't require any supportive circuitry. I am sure there are people here who know more than me and can chime in if there is some risk, but these work great to reduce and scale audio/cv levels where a module's input does not have input control.

If I recall, the Attenuators on a Moos Modular were the same thing...totally passive and I recall a comment from when I was at the Boston School of Electronic Music in 78 that "you can never have too many attenuators"...just like "the length of the patch cord will always be inverse to the need at the moment" (something like that)

The trigger button is another matter and I need to do some checking on that...I was planning on using a 9v battery but believe I need to add a diode and possibly a cap to condition/scale the output and that the negative needs to connect to the green ground wires. HOlding off on that for the moment.

Hope this helps!