Fryette Power Station PS-2A - Even better than the REAL thing!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- This Power attenuator/Tube amplifier preserves the tone and playing dynamics down to whispering volumes and often even improves on the tone of a cranked Marshall stack. In this video I'm using it to record two full stacks at bedroom volume levels with amazing results.
Gear:
2022 Fryette Power Station PS-2A
1971 Marshall Super Lead Full stack with 1976 T1221 G12M25 75Hz
1975 Fender Dual Showman Reverb Full stack with 1977 T1220 G12M25 75Hz
2008 Gibson Les Paul R9 with Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro in the bridge
1970s EV RE10 Close mic
2008 AKG C414BXLII room mic
Very well done, Johan! Ignazio here from Jensen. We have a Fryette PS-2A in our R&D lab and it's just a blessing. Does all we need it to do and more. Very transparent to the original amp's tone, make it manageable at any volume. I had it at home for a while, and used it with vintage and new Marshalls, Fenders, Hiwatts and Boogies... Impeccable. A great investment, highly recommended!
I have two JTM45's and a JTM50, and I wouldn't be able to truly enjoy them the way I do without my PS-2A. Love it.
I have a PS-100. It's the real deal, if you like tube amps, this is an amazing piece of gear.
The PS-2A is amazing. A complete gamechanger.
bought one a couple years ago, an absolute triumph, worth every cent
it's gonna be difficult for folks to understand if they don't have one since all volume in videos is hopefully normalized. I have a PS100 and they are legit. if you're considering one, just get it. in addition to making loud things softer & quiet sounds louder, it also lets you match your head to any cab since the Fryette unit has switchable impedance. so now you can use any backline cab without worrying about mismatch. worth it in many ways. get one
The Fryette Power Station was hands down the best purchase I made at the start of lockdown because I was able to use my loud tube amps at home when there were no shows.
Whoa! Incredible tones at the low volume. Actually sounded better through my speakers on the Fryette. God bless and rock on 👍😎🎸
Thanks J! Rock on!
Those Ace Frehley dodging the algorithm riffs are awesome!
Thanks! Glad to hear it :-)
It's also the best way to add an effect loop to your amp!
I bought a used PS-1 last year and it’s invaluable to me now, one of the best pieces of gear I own! 🙌
Just picked up one a few months ago. Simply incredible piece of gear!
Awesome! I was looking for a reliable demo of a fryette since I got my 1987x and I think your channel must be one of the most reliable ones when it comes to portraying the actual sound it makes in use scenario. Thanks!
I just purchased the Power Station PS-2A It even made the amp hum a little more quiet.
I just got a Power Station 2 yesterday. A used one I bought on Reverb that shipped halfway across the world. It’s awesome. Still getting to know it. I just love all the Ace Frehley homage in your demo. You play in your video and wanted to mention it. That’s awesome! Sound just like him.
VERY nice Joh! Really preserves the sound & freq response! GOOD to use with say a floor modeller/preamp, into a speaker(s)!
Nice KISSesque riffs with the Fender amp! \m/
Thanks DMS! Cheers
My favorite TH-cam channel by far. Such a great reference source!! Another great video!!
Thanks, really good to hear that!
@@JohanSegeborndid the ps2a handle well the 100w amps you have? I thought it’s meant for up to 50w amps
I've got a PS-2A that I bought to add an effects loop to my hand-wired champ. Sounds amazing! I'm considering buying another Power Station so that I can run two small amps in stereo with stereo delay and reverb in the loops.
I've been considering the PS-2A for my 1976 Vibro Champ that was modified by David Allen with an upgraded transformer; it's currently housed in a Mojotone 12" cabinet. Would be great to have a loop!
Another great video, really enjoyed it. I’ve been using one of those units for sometime now, even amps with master volumes such as the Marshall JCM2000 DSL , sound great put through a Fryette power station. 🎸🤘
Thanks Joseph!
The PS2A is awesome, Its the best thing you can buy for your tube amps, even the lower watt amps, cause it has a 50 watt power also to make them even louder, the best thing is to use its own fx loop so you wont loose any tone from the amp itself when using pedals.
great review and playing as always Johan
Thanks, glad to hear it!
Great sounds from the "Talking value" range. I have the 100W Fryette Power Station and love it. Thanks to Fryette for saving this mans hearing! ;)
Thanks!
Actually I've been waiting for you to do a video on one of these :) Incredible product, I use a PS-100 at home to use with all my tube amps, and I'm having a blast. And it's a lot of fun turning my '65 Princeton Reverb RI into a monster sending it through a 4x12 cab at rehearsals. Being able to use it with that kind of headroom is insane.
