Question about Power attenuation and a presence mod

[merlop]

Hello,
I purchased a VH4 a couple of months ago.
I absolutely love it! It is as much of an instrument,as my guitar.
Wondering though,can I use a power attenuator(Such as THD hotplate) or others with the amp.
I am totally addicted to the sound of the amp CRANKED!
It is beyond amazing. I have been using the second master volume which gives me a much better high gain tone at lower volumes.
I Thought it would be smart to ask peter first before I screw it up.

Also,
How can I get less presence from the VH4?
I love a warm tone,but not a flat tone.
A buddy of mine brought his blue face VH4 by my house when he came through town.
It had a much warmer tone but the "COLORS" of the sound were still the same.
Is it possible to have a "BLUE FACE MOD" to make it sound a little warmer?

Thank you for making this amp,

Kyle

 

[i.ak]

Im using a 4ohm THD HotPlate with my VH4. No major issues in terms of tone if you don't attenuate too much. For me the -4 to -8 dB is enough attenuation in band context. For recording I always use straight power amp to speaker cabinet(s) setup.

 

[slate]

" I have been using the second master volume which gives me a much better high gain tone at lower volumes."

yours has two master volumes ?

mine only has one ....

 

[merlop]

It says in the manual how to use the 2nd master volume

 

[ajharris1215]

links to manuals:
http://diezel.typo3.inpublica.de/manuals.2.0.html
http://www.salwender.com/Amps_Diezel.htm

from topic: Question about Power attenuation and a presence mod http://www.rig-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=28227

I have been using the second master volume which gives me a much better high gain tone at lower volumes.

yours has two master volumes ?

mine only has one ....

It says in the manual how to use the 2nd master volume

from Salwender International's Diezel VH4 Manual:
3.2.4 Loop as Second Master Volume
Those of you who can live without processors in the parallel loop can use this loop for a second master volume for each channel. To do this, just loop a short 1/4” cable from send 2 to parallel loop return. Now you can choose a second master volume by turning the mix control past 1:00 PM to full open, and push the send 2 button to activate your second master volume. To do this for the VH4S, you must use a Y-cable and send the signal from send 2 to parallel return A and B.

there's a lot of other interesting things in the manual that would answer many questions people post on this forum. there's also some nice tips and tricks... for example:
section 4.1.3 addresses the potential ultra-compression of channel 3 and how to deal with it.
section 3.2.6 offers creative ideas for using the channel insert loops, which i think are an underrated feature of the VH4 that most people overlook. no one talks about the channel inserts on this forum...

and then there's this:
5.2.2 Tube Selection
the VH4 and VH4(S) come factory equipped with 6L6 type tubes. The 6L6 tube delivers transparent tone with good warm tendencies and strong low end. It is possible to use other types of tubes in the Diezel amplifier. This makes this amp more versatile than most other amps and allows you to fine tune your rig to your own special needs.
EL34/6CA7: aggressive, slender low end, higher total harmonic distortion (THD)
5881: great tube for clean sounds, lower output, but similar to 6L6
6550: very loud, very good dynamics, strong low end (150 to 180W)
KT88/KT100: similar to 6550, but very punchy with great clarity and warmth. Expensive.

factory equipped with 6L6? hmm... interesting right?

again, this is Salwender International's VH4 Manual, i've never seen the European ones or those for other Diezel amps.

read your manuals, then read them again...

 

[guitarman967]

Too much Presence? Not really a concern with the VH4 man. Check the rest of your signal path maybe
Here's some advice that I've found from tweaking the amp endlessly.
When you set your Channel, put both the Treble and presence controls at 12:00 and adjust slowly from there. The Controls are super sensitive actually. You will here many more shades of tones this way!
The treble is interactive with the Presence. So if the presence is low there is less high end information in the sound altogether.
If you need less Presence turn it down and turn the Treble up