Verdict: The Mesa/Boogie Powerhouse Reactive Amp Load Attenuator is a great option for those looking for a good amp reactive load box and attenuator. With the OX, you can even skip the cabinet and play direct or with some headphones plugged in. I tested the MASS with a 1972 Marshall 100 watt Super Lead as well a 1972 Hiwatt DR103 . Phone Hours | Here's a quick summary of the process: Amplifier (preamp and power amp) are plugged directly into attenuator; Attenuator replaces the speaker and handles the ohm load of the amplifier This unit also features a Speaker/Load switch so you can choose between playing via your speaker cabinet or using this units internal reactive load. Additionally, this unit also gives you 10 onboard effects. Another concern is how do you know about the quality of an attenuator, especially when you are buying it online. Also, in years past, some attenuators got a bad rap for tone suck, because the circuits of the attenuator changed the tone of the amp. In short, a fantastic option for folks that love their vintage tube amps. Thank you for your request. The AmpRX BrownBox entires design is based on the fact that tube amps are engineered to run at an optimal voltage but the standard 120 V/AC outlet current is generally too high. Amp attenuators can be the difference between a fantastic tone or a mediocre one. #1 I have searched and not found the answer i was looking for, so apologies if this has been asked and answered before. These tools are of great help for tube amps, particularly vintage model s. Attenuators can be used with combo amps as well as separate amp heads. Built to last, this amp attenuator offers five levels of attenuation and true bypass as well. For instance, you can connect a pair of 8-ohm cabs using the 4-ohm speaker out on your amp. Attenuator between amp and speaker : audiophile - Reddit Another method is to use a tapped transformer. Four rubber feet provide plenty of clearance for resting on top of your amp. Installing an attenuator is intuitive and follows a similar logic to connecting a pedal to the amp. Besides giving you a great tone, the PSE1 also allows you to use speaker impulse responses in your DAW. 1 - Buy an external DAC - Cost too much for me and don't want to add anything more to my setup yet. Z Airbrake, and THD . This as I understand is not the right way because the potentiometer required will have to handle 80 watts of power, and thats why a volume knob is used at the input of amplifier instead of output. Attenuate Speaker Output - How? | AVForums Sweetwater Sound, 5501 U.S. Hwy 30 W, Fort Wayne, IN 46818 Get Directions | Phone Hours | Store Hours, If you have any questions, please call us at (800) 222-4700. Please click below to login. 2 - Attenuate the output to the speakers since the background noise do not change with volume this will kill the noise all together. The Best Guitar Power Attenuators in 2022 | Top Reviews by Bestcovery Learn More. A versatile and complete solution for discerning players. about Attenuators & Simulators, Turn your old gear into new gear with the Sweetwater Gear Exchange! An attenuator is a piece of gear that goes between your tube amp's output and speaker to mitigate volume without sacrificing that sweet-spot character. They may be on the same cable (e.g. Using it to get the best out of the amp is another thing just like its not enough to add a pedal to your rig for it to sound great without turning the knobs. On the other hand, if all you want is to have your amps sweet spot reproduced at a lower volume, then a simpler attenuator should do. M+ Speaker Simulator Pedal, DSM Humboldt Electronics Simplifier mk2 Zero-watt Stereo Amplifier, Two Notes ReVolt Guitar Amp Simulator Pedal, Two Notes ReVolt Bass Amp Simulator Pedal, IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal and Capture Bundle, Two Notes Torpedo Captor Reactive Loadbox DI and Attenuator - 16-ohm, Two Notes Torpedo Captor Reactive Loadbox DI and Attenuator - 8-ohm, Behringer Ultra-G GI100 1-channel Active Guitar Direct Box, DSM Humboldt Electronics Simplifier Zero Watt Stereo