I love the way you have structured your channel man. You are an amazing storyteller and I love these deep dives into gear. I can very much relate!

I dig your attitude, Mike. Don't stop what you're doing here.

I've used the OX Box on many many many of my videos here & it's awesome for silent recording (get good headphones or in-ears). However nothing will replace those glorious SPLs from your amp speakers massaging your ear drums.

You definitely and consistently provide some of the best guitar/recording videos on KZread...Looking forward to you hitting 1million subscribers!!!

Here's a fun trick with the OX: run the sound out to some studio speakers that have bluetooth. Then send your favorite song from your phone to those speakers through the bluetooth and play along with it. Your guitar sits right in the mix.

Mike your gear collection is getting pretty awesome. I have a Revv G20 with the two notes torpedo in it. It's a game changer for sure. It sounds great through headphones for silent recording and even when playing with my band at full volume there is no messing with Microphone placement or any of that. My recording always comes out sounding good.

@SF-cq6bg

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, but does this unit have a very loud fan to cool it down that comes on after either two hours of playing or fifteen mins, RANDOMLY!

I started playing electric back in 1983. I'll say Cliff Chase of Fractal Audio's modeling, surpassing so many aspects of my analog gear. Impulse response tech and reactive load boxes were in the running. Congrats on your acquisition!

@wyckofury2198

Жыл бұрын

So glad I found fractal and didn’t buy the ox.

Love your videos! Thanks for the details and the "real talk" throughout. Under the category of "don't be late to the party"....jump down the rabbit hole for the Rival Sons. You will not be disappointed. INCREDIBLE band and the guitarist, Scott Holiday, is a brilliant sonic architect!!

Thank you Mike! You're the man! I NEED THIS!

I was a guitarist in the 90's and we already had amp modeling with the SansAmp PSA1. :)

This is excellent! I had similar excitement when I first got my spark amp. so amazing what you can do with emulation but you gotta have some speakers paired up that really drive it home.

You are the second person this year that just listened to the Allman Brothers band. My nephew decided that it was life changing. It really helped him level up on piano and keyboard. Great video

@jimle22

Жыл бұрын

I am an old guy musician . Being from Florida I grew up listening to the Allman bros. There has never been a band so musically connected to each other IMHO. Younger musicians would benefit by re-visiting there music from the 70's and 80's.

This was the most pleasantly watchable and engaging video on guitar amp sims I have ever had the pleasure of watching. So relatable. Subbed ✊🏼

The pedal-amp has me amazed. I got an electro-harmonix 2 weeks ago and love it.

Long time watcher, first time commenter: I finally subscribed to your channel, Mike. Thanks for all that you do and for your good natured-story-telling! Cheers!

These have been around for a LONG time - In 1994 I bought a THD Hot Plate for my JCM800 and never looked back. I also use Logic Pro and the amp sims in that and while I can get some interesting tones there is a physical interaction between a guitar and a real tube amp that just does not happen with Logic or a Kemper. The Les Paul and the JCM 800 have a symbiotic relationship that I love.

@MobiusMinded

Жыл бұрын

Load boxes have been around a longtime. This is another thing entirely.

I was born early 80’s and used to lugg huge amps to gigs in the 90’s. And recording guitar at home was always something you had to go to a proper studio to do cause it required making a lot of noise and owning some decent mics. For me the biggest innovation is definitely the digital amp capture devices and IR’s such as the Ox and the Captor X. I wish so badly that it existed when I was 15. Sure would’ve made our early demos sound heaps better.

The combination of the info you provide and the concise delivery and your humor make these vids very rewarding. I hope some major gear co. is watching and starts inviting you over for endorsement BBQs. I haven't use an attenuator yet but this makes me wanna try it.

Good for you, sound wise, and to respect the neighbors tranquility. Personally I use digital modeling through fx return of a tube amp.

Loving your content , Love from Manchester UK

Incredible video! I love your video style a ton!

Dude. Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore East is essential listening. I know you will (if you haven’t already) just love that album. Great video. That unit seems cool, but I would probably hold on to my amp for sentimental reasons as an emotional lifeboat.😊

I have an OX box for years and I love it. That is a great purchase you made.

