I just bought a Tone King Iron Man II and ALL of my tube amps just became all new to me as if ive never played them before... I have a feeling attenuators are gonna start becoming WAY more popular with the technology being where it is now...
I have a 40watt fender tube amp and got this a few months ago. I had never been able to push the amp gigging for years or at home - it just was too loud. I am now getting tube-y gold I have never heard before. I am thinking selling my overdrive pedals - I don’t need them any more.
@@chinmeysway yeah, 2 o’clock is about right fully attenuated. I have two 10 inch speakers in a brown Vibroverb reissue. Maybe not as much head room as blackface fenders.
We were using powersoaks in the 80's. WE had to back then if you wanted use a 100 watt marshall head in a club with out the band and sound man kicking your ass all night for being way to loud. I realized they were right and sold the marshall. Went Fender Deluxe reverb and with a couple of pedals played 7 different genre's of music. Clean obviously, classic country, southern rock, classic Rock, top 40, blues and hard rock and metal with only 2 pedals and clean boost.
The price is right. I've been using my PS-1 for about a year. I use the XLR-out as my "dry" and I use the line-out INTO my Line6 PodGo's instrument-in. My PS-1 is wired to a 1964 Sears Silvertone 1482 (I had my amp slightly mod'd to accommodate the PS-1). I mix through a Behringer UB-502, with the "dry" and the "wet" being the output of the Line6 Pod-Go (well, through a stereo reverb pedal), and then I send that mix over to my main mixer (Mackie DFX-12). One thing to note -- the XLR-out has a slight "hummm" to it. I do not perceive any "humm" from the line-out. It might have something to do with the cab-sim that's built in to the PS-1. The only question I have is this: Can I turn the volume to the real speaker all the way down? Hmmm. I usually send some amount of volume to the real speaker. Enjoy your PS-1! I am very happy with mine.
Perfect! 🔥 Straight to the point and with some great tones! Well done my man! Especially after me digging through dozens of vids that really never gave a good example of the PS-1, besides just talking about it… it sounds and does exactly what I want it too. Ordering one now. Thanks and best! ✌🏼
@@blueshadow3812 Just purchased a SV20H with the matching SV212 Cabinet. Been agonising over whether to buy an attenuator for playing at home, but there is such a wide choice of both Manufacturers and prices to choose from. What speaker cab are you using, and is the PS1 as good as they say?
@@MrNordertitoff o yeah man for its price you cant go better i think and you really can get it to whisper kinda volume even i you want that. I rock the match cab now with 2x12 greenbacks in it its heaven.No problem with the standard speakers just love the greenbacks always. So if you want a cheap option to play the thing cranked with still good sound you should go for it i think ofcourse there is always better but they are always 10x the price also this works great
I see the UAudio power soak everywhere so I bought this. It’s FABULOUS!! I played my Fuchs ODS 50 through the Bugera and was able to not only keep my lease but render every neighbor in the hood happy. Me? Happy!? Couldn’t be more so- the tone of my amp, guitar, touch and pedal board makes me VERY HAPPY! I don’t need- or want- anything more from my Power Soak! Thanks!
if you cant find the Bugera PS1 from Sweetwater, you can get the Harley Benton PA-100 from Thomann. Its the exact same circuit. i love this little unit so much. You dont need to have a cab attached and the PS1 can be used as a load box. You can use the mic emulated XLR out just by itself. I do this for recording jam sessions to avoid guitar bleed. Also the fact that it can be used as a load box means that it has actually saved my amp from a big speaker malfunction. NEVER USE A TUBE AMP WITHOUT A SPEAKER ATTACHED. The mic emulation sucks so if you gig live with it, you may want to consider a cab sim pedal. Joyo makes a good one for
It increases the resistance in the formula: I = V/R, therefore decreasing the output current of your amplifier for a constant Voltage coming out of your house's wall electrical socket. Don't use that thing for a 100W amp. The output current from these overpowered beasts, can easily surpass the design tolerance of the box circuit.