Sounds great to me. Thanks Johan! You always come up with something new.
Cheers!
Thanks Darrell! Cheers!
I think this is the best demo of the powerstation on TH-cam. You can hear all of the subtle nuances of the plexi.
It might be the best attenuator on the market. Interesting Johan. Thanks for sharing. Greetz. Carsten ✌🏼
Cheers Carsten!
@@JohanSegeborn Johan: Did you have the opportunity to test the ps 100?
One of the best pieces of gear I’ve ever bought. It’s a Swiss Army knife for managing power for tube amp lovers.
I’ve had one for a few years, it’s preserved my hearing. It can tame a 200 watt amp. I usually start with the main amp at low volume, then use the bypass on/off that the PS has so I can get an exact match in sound by adjusting the PS settings. Than I crank the amp and see if I like the sound and do the final adjustments. It’s pricey but it beats the cost of hearing aids later down the road.
Great tip on dialing it in. 👍
I use it with my marshall head.. But it runs too hot... Is it ok?
@@nayashi1980 It has 2 6L6 tubes so it will get hot. I think it can do 200 watts if the impedance is either 16 or 4 ohms , 150 watts at 8 ohms. Run it with out cracking the volume on the amp and see if it’s the same amount of heat that way you can rule that issue out. It should be good if the amp is just 100 watts. Make sure you use 16 or 4 ohm cab and the same on the amp output that should give you peace of mind.
Johan, I seriously hope you get some sales commission from Fryette. I‘ve been sitting on the fence about getting a power station for 2+ years, and after watching your video a coupla time, I decided to pull the trigger tonite and ordered one for my dear old 2203.
Oh, and thanks muchly for the Dual Showman rig demo. Never thought an old school Fender would sound this GNARLY.
Thanks man, really good to hear that!
Great review - as always. Live I use my PS-100's first channel to keep the normal channel on my 64 Deluxe handwired at a reasonable volume (on 8-9 on amp), and then the second PS-100 channel boosts the Bright channel on the amp - which I have fairly low so that it is nice and clean. But it sounds amazing with my other amps too.
Thanks!
@@JohanSegeborn Johan! Listen-up! take a Gibson Classic 57 (or any other HB pup with hiden poles by cover and screws) and remove cover, add 3-4 layers of electrical tape over the poles and reinstall cover install into guitar and play, YOU WILL BE AMAZED! It will sound like a Duncan Antiquity, like an aged pup! This is basically the same preinciple Dimarzio uses in their "airbucker technology" CHECK IT OUT!
I Love it when you described the huge initial volumes of the amps !
Excellent as always ! SOUNDED FABTASTIC. Well done Johan, your hard work, dedication, and great, groovy playing, always inspires me.
Happy Christmas too !🎄
Amazing! Best demo out there! Now I want one! 😊
Thanks! I’m really glad to hear that!
That's cool they gave you a PowerStation. I got my PowerStation 50 when they first came out and it's a great piece of gear. I've been using Fryette/VHT gear since 2000 and their amps are my go to. Would love to see you try out one of their amps, maybe a Deliverance or a CL. I think you would like them quite a bit.
I also use the power station. It is a great unit, however it comes for me with the downside playing at room level with a fan as background noise. Second problem is that the unit is not hum free. Once you switch it to operate (the switch left to the the mains switch) there will be a not loud but when not playing always noticeable hum in the speaker. There is discussions in the web on this hum issue and I contacted Fryette support and haven‘t received any help yet.
Currently I am using more my Suhr Reactive Load and re-amping the line signal through the effects loop return of one of my other tube amps. Suhr speaks of ‚amp slaving‘. This works for me better as it is a hum and fan free setup.
SO timely. I picked up a SLP reissue from 1993 last week and I agree, running it into the ps100 with the eq controls can really shape the amp into something "better" than the amp alone. The ps100 has become the most used and important piece of gear I think I've ever purchased. I use it for a lot of things, not just for controlling volume on big and loud amps, but also the load feature to run my amps "silently" into IR's for recording and as a power amp for when I'm using something like my Quad Cortex.
I recently purchased one. It runs too hot... Is it normal? Thx
@@nayashi1980 yup! Mine gets hot and at first I could smell a "burning" smell, but apparently it's par for the course. Mine doesn't make a smell any longer, but yeah, it gets hot.
