recording with load boxes, cab ins, and all that

[amagras]

I haven't used load boxes but if you are using real speakers I know for sure they need to move air, to be loud. An isolation box is more useful.

[JFreak]

Load box means you connect gator clips to the speaker terminals, thus capturing the "DI" signal that goes to the speaker.

Problem is, normal DI and preamp would distort somewhere between 1..2V signal and speaker terminal usually sees a lot higher voltages (unless driven close to muted) so you need to get that back to "normal" to get it DI'd.

I've seen some DI boxes handle speaker level signals nicely but on top of my head cannot remember which one to recommend.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Load box means you connect gator clips to the speaker terminals, thus capturing the "DI" signal that goes to the speaker.

Problem is, normal DI and preamp would distort somewhere between 1..2V signal and speaker terminal usually sees a lot higher voltages (unless driven close to muted) so you need to get that back to "normal" to get it DI'd.

I've seen some DI boxes handle speaker level signals nicely but on top of my head cannot remember which one to recommend.

Uh you use the proper box. A proper "load box" aka speaker emulator deals with this fine. I doubt most people would think anybody really meant use a standard DI box. And my assumption would always be when somebody says "load box" that there is usually no actual speaker involved, load boxes normally provide some resistive+inductive load to emulate the speaker impedance. An example (fancy) load box...

https://www.uaudio.com/hardware/ox.html

Or some folks make a DI that handles both. Like..

https://rupertneve.com/products/rndi

And some amps provide this built in, and some product combine an attenuator and load box.

One issue the OP seems to be after is the speaker emulators don't capture the cabinet resonances/cabinet audio transfer function. And wether to simulate that with a cabinet software emulation.

I'm have no real-world experience with load/boxes speaker emulators, and just have zero interest in that, I would either reach for just micing a live cab, mic a cab in a isolation box (possibly either in collaboration with an amp attenuator if volume is such an issue) or use a good amp simulator plugin or processor box (Eleven, Eleven Rack, Axe Fx,... -- all of which should have manageable latency).

[mightyduck]

Hi,

The UA device Darryl referred to is way more than a load box, but it does include one. Anyone ever use one?

The Neve device is not actually a load box, it requires a speaker cabinet to be plugged in when used with a tube amp.


There's a bit of confusion as to what's what, I guess.

But anyhow, my question is not whether or not to use a load box, or whether or not mic'd amps or amp sims are good or better. I am simply asking for anyone [if anyone] who has used one or more load boxes to share what they think is the best one, and WHY. Maybe I should explain more about what load boxes are, but I figure that the people using them [i.e. the ones that could answer my question] will already know all that.

By the way, for anyone interested, there is a guy named Julius, advertising on Reverb, who sells handmade load boxes inexpensively. I've never used one of them, but someone posted about them, saying that they were good.

https://reverb.com/shop/jgalamb2

Thanks!

mightyduck

[mightyduck]

can't keep up with the torrent of responses here. :)


mightyduck

[Southsidemusic]

Originally Posted by mightyduck

can't keep up with the torrent of responses here. :)


mightyduck

Maybe it's because most guitarists don't use PT or they don't use loadboxes. I think the one's who knows what you are talking about have already answered.

[mightyduck]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

Maybe it's because most guitarists don't use PT or they don't use loadboxes. I think the one's who knows what you are talking about have already answered.

probably right. I'll leave it going a while to see if there are any more participants.
Thanks.


mightyduck

[albee1952]

FWIW, I have a friend that records his 50 watt Plexi Marshall with the Palmer load box(no cab at all) and his guitar tracks sound really good(he's a bit of a tone snob).

[amagras]

Originally Posted by albee1952

FWIW, I have a friend that records his 50 watt Plexi Marshall with the Palmer load box(no cab at all) and his guitar tracks sound really good(he's a bit of a tone snob).

He might be using the cab impulses that come included with some load boxes.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by amagras

He might be using the cab impulses that come included with some load boxes.

No. I asked him and its head>Palmer load box>interface>CuBase with nothing but an EQ plugin and a touch of reverb(and it sounds as good as any Marshall with a 4x12 and mics)