attenuator a must!!!!! discuss please!

Adolfhipster

Why are nearly all modern amps built without an attenuator.....I'm getting tired of it.
Nearly every amp I've ever had has been TOO LOUD!
niche in the market here
....buid amps with built in attenuator at a normal price....
Discuss

RaymondLin

Erm, cost?

Adolfhipster

They aren't that hard to make ....
Add 50 quid on to the price of an amp new would be acceptable. ...

Nobody in the world needs the volume that 99% of amps produce.....its getting boring!

RaymondLin

There are plenty of 1w amps out there and pardon my ignorance but what's wrong with using the master volume?

Adolfhipster

1 wt amps that don't have any power at all....
I use 30-60 wt amps....

My point is I want the power of a 60 wt with the volume and tone of a 1 wht

viz

But if you attenuate a 60 watt, you're just reducing the wattage aren't you?

digitalscream

Because attenuators aren't really a good way of reducing the amp's volume, perhaps?

stonevibe

Loads of amps have either a master volume, overall output or PPMV these days.

My Mesa has a Master and Drive control on each channel and then a Master Output control for the whole amp, plus it switches from 5w, 15w and 30watts (or 35w with an external cab) . Which is one of the main reasons I bought it.

My Line 6 DT25 also has a similar setup plus a switch for home use and live use to lower the volume, but keep the tonality of the amp.

jd0272

I found the THD Hotplate very disappointing. Ended up going down the more sensible route of buying an amp I can actually use to get the sounds I want.

ICBM

Nearly all the amps I've ever owned have had volume controls...

Power and volume are not the same thing. Tone can be dependent on both, but not necessarily at the same time.

Not all attenuators are the same, any more than all overdrive pedals are the same.

So why build an attenuator into an amp when it's much better to keep it separate?

p90fool

Why does everyone think they need power amp saturation? Most people seriously don't, they just read about their heroes doing it when there was no choice.

ICBM

p90fool said:

Why does everyone think they need power amp saturation? Most people seriously don't, they just read about their heroes doing it when there was no choice.

I don't, but I still like attenuation. It lets you get the amp up a bit further to make the power amp and power supply work a bit, but not necessarily into saturation. In fact, I actually think attenuators often work better with master volume amps where you can balance the two, than with non-MV amps where you have no choice but to do it all with the attenuator.

They're a useful tool to fine-tune the power of the amp relative to the final volume you need. They are not the answer to getting cranked classic stack tone at bedroom volume, even though they are sometimes wrongly marketed as such.

Lew

30W aint that loud. I've spent all weekend running a 30W at max volume and it has an attenuator that goes to 1/8thW.

Adolfhipster

Ok so how do I get a cranked tone from my fender supersonic head at a normal volume

Can't turn the volume past 1!

RaymondLin

Pedals?

Adolfhipster

Yea I do use a few pedals. ...but I want my main overdrive from my amp. ....Just too loud!!!!

ICBM

Adolfhipster said:

Ok so how do I get a cranked tone from my fender supersonic head at a normal volume

Can't turn the volume past 1!

Try an attenuator.

Just don't expect it to be built into the amp.

Or you could use the FX loop - since it has both send and return level controls, try putting a cable in the loop (assuming you don't already use it for FX) and turning both down. If that doesn't go down far enough, a 'volume box' - sometimes mis-sold as an attenuator - will do, and is pretty cheap.

meltedbuzzbox

Adolfhipster said:

Ok so how do I get a cranked tone from my fender supersonic head at a normal volume

Can't turn the volume past 1!

If I remember rightly from a demo I saw a Supersonic will break up around volume 5 or 6

If you are playing live how will you have a clean tone (not to mention your hearing) ?? how will anything else on stage put up with that as well?

Just use a pedal

stonevibe

I'm going to start using an old 50 watt head live as it stays clean when cranked and then use a drive pedal to get my gain sounds and a fuzz box.

The amp is old and valve, stays clean when cranked and takes pedals really nicely, so is perfect for loud or quiet gigs as the drives will give me my gain tones.

p90fool

Adolfhipster;273656" said:

Ok so how do I get a cranked tone from my fender supersonic head at a normal volume

Can't turn the volume past 1!

Seriously? On how big a stage?

Skipped

Find an amp with a clean sound that you are in love with. It will then sound amazing at 1, 3, 7.......etc.

 Sorry I have not been of much help.