Two Notes Reload - Manual (Page 12)

Recommendation on the proper use of a loadbox with a tube amplifier
2 Which output volume for my amplifier?
The correct use of your amplifier with a loadbox requires some precautions. Because of the silence
while playing, it is much easier to accidentally run your amplifier beyond the reasonable limits set by
the manufacturer than when using a real speaker cabinet with it. This can lead to faster tube wear
and, in some cases, to more serious inconveniences.
When first testing the amplifier at high volume, monitor the color of the
tubes and the general state of the amplifier. Red-glowing tubes or any
appearance of smoke are signs of a problem that may result in partial
or complete destruction of the amplifier.
Keep in mind that the "sweet spot" - the perfect running point of the amplifier, the one that will
give you the tone you’re looking for - is rarely obtained at maximum volume. In addition, the volume
control of the amplifier is usually logarithmic, which means the volume goes up quickly on the first
half of the potentiometer rotation, reaches its maximum at 12 o’clock, and doesn’t change much
beyond this point. Therefore, you can reach the maximum volume of your amplifier even if the volume
potentiometer is not set at maximum.
By reaching the maximum output power of your amplifier, you will hear a lot of distortion, which
may not sound as well as you may hope. In fact, most amplifiers sound rather poorly at maximum
volume. Always keep in mind that your amplifier may not have been conceived to be used at
maximum volume for a long period of time. Running an amplifier at high volume will cause premature
wear of the tubes and possible malfunctions or damages at the output stage.
The fact that the volume control of your amplifier is not set at maxi-
mum doesn’t mean your amplifier is not running at maximum volume.
A good habit is to keep the usual volume setup you would use in re-
hearsal or on stage, rather than just following what the volume poten-
tiometer indicates.
3 Is the use of a loadbox totally silent?
We usually talk about "silent recording" when a loadbox is involved. If we compare the loadbox
solution to a traditional cabinet miking solution, it is obviously several orders of magnitude quieter,
but you will still experience some minor sounds, noises, that have to be taken into account:
• Your guitar or bass strings can be heard. This is obvious, but it can be disturbing, depending on
your environment.
• You may hear some noise coming out of your Torpedo Reload when playing, like there is a tiny
speaker inside the box. This is perfectly normal and there is no reason to worry. The sound is
produced when power goes through the coil of the reactive load embedded on the Torpedo
Reload. The vibration is related to what power comes out of the amplifier connected to the
Torpedo Reload and to the signal’s frequency content (notes played are heard). Your amplifier
may also produce similar noise, at the output transformer’s level. Such noise is usually not heard,
simply because it is normally overcome by the sound coming from the loudspeaker.
• The Torpedo Reload embeds a fan, as there is quite a lot of power dissipated into heat inside the
box. We selected a so called "silent fan", but as it is running fast, it is never entirely silent. This said,
you can consider that, in normal use (hearing your guitar through monitors, or headphones), you
can barely hear that fan.
12 Two Notes Audio Engineering Torpedo Reload