Does your Tube Amp Need A Load Box Attenuator?

In this video, we demonstrate why your tube amp might benefit from a load box attenuator. There are many units out there from the Universal Audio Ox Amp Top Box, Two Notes range, and the Boss Tube Amp Expander to help you get the most out of your valve amp. In this video, we use a Marshall SV20 which is Marshall's studio Plexi to demonstrate the difference between having an attenuator and not. The Studio Rats are core band members Paul Drew on guitar/production/mixing, drummer James Ivey and Dan Hawkins on bass. They collaborate with singers and musicians to produce radio-ready songs.

[@DBroce]

I soiled myself on the Tube Screamer insert shot. Beautiful. Made my day.

[@fraenkiboii]

Marshall SV20 Head and Two Notes Captor X have probably been the best investments in my 15 year hobbyist "career".

[@daviddakin6529]

You can get good bedroom volume ish tone?

[@fraenkiboii]

@@daviddakin6529 yes. the captor x has three power levels. however if you’re below a certain level, a guitar speaker won’t react very pleasant any more. then it’s better to disconnect the guitar speaker and use studio monitors instead.

[@nicolamanini5982]

Hi, this is an amazing idea that i’m looking for in the last months! For a live use, SV20 + torpedo captor X could be a good solution? Maybe the -20db are just too much to attenuate? Thank you.

[@BADJeuJeu]

This was one of the most informative videos yet! Thank You!

[@jerrymckenzie1858]

I'm getting great results from the Suhr Reactive Load IR. Sounds great and is super fast to dial up the cab that you want.

[@GuitarJawn]

I've been holding out on buying an Ox Box in hopes of a new version coming out.

[@StratsRUs]

I just use an old loved THD Hotplate or a Captor Torpedo.I plan to get one more modern attenuator soon too.The SV20H is instantly loveable which I think all amps you buy should be !

[@billylindsay5712]

I had the Tube amp expander and the OX, I let the tube amp expander go as it does not pass the output of the amps speaker out through to the speaker cabinet. It loads down the amp and then processes the line signal through its built in solid state power amp and out to the speaker. I still have the OX and use it both live and in the studio, when live I rarely take a cab just using the OX stereo outs straight to FOH. The Tube amp expander is great I just preferred the OX. I have also had some Two note stuff and still have the original CAB box.

[@dan82dare]

Thoughts on JHS little black amp box, only £45, plugs into the effects loop with no need for a battery and acts as a master volume so you can get the power amp cooking 🤔 I think some of these attenuators tend to colour the tone as well which some don’t like. Keep up the good videos lads 👍🏻

[@TheStudioRats]

It’s a good option but not the same thing, your going to reduce your preamp gain going into the power tubes. But if it achieves the tone you want then it’s a great option.

[@allboutthemojo]

@@TheStudioRats i think even my Marshall dsl 1watt head is too loud to crank up at home. Surprised how loud the 1 watt is. I bought it because I thought it would be usable at home. Not the case! Will have to get the Bugera power soak.

[@bsbrooks455]

Nice slippers James

[@TheStudioRats]

He hasn’t seen my video edit yet, I’m wait big for a phone call.

[@leftymike5625]

I think Paul left that it on purpose.

[@TheStudioRats]

I got the wife to push the pedal.

[@jroobz]

that amp sounds amazing

[@nathanjmartin19]

Tone king ironman ii. Only one I've tried but is great. Can even take it to the lowest attenuation, unplug the speaker and use for silent practice through the xlr

[@alafenetre81]

But overpriced.

[@mikormichele]

Since I bought my CaptorX I have never used a plugin amp anymore, not even for a guide track

[@steviesedge]

They are good aren't they? I have played lots of amps through mine and play them hive and loud

[@donmcdonald4874]

Great video! Can you do a video comparing the Tube Amp Expander and the Fryette Power Station?

[@TheStudioRats]

Hi Don, sure. I’d love to if Fryette send me one to review.

[@nomadicrecovery1586]

So are these useful or helpful or needed when using any app that does have a volume control for example a Pv. JSX 100 W

[@VictorEMusique]

keep it coming boys!

