Really liking my new "Ultimate Attenuator"...

[geetarpicker]

Just a heads up. We've all heard about these units. I tried one two weeks ago and decided to order one for myself. I got the UA built one. So far I've tried it on my Express clones and it really sounds great even at very low volumes.

I've owned 5 attenuators now over the years. The first an Altair made in '77 then a Scholz Power Soak in '81, then in recent years two THDs and an Airbrake. The Airbrake I always found to be too bright with my Trainwrecks, and most of the time preferred the darker and slightly more compressed sounding THD. The Airbrake was handy for maybe a click or two of attenuation, but it was always bright and harsh to my ears and got worse the farther you dialed it back. I even unhooked the cap in my Airbrake which helped a little. At least the THD was a litte warmer, though 4db clicks is a pretty coarse volume control to work with. However the main issue with both of those is how fizzy and harsh in the high end they got when used more than a couple clicks back. They are usable units don't get me wrong, but the sound is different when clicked in a click or two, and way different clicked down far. Nothing very linear tone wise. To be honest with these units I was never inspired to play my Wrecks much around the house, unless I was in my studio with earplugs in recording or something.

The UA attenuator has had some criticism for it load/reamp via a SS power amp type design. It just is more circuitry which seems counter intuitive tone wise compared to the passive units. It has a 30ohm fixed resistor load, and a inductor in series with it which adds a little highs. The inductor can be factory wired with a switch they call the "plexi switch", though I currently hardwired mine out of the circuit as I didn't get the optional switch and like the darker tone without the inductor. I may add my own switch later. In the past I had tried a similar attenuation concept by setting up a THD in load mode and running that to a SS power amp. That sounded really bad actually, not as good as THD simply run passively. On a related note some of the earlier UAs were known for questionable build quality, and that was probably my main reason I didn't get one until now. It seems the new units made overseas are built cleaner to a higher standard and with heavier duty parts. I did however upgrade the in and out jacks for Switchcraft made parts. I just can't leave anything alone...

The UA attenuator works very well allowing the amp to distort the way it normally does though a cranked cab with very similar compression and EQ characteristics. The loading it gives the amp is an odd 30 ohms fixed resistance and that seems like an odd choice. Apparently they reached this value by the fact that it sounded the best and they were confident it was safe. It does sound good and judging by how the power tubes look the amp seems happy with the load. In some ways the other attenuators I've owned make the amps sound dirtier, almost like the loading is giving the amp something it doesn't like as much. That said I found the "clean to mean" potential very nice with the UA. With the amp cranked and the guitar rolled back the cleans were almost exactly as loud as when you would dime your guitar into total overdrive. The UA seems to allow the amp to behave this way more so than my other attenuators. It seems with the other attenuators I would loose clean headroom and therefore clean volume compared to the volume when I dimed the guitar.

The Ultimate Attenuator is very linear tone wise all the way from unity level down to true bedroom levels. The amps stay fat but doesn't get overly compressed, and the highs are the smoothest and least fizzy I've heard in an attenuator without being muddy. The other units I have are workable for live gigs where I may only need 4-8 db wacked off, but I can see how the UA is going to be more usuable and enjoyable overall especially at home or in the studio.

Just a FYI folks!

[Rob S]

What a timely Post. Thanks for your insightful review Glen, I had either the Ultimate or the more easily sourced (For UK Residents) Sequis as being THE 2 worthy of further investigation.
That said, I would suspect that there would be little in it after paying import etc on the UA.

Here's the Sequis Motherload for your perusal

http://www.motherload.co.uk/

[Tubetwang]

Thanks Glen!

I would love to have your impression on UA versus Dana's VVR...

[Jackie Treehorn]

I think you could DIY an attenuator of this type for a pretty reasonable cost using an LM3886 as the amplifier. The LM3886 is essentially a 70 watt amplifier in one chip. Apparently some decent hifi amps have been made around the chip. I notice that general guitar gadgets has a design and pcb for this chip. www.chipamp.com has pcbs and projects, too, although I think they are just based on the schematic in the LM3886 datasheet. It's a very low parts count, so it would be a simple build even on perf board, though.

The chip is around $7-8 and the power transformer would probably be $20-30, heat sink, enclosure, load resistor, jacks, etc. could be around $100.

There are a lot of advantages to the reamping approach. You could stick an effects loop in it, add an LDR to control volume by expression pedal, use multiple heads, maybe some eq. I think a resonance control in the feedback loop could add some more thump to your wreck, for example.

Could be an interesting alternative to the airbrake....

[Ron Worley]

Jackie-

An effects loop would be very cool- this way it would not screw with the inherent TW tone... I am not smart enough to design this beast though

Hey Dana, I think I just found you another design project- an active power attenuator with switchable effects loop!!!

