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DLJR
Member
Trying to get more headroom out of a Bad Cat Lynx 50 watt. Any advice on either of these or something else power amp'ish?
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ewill52
Well-known member
I've got an unleash that I'm about to sell. HMU if you're interested. Super cool unit, I'm just not using it much right now and need to fund other projects!
When I bought it I used it with a plexi reissue. It gave me 2-3 nice features with that amp - a boost, attenuation to get the tubes cranked up, and also a loop to put time based effects in after the preamp. Sold the plexi so it's not getting used much now.
When I bought it I used it with a plexi reissue. It gave me 2-3 nice features with that amp - a boost, attenuation to get the tubes cranked up, and also a loop to put time based effects in after the preamp. Sold the plexi so it's not getting used much now.
Rick Lee
Well-known member
I have a PS1 and have looked at the Unleash a lot. Too many horror stories out there. Looks like Bad Cat customer service is good, but I don't buy new and wouldn't want to rely on a goodwill warranty from them. I'm not in love with the PS1, but I got it cheap and it works. I guess I just need to be happy with what I have.
cardinal
Well-known member
Rick Lee":38mmuma6 said:
Curious about what you don’t like about the Power Station? They seem to get near universal love.
Rick Lee
Well-known member
I just don't think the amp sounds the same when it's not loud. Could be that the cab speakers need to be driven hard. My Boss Katana 100w head makes for a much better practice amp than a 50w Marshall running through the PS1. Much, much better tone.
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itsme
Well-known member
Had both. Much prefer the Unleash. Both have the effects loop, but PS was too big/bulky and the 2nd master on the Unleash is killer for solo boost on my stock 2204.
cardinal
Well-known member
So I haven’t used the Unleash but just got a Power Station V2. It seems to work well. With a few minutes with it, I wouldn’t say it’s completely transparent. It does seem to zap some high end/treble, but the “edge” switch seemed to give it back.
It’s kind of crazy to drive up a Super Lead volume to 10 without having it blow your head off.
No second master like the Unleash, but maybe a boost in the loop can do that.
It’s kind of crazy to drive up a Super Lead volume to 10 without having it blow your head off.
No second master like the Unleash, but maybe a boost in the loop can do that.
Rick Lee
Well-known member
If anyone in Phoenix has an Unleash, I'd love to try it out, maybe do a temporary loan/trade with my PS1 or A/B them.
steve_k
New member
The Fryette PS2 is an amazing piece of kit. In addition to the tube attenuation, using the FX loop on it, as opposed to one in the amp (or if your amp doesn't have one) is fantastic. You also have the W/D capabilities on top of that. Another good feature is being able to run the head on a different ohm setting that your cabs. For the money, its a no brainer.
LP Freak
Well-known member
Bottom line is they all change your tone. If you can live with that they’re great.....I couldn’t.
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Racerxrated
Well-known member
This was my experience with the Unleash. A few yrs back I had a killer Cameron Aldrich that had no loop, plus a 72 JMP 50 stock. Perfect solution right? Problem is, the Unleash shaved off some top end that I liked and even after adjusting the EQ it still didn't sound the same...both amps lost a good amount of bite. Didn't matter how loud I turned it up, just not the same.LP Freak":28ukyfta said:
The Unleash reamps with a solid state power section, I'd imagine that's the reason for the tonal change.
Haven't tried the Fryette.
LP Freak
Well-known member
The PS is the same way and it also changes the feel.Racerxrated":oxs23v5y said:
cardinal
Well-known member
Racerxrated":3kxvd9ti said:
The Fryette has a neat bypass feature to toggle back and forth between straight to the cab and through the Power Station. I played with it for a few minutes and no smoke came out of the amp thankfully.
It's hard to say just listening to it in the room because with the power station bypassed, my amp's volume was crushingly loud (it'd be better to compare level-matched recordings, I guess), but from what I could hear, the Power Station also shaved some "bite" at least when the Power Station itself is running at a lower volume. Using the "edge" switch seemed to get it back, though.
But reading through the manual, there's a low-pass feature that I think I inadvertently engaged. From the manual and the pic on the back of the unit, the low-pass filter is out of the circuit when the button is pushed IN, which is the opposite of what I would have intuitively thought. I wasn't really paying attention and probably left the button OUT assuming that it would only do something if pushed IN. So maybe that's were some of my high end went.
