Do power attenuators color the tone of an amp?
Yes. They all do, to a greater or lesser extent. The net effect is not necessarily good or bad, it all depends on the amp / attenuator / speakers and how you’re using them. -Mark Taylor • Are there alternatives to power attenuators? On some amps you can pull 2 of the 4 output tubes and cut the power roughly in half. Some devices like Yellowjackets allow you to substitute power tubes which can result in a different tone and lower output power. Using a Variac (technically a kind of power attenuator), you can lower the voltage going into the amp and in so doing lower the output volume at a given setting. (NOTE – this can be extremely dangerous to your amplifier. -ed) Don’t overlook what you can do with a couple of heavy blankets over your speaker cab, that can cut your volume way back, and by playing with how much speaker is exposed vs covered, you can compensate for the damping effects of the blankets. Works great with mics. Cheap, safe and reliable, too. (NOTE – Don’t block ventilation
Related Questions
- The LP-MV (London Power Master Volume) kit seems like a very simple solution to controlling volume without tone change. Will I still be able to use my presence and esonance controls?
- What kind of amp is recommended for a 2400 max power handling 800 watt RMS Subs?
- Do power attenuators color the tone of an amp?