[@attillal4821]

Great video guys. Two questions. 1. Is it safe to play your silver jubilee with the sv20 on top like you have it? The vents are kinda covered with the sv20 on top , i do it but just wondered about overheating issues. 2. Have you tried the Bugera PS1 attenuator yet? If not you should shell out the £70-£80 to try it, id love your feedback… and a video … hell i’ll even lend you mine for a few days to try out.

[@TheStudioRats]

Good question, the Jubilee has a vent on the back so I’m not worried about it over heating. If I’m honest, I’m sure its fine but I’d rather not plug my amps into a cheap attenuator. I really appreciate the offer though. As I said I’m sure its fine I just had a couple of bad experiences with Bugera.

[@attillal4821]

@@TheStudioRats thats fair enough , its kind of why i was wondering on your thoughts on it. Yea im not worried about the vent myself as like you stated it has the back vent too, i just noticed the bottom of my katana head was getting warm , not hot but warm lol. Going back to the bugera , it really allows me to crank the jubilee for that sweet nectar. What would potentially be your main concerns and how could that lead to damaging the amp? I do consider the captor x for headphone playing but i really detest playing with headphones for some reason. On the flip side though it would allow me to play more and longer though .

[@TheStudioRats]

@@attillal4821 its only as ive blown up a couple of amps previously, not with a bugera loadbox but I’m just really cautious. If you have used it for a while i think you’ll be absolutely fine and its just me being an old woman.

[@attillal4821]

@@TheStudioRats i’m about 3 months in i guess its fine then. For now 🤣

[@bbbro34]

I have not tried the Bugera, but I do know it is a resistive attenuator (most lower priced ones are) as opposed to a reactive (preferred) attenuator. Reactive means it's emulating a speaker's impedance curve and more fine tuned to the actual amp's sound and the way it interacts with a speaker cab. Resistive can be much more a tone sucker and can effect the feel of an amp's true sound, more so when the amp is cranked. A good reactive one means one can take a 100 watt amp down to 1 watt without any jarringly noticeable tone change and the way it feels, just a lower volume.

[@ScottWesty1]

One of my amps is a late 70s JMP 100w super lead which I used to use with a Marshall power brake attenuator. It sounds as good as you can imagine but I always struggled boosting the level for solos with a pedal in the front end. It would just compress more but not boost the dB. Have you found this with attenuators before or do you just think it may be the power brake?

[@john808welk]

That is just the amp. Since you are attenuating you can crank the amp up more, so it is breaking up and compressing more. Even without the load box, hitting the amp with a boost when it is that cranked won't bring the level up, just the gain. I had the same problem when I first started attenuating, you just have to lower the gain level on the amp to get more headroom for that boost.

[@blueshadow3812]

@@john808welk yupzz extacly this. Otherwise its just gets into mush.

[@buzzedalldrink9131]

You can find the schematic of Ken Fisher’s Air Brake online and build it yourself relatively cheaply. Its the same one a famous amp guy sells for hundreds.

[@corinjack]

Hi guys! I just got me one of these great amps and couldn't help but notice your wonderful tone has quite a bit more gain than the stock amp has. Is this from any particular pedals? Or studio tricks? Cheers!

[@TheStudioRats]

Just the amp Corin.

[@corinjack]

@@TheStudioRats Thats good to know thanks! I've been using a cheap jhs little black amp box in the effects loop to control the volume. Although I've forked out on a fryette ps-100 which I'm hoping will improve the tone of the amp... Can't be worse anyway!

[@LaurenceAlmalvez]

Hey Studio Rats. I have an annoying question. If I get an attenuator and use it with a 100 watt amp (I've always wanted the trem-o-verb by mesa and finally got one) and a 4x12 can will that be enough to make it so the stack is "neighbor friendly?"

[@bbbro34]

I have a 100 watt Marshall Plexi, would not be usable in my house without an attenuator and I love the sound of it, it absolutely needs to be cranked to get that tone. I use a Rivera Rock Crusher and it's simple and it's great, not the EQ studio model. Any non master volume amp owner should probably look in to one, load boxes have come a long way.