Amplifier, Boss WAZA Tube Amp Expander Amplifier Attenuator, AmpRX BrownBox II Tube Amplifier Input Voltage Attenuator, Friedman Mic No Mo Passive Cabinet Simulator, SPL Reducer - Passive Power Soak For Guitar & Bass Amplifiers, Hughes & Kettner Red Box 5 DI and Speaker Simulator, Dr. Z Brake-Lite Install 45-watt Attenuator, AmpRX Backline Power Station - 2U 1200-watt, Two Notes Torpedo Captor Reactive Loadbox DI and Attenuator - 4-ohm, Dr. Z Brake-Lite Stand Alone 45-watt Attenuator, ENGL Amplifiers Cabloader Cabinet Simulator Pedal, Radial Headload Prodigy Speaker Load Box with DI & EQ, Rivera RockCrusher Gold Face Power Attenuator/Load Box for Amps, Mesa/Boogie CabClone IR Reactive Load & IR Cab Simulator - 4 ohm, Mesa/Boogie CabClone IR Reactive Load & IR Cab Simulator - 16 ohm, Rivera RockCrusher Recording Power Attenuator with 11-Band EQ Speaker Emulator, Mesa/Boogie CabClone IR+ Reactive Load Attenuator & IR Cab Simulator - 4 ohm, Mesa/Boogie CabClone IR+ Reactive Load Attenuator & IR Cab Simulator - 16 ohm, Mesa/Boogie CabClone IR Reactive Load & IR Cab Simulator - 8 ohm, Mesa/Boogie CabClone IR+ Reactive Load Attenuator & IR Cab Simulator - 8 ohm, Mesa/Boogie POWERHOUSE Reactive Amp Load Attenuator - 8-ohm, buying advice for studio and recording gear. Attenuators. Nowadays, you can fix almost any digital device with patches and some adaptor; in the analog world, experience taught me that improvising saves the day. The Powerhouse Reactive Amp Load Attenuator is built tough, with the quality that made Mesa/Boogie a legendary name among guitarists. Keep reading. How to troubleshoot/repair? There is no simpler way to put this. One of the reasons that players love tube amps is because of how inherently characterful they are, especially when driven and pushed in just the right way to just the right limits. Theres a good chance that you could poll a random selection of guitarists, and half of them are probably not entirely familiar with what a guitar power attenuator is and what it does. @calcium3000: I dont think i can. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on Reverb. To tame a beast, you need an even more powerful one if your amps output is 50 watts, the attenuator should be at least 100 watts. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. @RAN an L-Pad has the "benefit" of maintaining a constant load on the amplifier and this of course is even more wasteful but some amplifiers need this. Ron DeSantis of Florida is planning to announce the start of his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday in a live audio conversation on Twitter with Elon Musk . This is a simple roundup and curation of tube amps that have built in attenuators, that can bear a speaker load and/or allow you to play at really low volume while maintaining the tone profile of the amp. That way you can use a little guy for volume control. Jul 15, 2020. Yes I understand now. Load Box, Direct Box, Attenuator, and Speaker Simulator - 8 Ohm, 100-watt Precision-compensated Reactive Power Attenuator with DI Output, Analog Cabinet Simulation, Dual Impedance Controls, Solo Mode, Presence Switch, Bypass Mode, and Line Output, Passive Effects-loop Amplifier Attenuator, Passive 30W Tube Guitar Amplifier Attenuator Pedal with Line Output, 8-ohm Operation, and Footswitchable Boost, 5A Input AC Voltage Attenuator for Full-sized Tube Amplifiers, with LCD Voltmeter, 4 Selectable Input Voltages, 4 Selectable Output Voltages, Bypass, and Braced All-metal Chassis, Load Box, Direct Box, Attenuator, and Speaker Simulator - 16 Ohm, Tone Modeler and Re-amp Box with Attenuation, Ground Lift, and 200 Presets, Speaker Cabinet Emulator Pedal with 32 Guitar and Bass Cabs, 8 Power Amplifiers, 8 Microphones, 8 Rooms, Clean Preamp, and Effects, Analog Guitar Preamplifier with 3 Amp Voicings, Power Amp Sim, Stereo Cab Sim, Presence and Resonance Controls, Reberb, 1/8" Aux Input, and 1/8" Headphone Output, Cab Sim and IR Loader Pedal with 25 Built-in IRs and 74 Additional Slots, 3-channel Guitar Preamp Pedal with 12AX7 Tube, FX Loop, MIDI I/O, and Analog