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Thx for this video, this is the exact info I was looking for. I almost spent $600 on a Captor X, until I watched this.

The captor definitely needs to be used through the wall of sound plugin with vintage 30s or your cab of preference . Huge difference and worth the money

This concept has been around for a long time, but it seems like its just now making its way into pro audio. The Torpedo Captor is really 3 separate devices in one box. A passive preamp, a DI box and an audio interface. Personally, I wouldn't use a device like this unless I knew for sure it does exactly what I want, the way I want to do it. I would buy all 3 separate. The passive preamp, or volume pot, is the most important topic here because almost no one uses them in this particular application, and they should. The basic idea for using one is the difference between gain and volume (attenuation) controls. A gain control can alter/distort the signal, and a volume control can't. The reason for this, is gain controls are always placed in the beginning of a component, and volume controls are placed on the output. Also, gain in guitar amps are used to achieve the opposite results than in any other type of component. On a guitar amp, gain is used to distort the incoming signal on purpose. In every other situation, you're looking to avoid that at all costs. Using a passive volume control between the amp and preamp of your guitar system allows you to apply as much gain as you want to distort the signal, and the volume control allows you to keep that high gain setting at much lower volumes. Its an excellent solution to this problem and I'm surprised its just now getting popular for guitarists. If you want to use something like this in your setup, there's plenty of devices like this already in the market, they just haven't been advertised to guitarists. Most will come with RCA connections which are exactly the same as unbalanced 1/4 inch jacks, so its no problem if you want to use adaptors. Its the exact same thing. Passive preamps are made at all price levels, from very cheap to very expensive. Here's a link to one that sells for about $50. Its a very popular option. www.schiit.com/products/sys The DI box is where I have some issues about buying an all in one unit. Not all DI boxes are the same. Some do different things. The main use for a DI box is to convert an unbalanced (single ended) analog audio signal to balanced, or balanced to single ended. So, for example, the signal coming from a guitar or guitar preamp, is almost always unbalanced. Converting the signal to balanced is done to make it electrically compatible with the balanced input of a mixer. If you are plugging the guitar itself directly into a balanced input on a mixer, you can get a DI box that deals with the impedance differences between the 2 components. You can also use a DI box on a guitar preamp. The difference is the guitar preamp will output a standard single ended line level signal, and you don't have to worry about impedance. (That's what I mean when I say DI boxes do different things and need to be careful). Also, in the video, it was mentioned that there may be some clipping happening when the Torpedo was inserted in the system. When you convert an unbalanced signal to balanced, you end up with a 4-6 db increase in volume. The signal coming out of the DI box is louder than the signal going in. If you've ever noticed that there are 2 sets of specs on components that can operate in balanced or single ended modes, that's why. As far as the audio interface goes, I really don't know what to make of it. Chances are, if you are into recording, you already have an interface, and they come packaged with software. Tascam, Focusrite, Presonus, etc..., all make affordable audio interfaces and software that has been tested and proven for years now. I would feel more comfortable using one of those. Bands like The Who used to smash their instruments for fun. When you start in with computers, you don't want to smash things in anger.

Volume box is placed between preamp and power amp. The captor between power amp and speaker. The first one is passiv, the second one - reactive. You cannot compare them because both devices use different concepts.

I use a passive volume box on my amps - the JHS one. I tend to play high gain stuff which is more preamp based. So a passive volume control in the FX loop is really useful. It's especially useful on amps where there's no amp volume control after the FX loop.

Always super impressed with your playing. Every once in a while you go through a few licks that make me go "Oh yeah now I remember.. this guy's a professional guitar player" lol.

The best thing I ever did was save up and buy a Boss Tube Amp Expander. Pricey, but such a great piece of gear. I can enjoy my high watt amps without murdering any small animals that wonder by. Before that I has a Weber attenuator that served me very well for my 30w and below amps. I tried the volume box in the effects loop and it always came out "meh" and thin for some reason.

I always like your videos cos of your honest opinion. Many reviews tends to be more favorable to the manufacturer. Bought a Riverside because of what I watched in your channel, love it! Keep on with the good work!

Nice one Elmo ; that Torpedo will not work for everyone but thankfully it works for me very well - way more than the Suhr IR Loader I had years ago which was 3 times more money. The -20db works great for me with my Friedman Dirty Shirley mini (20w) in my flat as I can play the amp half way up without getting evicted, but I imagine it wont be enough for many others out there with 50w/100w tube amps. The analogue guitar DI is not bad for cleaner stuff, but turning it off and using the included software (Helix VST for me) to add IRs is the way forward. I have tried the the volume pot in the loop and it didnt work for me as it made everything sound shrill and hollow alas. It all comes down to this - use it if it works for you! :)

I think this is one of the cases where what works best for you works best for you.