I have friends who come over and we play on three amps bass guitar another guitar/piano and then acoustic drums and through my years no neighbor of mine has complained 🙏🏻

my modern day "a ha moment" was discovering Impulse response. they are a game changer. coupled with a solid amp modeling software I can dial in such amazing rich tones its unbelievable. I mostly record directly into the DAW these days. I mix it down and use "access analog" when I need real analog hardware like an ssl fusion or neve. it sounds amazing and super easy to use. sorry got a little off track there. loved the video and youre a funny dude. great channel. keep on keeping on my friend and God bless

hahah ok I was digging this vid and then the Allman Bros break put it over the edge. Love it, man!

The ox changed my life! I can actually play a 100 watt Marshall at night and not piss anyone off. Killer.

@okaytastic6691

Жыл бұрын

@@medved3027 yeah you’re not joking! Thanks for the tip!

I love using my attenuator too, I have the Captor X by Two Tones, it’s got some sweet features too! The OX was a bit pricey

Thanks for this vid. I’ve wanted to know about attenuators myself so this helps.

Love your vids. I’m kind of going in the reverse direction…tried many emulations over the years and watched as they got better and better. Recently tried a Benson Monarch and my creative life changed forever. Even at whisper levels it just sounds so full, and 3D. Hard to describe, but I’m ditching pedals altogether and going direct! It’s great that we’re living in an age where both paths are viable. Keep up the great work!

@JunkBondTrader

Жыл бұрын

very nice amp! For a cheaper option of what you describe, full sound at low levels, is a modeller, with 15 models, and bass and acoustic modelling too. The Yamaha THR30ii. About $650 brand new for the premier model. The sound isn't going to be next level at that price, like your Monarch for sure... But for its price it sounds very nice, sounds very analogue, and does an excellent job at recording either DI (it acts as a interface) or mic'd up without having to blast it. Sounds great, quiet, for its price of course. Gonna try test out a Monarch though if I can find one to test. Grats on your discovery!.

Just saw the thumbnail, and I’m like yaaassss! I want one, but oof! So pricey. Love digital amp model’s, and it does make it easy, kinda… I get to the point where I get more exhausted dialing in something with so many options. I want to get back into just real amps, and simplified to record straight to daw. Also, Cant believe I wasn’t subscribed, been watching your vids for a while now, and always cool. Subscribed my good friend, love the vids, and how you talk n nerd out. Good stuff.

Great presentation! I’ve been using the OX on average a few times a week for home recording since 2019. It’s everything you say it is. Not perfect, and I do miss miking real cabs at full volume in a studio, but for home use it’s been stellar and a life changer because I don’t want to abandon tube amps or get myself evicted from my overpriced apartment.

Attenuators are a life changing experience. Suddenly you can play and record with the amp where it needs to be but at a human volume (even silent!). I love it and it changed my recording experience for the better!

@a.a486

Жыл бұрын

i had my first attenuator - 94 .. so i think you are little bit late with that life changing thing :DD

@sergioserramusic

Жыл бұрын

@@a.a486 i was ahah

I mean, there's also pedals with amp and cab emulation, and those will save you even more money... take for example walrus audio acs1 or the UA Dreams. The portability makes it crazy useful for live settings.

This thing looks great. I have a Two Notes Torpedo Studio which unfortunately they don't make anymore. The Ox looks like it could be a really good alternative. Love that AC15 clean tone!

I think cab emulation is such a handy tool. I play all of my amps at home with a cab sim without a real cab since I never could experience the thing that loud anyways. It‘s just so easy to use and actually sounds very very good.

Yep, I'm down to 5 pedals, small tube head and the OX for studio and live. I play at church and we always do 5 songs, so I just setup my delays using the Rig selector for each song. It's so nice to have the repeatable tone anywhere I go and honestly, the OX sounds better than my nice cab mic'd up with my U47 and M160, plus I don't have to wear headphones when recording! Best purchase for any electric guitartist. I tried the UA Dream Pedal, but it doesn't have anywhere near the feel of the OX and a real tube amp.

Thanks for a great UA OX demo! (And just when I thought I finally had overcome severe G.A.S.)

Thank you. More please.

Excellent video. I don't know much about the Au OX but I own the Two Notes Torpedo Cab M+ and it's excellent. You can store 99 custom IRs that you can create from their software. Many different cabs available. Preamp EQ shaping, Mic placement, Tube Power Amp sim for those running just a pedalboard, reverb, etc..

For me, it was the BOSS Katana. It was a complete game changer.

