Metropoulos Forum

Hi guys,

I've gone off using ppimv on some of my Marshall's and am looking to attenuators.

I have a THD Hot plate which is kinda ok (gets used more as a load box for testing), but beyond a couple of clicks it kills the tone and I find the db jumps to large, I tend to want to sit somewhere between the 2.

I had a powerbrake which was better but again didn't quite do it for me.

I like the idea of having an attenuator without graded steps (full sweeping pot) and have been considering the Bad cat Leash (old not the new with fx loop etc) or an Ultimate attenuator?

Anyone have any experience with these or other recommendations?

Cheers.

My 8-ohm THD Hotplate makes my hybrid 4203 Marshall Artist sound great with the THD's EQ switches. When I saw Jeff Beck a year or two ago, he was using the blue 16-ohm THD Hotplate to control his Marshall top and to output to a half-rack Lexicon Alex or something like that, and it sounded excellent. I've never been able to get as good tones from the 2 Marshall Power Brakes I owned, or the Groove Tubes Speaker Emulator II I have. The guy from Widespread Panic was using a THD Hotplate with his Super Reverb on Austin City Limits recently. Are you using it to control dry amp then lining out of THD to effects processor? Just wondering how it fits into your setup. Used to have an original Groove Tubes Speaker Emulator but only had a 1950's Rickenbacher combo w/ 6V6 tubes. Ran amp to GTSE, then to a Alesis MicroLimiter, then into an Alesis Quadraverb (it was 1991), and it sounded studio perfect...

Just using it straight between superlead circuit marshall heads and greenback loaded quads.

Basically sitting either on -4 or -8db (however I would love a -6). I just find it kills the highs a bit and kind of congests the amp making it a bit mushy. -4 works well but is too loud for a lot of gigs.

Best I have is my Alex (now the Scumback DBL http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=43372.

Still have my Hotplate (used, like you for testing etc) and Motherload Elemental but the Alex retains the core tone as you reel the volume in much better, IMO.

Weber Mass 150 is infintely variable but does color the sound. Which isn't always bad.

NY Chief wrote:Weber Mass 150 is infintely variable but does color the sound. Which isn't always bad.

Color how? I'm looking to pick up an attenuator soon.

FL6 wrote:

NY Chief wrote:Weber Mass 150 is infintely variable but does color the sound. Which isn't always bad.

Color how? I'm looking to pick up an attenuator soon.

More or less has two tone controls that work like bandpass filters I guess. "Lows -Mids" and "Mids-Highs"

https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/mass150.htm

I hear the Alex is pretty nice, but I haven't heard it. I have heard the Rivera Rockcrusher and I like it quite a lot. It sounds way better than my THD and Powerbrake. I have two rockcrushers now and couldn't be happier with the tone.

The Scumback DB Limiter (formally known as The Alex) is a great attenuator...I purchased mine as soon as the first run became available - very transparent and very reasonable price.

Had a couple of THD's over the years and of course, bored, donest do it. Sold. I did get an Ultimate and it was semi convincing but with all these things, does not compensate for that pushed speaker response. So same thing, bored and over it. They work best with minimal attenuating just to keep your ears from pain. My opinion only, mod it to the million variations of awesomeness and play your amp instead of buying gizmos.

ezs wrote:Had a couple of THD's over the years and of course, bored, donest do it. Sold. I did get an Ultimate and it was semi convincing but with all these things, does not compensate for that pushed speaker response. So same thing, bored and over it. They work best with minimal attenuating just to keep your ears from pain. My opinion only, mod it to the million variations of awesomeness and play your amp instead of buying gizmos.

Yes but you simply cannot play out with a cranked 100 or 50w plexi (my 18 2x12 at a push) so its pedals or an attenuator. Same at home to an extent, attenuate, wait til everyone is out or take up the acoustic exclusively

neikeel wrote:Best I have is my Alex (now the Scumback DBL http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=43372.

Still have my Hotplate (used, like you for testing etc) and Motherload Elemental but the Alex retains the core tone as you reel the volume in much better, IMO.

Neil, do you use the treble settings on the Alex? If so, which ones?

rgorke wrote:
Neil, do you use the treble settings on the Alex? If so, which ones?

Yes I usually dial the treble up as I dial the volume down, so on +3 at practice volumes.