I have an EVH 5150 III 6L6, and I also have the Bugera PS1. I love your tone, I bet a lot of it is your strat, What kind of pickups, The neck looks like a hot rail. Do you also have a 4 X 12? If so how does your rig sound going through that?
I just got one today. Dies the big knob grind against the metal? The line knob is smooth The big knob seems like it has no washer inside to make turning the knob smooth
I have owned this item for years and have used it here and their. Sometimes just for the mic sim. Do I have to connect it to a speaker, since the the power soak has the load impedance?
Got one for attenuation only because I heard the Line feature isn't worth it. First time hearing my amp on the lead channel with all the tube sag. Super fun. Would recommend.
I bought the PS1. It does what it's supposed to. It helps to get the amps to the sweet spot without blowing out the windows. Next, I'll try the line output with some different IR's. I'm not sure how realistic that sounds, though...
@@RockGuitarSchool I tried the line output and it sounds fine with IR's, but you have to have some volume on the amp. If you pull down the volume on the attenuator, you won't get almost any sound through. So there's no silent recording with the PS1.
I use it since about one year with great satisfaction. Try the Line out with a cab simulator (I got the Mooer Radar) without the amp speaker, but just in the P.A. ... it's great!! be aware that even when the knob is at 100, there is arleady an attenuation of -3db, so it neans as the power of amp was 50% cutted
@@Triumphinchrist1 no demages. The important is that all the Impedances must match. If the power out of the amp used is 16 ohm, you must plug in the 16 ohm socket of the PS1, and if you want utilize the speaker, it must be 16 ohm.
So it seems the dial works “backwards”(?) full clockwise (100) soaks up the least amount (way louder), whereas when barely turned on (say 2/100), you can turn the amp even higher while keeping the volume lowest, correct?
Nope. It's intended to go between the power amp and the speaker cab. Won't work on combo amps on which the onboard speaker is hard-wired to the power amp. If the onboard speaker is plugged into a speaker output jack, it'll fit. Plug one end of a speaker cable into the amp's speaker out, plug the other end into the PS1's amp input that matches the impedance of the speaker out on the amp. Plug the cable from your speaker into the speaker jack on the PS1. Adjust the soak as needed and let 'er rip!
Because they do way more that a lot of people don't care about like IR loaders, room/mic/speaker emulation etc. And they're reactive loads. Most other discrete attenuators are the same price as this, maybe a bit more. Take a look at everything the UA Ox does and it's easy to see why it's almost $2000 The Fryette power station is a secondary power amp with tubes essentially.
I have the Jet City version, it’s great, but not as good as the Rock Crusher which is reactive. What is that sound proofing stuff you have in the background? I want to get some.
Question: can you run 2 speakers with different impendance at the same time? I got a 8 and a 16 ohm speakers . Got one and I like it, does get a bit hot but not like crazy hot. And it does suck tone when its set on max but thats expected.
You can mix them, but the calculations become weird when you're not using the same ohms to calculate. Wired in parallel they'd be 5.3 ohms, which you could plug into the 4 Ohm ampse.
I fortunately ordered one from Sweetwater about 2 years ago. I literally used it for about half hour 45 minutes. I tend to play a lot of High gain chunky stuff. This attenuator while admirably doing its job of quieting down my 5150 combo it also robbed it of any of the special tonal qualities that I find so appealing with that amp. It did the same thing with my LBX one as well. In my opinion and from my personal experience having purchased one I would say that if you are a clean to mid to moderate gain player this is a great low-cost option! If you're in the High Gain territory like me, you're going to have to spend some more money. Stick with the two notes
I'm not going to push my amp into much distortion, just push it enough so it gets into breakup a bit, and then I'll mess around with my pedals. If I understand your comment correctly, it's good enough for me.
