Quoted from HC forum threads:
If you're fortunate to have an attenuator (set to load with a line out) and cab simulator, you can get ridiculously good low volume tone with any tube amp simply by reamping.
I recommend the Line6 products like the PODxt, Toneport, or the true DI boxes like the Behringer Ultra-G and H&K Red Box Pro for cab sim.
As for amplification, almost any powered full-range system will work like monitors, computer speakers, SS PA and speaker, etc. The reason I like SS power and full-range amplification for low volume tones is that the amp is colorless and the speakers don't need to round-off the high end like guitar speakers do to sound good since you're already adding a cab sim in the mix. Since guitar speakers don't start to round off the high end until they get ~1/2 W, which can be loud, they aren't the best to use.
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I too live in an apartment and I use 100watt heads cranked all the time, there is a pretty simple way of doing this too! I use a Hot Plate set as a Load Box and then take the line out from that into a powered mixer (a Yamaha, but really any clean SS power amp will work as you are just reamplifying the signal).
At the powered mixer (or power amp and eq pedal/rack) I bump a little bit between 2 and 4khz as there is a bit of a loss from the load box, and then adjust the volume to taste (usually just enough to get the speakers moving a bit, moderate to loud tv volumes).
The end result is I get great cranked tube tones in very small volume settings Works much better than the best MV (i.e., the Herbert I had)and sounds far better than small amps (to my ears). I have used great MVs, Iso cabs, Smaller amps, different attenuators, and this is BY FAR the best setup I have used. I couldn`t be happier, and this is coming from a previous situation where I used to be able to crank all of my amps to any volume at any time that I pleased.
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I am using a Wizard 100watt Modern Classic and arriving next week my MAKO Makoplex, into an Avatar oversized 2x12 w/ a H30 and V30 in it (previously used a Marshall 2x12 w/ 75s in it, just got the new cab). What you are doing is a form of reamping the signal in this case, hence why you use a clean (i.e., PA based or monitor based instead of guitar based) power amp.
You get 99.999% of the sound and feel of a cranked head because you are using a cranked head, but you do lose some of the speaker involvement. I worked for 3 years to get it to be this good in my apartment! I used to use either an attenuator, or an Iso cab (and then monitoring myself though my recording setup) and nothing has been nearly as satisfying as my current setup. I was in a band for 8 years where we had a studio/practice space that I had personally built that allowed me to use my amps full tilt at any point in time and this is the absolute closest I have come to being able to achieve this in my current living situation.
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It takes a little bit of the high end out, hence why I compensate with a small bump between 2 and 4 kHz. I typicaly set the amp to a point where I would like it minus the reamping/slave setup and go from there. With my Wizard one channel has a Master Volume and one does not (voiced pretty much like a plexi) so I set each channel a bit differently. I try to not have it wide open all of the time, but that is just so I am not changing tubes every month.
I used to use a Dr. Z airbrake for attenuation and I assure you the result from this setup is verrrrrrrry different in terms of tone and feel. It is not exactly the same as cranking your amp to 11, but I attribute the vast majority of the difference to the fact your speakers aren`t pushing enough air to move your pants if you were standing in front of them. It does not have that degredation feeling that you get with each click on an attenuator (which is much like going from 192kbps to 128 to 96 to 64 to 48 in a sound sample IMO). Its the only way I am happy in my apartment!
Adjust the volume enough on the powered mixer to get the speakers to open up a bit and I am perfectly happy (that would be tv/loud tv volumes, as the speakers sound like poo and unnatural under that volume).
Turn it up to the point that my neighbors would hate me and it sounds 99.999% of if the slave setup was not in the chain. Highly recommended!
