In check

This is a little snippet of my little best friend in action. It's none other than the JHS Little Black Amp Box (LBAB). I've customised a pair of patch cables to extend it onto the top of the amp head (for convenience more than anything else) & it resides there permanently. That's right, this device is to be plugged into the loop feature of any amp & not to be used in series. There's no ON/OFF switch involved so once plugged in, it's put to work. There's also no battery in use; I would leave this permanently plugged in, no worries about any chemical leakage waiting to happen.

If you've not understood the function of the LBAB, it's an attenuator. The bona fide meaning of an attenuator is a device that mitigates the outcome of a certain device performance. The mitigation here often involves a reduction as the device attenuated is deemed to be excessive in a certain way. The LBAB is a passive attenuator; it does not require an external power source to work. Active attenuators are often attached in between the amp head & the speaker cab, it tends to dissipate heat while in use & a lot bigger by design. 

Is the LBAB the only option out there? If you wish for a simple passive approach to taming loud, high powered amps for indoor use, any device that addresses volume reduction will work: 1) Volume pedal 2) EQ pedal. For a volume pedal assigned for such a task, we note that it has a limited sweep compared to even simple devices, such as the LBAB, specifically assigned for such a job. Also, the volume pedal is often placed on the floor & has limited security when it comes to accidentally activating it while you are on stage. The EQ pedal on the other hand fares better in terms of the volume sweep on offer plus it has EQ options on board for you to fine tune your tone. However, EQ pedals require a battery to operate & once the battery wears out, it affects the overall signal tone. Use a power adapter you say? Be informed that this will induce a background hum. 

Well that's about it for this instalment, the next one might be a discussion of how much tone sucking happens when an attenuator is in use. Till then, cheerio, folks! 

Laney: Ironheart 60W head (Wattage variant)

I'm giving the (Laney) Ironheart's wattage variant control a thumbs-up for matters pertaining to practicality. This means you can tame the Ironheart down to the lower wattage range for smaller performance venues (which includes your bedroom) if you wish to keep the volume in check without losing the power tubes saturation. However, there is a need to re-tweak your EQ once you do just that (not a drastic change, yes?); the amp's voicing would be affected by the different wattage levels. This is a mark of a good amp, one which responds to power (supply).

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A belated thanks to the good people @ Sound Alchemy for the acquisition of this amp.

EHX: Signal pad

A power attenuator is a device which reduces the power of your monster wattage amp by way of volume manifestation (yes, your monster wattage amp is still running in full monster wattage, just that it's now more courteous volume-wise). Electro Harmonix's Signal Pad pedal is a power attenuator, a simple one indeed.

Why would you want to choke the full capacity of an amp when it was conceived to be menacing in the first instance? That's because you want that power amp saturation when the volume levels are pumped up but you can't live with such excessive volume levels at home. The law of your country says: Be considerate to thy neighbours (not to mention thy babies, wives, in-laws, etc.), hence the need to put this audio issue within acceptable constraints.

Unlike the traditional power attenuator (think: Marshall Power Brake, THD Hotplate, et al), the Signal Pad can be connected in 2 ways: in the player's signal chain or through the amp's looping feature.

1. The signal chain application allows the Signal Pad to function as the second volume control. It reduces the volume so when you have it activated, you'd be enjoying some pseudo-clean tones to work with. Deactivating it would mean allowing the signals to pass through to the amp unhindered so you have your full-on distortion to be happy with. It's a neat addition to small tube amps with a single channel only feature. 
2. Hooking it up through the looping feature means it functions as a sapper, taming volumes down while allowing the amp's dynamics to go through as it is, undisturbed.

To be continued...