# Potentiometer range on the super simple oscillator

**URL:** <https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323>\
**Category:** DIY STUFF\
**Created:** [June 28, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323 "2020-06-28T20:26:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Caustic](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/caustic/32/15588_2.png) [@Caustic](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Caustic)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 1:06am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323/21 "2021-07-13T01:06:28Z")

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Sharing a pic along with your question will help! It should be a simple thing.

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**Author:** ![Dud](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/dud/32/610_2.png) [@Dud](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Dud)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 8:38am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323/22 "2021-07-13T08:38:09Z")

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Welcome here 🙂

if you have wired thinking that the pot was seen from behind on the schem, and you want the reverse, just imagine that the pot is seen from the front.

 ![SIMPLE+OSCILLATOR+AND+FILTER](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/lookmumnocomputer/original/2X/4/4c63f7c107b5190d61fc5bf0830e04b5e0b0fa3e.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![sebastian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sebastian/32/39_2.png) [@sebastian](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/sebastian)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 11:18am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323/23 "2021-07-13T11:18:48Z")

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Yeah, to reverse the direction you usually need to swap the outer connections, leaving the center untouched. I am not sure if that alway works, but I guess so 🙂

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**Author:** ![Caustic](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/caustic/32/15588_2.png) [@Caustic](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Caustic)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323/24 "2021-07-13T14:16:16Z")

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It has to do with where the wiper sits on a resistive material. By swapping 1 and 3 you swap where the ground and reference voltage is, which changes the polarity. if 1 were gnd and 3 were 12 v, if the wiper were positioned where it is, it could be like 5v on the output pin 2 or something. If 2 were 12v and 3 were gnd, the wiper might read like 8v.

![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/lookmumnocomputer/original/2X/5/58d1097af398f62e32ecd2dd87081ffb44013a96.png)

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**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 2:29pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323/25 "2021-07-13T14:29:15Z")

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That’s if it’s linear taper, of course. With audio taper it would still be reversed direction when you swap 1 and 3, but it’d also go from log to reverse log behavior.

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**Author:** ![Caustic](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/caustic/32/15588_2.png) [@Caustic](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Caustic)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 3:17pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323/26 "2021-07-13T15:17:23Z")

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Oh right, didn’t think about that case. Mostly cause I didn’t know.

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**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 3:21pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323/27 "2021-07-13T15:21:39Z")

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“Wow, you’re such an expert on what happens when pots are wired backwards! How did you learn all this?”

“Well…”

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**Author:** ![SolderIBarelyKnowHer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/solderibarelyknowher/32/15768_2.png) [@SolderIBarelyKnowHer](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/SolderIBarelyKnowHer)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2021, 3:07am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/potentiometer-range-on-the-super-simple-oscillator/1323/28 "2021-07-17T03:07:12Z")

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Thanks all for the quick (and helpful) responses! After taking a couple days away, came back and saw errors in my placement of the 100k pot vs the 47nf cap (yes, even super-simple isn’t idiot-proof!) … then tried the ‘reverse what you see in the diagram’ approach for the pot that you recommended.  
All good now and making happy little buzzing sounds (the oscillator, not me.)  
Thanks again! 🙂 😃

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