Cab Sim, 3-channel Bass Preamp Pedal with 12AX7 Tube, FX Loop, MIDI I/O, and Analog Cab Sim, Tone Modeler and Re-amp Box with Attenuation, Ground Lift, and 200 Presets and Guitar/Bass Pedal for AI Machine Modeled Amps, Cabs, Stomps with Onboard FX, Midi, VIR Cabs and Custom IR Loader, Guitar Amplifier Simulator and Impulse Response Loader Pedal, Load Box, Direct Box, Attenuator, and Speaker Simulator - 16 ohm, Load Box, Direct Box, Attenuator, and Speaker Simulator - 8 ohm, Phantom/Battery-powered Active Direct Box with two -20dB Pads, 4x12" Speaker Cab Emulator, Analog Guitar Preamplifier with 3 Amp Voicings, Power Amp Sim, Stereo Cab Sim, Stereo Balanced XLR Outputs, 1/8" Aux Input, and 1/8" Headphone Output, 100W Guitar Amp Companion with FX Loop, Reactive Load Box, Attenuator, Speaker IR Loader, Cab Sims, Onboard FX, MIDI I/O, and USB Audio Interface, 5A Input AC Voltage Attenuator for Full-size Tube Amplifiers, with LCD Voltmeter, 4 Selectable Input Voltages, 4 Selectable Output Voltages, Bypass, and Braced All-metal Chassis, Passive Guitar Cabinet-emulated DI Box with Ground, Axis, and Level Switches, Passive Power Attenuator For Guitar and Bass Amplifiers, Direct Box and Speaker Emulator, with Speaker and Line-level Inputs and Outputs and Speaker Simulation Controls, 45-watt Amp Attenuator with Hardwired Speaker Cable for 4-/8-/16-ohm Loads - Installed, 2U Rackmount 10A Input AC Voltage Attenuator for 3 Tube Amplifiers, with LCD Voltmeter, 4 Selectable Input Voltages, 4 Selectable Output Voltages, and Bypass, Load Box, Direct Box, Attenuator, and Speaker Simulator - 4 ohm, 45-watt Amp Attenuator with Parallel Speaker Outs for 4-/8-/16-ohm Loads - Standalone, Cab Sim and IR Loader Pedal with Third-party IR Support, Power Amp Simulation, 1/8" Headphone Output, XLR DI Output, and 1/4" Amplifier FX Return Thru, Speaker Load Box with DI, 2-band EQ, and 14-gauge Steel Chassis, Power Attenuator and Load Box for Tube Amps - Gold, Cabinet Simulator and Reactive Load Box with 16 Factory-loaded Cabinet Impulse Responses, Third-party IR Compatibility, and Line-level Inputs and Outputs - 4 ohms, Cabinet Simulator and Reactive Load Box with 16 Factory-loaded Cabinet Impulse Responses, Third-party IR Compatibility, Line-level Inputs and Outputs - 16 ohms, Power Attenuator and Load Box for Tube Amps with Cabinet Emulator and 11-band EQ, Cabinet Simulator and Reactive Load Box with 16 Factory-loaded Cabinet Impulse Responses, Third-party IR Compatibility, Line-level Inputs and Outputs, Attenuator, Level Output Control - 4 ohms, Cabinet Simulator and Reactive Load Box with 16 Factory-loaded Cabinet Impulse Responses, Third-party IR Compatibility, Line-level Inputs and Outputs, Attenuator, Level Output Control - 16 ohms, Cabinet Simulator and Reactive Load Box with 16 Factory-loaded Cabinet Impulse Responses, Third-party IR Compatibility, and Line-level Inputs and Outputs - 8 ohms, Cabinet Simulator and Reactive Load Box with 16 Factory-loaded Cabinet Impulse Responses, Third-party IR Compatibility, Line-level Inputs and Outputs, Attenuator, Level Output Control - 8 ohms, Reactive Load and Attenuator with 5-position Attenuation, 3-position Voicing, Speaker/Load Selector, and Dry Line Output - 8-ohm, DSM Humboldt Electronics Attenuators & Simulators, Hughes & Kettner Attenuators & Simulators, IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal Amplifier/Cabinet/Pedal Modeler, Universal Audio OX Reactive Amp Attenuator with Speaker Modeling, Bugera PS1 Passive 100-watt Power Attenuator, Two Notes Torpedo Captor X Reactive Loadbox DI and Attenuator - 8-ohm, Tone King Ironman II 100-watt Reactive Power Attenuator, JHS Little Black Amp Box Passive Amp Attenuator, Tone King Ironman II Mini 30-watt Reactive Power Attenuator, AmpRX BrownBox Tube Amplifier Input Voltage Attenuator, Two Notes Torpedo Captor X Reactive Loadbox DI and Attenuator - 16-ohm, IK Multimedia TONEX Capture Tone Modeler and Re-amp Box, Two Notes Torpedo C.A.B. Take it . Now if i use a rheostat/pot between amp and speaker of 80 ohms then 2.5 volts will appear across speaker