# Ceramic vs Film capacitor



## DrVon (May 12, 2019)

I was wondering the difference between the box type capacitors vs the ceramic capacitors within a build. I parted a build of the VHS PCB and selected ceramic type where electrolytic wasn't needed. Will that be an issue? I'm new here ?


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## zgrav (May 12, 2019)

in general, I think the box type caps are supposed to be more precise for the stated value.  I would not make a habit out of subbing ceramics for boxes in builds, but usually do it for one or two parts when I don't want to wait for to place a new order for something.   your project should work fine with the subs even if it might vary a bit from the specs.


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## DrVon (May 12, 2019)

Thanks for the reply. The issue for me was the type wasn't specific in the build doc just the value. Is there a general rule of when to use a film type? Thanks again.


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## HamishR (May 13, 2019)

I think most people would use ceramics for the pF range of values, box or geenies for the nF range and electrolytics for the µF range.  There will always be exceptions of course - sometimes I'll use a box for a 1µF, sometimes an electro.  Depends on space as much as sound considerations.

Some builders like Skreddy like to use ceramics for the nF range for the way they sound in a fuzz circuit.  In my amps I like to use silver mica for the pF caps but they're generally too big for pedals.  They have a lovely smooth sound compared to ceramic, but some guys prefer the sound of ceramic and a lot of people wouldn't notice any difference!


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## Chuck D. Bones (May 14, 2019)

Indeed!  At the frequencies and signal levels in pedals, most of us would be hard-pressed to hear the difference between any of the capacitor types. That being said, the last thing I want is for any component to make unexpected changes to the sound. Ceramic caps can be noisy, and the ones rated below 100V have such thin dielectric layers that they are unreliable long-term. I use silver mica, polyester or polypropylene film and tantalum for the electrolytics. The only place I use aluminum is for values above 47uF. Silver micas are kinda chubby, so I use them sparingly, only for values below 470pF.


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