Joined
·
3,482 Posts
I have been through a ridiculous amount of attenuators:
Bad Cat Unleash
Alex Attenuator
Aracom Pro and DAG
Ho Attenuator (Ultimate Attenuator)
THD Hotplate
Weber Mass, Mini mass, and Micro Mass
Jettenuator
Most are decent enough and the more expensive units offer better clarity at higher levels of attenuation. Overall, however, I felt none were great at high levels of attenuation and I always went back to my pedals and a clean amp rig for lower volume stuff.
When I bought the Bad Cat Unleash it was current the TGP darling and was garnering nothing but rave reviews. I bought one and returned it because I didn’t like the way it sounded. In a strange herd mentality, I was attacked and belittled with an almost moral indignation because I “dared” to question the Unleash’s perfection (I’m unfortunately not really exaggerating; you can look up the old threads.) From that day on I vowed to avoid the TGP hype train and take every review with a huge grain of salt.
When the Power Station came on the market many of the guys who had lampooned me about the Unleash and sang its perfection, suddenly changed their tune and were raving about the Power Station. All the same superlatives were used and anyone who questioned it, pointed out a potential flaw, or expressed doubt, were attacked just as I had been previously. I read the hyped up reviews and tried to see through the familiar BS and hyperbole. I paid most attention to those who didn’t find it perfect and communicated with them privately in hopes of finding some type of balance and perspective. I was even, once again, kind of attacked here and there for asking questions about the PS and its possible limitations (how dare I!) . . .
Long story short, a used V1 appeared in Canada so I decided to bite the bullet and find out for myself. Here are my final thoughts.
It is a great unit and I see why people love it. It is certainly one of the best options out there. Having spent more time with it, on my specific rig, I will say the following:
1.) The high end changes when the PS is inline. It's not so much that the high end disappears, but that it changes character. The warm and rounded highs when bypassed become more strident and less open when the PS is engaged (yeah I know, words to describe sound get ridiculous).
2.) I can hear the lack of "oophm" Braciola refers to. I actually think it is a question of re-amping dynamic range. What seems likes unity while picking lightly or moderately doesn't seem like unity when you dig in. There is a lack of "bloom" with the PS engaged unless you crank up the PS a bit. This starts to defeat the point of attenuating.
3.) At really high levels of attenuation I'm not sure it is better than pedals into a clean amp. At moderate levels of attenuation I am not sure it is better than a good MV.
4.) I don't like that the fx loop takes the entire signal. If you have any "tone suckers" in the loop your entire amp sound changes. Not the PS's fault, but a reality.
So there you have it. For me, on my rig, I couldn't justify the expenditure. If you don't have a MV and don't want to mod your vintage amp, if you want to make a small amp louder, and if your fx chain is transparent, it is an amazing unit. When set to unity and A/Bing the unit in and out of line, it is pretty darn close. Your ears quickly adjust and there is no chance an audience member would hear your tone and say, "hey, something is off." There is a real difference, but given how quickly your ear adjusts you can appreciate how great this thing is. In a band mix your are not going to notice any difference.
End verdict: one of the best options out there but don't expect miracles. Those who love it and those who moved on are both right.
TG
Bad Cat Unleash
Alex Attenuator
Aracom Pro and DAG
Ho Attenuator (Ultimate Attenuator)
THD Hotplate
Weber Mass, Mini mass, and Micro Mass
Jettenuator
Most are decent enough and the more expensive units offer better clarity at higher levels of attenuation. Overall, however, I felt none were great at high levels of attenuation and I always went back to my pedals and a clean amp rig for lower volume stuff.
When I bought the Bad Cat Unleash it was current the TGP darling and was garnering nothing but rave reviews. I bought one and returned it because I didn’t like the way it sounded. In a strange herd mentality, I was attacked and belittled with an almost moral indignation because I “dared” to question the Unleash’s perfection (I’m unfortunately not really exaggerating; you can look up the old threads.) From that day on I vowed to avoid the TGP hype train and take every review with a huge grain of salt.
When the Power Station came on the market many of the guys who had lampooned me about the Unleash and sang its perfection, suddenly changed their tune and were raving about the Power Station. All the same superlatives were used and anyone who questioned it, pointed out a potential flaw, or expressed doubt, were attacked just as I had been previously. I read the hyped up reviews and tried to see through the familiar BS and hyperbole. I paid most attention to those who didn’t find it perfect and communicated with them privately in hopes of finding some type of balance and perspective. I was even, once again, kind of attacked here and there for asking questions about the PS and its possible limitations (how dare I!) . . .
Long story short, a used V1 appeared in Canada so I decided to bite the bullet and find out for myself. Here are my final thoughts.
It is a great unit and I see why people love it. It is certainly one of the best options out there. Having spent more time with it, on my specific rig, I will say the following:
1.) The high end changes when the PS is inline. It's not so much that the high end disappears, but that it changes character. The warm and rounded highs when bypassed become more strident and less open when the PS is engaged (yeah I know, words to describe sound get ridiculous).
2.) I can hear the lack of "oophm" Braciola refers to. I actually think it is a question of re-amping dynamic range. What seems likes unity while picking lightly or moderately doesn't seem like unity when you dig in. There is a lack of "bloom" with the PS engaged unless you crank up the PS a bit. This starts to defeat the point of attenuating.
3.) At really high levels of attenuation I'm not sure it is better than pedals into a clean amp. At moderate levels of attenuation I am not sure it is better than a good MV.
4.) I don't like that the fx loop takes the entire signal. If you have any "tone suckers" in the loop your entire amp sound changes. Not the PS's fault, but a reality.
So there you have it. For me, on my rig, I couldn't justify the expenditure. If you don't have a MV and don't want to mod your vintage amp, if you want to make a small amp louder, and if your fx chain is transparent, it is an amazing unit. When set to unity and A/Bing the unit in and out of line, it is pretty darn close. Your ears quickly adjust and there is no chance an audience member would hear your tone and say, "hey, something is off." There is a real difference, but given how quickly your ear adjusts you can appreciate how great this thing is. In a band mix your are not going to notice any difference.
End verdict: one of the best options out there but don't expect miracles. Those who love it and those who moved on are both right.
TG