which 0.7 watts and across the pot will 6.25 watts. As long as you set it up to go between your amp and speaker it'll do the job and actually works particularly well with combo amps. We have mentioned two of the most common types, but there are others available in the market as well. UNPLUG the speaker from the amp. Some guitarists have to sacrifice this sweet spot due to a lower sound because they cannot raise the volume very high under some circumstances. Guitar power attenuators come in a lot of different styles, features, and price points. Built like a tank, this guitar amp attenuator is durable and will last, while helping ensure that your prized vintage tube amp does so as well. Take the time to decide what you truly need or want, and use your current amps specs as a starting point. Always use speaker cables between the amp and the speaker, whether or not there's an attenuator in there. financing* i Demo available for $1,079.10 (92) Compare Bugera PS1 Passive 100-watt Power Attenuator Passive 100W Tube Guitar Amplifier Attenuator with Emulated Outputs, and 4-, 8-, and 16-ohm Amplifier Inputs $119.00 Or $39.66/month for Attenuators - de Lisle Guitar Co. Help Support This Content! Power attenuator (guitar) Guitar amplifier If i turn the pot all the way to minimum resistance, then all 80 watts will be across the speakers and and minimum dissipation across the pot, right? What do the characters on this CCTV lens mean? Hi all! Other than that they are made from rheostats and are pretty much what I'm trying to get you to avoid. Unlike most attenuators, this thing also can work in the opposite direction thanks to its boost; conversely, now your tiny amp can get huge sounds that it could never achieve on its own. This is a quality guitar amp attenuator that can and can be used with loads of 4, 8, or 16, ohm. If you have any questions Our team has prepared this guide to help you choose the best guitar power attenuators in 2021 and understand why they are important for achieving that perfect volume and tone. Can you be arrested for not paying a vendor like a taxi driver or gas station? To connect an attenuator to a combo amp, follow these steps: Unplug the speaker from the amp if it has a detachable plug. The main takeaway is that everything is amendable with the right knowledge and little expense if costly modern chips or vintage rare-to-find tubes are not involved. Questions about Attenuators & Simulators? The U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills as early as June 1. Here we have a great option for our beloved but fragile vintage amps. In July 2022, did China have more nuclear weapons than Domino's Pizza locations? Sweetwater's Sales Engineers have the experience to help! Attenuation vs. Master Volume | The Gear Page It can be used with amps of up to 100 watts and is also very well built. I've seen these available with power ratings up to about 100 Watts. A simple and prominent knob gives you a hands-on approach to dialing in the proper decibel dropping. Matching is just as important when it comes to impedance. Sweetwater provides a wide variety of filters so you can focus on your favorite brands, desired specs, styles, and price points to find the perfect attenuator and simulator for you! Two of the most important factors that you must consider when purchasing an amp attenuator are your amps output power and its output impedance. I tried to answer this question in another article by comparing it in a fashionable way to a good ol overdrive pedal. DeSantis Set to Announce 2024 Run on Twitter With Elon Musk An attenuator is a piece of gear that goes between your tube amp's output and speaker to mitigate volume without sacrificing that sweet-spot character. The travel on the pot is about 10% hence the pot rating would need to be 400 watts. All rights reserved. It's not a place that you can insert a treble booster. Besides featuring a simple design, it also gives you options so you can send the tone you want anywhere you need. The PS1 features a simple and very easy to use 2-knob design. #6. The Sedona Lite 25 may