NGD, finally a reactive attenuator

[Archer250]

Okay granted, the TAE is not a traditional attenuator, but a load box slaved into a power amp, but but

Damn it's good. It sounds frigging amazing.

Original owner brought it with him from Japan, didn't use it because he's a shoegaze guy and prefers using the JC120

 

[uOpt]

Very nice.

 

[jeremy]

very cool! for the price, it better sound amazing lol

 

[AdrianSD]

I have the Core version, which allows me to crank the SC20 and the Mesa without peeling the paint off the walls, both amps sound much better with power tubes distortion. Have fun!

 

[Mincer]

Always wondered how those sounded, but too expensive new to try myself. It is awesome that it works so well!

 

[Archer250]

Always wondered how those sounded, but too expensive new to try myself. It is awesome that it works so well!

Yeah. I was warned about the resonance knob, so I have it turned off. Otherwise? This is a very good sounding unit

 

[Sam SG]

Id like to try a reactive attenuator. Ive played through an old Power Brake thats about it.

 

[jeremy]

i got a weber mass many years ago, it does its trick as well as anything ive heard, but i only use it for live stuff to knock down the volume a bit. the boss unit is a whole other beast

 

[Mincer]

Are attenuators safe these days? I remember talk about them years ago that they could negatively affect tubes and transformers. I am guessing they fixed that by now.

 

[Sam SG]

Are attenuators safe these days? I remember talk about them years ago that they could negatively affect tubes and transformers. I am guessing they fixed that by now.

I know the 70s Altair resistor type attenuator. They could heat up and blow out. Either the resistor would blow or they would melt out the solder joints making your amp go" unattenuated"......imagine your 100w plexi just going fullbore mid set in a club....hahaha

 

[jeremy]

Are attenuators safe these days? I remember talk about them years ago that they could negatively affect tubes and transformers. I am guessing they fixed that by now.

a good attenuator wont hurt the amp at all. but you are running your amp at X on the volume control, the volume is lower due to the attenuation, but your amp is working just as hard. so for example, if you are running your 50w plexi on 8, then using the attenuator to knock the volume down by half, your plexi is still running on 8 and putting that wear on the tubes and everything else

 

[beaubrummels]

The Weber MASS (I have one) has a speaker coil as it's power soak, so it's behaving to the amp output as if it's connected directly to a cab. But running your amp full out always has all the consequences of running your amp full out.

 

[jeremy]

yep! its a useful tool for sure, but youre running your amp hard to get the goods. that part doesnt change