Anyone Tried the Omnisonic....

[Perry Combover]

...volume box?

http://omnisonicvolumebox.com/

My amp knowledge is fairly average, but I can't figure this thing out.  It claims attenuator capabilities, but runs through the effects loop.  :icon_scratch:

At $20, it piques my interest, but I'd hate to waste my money on something that simply mimics my master volume, or worse, jacks up my beloved amps.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

It is a master volume.  It is designed for the Fender Hotrod Deluxe from the wording of it.  The clean channel on that amp doesn't have a master volume.  Don't ask why, it only seems to be a headache inducing thought problem.  If you have a master volume and it is still too loud, you can ratchet the volume down ahead of that in the effects loop with this thing.
Patrick

 

[drewfx]

It appears to be nothing more than a passive volume pot in a box.

 

[line6man]

It's a volume pot. Nothing more, nothing less. There might be a treble-bleed capacitor or something, but that's about it.

The price is reasonable.

 

[Perry Combover]

Sounds like I will just use the volume pot on the amp then.

Although for $20, I might just give it a shot simply for curiosity sake.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I have wondered about cranking the pre, strangling it with one of those, and then getting the power amp to about 50%.  I am imagining a horrible signal to noise, but the power tubes would at least get a bit of a workout.  I dunno, more of a mental question rather than an experiment that I run with.
Patrick

 

[drewfx]

I have wondered about cranking the pre, strangling it with one of those, and then getting the power amp to about 50%.  I am imagining a horrible signal to noise, but the power tubes would at least get a bit of a workout.  I dunno, more of a mental question rather than an experiment that I run with.
Patrick

The master volume, if present, is already attenuating the signal before the phase inverter and power tubes. That's the master volume's job.

 

[Cagey]

I have wondered about cranking the pre, strangling it with one of those, and then getting the power amp to about 50%.  I am imagining a horrible signal to noise, but the power tubes would at least get a bit of a workout.  I dunno, more of a mental question rather than an experiment that I run with.

I'm not sure how the power tubes would be getting a workout by being fed an attenuated signal. Seems to me they'd be back down closer to idle, and barely working at all. Or, perhaps at the 50% mark you postulate, but with a small control signal. Again, allowing them to just basically coast.