I have both the JHS little black amp box and the Torpedo Captor (16 ohm). Bought the little black amp box about 6 months ago and stuck it in the effects loop of my Marshall DSl20cr. It made a huge difference to my ability to play at home without bothering the neighbours, but it is true that as it's in the effects loop, the power tubes weren't being pushed when I turned it down significantly. My amp sounded much better than having the volume on 1, but not as good as it could. I bought the Torpedo Captor last week and it makes a noticeable difference as an actual attenuator, particularly when it comes to edge of breakup. Turning the gain and volume up full on the green channel I get an excellent crunch tone that I couldn't get with the JHS pedal. For silent recording, it is true that the built-in guitar cabinet simulator is terrible (as can be heard in this video), but I can confirm that when using the wall of sound software it is excellent - you get a range of different cabs and microphones and can mess around with mic placement just like you were in an actual recording studio. I think if I just wanted something to allow me to play at lower volumes at home, the cheaper volume pot (even the JHS one was a little pricey at €90) would do the job, but for silent recording the Torpedo Captor is a great option. The Captor X would be a better option for live performances as it has more built-in cabinets and more options in general, but it's also twice the price of the regular Captor. Thanks for the video, Elmo! You're one of the few guitar gear KZfaqrs whose opinion I trust!

Good demo! Short and to the point-the kind I like! Based purely on the sound from this video I liked the volume pot best, which surprised me. I’ve got the JHS version and it does the job, but with my Marshall DSL40, at bedroom levels I get just as good a tone by turning the master volume down low. The thing I enjoyed most about this video was the awesome playing!!! Nice job!

The pedal to cut volume is great for amps that start out way too loud at 1/10 as well. Can help you get a bit more sweep in the knob before it is too loud for the room you are playing it. Of course you cant rely on this with any tone you want that relies on power amp tube breakup. You will need some sort of reactive load box that sits between your cranked amp and speakers. From what it seems to me modern metal music relies on preamp distortion for the most part and you want the power section clean so it wont get muddy. I assume somebody can use a EQ pedal to do the same thing? just cut everything -9 to -20 db? I own a few amps that even at their low power setting I can barely nudge the master volume before it gets a bit too loud. This might be handy for such cases.

Thanx for the review. I was considering getting one. I have been using Bugera PS-1 Power Soak for over 4 years with acceptable results. It's a faithful reproduction of the Mike Soldano Jet City JS-1. You et a minor loss of highs that pushing up the amps treble a notch cures. It has served me well. Any change in tone or response is from the speaker that having less input the cone does not push in and out as hard. At $100.00 USD it is a no brainer solution if you are running a Plexi at high levels. I digress. My point is unless your main gig is home recording then it is ideal.

Always enjoy your reviews Elmo!!! Thanks man! 😎🎸🎶✌🏻

Everything you said in this review was my experience exactly. I use the Captur now for the -20 DB between an amp in a cabinet. It does a really good job of that but the rest is not so good.

AHH kiitos! Olen viimeaikoina pohdiskellut load-boxin hankkimista.

Aaaah! Ignorance is bliss. Beginner guitarists like myself can use existing volume controls and have no need of extraneous potentiometers or impedance matching devices to lower the output to the speakers. At my rate of learning, I doubt I ever will. Thanks for the video.

I find my sv20h is lacking using a volume pedal in the loop. It’s an amp that really benefits from pushing the power section. Getting the volume quiet enough leaves the sound lacking especially when setting the amp for full on crunch. It’s probably fine for setting the amp cleanish. I have the two notes captor and use it with the mooer radar. The built in emulation I’m not fond of. The wall of sound software works great for recording. I do use a volume pedal in the loop of my ampeg reverberocket(reissue). It works great for that amp as it’s less dependent on pushing the power section for its tone.

I use a tube screamer to do the same, I used to use a bad monkey, it works just as well

It’s probably best to have both. Guillaume from Twonotes makes some pretty cool stuff! All the cabs!!!!!

