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Just can't decide if it's really worth it when digital is so good & versatile, but I did have a Captor briefly and was happy with the recorded tones through IRs. HXS just seems so versatile, could be used as an FX unit for band as well as a headphone practice solution.
So this isn't a complete hijack, my 2p is that the Hotplate is a bit cack, Two Notes Captor excellent but has a fixed -20dB attenuation which might not be enough. Would be interested to see what the cheaper Bugera attenuator is like being used as dummy load at 100% attenuation. UAD Ox looks excellent but very pricey plus you can only edit your presets with Apple devices which sucks balls.
Costs relatively little ( @Danny1969 does one for 20 quid which might fit?) and might do the job for you.
You can't overdrive the power valves, but you do get to crank things a lot, works for me.
Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
And @TTBZ do it, I've never been happier. Got a 100w Mesa Dual Rec cooking, as well as being able to play my Studio Vintage at full pelt...through my headphones at low volume! Stunning, seriously.
View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
/Hijack
Thomann did a good video on different attenuators they sell but not the powerbrake or hot plate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaSQBleWD2M
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
The clean sounds are lovely without the need for an attenuator. But the overdrive sounds are lacklustre until the power section of the amp opens up a bit. Then it's a brilliant sound. I suspect the speakers in my cab are quite efficient too, making it louder than it would be with different speakers.
The volume is fine when the house is empty, but it's not fair on the family if they are in.
I don't need to knock down the volume by a great deal, just a little to allow the Master Volume to be high enough to get the power valves working properly.
I might try the Jettenuator. It's modestly priced and from what I gather built well enough.
https://speakerimpedance.co.uk/?act=two_parallel&page=calculator
Shortened valve life if you thrash it continuously. It will also probably expose any other reliability issues the amp may have, but that's not the fault of the attenuator .
Yes, progressively worse as you go below halfway on the dial - but not as bad as some, and it's very transparent over the first few.
Not quite, with a non-MV 50 or 100W amp. Even the quietest setting (-30dB, although they're not marked they're in 3dB steps) is too loud for 'bedroom' volume with a fairly efficient cab. But not *that* far off... definitely possible with a MV amp.
Technically no, but if you're running it at one of the lowest settings you can use one of the *speaker* outputs as a DI safely, either with or without a cab connected - it's actually safe to not connect a cab below -9dB, since the load resistor is fully engaged on all settings below that. It's not emulated though, so you will need IRs in whatever you're connecting it to.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I've been using mine as an amp test load for twenty years - I've run literally hundreds of amps through it at flat-out thrash levels, and not a single one has ever died that wasn't going to anyway when used in the real world through a speaker cab. Which is the point, of course - and if, as much more commonly nothing bad happens, then the amp will be fine in normal use.
Marshall amp transformers on the other hand... I've changed more of those than all other brands put together.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Whatever you get, it won't sound great with high levels of attenuation. If you want to take off 5dB, then most attenuators will probably sound ok. If you want to take off 15dB, they won't sound so good. If you want to take off 25dB for home use, then you might as well use a Blackstar Fly.
Different attenuators work well with different amps. I had a Weber Mini Mass that worked really well with a Hot Rod Deluxe, but sounded dreadful with another amp. I was just using the Mini Mass to tame the HRD a bit on stage, not to take it down to "bedroom" levels - basically to warm up the clean sound a bit. I used pedals for drive.
These days, I prefer power scaling in the amp that drops the voltage on the power valves. To my ears it sounds a lot better. Not sure how easy that would be to install in a PCB Marshall though.
A decent overdrive pedal is the other option.
I don't like it at all, but it shouldn't be too difficult to install in a standard Super Lead or MV Marshall, I don't think. Although they do use a PCB, it's only for the preamp and phase inverter circuitry really - al the big stuff is off-board, and there's plenty of room.
Definitely.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I understand where you are coming from @fretmeister. It may be that your best option is to use a very small amp (a Pignose?) and a good OD pedal rather than your big amp. I am not very keen on modeling amps as they tend to make all guitars sound the same! YMMV of course.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
The newest generation modellers don't suffer from "all the same" anymore.
I've got a Helix and my guitars sound very different through it. More impressive is that basses sound very different through it too.
https://speakerimpedance.co.uk/?act=two_parallel&page=calculator