@@marktilley8230 definitely a great suggestion but I don't like the sound of the amplifier altered. I've even given up on multiple (over 8 different brands and type of) wireless units because I (think :) ) that I can hear a difference. The most effective item, besides a Two Notes or similar reactive load box, I've found thus far is from Carl's custom guitars. It's a plastic box with a volume knob, input and output jack. It's called the Volume Box. It's a volume pot and a plastic box with an In-N-Out. Run it through the effects Loop and it really tames the volume of the amp. It's not without its drawbacks but is by far the cheapest and most effective volume control I've discovered thus far.
@@joeyvanostrand3655 Those devices that go in the loop are not really attenuators in the true sense of what an attenuator is attempting to achieve which is allowing the amp to work and get some power section drive and sag from a turned up amp. This PS1, the HB PA-100, the Jet City/Soldano are the most affordable options. Next thing up like THD or Weber or anything else get into the $300-$400 range and then beyond for Suhr, Riviera etc..
@@mediajunkie515_3 I completely agree 100% about the loop based "attenuators". They basically act has either a first or secondary volume pot for the amp, with drastically mixed results. The Bugera PS-100 was an in between the head and speaker attenuator. Just in the most basic form made with the cheapest components available and with absolutely NO guarantee of protection if something were to go "tits up". I did have a Weber 100w Mass Attenuator did I use for a little bit on my 65 watt 5150. I have to say it performed admirably! Also, the amount of information available on their website really made a huge difference on the purchase of the next one. Spend a little more, get quite a bit more. Spend a lot more get what you're looking for. Another stagely bit of advice they offered was to always roughly double the amount of wattage on the attenuator to the amount you're actually looking attenuate. 100w head or amp should have a 200w reactive load attenuator if one is running the amplifier balls out. The THD HotPlate is a fine example and me just being a mere mortal puts most of the SUHR stuff out of reach. Two Notes and UA seem to have a really good lockdown on the mid-range market at this point and I don't believe that I have yet to hear a complaint about either.
Looking at a pair of these for my Engl E850/100 dual 100W tube power amp. Many tube power amps can spike above their output wattage rating, concerned a PS1 failure could cascade to damage my power amp, which is no longer made. Anyone have these fail and damage your amp?
I don’t get it. None of that was at bedroom volume, which should allow you to talk and be heard by someone. At those levels, the whole house would be awake. We wanted to hear the Bugera cranked to the lowest it would take the amp’s volume and still sound decent.
Resistive loads get the job done but reactive loads are the bees knees. I still have my PS-1 and it does the job. For $100 it's a no brainer for managing tube amp volume. I'll take my Tone King Iron Man II every time but I keep the PS-1 just in case.
Right. Not meant for a 100W valve amp. Output current can vary wildly on those when cranked & even more if something is broken inside them. A failed capacitor in an amp can completely throw the limits off. Seen a guy's video where he described his 100W Marshall blowing a $2,000 BOSS Waza Expander, so imagine that flimsy box. Yikes! Could be ok for a 50W amp like this guy has, but not over that. Outside of a Freyette, I would trust a Tone King Ironman II which is built like a tank for higher power amps.
Aha I found out today after auditioning for a new band with my mig 50 and Victory 2x12 vertical. They said I was too loud lol. Volume on mig50 was on 3. Using my les paul standard it sounded bad boy. Then the band go ah it's quite loud could I bring level down a bit. So ended up having it on 1 and a half. Which sounds lame. Mig 50s need to be at least on 3 to get it anywhere near the zone .