If you just want to add an effects loop, I would use the Power Station or Unleash for a wet/dry rig. Use your amp's 8-ohm outputs, connect one to your dry cab and the other to the Unleash/Power Station. Then use that box's effects loop and run to whatever cab you want. Done, and your dry sound is completely natural.
But for "attenuation," I don't see a way around somehow impacting the tone. Fact is I just cannot run a non-master volume amp to the point of break-up without something like the Power Station. It almost surely impacts the tone, but not as much as turning the amp down.
cardinal
Well-known member
LP Freak":3lpptz2r said:
Yes, the feel is definitely different too, though I'm not sure how much of that is from the Power Station itself and how much of it is coming from the fact that the guitar is no longer interacting with a ragingly loud speaker cabinet.
It's such an awesome time to play with an amp that is just absolutely cranked. The speakers seem like they are physically moving so much air, and it's like your guitar strings just connect with that and you feel it. That's obviously not there when you use the Power Station to drop the volume to sane levels, but you lose it when you just turn down the amp without the Power Station, too, IME.
Rick Lee
Well-known member
Edit: Previous post hit as I was typing this one.
Another fact of attenuators is that they cut power to the cab's speakers. And some speakers need to get full power and move air to sound the way they're supposed to. My Marshall 4x12 with the 25w Greenbacks sounds way, way better than my EVH cab with V30s and Creambacks. The latter are 65w each, so they take a lot more power from the head to get moving. Using an attenuator just exacerbates that issue.
Another fact of attenuators is that they cut power to the cab's speakers. And some speakers need to get full power and move air to sound the way they're supposed to. My Marshall 4x12 with the 25w Greenbacks sounds way, way better than my EVH cab with V30s and Creambacks. The latter are 65w each, so they take a lot more power from the head to get moving. Using an attenuator just exacerbates that issue.
Spaceboy
Well-known member
I didn’t notice any detrimental difference in feel and tone beyond the tone shaping switches when I had the PS2, mostly used with a JMP 2204. I wish I didn’t sell that thing, I’m probably about to buy another.
napalmdeath
Well-known member
Spaceboy":3a40lnup said:
My PS-2 sounds awesome with my Randall. It adds some low end punch with the depth, rounds it out a bit more, and shaves some highs in a very good way, which I can add back in. The lack of big low end that I disliked about the Thrasher is no longer a complaint. And, it totally eliminated the need for an EQ in the loop to boost the lows which is saying ALOT, since I've used an MXR 10-band religiously for years.
For my application, it's served more as an extension of the Randall, and the combo of the two has made me a pretty happy camper. The Thrasher really comes alive at 1:00 on the volume, and I'm able to capture that sweet spot, and manage it. But, make no mistake, it still sounds best with a good nudge on the PS-2 volume, but doesn't have to be insane. My previous experience with the Marshall SV20H was totally the Marshall. It just sounded like shit attenuated.
blackba
Well-known member
Big fan of the PS2. Haven't tried the bad cad unleash, but overall not read that many glowing reviews of it.
On the PS2, it gives me the ability to run my amps in their sweet spot. Is it the same as running the amp cranked up at high volume, well that is really tough to say. As was mentioned when the amp is that loud in the room pushing the speakers it just sounds different. Probably the key comparison would be to run the PS2 so its the same volume as the unattenuated tone and check there.
I am interested to see how the PS2 reactive load compares to the Suhr RL. With the Suhr RL you can make your own reamper by using another power amp and boom you pretty much have an 8ohm PS2 minus some of the features like the loop.
On the PS2, it gives me the ability to run my amps in their sweet spot. Is it the same as running the amp cranked up at high volume, well that is really tough to say. As was mentioned when the amp is that loud in the room pushing the speakers it just sounds different. Probably the key comparison would be to run the PS2 so its the same volume as the unattenuated tone and check there.
I am interested to see how the PS2 reactive load compares to the Suhr RL. With the Suhr RL you can make your own reamper by using another power amp and boom you pretty much have an 8ohm PS2 minus some of the features like the loop.