Question - re-amping vs. Ho/Ultimate Attenuator

[Lavely]

I understand the Ho/Ultimate Attenuator takes the amp output signal, loads it down & reamps it.

An alternative (potentially cheaper and maybe more versatile) that people have been using for years is using a device to load the amp and sending the line level signal to a power amp for reamping. This requires you to buy (1) the load with a line out and (2) a power amp.

I could see me using the separate power amp for other preamps, though, so here are my questions:

1 - If I went with the reamping idea, what type of power amp is ideal? You already have tube distortion from the first amp, so I would guess you want a pretty "neutral" power amp? This may blow my idea of using it with separate preamps though?

2 - How well would a tube power amp, such as a VHT 2/50/2 work as a reamping amp?

3 - If I went with the reamping solution, what device would work best as the load that generates the line level signal?

4 - If I go to all the trouble of setting up the reamping rig, is there a reason to expect it will sound better than the Ho/Ultimate Attenuator solutioin? I think it might be cheaper, and it would definitely be more versatile.

Don't need info on the Ho/Ultimate Attenuator, just on the "other" reamping solution.

Thanks!

Lavely

 

[butrus]

Was thinking about the same thing

Have THD HP,but am not satisfied with it on bigger attenuation levels
So decided to go the reamp way.HP set to load+SS power amp
Yust got Rocktron Velocity 150 power amp on ebay(didnt arrive yet)
I belive neutral sounding SS power amp is the way to go.

Never tried UA or compared it against reamp rig tho...

 

[Lavely]

Anyone with some detailed feedback?

Lavely

 

[wedewer]

Just buy the UA. Its just one box, two cables and sounds fantastic. By the time you buy a hotplate/similar and a power amp, you have about the same amount of money into it. And its a bigger setup. It's funny, because people on TGP don't want to believe the hype when it comes to the UA. For some reason, because it reamps with a solid state power amp, it bothers the tube sniffers. There are however, quite a few believers these days. The UA is the best attentuator out there. I bought one and it is probably the most inspiring piece of gear I have purchased in a long time.
It sent my hotplate running for craigslist.

 

[soldano16]

The UA is the best attentuator out there. I bought one and it is probably the most inspiring piece of gear I have purchased in a long time.

Here's my very first UA post from EXACTLY one year ago today.

subject:I would trade every pedal I own for my Ultimate Attenuator

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/359447&highlight=ultimate

 

[butrus]

Just buy the UA. Its just one box, two cables and sounds fantastic. By the time you buy a hotplate/similar and a power amp, you have about the same amount of money into it. And its a bigger setup. It's funny, because people on TGP don't want to believe the hype when it comes to the UA. For some reason, because it reamps with a solid state power amp, it bothers the tube sniffers. There are however, quite a few believers these days. The UA is the best attentuator out there. I bought one and it is probably the most inspiring piece of gear I have purchased in a long time.
It sent my hotplate running for craigslist.

Im not shure about the money thing....
UA is expensive and hart to get a used one...Ho is hard to get if your from Europe-the guy doesnt have an email
HPs and SS amps are very cheap used.

How the two compare?Am not shure,and is defenetly more practical to have yust one box...

 

[Mark Kane]

Joe, the VHT would work fine as your power amp. I used the power amp in jack on a Soldano SLO 100 for a long time. I've used a Komet attenuator and a Kendrick/Trainwreck attenuator for the load. Just make sure you have it set on a couple clicks. I take a line out of that into a Presonic parametric EQ, a Lexicon LP-1 and then into the power amp. I think it sounds better than any attenuator but it's also a lot more gear. I've been messing with this for a while and love how it works but I take no responsibility if you blow anything up trying it

 

[Lavely]

Mark - that's the type of setup I am contemplating. Have you tried different "load boxes" and found any difference between them - i.e., the Komet vs. the Kendrick attenuators? I have a Weber MASS I could use...

Also, how about the VHT power amp vs. a solid state solution?

Lavely

 

[Geetarpicker]

I have a UA and really like it. I also have owned two THD hotplates for a while now and once tried setting one to "load" and using a power amp to reamp it. To my ears the Hotplate on the load setting sounded like it does in the -12 and -16 ranges, not so good. Then reamped it was still "no so good" only louder. YMMV.

 

[Lavely]

Geetarpicker - I suppose that makes sense, but doesn't explain how the UA sounds better. No matter - that's not my question here.

Thanks for the input!

Lavely

 

[Mark Kane]

There isn't any difference between them but I think they're pretty much the same thing. I'm not running a speaker through the brake. I get none of the artifacts of attenuator tone running this setup. I don't know how the Webers are put together. You should probably email Ted and ask him if it would work for this.

 

[Geetarpicker]

The UA has about a 30 ohm load, and the Hotplate is probably closer to the rated ohms on each unit. I've heard that HO settled on the higher load value for mainly tonal reasons. I also think the UA attenuator doesn't bring the signal down as far as line level before it is reamped, judging by the size of the wire wound pot it uses. Maybe that helps the tone also, that is by not bringing it down so far. Plus that also reduces the required gain and associated circuitry and/or gain stages of the reamp circuit. Just a guess...

 

[drbob1]

Hey Joe! See if you can find the entries by John Phillips on "bedroom level" guitar playing. He was using a Mesa, thru attenuator, thru PA style power amp into guitar speaker IIRC and was very happy with it.

As for the various attenuators, I've owned GT, VHT, Sholtz, Altair and Weber and like the sound of the Weber best as an attenuator. In your application (only using the line out) I can't see that it would make a lot of difference. One nice thing about the weber is full EQ on the recording output, so you don't need an outboard EQ...