be the perfect amp for you if you perform with both acoustic and electric guitars. In the video above, Andy looks at the Bad Cat Unleash, which is one such device that not only attenuates, but can also make any amp louder with its onboard class D amplifier. Hence to avoid overheating, i have decided to bypass the L-pad completely with a switch when no attenuation is needed, and keep it by default to half the value when attenuation is needed. This quality guitar amp attenuator is a great option for folks wanting quality tone at a lower volume, from one of the top names in boutique amp design. The Mesa/Boogie Powerhouse Reactive Amp Load Attenuator is a reactive load box and attenuator that keeps your amps tone and feel regardless of volume. If the speaker cable is too short, theres no need to worry, as you can use a standard male-to-female extension cable to fix the problem. A Power Attenuator is essentially a high-tech post-preamp and power amp volume knob. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. So if your guitar amp is too loud for your space and you need to bring the volume down, check out an attenuator. In the example above, only 1/4 of the output power will go into the speaker, so 3/4 will heat up the resistors. You may have heard some people say that attenuators burn out tubes faster. This gave us yet another option to further manipulate our ideal tone. Past Entries in this Article (mostly discontinued). A line-level attenuator has lower power handling, such as a 1/2-watt potentiometer or voltage divider and controls preamp level signals, whereas a power attenuator has higher power handling capability, such as 10 watts or more, and is used between the power amplifier and the speaker. Now that you have discovered how to tame a loud amp using an attenuator, you can safely crank up the gain without exceeding the volume limit. Players can dial in their desired settings and save any combinations they like into 10 available rigs. Attenuator (electronics) - Wikipedia Weber states that the sonic benefit of using a speaker motor inside is that all the complexities and variations in frequency response and impedance can occur and be translated to the final source so the tone and response of the attenuated signal remains true. Run the output of the amp to the input of the attenuator. This software allows you to fine-tune the speaker simulation and customize it with virtual microphone types, placement, and more. Can you use an attenuator with a combo amp? See more. These are highly personal and depend on what you need or want your attenuator to do. and dissipates much of the heat sent to the speaker (wattage is a rating of heat dissipation). Sitemap, Balanced and unbalanced (direct and line level) outputs, One of the best price points for this type of gear, Limited emulation/tone customization features, Tons of emulation and high-end recording features, Built-in digital amp and cabinet modeling. However, this is no ordinary guitar amp attenuator. Learn More. So, the pot you would need would have to be one that is rated at 500 watts. The amplifier has a single volume knob which controls volume of both channels at once. With a massive selection of Attenuators & Simulators, free shipping, a free 2-year warranty, 24/7 access to However, this unit got quite hot, to the point that it was hard to grab, so there is that to consider as well. Using an attenuator is not that difficult because usually it can just be plugged in between the speaker and amp by unplugging the cable between them. The Two Notes Torpedo Captor X is a Reactive Loadbox DI and Attenuator that can handle up to 100 watts on an amp. These include aural enhancer, stereo doubler, semi-parametric EQ, stereo reverb, and noise gate. For instance, if you buy an 8 ohm attenuator to use with a 16 ohm amp, you run the risk of damaging the amp. This piece of gear also doubles as a DI box Radials JDX Reactor DI, to be precise. A versatile and well built choice with renowned quality. 