Volume control for my desk

[The Vinyl Adventure]

I have to give the audio inovations l1 pre back to work as I can't afford to buy it for the money they want.
I have discovered that I can plug my gainclones directly into the v-dac I'm now using in the office.
The problem is, I'm relying on the first small amount of control in fobar's volume to control it ... Not ideal, so, I thought I'd make a volume control to sit on my desk...
Bit of diy thy even a numpty like me can do?

Where's the best place to get bits I might need from, and what bits might be good for quite small money?

[leo]

If the cables from the pre to the amp isn't too long and if you can get away with a passive pre (no active buffer or linestage) you could build something pretty cheap, all you need is a pot or stepped attenuator , bits of screened cable, phono sockets and a small enclosure to stick it in.
Obviously if you want an active buffer or line stage with gain it makes things more complicated and expensive

[Ali Tait]

Hi-fi collective.Buy an Alps Blue and some phonos for in/out,a box to put it in,and wire it up.Cheap,and will sound just fine.

[Ali Tait]

Great minds and all that! :lol:

[leo]

Good timing :lolsign:

He could also try the shunt mod too if he uses the Alps blue

[leo]

Excellent article here on the WD site for the shunt mod with a few helpful diagrams http://www.wduk.worldomain.net/forum/showthread.php?t=198

Alps blue and plenty of others http://www.hificollective.co.uk/components/potentiometers.html

Alps blue pin out
http://www.hificollective.co.uk/images/alps27layout.jpg

Knob
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=knob&source=15


Lots of suitable little enclosures to choose from
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=69743&MenuName=Instrument Cases

or if you want plastic
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=69740&MenuName=Plastic Enclosures

Phono sockets
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1011

Bit cheaper ones without insulated washer
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1010

massive choice of cable, go cheap or expensive, whatever you like there

[Ali Tait]

Aye,good idea Leo.Does reduce gain though.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Leo, Ali, ledge!
Yeah, I was thinking a passive pre... It's gotta be really small, as small is possible. Im gonna get my mate to make a box out of a bit of aluminium I think!

[Ali Tait]

You should be able to make it 2 or 3 inches square if you want it that small.Plus the vol knob of course!

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Coolio, what value of pot is best?

[Ali Tait]

100k should be fine.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

bought all the bits today.. nice little black case from maplins and some resistors and some wire and a knob and sockets and a little bit of that board stuff the same as in the picture on that other forum... just gotta wait for my pot now.. im quite exited... i even sounded like i know what i was talking about in maplins i think .... maybe not ... they only had small knobs and i wanted a big knob so i said id buy the small one for now and buy a bigger knob off the internet... we did have a geeky chuckle me and the lad in maplins...
nearly ready to actually try and make something my self... as completely basic as it is il still prob fuck it up though... seems to be the order of the day at the mo for me :doh: