Audio balance control suggestions

[radiomate]

I want to include an audio balance control in an FM stereo receiver I am building. Left and right audio signals feed the top of two 50K volume controls (ganged pots). The pots' cursors feed the inputs of a stereo IC amplifier. The balance control will be a 10K pot connected in parallel with the top of the 2 volume pots, with the 10K pot cursor going to ground.

Is 10K a good value for the balance control? I have a feeling it should be smaller, but I don't want to shunt the audio too much. With the balance pot cursor in the middle, the volume pots are shunted with 5K resistors.

Any suggestions about the value of the balance pot or other setups for an audio balance control would be appreciated. Thanks!

My homebrew receivers: http://www.midcenturyradios.com/Radios-HM.html

 

[crutschow]

There's a good article at https://www.angelfire.com/electronic/funwithtubes/Amp-Bal.html the discusses balance controls. The author prefers the control on the right in the schematic but it requires a ganged pot. The one on the left is more like your design. Notice that it has some resistors on the left. Your circuit loads down whatever is driving the pots. If that's a low impedance output amp, you'll need the added resistors.

The value of the pots are for tube circuits and you would probably want to reduce their value proportionally for your circuit if it's solid-state.