hi - i’m running the ps2 in a loop on my amp/ cab selector box. i want to run attenuation on my amp, using the fx loop in the ps2 which i’m then running into my mixing board. unfortunately even with the volume turned all the way down on the ps2 i still get sound from my selected cab. i can just unplug the “return” - connected to the speaker out of the ps2 - to my cab selector to mute the speaker. in other words leaving the speaker out empty on the ps2.
two questions: 1) is this safe to do, i believe the amp will still see a speaker load via the ps2 if the speaker out is empty but effects loop is still engaged? 2) can i achieve the same effect without unplugging the speaker out cable and just having a “mute” box or ab selector switched to an empty output (or does the ps2 expect to to see a speaker connected if there is a jack in the speaker out port?)
I don’t fully understand your setup from the description. A connection diagram would help!
Is this a very low-volume signal? I think I know what you mean.
This won’t work for your application. This puts the Power Station into Standby/Bypass mode. In this mode mode the AMP IN is connected directly to SPKR OUT. So this won’t be slient.
Sort of. But don’t mess around with the high-power speaker-level signals as the output. Instead, put the mute box directly before the input of the power station. The only way to really silence the small amount of signal you are hearing is to avoid putting any signal into the amp connected to the PS-2.
For example, this is not a full diagram but if you want to draw your full setup we can figure it out together.
thanks very much - yeah i’m talking about the very low volume signal still coming through cab even with ps2 volume all the way down.
attached is my best attempt to draw the setup.
essentially i still need the ps2 to process the amp signal and apply the effects chain.
it would be simpler just to use the line out on the ps2 vs the effects loop return but unfortunately the line out is before the effects so this doesn’t route the effects to my cab sim/ mixer.
thanks very much - yeah i’m talking about the very low volume signal still coming through cab even with ps2 volume all the way down.
attached is my best attempt to draw the setup.
essentially i still need the ps2 to process the amp signal and apply the effects chain.
it would be simpler just to use the line out on the ps2 vs the effects loop return but unfortunately the line out is before the effects so this doesn’t route the effects to my cab sim/ mixer.
Thanks for coming back with the drawing - I see clearly now! And sorry for the late reply.
I need to think about this. I don’t know why the Power Station is not completely silent, but have experienced the same. The only way to get it completely silent is to kill the input signal to it — which is not an option in your case.
So we need to add something at the power station output to silence the cab or so some clever switching with your switcher. Do you have any additional channels remaining on the switcher?
Could you for example, add a resistive load as one of the outputs of the switcher and have that as a “silent channel”?
Thanks unfortunately i dont have any open spots on the amp switcher.
However, wouldn’t i be okay just unplugging the speaker cable as in the below example from the manual? If i dont have anything plugged into the speaker out but have an amp plugged in it should be safe, no? The only difference to the below diagram is that is am running the FX return to my mixer (and not the line out as in the below example.)
Yes, that is fine; this will connect your amp directly to whatever is connected to SPKR OUT. So as long as that is loaded, it will be safe. However, it will not be silent.
Sorry I’m confused - there would be nothing connected to the SPKR OUT on the PS2 so there is no speaker connected anywhere so by definition, silent and not loaded. The amp would need to see a load from the PS2.
I left out a crucial piece of information. When you unplug the Power Station it protects itself by going into bypass mode. This does two things:
Put the PS-2’s (or PS-100’s) power amp into standby
Routes AMP IN directly to SPKR OUT (you amp is no longer connected to the Power Station’s reactive load).
Your amplifier is connected to AMP IN so if you unplug SPKR OUT from a speaker, the Power Station will be fine; and your Amp will be fine too because in this case it’s signal is routed to the reactive load. ~however, unless your amp sees a load (speaker or otherwise) via the switcher, it will be unloaded. So I guess the answer is you can do this, provided the switcher has routed your amp to a speaker.
thanks. how does the silent recording in the diagram below work then? there is no speaker connected to the amp or power station…
the switcher does exactly the same thing as plugging the amp directly into the ps2 - it routes the amp output into the “amp in” (just like in the below diagram.)
the below implies that if an amp is plugged into the ps2, even when that is in standby, the amp still sees a load from the ps2 and is protected. otherwise how would the below application example be safe?
Will turn off the Power Station’s internal valve amplifier and route your amp’s signal to the Power Stations’s internal reactive load.
Apologies, I have been without a Power Station for a few weeks now; a new one is arriving soon! I’ve not used this mode for a while, so I was a little rusty. Thanks for the very well-posed questions.
