Where is the best place to put tantalum caps ?

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

I find that it's a lot less noticeable in stompboxes though.

Fp

[Fret Wire]

Big differences in tube amps. Like RG says, with bigger voltages, you hear the difference more readily. Even more personal preferences with amps, I think.

Guitars, I just use quality film caps. Panasonics are just as nice as generic "orange drops", IMHO. Never got into the bumblebee's and the vintage types.

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

I use greenies for stompboxes and they sound perfectly ok to my ears.

I only wish they were lower profile.

[aron]

>I use greenies for stompboxes and they sound perfectly ok to my ears.

Another greenie user!  

[gez]

I have used them for ps filter caps and emitter bypass caps and have been happy with them. Theoretically I should never have to change them.

Doug

Ditto, I use them for decoupling dividers etc (last longer)...

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

Another greenie user!

Everytime I need a new value I buy a 100 pack... next time I need it I will have that value at hand

Fp

[aron]

I know there are better caps than the greenie but it's not that much better. I like the smoothness of the greenie and I design around it so it's fine for me.

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

Greenies are "a lot better than good enough" for stompboxes... they also seem to have some mojo to them... not to mention they are cheap

Fp

[Roberto]

I usually place tantalum caps in all circuits that need the use of electrolitic                         capacitos. I only place aluminium electrolitic when the cap has a little DC                         polarization (1 or 2V) and the AC signal is relatively big (0.6 Vp or more).

There is not easy to hear the diferences between cap types. The +-10%   tolerance is more critical (and very audible) in many applications, like tone   circuits, than the type of cap (subtle in most cases).                  

The most notorious audio difference between two different types of caps in a A/B test is probably  a matter of tolerances if you don't match the caps       before the test.

There's a lot of "mojo" with cap types but  few people take care about tolerances.  Funny.

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

I use the "close enough" philosophy... if it says 0.047uF and I have 0.05... I use 0.05

[Joe Kramer]

Hi!

Also, don't forget the usefulness of tantalums in power supply decoupling.  Again because of their low ESR and good high freq characteristics, they're excellent at filtering out garbage on the power lines.  Just make sure you use a high enough voltage rating and orient them the correct way or else POW!

Joe

[bwanasonic]

I tried replacing the tants with metal films in the tone section of my TS, using the misplaced audiophile concept of *better* sound. I found it totally neutered and lobotomized the character of the TS. So I would advise using tants there. I have never A/B 'd my Orange Squeezer build using tants, with another that used electros, but tants are allegedly part of the OS tone recipe. I tried a 4u7 tant for the emitter bypass in a sili-face II build, and it was a little weird sounding, with almost a ringy/microphonic quality.

Kerry M

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

For audiphiles distortion is a bad thing!

:lol:

[vanhansen]

Hi!

Also, don't forget the usefulness of tantalums in power supply decoupling.  Again because of their low ESR and good high freq characteristics, they're excellent at filtering out garbage on the power lines.  Just make sure you use a high enough voltage rating and orient them the correct way or else POW!

Joe

I didn't know tants had to be oriented a certain way like electro's.  How do you tell with tants?  With electro's I can tell no problem but not so much with tants.  Is one lead longer than the other?  I like the idea of using something other than an elector to filter the power supply in my circuits.

[Doug_H]

I didn't know tants had to be oriented a certain way like electro's.  How do you tell with tants?  With electro's I can tell no problem but not so much with tants.  Is one lead longer than the other?  I like the idea of using something other than an elector to filter the power supply in my circuits.

They are marked similar to an electro: one lead longer, "+++" or "---" on the casing near one lead, etc. You may have to use a magnifying glass to read the writing on the casing, since it is very small.

They will pop if you reverse the polarity, even at 9v. I did that and blew a hole in the side of one.

Doug

[vanhansen]

Thanks, Doug.  I learn something new everyday.  

[Fret Wire]

Even if you only briefly accidently power one up reversed, sometimes they might not pop. Throw it out anyways, they are extremely intolorant of reverse voltage.

[gez]

Safety goggles, row of tants all reversed, apply power...21 cap salute!

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

I've never had a polarized cap blow because of reverse voltage (not that it won't happen, it's just that I haven't connected one backwards yet that I know of). But I have seen caps blow up in a column of smoke and whistle loudly when more than rated voltage is applied to them!

Fp

[Danny G]

I finally socketed the tone cap in a BMP I built (had to use 2 different SIZES of sockets, heh).  I tried a ceramic, a silver mica and a poly film for the 3900pf tone cap.  

The ceramic sounded the best.  Just had a bit more "growl" to it.  

I usually use silver micas in place of ceramic and tants in place of small value electros.  I haven't A/B'ed them for sound, but that's what many builders seem to prefer.