Oh sh*t, I didn't even think about the Mig 50! I'll get this used for my pretty nice 15W combo amp, and I'll start looking for a Mig 50 amp, preferably used. I also "need" the Marshel Silver Jubilee. I mean, now it makes sense to get those amps, because I will be able to play them in my apartment, without the volume blowing the heads off of my neighbours and desinitegrating me. :)
I have tried getting the schematics to the Jet City version but hit a roadblock of the XLR output MicSim emulation being proprietary. The only other thing I plan on doing is someday finding the Jettenuator and doing a side by side comparison of all the internals. Until I do that myself or someone else does a comparison video I cannot be 100% sure that the Bugera will act as a load box. I'll never run my Bugera without a speaker load but luckily I have a 1x12, 2x12 and 4x12. I've also been very lucky that my main two heads have built in attenuators, a 1981 Marshall JCM 800 2204 modded by Lee Jackson with a push/pull master volume 2 and my 1993 Ampeg VL-502 with an ignition key and built in attenuator. KILLER head. Great video, I just subscribed and hit the bell...ding!
UPDATE ! It’s on sale at Sweetwater for $49.00 as of 11/26/22 !!
For all the comments saying that it compromises the original tone, it’s gotta be better than playing with your volume at two. 🤷🏼♂️
They just want to keep being really loud because they lost their hearing
@ Boomers, lol
@@paulallyngoff7472 Gen BS comments. Hence, you've got only one set of ears for life😅
no
I want to see the connectivity to the amp, and which is the right cable to use, that would be cool.
I just bought a Tone King Iron Man II and ALL of my tube amps just became all new to me as if ive never played them before... I have a feeling attenuators are gonna start becoming WAY more popular with the technology being where it is now...
I have a 40watt fender tube amp and got this a few months ago. I had never been able to push the amp gigging for years or at home - it just was too loud. I am now getting tube-y gold I have never heard before. I am thinking selling my overdrive pedals - I don’t need them any more.
Nice man !!
Oh good to know. I’m in same boat; can only turn my fender amps up to 2 ish. How much can you crank it now, like up to noon or more? Thx
@@chinmeysway yeah, 2 o’clock is about right fully attenuated. I have two 10 inch speakers in a brown Vibroverb reissue. Maybe not as much head room as blackface fenders.
Ok, I'm gonna buy it
We were using powersoaks in the 80's. WE had to back then if you wanted use a 100 watt marshall head in a club with out the band and sound man kicking your ass all night for being way to loud. I realized they were right and sold the marshall. Went Fender Deluxe reverb and with a couple of pedals played 7 different genre's of music. Clean obviously, classic country, southern rock, classic Rock, top 40, blues and hard rock and metal with only 2 pedals and clean boost.
Brilliant video, exactly what I needed to see and hear. Thank you.
I definitely need one for my Evh Stealth
Nice !!
i have one for my evh 50 watt and this thing is garbage....sucks the tone and soul right out of your amp...stay away
@@venm4u97hey do you have an alternative?
2 notes torpedo
The price is right. I've been using my PS-1 for about a year.
I use the XLR-out as my "dry" and I use the line-out INTO my Line6 PodGo's instrument-in.
My PS-1 is wired to a 1964 Sears Silvertone 1482 (I had my amp slightly mod'd to accommodate the PS-1).
I mix through a Behringer UB-502, with the "dry" and the "wet" being the output of the Line6 Pod-Go (well, through a stereo reverb pedal), and then I send that mix over to my main mixer (Mackie DFX-12).
One thing to note -- the XLR-out has a slight "hummm" to it. I do not perceive any "humm" from the line-out. It might have something to do with the cab-sim that's built in to the PS-1.
The only question I have is this: Can I turn the volume to the real speaker all the way down? Hmmm. I usually send some amount of volume to the real speaker.
Enjoy your PS-1! I am very happy with mine.
Nice! I like your approach. It's like I'm discovering this tech with you in real time. Well done!
Thank You ! Much appreciated
Perfect! 🔥
Straight to the point and with some great tones!
Well done my man! Especially after me digging through dozens of vids that really never gave a good example of the PS-1, besides just talking about it… it sounds and does exactly what I want it too.
Ordering one now.
Thanks and best! ✌🏼
Awesome man !! Glad you got what you needed ! Enjoy it !
Thing thing is indeed amazing for its price i use it with my sv20h plexi and it just do the work
Nice !
