I saw a post in a recent thread asking if someone could modify the gain knobs on a recorder from stepped gain, to continual gain. Stepped gain exists on many kinds of units so it need not be directly a recording device, but maybe a pre-amp. Is there a way to actually mod stepped gain in to continual gain? I can't imagine it's just as easy as putting in continual-turn knobs...is it?
Essentially you would be replacing one potentiometer with another. Unless there is a really good reason to change it, I would leave it alone. But the other folks apparently disagree. The trick is doing the job without buggering it up. Send it out. 8)
Some stepped gain controls are actually switching in components rather than operating a continuous pot.
Personally, the more I live with the stepped gain of the R-44 the more I like it, but I guess it's not for everyone.
(Advantages - precise resettability, precise changing of gain across multiple channels. Disadvantages - at worst you might end up recording 5.99dB below the level you wanted - if the steps are 6dB - but the chances of that actually mattering audibly in the end result with the gear we have these days is pretty small, imho).