Another option (which I use) and which is about 1/2 the price of the OX box, is the Two Notes Captor X. I also live in an apartment and always play using headphones. I love being able to get a killer tone even at 3:00 AM, and no one else will hear anything - so no more complaints and threats of eviction from the rental office. My signal chain is: Guitar -> Pedalboard -> Vintage 1964 Deluxe Reverb amp -> Captor X -> Yamaha mixer, w/Strymon BlueSky stereo reverb pedal in the FX loop -> Headphones. I can use the mixer to play along silently to YT videos or any audio source I want. Yes, total game changer. Keep up the great (and entertaining) videos, Mike!

I used it on the EP on my channel because I was recording late at night. I'm still using it but using microphones on the cab. Lead and creative stuff is great with the OX software

I have a pair of TwoNotes Captor X' I use with my stereo Princeton rig and I haven't recorded with a mic since. Sounds great, and both boxes are still smaller than the humongous OX. I had upgraded my speakers to Celestion Gold, and I was able to purchase the same speaker for the Captors for 10 bucks. I still use the real speakers live, but I use the Captors to feed the FOH instead of mics. It's a great time to be alive for guitarists.

I got a Kemper power head and I love it. I know the effects aren't great but I don't use effects that much. Kemper allows me to have a lot of great amps in a single unit, and it sounds great at low volume. Josh approved it!

I live in a house with my own basement studio. I regularly crank my Marshall 1987x and Fender Twin Reverb as loud as they will go, good times for sure. I'm still somewhat modern in that I do sometimes use a Rivera Rockcrusher Recording, the Ox is awesome, someday I might have to get one.

Love the thought process. Getting good tone doesn't take too much these days. I am bummed that I sold my tube amps a few years back to go digital. Now I wish I still had my Top Hat King Royal amp! glorious AC30 tone, just too loud for normal use.

@999slawter

Жыл бұрын

Hey, I think you just didn't find your amp yet. I think you should fedinitely try out a few new one (and not just digital ones, for example for the price, the Harley Benton TUBE15 Celestion is ridicilusly good)

I got a Weber MiniMass for my 7-watt all-tube amp and use it with my 5-watt Fender VCR and it is fantastic. The tone I get by cranking both (at what is a bit higher than most people's max apartment volume) is always better than any overdrive pedal.

Yep got an OX .. and Yep it is used all the time with the Cab I's into my DAW ....I can crank my amp and still survive the neighbours ..

Nice guitar playing, nice stories. Subscribed. There was a thing called a Power Soak in the early 80s. Sure, there were no impulse responses for the speaker/cab emulation but, unless you’re looking for that sound where the speaker is actually breaking up you can get a reasonable facsimile of the sound of a guitar speaker with filters and a good eq. And if you’re using the Ox OTB, you can’t get that speakers breakup anyway. So that person in 1990 would indeed be gobsmacked at the amp/speaker/anything emulation we now have and would probably be fascinated by the AI stuff we’re seeing come through but apart from the software integration, the Ox would have seemed pretty familiar. Remember, PA systems hadn’t evolved to the exquisite state they are now. so a wall of Marshalls was a thing people did to be heard, not just for posing. Although there was still plenty of posing! I used to record at EMI studios in the late 80s and many guitarists wanted to use the multiple stacks we had in the orchestra room (studio B). It hasn’t seemed to occur to people that unless you were going to mic up all those speakers, most of that sound never went near tape :D. Anyway, as a 2x4 stack with at least one hundred watt valve amp driving it was considered the standard if you could afford it, high volume was an issue anywhere other than large stages or a properly treated recording room. So Tom Sholtz (yeah, that guy) invented a product called the Power Soak. Which kinda evolved into the Rockman but this post is waaay too long already.

I like how you discovered load boxes and told the story in a way people who've never heard of load boxes so they can understand.

Yeah, this stuff it really getting great. Same as digital photography. I was NEVER giving up on my Kodak slide film. Then one day digital got so good that I did. Way back when (before tube amps had master volumes) they used attenuators but I think all they did was dissipate the power to the speaker. This way you could crank your amp up enough to get the natural tube distortion without having to replace the windows in your house.

@ksharpe10

Жыл бұрын

Tom Shultz of Boston invented one of the 1st ones.

Nice video!!! I finally understood what that ox is used for ahhaha :)

Great video! I'm excited about the future of amp modeling too! What exactly is 'silent recording'?

Great video Thanks!!

Wow I love this video, i need to check this out.

Running amp/cab/ir pedal combo for church. I bring a mini pedal board and my guitar... that's it, it's awesome.

