Audio Taper is increasing frequency? WHY? GRRRR.....

Thread Starter

Doomera

Joined Jan 7, 2016
10
I have a simple 555 timer, using a capacitor and two linear 10k pots as the resistors.
Standard stuff for most of you who will reply.

I am completely new to this. I am one of those people who needs to know how things work from ground up to fully understand it.
I want to make my own synths, filters and such... So I understand most concepts I will need, and what I don't understand makes sense as the small gaps in my understanding are completed through people who help, like you.
What I don't understand is this:

If I attach an audio taper to a speaker cable (if I remember correctly from my younger years) it would turn down the volume(gain) of the music.
Yet this little device, it tapers the gain, but also decreases the frequency of the pulse simultaneously.

My question, is how do I decrease the volume without decreasing the pulse interval? (frequency).
 

MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
I have a simple 555 timer, using a capacitor and two linear 10k pots as the resistors.
Standard stuff for most of you who will reply.

I am completely new to this. I am one of those people who needs to know how things work from ground up to fully understand it.
I want to make my own synths, filters and such... So I understand most concepts I will need, and what I don't understand makes sense as the small gaps in my understanding are completed through people who help, like you.
What I don't understand is this:

If I attach an audio taper to a speaker cable (if I remember correctly from my younger years) it would turn down the volume(gain) of the music.
Yet this little device, it tapers the gain, but also decreases the frequency of the pulse simultaneously.

My question, is how do I decrease the volume without decreasing the pulse interval? (frequency).
No simple answer without seeing your schematic and parts values...
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,159
What frequency? What pulse? Could you possibly be more obtuse, in thinking that your verbal description would be adequate to describe a circuit with a problem. How about a schematic of what you are working with. BTW a resistor or a pot is generally not capable of directly doing anything with frequency. Have you ever seen a resistor whose value depended on frequency?
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
I have a simple 555 timer, using a capacitor and two linear 10k pots as the resistors.
Standard stuff for most of you who will reply.

I am completely new to this. I am one of those people who needs to know how things work from ground up to fully understand it.
I want to make my own synths, filters and such... So I understand most concepts I will need, and what I don't understand makes sense as the small gaps in my understanding are completed through people who help, like you.
What I don't understand is this:

If I attach an audio taper to a speaker cable (if I remember correctly from my younger years) it would turn down the volume(gain) of the music.
Yet this little device, it tapers the gain, but also decreases the frequency of the pulse simultaneously.

My question, is how do I decrease the volume without decreasing the pulse interval? (frequency).

In general, are you connecting it something like this?

image.jpg
 

Thread Starter

Doomera

Joined Jan 7, 2016
10
Essentially. I am using just two pots for resistors, 1 is on pin 6 and7, the other is on pin 7 and ground.
Then i have a capacitor on 2 and ground and the rest of the logic connections. Output is connected to output.
There are no other circuits. I am using a 5v input source.
 

Thread Starter

Doomera

Joined Jan 7, 2016
10
What frequency? What pulse? Could you possibly be more obtuse, in thinking that your verbal description would be adequate to describe a circuit with a problem. How about a schematic of what you are working with. BTW a resistor or a pot is generally not capable of directly doing anything with frequency. Have you ever seen a resistor whose value depended on frequency?
Please don't message back again. You are quite rude.
 

Thread Starter

Doomera

Joined Jan 7, 2016
10
What frequency? What pulse? Could you possibly be more obtuse, in thinking that your verbal description would be adequate to describe a circuit with a problem. How about a schematic of what you are working with. BTW a resistor or a pot is generally not capable of directly doing anything with frequency. Have you ever seen a resistor whose value depended on frequency?
Sorry, actually I think you were not intending to sound rude. I understand what a resistor does, I assumed that people responding would understand the circuit based on explanation. Turning either of the pots, increases the frequency of pulses, by increasing or decreasing, through resistance, the speed at which the capacitor is charged and discharged.
Now that we have got the semantics out of the way, let us assume that when I am referring to frequency, that I am actually, for the sake of brevity of explanation, referring to the amount of resistance applied through the potentiometer causing a decrease/increase in voltage delivered to the capacitor, resulting in a decrease/increase in speed at which the 555 triggers the discharge in the capacitor, sending a electric signal from the 555's output pin to the speaker.

Now, what I dont understand, is how to decrease the volume of the signal without decreasing the frequency of the discharge.
I have tried inserting a pot on the speaker directly, as I would with a standard speaker, however in this application it still ends up decreasing the discharge frequency.
 

SLK001

Joined Nov 29, 2011
1,549
Use the pot as a voltage divider on the output pin, like Gopher showed in his circuit above. That configuration whould have no effect on the freq.
 

