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Max The Dog

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Has anybody heard of these people? Open Audio Solutions and their
POWER TAP. I have been looking at attenuators and THD,Marshall Power
Brake etc are all about ?250, this is ?30 so does anyone know about them or has anybody got one or know anyone who has one?
Here's a link to their site.
http://davidgowenlock.co.uk/openaudio/Power.html
 
I would be very sceptical about an attenuator that was ?30, if it's resistor based it can damage your output transformer, and probably won't sound very good either!

What amp is this for?
 
From the blurb on the web-site, and from looking at reviews on Harmony Central http://reviews.harmony-central.com/...n+Audio+Solutions/Valve+Amp+Volume+Tamer/10/1
this is a volume box that sits in your effects loop, rather than an attenuator like the HotPlate or PowerBrake (which put inductive loads after the power tubes and soak up a proportion of the signal going to the speakers).

If your amp already has a master volume, you can get a similar effect by running the channel gain low and and the master high. This lets the output tubes 'breathe' and IMHO gives a livelier, less compressed sound. At least this is the case on my Laney LC30mkII - you really have to try both options and let your ears decide.
 
Thanks for your replies, I did'nt really expect it to be a lot of good at the price they sell for, but if it can damage my amp I think I will steer well clear. I have a Peavey Classic 30 amp and it does'nt have a master volume switch, perhaps I ought to think about getting an amp that does have one .
Thanks . Pete.
 
It seems I could be wrong about this type of attenuator, I have seen resistors that sit between your amp & speaker, this one as fury_dice
pointed out sit's in the FX loop.

I don't know anything about them, but if your amp has a FX send & return it may be worth trying.
 
The Classic 30 is nice amp 8) It has an effects loop (if you want to try the Power Tap) , and kind of master volume - if you switch to the lead channel, back of the 'pre' control and turn up the 'post' you should get the output tubes working a bit harder at a reasonable volume. Happy tweaking :)
 
Is this hotplate device in this ad another form of attenuator?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330244895719&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014

Mike
 
stratman323 said:
Is this hotplate device in this ad another form of attenuator?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330244895719&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014

Mike

That's exactly what it is, I wouldn't run a bassman without one unless all you want is super clean, or you really want to deafen the audience!! Personally don't like the THD, I think it adds a 'fizz' to the sound, IMO the Marshall powerbrake is a lot better.

There's a good comparison at the bottom of this page http://bruceclement.com/music/psk.htm the article is about powerscaling, but the soundclips are pretty good.
 
I've had really good luck with my Ted Weber Minimass on a Fender Pro JR. It uses a "speaker motor" instead of resistors and is more afordable than the others. Has a line out too.
 
Hi John, i am very interested in power scaling and found that article good reading but i noticed at the end that it was written in 2003. Do you have any newer articles on this topic..?? This amp may interest you, it comes stock with one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBUxUB-6qjw

Mick
 
Mick

Great link, that Suhr amp sounds really good, I really like EL84 based amps, just ordered a Ceriatone 18W TMB to go with my JTM45.

Powerscaling sounds really good, but it's major surgery for your amp, expensive, and you can't move it between amps. I find my Powerbrake sounds great, I can use it on multiple amps (one at a time), and the fact I don't need to modify my amps is a good thing IMO.

A good PPI master volume can also sound pretty good, for instance Orange amps sound great at low volume so I wouldn't bother with attenuation with one, but non MV Marshalls, unless you're playing huge venues really need something to get 'the tone' at a reasonable volume.

I think trying to get cranked Marshall sounds at true bedroom levels is never going to happen, but the Powerbrake gets as close as anything else I've tried.
 
You may be interested in this link as well then as it is the company that supplies Suhr with its "power scaling" kits ...and they are really well priced as well. Look at the "power management " kits... :wink:
http://www.londonpower.com/kits.htm
I'm seriously thinking about getting one of these kits as i know a guy who is a great amp tech. The PPIMV is also an option.
This link explains it all.. http://www.londonpower.com/pskinfo.htm

Mick
 
They've come down in price quite a bit since I last looked, and the new kits don't look anywhere near as complicated as the old ones! If I ever get the time I might even try one myself :D

If you get one, let me know how it sounds.
 
Guys,
there are a few attenuators which are really good, checked and recommended by many users ...

Weber Mass
TAD Silencer (which I own)
THD Hotplate (I've owned 2 of them !)
DrZ Airbrake (which has the benefit that you can use it for all impedances)

They all are doing a great job ... I would even gig with my Silencer ... from a load of -12db they all are spoiling the tone a little bit but that's justifiable vs the benefits which JohnA has mentioned above
You just have to choose between pest and cholera if you want to run your amp at a saturated level with the nice tube effects and sounds ... without getting deaf ...
Roger
 
Not any more Roger :wink: , Did you look at the link that i posted earlier in the thread? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBUxUB-6qjw At the end of this clip it shows "power scaling" this is a much more successful way of lowering volume and not loosing tone, and with the kits being around US $100 dollars, it makes it a very worth while Mod. It has the added benefit of extending tube life as opposed to the "attenuators" which can drastically reduce tube life. It is not hard to do a google search and find out exactly what these attenuators do do to your amps.....

Mick
 
leadguitar_323 said:
Not any more Roger :wink: , Did you look at the link that i posted earlier in the thread?

Ohhhhhhh Mick, I'm so sorry for reading this stuff less accurately as I should have done ... :(
That's very, very impressive both the 'power scaling' and the prices for the kits ... compared to the attenuators's prices.
The YT vid did have convinced me actually ... BTW - what a beautiful sound from the LPB Strat !!!!!
I'm currently GASsing for a new/different amp top ... I'll remember that kit when having made my decision to buy one ...
Thanks for sharing and leading me to the right direction ... :wink:
Roger
 
Well I finally went ahead and bought a Power Tap, only ?30 so worth a try.
It is as many of you said basically just a master volume control, but it does what I wanted to do which is let me turn up the amp and not annoy
the neighbours.I'm certain that a Hotplate or a Marshall Power Brake will
sound much better, but as I have a Peavey Classic 30 Neither attenuator
can be used according to both manufacturers as the Classic 30 has no
speaker output. :(

Pete.
 

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