[@heythere6983]

If you crank the Marshall and have it on an attenuator, does your speaker setup still need to be able to handle the 100 watts fully or does the attenuator enable you to also get away with using lets say a 30 watt speaker since it’s taking on the load too? I’m a bit confused as to what kind of load ends up on the actual speaker set up after an attenuator since the amp is pumping out a lot of power. I’m also looking into old marshalls, I’d appreciate some help ! Thanks

[@bbbro34]

@@heythere6983 An attenuator is in effect lowering the output wattage on the speakers, that's what reduces the volume. The attenuator is soaking up that extra wattage and dissipating it as heat, so, yes, it is a wattage reducer...you'll see that marked on newer Orange amps that come with an attenuator function built in, they're noted to what wattage is being let out. The question then becomes at what wattage rate is it reducing it by? Some attenuators (Koch Amps Loadbox II is one example) will list the wattage or percentage being let out to speakers, others do not. And since the load box is going between the head and speaker it is generally okay to use lower wattage speakers but with caution as to knowing what that final wattage is that's coming into the speaker. Example, If you have a 100 watt amp and you've attenuated it in half you're output is still at about 50 watts (just used as an example, not entirely sure of the ratios, you may want to check that). Reduced to a quarter and its output will be at about 25 watt output, safe to use on a 30 watt speaker (again, just an example, double check for the actual ratio of attenuation to wattage output). Also make sure whatever load box you pick it is matched to the wattage output of the amp or exceeds it. Don't use a 50 watt attenuator on a 100 watt amp, 100 watt amps often, when cranked, exceed 100 watts. So for a 100 watt amp, make sure any box you get exceeds that or matches it; generally for 100 watt amps, 120 watts is the load RMS for them. The other very important factor is to match the ohm output. If it's a 16 ohm load going into a 4 ohm attenuator it won't fry the speaker it will fry the transformer in the amp as all that resistance will be fed back into the amp and will burn it out, which is an expensive repair. I would also recommend a reactive attenuator, not a resistive one, reactive boxes are kinder to the tone, but cost more. Hope that helps. Best of luck. One other note, when I got that Plexi I already had that Rivera Rockcrusher and wrote to Rivera asking if it could handle a dimed 100 watt Plexi, and they were very helpful and told me: we designed it around that amp. Perfect fit.

[@kevinhollar]

Can you please update the video and go over and show the attenuator settings and show how it works and you achieved its settings also please????

[@cybersixx]

I felt the same

[@alafenetre81]

So why spend big amounts of money on 20W amps or more since it's hurting our ears. We only need 0.1W to 5W amps max. We're not in the 70s any more. Also, we would not need to buy expensive load box attenuators! Win-win.

[@jonnytremaine2561]

What if you have an amp with a master volume? Is it better to run the master volume high and use an attenuator, or can you run the master volume low at a more bedroom friendly volume? I know most Marshall’s sound better when the master is also cranked, but does this apply to all amps? Cheers guys

[@TheStudioRats]

Hi Jonny, yes it works the same, crank that master volume!

[@joutilas1637]

It depends, i use Friedman amp and it got a great great master volume. Don't need attenuator.

[@supplevg1885]

Hello ! Can a captor X allows to play 2 amps in one speaker/cab ? I have the same amp as you demonstrated but I’d like to play in stereo with a silver jubilee but I don’t have room in my apartment for a 2nd cab… hope you can answer ! Thanks by advance

[@TheStudioRats]

You’d need 2 captors

[@heythere6983]

Hey question, I was lookin into the waza and I don’t hear this mentioned much but I have seen people say messing with it’s reactive load settings has caused their amps to blow and mess up. Any information on this? I just came across this information , I’m surprised you could even alter the reactive load if this was an issue. Apparently some amp makers won’t warranty their amps if used with waza, or atleast suhr . I need to look into this more but do you have any insight on how this could ruin an amp and how one would even know what’s a safe setting on a waza then?

[@Daniel-ff3nv]

Hi, I’ve been using the Waza with a JCM800 for 2 years with no issues. You just need to look for a reliable attenuator (Waza, OX, Rockcrusher) rather than that the only recommendation is to always check the connections and double check the attenuator is turned on before turning on the amp.

[@gibs8412]

why is James wearing my wife's slippers? lol,.. good video as always

[@TheStudioRats]

Painted toenails as well!!

[@TheStudioRats]

Weird Dainty little feet.

