recording guitar amp in an apartment (using an attenuator box?)

  • Thread starter Thread starter RobinGoddard
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RobinGoddard

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Hi,

I once asked a Curt Emery of Emery Amps how to use his or any small tube guitar amp to somehow take advantage of the tube/tone capabilities but directly plug into any PC interface, by-passing the speaker for apartment recording? He told me to look into a MicroMass Mobility Analog System Simulator (I'm not allowed to post URLs yet, but you can google it). I guess it's called an attenuator box.

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with them when trying to grab the tonic capabilities of an amp without making too much noise. Thanks.

Robin
 
Welcome Seattle :listeningmusic:
I ran a 100 watt 10 ohm wire wound' on a Twin years ago, but don't have much to add here but for at some point - dumping the speaker and the cab, and the mic (room' to some extent), you might as well be skipping the amp altogether? (IDK..

So if you’re playing at moderate volumes and just want to tame the amp down to get a bit of power tube breakup then an attenuator is a great tool, but do not expect to be able to dime your amp and then use any attenuator on the market to get the exact same sound from your amp at whisper quiet volumes. You can't get there from here. You would be better off with a one watt amp.
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Weber MicroMASS

Interesting stuff.
 
yes get the radial jdx (or what i use, a palmer pdi-09)

and an ATTENUATOR.


put the jdx or palmer between the output of a good tube head and the cabinet.....

but put the attenuator AFTER (AFTER) after the jdx or palmer


that way, you capture the full output of the amp..

but what you hear coming out of your speaker, is a fully attenuated-to-any-level-even-whisper monitoring sound....

you run the output of the palmer or jdx directly into the recorder (or your front end)

works great.

when you can crank up, you can turn the attenuator off, put a mic on the cabinet, and blend the mic sound with the direct sound coming from the specialized direct box
 
So you're saying the attenuator like the MIcroMass should be connected from the Bal Out of the Palmer PDI?
 
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Don't forget that you are not going to get the contributing sound of the speaker(s) and speaker cabinet(s) when you go through a direct box unless you also add some form of speaker and/or cab simulator. Depending on how much you push your amp, speaker breakup can be a huge part of what you like hearing at non-apartment volumes. Cabinet type is also a big factor you will not hear through a direct box, as there are noticeable differences in sound between an open-back cab versus a closed-back cab, deep cab versus shallow, solid wood versus plywood, etc. Try a few different speaker/cab simulators when you go direct as they are not all equal.
 
Did someone say Emery Amps! Have had one for a few years yippy! I began to believe I am the only owner on the planet. The superbaby is still pretty damn loud. Good friend of mine uses a Palmer (which model I can't remember )with a Plexi clone and a JSX and has been pretty happy with it but now has moved on to a Fractal system. You made my day with the Curt Emery reference. I may start a thread to hunt other Emery owners. :)
 
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