Electronic – Is it possible to scale +5v : -5v AC to effectively 0:0 with a potentiometer

potentiometer

I'm a hobbyist so my theoretical knowledge surrounding electronics is pretty limited.

I'm working on modifying a synthesizer that uses a sine wave control signal whose frequency is in the sub-audio range. The signal peaks at -5v & 5v, and is used to control things like pitch and amplitude of a signal.

I would like to add a potentiometer or some other control to the circuit so that this signal can be attenuated by the person playing the instrument. I would like it so that the potentiometer could allow the signal's amplitude to be changed over time, depending on how the user turns the knob/moves the slider.

To further clarify I've attached an image.

enter image description here

the blue line represents 0v, and the red line is to illustrate the scaling function as it works over time.

My uncertainty is about whether or not a simple circuit can achieve this, and if it is as simple as using ohm's law how I apply it in this situation to pick the proper resistance of a potentiometer.

Best Answer

Your low-frequency control signal is no different than any other audio signal. You can control it with a simple potentiometer in the conventional way:

schematic

simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab

The chosen resistance of the potentiometer depends on the circuit you connect it to. Usually, the wave generator will have a low impedance output and so isn't much affected by the choice of resistance (at "input"). So use a pot that compares reasonably to the input impedance of the stage that follows (connected to "output"). Note the resistance decreases anyway as the control is adjusted to a minimum.