Photocell question

[MoltenVoltage]

Assuming you want to consistently roll your own vactrols, is there any good reason not to just buy photocells with the highest Minimum Dark Resistance and run a metal film resistor of the target value in parallel?

The 9203 version SB sells seems like the logical choice since it also has the lowest Light Resistance.
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=711

Thanks!

[JKowalski]

It makes the photocell response even more non-linear to a degree - which may not be that important to you.

EDIT: Actually, it introduces a upwards bump in the response which now that I thought about it and peeked at a photocell response graph may with careful selection cancel out some of the nonlinearity in resistance/illumation.

Usually any ol photocell will work because you can compenesate for the photocell's range by trimming the light source or adjusting the circuit to compensate.

[petemoore]

  Most of the time it was the low R / bright-light resistance I wanted, the dark went way over 470k easily with the ones I tried, even with incomplete light shield.
  Speed may not matter.
  Low resistance may not matter.
  Super high dark resistance didn't matter so far, but might matter.
  It's like laces for boots or shoes, slick resistor [as and R stop=fixed series resistor, or limiting=parallel to photocell] usage can help put the photocell R range be close the range the circuit likes to see.
  If they're 'too short' or some particular aspect doesn't fit, then other laces might be a better idea, since they can be altered with fixed R's, 'long' [as in low light resistance] seemed easiest in the projects I tried them in.
  If it's say need for fast/deep tremolo, low R/light = low volume at the cycle minimums, fast LDRs will get down and up farther/faster. Fast compression 'cycle' [gain reduction/restoration] would be another application where 'fast' would be needed. Some effects may benefit from slower, such as a compression that sounds cool 'because it lets the first 'attack blip' in before signifigant gain reduction takes place.