JCM800, HotPlate...weird

[indysmith]

That thread about large amps at bedroom level sounding better than small amps at bedroom level got me thinking that i should give my JCM800 a go at bedroom level without the ridiculous amounts of attenuation.
soooo - i turned the master right down, and put the HotPlate on -0dB. WOW it actually sounds awesome - a lot more open, and totally rid of that nasty buzzy, glassy compression that a lot of attenuation adds.
So "why the hell do I even have this HotPlate - i could sell this and get some BKPs" thought I, before deciding to take it out all together.
Hang on... that doesn't sound so good now without the hotplate between the amp and speakers  :? that's funny, maybe I'm just imagining it.
So i put the HotPlate back in between the amp and speakers at -0dB, and voila the tone comes rolling back.
It's really strange - surely it should be pretty much completely passive in the -0dB state, but it improves my tone a LOT, even at bedroom volumes. Makes it sound warm and rounded, and a lot less 'hard'. Any ideas why this is? It's annoying because I'm not really using the HotPlate for anything...but it's making my amp sound a lot better anyway, so I don't really want to sell it :roll:

[Twinfan]

Strange.  Are you using the EQ buttons at all when it's at 0dB?

Anything connected to your chain will have an effect I guess.  Maybe it's someting to do with the way it's loading the output transformer??

[indysmith]

Strange.  Are you using the EQ buttons at all when it's at 0dB?

Anything connected to your chain will have an effect I guess.  Maybe it's someting to do with the way it's loading the output transformer??

nope - no e.q. buttons on. I don't think they make a difference if the signal's not being attenuated anyway. I'm thinking that the HotPlate in the chain must just give a slightly different load than the speakers alone, improving the sound somehow.
This is all with the master volume on about 0.1 and the preamp volume on 2, with a tubescreamer in front (although the increase in tone is also apparent without the tubescreamer, and when i up the pre vol)

[Mr Ed]

Warlocks. It's always warlocks.

[indysmith]

Warlocks. It's always warlocks.

bloody mythical creatures :roll: always weirding me out they are with their crazy tone-altering powers :?  :P

[Mr Ed]

It's what they do, in times between mystical battles all they have left to do is mess around with amps and steal your socks from the back of the drier. Yup, that's them too.

Ooh and when your keys aren't where you left 'em, warlock moved em.

[Henk]

When i am really dug into a certain sound, setting my rig up differently sounds really offputting at first. Sounds strange but at least when i get trough that first 'being put off' it all fine again. If you play a big rig, just try using a pedal boost/simple overdrive to tease the preamp into a nice driven sound.

Probably im just a friggin loon though........ 8)

I think the hotplate gives a bit of resistance, it would sound a bit more dampened then.

[LazyNinja]

Interesting. My experience is completely the opposite of what you found indy. I find that when I have my hotplate between the amp and the cab it sucks so much life out of my amps even if it's at -0dB.

But then, maybe your amp is a bit too lively and you're finding you like the 'tamed' sound better?

[TwilightOdyssey]

I wouldn't say your experience is necessarily a weird one.

If you prefer the sound of a little extra resistance, then go for it. Even at the theoritical 0dB point, don't forget that you are still running through 2 cables instead of 1, and that will change the way the cabinet sees the signal from your amp, electrically speaking.