Weber Attenuator Facts
The Weber attenuator is defined as an electronic device designed to reduce the amplitude and power of a signal with little or no distortion in that signal’s waveform. Compared to other dimmers like the Ultimate Attenuator and Digital Attenuator, this type of dimmer uses rheostats. Rheostats are used to control attenuation and distribute power to the speaker motor or other load. The two types of this type of attenuator are the speaker motor model and the resistive or resistor-based model. The speaker motor model uses a real speaker motor to generate a reactive load on the amplifier. The resistive model of the Weber attenuator creates a purely resistive load on the amplifier using power resistors.
An advantage of the speaker motor model over the resistive model is that it provides a more interactive natural sound. This Weber Power Attenuator also has less of an impact on tone compared to the resistor-based model. There are several types of speaker motor based attenuators. They are the Mobility Analogue Systems Simulator (MASS), MiniMASS, MicroMASS, MASS 150, Power Tap, MASS Lite and Stereo MASS. The MASS type uses a speaker motor for the load to provide a realistic interaction between the amplifier output circuit and the attenuator. The MASS unit contains a line output connection with front panel controls for mid, bass, volume and treble. These control panels are useful for consumers who plan to run simple direct output signals. Consumers interested in the wet-dry approach also find these control panels effective. The MicroMASS and MASS Lite models have two power level controls. One control is used for the low-mid frequencies and the other is for the upper high-mid frequencies. Meanwhile, the attenuation can be continuously adjusted from zero to over -50 db on the MiniMASS model. The MASS 150 unit has an additional output connector, MASS bypass, line output and range switch. The Stereo MASS does not contain a line output, but has built-in treble compensation. The Power Tap unit features treble compensation, range switch, and a fixed -20 db line output.
The resistive model of the Weber dimmer includes the low power load dump, high power load dump, mega dump and headphone jack. Compared with the motor speaker-based MASS, the low-power load dump unit is smoother and not as interactive. Its attenuation is continuously adjustable from zero to more than -50 db. The 200 watt high power load dump model uses power resistors and capacitors. This model uses 11 steps of output control on a rotary switch. The headphone jack unit is known as a 50 watt dummy load consisting of a headphone output jack. Lastly, the Mega Dump model includes system bypass, range switch, adjustable line output, and 0, 3, and 6 dB treble boost.
Based on product review and manufacturer’s claim, this dimmer is built primarily by hand. This assures customers that they are purchasing the highest quality products. Some of the accessories available for the Weber dimmer include 1 foot RCA phone jack to ΒΌ phone jack, 59 Bassman dimmer harness, rack mount wings for Mega Dump and MASS 200 units, and dimmer harness for Peavey amplifiers.