@@smellytele9629 hi thanks for answering! I smelled it too... So i was worried about it. Anyways, i will check it when use it. Thx
You have some serious tones and chops going on brother. You have a new fan
Sounds killer Johan I’m going to buy one. Will email you this week 🤘 cheers
Glad to hear it! Cheers
Fantastic sounding piece of gear, would love to see it paired with the Studio Vintage!
I have that exact set up and it sounds amazing! I will say that any attenuation will add certain artifacts to the sound that while minimal is still noticeable.
Same, w/ SV212 cab. Technically I have to agree with SRH (above), but the difference I’d consider meaningless in most contexts. Oh! Almost forgot: makes A/B-ing with a small Fender turned down to clean levels possible, and glorious. A stereo looper to capture either side, and hours disappear in a flash.
Sound amazing!!!
And what a great playing!
I think we need Johan’s gear list, setting, choice, things like that. How about that?
Thanks my friend, that’s really kind of you. Let me know what you wanna know. Some of it is on the video description. Cheers
I have the PS 100 and it's absolutely brilliant
Don't know what I'd do without my Power Station.
Yep, I won't ever get rid of my PS-2A. It's just far too versatile. The ability to turn any lunchbox head into a 50 or 100 watt monster? PRICELESS.
Was rocking the hell out of the 5 watt setting on my Boogie LSS which is more raw and wild than cranking it on 15 or 30 watts and running it through the PS2a, where you can give it a little more volume, size and girth was great fun. The voicing switches are really nice, very musical and can really help out an amp that’s dark or bright when you crank it up.
Love mine, Had it since came out Not one problem either. CW
Great demo!
Hi, Johan!
I was missing your videos last time, but I got what I wanted to see. It sounds very nice, I am very surprised (positively). Its a rare amp, but I will look for it. About me - I am now working online with Teloch, making themes for his next project. The release of my french band HRAD album gonna be in 02.11.2022 on "Acid Vicious" studio. All the lyrics and the concept is my. We recorded it one year ago, and it took a lot of time to find the optimal label, but we are stubborn guys. I know, it will be very high level of quality. We used life instruments, we played at least 20 tracks on every song. So, soon it will be ready. I will send you a personal disc. Just let me see it, and you will have it! It will be my present for you! So stay tuned! See you!!
S.
See you Siegfried!
Your right. Does sound better than the real thing.
This is the sound i'd love to get when recording my guitar at home. But so far I haven't even come close.
Incredible Johan 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🤘🤘🤘!!
Thanks! :-)
Nice Johan!! You're getting really good!! Keep it up! Are you coming over for NAMM in April?
Great sound through this PS-2A, at any level! Good attenuators are great products: They let you use 50W and 100W amps whenever you want, and you can dial in the amp to its best sound and then just back off the sound level.
Seems to me that mic recording got better with attenuation, compared to the full, bypassed volume.
By the way, any comments from your neighbors when they saw your 4x12's?
Thanks Bengt!
Great video Johan. I just wondered how do you think this compares to the Toneking Ironman II?
Fryette is 👏 amazing!! Love the sounds at all volumes!! it seems to retain the 3d quality and actually has a bit more hifi at the lower volumes. Are you finding that Johan? Loud party volume is nice balance between full volume and talking..thanks
Yeah, I think so too
Howdy y’all, Johan. From Sebastian Flarda
I can still hear a slight difference - dimed up without the Fryette it does sound slightly thicker / more saturated but the only way to really tell is to test drive the Fryette. What you can hear from this recording may not be as noticeable live. I have found that the right EL84 based amp with a high quality dist pedal in front can get you really close to those classic JMP tones at much lower volumes.
A PS-100 fixes so many issues it's nuts
When playing those Fender Dual Showman riffs you could really hear Fleetwood Macs Boston Blues live tone which would have been recorded with very similar amps turned up LOUD!
Awe awe kind of machine and non the less the riff(master)🎉
Thanks my friend
The only real difference I hear is that when you're playing at loud volumes, the guitar interacts with the sound level which makes it sound more lively. There are hints of feedback coming and going all the time, which adds ambience and liveliness you just don't get when playing with an amp turned down low even if the actual tone is the same. A certain amount of volume in the room just makes playing guitar better and more fun.
Here we’re comparing 128dB to 85dB one is more fun and one doesn’t involve law enforcement
Law enforcement - always stifling the party 😂
Very good video. Which do you prefer between the PS-2 and the Ironman ?
Thank you !
I have the Fryette PS-100 and is the most transperant attenuator there is, and also you can switch in post amp effects.