Thread Starter

Doomera

Joined Jan 7, 2016
10
Use the pot as a voltage divider on the output pin, like Gopher showed in his circuit above. That configuration whould have no effect on the freq.
That's what I have done, which is why I am frustrated at the result. It does turn down the volume, whilst simultaneously lowering the frequency. I may try and post a video later.
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,159
Sorry, actually I think you were not intending to sound rude. I understand what a resistor does, I assumed that people responding would understand the circuit based on explanation. Turning either of the pots, increases the frequency of pulses, by increasing or decreasing, through resistance, the speed at which the capacitor is charged and discharged.
Now that we have got the semantics out of the way, let us assume that when I am referring to frequency, that I am actually, for the sake of brevity of explanation, referring to the amount of resistance applied through the potentiometer causing a decrease/increase in voltage delivered to the capacitor, resulting in a decrease/increase in speed at which the 555 triggers the discharge in the capacitor, sending a electric signal from the 555's output pin to the speaker.

Now, what I dont understand, is how to decrease the volume of the signal without decreasing the frequency of the discharge.
I have tried inserting a pot on the speaker directly, as I would with a standard speaker, however in this application it still ends up decreasing the discharge frequency.
My attack was on the futility of using a natural language, eg. English, French, German, or Serbo-Croatian, to describe an electronic circuit. There is only one lingua franca for this purpose and that is the schematic diagram. It should be legible and contain essential information like pin numbers and pin names.
 

Thread Starter

Doomera

Joined Jan 7, 2016
10
My attack was on the futility of using a natural language, eg. English, French, German, or Serbo-Croatian, to describe an electronic circuit. There is only one lingua franca for this purpose and that is the schematic diagram. It should be legible and contain essential information like pin numbers and pin names.
It is quite ignorant to assume that everyone knows this language. This is a forum for people coming to you for help, many of which could be students like myself, in their first few months (or first week like myself) of school.
If you want to help people, the first step is understanding that everyone is on a different level. Getting annoyed at them for not having the same level of understanding as you is primitive and demonstrates a lack of self discipline or concern for the needs of others.

I am not trying to be condescending in saying this, what I am saying is that we are all at different levels, and the way you reacted compared to the other four guys who kindly asked me to give a schematic almost made me leave this site and never come back.
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,159
It is quite ignorant to assume that everyone knows this language.

I don't think so. It is hard to get very far in this field without seeing a basic schematic diagram. Once you see your first one, you cannot help but be amazed at the compact and efficient method of information transfer. Get off your high horse and get with the program. Pictures gooood, words - not so much.
 
Last edited:

ScottWang

Joined Aug 23, 2012
7,397
It is quite ignorant to assume that everyone knows this language. This is a forum for people coming to you for help, many of which could be students like myself, in their first few months (or first week like myself) of school.
If you want to help people, the first step is understanding that everyone is on a different level. Getting annoyed at them for not having the same level of understanding as you is primitive and demonstrates a lack of self discipline or concern for the needs of others.

I am not trying to be condescending in saying this, what I am saying is that we are all at different levels, and the way you reacted compared to the other four guys who kindly asked me to give a schematic almost made me leave this site and never come back.
The helper just trying help you, what they asked is quite normal in ee area, we use circuit to just where is wrong, if you can't provide the schematic then how can they help you, you should thanks them not blame them, if there is no any circuit then it just using the imagination?

What you should do is not push them away, you just fellow and do as what they said.
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
It is quite ignorant to assume that everyone knows this language. This is a forum for people coming to you for help, many of which could be students like myself, in their first few months (or first week like myself) of school.
If you want to help people, the first step is understanding that everyone is on a different level. Getting annoyed at them for not having the same level of understanding as you is primitive and demonstrates a lack of self discipline or concern for the needs of others.

I am not trying to be condescending in saying this, what I am saying is that we are all at different levels, and the way you reacted compared to the other four guys who kindly asked me to give a schematic almost made me leave this site and never come back.
If you would decide your interest is in architecture, wouldn't you think it is normal that you would be able to sketch a floor plan or a building facade? The very idea that you plan to move forward with a project before you even attempt to learn what components are which, what their schematic symbol is, how to find a datasheet is very telli about your intellect and (lack) of motivation. Your actions scream "Learn Me", meaning that you expect that your access to the Internet (and this site) entitles you to be spoon fed. I have already attempted the spoon feeding and not even feedback from you that you attempted to recreate that circuit - a circuit that works perfectly by the way and can do everything you asked.

So, instead of blaming people for having any expectations of you, why don't you pick yourself up by your bootstraps and have some expectations of yourself. I, like the rest of the regulars around here treat people with respect until they show they deserve none. You are about 80% of the way to showing how little respect you deserve.
 
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