Soundclip Ultimate Attenuator w/ Marshall 2061x

[Ulysses]

If you aren't familiar with the Ultimate Attenuator, the name is a bit of a misnomer. It is more of a reamping device than attenuator and the effect is nothing short of remarkable. Now that I'm off the road after 34 years of playing live and loud, I've missed the tone from my old AC30, 50w plexi, etc. because they are just too loud for home use. I'm sure the same thing everyone is going through and I just cannot be satisfied with the compromise of the puny sound of lo-watt boutique amps and especially the mush and fizz from standard attenuators when reduced to "bedroom level".

I've bought boutique amps with power scaling, tried almost all the popular attenuators currently out, master volume amps, etc., no less than five 5-7 watt amps, and nothing feels like my old Marshalls or AC30 and keeps the original characteristics in tact when you attenuate down low enough to play with the family in the house.... until I got this thing. If anyone is used to playing loud for years and frustrated with the feel you get attenuated down to low levels this will change your entire outlook at what amps are available for low volume application. I'm sure this sounds like and ad for this thing but I'm not affiliated nor do I even know the guy that builds these.

You are listening to an Marshall 2061x through a 2x12 Divided By 13 cab loaded with Celestion Golds attenuated down to actual speaking voice level. I made this recording with my entire family asleep in the house. Yes, I could have used a modeling device but listen to the natural room ambience, the muscular mid range, dynamics of pick and finger attack, defined top end, and overall natural sounding live amp signal.

I've made a lot of clips and knowing the characteristics of what happens when, I find it amazing. I also chose a pair of Shure SM-81 small diaphragm condenser mics, usually an absolute no-no for recording guitar. The SM-81's are known for their ice-pick-in-the-ear quality combined with the fact that they are small diaphragm condensers. I wanted to capture the detail of the quick pick attack and finger touch more so than getting a sweet tone. Still, the tone is quite acceptable IMO and surprisingly smooth. Another testament to the UA's amazing ability to maintain an amps character under heavily attenuated circumstances, no fizz and buzz like you would normally get with master volumes, power scaling, and any other attenuator. The sound in the room was big, but very quiet. Not a little bitty sound from a little bitty amp. The notes are firm, muscular, and have well defined top, mids, and lows which you just don't normally hear with an amp attenuated down to bedroom level. I didn't get the gain up too high because I wanted to show how much punch and dynamic range was apparent in the room. It sounds just as phenomenal with an amp in full overdrive.

For the music, you get me on drums, bass, and guitar. I'm not too sure about this riff but I wanted something up-tempo to force the articulation quality of the UA as well. My 1964 Firebird V starts the clip, my 1959 Tele comes in next. The track fades out with the Firebird coming back in on another modern amp with the UA but I didn't like the amp so I faded it out and just let the demo stop there.

Once again, keep in mind that the guitar tracks you hear are at speaking voice level or lower, easily well below what would be considered "bedroom level".


Track time:

0:00 - 0:50 - 1964 Firebird V
0:50 - 1-38 - 1959 Telecaster
1:38 - fade n/a

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6633726







http://www.soundclick.com/player/sin...d=6633726&q=hi

[sinasl1]

sounds great! Nice playing

[dumbell78]

Great track! I love my UA too, everything you say is spot on. It does a great job of taming my 2555.

[JimH]

Sounds fantastic. I've got a similar amp - wish it sounded that good at low levels.
Great playing too, but there's more to it than that. Very impressive.

[HeeHaw]

I really liked that clip and the way that Marshall sounds.

[Mondoslug]

and with a SM81? Who woulda thunk.

I'd like to check out the UA. Work with any size ohm amp?

[carbz]

I had one when I had my Naylor amp and though it sounded real good from what I remember. To me it wasn't really transparent despite the builders claim though it kind of changed the tone/feel in a good way. The reason I sold it was I was hearing what sounded the sound was coming either through the tubes or tranny at low volumes. It was way annoying and sounded to me like it was damaging the amp. I called the builder and he swore it was safe. I am happy with my hotplate even at highley attenuated levels.