I a big fan of amp and guitar modelling. Line 6 has done a remarkable job with both of these. I have a a guitar from the Line 6 Variax line and being able to switch from a telecaster to a banjo by turning a knob was the game changer for me. Also, where were the Deadhead and Phish head attire on your '90's "we dressed like this" bit? 🤔

I swear you keep getting gear that I'm lusting after!

I've never tried one but I see them a lot. Good review man!

good video and info..all new to me..but its the future I agree..thanks Mike

Theo Katzman uses one to great effect in all his solo and Vulfpeck stuff, I always wondered what it was for!

Ox is 👌🏻👌🏻. I’ve got two of them for the stereo amp goodness.

Another good option if you just need a small clean amp would be a Reeves 12 watt 1x12 combo with power scaling. Allows you to directly turn down without changing the tone. If you like classic rock, AC/DC, Hiwatt kinda clean tones it’s a keeper.

When I got my first Line 6 POD it was mind blowing. Prior to that DI-ing was only an option if you wanted a sterile clean sound, being able to play through something that approximated an amp was revolutionary. Attenuators are amazing but amp sims changed the game imho.

Nothing like a great tube amplifier driving speakers and pushing air!!!

I clicked on the "subscribe" button when this channel had like 10-11k subscribers, and it was like a few months ago... Fastest growing KZread channel in guitar history

0:11 well i started playing in 1995 , and the big game changer is that back then the affordable guitars where crap and the amps were solid state , a tube amp of descent quality costed well over a 1000 . so there , being able to start playing with lets say a squire tele and a marchall dsl5 for 850 or so is gold

Idk about the answer to your question, other than AI modeling. But I thought about modeling recently and whether or not someone is going to create a modeler that can capture pick up tones. This would be great for not having to switch guitars or re-wire pickups to have a different tone. I'm not sure exactly how it would work but I feel like it's probably next up.

@castleanthrax1833

Жыл бұрын

That's possible, as is setting a string guage and type of plectrum too. Anything that will get someone to buy their products over the competition, whether it's actually functional and usable or if it's just a gimmick. Gimmicks sell.

@rockstarjazzcat

Жыл бұрын

The old Roland V-Guitar was first to widespread market I think.

Your old video taught me about attenuators. I had no idea and was so sad because I want to buy a hot rod deluxe. THEM SHITS IS LOUD SON!!

Entertaining, informative and interesting. Subscribed.

The low latency digital interface paired with powerful computers and cheap storage was the game changer. It opened the floodgates to let everyone record music with pro quality.

Congrats on your Ox purchase! It's an amazing piece of recording gear and I love it too. Have fun!

No, but i have used an attenuator. Everything has its place, i mostly just use my Kemper but i do prefer it through a cab moving air than just cans.

I went the other way round, got a job, worked all my life, built a house in the country and then I bought a guitar. I can play my guitars as loud as my ear plugs will allow. But that Ox attenuator looks interesting, as long as I don't have to spend too much time on the computer.

Bro glad you found it they've been out for 30 years

For me, the big technological breakthrough was 32-bit float. I just got one of the first DAC interfaces with 32-bit float and I can say that it is not a gimmick. I'm not a guitarist, just a violinist, but hoooooooooooooly shit is it a gamechanger for recording. Whether I'm playing something quiet, or loud, it captures everything without needing to add gain. And the less gain I throw at the mics, the lower the noise floor is. It changes how I'm able to use all of my passive mics, since I can put them as close or as far away as I want without fear of clipping. That alone has opened up so many possibilities. I'm basically re-learning how to use all of my mics now. Condenser mics no longer hog the spotlight. I'm getting layers of overtones I never would've captured before! (and new reflections off the walls, unfortunately). Cheap microphones sound flippin awesome now. Well, maybe not _awesome_ but they sound way different from before if I record in 32bit and compress the whole fat signal.

1990's not everyone had a computer. My first PC was like $2500 which is like $10,000 today. And the computers did not have the horsepower or the needed ports that they have now. Blue Sky - one of my favs.

Hi! Guy from the 90s here… We had digital amp modelers in 1990. Granted they weren’t on a computer, but you could easily interface them with your computer. Some amp simulators actually came onboard multi track recorders. You could plug your guitar straight into a channel and emulate a guitar amp.

In 1990, we didn't record on computers. We were using rack mount gear like the Roland GP8 or the Digitech GSP21... and we were happy. Def Leppard's Hysteria was recorded using Rockmans.

I have a Fryette Powerstation. It's just a really good attenuator, no IRs, still stupid good.

i just got one these too. Still trying figure out why I need it in addition to my Quad Cortex.

