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THD Hot Plate Attenuator
Available in different loads. Built-in noise reduction. Line out.
"the best piece of gear i have aquired in a while."
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:everything does what it should. great design.
Quality:
great unit. if only they had come along 15 years ago. would have saved me thousands in crappy distorion pedal purchases.
Value:
does what i need it to with excellent results.
Desirability:
glad i have one.
Sound:
i use a 100 watt Hiwatt from '73 through a 4x12 matching cab. the beast needed to be tamed. i could not be happier with the results. at greater levels of attenuation (12-16db), it does change the sound a bit. but i am not suprised by this, the speakers aren't being pushed anywhere near how they are with no hot plate. you lose a bit in the highs and lows, which is what they put the deep and bright sitches on the thing for. when those switches are on, the low end is slightly unnatural, but i dont find it offensive. i just wish i had one when i was playing shows every night.
Ease of Use:
virtually self-explanatory. just make sure you have the impedance issue figured out.
Support:
the boys at thd were willing to let me bring my head over to the factory and try one, but i never had time to head over there. i got one anyways on the recommendation of a friend who uses his with his vintage Park 100 watt. but they seem super cool over there.
Overall:
i'll never need another.
"This is the one."
Feature:
More than just a straight attenuator, it has noise reduction, bright and deep switches, plus an adjustable line out. I use this in "Load" mode to turn my 50W amp into a preamp, run the HP's line out into a Behringer Ultra-G cab simulator, and right into my PC for midnight recording sessions. Imagine... 2 EL-34s putting out 50W of tube powered volume, and nobody can hear it but me in my headphones! Also works great for getting that too-loud sound at gig volumes while keeping the sound levels appropriate for a small bar or club.
Quality:
Solid aluminum extrusion chassis with an integrated heat sink. Heavy gauge steel powder coated sides. Use this for self-defense when you gig in an unsavory neighborhood.
Value:
Like I said, cheaper than the Marshall and MUCH better sounding. Plus, no overheating issues like the Marshall.
Desirability:
If you play through tube amps, like the sound of them loud, but want to stay married (not get evicted, keep the gig, etc.), this should be in your bag of tricks.
Sound:
If you want that cranked power tube distortion sound from your 50-100W tube amp and want it at at reasonable volume, this is the ticket. Much more transparent and better built than the Marshall. Plus, it costs less and is built in the USA. And it's Purple (8 Ohm)!
Support:
They treat you like you are their only customer, and they will do whatever is needed to make you happy. Just call or email and ask for Ed. He'll take whatever time is neccessary to help you.
Overall:
Some things are staples for the gig bag- spare fuses, tubes, cables, tool kit, a 57, etc. Add this to the list.
More than just a straight attenuator, it has noise reduction, bright and deep switches, plus an adjustable line out. I use this in "Load" mode to turn my 50W amp into a preamp, run the HP's line out into a Behringer Ultra-G cab simulator, and right into my PC for midnight recording sessions. Imagine... 2 EL-34s putting out 50W of tube powered volume, and nobody can hear it but me in my headphones! Also works great for getting that too-loud sound at gig volumes while keeping the sound levels appropriate for a small bar or club.
Quality:
Solid aluminum extrusion chassis with an integrated heat sink. Heavy gauge steel powder coated sides. Use this for self-defense when you gig in an unsavory neighborhood.
Value:
Like I said, cheaper than the Marshall and MUCH better sounding. Plus, no overheating issues like the Marshall.
Desirability:
If you play through tube amps, like the sound of them loud, but want to stay married (not get evicted, keep the gig, etc.), this should be in your bag of tricks.
Sound:
If you want that cranked power tube distortion sound from your 50-100W tube amp and want it at at reasonable volume, this is the ticket. Much more transparent and better built than the Marshall. Plus, it costs less and is built in the USA. And it's Purple (8 Ohm)!
Support:
They treat you like you are their only customer, and they will do whatever is needed to make you happy. Just call or email and ask for Ed. He'll take whatever time is neccessary to help you.
Overall:
Some things are staples for the gig bag- spare fuses, tubes, cables, tool kit, a 57, etc. Add this to the list.
"Don't expect this to make your amp sound the same at low volume"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:In addition to power attenuation, the HotPlate has bass and treble boost switches in an attempt to restore the presence and thump your amp had when it was cranked. It helps - a little. There is also a noise reduction circuit to kill grunge between notes, an optical noise gate. This might matter a lot if you have a super high gain amp that makes lots of noise. I have a HotCat 30R and it basically does nothing with a medium gain amp, so I don't have an opinion. The line out feature (with volume control) is nice, but as you'd guess it doesn't sound like a miked amp. It IS a handy feature if you work on tube amps and need a dummy load while working.
Quality:
It's built like a tank, for the most part. Big heat sink, with a fan powered by jam! I would give it a 10 here, except for one thing. The first time I used it, the attenuator knob came off in my hand. No big deal, screw it back on, right? Nope. The flat part of the control shaft doesn't match the flat part of the knob, so it will never stay on - I kid you not. I emailed the manufacturer and asked him if my unit were somehow defective. He said no, they're all that way, they couldn't find a knob and control that matched properly, so the knob is just going to come off once in a while. Hey, I play a lot of shows and I need reliable gear. If the knob was to come off and be lost, I don't want to be looking for a pair of pliers to adjust my expensive HotPlate while I'm doing a show. I can't believe THD can't get a knob made with the flat in the right spot. I may grind a flat in the shaft with a Dremel tool when I get time.
