Loadbox/Attenuator - what do you use? Boss had new stuff at NAMM

[lfm]

Stripped version from Boss from a larger model
https://www.boss.info/global/products/w ... nder_core/

Some weird solutions there, and internal 30W power amp is what goes to speakers if using that. Never saw such an odd solution. But some cool stuff if just going for recording. Room reverb and multimike setup to get real feel of miked up amp.



UA OX been out some years now
https://www.uaudio.com/hardware/ox.html
- I doubt UA does anything bad

Tedweber is one I used for many years
https://www.tedweber.com/gadgets/attenuators/

I could buy just the elements used for reactive load back then and used a Radial JDX over that load(or any speaker) to get signal with cabinet to record. So covered for amps up to 25W but if going from a stronger amp I might need to look at other solution too.

Any more stuff worth mentioning?

Thanks.

[BertKoor]

What I use is a Koch Loadbox. It's totally passive, like a toaster which can absorb over 100W, with tapped outputs at multiple levels. Love it.
Bought mine two decades ago, this is apparently the newest:
https://www.koch-amps.com/product-guita ... 120-2.html

[lfm]

What I use is a Koch Loadbox. It's totally passive, like a toaster which can absorb over 100W, with tapped outputs at multiple levels. Love it.
Bought mine two decades ago, this is apparently the newest:
https://www.koch-amps.com/product-guita ... 120-2.html

Cool, thanks.

[pekbro]

I use the suhr loadbox https://www.suhr.com/electronics/tone-t ... tive-load/
and Swart attenuator https://swartamps.com/night_light_attenuator.htm

and swart amps...

[The Noodlist]

Harley Benton PA-100 Power Attenuator
Can also be used as a dummy load, seems OK. I followed mod below to improve its usability.

[escalona]

Stripped version from Boss from a larger model
Some weird solutions there, and internal 30W power amp is what goes to speakers if using that. Never saw such an odd solution. But some cool stuff if just going for recording. Room reverb and multimike setup to get real feel of miked up amp.

For a couple of years I used the big brother of this unit (Waza Amp). The internal amplification was a really good solution for this little 5w tube amp I used to have and it gave me tons of ways to play with it. So I could turn it down for a edge of break up sound and then turn up the Waza amp and make it sound huge... With other louder amps (a Marshall JVM for instance) I would just pretty much crank up the power tubes (output) and use the Waza to attenuate the deafening sound. I had this and also used at the same time the UA Oxbox, a Rivera Rockcrusher and a TwoNotes Torpedo. Out of the four, I kept the boss and the Rivera. My current rig doesn't need any attenuation, so I ended up selling all, but the boss was a great unit (it also had tons of cabs / effects/ routing possibilities... for either recording or live purposes).

[lfm]

Thanks for all the valuable additions of brands and powersoak solutions.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I've got the Suhr Reactive Load IR, a Fryette Power station (PS-2A), and the Tone King Iron Man Mini II.

As a load box for silent recording/playing 8ohm amps, the Suhr is great. Best Reactive Load. Doesn't attenuate. Easy to use. Always sounds great.

The Fryette isn't quite as good as a pure load box/silent recording solution, but it does so much more. Absolutely killer as an attenuator, FX Loop, and power amp. No IRs. Pricey though. And lots of options. Manual could be better considering all the options.

The Iron Man Mini II is terrible as a line out (very dark) so not a great Reactive Load. Works ok as an attenuator with lower wattage amps. My least favorite of the bunch.

[lfm]

Many thanks for input on these as well.

Starting to go through the list and see what is available locally as one indicator what might be viable options.

Palmer seems to have some powersoakes too. All but one real expensive are resistor load only it seems.

[lfm]

Pete Thorn has a cool lessons in making IR cabs and also demonstrating Suhr Reactive Load


From the impedance profile of a cabinet is also really intresting how different result must be using IR cabs and using real tube amp reactive load or just using a guitar and some effect box with very different result.
- and each loadbox can also differ from the others

I heard many don't like IR Cabs and mean it does not sound right and this could be the reason.

I also found Red Seven Amp Central EVO, a new version mk2 kind of
https://www.redseven-amplification.com/amp-central-evo/
- at least they specify max length of IR to 500 ms
- others I looked at like Fryette with IR and manual says nothing what specs for IR are allowed

There are some youtube demos but they were so obvious promoted that not reliable. But some cool features it seems. But having IR's in external gear also add some milliseconds latency and then into daw as playing is not advantage I think. I do IR with room stuff in daw instead.


Now I am leaning towards clean loadboxes, not attenuators and not IR stuff at all.
- So Tedweber.com MASS 200 or Suhr Reactive Load
- then use cab simulator still like my Radial JDX(now called JDX 48 and takes phantom power as well)

This seem to be modelled cabs and might be interesting
https://www.gfisystem.com/cabzeus-mono
- but not able to load own anything then
-and not sure if they modify input frequency curve if attenuating signal coming from real amp reactive load

[Uncle E]

Some weird solutions there, and internal 30W power amp is what goes to speakers if using that. Never saw such an odd solution.

30 watts is a strangely low amount of power. I think Bad Cat was the first one to do that as a product (theirs was 100 watts), although Harry Kolbe told me he used to do that for all the arena bands. He would soak the 100 watt Marshalls, then run them into 500 watt power amps that fed the Marshall cabinets.

I use the original Suhr Reactive Load.

[lfm]

Thanks, yes Suhr Reactive load is mostlikely my choice too, unless tedweber.com offer me to buy just the mass 200 motors, which they did 12 years ago for Mass 50W. They worked really well together with Radial JDX and my 15-20W amps.

The 30W amp for Boss, I guess it is a fullrange solidstate power amp only, to just amplify what is released from loadbox part.
- maybe they assume if using speaker at all and that system you only have local monitor, kind of, for guitarplayer on stage. But this is me guessing only.

About Suhr, they seem to be heavily promoted as guitars at least on youtube. So I looked around the normal stores I look at in europe and not to be sold anywhere that I found.
- looking at Sweetwater I realize price tags are well beyond both Fender and Gibson
- this is probably the reason europe does not bother(where I looked that is)

[pekbro]

heh a Suhr should complete my guitar shopping list nicely one day, just gotta save up for it somehow.

My Suhr loadbox is the original as well, no IR... was $300 ish or somethin new, not too bad...

[Uncle E]

Yes, I wouldn't recommend the IR version. Use it with an Ox Stomp instead.

[jens]

Ox Stomp

Oh, I had no idea this even exists - the description sounds really really good
(especially the dynamic aspect)!

That might actually be something quite worthwhile in combination with my Koch Dummybox Studio (which I basically never use these days tbh).