@@blueshadow3812 Just purchased a SV20H with the matching SV212 Cabinet. Been agonising over whether to buy an attenuator for playing at home, but there is such a wide choice of both Manufacturers and prices to choose from. What speaker cab are you using, and is the PS1 as good as they say?
@@MrNordertitoff o yeah man for its price you cant go better i think and you really can get it to whisper kinda volume even i you want that. I rock the match cab now with 2x12 greenbacks in it its heaven.No problem with the standard speakers just love the greenbacks always. So if you want a cheap option to play the thing cranked with still good sound you should go for it i think ofcourse there is always better but they are always 10x the price also this works great
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to post it.
Thanks for watching ! Rock on 🤘🏼
You just convinced me, i gotta have one
got mine in a couple weeks ago but haven't tried it out yet. thats about to change. thanks for the info!
Nice !! Enjoy and thanks for watching !
I see the UAudio power soak everywhere so I bought this. It’s FABULOUS!! I played my Fuchs ODS 50 through the Bugera and was able to not only keep my lease but render every neighbor in the hood happy. Me? Happy!? Couldn’t be more so- the tone of my amp, guitar, touch and pedal board makes me VERY HAPPY!
I don’t need- or want- anything more from my Power Soak! Thanks!
I’ve heard about these frying some amps, did it hold up over time ? Or more worth investing in a more expensive one ?
if you cant find the Bugera PS1 from Sweetwater, you can get the Harley Benton PA-100 from Thomann. Its the exact same circuit.
i love this little unit so much. You dont need to have a cab attached and the PS1 can be used as a load box. You can use the mic emulated XLR out just by itself. I do this for recording jam sessions to avoid guitar bleed. Also the fact that it can be used as a load box means that it has actually saved my amp from a big speaker malfunction. NEVER USE A TUBE AMP WITHOUT A SPEAKER ATTACHED.
The mic emulation sucks so if you gig live with it, you may want to consider a cab sim pedal. Joyo makes a good one for
What does it do ?? I just bought one too .
It increases the resistance in the formula: I = V/R, therefore decreasing the output current of your amplifier for a constant Voltage coming out of your house's wall electrical socket. Don't use that thing for a 100W amp. The output current from these overpowered beasts, can easily surpass the design tolerance of the box circuit.
I have an EVH 5150 III 6L6, and I also have the Bugera PS1. I love your tone, I bet a lot of it is your strat, What kind of pickups, The neck looks like a hot rail. Do you also have a 4 X 12? If so how does your rig sound going through that?
Thanks man !! It’s a lil JB in the bridge and lil ‘59 in the neck. I use a 412 from time to time but at home a 112 Celestion Lynchback.
Do you have any original music recorded anywhere? I would love to hear your tone in a mix.
Not really with that exact setup
I have one for my Vox 15 watt Valvetronic amp in my apartment, and it does sound better without annoying the neighbours
I have a Bugera 120 watt amp. It sounds great. I'm getting one of these for it.
Cool man !!
Unfortunately this is only for amps up to 100 watts buddy
@@futurekarlos5256 I was told by Guitar Max (A well known channel on here) that it would work as long as I don't turn the amp all the way up.
@@Living_EDventures probably a bit late for you, but can confirm that you are correct.
@@maninacave It works fine on my amp. I just don't turn the amp up to full power. As far as the amp I upgraded the tubes as soon as I bought it.
I just got one today. Dies the big knob grind against the metal?
The line knob is smooth
The big knob seems like it has no washer inside to make turning the knob smooth
Nice, cool and informative!
This attenuator made my rig sound boxed in.
wow - that neck PUP sounds great! what did you put in there?
Thanks bro - It’s a Seymour Duncan’59
I have owned this item for years and have used it here and their. Sometimes just for the mic sim. Do I have to connect it to a speaker, since the the power soak has the load impedance?
Got one for attenuation only because I heard the Line feature isn't worth it. First time hearing my amp on the lead channel with all the tube sag. Super fun. Would recommend.