Fryette Power Station PS-2A was one of the best gear I bought 2 year ago. I really love to put delay or reverb in effect loop of PS-2A now it's possible to have Delay after my Trainwreck Express and Vox AC30
Attenuate the world!
Amazing. None of that attenuator graininess. You can judge the effect by seeing how things shake when its by-passed.
Thanks Eddie! Cheers
John, I have a Friedman Dirty Sherly biased at 16 ohms, plugged into a Marshall 1960 A loaded with four Celestion G12H 30 watts 15 ohm impedance. Which ohms setting do I set my Friedman DS to, 4 ohm, 8 ohm or 16 ohm? Love your videos. You're always one of the most reliable TH-camrs out there!
Thanks,
David
Was really impressed with that Showman, is it all stock spec?
Thanks, I think it is. You need to minimize bass and also back off mids
Show up at a bar gig with a full Marshall stack and one of these in your backpack and scare the runny poo-poo out of the sound man.
Seriously, though, I'm impressed at how close it sounds to a cranking amp. Because a major part of how these old-style rigs sound is the speaker break-up you get from cranking them. I know this from experience with a Weber attenuator, which sounded great between the head and cabinet of a Laney AOR 100 half-stack but killed the tone of a Marshall 1959 reissue and its cabinet due to the way the lower volume into the Marshall's cab eliminated the speaker distortion. The speakers in the Laney cab were "stiffer" and able to handle the power from the amp without breakup, so they sounded the same only quieter with the attenuator in front of them. The Marshall's cab had lower-powered speakers in it and they had a fair amount of breakup at higher volumes. The attenuator deleted that. That doesn't seem to be much f a problem with this Fryette device.
Hi Johan, love your videos and i think they are truly a great source of information about tone.
I am currently considering a Ironman Toneking or the Fryette. Would you say the Fryette is worth the extra money?
Two great products, I need to get them back to back to do a just statement though.
@@JohanSegeborn Was also hoping to hear your opinion of this!
I wonder which one is quieter (Db comparison)
Are you watching Psionic audio channel? Great content and insight on fryette gear. Cheers.
I browsed it and didn’t find any Fryette videos I’m afraid.
I DISLIKED MY SUPERLEADS AT FULL VOLUME, BECAUSE THE MIDS TOOK OVER THE PERFECT BALANCE AND THE DYNAMICS WERE LOST ALSO. THE TRANSFORMER WAS FULLY SATURATED AND THE SOUND WAS NOT GREAT AT ALL TO MY EARS. SO AN ATTENUATOR ALLOWS THE TUBES TO OVERDRIVE AND KEEP THE TRANSFORMER STRONG....SUPERLEADS CRANKED WILL DAMAGE HEARING ALSO ... MY EARS HURT FOR DAYS WITH RINGING!!! THANK GOODNESS FOR THE FRYETTE POWER STATION!!👍✌️YES, I LIKE AND HAVE PPMV'S IN MY AMPS...I WILL GET A POWER STATION TWO HOPEFULLY SOONER THAN LATER!
But isn’t the ps2a for up to 50w? Still. Sounds amazing
Thats baaaaaaaad.
Awsum!
Nice demo. Thanks Johan. Tell me your opinion and based on your experience with the two power attenuators, do you think it is worth it and is it justified to pay 300eur more for the Fryette Power Station PS-2A attenuator compared to the tone king Ironman II? I have two 40watt amps.
What are you recording and can we hear some songs if so ? I love your riff. Been following for a few years and not just blowing smoke. Ive been playing over 30 years myself. Oh and RIP Jeff Beck , why God , why ?
When the eq switches are flat, the difference in tone from full volume to very quiet is remarkably small. Of course the sound in the room will be very different and the connection to the amp won't be the same - volume changes that a lot - but for recording with a close mic, you can get very very close without abusing your ears/guitar speakers/roomates.
Also, this is a great video! Don't want to forget to praise the creator and Fryette for their awesome gear. :)
I did this experiment a few months back. I took my JTM45/100 clone and ran the Power Station with its volume control all the way off. At that setting there's still a bit of bleed out to the cab, so I mic'd the cab to see what kind of tone the Power Station could deliver at that setting. This is the result - th-cam.com/video/o6llQdFYCAI/w-d-xo.html
I wonder what impact something like this has on Power Tube life. Let's face it, most of us are going to crank the Preamp and Power Amp section of the Head we are using, as though it was on full tilt! It's worth it I suppose!!
I think it’s definitely worth it. Don’t know the rate with which the tubes are consumed though.
Johan, have you perhaps had chance to test the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander? Seems to have the same re-amp use so I still not sure what attenuator to get. Appreciate your response.
