Rivera RockCrusher Power Attenuator Review. What users say?

As we all know that a perfect balance of v0lume with the kind of lyrics will make the music even more better. Volume also helps to pump up every performance . And to make everything perfect, the attenuators comes into the picture. The attenuator has made it possible to cut into an amp or even to change the circuit to fix the master volume. 

Rivera offers all the music enthusiasts one of the finest attenuators. The most powerful amps could be worked upon easily with it, which undoubtedly makes it a getaway to a blissful tube-amp tonal.

The Rivera Rock Crusher lets you turn up the tube amp to the sweetest tonal spot it can attain.  By keeping it in the middle of the speaker cabinet and amp, one can easily crank up the ton of the amp even when the volume is kept down.

It also keeps a balanced relativity between impedance and the reactance (inductive/capacitive). Talking in terms of the guitar, it helps in pushing the amp to its upper limit, while doing so it helps the tubes attain their tonal potential even while keeping the volume low.

What makes the Rivera RockCrusher unique?

There’s a lot of reasons as to why Rivera rock crusher is a potential product for all the guitar enthusiasts. Here are a few reasons which highlight the unique features of the product:

• An individual needn’t worry about any mic choice or placement.
• It helps one attain the actual tone of the amp for the in-ear monitoring.
• For the purpose of home recordings, it helps one record the real tone of the tube without even waking up the baby.
• For professional uses as well, it provides greater mic isolation even during live sessions.
• One can leave their home cabinet and still get great tones.
• The feature of the expanded volume control system opens up the possibilities of mixing.

Overview of the Features

Main features –

• The bombproof construction helps one achieve even the wildest gigs.
• The 8 ohm and the 16 ohm models of the crusher let one use the rock crusher with any amp or speaker combination.
• The tonal transparency of the rock crusher helps one hear their amp.
• Also, the Rivera rock crusher lets the user listen to his own tube amp’s tone.
• The balanced XLR and also the unbalanced ¼” output of the rock crusher help the user easily interface the recording gear.
• Perfect and natural tone balance at any and every level.
• The reactive internal network helps in true amplifier/load interaction.
• It provides tight impedance tolerances.
• The versatile and enormous internal components.
• It has a full bypass capability without any insertion loss.
• The thermal capacity of the product ensures a cool running and longer life.
• The functioning capacity of the attenuator goes up to a capacity of 120W RMS.

In Depth –

The Rivera Rock Crusher has a power handling capacity of about 120W RMS, and an impedance of 8/16 ohms. The input channelizes in the form of 1*1/4” of the amplifier; and the output is in the unit of 2*1/4” measured from the speaker output, and from the line out in 1*XLR, 1*1/4”.

This amazing product is remarkably known for its versatility as it can be used as a power attenuator and even as a load box while sending out the balanced XLR or the unbalanced  ¼” line out to the other amp as a slave; and also send the output to a mixer for the purpose of recording and even for live.

When maintaining a constant tone is still a challenge for other attenuators, the Rivera rock crusher proves to be the best and also the most professional unit available out in the market.

The product is build into a reactive load of networks which helps achieve proper speaker to amplifier interaction. The counterparts available out in the market which have purely resistive loads; the rivera rock crusher comes with a surety that both the amplifier and the speaker sees each other in a perfect relation of both the impedance and the inductive/capacitive reactance.

This further helps translate to a much superior tone, regardless of the level. Also, it helps achieve and enhance the tonal balance, shimmer and warmth, and in order to achieve this; the product comes with edge and warm switches which helps one have a total control on the final output.

In addition to all of this, the product provides a much superior tone and impedance which matches perfectly with the longevity and the good health of the amp. Also, the 8/16 ohm selector of the crusher can be easily switched so as to attain an accurate match with the cabinets and amplifier.

As well the inbuilt features makes it user friendly both onstage and in the studios as well. One can even use the amp along with a speaker cabinet even when a full output level is required; and in order to achieve so, the crusher is imbibed with a front panel bypass switch which helps remove the entire load.

In order to achieve a low speaker volume, the studio position of the selector attenuator level enables the control level of the studio to help adjust from a low to a quiet output, which is ideal for project, home and also studio recordings.

The balanced XLR and the unbalanced ¼” jacks of the phone allow interfacing with every audio equipment. Imbibed with two speaker jack the crusher provides an easy connection with up o two speaker enclosures. A bullet proof construction is one of the USP of the Rivera equipment.

A heavy- duty and the rugged industrial grade components are used to make the make the product much reliable, and one of the cool-running service; and the side chassis of the Rock Crusher facilitates the mounting of the ear racks and other brackets for a much professional installation.

The product has already set a remarkable benchmark in the market too.

What the users think about the product:

1.Excellent Tone:  Undoubtedly the product is one of the best attenuators so far. The product has a great tone down low, also the feel and response of the product is similar to a cranked amp.

2.Consistency at its best: Used along with Egnater 65 head, the user easily sets off the effects pedal parameters to match up with the amp without any gig volumes or blast. It also helps keep the tone perfect consistency. The great tube tones can be enjoyed well in quite settings and the user easily knows when they crank up the volume, the amp and the effects pedal starts to sound the same and consistent.

3.The perfect topping to the tone: This specially altered boutique amp easily breaks up and provide a mesmerizing perfect tone. This 20 watt amp is loud enough to provide you with the amazing jazz. Also, it attains the volume to the studio level without even compromising on the great tone. Built perfectly for lifetime use, it is versatile and pretty user friendly and also a true value for money.

4.The phenomenal piece: A perfect solution to the amp which solves the problem of loudness even at the lowest gain settings. It makes it possible for the user to even crank the boogie, without even bothering the neighbors. A onetime investment; it is totally worth and is imbibed with amazing studio applications.

5.The Perfect tone for every Occasion: The tube amp coordinates with the load of the impedance which is put on the amp’s output by the speaker cabinet. The hooking the direct output of the amp to a recording device, the desired tone won’t be achieved. The Rivera Rock Crusher interacts with all the amp tubes and thus provides the articulate desired tone. The user can thus harness all the tones, which are designed to put out, thus eventually getting the sound of the pedals and amp; and all that without even worrying about the volume. When onstage, it lets the user achieve better monitoring situation even at decreased volume of the stage. In a nutshell, it provides a no compromise guitar tone, even without bleeding the sound into the other mics.

Buyers guide –

Why to Buy?

If you can’t compromise on the tone or feel of the sound, and you need something to team up with your vintage or the modern amps, which needs a little taming to it.

Why not to buy?

If you are the one who plays on a regular basis the cobo hall with its six stacks or even you run up the lowered powdered amps with master volume, then this product is definitely not meant for you

Conclusion:

The entire task of attenuation is no child’s play. It requires a lot of serious work and perfection. Apart from the factor which is outside of the tone, the major consideration is about retaining the feel, response and touch that every individual loves at a higher volume.

The Rivera RockCrusher did a commendable job, by providing and retaining with much reactive load. The durability and the amazing look of the product lets save the amps from just being chopped off with all the unnecessary modifications.

It can safely handle up to 100 watt tube of amps with much headroom to be spared. It is the perfect product to help you out in every occasion and lets you work with your amp, in any and every situation.

Check out our other recommended gear for Home Recording Studios here!