Originally published at: KnobFeel: reviews focusing on the tactile properties of knobs, dials and controls | Boing Boing
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Come on. At least give us a bit of a challenge.
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… I’m a sucker for fine knobs.
Me too.
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A common complaint on car sites is the lack of feel of infotainment systems.
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KnobFeel
aka PornHub
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My mom has an excellent Marantz stereo system with individual components that she bought with the advice of the neighbor several decades ago. We had to fix the tuning dial for the receiver once, and found out the smooth dialing was simply due to a looped piece of string. 
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Whatever turns you on, I guess.
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Remember to keep a can of pot cleaner around, super useful when your knob gets a bit sticky.
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On a good day, I spend hours turning the knobs on my favorite piece of analog electronics:
so many 10-turn potentiometers
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And then there are examples of profound anti-knobbage, such as the early PC-based oscilloscopes where you turned on-screen “knobs” by dragging the knob pointer in a circle with your mouse! Terrible!
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I saw that very recently in a piece of PC sound recording software when it updated. Utterly inoperable. I had to revert to the old version.
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Plus it has a big, heavy flywheel to engage the cord. Marantz was famous for the tuning wheel protruding edgewise from the faceplate and the smooth spin.
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I have to do this on my Sony (from 1972). It is (was) originally monofilament line, like fishing line, but string might be easier to do.
One of the things I wanted when I bought this (it’s a cheapish tuner/speakers setup, about $180 back then) was smooth action on the knobs, and this has it. Still. I’m listening to internet radio thru it right now.
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I can’t believe I never blogged about KnobFeel during its lifespan (the site hasn’t been updated in a long time)
Thankfully it seems the YouTube channel is alive and well: https://www.youtube.com/@KnobFeel/videos
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… wait, they sell “potentiometer cleaner” in cans?
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They did many years ago, spray cans, used them in the arcade I worked in…
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This website acquires an extra frisson for UK based readers, to whom the word ‘knob’ is a slightly vulgar slang term for the intromissive organ
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