Attenuators: School me please

Deijavoo

Wanting to use a head and 1x12 cab at home but low volume is just too fuzzy on the gain channel. 

What one should I look at, is there anything I should be aware of and is it worth it really? 

Cheers. 

ICBM

What amp is it?

Deijavoo

A Mesa Mark V. Possibly a SLO Clone maybe too. 

ICBM

I haven't tried any Mark series with an attenuator, so I can't really give an opinion on that other than you obviously need one rated for at least 100W. (Amp rating, not "power rating" as some manufacturers do - remembering that a cranked amp can put out up to double its clean power.) From memory the Marks are 4 or 8-ohm output so that may limit it slightly too.

The SLO definitely works well with both the Marshall Powerbrake and the Hotplate, but both these are discontinued now so you may be better with something newer.

They definitely are worthwhile to get around this problem, and you certainly don't have to crank the amp right up full to get the benefit - just to above the point the MV starts to work properly.

Deijavoo

Cool, I'll look out for one of those Marshalls as they seem ti be a fair bit cheaper used. 

Thanks again dude. 

Catthan

Is variac mode at 10W still too loud?

Deijavoo

Not really but I like the tonality of 90w and volume at about half. Can't get away with that at home. 

Deijavoo

http://www.thomann.de/gb/jet_city_amplification_jettenuator.htm?sid=49efa4ba1fd15959811bb22c2856743f

This looks like the fella. 

p90fool

I have a Jettenuator, I don't think it's up to that level of power tbh.

slate

p90fool said:

I have a Jettenuator, I don't think it's up to that level of power tbh.

whats the micsim output like into a DAW?

cosmiccarrot

I use a Power brake with a soldano decatone, set 4 steps down gives me a talking volume with the master on 5 and the pre at 6 but I run the effects loop mix at 50% which does knock some volume off anyway even without the PB... I'm pleased with that tone using channel 2 on the amp. I've also got an Aracom Dag attenuator that I used on my marshall's but I have to say it's more open and less compressed than the PB the more you dial the power down, but slightly attenuated there isn't much difference between both attenuators which makes a PB a great buy.
I've tried the hotplate and had a rockcrusher but both didn't do it for me personally.
I've actually got three PB's and one is a spare if you want to give it a try, lmk.

Deijavoo

Spot on, pm'd!

p90fool

slate;308818" said:

p90fool said:

I have a Jettenuator, I don't think it's up to that level of power tbh.

whats the micsim output like into a DAW?

I haven't tried it tbh, I prefer the flexibility of mics.

digitalscream

p90fool said:

I have a Jettenuator, I don't think it's up to that level of power tbh.

It's designed to be able to handle the full output of a JCA100H, so I'd imagine it can...why not email JCA support? They'll get back to you within a day.

slate said:

p90fool said:

I have a Jettenuator, I don't think it's up to that level of power tbh.

whats the micsim output like into a DAW?

The MicSim output is, really, a bit crap for recording but OK to get you out of the shit if something goes wrong.

Personally, I'd think it'd be far more useful and effective to run it with the line output (not the MicSim) into the DAW and then use impulses.

p90fool

digitalscream said:

p90fool said:

I have a Jettenuator, I don't think it's up to that level of power tbh.

It's designed to be able to handle the full output of a JCA100H, so I'd imagine it can.

You're right, I don't know why I thought that. There's no mention of power limits at all in my manual though, which is slightly worrying!

fastboy

I've owned three attenuators - Power Brake, Ultimate attenuator and the Rivera Rockcrusher. The rivera was by far the best build quality and transparent followed by the Marshall. The "ultimate" attenuator was a bit meh but I needed it at the time as I had a single channel amp running flat out and it had switchable attenuation between two pots so it was good for solo volume boosts. 

Catthan

I sometimes also use the LSS through Koch dummy box straight into the sound card. Good enough cranked and if I load an IR I can dial it in a bit further. Haven't tried it with the Boogie yet cause as you know it's spent more time away than with me.. But I'd assume it should be similar. Check the power handling tho before you consider one

ICBM

A friend of mine had an "Ultimate" "Attenuator". Something wasn't working right so I had a look at it... it was one of the worst-made rat's nests I've seen inside, and potentially hazardous to any amp of more than 50W which needs anything lower than a 16-ohm load.

It's not an attenuator, it's a simple load resistor coupled to a basic solid-state power amp, but that doesn't make for such impressive marketing copy...

Highly NOT recommended.

fastboy

ICBM said:

A friend of mine had an "Ultimate" "Attenuator". Something wasn't working right so I had a look at it... it was one of the worst-made rat's nests I've seen inside, and potentially hazardous to any amp of more than 50W which needs anything lower than a 16-ohm load.

It's not an attenuator, it's a simple load resistor coupled to a basic solid-state power amp, but that doesn't make for such impressive marketing copy...

Highly NOT recommended.

As above, it wasn't great but at the time a necessary evil. I actually changed to the power brake afterwards and because I was running the amp so hard I used a reverse boost in the loop for solos (unengage to get the volume boost). Much better tone. 

The ultimate attenuator sounded very solid state. 

Jeremiah

I have a Weber Mini Mass - works great for me, but then I only use it to make an already very low powered amp even quieter. No idea how that kind of thing would work with a 100 watt amp.

ICBM

Jeremiah said:

I have a Weber Mini Mass - works great for me, but then I only use it to make an already very low powered amp even quieter. No idea how that kind of thing would work with a 100 watt amp.

A MiniMass would catch fire with a 100W amp .

I have to say I wasn't very impressed with the one I tried, I thought it was quite poorly built and didn't sound very good - but I may have been using the wrong amp for it. It would probably work better for what you're doing, since it made it sound low-powered!