[sdiy] cap question

[Colin f]

> The more important question...
> how do you identify where to be strict and where to put some slack in?

I don't believe temperature drift will make for a better sound.
The errors introduced by thermal drift may make for a nice sound, but those
errors could just as easily be tuned into a stable circuit more predictably
than by allowing thermal drift.
A good analogue synth sounds good the second you play it.
Non-linearities are a much more likely source of analogue warmth - in the
case of capacitors, these could be caused by dielectric absorption,
inductance and ESR modifying the behaviour from the ideal.
The problem with trying to build these sorts of distortions into a new
circuit is that it's very difficult to ascertain exactly what it is about
vintage circuits that makes them sound good.
It is also very difficult to separate actual differences in sound from
perceived differences in sound.
A TB303 and a TB303 clone sound much more alike in a double-blind test than
they do if you can see which is which while comparing them.
It's also easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you replace a
single component in a vintage circuit with a modern component, and cant hear
any difference, that there is no difference.
It could be that there is no perceptible difference with a single component
change, but if you gradually replace every component in the circuit with a
less noisy/leaky/inductive modern equivalent, it will lose its mojo.

Cheers,
Colin f