Does Power Scaling / VVR deliver ?

peteri

I live in a flat and play pretty quiet at home, I use a Carr Skylark which has an amazing built in attenuator and I'm very happy with that.

Before this, I tried any number of attentuators and quiet amp solutions and this is the best for me. For headphone practice I have a Two Notes Torpedo cab at the end of my pedal chain and that works very, very well.

IF you're having to get really quiet - honestly, headphones is the only option for me - once you get very sensitive to the noise, I always find the need to get over the natural guitar string volume an issue.

Also - don't forget to experiment with lifting your amp off the floor - a lot of bass will be transmitted that way.

crunchman

If you want to tame it a bit for live use then power scaling or attenuator are both options.  I've used both, and in my experience power scaling tends to give better results.

Getting down to bedroom levels is a completely different thing.  As others have said, I'd go for some kind of modelling solution.

ICBM

Kalimna said:

Could you recommend any low-efficiency 12" speakers then? Something I am looking for at the moment.

The least efficient normal 12" I know of is the Jensen P12R at 94dB - but the Eminence Maverick or Reignmaker with the adjustable magnet will get lower than that, down to about 91dB. My experience was that they don't sound as good at low settings though - like any of these methods.

I've always found that the best approach is to combine several methods so each is doing the least, as hywelg said - small cab, attenuation, master volume, and if necessary add a bit more dirt with a pedal. I'm sure power scaling would be a useful extra stage if you're really trying to get down to a whisper too.

hywelg

ICBM said:

and if necessary add a bit more dirt with a pedal.

Clean boost in the front works very nicely with some amps, depends on the type. Gets the pre-amp working harder.

Sassafras

Z Vex Nano is the best low volume valve amp I've tried.
Having said that though, there's no substitute for sheer volume.

frictionfraction

ICBM said:

I doubt this will be a popular opinion but I would say no.

To me, it doesn't sound as good as a well-implemented standard master volume - every amp I've tried with both has sounded better with the power scaling up full and the master low, not the other way round - and it doesn't sound as good an attenuator after the amp does either - because the power supply is still not working as hard so you don't get the proper compression.

For a JTM45 I would go for a post-phase-inverter MV mod or a Powerbrake - or both.

Agreed.  Ive tried it on a number of amps and been desperate to love it---but I didn't 

Dave_Mc

I think it (VVR) works well with my 18 watt clone, but then I'm guessing it wouldn't have much preamp distortion if it had a master volume (and the tone you'd be looking for with it would involve a fair bit of power tube distortion). I'd suspect @ICBM is right if you have an amp with preamp distortion to spare- I've never felt the need to add VVR/power scaling to, or get an attenuator for, my high gain amps.

EDIT: I should also add I've never tried an attenuator head-to-head with my VVR, so it may well work even better.

Jeremiah

Kalimna said:

Could you recommend any low-efficiency 12" speakers then? Something I am looking for at the moment.

Cheers,

Adam

Some of the Jensen "Mod" series have very low efficiency, but I didn't like the one I tried, finding it a bit flat and lifeless. It was either the 12-35 or the 12-50, but in the end I preferred a higher-efficiency Eminence with the volume turned down a bit.