attenuators

[mhorse]

My question is a little off-topic for this forum, but I want to use an opportunity to ask people with years of experience behind their backs. If moderators decide to delete this thread - so be it.
I have a Mesa DC-5 50 watt combo, but since I live in an apartment complex, I can't really turn it up - my neighbors will simply kill me :-(
So I was thinking of getting myself a power attenuator to be able to hear the power section of my amp sing at least a little bit.
Did anyone ever use a device like that? I was thinking of getting either a THD Hot Plate or the one that Trainwreck licensed to Dr Z, whatever it is called, Air Something.
Any thoughts?
Thanks

 

[Axis Sport]

I too am interested in the one of these units and hope that someone can give some guidance that has experience with these. I have been looking at the Air Brake by Dr. Z. Smash or Trash?

Thanks

 

[mhorse]

I too am interested in the one of these units and hope that someone can give some guidance that has experience with these. I have been looking at the Air Brake by Dr. Z. Smash or Trash?

Thanks

I know of couple more types of this units: Marshall Power Brake, Webber Attenuator Load, and sometimes you can run into older Tom Scholz Power Soaks or Altair Power Breaks on eBay. Webber load is kind of interesting: it has an actual speaker driver that moves inside, but without the paper cone. So the author claims it's the most naturally sounding one. I'm not sure it is!

 

[puppiesonacid]

i have the Tom Shultz Power Soak that i use with my 69 Marshall Super Tremolo 100 ( friggen loud!!!!!!!!!!) While i havent had experience with the other modules you mentioned ( though i have looked into them) this has been my experience with the power soak. It allows you to fun your amp full bore but have total volume control. That being said, volume is tone, and although your amp is cranked its still being choked by the attentuator so it sound like a distortion pedal at low volumes or a master volume head at low volumes. Not a bad thing b/c the neighbors wont be knocking on your door, but dont expect the tone to be great.

But as a practicing tool it would be a great option, dont let what i said be taken negatively b/c when you open the attentuator up and let the amp breath controllably it does come in handy for getting power tube saturation/tone and not knocking down the walls.

I thought the DC-5 combo had a headphone out on it? Couldnt you use that instead?

hope this helps,

God bless,

Tony

 

[Mick]

Had the Scholz one and the Marshall Powerbrake.
U loose the "air" in your sound and you going through Power Tubes really fast.
My 2 cents. I´m using now yellow jackets in my 100SL. Oh they are from THD.
Mick

 

[tommyindelaware]

i think it depends on the design of your amp ......and the design of the soak. some builders build them into their amps......while other builders will tell you they are bad for the amp. i would contact your amp company.....and the builders of the soak you are interested in . mabey their web site w/ f.a.q.'s ........

have you looked into isolated speaker cabs ?????

 

[mhorse]

i have the Tom Shultz Power Soak that i use with my 69 Marshall Super Tremolo 100 ( friggen loud!!!!!!!!!!) While i havent had experience with the other modules you mentioned ( though i have looked into them) this has been my experience with the power soak. It allows you to fun your amp full bore but have total volume control. That being said, volume is tone, and although your amp is cranked its still being choked by the attentuator so it sound like a distortion pedal at low volumes or a master volume head at low volumes. Not a bad thing b/c the neighbors wont be knocking on your door, but dont expect the tone to be great.

But as a practicing tool it would be a great option, dont let what i said be taken negatively b/c when you open the attentuator up and let the amp breath controllably it does come in handy for getting power tube saturation/tone and not knocking down the walls.

I thought the DC-5 combo had a headphone out on it? Couldnt you use that instead?

hope this helps,

God bless,

Tony

Yea, there is a headphone out, but I think it bypasses power section alltogether. I used ther recording out that works the same way, and it doesn't sound very good at all.
When I keep both channel volume and master volume around 1 I can play at bedroom levels, my issue is that it doesn't sound good.

Had the Scholz one and the Marshall Powerbrake.
U loose the "air" in your sound and you going through Power Tubes really fast.
My 2 cents. I´m using now yellow jackets in my 100SL. Oh they are from THD.
Mick

I heard pretty bad reviews of Power Soak too. How much is the difference in the sounds between regular tubes and EL84's in yellow jackets?

 

[CudBucket]

I used to use a HotPlate with my Mark IV and it just isn't designed for what you want to do. You're not going to get great bedroom levels with it. It's made for guys that are already playing loud and want to drive the tubes even more without getting louder. If you want to practice late at night, get a POD or a Tonelab or even a Roland Cube.

 

[CudBucket]

PS,

I ended up selling it because I finally figured out how to get better low volume tone from the Mark IV without the HP instead of with it.

Class A, Tweed Power, Triode, V the EQ. A tube change and I was there. Saved $270 by selling it. Now I have a Vox Tonelab that I can practice and record with plus it does a whole lot more for me than a HotPlate. Bought it new at GC for $275. I just asked for a discount and they said yes.