[Dave_C]

Originally Posted by carbz

I had one when I had my Naylor amp and though it sounded real good from what I remember. To me it wasn't really transparent despite the builders claim though it kind of changed the tone/feel in a good way. The reason I sold it was I was hearing what sounded the sound was coming either through the tubes or tranny at low volumes. It was way annoying and sounded to me like it was damaging the amp. I called the builder and he swore it was safe. I am happy with my hotplate even at highley attenuated levels.

I had one too, but sent it back for the same reasons, plus my amp was getting incredibly hot when using it. That said, it made every amp I used sound smoother and darker than the original amp tone, which I kinda' liked. But, it was very far from transparent. I did a little shootout with the UA, Air Brake, MASS, Hot-Plate and Power Brake. I thought the Air Brake was most transparent, but didn't attenuate down low enough before getting into the 2nd rate "Bedroom" setting. The UA was great for taming bright amps and getting a super creamy lead tone. The MASS did the same kind of thing. Overall, I'm still waiting for someone to make the real ultimate attenuator. Anyone try The Leash yet?

Anyways, that all said, the Marshall clip with the UA does sound! I really love the tone! But, I'd bet the unattenuated amp, with a bright Tele and those bright Celestion golds would not sound as warm and fat. I'd bet the UA, with its 30+ ohm input load is warming up and smoothing out that tone quite a bit.

[Ulysses]

Quote:
Originally Posted by carbz
I had one when I had my Naylor amp and though it sounded real good from what I remember. To me it wasn't really transparent despite the builders claim though it kind of changed the tone/feel in a good way. The reason I sold it was I was hearing what sounded the sound was coming either through the tubes or tranny at low volumes. It was way annoying and sounded to me like it was damaging the amp. I called the builder and he swore it was safe. I am happy with my hotplate even at highley attenuated levels.

Originally Posted by Dave_C

I had one too, but sent it back for the same reasons, plus my amp was getting incredibly hot when using it. That said, it made every amp I used sound smoother and darker than the original amp tone, which I kinda' liked.
.

I think Hogy has already stated that the Ultimate Attunuator is not the cause the noise you are hearing from your trannies and tubes and neither the heat. Your transformers will always make that noise when you have the amp that wound up, you just can't hear it without attenuating the level down this low. Same with the heat. The heat represents the same heat you would get operating the amp at the gain level you choose.

I've been slamming my vintage 1963 AC30 several hours every day for almost three months now with the UA and no issues whatsoever. Same with my vintage 50w Marshall. You do decrease the life of your amp but only because you are actually using it. It's the same wear and tear you would get if you gigged it with the amp at the same settings. Yes I am giving it extra wear and tear. It is much like using your garaged vintage Jaguar E-Type for a daily driver. The positive side is you actually get to use and enjoy. I'd rather use my amp than look at it. If my AC30 flames tomorrow, I will have already got to enjoy it at home more than I would have in the next ten years without the UA. I'm a career player that spent the last 34 years on the road, 150-200 one nighters per year... I'm so used to getting the sound I like and know the touch sensitivity, dynamic range, give and take, etc., of my amps very well. The master volume, power scaling, and standard attenuator otions I've tried just have not been acceptable to my ears. I can honestly say I've bought no less than 20 amps, attenuators, and iso cabs recommended for volume reduction in the past two years trying the type of sound and feel I like at low volume and have not been satisfied until now.

Yes, there is coloring I find in a kind of good, warm, way, but no fizziness or mushy mids like with other options as you can hear in the clip. But.... I find if I set my amp at the desired level of overdrive, attenuate it down with the UA, THEN.. restructure the stages by lowering the amp and raising the UA to find the sweet spot it pretty much comes back. It does take some tweaking.

