Torpedo Live vs Torpedo Reload

[ToneSeeker1969]

I'm ready to take the plunge into the load box arena, and know that there are a multitude of options out there, and depending on what you're needs are factor into the decision. I originally became aware of them when hearing Pete Thorn discuss load boxes, and the Suhr Reactive Load. Since then I have been researching. I originally thought I was sold on getting the Suhr in conjunction with the Two Noted Torpedo CAB. Considering the combined cost is in the $900 range I figured I should look into another option such as the Reload, or the Live by Two Notes, because they aren't much more.

My needs.

Home recording, Load Box to DAW with Speaker Sim's.
Ability to use in small venue gig scenarios where volume could be an issue.
I would like the option to use the Load Box feature live, to crank the amp to get my tone, but be able to attenuate the volume down to a reasonable level, and I would assume be able to use the Thru of the Load Box to amplify an external cab as well, with a master volume of sorts. I could still use the DI Out to the FOH. I don't see my self actually doing any re-amping, although I can see some of the benefits. Maybe I would try it if the unit I purchase happens to come with it.

Is this possible without having to carry around a laptop, and DAW with IR's?

Thanks

 

[V2a]

I'll follow this thread closely. In addition, I'd like to know what speakers/monitors to use as part of the computer+DAW setup. Maybe an inexpensive option to start with...

For a no-computer setup, I think you need a LoadBox that also has an attenuated throughput (like the new Two Notes Captor) or a full amp (like the Reload, Fryette Power Station).

The Reload and Power Station V2 are demonstrated in this long attenuator comparison (skip to the 54-min mark for back-to-back demos

 

[155]

Personally I love the LIVE does everything you could want and the sounds you can get beat most anything out there, best part it takes 1 second to make it sound good and its great for gigs...if anything Id get the studio version if you dont gig and be done with it...

 

[JerEvil]

Personally I love the LIVE does everything you could want and the sounds you can get beat most anything out there, best part it takes 1 second to make it sound good and its great for gigs...if anything Id get the studio version if you dont gig and be done with it...

Yeah I have and LOVE the Studio. I had the live but am not gigging with amps anymore. For my home studio I wanted the additional feature set of the Studio, but IMHO, the Two-Notes stuff just can't be beat.

 

[ToneSeeker1969]

Personally I love the LIVE does everything you could want and the sounds you can get beat most anything out there, best part it takes 1 second to make it sound good and its great for gigs...if anything Id get the studio version if you dont gig and be done with it...

Yeah I have and LOVE the Studio. I had the live but am not gigging with amps anymore. For my home studio I wanted the additional feature set of the Studio, but IMHO, the Two-Notes stuff just can't be beat.

You both say the Live is great in the studio, and if you're gigging, but can it also drive a small cab on stage like the reload? Is the Reload even suited for occasional live use? That's what I'm trying to factor into my decision.

 

[JerEvil]

You can use the Reload live just as you can any attenuator. You will still either have to mic your cab or use a laptop with Wall Of Sound loaded. The latter would also require a way to get audio to the FOH. You can use the Live or Studio with your cab but it will not attenuate the volume if that's what you are looking for. The Live and Reload would be more of a pass-through if you had you cab connected. You could still run the units direct to FOH as well but again, no attentiation.

 

[ToneSeeker1969]

You can use the Reload live just as you can any attenuator. You will still either have to mic your cab or use a laptop with Wall Of Sound loaded. The latter would also require a way to get audio to the FOH. You can use the Live or Studio with your cab but it will not attenuate the volume if that's what you are looking for. The Live and Reload would be more of a pass-through if you had you cab connected. You could still run the units direct to FOH as well but again, no attentiation.

Yeah, definitely not interested in dragging a laptop to gigs. I just thought that it would be nice to have one, all in one solution. One that would allow me to do all the studio loadbox functionality into my DAW, giving me access to all threat wall of sound cabs and mics, BUT also allow me to use it solely to act as an attenuator between my head and cab, so I can crank the amp up to where it sounds best, and use the attenuator to adjust the volume coming out of the stage cab. Which, of any of these models will give me that flexibility?

