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Best Power Attenuator Tube Amp for Metal Reviewed

Using tube amps has its pros and cons, for instance, you can have a clearer and cleaner signal output compared to solid-state amps. But then one of the cons of a tube amp is its loss of control over its level of subtle distortion or tube saturation, which means if you want distortion out of your tube amp, then you will have to crank the volume way up. A power attenuator gives you the ability to bring out the high-volume characteristics of your amp, at a manageable level. Today we are taking a look at the best power attenuators for metal.

The Two Notes Audio Engineering Torpedo Reload is an attenuator, DI Box, and a Reamping box all in one small package, making this attenuator extremely versatile, and you may find using this with more than one purpose. When using this as an attenuator, this is extremely reliable and will give you the high-volume tone you want at a quiet output. It is also highly versatile in terms of matching your speaker’s impedance as this attenuator also has a three-way switch that switches its impedance to 4, 8, and 16 ohms, to make sure you get what you need. 

If you’re more concerned about this as a DI box or as a re-amping box, then you will be surprised. Upon purchasing this attenuator, you also get several cabinet simulations for the free program for this box called the Wall of Sound III that you can then use to put in guitar tones in your DAW that’ll sound as though it is recorded on an actual setup.

Although the cabinet simulation feature is not available for live performances, it can come useful once you do need to record your music. And for metal artists, this box is useful for reaching those extremely high-gain guitar tones without literally breaking your amp and speaker. The high level of versatility makes this box one of the best tube amp power attenuator for metal.

The Tone King Iron Man II Mini is the attenuator you want if you’re looking for a pedal type attenuator that is stage-ready straight out of the box, and you can easily slap this on to your pedalboard, and you are now ready to perform this thing to its limits. Powering this attenuator is a 9VDC enough to bring out a maximum of 30W RMS. 

As an extra, and since this is a pedal type attenuator, this now has a volume boost which is the first time for me to see something like this, the boost is ideal for guitar solos making you stand out with your metal guitar riffs and solos. 2 switches can be found on the attenuator, one is the range selector with a high and low option which is used to control the range of attenuation when the solo function is disabled. The other switch is the presence level which you can either choose between 0db, -3db, and -6db.

Other than that, while this is a simple device, you can still use this well with recording your guitar, with an output rating of 10k ohms. But for normal performance use, the input impedance and speaker impedance are both fixed at 8 ohms, so better keep that in mind if you plan on using this on any speaker. 

Overall, the Tone King Iron Man II Mini is sure to be a great addition to your pedalboard especially if you are the lead guitarist in your metal band, the solo feature is sure to be greatly utilized, but even if you are a guitarist of any genre, this attenuator is a good addition to help protect and utilize your speakers. With the great usability and portability, this is indeed one of the best tube amp power attenuator for metal.

Weber is one of the well-known brands that tone chasers love, they are well known with their vintage speakers that work very well with reproducing vintage tones even up to this day. But is the Weber MicroMass Attenuator any good? 

The Weber MicroMass Attenuator is designed to work with amplifiers with 10W power or less. In terms of impedance, this is made to work with either 4, 8, and 16-ohm amplifiers. In terms of control, all you get are 2 knobs and a switch, one of the knobs are dedicated with controlling the low-mid tone attenuation, the other one controls the mid-high tone attenuation, and this is pretty unique compared to others that commonly has a volume or level control knob. The switch on the front can be switched to either normal or bypass. 

This attenuator may is the cheapest and weakest on this list, but this attenuator should not be underestimated as the Weber MicroMass Attenuator is reliable and works efficiently, it is also worth noting that this attenuator is also the only passive attenuator in this list. Either way, this may be good for band practice, but I don’t think I’ll recommend this for a huge performance, but this may be good for a small event and that’s it. But overall, this is still one of the best power attenuator for metal.

There you have our best picks for a tube amp power attenuator for metal. Let us know what you think about this, and be sure to consider your circumstances like amp size and the power you need before getting one. Invest what is best for you!