Knob or Button? In the Sweetwater Service Department we hear a lot of customers who are unaware of the distinction between a button and knob or a switch and pot. It may sound silly, but we spend a lot of time explaining this to people.
Here is the lowdown: A button or knob is the plastic part that you actually touch. Buttons and knobs are cosmetic parts that are attached to, or make contact with an electronic part, which is really a switch or pot.
The switch, often called a tact (short for tactile) switch, is the actual electronic component. Rotary controls are usually potentiometers (often called pots). You also can have a rotary switch, often called a data encoder (the alpha wheel on Kurzweil products are a great example of a data encoder). In most cases if you need to replace a bad “button” or a scratchy “knob” – you really need a new switch , data encoder, or potentiometer. Though sometimes you may really need the cosmetic part. It is, therefore, important to be aware of the distinction for purposes of clear communication.