Tube Cube - attenuator

  • Thread starter Thread starter rayc
  • Start date Start date
Anyone? I'm considering getting one so that I can keep my superbass.
 
Based on the flurry of responses I ended up buying the attenuator. I'll post a review once it arrives & I've played with it a bit.
Thanks Timthetortoise for responding.
I couldn't've done it without you.
 
The Anonymous Negative Dropper

Oh, & to the "person" who dropped the negative points on me: I think you're the one that is in need of a life - you're jollies are obviously hard to come by if you take chuckles from anaoymous negativity.
 
punkin said:
Do tell us more?!
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What's to tell? It's an array of wire wound resistors that presents a nominal load to an amplifier. Its resistors are set up as a voltage divider network, and it sends a selectable portion of the amp's output to the speaker output and dissipates the rest as heat. It's pretty simple.
 
Yeah, yeah but, does it look like it will hold up, do you think it will cook for awhile then give up the ghost and take your amp out with it, will the thing dissipate plenty -o- heat, how does it sound, how far down can you get with it...you know. Give it up 'cmon...the tasty details.:D

At that price, it seems too good to be true. You know what they say about that.
 
seems i remember someone awhile back finding a good one they recomended highly... cant remeber who or which one... anyone else have a clue????
 
I've got a THD Hotplate, like it a lot, sounds great but you've got to have a seperate unit for the 4 ohm cab and another for the 8 ohm. They're very proud of the product and you'll pay for it.
 
I just can't affor the $250-$300 for the Hotplate, and frankly can't understand why they cost anything close to that.
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1. The don't sell like hot cakes so the cost of production is higher.

2. Unlike a lot of other options, the HotPlate is not just a resistor in a box. The THD has a lot of tonal options to compensate for the tone loss that is common with heavy attenuation from the speaker not pumping air.
 
I bought a tube cube. It's a resistor type set up in a heavy mesh box so that the heats dissaptes easily. The Tube squeezer seems the same except for the mesh. I assume the things can cook if they get too hot and don't dissapate well - but I don't know. As to the sound from the tube cube - I've not recorded it as yet - my recording comp died a week after I bought the tube cube & I can't afford, as yet, to fix it as I'm in the process of getting repairs & set up to 2 guitars.
BUT I really like the sound, it doesn't have the options for tonal adjustment but as yet I've not felt the need for such. I don't have a big brand guitar with a just so sound, just a few cheapies/oldies that have unique sounds & since the tube cube is to allow me to push the valves for natural breakup and over drive I'm happy with the sound I get.
Mind you I'm essentially a bass player so I'm not quite so in tune with my guitar sound.
At the price the Tube Squeezer seems CHEAP & I hope it's not a case of getting what you pay for. The Tube Cube was about double the price. is robust, sounds good to me & is built to deal with the heat issue.
Sorry I can't give more deatil on sound.
 
I'd say it looks to be worth a look. Thanks for the review Ray! If you change your mind about it, I'd like to hear from ya.


Thanks,
punkin
 
Here is my somewhat inenbriated idea for a tube amp attenuator: put a switch on the amp that routes the output signal through the power supply for the tube heaters . . . rectified, filtered, etc., but not wasted :cool:
 
donkeystyle - that's pretty good pricing in comparison and a nice box but rather to late as I asked for reccos some months ago. Oh, & I really do like my little tubecube!
mshilarious - sound cool - can you do it uninebriated? Could set yourself up as a valve amp modifier - an unwanted sideline I guess.
 
mshilarious said:
Here is my somewhat inenbriated idea for a tube amp attenuator: put a switch on the amp that routes the output signal through the power supply for the tube heaters . . . rectified, filtered, etc., but not wasted :cool:
Click to expand...

i'm afraid you have a bit of a chicken or the egg problem here.... without heater voltage to the tubes you cant get an output to provide the heater voltage.... and the single largest current draw is the heaters in most designs...
 
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