Rivera RockCrusher

I'm using the Rivera RockCrusher to silently record my tube based guitar rig at home. My signal path consists of a Marshall JMP-1 preamp going into a Mesa Boogie 20/20 tube power amp. For this rig to sound good it has to be run at levels that are completely unpractical for home use. The Rivera RockCrusher brings the signal down to line level without any perceivable loss in sound quality, and even provides the means to very exactly tweak the strength of the line level signal going into my DAW. When playing live I'm using the unit to provide a constant attenuation so I can crank the rig much higher than what would otherwise be possible for stage use.
There are other, cheaper, options available. But as the saying goes - you get what you pay for!

I was contemplating for a while if it is worth spending the amount of money on an attenuator/dummy load that would buy you a small tube amp head. However, I couldn't be happier with my decision.
While most competitors offer either just a resistive load or are quite limited when it comes to connectable impedances and attenuation levels that can be set, the RockCrusher offers the full plethora of options:
- Reactive dummy load (mimics a "real" speaker. for more realistic feel)
- Attenuator - Connect your cab and attenuate -3dB, -6dB, -12dB, -16dB, -20dB or switch into "Studio" mode, which activates the "level" knob to further fine tune the volume down to volumes that are below my typing on the computer keyboard.
- "Edge" and "Warm" boost knobs - Respectively add heights and lows to your sound if you feel that some of the oomph and sizzle in your sound got lost due to attenuation (I personally haven't felt the need to use them, the sound stays really nice even at extreme attenuation of -20dB and beyond)
- Selectable 8 Ohm or 16 Ohm switch - Unlike most other attenuators, the RockCrusher lets you select between the two most common impedances of 8 Ohms and 16 Ohms as you like. (All you need to make sure is to stay at or above 8 Ohm on the two parallel speaker output jacks)
- There's an asymmetrical and a symmetrical (XLR) output on the RockCrusher. You can dial in the adequate output level by using the Line Out Level knob in the front of the unit.
- Passive cooling for 120W of load dump - I heard Paul Rivera mentioning in a video that you could connect up to 150W to the unit without damaging it. That leaves you with only a handful of guitar heads on the market that you shouldn't fully crank when connected to the RochCrusher.
Industrial quality and finish - As mentioned, the knobs fool extremely sturdy and the finish and build quality immediately make you understand where your money went into.

Last but not least I wanted to mention that I personally did not want or need an IR loader. That is something you will not get with the RockCrusher. You would have to attach one of the units available on the market (from e.g. Two Notes, Strymon, Mooer, Nux, etc.) to the unbalanced output jack of the RockCrusher.
Personally, I record the direct sound of the guitar head into my DAW and use an IR loader plugin to add the rest of the "signal chain" there.
However, be aware that if you are looking for an attenuator/load box that also gives you instantaneous "IR sounds" direct from its output, this may not be the right product for you. You should then be looking at the much higher priced units from Universal Audio, Boss, Two Notes, etc.


Ok, I waffled on for long enough now ... back to play & record some guitar!

If you want something that will tame that 100W non-master volume beast down to bedroom levels while keeping all the wonderful tone, this is it.

You can do any volume from actual bedroom-level to various stages of loudness with this. The balanced line out is also a big plus for recording.

Just set it, plug your amp and speakers into it, and enjoy amazing tone at politically correct levels.