Attenuator with an XTC?

[johnnysdred]

Anyone using an attenuator? Seems I can only get my XTC's red and blue volumes at 9:30 and that's at 1/2 power with a 2x12 vintage 30 cab. Man this amp has tone for days but with the volumes that low it starts to take some color and overtones out. I've been compensating for the missing umph with a bit more preamp gain but I'd much rather do it in the volumes.

 

[TheMagicEight]

Anyone using an attenuator? Seems I can only get my XTC's red and blue volumes at 9:30 and that's at 1/2 power with a 2x12 vintage 30 cab. Man this amp has tone for days but with the volumes that low it starts to take some color and overtones out. I've been compensating for the missing umph with a bit more preamp gain but I'd much rather do it in the volumes.

I think your money would be better spent with G12M greenbacks. For me, I feel like the speaker's reaction to a higher volume has much more to do with tone than the power section starting to breathe more. A couple of things are good about the G12Ms. First, they're low wattage so they'll be pushed harder and react more at the same volume than the V30s. Second, they're lower efficiency - 97db - than the V30s' 100db. 3db is actually quite significant, and so you can turn your amp up that much more to be at the same volume.

 

[Yek]

I used a Dr Z Airbrake. Nice, transparant, but it didn't go low enough.
Now I have a Faustine Phantom on order, to be delivered in a couple of weeks. Seems to be the best thing out there.