 

[ToneSeeker1969]

If I got the Reload, and put a mic on the cab I would be fine. But your saying without the Laptop and Wall of Sound I would have no speaker simulation.... Is this the case? I was again under the assumption that all of the Two Notes product stored a predetermined number of IR's in the unit?

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

You can use the Reload live just as you can any attenuator. You will still either have to mic your cab or use a laptop with Wall Of Sound loaded. The latter would also require a way to get audio to the FOH. You can use the Live or Studio with your cab but it will not attenuate the volume if that's what you are looking for. The Live and Reload would be more of a pass-through if you had you cab connected. You could still run the units direct to FOH as well but again, no attentiation.

Yeah, definitely not interested in dragging a laptop to gigs. I just thought that it would be nice to have one, all in one solution. One that would allow me to do all the studio loadbox functionality into my DAW, giving me access to all threat wall of sound cabs and mics, BUT also allow me to use it solely to act as an attenuator between my head and cab, so I can crank the amp up to where it sounds best, and use the attenuator to adjust the volume coming out of the stage cab. Which, of any of these models will give me that flexibility?

The Reload sounds like what you are after... but you need to bring a laptop for cab IR models.

If I got the Reload, and put a mic on the cab I would be fine. But your saying without the Laptop and Wall of Sound I would have no speaker simulation.... Is this the case? I was again under the assumption that all of the Two Notes product stored a predetermined number of IR's in the unit?

Exactly. The Reload is the only unit with a built-in attenuator (which is a huge plus for me).
Only the Live and Studio can store IR cab models, mic models, and positions etc. You will need your laptop running ProTools/Reaper/Logic with the WOSIII plug-in to get the same features of the Live/Studio with the Reload.

 

[V2a]

the C.A.B. also stores IRs, etc.

 

[BaRTY]

Torpedo Live is right for you.
Reload is an attenuator (loadbox) and reamper.

 

[guitarobert]

For everything you are talking about doing consider a Fryette Power Station along with an analog cab sim such as the Aiken Gold Brick.

For home DAW recording use the PS as the load, and its line out into the DAW. Do the IRs in a plugin inside the DAW.

For attenuation, the PS handles this. For live gigs, you could add an analog cab sim such as the Gold Brick. Still run the signal through the cab and get both the ability to attenuate and get a cab sim DI out.

This is a different angle that takes advantage of the attenuation the PS can do for the signal going to a cab. The load on the PS is also better compared to a real cab. Turn the edge/warm switches on when using it as a load.

 

[ToneSeeker1969]

Is the two notes studio the only one that allows you to use two mics and cabs in the wall of sound plug-in simultaneously?

 

[JerEvil]

Is the two notes studio the only one that allows you to use two mics and cabs in the wall of sound plug-in simultaneously?

Nope. They all do if you use wall of sound. With the Live though, you have to set up your output to send an unmixed dry signal and use Wall Of Sound instead of Torpedo Remote. Sounds more complicated than it really is. Super easy to do.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

The problem with the live, is that really, you only have one slot at a time for live use. Now this likely is not that big of a deal seeing as you can get IR's from ownhammer that have a few mic's mixed already and sound great out of the box. If you are super picky, you might have to make your own combined IR for use with your live. Given your needs, I would go Reload. That box can serve as an attenuator as well and right away, puts it to the front of the line compared to the Live that has no attenuation. I chose the Reload for this reason as well because I also want to hear and record my real amps.

So what can you do for live options? The C.A.B is sweet but expensive if you have already dropped cash on a reload. You can get cheaper hardware IR loaders like the pangea box or this little guy http://www.logidy.com/ which I think can combine a room mic and close mic for a more lively sound. I think it is around 200$. In the end you will want attenuation and the reload can do it. Even live, you could load the amp down or attenuate it and mic it. If 100% load, run the line out to one of these stand alone IR loaders and done. The live is the more expensive unit anyway so just spend the extra on the logidy epsi.

 

[JerEvil]

The problem with the live, is that really, you only have one slot at a time for live use. Now this likely is not that big of a deal seeing as you can get IR's from ownhammer that have a few mic's mixed already and sound great out of the box. If you are super picky, you might have to make your own combined IR for use with your live. Given your needs, I would go Reload. That box can serve as an attenuator as well and right away, puts it to the front of the line compared to the Live that has no attenuation. I chose the Reload for this reason as well because I also want to hear and record my real amps.