Last, the Ho is an excellent unit and he is the designer of the device. He DOES NOT build the UA as stated in an above post. He is in partnership with Magus and receives payment for each UA sold but has sold licensing for manufactring and distribution in the USA to the "Ultimate Attenuator" brand name owned by Magus Inc. Magus then standardized the build, increased tolerances on certain parts, then like many manufacturers, sub out the construction overseas. Ho does not build it and you can look at the two and see the UA is very standardized and the Ho model varies quite a bit from unit to unit. He does build some of the special order designs that aren't standard UA models for Magus. After all the speculation I wanted to get to the bottom of this myself.

The main thing is that the Ultimate Attenuator is not the cause of heat and extra trannie noise, it's because you are using the amp at high levels attenuated down to a volume you generally don't associate over-heating
with. The amp is still being driven extremely hard but it's not because of the UA, it's because you are turning it up. If you like to baby your amp and keep it nice and cool in the closet it's probably not for everyone. My amps are now getting heavy use at home but I'm enjoying them like never before. They will look just as good in my closet once I burn them up. If I burn them up it's only because I'm using them at levels I haven't been able to use at home, no different than if I were gigging them live. I am actually enjoying them rather than keeping them nice and cool in the closet. After all, this seems to be the whole point for owning cool amps to me.

[Belmont]

Originally Posted by Ulysses

Quote:
Originally Posted by carbz
I had one when I had my Naylor amp and though it sounded real good from what I remember. To me it wasn't really transparent despite the builders claim though it kind of changed the tone/feel in a good way. The reason I sold it was I was hearing what sounded the sound was coming either through the tubes or tranny at low volumes. It was way annoying and sounded to me like it was damaging the amp. I called the builder and he swore it was safe. I am happy with my hotplate even at highley attenuated levels.





I think Hogy has already stated that the Ultimate Attunuator is not the cause the noise you are hearing from your trannies and tubes and neither the heat. Your transformers will always make that noise when you have the amp that wound up, you just can't hear it without attenuating the level down this low. Same with the heat. The heat represents the same heat you would get operating the amp at the gain level you choose.

I've been slamming my vintage 1963 AC30 several hours every day for almost three months now with the UA and no issues whatsoever. Same with my vintage 50w Marshall. You do decrease the life of your amp but only because you are actually using it. It's the same wear and tear you would get if you gigged it with the amp at the same settings. Yes I am giving it extra wear and tear. It is much like using your garaged vintage Jaguar E-Type for a daily driver. The positive side is you actually get to use and enjoy. I'd rather use my amp than look at it. If my AC30 flames tomorrow, I will have already got to enjoy it at home more than I would have in the next ten years without the UA. I'm a career player that spent the last 34 years on the road, 150-200 one nighters per year... I'm so used to getting the sound I like and know the touch sensitivity, dynamic range, give and take, etc., of my amps very well. The master volume, power scaling, and standard attenuator otions I've tried just have not been acceptable to my ears. I can honestly say I've bought no less than 20 amps, attenuators, and iso cabs recommended for volume reduction in the past two years trying the type of sound and feel I like at low volume and have not been satisfied until now.

Yes, there is coloring I find in a kind of good, warm, way, but no fizziness or mushy mids like with other options as you can hear in the clip. But.... I find if I set my amp at the desired level of overdrive, attenuate it down with the UA, THEN.. restructure the stages by lowering the amp and raising the UA to find the sweet spot it pretty much comes back. It does take some tweaking.

Last, the Ho is an excellent unit and he is the designer of the device. He DOES NOT build the UA as stated in an above post. He is in partnership with Magus and receives payment for each UA sold but has sold licensing for manufactring and distribution in the USA to the "Ultimate Attenuator" brand name owned by Magus Inc. Magus then standardized the build, increased tolerances on certain parts, then like many manufacturers, sub out the construction overseas. Ho does not build it and you can look at the two and see the UA is very standardized and the Ho model varies quite a bit from unit to unit. He does build some of the special order designs that aren't standard UA models for Magus. After all the speculation I wanted to get to the bottom of this myself.

