Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
November 24, 2024, 04:15:23 PM
Home Help Search Login Register
News: Ceriatone Forums are up and running!!!
 
Guests please register
Note: If you want to help you can donate to keep the forums alive.



Do you want to advertise on this forum ? Send me a private message.

Amplified Parts
+  Ceriatone Forum
|-+  Muchless
| |-+  DC 30
| | |-+  Recommended Attenuator		 « previous next »
Pages: [1] Go Down Print
Author Topic: Recommended Attenuator  (Read 13198 times)
frankandstephen
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 24


View Profile
« on: December 14, 2009, 12:19:43 AM »
Hey all!

My son's DC30 is so loud (even at 1/2 volume) that he really doesn't get to enjoy its capability at bedroom levels...

what type (brand) of attenuator do you recommend? (I've also sent an email to Nik) I was wondering what people use out there!

Thanks!
Logged
alwalt
Jr. Member
**
Offline Offline

Posts: 95


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2009, 10:28:54 PM »
Being biased hot, I guess the use of an attenuator would eat tubes really faster than "regular", because you (he) will crank the amp and all of the tubes will wear faster. I did not try my DC30 with any attenuator, but I installed the Variable Voltage Regulator and it's been a winner since.  I posted about on this same forum. Maybe it is a good (and not expensive) way to try for you guys.

It basically reduces the voltage on the whole amp, allowing you to get crunch tones at lower levels (it reduces at 10% the amp full power). To me, it opened a whole new unexplored stage of this amp....

Regards
Logged
hywelg
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 896


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2009, 09:51:54 AM »
I tried my Hotplate with the Dc-30 and it was not good. It works OK with my OTS but not with the DC. I have Powerscaling fitted and that is far, far superior IMO.
Logged
cmoore
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 351


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2009, 10:01:41 PM »
There isn't one.  Plus, for the price of a decent attenuator you can buy a small SE amp. Valve Jr., Champ/Vibro Champ, etc.  IME attenuators are much better suited for taming stage volume on 20-100 watt amps.
Good Luck
Logged
anxiousmofo
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 8



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2010, 04:36:07 PM »
I've been using a Koch Loadbox II with good results.
Logged
alwalt
Jr. Member
**
Offline Offline

Posts: 95


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2010, 05:15:31 PM »
Quote from: bcmatt on December 16, 2009, 03:15:18 PM
I simple VVR for cathode biased amps is the absolute winner for the DC 30 in my opinion. I would say that you remove the pot and bypass the (quite useless) Master Volume. Then you can instal the VVR control in that hole of the faceplate. It works perfectly for me.

Here is the VVR to order:
http://www.hallamplification.com/main.html#2,2

+1 may I correct!
Logged
Ramsay
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 7


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2010, 05:10:57 AM »
Just bought a Dr Z Brake Lite.... I started a new topic about it.... Will post results there once I've tried it out! Smiley
Logged
Tone Control
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 274



View Profile
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2010, 09:41:54 AM »
I have VVR on my DZ30, and don't like it much. The master vol sounds better to me. Perhaps it depends how much you overdrive it, I like it to just break up a little.
However, the DZ30 is way too loud for a bedroom in a house where stage levels are not welcome (even 15w mode): best to get a 5w amp for that sort of domestic situation
1w to 5w amps sound better in a quiet house than a 30w amp that's quietened down.
My THD hotplate loses tone, and sounds poor below -4dB, which is not low enough for your needs (it's good for for tweaking loud levels, or giving a DI load, but -12dB or lower sounds poor). AFAIK all power soaks lose tone

Try an AC4 maybe? they are very cheap. I dislike the fact that most of the lower power amps have cheap tonestacks, but there are some with more, like the BH5.
A guy in the UK here takes the cheap Chinese amps (Epi VJ, BH5, etc), and does all the good mods around, fixes the buzzes and tweaks PSU, adds tube recitifier, etc.
His amps sounds really good at house-friendly levels for £250-£400, none of my 30w-100w ones can run that quiet and sound good, I've had an isolation box built for when I need to keep the loud amps quieter. Even my Vox AC15H1TV is too loud when it's late. The Marshall Class 5 sounds ok, but rattles like hell, it has a cheap chassis.

If he has a recording setup, an ISO box is another solution, Randall do one that sounds good, but does let some noise out. Then the DZ30 could run into that and use the monitors at whatever preferred level. This is the best solution I believe
Logged
Dr Tone Control, Strats mostly, prefer saturated clean tones, a little OD sometimes
BM50, JTM45, 36w EF86, DZ30, Expression, + non-Ceriatones (Matchless, Victoria, Wienbrock)
Just started with pedals a little after a 10 year purist spell, but usually just delay
Ramsay
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 7


View Profile
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2010, 05:18:44 AM »
Hooked up my Dr Z Brake Lite last night. Well impressed!
It didn't suck tone at all, and even at the highest setting -11db, it was very responsive.
I love the DC30 running at full power, also at the level of just beaking up a tiny bit, and the Dr Z Brake Lite has brought my volume down beautifully but kept the responsiveness I love at the 30W setting.
I'm hearing more and more good responses about the Brake Lite, and best of all, it screws into the inside of my combo with two screws.
They also make a Brake Lite SA (stand alone) for those who are running a head and cab setup. At $169, it's a winner.
Logged
frankandstephen
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 24


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2010, 07:34:39 PM »
sounds like I'll have to give that a try....where did you get it for such a good price?
Logged
Ramsay
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 7


View Profile
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2010, 04:22:21 AM »
From Mass Street Music. He shipped it quickly and packed it well too. Here's the link...
http://www.massstreetmusic.com/store/show_item/3249-Dr-Z-Brake-Lite-Attenuator
I'm keen to see what you think of it!
Cheers
Logged
baldy
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 32


View Profile WWW
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2010, 07:17:39 PM »
Has anyone made and posted sound clips or videos?? Chair Dance
Logged
Pages: [1] Go Up Print 
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.12 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!

CeriaTone Forum is not afiliated with Ceriatone Amplifications. The CeriaTone and name, logo and related trademarks and service marks, owned by CeriaTone. , are registered and/or used in the U.S. and many foreign countries. All other trademarks, service marks, and trade names referenced in this site are the property of their respective owners.