roadster power soak

[alex1fly]

What power soak would match best with a Roadster head and 2x12 8 ohm cab to get the overdriven powertube sound at a reasonable bedroom level? I'm not sure how much attenuation I need, or if one power soak is preferable over another as far as Mesa Roadsters go.

Alex

 

[Platypus]

The THD hotplate sounds good with the rectifier series in my experience.. you might just play with the master volume to get more power tube saturation at lower levels, that will be more significant than the power soak I imagine.

 

[mesanomad100]

thd hotplates are the best IMHO

 

[Charlie]

+1

 

[domct203]

+1 for the Hot Plate. I own one, and find that an attenuator is a great investment if you own a tube amp.
Just my .02

Dom

 

[Russ]

Hotplates are nice with the features. I don't care for attenuators but I would buy the THD or Weber before the powersoak or powerbrake.

Interesting side note:

Because my powerbrake was doing nothing but gathering dust in my closet I sold it recently. One of the guys backed out of the sale because he talked to someone at M/B that told him the use of an attenuator would void his warranty regardless of the model of the attenuator. If you use attenuation keep this in mind.

 

[Platypus]

Hotplates are nice with the features. I don't care for attenuators but I would buy the THD or Weber before the powersoak or powerbrake.

Interesting side note:

Because my powerbrake was doing nothing but gathering dust in my closet I sold it recently. One of the guys backed out of the sale because he talked to someone at M/B that told him the use of an attenuator would void his warranty regardless of the model of the attenuator. If you use attenuation keep this in mind.

I think the THD got the blessing of M/B though I could be wrong.

 

[alex1fly]

The THD hotplate sounds good with the rectifier series in my experience.. you might just play with the master volume to get more power tube saturation at lower levels, that will be more significant than the power soak I imagine.

I thought the Output knob controlled the input to the power section and the Master Volume was more about the preamp?

 

[Platypus]

The THD hotplate sounds good with the rectifier series in my experience.. you might just play with the master volume to get more power tube saturation at lower levels, that will be more significant than the power soak I imagine.

I thought the Output knob controlled the input to the power section and the Master Volume was more about the preamp?

Sorry, difference in nomenclature. I would call the 'master' the channel volume control and the output knob the master control.

Either way, set your channel volume to 11ish and use the output knob as a volume control.

 

[alex1fly]

How much harder on the tubes is it to use a power soak? Are there any risks associated with them? It seems like getting one would really help me make fuller use of the Roadster, seeing how I only get to realllly crank it at gigs a couple times a month... I just don't want to hurt my baby

 

[Russ]

Basically using it runs your tubes at whatever settings you have them at while in use. So if you are running your amp hard it is being run hard. The attenuator merely absorbs some of the energy so that less hits your speakers while providing a load for your amp. Expect shorter tube life.

 

[Platypus]

Basically using it runs your tubes at whatever settings you have them at while in use. So if you are running your amp hard it is being run hard. The attenuator merely absorbs some of the energy so that less hits your speakers while providing a load for your amp. Expect shorter tube life.

+1, exactly.

It's essentially the same as cranking your amp, your power tube life will be shortened but it is no different than if you were not using the attenuator.

 

[Charlie]

I haven't had my Hotplate for that long but I have found it very useful for a couple of different things:

Taming a Master volume amp so you can use it in the bedroom. I do this a lot where I set the HotPlate to -8db and then I can get the master volume on the amp up to about 9:30 or 10:00. Just enough so the power tubes are working a bit. You can turn your amp up as much as you want to but there is a tone loss factor the more you attenuate it.

I also use it as a line out to record silently into my Toneport. If you do a search for Hal9000 on this forum he's got some audio samples of this type of setup.

Anyway the thing was kinda pricey but for me it was worth it.

 

[alex1fly]

I haven't had my Hotplate for that long but I have found it very useful for a couple of different things:

Taming a Master volume amp so you can use it in the bedroom. I do this a lot where I set the HotPlate to -8db and then I can get the master volume on the amp up to about 9:30 or 10:00. Just enough so the power tubes are working a bit. You can turn your amp up as much as you want to but there is a tone loss factor the more you attenuate it.

I also use it as a line out to record silently into my Toneport. If you do a search for Hal9000 on this forum he's got some audio samples of this type of setup.

That's what I want, just to get the power tubes working a bit! As it is, I'm barely using the power tubes when bedroom jamming... I don't need absolute saturation, just a little more oomph w/o killing my ears, roommates, neighbors, or small animals

 

[Russ]

I don't need absolute saturation, just a little more oomph w/o killing my ears, roommates, neighbors, or small animals

But isn't that the best part? :twisted:

 

[francric]

I don't see why you guys feel you need a attenuator, just use the master and output to adjust the volume............

 

[Anonymous]

Post removed.

 

[domct203]

alex1fly wrote:

I also use it as a line out to record silently into my Toneport.

Same here. I run the Hot Plate at LOAD, and send the line out through a Behringer DI w/Cab Sim ($35) to our DAW for silent "scratch" tracking. Works awesome.

Dom

 

[Gary K]

I called Mesa first, then THD for a recommendation of which THD Hotplate was right for me.

I suggest you do the same.

Now that I have mine, I can't do without it. I can actually hear my (overdriven) power section (EL-34's in a LSC) with the Hotplate.

Highly recommended.

-Gary K