I am just trying to verify when to use log and linear pots in proto circuits. I cam across a piano key push button gadget from Gadgetronics . In it there are 2 pots working off a MAX038 function generator chip.
Both pots are 10k. My question is iif the output circuit is going to a 8 ohm 1 watt speaker, do you use a 10k log pot there. Basically what is the criteria for using eith pot styles, is what I am asking , thanks
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When designing circuits I think about how pot affects its parameter (eg gain, frequency, whatever it does) and what kind of curve would fit it best. When prototyping, I just use linear pots for everything.
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The type of pot (log or lin) depends on what kind of sensitivity do you want. If you want it to be more sensitive in the âlowerâ part (left, or counter clock wise), you should use a log pot. A lot of people use log pots for the audio level, because the human ear reacts non-linearly to sound intensity (volume). That means that if you increase the amplitude of a signal by a factor of 10, it only âfeelsâ like it doubled in volume. Therefore a log pot can feel more natural there. Log pots are also often used for the decay in simple envelope generators, because you might want more control in the short range of the decay.
As @TimMJN says, you should prototype with a linear pot and then decide if you feel like you would want more sensitivity in a certain inverval 
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This question has been discussed here before. Hereâs one brief but productive discussion from last February:
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