[Kyle_C]

I have some older moving-magnet cartridges that might need 200-600pF for the most neutral, flattest response. I have some cheap disc capacitors pretty much just like these: http://cgi.ebay.com/5pF-10pF-15pF-1000pF-1KV-DISC-CAPACITORS-U-PICK-/290461064920?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item895ef522c9

Can I use them or do I need something else? Can I put them on RCA plugs to use with a Y-connector like I do with resistors when I need to alter the impedance? Or do they have be soldered in elsewhere? Thanks.

[Brinkman]

Do you know the capacitanced of your tonearm wire?
Can you measure the capacitance of you RCA cables from your tonearm to the Bugle?
The input capacitance of the Bugle is about 15pF. All these capacitances are in parallel so they can all be summed to figure your total capacitive loading.

It is not unusual for RCA cables to have around 50pF per foot. If you have 1 meter runs, that's about 3 feet or 150pF already. Your tonearm wire is probably around 50pF. So if I'm close, you're already theoretically around 215pF loading. Doubling the length of the RCA cables in my hypothetical model would up it to 365pF if you see where I'm going...

[Kyle_C]

Total capacitance from headshell to Bugle is less than 75pF. I use a 3-foot Blue Jeans BJC-1 cable (12.2pF/ft). The tonearm wiring itself is also low-capacitance, under 20pF. That's optimal for an AT cartridge I frequently use.

[Brinkman]

Hey. I use the same Blue Jeans cable. Good stuff.
I suppose you should just shunt some capacitance to ground at the inside of the input jacks. I'd teflon the leads and shield the jacks and caps with some EMI/RFI shielding. Still might be noisy...

Let us know how it goes.

BTW, I picked up some variable caps from: www.midnightscience.com/catalog5.html. I plan on using them with my piccolo and audacity to "fine-tune" for carts.

[poty]

I have some older moving-magnet cartridges that might need 200-600pF for the most neutral, flattest response. I have some cheap disc capacitors ... Can I use them or do I need something else?

Yes, you can. It doesn't mean that they will be optimal, maybe you'll find other type of capacitors (polypropilene, PIO...) more adequate. It only means that they work at the position.

Can I put them on RCA plugs to use with a Y-connector like I do with resistors when I need to alter the impedance? Or do they have be soldered in elsewhere? Thanks.

From the manual: "There are two unused resistor locations on the board, R16 and R34, where you can solder in whatever load resistance you need." You can use this locations to solder the caps also.

[Brinkman]

From the manual: "There are two unused resistor locations on the board, R16 and R34, where you can solder in whatever load resistance you need." You can use this locations to solder the caps also.

Good call Poty! I completely forgot about those unused locations.
I'd look for polystyrene caps in those pF values. It's closer to a teflon cap than polypropylene, and even better if you find some with foil plates.

[poty]

I'd look for polystyrene caps in those pF values. It's closer to a teflon cap than polypropylene, and even better if you find some with foil plates.

Yes, fully agree. I just mixed up the right word in English! 

[hagtech]

I would try it without any added loading.  It probably sounds far better without the capacitors.  Ignore the recommendation of the older cartridge. 

jh