Gene Baker: President and founder of the "b3" brand of custom electric guitars and writer for Premier Guitar Magazine. Gene sent us this audio clip of him demonstrating the PRX150-Pro power attenuator at various attenuation levels.
Section 13: "Outro" Gene "ripping it up!!" with the PRX150-Pro attenuator in the low volume - bedroom mode (variable mode)
Gene's equipment:
Guitar: "b3" Model - Bombardier with Lollar Imperials pickups
Amplifier: Elmwood Modena 90, a 90 watt amplifier (no amplifier EQ or control adjustments during the recording)
Gene's comments on the recording: "Recorded on a Fostex MR16 and mixed in Samplitude, no eq what so ever all tracks left natural. For each attenuation mode, the track was adjusted for level matching only, notice that the amp sounds the same from tear your head off volume levels to grandma's bedroom levels."
Gene's comments on the PRX150-Pro power attenuator:
"Attenuators are nothing new to the industry and have been around for years although most all built to date have only been useful in the higher volume situations anything turned down too low tanked your tone. I've owned and tried many in my days and many have the potential to destroy your amp and will trash your tone with it when you bring the volume down more than a few clicks which averages about 9 db in volume reduction. Others have added EQ switches to compensate for what happens to your tone as you turn it down to more usable levels. All of that to me just makes for too much constant tweaking when a true attenuator should be simple and keep your amp sounding the same at any and all volume levels by simply turning the attenuator volume down.
The Aracom PRX150 not only is capable of handling amps putting out as much as 150 watts but there are some extremely smart features built in that make this the ULTIMATE attenuator in my ears. To the best of my knowledge this is the only attenuator that features input and output impedance selectors for your head and speaker cab allowing mismatched head and speakers, a bypass switch, 2 speaker outs and an adjustable line level for driving other amps or effect units. Your ear will play tricks on you based on volume pressure levels and a microphone is the real judge. Tonally 'with the PRX150' you will hear all the nuances and subtleties carry thru your tone at any and all volume levels retaining the high and low end clarity and put simply, just turns the volume down to any usable level you desire. Slap a microphone in front of your amp and you will be stunned at how concert level volumes to grandma's bedroom levels record identical making this a "must have" tool for any guitar player to best capture your amps tone whether live or in the studio and built like a tank. Jeff nailed it!"
Notes:
a) The above audio clip was recorded in a section of Gene Baker's b3 workshop, not in a professional studio. Therefore, home studios can capture this type of tone.
b) There will be a video clip to accompany the audio clip shortly.
Gene Baker Live: Baker b3 Guitar, ARACOM Evolver 50 Amp, PRX150 attenuator
Video starts off with an acoustic guitar, the goes electricfying!
Gene Baker Live: Baker b3 Water Guitar, ARACOM Evolver 50 Amp, PRX150 attenuator, recorded with a Droid X cell phone!
Gene Baker: Baker b3 Fire Guitar, ARACOM Evolver 50 Amp, PRX150 attenuator, recorded with a Droid X cell phone!
Gene Baker: Fano RB6 Guitar, ARACOM Evolver 50 Amp, PRX150 attenuator, recorded with a Droid X cell phone!
Credits:
Gene Baker: Founder of the original Baker Guitars, Gene is currently handcrafting his B3 brand of solid body and semi-solid body electric guitars. Talk to him about handcrafting an electric guitar just for you. In addition to building some of the world's finest electric guitars, Gene gigs on a weekly basis. Check out Gene Baker's B3 line of guitars at:
http://finetunedinstruments.com
