Reactive load boxes
Reactive load boxes
Anyone here any experience ? Reading about UAD’s OxBox lead me to research similar on market. Concluded that a bedroom warrior such as myself after the ultimate in guitar realism could plug guitar into amp (real or modelled) and the output would be as if the amp were driving speaker cabinets (which could also be simulated with different IR corresponding to your fave cabs). Which then in turn could feed straight into DAW at line level. Kinda like a souped up DI box but with all the goodies of a full live guitar chain.
Re: Reactive load boxes
they generally work. Alan Holdsworth kind of invented those when he was connected to Rocktron, and he used to make them for the store i worked for. the best sounding ones still drive a speaker, just at a lower level. they are a great way to destroy a guitar amp's output transformer, when misused.
Re: Reactive load boxes
Rocktron - I remember wanting a VooDu valve processor years ago. But I probably already had the digitech valvefx by then.
If I get into anything reactive loaded it will be complete chain - so won’t involve a real amp or cab to blow up.
If I get into anything reactive loaded it will be complete chain - so won’t involve a real amp or cab to blow up.
Re: Reactive load boxes
reactive is about mimicking a speaker's load on an amp. if there isn't a real amp involved, an old line 6 pedal will probably do the same job...
even cheaper and also effective is the old recording box. put a speaker and a mic inside a closed insulated box and use your favorite amp. no emulation will touch it.
these things came about because Alan wanted to record the speaker output from a tube amp instead of just recording the preamp output. it has to be a reactive load because that's what a speaker is. move the cone in and out with an ohm meter connected to the speaker and you'll see that the reading will change. a resistor, however, reads the same, always. putting a resistor on the amp's output will allow you to get the speaker output back to line level, but simply running into a load resistor will ruin the output transformer on a tube amp. it's not good for a transistor amp either, but a transistor amp will usually handle a load resistor better. originally, load boxes for guitar amps were just resistors, but reactive boxes workl and sound a lot better, and don't destroy as many amplifiers. Rocktron's juice extractor was the first, it was based on Holdsworth's design, but Alan's boxes were passive(made from toaster coils), while Rocktron's was active.
the sound of an amp's output tubes overdriving is usually a heck of a lot greater sound than preamp tubes overdriving. that is the real point of such a box. this was the principle behind the sound of the Jim Kelley amps with their power amp attenuator(think Money for nothing guitar). those amps were meant to be played through a speaker, though.
even cheaper and also effective is the old recording box. put a speaker and a mic inside a closed insulated box and use your favorite amp. no emulation will touch it.
these things came about because Alan wanted to record the speaker output from a tube amp instead of just recording the preamp output. it has to be a reactive load because that's what a speaker is. move the cone in and out with an ohm meter connected to the speaker and you'll see that the reading will change. a resistor, however, reads the same, always. putting a resistor on the amp's output will allow you to get the speaker output back to line level, but simply running into a load resistor will ruin the output transformer on a tube amp. it's not good for a transistor amp either, but a transistor amp will usually handle a load resistor better. originally, load boxes for guitar amps were just resistors, but reactive boxes workl and sound a lot better, and don't destroy as many amplifiers. Rocktron's juice extractor was the first, it was based on Holdsworth's design, but Alan's boxes were passive(made from toaster coils), while Rocktron's was active.
the sound of an amp's output tubes overdriving is usually a heck of a lot greater sound than preamp tubes overdriving. that is the real point of such a box. this was the principle behind the sound of the Jim Kelley amps with their power amp attenuator(think Money for nothing guitar). those amps were meant to be played through a speaker, though.
Re: Reactive load boxes
yeah, I get a good Money for Nothing lead sound with one of the Kuassa Rack Extensions. All the stuff about voltage and current being 90 degrees out of phase is white coat stuff for me, but I understand the importance of getting the loads/impedance right (emulated or classic) at every stage of the chain is what makes or breaks the sound / authenticity. UAD have Unison tech which detects impedance of incoming signal and adjusts input impedance fed to plug-in - after that each gain stage thru to re-active load (pretending its driving a speaker) and then the speaker sound itself (Impulse Response) is all required. With all that in place theoretically the only difference between plugging in real guitar vs plugging in a top VST is the keyboardists technique vs guitarists technique.
Emulating all that takes a shitload of cycles (native or DSP). But the cycles are available now and seems the R&D is following it.
Emulating all that takes a shitload of cycles (native or DSP). But the cycles are available now and seems the R&D is following it.
Re: Reactive load boxes
A regular walking encyclopedia...garyb wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 9:57 pm reactive is about mimicking a speaker's load on an amp. if there isn't a real amp involved, an old line 6 pedal will probably do the same job...
even cheaper and also effective is the old recording box. put a speaker and a mic inside a closed insulated box and use your favorite amp. no emulation will touch it.
these things came about because Alan wanted to record the speaker output from a tube amp instead of just recording the preamp output. it has to be a reactive load because that's what a speaker is. move the cone in and out with an ohm meter connected to the speaker and you'll see that the reading will change. a resistor, however, reads the same, always. putting a resistor on the amp's output will allow you to get the speaker output back to line level, but simply running into a load resistor will ruin the output transformer on a tube amp. it's not good for a transistor amp either, but a transistor amp will usually handle a load resistor better. originally, load boxes for guitar amps were just resistors, but reactive boxes workl and sound a lot better, and don't destroy as many amplifiers. Rocktron's juice extractor was the first, it was based on Holdsworth's design, but Alan's boxes were passive(made from toaster coils), while Rocktron's was active.
the sound of an amp's output tubes overdriving is usually a heck of a lot greater sound than preamp tubes overdriving. that is the real point of such a box. this was the principle behind the sound of the Jim Kelley amps with their power amp attenuator(think Money for nothing guitar). those amps were meant to be played through a speaker, though.
Great information there chief.