Beginner Cap Question....

[Seven64]

I have built a few small electronic projects, but am just now beginning to move into the guitar effect pedal world.  I am currently gathering supplies to build the magnus modulus pedal, and modding my mt-2 pedal.  I have noticed that they both require 1uF capacitors, I cannot find if they are ceramic disc, electrolytic, or tantalum capacitors.  can anyone help me out, and possibly point me in a direction that i can source them.  i can find 1uF caps at digitech that are electrolytic, and tayda has them in ceramic disc, but they are out of stock.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Take a look at the schematic for each.

If the cap looks like this ( -ll- ) then it is a non-polarized cap which means it can be ceramic, metalized, poly, etc.

If it looks like this ( -)l- ) then it is polarized and you can use an electrolytic OR a tantalum.

Usually caps at 1uF and lower can be non-polar but you should refer to the schematics to be sure.

Hope that helps. 

[Seven64]

yea, alot actually!  now where can i get some ceramic disc's in that value?

[blooze_man]

Smallbear has 1uf poly caps.

[CynicalMan]

I've seen places where the polarity is not specified, but a non-polarized cap isn't needed. Usually, if a design requires a 1u non-polarized cap (not electrolytic or tantalum), it will specify that with the initials NP or in a note. Of course, you can always play it safe and assume that a non-polarized cap is needed when it isn't specified, but that takes up extra money and space. You just have to familiarize yourself with electronics to be able to tell if there is a quiescent voltage over the cap. You can also make non-polarized caps by taking two polarized caps with double the value that you need and putting them in series with two ends of the same polarity connected. So, for example, to make a 1u non-polarized cap you can take two 2.2u electrolytic caps, connect their positive ends together, and connect the negative ends to where you need the cap in the circuit.

Where in particular do you think you need non-polarized caps?

[Seven64]

all i can find on there is the topmay boxes.  will those work?

[CynicalMan]

They'll work.

[Seven64]

thanks!  they are just soooo expensive lol.  i emailed tayda customer service cause i would rather spend a penny then 30 cents each

[LucifersTrip]

yea, alot actually!  now where can i get some ceramic disc's in that value?

ceramic are so small you can just put any 2 together in parallel that add up to near 1uf... .68 + .33, .47 x 2, etc...or put 2 x 2uf in series

If you twist the legs together properly, they will take up the same space on the board as 1 cap


good luck

[Seven64]

Where in particular do you think you need non-polarized caps?

for the mt-2 modding i am going to use it at c-42

http://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3130&sid=5841ded800777fa98aba712b2c565acc&start=20

for the magnus there are a few values that call for one

[CynicalMan]

Don't bother switching C42. It forms a high-pass filter with R58, but the corner frequency is already 3.4Hz, so changing it would make no audible difference.

[davepedals]

not positive but i may have some coming in the mail tomorrow, if so i'll send you some free. i'm thinking they're 1uf but may be .01uf. i've ordered so much lately i can't keep track!

[Seven64]

not positive but i may have some coming in the mail tomorrow, if so i'll send you some free. i'm thinking they're 1uf but may be .01uf. i've ordered so much lately i can't keep track!

that would be awesome!  i just ordered 40 .01uf tho, but pm me if they end up being 1uf!

[merlinb]

If the cap looks like this ( -ll- ) then it is a non-polarized cap which means it can be ceramic, metalized, poly, etc.

If it looks like this ( -)l- ) then it is polarized and you can use electrolytic, tantalum, ceramic, poly etc... any kind!

Just thought I'd modify what Lacky said. If you see a polarized symbol then you can use any kind of capacitor. If you use a non-polarized one, then obviously it doesn't matter which way round it goes.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Just thought I'd modify what Lacky said. If you see a polarized symbol then you can use any kind of capacitor. If you use a non-polarized one, then obviously it doesn't matter which way round it goes.

I suppose you are correct Merlin. I was merely suggesting that Seven follow the schematic as it is drawn. (using polarized caps where they are called for)

Although you can substitute NP caps for polarized ones in certain situations, you never know when you need them where they are called for. 

[Seven64]

thanks guys.  i hope i can eventually get to the point where i can understand the theory behind all this stuff.  in other news, i just did a few simple mods to my BF-2 and now it sounds TONS better!  and i found the mods on this fourm!

[davepedals]

sorry - end's up they were .01uf!
tayada 'does' have some 1uF Tantalum caps if you need them.


   

[Seven64]

its cool.  i found those, and i also came across the caps that keeley uses in all of his mods  

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=P4675-ND

you can see it is the same one from this pic, which is the guts of a keeley modded MT-2

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v733/hudpucker/FX/guts/?action=view&current=Pc280007.jpg

[zombiwoof]

its cool.  i found those, and i also came across the caps that keeley uses in all of his mods  

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=P4675-ND

you can see it is the same one from this pic, which is the guts of a keeley modded MT-2

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v733/hudpucker/FX/guts/?action=view&current=Pc280007.jpg

Yes, those Panasonic stacked-metal film caps are often used in place of electrolytics, they are more compact then most film caps of the same value.  Even Radio Shack has a metal-film cap in 1uf if you're in the U.S., but it's quite a bit bigger than the Panasonics:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102515&numProdsPerPage=60

If you're in a hurry to get one and space isn't a consideration, you could use one of those.  But they are pretty big (250 volt vs 50 volt for the Panasonic), and twice the price.

Al

[Seven64]

now i dont know which ones to order... the digi key stacked film, the tayda tantalums, or the futurlec multilayer ceramics.  also, are the futurlec pots any good?  they are tons cheaper than other places.