Do you think that the effect of tolerance compounding (of resistor values) in an amps or pedal circuit has a significant effect on the tone and response of the circuit?
I have done some reading on amp and pedal build forums where it has been claimed that some builders take the time to measure and select the value of each resistor, ensuring that it is the exact value as that on the schematic of the original, prior to soldering it into the circuit.
Taking that each resistor in a circuit has a tolerance of 5% or 10%, would that have that much of an effect on what the amp sounds like?
Comments
Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I have run response checks (latterly with the Neutrik A1 testset, no slouch!) on scores if not over a hundred amps and pedals.
If a response in the 100Hz to 10kHz band is out by more than 2dB it was always because the board was wrongly stuffed (V rare) or (rare but more common) the specification was out of whack due to wrong revision or typo!
IIRC the resistors were 5% jobbies and the caps 10% but I will try to check that. If anyone wants to do the math take a CR combination and check the response at all four tolerance "corners" with "F(3dB)= 1/2pi.C.R" and I am pretty sure you will find that for the above tolerances it don't matter a lot. I can't be fekkin' arsed!
Then, where you have cut and boost circuits around amplifiers that go into distortion the frequency response becomes level sensitive! And what guitar amp does NOT get distorted?
AND! As if all that bllx wasn't enough the classic tone stack is VERY interactive!
If you are building audiophile RIAA pre amps tolerances become important * but we's only into Rock and Roll!
*D.Self: Small Signal Amplifiers
Dave.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
(Yeah I know ICBM got there first, but still)