Value:
Kinda expensive, but what choice do you have if your amp needs to be cranked to sound right? I guess you have several choices, I also bought some Yellow Jackets (tube attenuators) from THD. These work OK but that's a different reveiw.
Desirability:
It's beautiful to look at, and what it does is sorely needed. I can't imagine anyone lusting for an amp attenuator, what I'm lusting for is a big enough stage to play my amp at a reasonable volume.
Sound:
Well, this does help make the best of a bad situation, the situation being an amp that only sounds good loud in a place you can't play loud. But does the HotPlate get cranked amp sound at a low volume? In a word, NO. Not even close, but better than nothing. The bass and treble boost switches help a little, but the frequencies boosted aren't exactly the ones needed. Bottom line, don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed.
Support:
They answered my email promptly and politely, even if the answer wasn't what I was hoping. In my opinion, however, the HotPlate needs service right out of the box. It needs an upgrade to a knob that fits and won't come off when you turn it.
Overall:
I bought this because it "won" a shootout with the other units (Weber mass, Marshall powerbrake, etc.) on a Harmony Central thread. I'm not thrilled with it but I decided to keep it. In addition to playing out, I also run a small studio. I'm hoping it will work better on someone else's amp than it does on mine. It's also handy as a dummy load for working on tube amps. Loads the output but makes no sound. If it were stolen, I'd collect the insurance, check out some other options, and post a thank you note to the thief.
"Great product for exactly one purpose. Just make sure this is really what you are looking for, or you will be disappointed."
Feature:
It would be nice if it have variable impedance so you don't have to get a different one for each type of cabinet you use.
Quality:
Seems pretty solid, mostly metal construction.
Value:
A bit expensive for doing exactly one task, but it does the task very well. Get this if and only if you are willing to pay $300 for moderately better distortion and tube saturation at bedroom volumes, or if you need a dummy load for some strange reason.
Sound:
Keep in mind that at the 12 dB setting and beyond, the hot plate will definitely color your sound. At 8 dB and 4 dB it does what it is supposed to, and does not color your sound. The hot plate will allow you to crank your volume and gain just a bit more so you can practice with more favorable power and pre-amp tonal settings. Expectation is everything. If you want to get better distortion and tube saturation at reasonable volumes, the hot plate can help. Don't expect to the hot plate to make a crappy amp sound good, don't expect the hot plate to make crappy playing sound better. It won't wash your car or walk your dog.
Ease of Use:
If you can't figure out how to use this, then...
Support:
Never had to deal the with company.
It would be nice if it have variable impedance so you don't have to get a different one for each type of cabinet you use.
Quality:
Seems pretty solid, mostly metal construction.
Value:
A bit expensive for doing exactly one task, but it does the task very well. Get this if and only if you are willing to pay $300 for moderately better distortion and tube saturation at bedroom volumes, or if you need a dummy load for some strange reason.
Sound:
Keep in mind that at the 12 dB setting and beyond, the hot plate will definitely color your sound. At 8 dB and 4 dB it does what it is supposed to, and does not color your sound. The hot plate will allow you to crank your volume and gain just a bit more so you can practice with more favorable power and pre-amp tonal settings. Expectation is everything. If you want to get better distortion and tube saturation at reasonable volumes, the hot plate can help. Don't expect to the hot plate to make a crappy amp sound good, don't expect the hot plate to make crappy playing sound better. It won't wash your car or walk your dog.
Ease of Use:
If you can't figure out how to use this, then...
Support:
Never had to deal the with company.
"Get one"
Sound:
This is a great product that's easier on your amp than most other attenuaters on the market. I use an 8ohm unit with my '72 super lead powering a '68 slant front. It truly lets the natural tube distortion shine through. You can even get a nice harmonic feedback at tolerable volumes. In the -16db mode it cuts too much of the tone and frequency and leaves a kind of fizzle sound similar to the sound a tube amp makes when you hit the standby switch while there's still a signal. Once in the -12db setting or higher, I didn't notice the sound degradation. It could also benefit from having the reostat work while in the -12db mode. The jump from -16db to -12db is a bit extreme. I talked to THD and their Tech said that the reostat will only work in the -16db mode due to the low power at that level. Any higher and it will cook the reostat. If you're thinking of buying one, go for it. I wish I had sooner. It's a bit spendy but it beats the hell out of other brands and especially a master volume which I tried on my amp to no satisfaction.
This is a great product that's easier on your amp than most other attenuaters on the market. I use an 8ohm unit with my '72 super lead powering a '68 slant front. It truly lets the natural tube distortion shine through. You can even get a nice harmonic feedback at tolerable volumes. In the -16db mode it cuts too much of the tone and frequency and leaves a kind of fizzle sound similar to the sound a tube amp makes when you hit the standby switch while there's still a signal. Once in the -12db setting or higher, I didn't notice the sound degradation. It could also benefit from having the reostat work while in the -12db mode. The jump from -16db to -12db is a bit extreme. I talked to THD and their Tech said that the reostat will only work in the -16db mode due to the low power at that level. Any higher and it will cook the reostat. If you're thinking of buying one, go for it. I wish I had sooner. It's a bit spendy but it beats the hell out of other brands and especially a master volume which I tried on my amp to no satisfaction.
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