electrolytic caps VS. tantalum caps

[hardcore misery]

which of those are better to use in high gain pedals?(ex.MT2)

[brian wampler]

my preference is electrolytics if you have to choose between the two.
bw

[diggum12]

I've got a little saying that I stick by:  You just CAN'T with a TANT.

I hate 'em.  That's sad for me to say Electrolytics are preferred.  But unless the space is so tiny that I can only work with a tantalum, I'll avoid them if at all possible. 

[hardcore misery]

there are some contradictions from here, hope this helps for us!

http://www.electro-tech-online.com/general-electronics-chat/26407-electrolytic-caps-vs-tantalum-caps.html

[diggum12]

Thanks harcore misery.  That's a VERY good debate going there.  Good info.  Still, that's a totally different spectrum than what we are referring to.  I'm just talking purely about tone.  Although Tantalums have tighter tolerances and so called "shelf life," I just don't like the way they sound.  That's not to say electrolytics  sound better. 

Still, the high gain you are referring to probably has not as much to do with the Caps, and has more to do with the clipping stage.   

[brian wampler]

That sort of idealiolgy frustrates me (on the link to that other forum). Yes, tantalums have their place but they have a certain 'sound' when used in the signal path especially. They also have a certain 'feel'. My preference is that I just don't like them. Keeley uses them in the bd-2 in places that are out of the signal path mainly. I don't like them there either, it just seems too "stiff". Of course, I don't care for silver mica's in pedals for a similar reason though, I prefer a good old poly film cap or metal film cap. Sometimes I even like (gasp!) ceramics...they have a certain graininess that I like form some circuits.

This is all opinion though...there certainly isn't a 'wrong' or 'right' in this case, just a 'wrong' or 'right' for the individual person/circuit/and  tonal desire.

Hope that helps!

bw

[diggum12]

My point exactly Brian.   And I am with you on the Ceramics too.  I only use them in one pedal, on one mod only, that I can think of.  But it gives a tone for that one purpose that only a ceramic can provide.   I'm not much of a silver Mica cap guy, but again...opinion.  Keeley likes 'em and so do his customers, so there's nothing wrong with that. 

And in case anyone is wondering, I use a .0047 ceramic cap across the lugs of the gain pot on a Daddy O.  But it's modified everywhere else too, so just that alone may actually screw up your sound. 

Modders, if you are having trouble with your gain on a pedal being quirky/unresponsive/unpredictable, try putting a small cap across the Gain pot.  Experiment with the value.  It's good for holding the top end (or sometimes the entire EQ) intact when turning down the gain, just like on a guitar's volume pot.