Awesome man !
@@RockGuitarSchool can it be used If you want that cranked amp sound but attenuated into a pair of headphones?
@@allboutthemojo - probably but can you imagine what would happen if you turned it off while cranked lol
@@PapaWheelie1 RIP 😄
4:45 Unfortunately, if it breaks or ceases to operate correctly, you could damage your head.
Are u still happy with this? Sounds great.
Generally, I want the natural sound of the amp. If you do need your amp super quiet though, it does do the trick. Appreciate the compliment !
I've ordered one, question is will this make me want to sell all of my pedals?
Well if you like them then no !
Hi there! Wud the attenuator work in India where wall power suplpy 220 volts unlike in the US where its 110 volts?
Hi Calvin - Not sure I can answer that one. Sorry !
Yes it will. It only plugs in between your amp and speaker. It does not plug into the wall outlet.
Will it cut out the sound completely at zero?
Video starts at 6:10
I bought the PS1. It does what it's supposed to. It helps to get the amps to the sweet spot without blowing out the windows. Next, I'll try the line output with some different IR's. I'm not sure how realistic that sounds, though...
Cool !
@@RockGuitarSchool I tried the line output and it sounds fine with IR's, but you have to have some volume on the amp. If you pull down the volume on the attenuator, you won't get almost any sound through. So there's no silent recording with the PS1.
@@nedim_guitar Head --> Bugera --> cheap IR pedal doesn't work?
Where does this plug into
I use it since about one year with great satisfaction. Try the Line out with a cab simulator (I got the Mooer Radar) without the amp speaker, but just in the P.A. ... it's great!!
be aware that even when the knob is at 100, there is arleady an attenuation of -3db, so it neans as the power of amp was 50% cutted
Hey, how realistic does it sound with an IR on the line output?
@@nedim_guitar it's quite realistic. I like it very much especially with IR celestion greenback
@@nedim_guitar the emulated out sucks. The line exit, paired with a cab simulation (I use Mooer Radar) is great
So it won't damage the amp if I don't use any speaker but just take an out & send it into the recording console?
@@Triumphinchrist1 no demages. The important is that all the Impedances must match. If the power out of the amp used is 16 ohm, you must plug in the 16 ohm socket of the PS1, and if you want utilize the speaker, it must be 16 ohm.
Does this cut out hum at all? I heard that some attenuators cut out some hum
I’ve never heard of that
do i need volume pedal if i have already attenuator?
Hey..tell me please, its keep the real tone of the amp?
For the most part but keep in mind you’re not getting the bump from the power amp
So it seems the dial works “backwards”(?) full clockwise (100) soaks up the least amount (way louder), whereas when barely turned on (say 2/100), you can turn the amp even higher while keeping the volume lowest, correct?
Yea man I think that’s right. I haven’t used it in awhile but it does seem backwards. Haha
can you use pedals in the effects loop with the attenuator in the loop?
Nope. It's intended to go between the power amp and the speaker cab. Won't work on combo amps on which the onboard speaker is hard-wired to the power amp. If the onboard speaker is plugged into a speaker output jack, it'll fit. Plug one end of a speaker cable into the amp's speaker out, plug the other end into the PS1's amp input that matches the impedance of the speaker out on the amp. Plug the cable from your speaker into the speaker jack on the PS1. Adjust the soak as needed and let 'er rip!
I why do other attenuators cost up to a couple grand? I need this one, my mesa is 100w and when it's at home I can't even put it on one😂
Name brand ?
@@RockGuitarSchool of what
I’m saying the name brands are more money. This is a copy of a name brand.
Because they do way more that a lot of people don't care about like IR loaders, room/mic/speaker emulation etc. And they're reactive loads. Most other discrete attenuators are the same price as this, maybe a bit more.
Take a look at everything the UA Ox does and it's easy to see why it's almost $2000
The Fryette power station is a secondary power amp with tubes essentially.
