JHS Little Black Box in a Triple Rectifier

Hello everyone.
First, apologize for my English language. I am Spanish, and perhaps some words or phrases are not very well constructed. Apologies.
I come to you with a doubt.
I own a Triple Rectifier solo head with three channels with a 4x12 standard straight slan.
I'm testing the JHS little black box pedal to see if I can lower the volume of the amp without losing tone quality.
Has anyone tried this pedal on the triple rectifier and could you tell me how it works?
I've only gotten it to work by putting the Mix at 100% in the effects loop and the send in normal mode (I think that's where the issue lies). But with the output at 9, very little raised.
Can anybody help me?
Thanks.

iftourbillon said:

Hello everyone.
First, apologize for my English language. I am Spanish, and perhaps some words or phrases are not very well constructed. Apologies.
I come to you with a doubt.
I own a Triple Rectifier solo head with three channels with a 4x12 standard straight slan.
I'm testing the JHS little black box pedal to see if I can lower the volume of the amp without losing tone quality.
Has anyone tried this pedal on the triple rectifier and could you tell me how it works?
I've only gotten it to work by putting the Mix at 100% in the effects loop and the send in normal mode (I think that's where the issue lies). But with the output at 9, very little raised.
Can anybody help me?
Thanks.

Click to expand...

Hi,
I too have a Mesa Triple Rectifier and recently got the JHS little black box with the idea of cracking the amp and reducing the volume.
I've put this in the effects loop at the end of the pedal chain.
It's not really doing the result I expected, I was thinking that the output control which operates the level in the loop is conflicting with the black box volume.
Did you have any luck with this and managed to crank the amp without the volume ?

Welcome to the forum.

If there is a mix control on the FX Loop it is a parallel loop and this will not work. Even when the mix is at its maximum there is a parallel signal path that is not affected by the FX Loop.

Why not just use the output control? It is a volume control on the FX Return, essentially the same thing as using the Little Black Box, but located in the right place in the signal path (after the FX Loop and the two parallel signal paths).

You should also be able to use the FX Loop Send control in this fashion but the front panel Output is more convenient.

Dom

The little black box will work just like a master volume when placed in a series FX loop. You can crank the amp volume then turn it down with the black box and it'll be the same thing as just turning the amp's master volume down. It's still reducing the signal level that's hitting the power amp.
If you want the cranked amp sound at lower volume, you need an attenuator. This goes between the speaker output and the speaker (after the power amp). So when you crank the master volume then attenuate after the power amp, you're still cooking the power tubes, then reducing the volume to the speakers.
To the OP: if you have a parallel FX loop then the black box will only be reducing the volume on the effect portion of the signal. It needs to be in a series FX loop to be able to reduce the volume of the entire signal.
In amps with a master volume, the little black box is just a redundant volume control.

Realistically one aspect of cranked tone is speaker movement and that is a result of volume. A volume in a series effects loop or an attenuator (not cheap and more suited to non-master volume amps) may help but might not fit the tone in your head or safe around family/neighbors.

I get a decent tone at low volume with an older Rectoverb 50 by turning the gain slightly higher than I normally would (1 o'clock) turning the master up (11 o'clock) but turn down the output (8 o'clock).

clutch71 said:

Realistically one aspect of cranked tone is speaker movement and that is a result of volume.

Click to expand...

100%. It’s all about moving air as that is what is carrying the sound waves.

More speakers will also move more air due to the increased surface area pushing out sound waves. As you turn up the volume the speakers extend further from the neutral position creating more air displacement.

A tech I know once told me that with anything audio, especially mids and bass freq’s ‘there is no replacement for displacement’.

Same can be said for race cars, just ask Ned (older members should get that reference).

Dom

domct203 said:

A tech I know once told me that with anything audio, especially mids and bass freq’s ‘there is no replacement for displacement’.

Click to expand...

I have to remember that one.