MESA ENGINEERING POWERHOUSE - Rear Panel Connections and Outputs; Input - From Amp SPKR Out; Line Out (Dry); Line Out Control

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Aﬁcionados, this is the power attenuator you’ve been waiting for. One that puts tone and feel ﬁrst and includes valuable features you need while

preserving the magic of your tube amp in all its harnessed-volume glory.

We start with a reactive load, an expanded version of that used in our CabClone IR series which protects your amp’s power section and imparts much

the same frequency and response curve you’re likely used to. …Reacting with your amp’s power section in much the same way your favorite speaker

cabinet does, yet allowing you to run silently and safely when a live speaker cabinet can’t be used.

With the SPEAKER/LOAD mini toggle switch set to LOAD, you can take a signal from the provided LINE OUT (DRY) ¼” output on the Rear Panel and

feed your destination of choice. From Impulse Response players to additional ampliﬁcation to effects processors or anywhere an unprocessed signal

(no Cabinet Simulation such as found in our CabClone IR Series) is appropriate. In SPEAKER Mode, the two ¼” TO LIVE SPKR CAB jacks on the

Rear Panel function just as Speaker Outs on your ampliﬁer.

In either case, the Attenuator is active and you can use it to reduce the output of your ampliﬁer safely.

The ATTENUATION Control in POWERHOUSE

is full featured and provides four power reduction levels: -16, -12, -8, -4dB and a Bypass (0dB). Plus,

the lowest setting (-16dB) features an inﬁnite attenuation LEVEL control that allows whisper soft volumes and below.

A voicing switch rounds out the front panel and includes NORMAL, BRIGHT and WARM settings on the 3-position mini toggle.

Output to your additional live cabinets is covered as well with two 1⁄4” TO LIVE SPKR CAB jacks wired in parallel, making running additional extension

cabs is easy.

The POWERHOUSE

can handle ampliﬁers up to 150 Watts and is available in 4, 8 and 16 Ohm impedance versions/ratings.

REAR PANEL - CONNECTION INPUTS/OUTPUTS

INPUT - FROM AMP SPKR OUT:

This 1⁄4” jack connects to the amp’s speaker output. The built-in load will protect your ampli ﬁer’s output trans-

former when no speaker is connected to the TO SPKR OUT jack, HOWEVER YOU MUST SET THE SPEAKER/LOAD SWITCH on the Front Panel to

LOAD for this protection. Failure to do so may result in damage to your ampliﬁer not covered under Warranty. Each PowerHouse unit comes built for a

speciﬁc impedance: 4, 8 or 16 ohms. Make sure to connect cabinet(s) used to the appropriate speaker output on your ampliﬁer.

LINE OUT (DRY):

This ¼” output is for sending a line level signal to outboard gear such as an Impulse Response Player or an additional ampliﬁer

for added headroom or an original non-cabinet simulated signal to a console for re-amping purposes. This signal is not affected by the ATTENUATION

controls on the front panel.

LINE OUT:

This rotary control determines the level of the LINE OUT (DRY) output. It should provide you with ample room for adjustment for just

about any destination’s input level requirements.

NOTE! It is always advisable to start any session with the LINE OUT control set all the way counterclockwise and then raise the control slowly to the

appropriate signal level for your needs. This will help avoid damage to connected equipment and/or unprepared ears should an accidental loud signal

happen for one reason or another.

OUTPUTS - TO LIVE SPKR CAB:

These ¼” outputs provide the feed to your speaker cabinet(s) of choice for the live monitoring of your ampliﬁer.

After you have fed the POWERHOUSE

Attenuator the speaker output from your ampliﬁer and set the SPEAKER/LOAD switch to SPEAKER, the

output signal is forwarded on to your enclosure(s) of choice. The volume level of your speaker cabinet(s) is determined by the front panel ATTENU-

ATION setting.

NOTE: The TO LIVE SPKR CAB jacks are wired in parallel. Please note the overall combined impedance and make sure you are connecting the

correct load to your ampliﬁer. The combined impedance of two cabinets connected in parallel will be ½ of an individual cabinet’s impedance (i.e. 2 x

8 Ohm cabinets in parallel creates a 4 Ohm load). In this scenario, connect the 4 Ohm output of the ampliﬁer to the FROM AMP SPKR OUT on the

POWERHOUSE

. Next, connect the TO LIVE SPKR CAB output of the POWERHOUSE

to the 8 Ohm input of the ﬁrst cabinet. Lastly, connect the

remaining TO LIVE SPKR CAB output to the 8 Ohm input of the second cabinet. This would be a safe and proper impedance match.

FRONT PANEL - CONTROLS

Having a load on a tube amp at all times is very important, so let’s start here with your amp’s safety in mind.

SPKR/LOAD:

This 2-position mini toggle determines the status of the Internal Reactive Load in the POWERHOUSE

and whether it will be connect-

ed, such as in silent recording or practicing scenarios, or manually defeated, such as when the load will be supplied by a speaker cabinet or cabinets

connected to the rear panel output (TO LIVE SPKR CAB) jack(s) for live monitoring.

IMPORTANT! DO NOT operate the ampliﬁer without a speaker enclosure connected to one or both of the rear panel outputs when the POWER-