@@jsullivan2112 what's a reactive load? And would you advise me getting the bugera one? Or should I not trust my expensive ass amp with it?
I have the Jet City version, it’s great, but not as good as the Rock Crusher which is reactive. What is that sound proofing stuff you have in the background? I want to get some.
It’s not anything crazy man just a background. It’s not actually sound proof
Question: can you run 2 speakers with different impendance at the same time? I got a 8 and a 16 ohm speakers .
Got one and I like it, does get a bit hot but not like crazy hot. And it does suck tone when its set on max but thats expected.
You can mix them, but the calculations become weird when you're not using the same ohms to calculate. Wired in parallel they'd be 5.3 ohms, which you could plug into the 4 Ohm ampse.
Are you able to use this with a amp head and use 2 cabinets ?
Yes
Is this a load box as well or does it still need to be connected to the speaker?
Yes
@@RockGuitarSchool "yes" means it is load box as well?
@@ivanexr Yes it is a load box !
Is load box ?
No. ''power soaker'' written on the box & price should be a clue...
Is it ok to use with an amp head ,without a speaker & send the signal into a recording console?
Yikes!
can i use this on my blackstar hy club40 mk2 6L6
I fortunately ordered one from Sweetwater about 2 years ago. I literally used it for about half hour 45 minutes. I tend to play a lot of High gain chunky stuff. This attenuator while admirably doing its job of quieting down my 5150 combo it also robbed it of any of the special tonal qualities that I find so appealing with that amp.
It did the same thing with my LBX one as well.
In my opinion and from my personal experience having purchased one I would say that if you are a clean to mid to moderate gain player this is a great low-cost option! If you're in the High Gain territory like me, you're going to have to spend some more money. Stick with the two notes
I'm not going to push my amp into much distortion, just push it enough so it gets into breakup a bit, and then I'll mess around with my pedals. If I understand your comment correctly, it's good enough for me.
Dude maybe try a tubescreamer or something to make up for it?
@@marktilley8230 definitely a great suggestion but I don't like the sound of the amplifier altered.
I've even given up on multiple (over 8 different brands and type of) wireless units because I (think :) ) that I can hear a difference.
The most effective item, besides a Two Notes or similar reactive load box, I've found thus far is from Carl's custom guitars. It's a plastic box with a volume knob, input and output jack. It's called the Volume Box. It's a volume pot and a plastic box with an In-N-Out. Run it through the effects Loop and it really tames the volume of the amp.
It's not without its drawbacks but is by far the cheapest and most effective volume control I've discovered thus far.
@@joeyvanostrand3655 Those devices that go in the loop are not really attenuators in the true sense of what an attenuator is attempting to achieve which is allowing the amp to work and get some power section drive and sag from a turned up amp. This PS1, the HB PA-100, the Jet City/Soldano are the most affordable options. Next thing up like THD or Weber or anything else get into the $300-$400 range and then beyond for Suhr, Riviera etc..
@@mediajunkie515_3 I completely agree 100% about the loop based "attenuators". They basically act has either a first or secondary volume pot for the amp, with drastically mixed results.
The Bugera PS-100 was an in between the head and speaker attenuator. Just in the most basic form made with the cheapest components available and with absolutely NO guarantee of protection if something were to go "tits up".
I did have a Weber 100w Mass Attenuator did I use for a little bit on my 65 watt 5150. I have to say it performed admirably! Also, the amount of information available on their website really made a huge difference on the purchase of the next one. Spend a little more, get quite a bit more. Spend a lot more get what you're looking for. Another stagely bit of advice they offered was to always roughly double the amount of wattage on the attenuator to the amount you're actually looking attenuate.
100w head or amp should have a 200w reactive load attenuator if one is running the amplifier balls out.
The THD HotPlate is a fine example and me just being a mere mortal puts most of the SUHR stuff out of reach.
Two Notes and UA seem to have a really good lockdown on the mid-range market at this point and I don't believe that I have yet to hear a complaint about either.
