Dsl100h At Bedroom Volume: Attenuator Test With Audio Clip

[_ripper_]

Hey y'all!

So, I recently bought an inexpensive attenuator, the Harley Benton PA-100 from Thomann. It's supposed to be a clone of the Jet City Jettenuator, which in also inexpensive.

I made a quick demo clip of it, playing a riff with my DSL100H through my 1936V cab. The configurations were as follows:
1) DSL with master @3 (loud - not home friendly),
2) DSL with master @0.75 (home volume),
3) DSL w/attenuation (master @3), and
4) again the DSL w master @3



I did it this way so that in all the meaningful comparisons (master up vs. master down, master down vs. attenuation and attenuation vs master up) the clips would be back to back. Also, the riff repeats twice with every configuration for a total of 8 repetitions.


For me, the most important factor in deciding to keep the attenuator or not is if sounds better than the DSL at home volume. The reason is that I dont really have any neighbors so I can turn up the amp to record, but for demoing song ideas or just playing I prefer a lower volume, as do my wfe and kids, haha.

NOTE: Settings are the same in all configurations EXCEPT in the clip with the attenuator, where I've turned up the treble on the amp a tad (5.5 to 6.5) to compensate for the fact that you do lose some highs with it.

EDIT: Here's another clip with the attenuator where I'm using the Green Crunch channel with the master on 10 for obtaining power amp distortion at manageable levels. It's also further down in the thread but I'm adding it here as well so the clips are in one place.


So, what do you guys think? Nay or yay?

Cheers,
ripper

 

[JohnH]

Its a good carefully done test, and you matched the levels well. Being honest, I cant hear any significant differences! I think to the extent that that is true, if would be because DSL's use mostly preamp gain, the setting of 3 max probably isnt pushing the power amp any more than 0.75, and it is a metal style of riff.

I use about the same levels and attenuation on my VM when playing quietly. It does serve to get me up off the noise floor, smoothes it out and makes the volume easier to set so I keep it for those reasons.

 

[_ripper_]

Cheers, thanks for listening. Unfortunately the soundcloud compression isn't allowing the differences to show more.

They are subtle, but they are there... My conclusions are that:
a) the DSL has a really good master volume, and that it's quite playable at bedroom volumes on its own. When you turn it up though, the tone becomes more bold and loses some fuzzyness that is there when the master is low.
b) Using the attenuator helps retain this bold aspect of the sound vs. when the master is low.

So the Attenuator is staying! Having one also lets you try stuff like diming the amp, haha. While diming the volume on the green channel I made an interesting discovery regarding the shared EQ: it matches up far better with the red channel when you are getting primarily power amp gain on the green channel, say with volume dimed and gain at noon. Specifically I noticed this with the green crunch channel.

Its a good carefully done test, and you matched the levels well. Being honest, I cant hear any significant differences! I think to the extent that that is true, if would be because DSL's use mostly preamp gain, the setting of 3 max probably isnt pushing the power amp any more than 0.75, and it is a metal style of riff.

I use about the same levels and attenuation on my VM when playing quietly. It does serve to get me up off the noise floor, smoothes it out and makes the volume easier to set so I keep it for those reasons.

 

[JCMDOUG]

I got a Bugera PS1 Power Soak just for fun and it removes some of the highs and a bit of fizz. its is a copy of the Jet City Jettenuator for cheap money. I don't use it too much but when I need to knock a few dbs of my volume live because of a small room it helps. I bring it with me on the road because you never know what you need at show. I put it in a nice heavy case and it can hold doors open like a champ.

 

[_ripper_]

Funny how many clones there are of the Jettenuator, which isn't that expensive to begin with!

I got a Bugera PS1 Power Soak just for fun and it removes some of the highs and a bit of fizz. its is a copy of the Jet City Jettenuator for cheap money. I don't use it too much but when I need to knock a few dbs of my volume live because of a small room it helps. I bring it with me on the road because you never know what you need at show. I put it in a nice heavy case and it can hold doors open like a champ.

 

[iron broadsword]

Fuck that sounded good. The unattenuated DSL at 3 was the best because it had a bit more bass resonance when you palm muted, but when you're mixing you're gonna cut that out anyway so who cares. Great clips.

 

[_ripper_]

Thanks a lot!! Glad you liked!!

Fuck that sounded good. The unattenuated DSL at 3 was the best because it had a bit more bass resonance when you palm muted, but when you're mixing you're gonna cut that out anyway so who cares. Great clips.

 

[_ripper_]

BTW, one of the fun things about using an attenuator is that it gives you an opportunity to obtain that coveted power tube breakup at manageable volumes. And while for the stuff I play I prefer preamp gain, it was fun to crank the green crunch channel volume to 10.

I recorded this classic riff with it. I played it from memory, so there may be some errors and while its not a tone I'd use for my stuff, it was cool to play with.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Hey y'all!

So, I recently bought an inexpensive attenuator, the Harley Benton PA-100 from Thomann. It's supposed to be a clone of the Jet City Jettenuator, which in also inexpensive.

I made a quick demo clip of it, playing a riff with my DSL100H through my 1936V cab. The configurations were as follows:
1) DSL with master @3 (loud - not home friendly),
2) DSL with master @0.75 (home volume),
3) DSL w/attenuation (master @3), and
4) again the DSL w master @3



I did it this way so that in all the meaningful comparisons (master up vs. master down, master down vs. attenuation and attenuation vs master up) the clips would be back to back. Also, the riff repeats twice with every configuration for a total of 8 repetitions.

For me, the most important factor in deciding to keep the attenuator or not is if sounds better than the DSL at home volume. The reason is that I dont really have any neighbors so I can turn up the amp to record, but for demoing song ideas or just playing I prefer a lower volume, as do my wfe and kids, haha.

NOTE: Settings are the same in all configurations EXCEPT in the clip with the attenuator, where I've turned up the treble on the amp a tad (5.5 to 6.5) to compensate for the fact that you do lose some highs with it.

So, what do you guys think? Nay or yay?

Cheers,
ripper

You don't need an attenuator with any DSL since they get their gain from the preamp. Youre complicating your setup unnecessarily.

 

[iron broadsword]

BTW, one of the fun things about using an attenuator is that it gives you an opportunity to obtain that coveted power tube breakup at manageable volumes. And while for the stuff I play I prefer preamp gain, it was fun to crank the green crunch channel volume to 10.

I recorded this classic riff with it. I played it from memory, so there may be some errors and while its not a tone I'd use for my stuff, it was cool to play with.

Great clip again, impressed by the DSL right now. I use an attenuator too, a weber mass 200. It's indispensable for recording and even gigging haha.

 

[_ripper_]

Well yes and no... in the first clip I posted the gain was all preamp. Even then, I felt the attenuated clip sounded better than the low master volume clip.

However, listen to this clip (that I also posted above):


Here the distortion in coming mainly from the power tubes (master is at 10 on the Classic Crunch channel). No way I could have played this at home without an attenuator.

You don't need an attenuator with any DSL since they get their gain from the preamp. Youre complicating your setup unnecessarily.

 

[_ripper_]

Thank you for listening and for the nice words!! Much appreciated!! Although I only just got mine, I totally agree about the usefulness of having an attenuator.

Great clip again, impressed by the DSL right now. I use an attenuator too, a weber mass 200. It's indispensable for recording and even gigging haha.

 

[R.Kandy]

YAY!