Johan, do you think one could run a 1959 plexi into the Fryette and then into a 2x12 cab with greenbacks?
After watching a few videos on this Lightning Struck! Not Once but twice. I stumbled onto one of the PL1 at a screaming good deal and a vintage Sound City at a The Fk you say. no way,, Way ! here take my money. Of course Thanks to Johan I have the 1960A (71 Originals) abd a B cab with the G12H 30w 16ohm 75s Red with two G12M 25w 16ohm 75's. It will all be Judged harshly with the Studio 15 ripping through the the 1978& 19 80s G 1265's with 1777
paper
something tells me that you are a huge Ace Frehley fan,
I have a ps-2a. I use a super reverb. However when I crank the SR past 5 but keep the volume on the ps-2a at 11 o’clock or lower I get a harsh distorted low end. Like a bad distorted sound. Does this seem right? I see so may vids where the amps are cranked and the low end still seems tight and musical at low volume.
I have the PS100....amping up a Friedman PT-2.... yup a 100watt Taco...😏🎸
truly one of the best sounds of the 1968-9 killer body and mids love it
When you compare it can you please exact the same riffs/lines. You play total different things in different positions which makes the comparsion a bit useless. kind regards
Have you tried the Boss Waza tube amp expander? It's similar to the Fryette, but solid state. Great piece of kit.
No not yet
@@JohanSegeborn It can be used like the Fryette as a straight forward load box/re-amper, or connect with a laptop and open up the 8 different rigs with adjustable EQ, solo boost, compression, delay and reverb. The GAFC footswitch also gives multiple options too.
Keep up the good work Johan!
Anyone done a tear down on one of these? Does it have the proper sized inductors in it?
Lets say you already have the ox box , Dr Z air break , captor 8 two notes and the bugara PS1. Is this one head and shoulders above those or would you be fine with using the others ?
I havent tried those I’m afraid
I know it’s not recommended to use it with SS amps but I’ve tried it anyway to blast a HoTone Heartattack 😂😂😂…..just brutal…like a real Mesa Dual Rectifier 👍👍👍…
Did you notice any additional hiss from the amps when using this?
So where do you get one in Sweden? Could you do a clip on different attenuators? I've been checking out the Palmer PDI 06-8 but want good alternatives.
I don’t know
Internet
@@JohanSegeborn ok. Guess I'll order one from Germany
I heard she and ace solo riffs in there!
Yeah Ace is the greatest!
Just presis som nya Snow-joggere i snoen vid brevlåden kvart i sju bitti februar morgon!
Are these available again?
Johan are we going to hear the lead12 through this? Hope so🎉
We can amp it up I think. The attenuation doesn’t work for SS amps
@@JohanSegeborn run the line out of lead12 like you did when you ran to the 1987 fx loop?
Would this work for a solid state amp like a peavey 400 series musician?
No these are for tube power amps
@@JohanSegeborn I figured as much..thanks
You should have been using one of these for the last 10 years.
What!! Is it that long ago since they introduced it?
Sv30 vs Plexi both cranked but plexi same volume as sv30
This has to be done.
We need to get you a DB meter on a chain necklace like a Flavor-Flav necklace so we can tell what kind of volume you are experiencing in quantifiable terms. Not that you didn't do a great job in terms of conveying sound levels.
Thanks, that’s a good point
Roughly the same price as the Tone King "100 watt" attenuator and orders of magnitude more versatile.
But the TK doesn't need to be plugged in or serviced; it has fletcher-Munson compensation built in whilst when you alter the PS volume you need to readjust the front controls. And the TK is built like a tank. I wouldn't like to cart the PS on tour....
@@digitalchris6681 You don't need to plug in the Power Station to use its attenuation feature.
@@JeffRamsdale Hmmm... in "silent mode" you don't but the units power rating is halved and the user manual states that for dimed amps (eg my 'plexi') that you MUST plug it in. For "normal" attenuation mode the manual shows the unit plugged in.
@@digitalchris6681 It can attenuate through its full range with power off but there's a risk of overheating if the fan isn't running at higher power sink. You might as well run it with the power on, just for the cooling, I just wanted to clarify that the power wasn't strictly necessary unless using the power amp feature.
@@JeffRamsdale this is why I mentioned that the Ironman is "fit and forget". I know the Fryette isn't as bad as the TAE (the "amp killer") but it still needs care and attention. You could drive a vehicle over the Ironman to no detriment !
The Fryette will need servicing like any tube amp, just be warned.