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http://www.drzamps.com/brakelite.html Since the Dawn of Tone when the first Fender amplifier grew valves and crawled out of the Triodial Swamp, guitarists have loved the sound of a cranked guitar amp. If you're a gigging guitar player, you've probably been asked by a sound guy at some point to turn down a bit. "But my amp won't sound right, it needs to be that loud to be in the sweet spot!" you moan, but as the sound guy is missing a few teeth already and looks like he could go a few rounds with Mike Tyson, you begrudgingly comply. Or it's the owner of the venue asking you to turn down, and you really, really, really want to keep the gig as it's the only one you've got at the moment - again, you comply. The solution has actually been around for quite a number of years. There are several different designs for attenuators, and they all essentially do the same thing - allow you to crank your amp into the Sweet Spot, then turn it down to a manageable level. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry, you're not alone. I've been know to waffle on a bit, but you'll understand soon enough. "I don't get you guitar players, you want to turn your amp up, but turn it down too? Why don't you just turn it down? Or get a smaller amp? Isn't an attenuator just another volume control? Clearly you've smoked too many flux capacitors!" I hear some thinking. Let me explain as simply as I can.
Valve guitar amplifiers all have a Sweet Spot, while transistor amps tend to sound very similar at most levels. The Sweet Spot is the level of amplification where everything is working in harmony throughout the gain stages, and the amp just seems to sing, and have that certain un-definable "Yeah that's it" about it. If you're experienced with valve amps, you know what I mean. This varies from amp to amp, depending on valve configuration, design and personal preference - and has nothing to do with guitarists simply "liking it loud", although this is a common affliction! Preamp distortion has a particular sound, as does Power Stage distortion, the latter usually only available at very high levels. Preamp distortion by itself can at times sound a bit "fizzy" or thin. Power stage distortion is generally the most desirable, and a combination of the two usually yields great results. Suffice it to say, in most real world gig situations, the ideal amp settings are simply too loud. Enter the Dr. Z Brake Lite. Little brother of the much acclaimed Airbrake, the Brake-Lite is a more affordable version designed for amps below 45 watts. The Airbrake was designed by Ken Fischer back in the 80's, who sadly passed away in 2006. Ken built the famous and now virtually un-obtainable Trainwreck amplifier, which have been known to sell for upwards of twenty grand. The Airbrake and Brake Lite are now manufactured under license by only a small handful of companies, most notably Dr. Z Amplification. The beauty of the Brake Lite is that it mounts permanently inside your combo, and is always on board when you need it! My previous limited experience with attenuators led me to think of them as a bit of a gimmick, not really a serious tool, not to mention potentially lethal to your amplifier! Horror stories about blown output transformers scared me off, as did the thin, fizzy sound of some I'd heard in use. Enlightenment, however, was a simple internet transaction away! Of the various designs around, the Brake-Lite is of the resistive variety for you tech heads. Arguably this design is the safest and least likely to damage your pride and joy. In fact, Dr. Z tells me that he's built over 5000 with no problems, and since the inception of the original Airbrake in the 80's, there have been no reports of the device causing tube amp damage. The risk, of course, is in using a very high setting, which can lull you into a false sense of security as you crank your amp more and more. You just need to remember that if an attenuated amp has it's volume on 10, it actually thinks it's on 10! It's the same as driving your amp flat out - of course you will cause more wear on valves and components, it just may not shake the pictures off the walls in the process. If your components are very old, or excessively worn, there is always a risk of failure, with or without attenuation. The thin, fizzy sound I had previously experienced was at high levels of attenuation, such as bedroom level settings, and will be evident with most designs. This is not however the best application for these devices. As in all things, moderation is the key. Trying to tame a 100w Marshall in an apartment is simply ludicrous. Where I have found this device incredibly useful is getting the sound I want at a usable level. Set up at a gig, get your amp sounding sweet, and then gradually increase the attenuation (if needed) until it's at the perfect level for the gig. Everyone is happy! I have my unit mounted inside my Victoria Double Deluxe. This amp is a hand wired reproduction of the 1957 Fender Tweed, but with 4 6V6's instead of 2. Again, for you tech heads, mine runs a 12AY7 instead of a 12AX7, and a 5AR4 rectifier instead of a 5Y3, so it has a very usable amount of clean headroom, unlike the original Tweed's, which tend to get dirty above 3 on the volume! It also has 2 x 12's. This amp can get surprisingly loud, and I have done gigs where I can't get the volume over about 2 on the dial! Certainly nowhere near the sweet spot. With the Dr. Z. Brake Lite, I can set it where I want, then dial it back at will. Amazing! I personally cannot fault the sound quality. To my ear, it sounds incredibly transparent, at least until you get to the higher settings, which tend to thin out marginally. One thing you will lose, however, is the way a speaker moves air at higher volumes. There is a non-linear scale relating to how our ears perceive sound at various volumes - and your guitar will not sound exactly the same at lower levels due to this factor. This is simply a law of physics, and is what it is. Likewise, at lower levels you may not "feel" the sound in the same way - standing in front of a cranked Marshall stack has a distinctly "physical" element to it, as I'm sure some of you understand. Conclusion. Grasping the physics and limitations of using attenuation, and applying this tool with moderation and intelligence, will yield an incredibly rewarding result. I honestly don't know how I've been gigging all these years without a device of this kind - it really has been a revelation to me. The Dr. Z. Brake Lite has to rate as one of the most useful pieces of gear I have bought in a long, long time. Quality is top notch, as you'd expect from one of the world's premium amp builders, and it's affordable enough to mount one in every combo you gig with! Great big thumbs up from me! Cheers for now, Nado. 
http://www.kaneaudio.com.au/
©2009 Nathan Warrick. |