Ron

[rooster]

Glen - Thanks, also, for the info. That 30 ohm thing I have heard about. In fact guys like Andy Marshall (THD) use that info to beat the shite out of the product's value. (!!??) But such is competition.

I have heard too many good reports of the unit to not think it is the best of its kind. I have owned a few THDs over the years, an Altair, and a Tom Scholls PS, as well - all are a stab at the volume thing but nothing worthy of any real amp tone. Certainly hearing you weigh in on this makes any slight argument I may have crumble. Now its just a matter of $$ I suppose.

On the other hand, I really don't run the big OT Express at this point. I made my peace with the circuit using 6V6s and smaller output iron. But this would be a good thought for the day I run with the big boy. Man, for you, the fact that this device works - and all the way down to bedroom levels - means that you surely must be in heaven. Cool for you, Glen! But thanks for the input, it has not fallen on deaf ears.

[speed monkey]

I have heard too many good reports of the unit to not think it is the best of its kind. I have owned a few THDs over the years, an Altair, and a Tom Scholls PS, as well - all are a stab at the volume thing but nothing worthy of any real amp tone. Certainly hearing you weigh in on this makes any slight argument I may have crumble. Now its just a matter of $$ I suppose.

Bwahaahaahahahaah.....get in touch , Rooster

[img:630:800]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/s ... /Magic.jpg[/img]

Also, a big +1 to everything Glenn said about the UA, it's all true...gave several vintage Marshalls a workout with it and it passed the test. The Komutt loves it too.

[dehughes]

Interesting...so the UA is a load/reamp kinda thing. Didn't know that....

I think for the $$$ I'll just build an Airbrake for now....until someone throws out a better DIY attenuator. I'm still going to install a VVR or two and compare notes with the Airbrake.

[hairyandy]

For what it's worth, we have had a couple UA's out on the road on the Sheryl Crow gig for a couple years as well as many THD Hot Plates and they worked fine. Last year however we built a few Airbrakes to see how they compare and they killed the others tone-wise. Now there is an Airbrake on every (attenuated) amp on the SC stage...

Andy

[dehughes]

For what it's worth, we have had a couple UA's out on the road on the Sheryl Crow gig for a couple years as well as many THD Hot Plates and they worked fine. Last year however we built a few Airbrakes to see how they compare and they killed the others tone-wise. Now there is an Airbrake on every (attenuated) amp on the SC stage...

Andy

Interesting...two questions...

1) Which version of Airbrake did you build...rheostat, or not, or?

2) Please elaborate on how the Airbrakes differed from the UA's.

THANKS.

[speed monkey]

Interesting...so the UA is a load/reamp kinda thing. Didn't know that....

I think for the $$$ I'll just build an Airbrake for now....until someone throws out a better DIY attenuator. I'm still going to install a VVR or two and compare notes with the Airbrake.

Hey Dave -

Get in touch if you still have my number, more than welcome to check out the UA in person

Steve E

[jaysg]

I've seen some of the propaganda for the UA and fwiw, my songwriting partner had a similar product out a years ago called the Power Tool. They didn't really get some of the EQ options right and to me, it sounded a bit flat. Point being, they're hardly the first doing this and the few hundred Power Tools are probably still out there. I'd love to hear comments from anyone who's used one. http://www.eb100s.com/

Anyway, it's interesting that a mismatched/high load was chosen. The Power Tool had a nominal 8 ohm reactive load, similar to the Groove Tubes/Marshall rack units. I had a Scholz which seemed to prove that purely resistive sucks, but the Airbrake flys in the face of that notion. GT's patent has to have expired by now...I think it was dated 1982. I should dig the thing out and try a higher value resistor.

[rooster]

Stevie - OMG!! You have everything a gtr player could ever want.... except you still haven't heard my 6V6 Express. You could maybe trim down the fat there, buy a used Harmony banjo and run with it (my amp) for less cartage and the best Pagey tone this side of 1968. Well, or not. I have to admit that looks pretty frkin' cool. Is that parked right next to the bed?

I will call you, Brother. Take care

[speed monkey]

Is that parked right next to the bed?

No man, thats the living room...

The surfboards are next to the bed

[hairyandy]

For what it's worth, we have had a couple UA's out on the road on the Sheryl Crow gig for a couple years as well as many THD Hot Plates and they worked fine. Last year however we built a few Airbrakes to see how they compare and they killed the others tone-wise. Now there is an Airbrake on every (attenuated) amp on the SC stage...

Andy

Interesting...two questions...

1) Which version of Airbrake did you build...rheostat, or not, or?

2) Please elaborate on how the Airbrakes differed from the UA's.

THANKS.

Well, we've built both--with and without the rheostat. I think the Airbrake just sounds more like the amp's tone unchanged than the UA does. Also, we're not attenuating much, just a couple clicks. IMO any severe attenuation is going to sound different or crappy no matter what you use.

My $.02,

Andy