Geez yeah I don’t miss living in an apartment. I use to get visits from security and the police a lot. I was being super sensitive about the time I would have my speakers on as well. Just really was a pain. Once I moved into my house I have been cranking it up without worrying about my neighbors. Can’t hear anything outside of my house.

I've used a torpedo captor as load box and ran irs in the DAW, I can get great sounds but I normally have to layer the cabs a bit, the signal in always seems really dark though compared to the same sound also routed through a cab in the room- I've never figured out why. I would really like to try an Ox as I think it is supposed to be the gold standard for those type of devices.

I got a 100W Marshall JCM800 - I can now get that sound without the family having to leave the house and all the stuff hung on the walls coming loose and breaking. Ox is the best thing ever.

Actually you’d probably have to go back to the early 80’s or late 70’s. I remember going to a local guitar shop in the late 80’s and playing with The Rockman effects modules. They were insanely expensive but mind blowing. Then in about 1992 ish I bought a stereo guitar effects deck. It was a 1U rack mountable deck. It had MIDI so you could control it with a pedal, and it was amazing. I wish I still had it. Again, very expensive for the time. But could have easily replaced an amp with it. Then, in late 90’s I first started using my home PC to connect my guitar to. The technology has actually been around for a long time. But there’s this whole culture around amps. Especially tube amps. That somehow you’re not really playing guitar without an amp. I’m in a band with some friends and just bought an amp for practices. I basically use it as a monitor. But also started using IEM so the amp is almost pointless. I guess the only reason I keep the physical amp is that if we play a bar without much of a sound system, having an amp is pretty vital. But I routinely play into my computer or iPad. I have the IOS version of BiasFX. It basically does everything.

Yes The Allman Brothers!!! Great Video Dude! ~cheers

I think I'm that 90s guy. The options today overwhelm me while my son's starting to dial GarageBand and is bugging me for Logic. I can't even operate GB! But I'll not complain as he's also sure to eclipse me as a guitarist and he's a drummer to boot. I'll keep feeding him.

Mike - never, EVER stop. You have a gift for being innately interesting and entertaining with intelligence. Truly. Literally.

I’ve had an Ox for quite a while, and as a Marshall player, it’s been my favorite tool since I got it. Finally getting a cranked Marshall sound without ripping my face off or blowing out the windows has been so, so nice. The software of it sounds incredible IMO. And I also enjoy my digital amp sims, so not knocking them either. But I’ll never part with my Ox. Welcome to the Ox party, ha.

Hey cool video thanks for making it. How did you connect the ox box to your ac15?

How about showing how to set this ox box up and what it takes to actually use it with a tube amp.

My big discovery was using a variac on my vintage tube amp to lower the voltage to period correct levels…..or lower. I’m fortunate enough to live in the country where I can turn up however my AC 30cc2 I put a Dr z brake light on and it worked great (slight loss of bottom end at full attenuation) but it cost me a output xformer. Here in Canada a man named Gary Traynor once lived and built these tube amps that are amazing (once you throw proper speakers in them). They used to be a kinda secret cause the marshland speakers in them are utter garbage and most people assumed so was the amp. Freakin internet is debunking that! But that 1970 Traynor Bass Master set on a variac (they’re reasonably cheap on Amazon) with jumped channels is pure brown sound and it’s glorious.

Oddly enough, it was the ‘90s when I dumped my amp for a digital modeler, a Digitech GSP-21. It certainly didn’t sound as good as the options we have these days, but I never got any complaints about my tone. It was good enough for most purposes.

i moved in to an apartment and i was dying inside, i bought a milkman the amp 50 last year and that little thing brought me back to life, its got a direct output for a computer and a great headphone output so I bought some nice headphones for it. it seriously is a little piece of magic for silent recording. and it will get you there if you plug it straight in to a speaker cabinet also, thanks for all the good vids!

How different is the ox from a two notes captor? I tried my best to like the captor, but it never sounded real to me

Alternate tunings - game changer!

Hey Mike, how did you manage to run the OX with the AC15. As it’s a closed back amp. Did you have to mod it to get access to the speaker. I love my AC15 😉

“Silent recording” I laughed way too hard😂😂😂😂😂😂

You should make a video about what a digital amp even is. I’ve heard of them but I really don’t know what they do. Like, where does the sound come out of? Do you plug into your computer? Do you need studio speakers? Like, I have no idea.