The main thing is that the Ultimate Attenuator is not the cause of heat and extra trannie noise, it's because you are using the amp at high levels attenuated down to a volume you generally don't associate over-heating
with. The amp is still being driven extremely hard but it's not because of the UA, it's because you are turning it up. If you like to baby your amp and keep it nice and cool in the closet it's probably not for everyone. My amps are now getting heavy use at home but I'm enjoying them like never before. They will look just as good in my closet once I burn them up. If I burn them up it's only because I'm using them at levels I haven't been able to use at home, no different than if I were gigging them live. I am actually enjoying them rather than keeping them nice and cool in the closet. After all, this seems to be the whole point for owning cool amps to me.

I agree 100% with everything you've said except the part about him not building the UA.I was in his shop last week and he showed me a cheap prototype UA that is going to be made for Magnus in China.I'm going to call him today and see if I can get some better answers.

[Dave_C]

Originally Posted by Ulysses

Quote:
Originally Posted by carbz
I had one when I had my Naylor amp and though it sounded real good from what I remember. To me it wasn't really transparent despite the builders claim though it kind of changed the tone/feel in a good way. The reason I sold it was I was hearing what sounded the sound was coming either through the tubes or tranny at low volumes. It was way annoying and sounded to me like it was damaging the amp. I called the builder and he swore it was safe. I am happy with my hotplate even at highley attenuated levels.

I think Hogy has already stated that the Ultimate Attunuator is not the cause the noise you are hearing from your trannies and tubes and neither the heat. Your transformers will always make that noise when you have the amp that wound up, you just can't hear it without attenuating the level down this low. Same with the heat. The heat represents the same heat you would get operating the amp at the gain level you choose.

Not true. I had four other attenuators sitting next to the UA, as mentioned earlier. NONE of them caused my OT to heat up as much as the UA did. Also, you misunderstood my comment about the buzzing. It was the UA itself that was buzzing/rattling, not the OT. No other attenuator in my shootout causes any buzzing/rattling noises whatsoever.

Originally Posted by Ulysses

I've been slamming my vintage 1963 AC30 several hours every day for almost three months now with the UA and no issues whatsoever. Same with my vintage 50w Marshall. You do decrease the life of your amp but only because you are actually using it. It's the same wear and tear you would get if you gigged it with the amp at the same settings. Yes I am giving it extra wear and tear. It is much like using your garaged vintage Jaguar E-Type for a daily driver. The positive side is you actually get to use and enjoy. I'd rather use my amp than look at it. If my AC30 flames tomorrow, I will have already got to enjoy it at home more than I would have in the next ten years without the UA. I'm a career player that spent the last 34 years on the road, 150-200 one nighters per year... I'm so used to getting the sound I like and know the touch sensitivity, dynamic range, give and take, etc., of my amps very well. The master volume, power scaling, and standard attenuator otions I've tried just have not been acceptable to my ears. I can honestly say I've bought no less than 20 amps, attenuators, and iso cabs recommended for volume reduction in the past two years trying the type of sound and feel I like at low volume and have not been satisfied until now.

Yes, there is coloring I find in a kind of good, warm, way, but no fizziness or mushy mids like with other options as you can hear in the clip. But.... I find if I set my amp at the desired level of overdrive, attenuate it down with the UA, THEN.. restructure the stages by lowering the amp and raising the UA to find the sweet spot it pretty much comes back. It does take some tweaking.

Last, the Ho is an excellent unit and he is the designer of the device. He DOES NOT build the UA as stated in an above post. He is in partnership with Magus and receives payment for each UA sold but has sold licensing for manufactring and distribution in the USA to the "Ultimate Attenuator" brand name owned by Magus Inc. Magus then standardized the build, increased tolerances on certain parts, then like many manufacturers, sub out the construction overseas. Ho does not build it and you can look at the two and see the UA is very standardized and the Ho model varies quite a bit from unit to unit. He does build some of the special order designs that aren't standard UA models for Magus. After all the speculation I wanted to get to the bottom of this myself.

