Attenuator for Roadster feedback
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pokerrules47
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I've never used the THD, but I did use a weber on a Mark IV and really, it didn't make as much of a difference as you would think it would. Ever since then, I just turn down my output volume. I know this isn't what you want to hear because you believe there is some magical way to get the sound of a pushed power amp with a attenuator, but for amps like the roadster, most of the tone comes from the pre-amp, so it makes an attenuator useless.
Back in the day of non-master-volume amps, attenuators were required to get that power tube saturation without going deaf. Even then, the speakers being pushed are a very important factor in your overall tone.
My advice is, unless you can try before you buy, don't get an attenuator. It won't do what you think it will. At very least, it won't be nearly as effective as you think.
What I have heard works well is using a dummy load/direct box and disconnect your speakers altogether. Then run the DI into your computer and use recabi or revalver to emulate speakers. REMEMBER, you need a DUMMY LOAD that matches the impedance of your amp, don't disconnect your speakers without it.
Back in the day of non-master-volume amps, attenuators were required to get that power tube saturation without going deaf. Even then, the speakers being pushed are a very important factor in your overall tone.
My advice is, unless you can try before you buy, don't get an attenuator. It won't do what you think it will. At very least, it won't be nearly as effective as you think.
What I have heard works well is using a dummy load/direct box and disconnect your speakers altogether. Then run the DI into your computer and use recabi or revalver to emulate speakers. REMEMBER, you need a DUMMY LOAD that matches the impedance of your amp, don't disconnect your speakers without it.
babow2
Well-known member
I love my THD hotplates and use them on my Mark IV and Heartbreaker. I wish I had known about them with my Road King and Bogner Shiva. I never could run those at low enough volume and get good tone. The Hotplates really do allow you to set the amp at a "sweet spot" and then cut the overall volume to a manageable level.
The key thing to remember is that our hearing isn't linear. As the volume goes down, we lose highs and lows. So, it sounds like the hotplate suck tone, but really it is the psychoacoustic effect. Nonetheless, all you need to do is re-EQ. So, get the amp into a sweet spot of tone, gain, etc.. that you like without the THD or with it set at 0. Then dial the volume back on the THD, knocking the volume down to a level you can live with. Now, re-EQ the tone to compensate. It really is that easy.
I have found that I use the Hotplate all the time- rehearsal and gigs and just make it part of my rig. My ears got used to my set up with it set at -8. If I need more volume for a gig, i cut down the attenuation on the hotplate and make any minor adjustment to the EQ. Usually though, my amp is mic'd at a gig, so it works just fine as is.
I really love the THD hotplate. I have both an 8ohm and 4ohm.
Good luck.
The key thing to remember is that our hearing isn't linear. As the volume goes down, we lose highs and lows. So, it sounds like the hotplate suck tone, but really it is the psychoacoustic effect. Nonetheless, all you need to do is re-EQ. So, get the amp into a sweet spot of tone, gain, etc.. that you like without the THD or with it set at 0. Then dial the volume back on the THD, knocking the volume down to a level you can live with. Now, re-EQ the tone to compensate. It really is that easy.
I have found that I use the Hotplate all the time- rehearsal and gigs and just make it part of my rig. My ears got used to my set up with it set at -8. If I need more volume for a gig, i cut down the attenuation on the hotplate and make any minor adjustment to the EQ. Usually though, my amp is mic'd at a gig, so it works just fine as is.
I really love the THD hotplate. I have both an 8ohm and 4ohm.
Good luck.
bucketbot said:
Yeah. They use a lot of preamp gain too.
Attenuators are still overrated. You don't drive the speakers with an attenuator, and your ears hear things differently at higher volumes (the "Fletcher Munson curves"). If you like the way your amp sounds blasted, an attenuator will not make it happen at low volumes.
[/quote]
Attenuators are still overrated. You don't drive the speakers with an attenuator, and your ears hear things differently at higher volumes (the "Fletcher Munson curves"). If you like the way your amp sounds blasted, an attenuator will not make it happen at low volumes.[/quote]
Attenuators are misunderstood, not overrated. If you have an amp that is too loud for playing in an apartment late at night, the attenuator makes this possible. The tone is not the same as cranking the amp, but it's much better than dead silence, which is what you would have without the attenuator, because the amp would never get turned on in the first place, because it would be TOO LOUD.
Attenuators are still overrated. You don't drive the speakers with an attenuator, and your ears hear things differently at higher volumes (the "Fletcher Munson curves"). If you like the way your amp sounds blasted, an attenuator will not make it happen at low volumes.[/quote]
Attenuators are misunderstood, not overrated. If you have an amp that is too loud for playing in an apartment late at night, the attenuator makes this possible. The tone is not the same as cranking the amp, but it's much better than dead silence, which is what you would have without the attenuator, because the amp would never get turned on in the first place, because it would be TOO LOUD.
212Mavguy
Well-known member
[/quote]Attenuators are misunderstood, not overrated. If you have an amp that is too loud for playing in an apartment late at night, the attenuator makes this possible. The tone is not the same as cranking the amp, but it's much better than dead silence, which is what you would have without the attenuator, because the amp would never get turned on in the first place, because it would be TOO LOUD.[/quote]
+1...I have a Weber MASS 100 watt, it gave me a whole new stable of amps. A fantastic item. www.tedweber.com Worth every penny.
+1...I have a Weber MASS 100 watt, it gave me a whole new stable of amps. A fantastic item. www.tedweber.com Worth every penny.
phyrexia
Well-known member
Uh, I would definitely consider running an attenuator with a Stiletto. Not everyone maxes the preamp gain on those amps. They sound great turned up.
I have a weber mass also, but they left the FN treble boost switch off.
It is on my invoice as being a paid option but I never noticed it, thus it sits as
I do lose some highs when using it.
I know mav212 has the treble switch so he does not have the issues I have with mine.
I do not even use it, well if Mav would toss me a few pics so I could wire a switch in/hint, I
might just use it.
I do believe nothing sounds better than a great sounding amp being cranked to its full glory,
yet if you can't, there is nothing better than a weber mini/maxi "ect" mass. Mine is great I just
need the treble boost switch.
It is on my invoice as being a paid option but I never noticed it, thus it sits as
I do lose some highs when using it.
I know mav212 has the treble switch so he does not have the issues I have with mine.
I do not even use it, well if Mav would toss me a few pics so I could wire a switch in/hint, I
might just use it.
I do believe nothing sounds better than a great sounding amp being cranked to its full glory,
yet if you can't, there is nothing better than a weber mini/maxi "ect" mass. Mine is great I just
need the treble boost switch.
My "neighbor friendly" setup is a Mark V into a THD Hot Plate, into a Demeter Silent Speaker Chamber. I run an MXR 10-band EQ in the loop of the Mark V to fine-tune everything, then the mic in the SSC runs into my audio interface. I can then run either headphones or through my monitors. Works for me.
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