[sdiy] microcontroller MIDI sequencer

[Glen]

At 07:37 PM 3/19/03 , John L Marshall wrote:
>Or quantize.
>

Yes, but quantizing alone will not provide the tactile feedback of a
12-step detented potentiometer. A 12-position switch will. 

The only potentially serious disadvantage is not being able to select
values "between the detents." If this is a problem, you could add a normal
potentiometer as a "fine tuning" control. If you want the fine tuning range
to be bipolar ( +/- ) then you should consider using a pot with a single,
center-detent. Otherwise use a normal non-detented pot, and keep the fine
tuning confined to either plus or minus adjustments, but not both.

At this point you are probably wondering, "why not just use a 12-step
detented pot?" Well if money is tight and you can find a cheap supply of
such pots, then go ahead. It would save one control. However, the separate
switch and fine-tuning pot will allow for more precise adjustment of the
exact value. Detented pots tend to be awkward to set to values near, but
not exactly on, the detented value.

My last suggestion is to modify a conventional detented pot by replacing
the detented cam inside the unit with a home-made cam, having 12 detents.
This might be very difficult to do properly, but it would give you exactly
what you wanted.

Later,
Glen