Looking at a pair of these for my Engl E850/100 dual 100W tube power amp.
Many tube power amps can spike above their output wattage rating, concerned a PS1 failure could cascade to damage my power amp, which is no longer made.
Anyone have these fail and damage your amp?
I don’t get it. None of that was at bedroom volume, which should allow you to talk and be heard by someone. At those levels, the whole house would be awake. We wanted to hear the Bugera cranked to the lowest it would take the amp’s volume and still sound decent.
Resistive loads get the job done but reactive loads are the bees knees. I still have my PS-1 and it does the job. For $100 it's a no brainer for managing tube amp volume. I'll take my Tone King Iron Man II every time but I keep the PS-1 just in case.
Does the ps1 get really hot
Mine lasted about 3 months and puffffff . Smoke and electrical smell
Right. Not meant for a 100W valve amp. Output current can vary wildly on those when cranked & even more if something is broken inside them. A failed capacitor in an amp can completely throw the limits off. Seen a guy's video where he described his 100W Marshall blowing a $2,000 BOSS Waza Expander, so imagine that flimsy box. Yikes! Could be ok for a 50W amp like this guy has, but not over that. Outside of a Freyette, I would trust a Tone King Ironman II which is built like a tank for higher power amps.
@@Juicexlx it’s was a 40 watt fender blues deville 4/10 😂🤷♂️
I just ordered one from Sweetwater for 75 dollars including tax. Can't beat that. Now I can use my Mig 50. :)
Nice !!
Thanks for the tip, Stephen. I just ordered one for the same price. Lucky for me it's still on sale.
Same. Just ordered one myself. Great price!
Aha I found out today after auditioning for a new band with my mig 50 and Victory 2x12 vertical. They said I was too loud lol. Volume on mig50 was on 3. Using my les paul standard it sounded bad boy. Then the band go ah it's quite loud could I bring level down a bit. So ended up having it on 1 and a half. Which sounds lame. Mig 50s need to be at least on 3 to get it anywhere near the zone .
Oh sh*t, I didn't even think about the Mig 50! I'll get this used for my pretty nice 15W combo amp, and I'll start looking for a Mig 50 amp, preferably used. I also "need" the Marshel Silver Jubilee. I mean, now it makes sense to get those amps, because I will be able to play them in my apartment, without the volume blowing the heads off of my neighbours and desinitegrating me. :)
Back in the day I tried using the Scholz power soak to tame my Marshall but couldn’t get over the way it affected the sound.
Too much of a compromise.
Attention doesn’t work as well on rigs that overdrive the speakers a bit for good distortion
I have tried getting the schematics to the Jet City version but hit a roadblock of the XLR output MicSim emulation being proprietary. The only other thing I plan on doing is someday finding the Jettenuator and doing a side by side comparison of all the internals. Until I do that myself or someone else does a comparison video I cannot be 100% sure that the Bugera will act as a load box. I'll never run my Bugera without a speaker load but luckily I have a 1x12, 2x12 and 4x12. I've also been very lucky that my main two heads have built in attenuators, a 1981 Marshall JCM 800 2204 modded by Lee Jackson with a push/pull master volume 2 and my 1993 Ampeg VL-502 with an ignition key and built in attenuator. KILLER head.
Great video, I just subscribed and hit the bell...ding!
Thanks for the sub man ! Let me know if you find a comparison or any more info ! Thanks !
6:13 🎶
YA,,,,I JUST GOT ONE,,,,,,,,,,,NICE DEMO
Cool !!
I thought this was a direct copy of the Jet City Jettenuator.
I've heard these get really hot !!!!?
I think the reason many of us have never used one before was because they were stupid expensive prior to this one
True !!
The Harley Benton PA-100 is another Jet City clone.
Wow ! Clones of clones
That EVH head you have there..... a rip off of a Soldano preamp.
Your amp is, hilariously, still loud as fuck
Haha
90% is still an A
That’s funny