Comparing 5 reactive loads

[GuitarJon]

I made a comparison video of 5 reactive loads, the Fractal Audio LB-2, Two Notes Captor X, St. Rock React:IR II, Driftwood Reactive Load and the RedSeven Amp Central.

I chose two different amps and the results are very interesting! What do you guys make of this?

 

[Allexi]

Well, I liked the x-load a lot in the demos. Chunky and prominent. Red seven and react-ir are good too and I see I could use them too. The other two (two notes and driftwood) however are no go for me 100%, too flat and dark. And I'm using Suhr reactive ir load, because I could buy it in a store here in SoCal.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Yeah Driftwood and Captor X sound flat and dark. Captor X sucks, I've owned it twice. Suhr RL (non-IR) was the best I've personally owned.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Nice. Driftwood sounds just like my experience of it - awful. I sent it back within a day, was really disappointed after having high hopes.

React IR, Fractal, Red7 all solid. Kind of liked Fractal and React IR most here but they'd all work I think. Captor doesn't sound great, Driftwood is just bad/wrong. Would have been cool to include a couple of cab loads into the comparison too as some kind of a real world benchmark for how these amps typically sound under real loads.

I continue to use a Suhr and St Rock mostly, as well as a Fryette which can be useful for other tasks (the load isn’t my favourite). Cab load is the best though, I haven't come across a load box that quite nails it (although several get very close).

 

[OrganicZed]

It has been well documented that the TwoNotes reactive load units exhibit impedance curves that are not at all similar to that of a typical guitar cabinet. Good results can still be had when using their reactive load, but it won't be very close to the sound of an amp into a traditional guitar cab.

 

[paisleywookiee]

It has been well documented that the TwoNotes reactive load units exhibit impedance curves that are not at all similar to that of a typical guitar cabinet. Good results can still be had when using their reactive load, but it won't be very close to the sound of an amp into a traditional guitar cab.

Yeah. I just think they don't even feel or sound as good as just using a modeler, so there's no real point to it. Whereas the Suhr has that fantastic feel that still feels like you're playing a tube amp into a real cab (due to the actual impedence curve of Greenbacks in a 4x12).

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

No graphs?

 

[spawnofthesith]

Yeah. I just think they don't even feel or sound as good as just using a modeler, so there's no real point to it. Whereas the Suhr has that fantastic feel that still feels like you're playing a tube amp into a real cab (due to the actual impedence curve of Greenbacks in a 4x12).

I love my captor. I definitely prefer the sound of my captor to modelling, but my application is merely for playing through headphones if its late or for tracking ideas though. I tried going cabless at band practice once and didn't care much for the results, but in fairness I need to give it another shot since we got an XR18. Everything kinda sounded like shit through our old mixer including micing up cabs. XR18 made everything sound infinitely better right off that bat

 

[Achilles]

Driftwood sounds just like my experience of it - awful. I sent it back within a day, was really disappointed after having high hopes.

Same EXACT experience right down to it lasting only 1 day.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

Woah that Driftwood is crazy dull, the CaptorX sounds great in comparison.
I'd say any option here other than the Driftwood is acceptable.

 

[Whizzinby]

I’m looking to add a RL to my setup and it appears that all roads lead back to the Suhr.

 

[Humbug]

Wow... The Driftwood box did _not_ like the Mesa I wonder why. Anyone take one apart yet?

 

[Dave Lewis]

I’m more interested to see if Two Notes have got anything in the works to better there Torpedo Captor X box ?

 

[Orvillain]

Isn't the Two Notes stuff meant to be compensated for in their plugin????

 

[Elric]

Actually, the Driftwood was the only one I would call unacceptable... I expected the Two Notes to compare much worse than it did, TBH; since I knew the impedance curve on it is significantly different from a real cab... but that clip sounded like something you could account for when dialing the amp and IR selection. If Jon did a clip with that box and just dialed everything by ear, I guarantee folks here would not be complaining bout the load box he used.

It'd be cool if Cliff would build a new load box that had a programmable impedance curve like the Axe has.

 

[Humbug]

Actually, the Driftwood was the only one I would call unacceptable... I expected the Two Notes to compare much worse than it did, TBH; since I knew the impedance curve on it is significantly different from a real cab... but that clip sounded like something you could account for when dialing the amp and IR selection. If Jon did a clip with that box and just dialed everything by ear, I guarantee folks here would not be complaining bout the load box he used.

It'd be cool if Cliff would build a new load box that had a programmable impedance curve like the Axe has.

Here's the thing: The Captor sounds fine. So does the Ox and, presumably, the other one-inductor hammock curve load boxes.

The hammock impedance curve is probably the easiest and most cost effective way to make sure your load sounds good with any IR - the amp produces some highs and lows, and a bit less of the mids, and you do the rest with EQ/IRs/etc. The dynamics, especially in the low end, are not great though. Perfectly replicating the impedance curve of an actual cab gives, of course, a much more convincing result but it also means the load is not going to work well with all IRs. And when your business model is selling (Dyn) IRs - well, you want the load to work with all of them.

I think React:IR (possibly others as well, I haven't really paid attention :lol:) are doing it right. A two inductor circuit, voiced to work as a generic "base" and digital EQ to compensate for what's missing. You get some low end dynamics, and you can adjust the response to work well with a wider range of IRs.

Anyone have a Driftwood box I can take apart? I'm curious to know what's going on there :lol:

 

[hehasthejazzhands]

I was about to give the Captor a pass but, I was thinking of the OG Captor which is like $250 while the Captor X is $600... woof

ALSO I didn't realize the Suhr Reactive Load was only $350, and the Fractal is even cheaper at $300. Yeah Two Notes has no excuse.

Not even mentioning the Driftwood. Probably the most expensive standalone reactive load of the bunch at $500+ with THAT kind of performance? Fuck off lol

 

[DrewJD82]

When I was deciding on a load box a few months ago it came down to the Suhr RL and the Fractal, I had the Fractal in my shopping cart and checked Reverb really quick before buying, found the Suhr for $250 and that was the deciding factor.

I was definitely surprised with the Driftwood in that vid, that was somethin'.

 

[Orvillain]

The Driftwood sounds whack. The Fractal sounds really good, so does the React.

 

[Frodebro]

I’ve got the Waza unit (I know, it’s a reamper and doesn’t fit into this category), but it was one of the best investments I’ve made on that side of things. My Stiletto Deuce Stage iI is now a bedroom amp. Before, it wasn’t even a living room amp.