The main thing is that the Ultimate Attenuator is not the cause of heat and extra trannie noise, it's because you are using the amp at high levels attenuated down to a volume you generally don't associate over-heating
with. The amp is still being driven extremely hard but it's not because of the UA, it's because you are turning it up. If you like to baby your amp and keep it nice and cool in the closet it's probably not for everyone. My amps are now getting heavy use at home but I'm enjoying them like never before. They will look just as good in my closet once I burn them up. If I burn them up it's only because I'm using them at levels I haven't been able to use at home, no different than if I were gigging them live. I am actually enjoying them rather than keeping them nice and cool in the closet. After all, this seems to be the whole point for owning cool amps to me.

Points well taken. I agree, for the most part. Been gigging steadily myself since '71 (despite branching into electrical engineering at Kodak in 1982 as my "day gig") and have always driven the crap out of my gear. Unlike many, who fear taking boutique stuff out to dives, I live for taking my stuff out to dives and actually performing with it! If I had to baby it, I would not own it. This stuff is designed to be used in a band for the entertainment and enjoyment of a live audience.

In 1972, my Dad (also an EE) and I added a master volume to my Sears Silvertone. I built my own resistive attenuator out of Radio Shack parts (L-Pad, etc) in early 80's and have experimented with all kinds of solutions for great tone at lower volumes. At times throughout the years, this has been an obsession. I have owned all the "best" attenuators on the market, except the Bad Cat Leash. Just bought a Grendel Dead Room and Yamaha powered monitor. Still experimenting with that. Also own a Badger with Power Scaling. So far, the Badger and Grendel have been the best solutions, but I'm still hopeful that somebody will get the attenuator thing right.

I bought my UA shortly after it first became available. I'm guessing it was sometime between 2000-2003, but can't remember exactly. Maybe the problems I had have been fixed.

[impactblue]

Originally Posted by Dave_C

I had one too, but sent it back for the same reasons, plus my amp was getting incredibly hot when using it. That said, it made every amp I used sound smoother and darker than the original amp tone, which I kinda' liked. But, it was very far from transparent. I did a little shootout with the UA, Air Brake, MASS, Hot-Plate and Power Brake. I thought the Air Brake was most transparent, but didn't attenuate down low enough before getting into the 2nd rate "Bedroom" setting. The UA was great for taming bright amps and getting a super creamy lead tone. The MASS did the same kind of thing. Overall, I'm still waiting for someone to make the real ultimate attenuator. Anyone try The Leash yet?

Anyways, that all said, the Marshall clip with the UA does sound! I really love the tone! But, I'd bet the unattenuated amp, with a bright Tele and those bright Celestion golds would not sound as warm and fat. I'd bet the UA, with its 30+ ohm input load is warming up and smoothing out that tone quite a bit.

Anyone else feel the same way? Moving having used the airbrake for ages...the Ho/Ultimate sounds a hell of a lot smoother with much less high end than I'm used to

[zerocharisma]

What would be really interesting (if at all possible) would be to ask if you, Ulysses could make recording of the clip using the same backing track, except without the UA...perhaps when you have some time with the family out of the house. Like others, I really love the tone you got with it. But it would be an interesting comparison. For a long time, I've resisted going without an attenuator for my Marshall, however, your clips have really piqued my interest.

[jzucker]

Originally Posted by zerocharisma

What would be really interesting (if at all possible) would be to ask if you, Ulysses could make recording of the clip using the same backing track, except without the UA...perhaps when you have some time with the family out of the house. Like others, I really love the tone you got with it. But it would be an interesting comparison. For a long time, I've resisted going without an attenuator for my Marshall, however, your clips have really piqued my interest.

I'm going to be doing a video demo this weekend demonstrating some of the capabilities of the unit including bypassed vs attenuated tone. I have several clips on my product demos page utilizing the UA unit.

[coolhand78]

sounds great...!