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Need something electronic built custom

 
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georgethetech
The Gates of Troy


Joined: 18 Mar 2007
Posts: 1877
Location: Topanga, CA

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 1:01 pm    Post subject: Need something electronic built custom Reply with quote

I need a bullet-proof volume control box for a client who abuses them and wears out every unit I've installed in 2 months flat. He rides it to control his cans volume while reading, like a DJ scratching a record. It's crazy, and he knows it, and isn't going to stop doing it.

Suggestions of people who can do this sort of work? He wants one of those huge vintage air console knobs on it. It will be used to control volume into a headphone amp, so line level pot is fine.

Must be:

    Serviceable
    Silent
    Heavy
    1/4" TRS in/out
    Last more than 2 months

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NorthEndVoice
Contributor IV


Joined: 24 Jul 2005
Posts: 148
Location: Virginia/North Carolina/Florida

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 2:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like a pot knob from something like one of the old Gates Diplomat consoles might work. The actual potentiometer (depending on the type) could be problematic though since the "gain riding" will be over a fairly limited area, tending to "wear" excessively in that area (scratchy as well as dropouts).
I'll see if I can reach a guy I used to work with who kinda specialized in cobbling "jock proof" stuff together.
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georgethetech
The Gates of Troy


Joined: 18 Mar 2007
Posts: 1877
Location: Topanga, CA

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Les! Yeah, this is not an easy thing to find... this is why the cross-fader on professional DJ mixers is a user-replaceable item. I wonder if THAT would be a better way to go!

George
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todd ellis
A Zillion


Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 10481
Location: little egypt

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

when i was in radio i knew a guy just like that -- constantly twirling the headphone knob. drove the engineer nuts!

what about pulling the pot right out of an old 60's-70's gates board? if you can find one ...
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Mike Harrison
M&M


Joined: 03 Nov 2007
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Location: Equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia, along the NJ Shore

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the idea of a "user-replaceable" pot is best because, even if it's fairly easy to do, eventually, he may get tired of having to do it.
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vkuehn
DC


Joined: 24 Apr 2013
Posts: 688
Location: Vernon now calls Wisconsin home

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 6:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You assume he won't enjoy doing the replacement thus change his behavior.

You overlook the possibility that he will become addicted to the smell of solder melting and become part of the silent and hidden "pot addiction" problem in America. Rolls Eyes
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Mike Harrison
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Joined: 03 Nov 2007
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Location: Equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia, along the NJ Shore

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think so. He's already obsessive/compulsive. Having to stop and spend time fixing his toy repeatedly will last only so long before he dissolves in a sobbing heap. Shame.
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georgethetech
The Gates of Troy


Joined: 18 Mar 2007
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Location: Topanga, CA

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's what he pays me to do, I'm his studio tech.
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vkuehn
DC


Joined: 24 Apr 2013
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Location: Vernon now calls Wisconsin home

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

todd ellis wrote:

what about pulling the pot right out of an old 60's-70's gates board? if you can find one ...


Yes, "Pots" from that era were pretty durable. But George might have his work cut out for him making that adaptation. Most of those pots worked at a lower impedance level... down in the 150 to 600 ohm range as I recall. And they were "rotary switches" with a series of contacts. The kind of circuits we often use today have these little pots that may run anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 ohms, so you may not be able to disconnect the current flimsy pot and just slide the old antique in and say: "Well... I'm done!" But I have a feeling that our friend George might just be up to the task.... and probably has a network of friends who reach out and help if that is needed.

That idea of reaching into the equipment used by the club and wedding DJs may turn out to be the winning entry.
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chrisvoco
Club 300


Joined: 14 Mar 2014
Posts: 380
Location: Local

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 11:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could use a ribbon controller from a synthesizer. He'd eventually get a real bad blister and have to stop doing it.
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Bruce
Boardmeister


Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 7921
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Speaking to the durability of broadcast equipment, my first radio job in 1970 was at a 1,000 watt station in Winslow, Arizona. In our production room was an art deco behemoth of a board. It was dark blue with about 20 bakelite knobs (pots), and dozens of push buttons on the upper front side. It was an original NBC Blue Network (fans of radio history will know about this) board through which all of their programming was directed between studios and their affiliates during the 1930's I'll guess. The wiring inside was inside was fragile but the pots always worked fine, until the wiring behind them fell apart. Sort of a double-wide version of this:



B
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NorthEndVoice
Contributor IV


Joined: 24 Jul 2005
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Location: Virginia/North Carolina/Florida

PostPosted: Mon Feb 15, 2016 11:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Heard back from one of two engineers. It's like "riding the brakes". Doesn't matter if it's a Lexus or a "beater", you're gonna wear 'em out.

Possibly using a "Milspec" attenuator (most likely mono) might help but it won't be permanent. Plus the old style pot knobs from something like a Gates will need to be fitted.

A suggestion was also made to change the "angle of attack" for the pot. If he's pushing down...try a side/angled mount. Those large Gates style pot knobs are pretty intuitive with that "shark fin".

Another option might be incorporating an electric guitar body attenuator. They go through quite a bit of abuse....downward pressure and (depending on the player) some rather spirited twisting.

Internal windings (talking traditional pots) aren't that different for most real world stuff... but the "build"...i.e. keeping the crap from getting inside the pot would be the difference if it's TRULY Milspec.

Not only the intrusion of foreign matter into the pot....but also the downward physical pressure from the operator that it'll encounter is the issue. Also these pots tend to "sweep" the foreign matter from one end of a small arc to the other end of the arc so the tighter the casing, keeping the crap out of it, the longer (hopefully) the useful life of the pot will be.

The most difficult part of this is the actual attenuator. The build itself not so much.

Almost forgot this ...if your guy is spraying WD40 into the pot....all bets are off...
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