1590G 4:1 Compressor diodes....

[Drew Hallenbeck]

Build doc calls for BAT-46 diodes. I have a bunch of BAT-41's right now. From what I can gather the 41's forward bias voltage is a bit higher than a typical germanium. Brian said he chose the 46's because they're closer to the low germanium forward bias voltage.
I could order some 46's but I'd like to get this one going. Would the 41's be close enough to give em a whirl?
I suppose I could "socket and see" but I really want to keep everything as small and close to the board as possible.

[madbean]

I have not built it with BAT41. It would work you might lose a little sensitivity in the attack/response of the compression but my guess is it's not going to be night and day difference. You could always use 1n34a or 1n270 if you have them. I just stayed away from them here because they are a bit tall. They might fit in the enclosure...I'm not positive. You might be able to solder them on the bottom side of the PCB, too.

[Drew Hallenbeck]

Thanks Brian.
I think I might try to use some sockets and give the 41's a try. I do have a few germanium diodes kicking about but I think I'd rather save those for various dirt boxes.
I'm going to need to put in another parts order soon enough so I might as well just grab a good handful of the 46's while I'm at it.
If I manage to give both types a try in the 4:1 I'll be sure to report back if there's any real noticeable difference.