Very cool. The little box is just a volume knob for the power amp I do believe. Anyway. Cool idea for a video. I'm going to have to re watch your videos on clean boosts or overdrives. I'm using a 60 watt / 20nwatt 1 x 12 reverend kingsnake tube amp and I want to play with the clean channel on just break up and kick in lead channel with an overdrive pedal and use a clean boost for leads. Thanks sir and hope all is well there in the north! 🤘♥️🤘

The price of the JHS little black amp has gone up 50%. I have one too. My second is the volume box from SOMO pedals.

Hi..E, a little over my head, but I like the way you gave people options and explain their options to them by the end of the video, also think it's funny the way you have music then applause on the screen, don't worry I won't smack you..ha.. bye'eeee..

If the volume pot thing is just in the fx loop, and the fx loop is typically between the preamp and power amp then how does it differ from a master volume? I think that using one of these will reduce the level of the signal reaching the output valves and so affect the output valve distortion/overdrive, so it probably depends on how much that is part of your sound. I preferred the sound with the attenuator (though not the DI - agree that probably needs a better speaker sim) but each to their own. The volume pot gadget costs about 15 euros in parts (with metal box) and is almost trivial to make btw.

I don't have special tone pot (?) for sound attenuation I use boss equaliser in the loop

Hello Elmo my friend, How do you find these great ideas for your videos 🤔? I congratulate you for all this quality work 👍 The best YT channel and it is Finnish😍

WOW THANK YOU SIR!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting comparison... and very surprising results ! I understand the Captor is useless for you. However, I am really surprised by the poor sound you got while testing it. It simply doesn't match with what I heared while testing it (briefly to be honest) and with the overall opinion about this load box. 🤔... Calm down, I am not saying you're a liar 😅 LOL ! Thank you very much for this video Elmo 🙂👍

Elmo, I must congratulate you on this video demonstration... This is one demo that had to be done to answer the masses of those 'Tone' chasers, at volume levels that won`t make your ears bleed and at levels in your bedroom for Home Recordings... I personally have had this issue for Recording and for Live applications over the years and have tried Powered, Passive, In Line and even adding an attenuator internally in my Amp to get that desired 'Tone'... (Should do a video on that...) I honestly have found that all forms of attenuation affect the Natural sound of the amp, they can Choke or even make the tone 'Nassel' sounding... (Sometimes like a screeching Cat...) Either way, I think the answer is: Marshall SV20H, Marshall 1987 and the mother of all tone a Marshall 1959 SLP... The right amp for the right application...

Useful video as ever Elmo - quick question: was the mic’ed volume you used the same between the volume pot option and the attenuator option? I have a volume pot, but always wondered difference in tone there would be from driving the power amp side as well as pre amp, as opposed to just the pre amp. So thanks for this 😊

cool review, these are getting cheaper man...I toyed with trying to tame my amp due to neighbour BS, but decided to use a DSM H Simplifier until I have made a sound proof booth for cranking it up in. They all crush the tube amps magic ... enough to try a different approach anyway, but there are no rules to music so if you like 'em then rock 'em \m/

As always your playing is awesome! I was curious about one thing: if you use delays and reverbs in the fx loop, the volume box should go before or after them? And does it affects the effects quality? Thanks a lot!

Oops,I guess that music/applause is my closed caption, ha.. I'm so smart.. now you can smack me.. bye'eeee..

I'm surprised you got such poor results with the direct sound out of the Captor, did you experiment with the Wall of Sound software? I have heard that the attenuator for the captors isn't so great (vs something like the Tone King Iron Man, Ox Box, etc etc, for much more $ as you said)...

Interesting video Elmo. What make or brand is the cheaper box?

These are not really comparable in my opinion. A reactive load box is meant to be after the power section, so you can have the tubes working at a reasonable level while not sending the same power to the amp. You can get away with a passive load box if you connect a real cab (which is the reactive part... Magnets). If you go to an IR a passive would sound way worse. But this is a reasonable comparison. A volume box attenuates before the power section which is pretty much what a master volume does. So no power section sag. I use both... I have a passive attenuator on the way to the cab, and a volume pedal in the loop since my master volume is crappy. Different gadgets...

Yo elmo oletko koittanut niitä halpoja Harley Bentonin tai Bugeran Attenuaattoreita, jotka männöö vahvistimen ja kaapin väliin? Video olis varmaan hyvä!

I love my THD Hot Plates; 2 ohm, 4 ohm, 8 ohm & 16 ohm. That was terrible Elmo. Not you, Buddy. The shrill nasty (not in a good way) sounds.

A little boy its better for me. Full sound like from cab

👍🏻👍🏻

First or something, I dunno.

Try Captor X, much better product.

it really did not sound too good. yikes!