[@okiebob64]

I run my Marshall Studio Vintage through a Dr. Z Air Brake. I get good results, but I try to use as little attenuation as I can.

[@riffsnoleads]

Bugera PS1, cheap and VERY effective. People will shoot their nose into the stratosphere over Bugera but it pays for itself time and again.

[@riffsnoleads]

@Joseph Lateo Been using mine for 2 years heavily with no issues.

[@s0da.-.]

Can It bring my 1987x with a 1960 4x12 down to bedroom levels? I've been stuck with it since i havent had any gigs in a while and seems like i wont be using it for gigs for some time.

[@riffsnoleads]

@@s0da.-. really depends on the watts. The Bugera claims to handle 100 watts but I would not use it with any amp over 60. 100 watt amps tend to peak around 150-180 watts when cranked. For that I would use a THD Hotplate

[@s0da.-.]

@@riffsnoleads i have the reissue, its rated at 50 watts and im not looking to fully push It to the limit often, just now and then.

[@riffsnoleads]

@@s0da.-. it'll do just fine then. I have an Origin 50 that I push hard and it is fine

[@bsbrooks455]

I came up with a much cheaper solution....A set of earplugs for my wife!

[@johnshields6539]

Lads I've the sv20 and use a aracom attenuator with it but as much as I love the sound/tone of it I find I don't really use it so much as I find the effects loop unusable because of how you gotta drive the power tubes, what's your take on the loop, have you any way around it

[@TheStudioRats]

You can get a Kleinulator but it’s not perfect.

[@johnshields6539]

@@TheStudioRats cheers for the reply lads, love the channel by the way, I'm looking to put together a smaller more portable setup for live playing as I use a Friedman twin sister combo at the mo and a helix for effects, can't do the amp models on it hate them and tried the fractal fm9, it's on its way back too, I was thinking either these hook wizard ir amps or the suhr pt15 ir and waiting for the blue amp x coming out, I know Paul's demo' d a few of em, what's your take on them, love your playing Paul by the way any chance of some lessons 😂

[@alexdoyleguitar]

Is the speaker the G12H-150 Redback??

[@timolonnberg3205]

If I have toneking iron man 2 mini and I wanna record directly in my daw, do I need also speaker connection?

[@kentjm0330]

Does putting a JHS black Box type pedal in the FX loops has the same effect as loadbox ?

[@TheStudioRats]

No, all that who’ll do is to turn down the preamp and starve the power amp.

[@BenJ2827]

I use a Fryette Power Station with this amp because even on 5 watt mode it isn't wife friendly and hurts my ears!

[@firdaus.tahrin]

is the 5watt option still too loud if you cranked it without attenuator?

[@TheStudioRats]

Yes it is

[@firdaus.tahrin]

oh lord was about to get it@@TheStudioRats

[@moltkebaby]

Can I use 2 cabinets, to go stereo?,, and what about the fx loop,, is it stereo?

[@TheStudioRats]

I’m afraid both are mono. I agree it would be so good if it did. However the Line out is stereo.

[@spirtloto82]

Main thing we all must to know: no one loadbox will be sound such real as real cab+mic. It may be so close, and we can use it and producing real good sound, but something always will not enough. Thanks for video 👍

[@TJauernigElectronics]

The tone was already distorted with the load box even before you turned it up.

[@bradsutherland_writer]

Guys, you do great videos, but this one was very basic. You could have added something for the non beginning. What about a video on how different load boxes deliver different quality of signals to audio interfaces.

[@musiccreation1198]

Best attenuator I've heard is the Fryette Power Station.

[@p7g498]

for me, guitar-amp head-captor x-studio headphones done. no one hears anything but the strings.

[@TheStudioRats]

Two notes make great stuff.

[@davlostiedfranca]

Explosé de rire à 5:17

[@robertstan2349]

dear ppl, don't buy some stupid overdrive pedal. get an attenuator and crank your amp.

[@shaharbar]

Could have titled this “Dont be an asshole to your ears“

[@seancostello7608]

Sorry guys, but that was the worst vid I’ve seen you do. You really didn’t compare apples and apples at all. Unless you compare the same settings on a cranked amp with and without the box, you’re demonstrating nothing. I use a Captor and love it, but I don’t think the vid showed the merits.