5,669. It is well built and features many options to truly take control of your tone and shape it in many ways. Figure out realistically how much you can spend, and keep that figure in mind. To recap, our top options for this list start with the Dr. Z Brake Lite as our Top Pick, because of its superior quality, ease of use, and overall functionality. They work by lowering the volume, but do not impact the tone of your amp. In other words, their sweet spot is often quite inconvenient for a variety of situations. Potentiometer/attenuator between amp and speaker, Building a safer community: Announcing our new Code of Conduct, Balancing a PhD program with a startup career (Ep. In short, not all amp attenuators are created equal. Everything You Wanted To Know About Power Attenuators By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct. Buying Guide: Guitar Amp Attenuators | Reverb It offers 120, 122, 124, and 126 VAC input settings so you can pick the one that fits your vintage amp. Attenuators have been around since the 1970s, and the first models were purely resistive. With over 28,000 articles and counting, inSync is your FREE resource for breaking news, reviews, demos, interviews, and more. Of course, connecting between the amp's output and speaker is easily done with an amp-and-cabinet rig, but if you have a combo amp, just check for a cable . To use an attenuator, connect a speaker cable from one of your amps speaker outputs to the attenuators input, and then connect another speaker cable from the attenuators output or through jack to the speaker cabinets input jack. All analog gear comes with some loss or alteration of the original signal. The Rivera Venus 5 112 combo tube guitar amp takes the award-winning Venus series amplifiers to the next level. A fine option that delivers your amp's sweet at bedroom audio levels. To learn more about our cookie policy, please visit our Privacy Policy. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Amp attenuators are positioned between the output of the amp and its destination, be it the speaker, console, interface, etc. Re-amping, which is a popular process used in recording by guitarists who want to be able to tweak their amp sound in post-production, is also a feat that can be achieved using the Reload, thanks to its functionality as a re-amp unit. This unit also comes with a USB connection for preset management to be handled in the editor app. Can I trust my bikes frame after I was hit by a car if there's no visible cracking? Attenuators can be used with combo amps as well as separate amp heads. Happy customers, one piece of gear at a time! Attenuator definition, a device for decreasing the amplitude of an electronic signal. First is one of my favorite speakers, the no longer produced Eminence Red Fang, an Alnico speaker. To use an attenuator, connect a speaker cable from one of your amp's speaker outputs to the attenuator's input, and then connect another speaker cable from the attenuator's output or through jack to the speaker cabinet's input jack. OK so far. Finding this out is as simple as looking at the owners manual or doing an online search. In this way, it maintains your amp's impedance curve while loading down the output, which results in a more faithful representation of your amp's tone. MathJax reference. I'd like to record direct signal of my DSL100 head and experiment with cab impulses later. While an attenuator preserves the amps overdrive color if you use too much, meaning you crank the main knob that tames the amp, the sound starts to suffer In the same way as too much distortion kills the tones dynamics. The Brake Lite features two speaker outs that are wired in parallel and allow you to run several cabs with ease. Passive device. DR. Z $299 Ironman II Mini Ideal for tube amps up to 30 watts, and pedalboard friendly, this petite version of the company's 100-watt unit attenuates your amp's volume with the very same reactive load and transformer-coupled tech. The second time was when I started recording professionally in studios and understood how massive a loud amp sounds when recorded through a mic.
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