So what can you do for live options? The C.A.B is sweet but expensive if you have already dropped cash on a reload. You can get cheaper hardware IR loaders like the pangea box or this little guy http://www.logidy.com/ which I think can combine a room mic and close mic for a more lively sound. I think it is around 200$. In the end you will want attenuation and the reload can do it. Even live, you could load the amp down or attenuate it and mic it. If 100% load, run the line out to one of these stand alone IR loaders and done. The live is the more expensive unit anyway so just spend the extra on the logidy epsi.

Yeah man honestly, for live purposes I'd rather use the Reload and still mic my cab. When I'm recording at home, I just do not have the ability to get my amps up loud enough and have no interest in messing with getting mic positions. I have very limited time to record so I love the plug-and-play aspect of the Studio. I think the Reload will be a great tool for you.

 

[born_hard]

I'll follow this thread closely. In addition, I'd like to know what speakers/monitors to use as part of the computer+DAW setup. Maybe an inexpensive option to start with...

For a no-computer setup, I think you need a LoadBox that also has an attenuated throughput (like the new Two Notes Captor) or a full amp (like the Reload, Fryette Power Station).

The Reload and Power Station V2 are demonstrated in this long attenuator comparison (skip to the 54-min mark for back-to-back demos

You clearly can hear that the Reload is somehow thin and soft in attack. I had a reload and have a Suhr Reactive Load. The difference is noticeable, the Suhr is great. In the video above I liked the Power Station and the Koch Box. Its all about sound/coloration/feel for me. The features, price and handling is not important to me.
What exactly do you need? An attenuator , a dummy load or both in 1 unit? For live or studio? Or both?

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I'll follow this thread closely. In addition, I'd like to know what speakers/monitors to use as part of the computer+DAW setup. Maybe an inexpensive option to start with...

For a no-computer setup, I think you need a LoadBox that also has an attenuated throughput (like the new Two Notes Captor) or a full amp (like the Reload, Fryette Power Station).

The Reload and Power Station V2 are demonstrated in this long attenuator comparison (skip to the 54-min mark for back-to-back demos

You clearly can hear that the Reload is somehow thin and soft in attack. I had a reload and have a Suhr Reactive Load. The difference is noticeable, the Suhr is great. In the video above I liked the Power Station and the Koch Box. Its all about sound/coloration/feel for me. The features, price and handling is not important to me.
What exactly do you need? An attenuator , a dummy load or both in 1 unit? For live or studio? Or both?

The way I figure it, the Reload as an attenuator can't be any worse than my Hotplate so if that is the standard, I am good to go. I wouldn't say i hear the "softness" in the attack but I think the edge would have gone to the Fryette in that clip too. Also, the reamp features are useful if you want to go balls to the walls when nobody is home and had a small window to do so. As long as you pre-recorded a strong DI performance, you are good to go.

 

[ToneSeeker1969]

I'll follow this thread closely. In addition, I'd like to know what speakers/monitors to use as part of the computer+DAW setup. Maybe an inexpensive option to start with...

For a no-computer setup, I think you need a LoadBox that also has an attenuated throughput (like the new Two Notes Captor) or a full amp (like the Reload, Fryette Power Station).

The Reload and Power Station V2 are demonstrated in this long attenuator comparison (skip to the 54-min mark for back-to-back demos

You clearly can hear that the Reload is somehow thin and soft in attack. I had a reload and have a Suhr Reactive Load. The difference is noticeable, the Suhr is great. In the video above I liked the Power Station and the Koch Box. Its all about sound/coloration/feel for me. The features, price and handling is not important to me.
What exactly do you need? An attenuator , a dummy load or both in 1 unit? For live or studio? Or both?

The way I figure it, the Reload as an attenuator can't be any worse than my Hotplate so if that is the standard, I am good to go. I wouldn't say i hear the "softness" in the attack but I think the edge would have gone to the Fryette in that clip too. Also, the reamp features are useful if you want to go balls to the walls when nobody is home and had a small window to do so. As long as you pre-recorded a strong DI performance, you are good to go.

I have to be honest...maybe it's his amp, but they all sound crappy to me. The Fryette has some really cool features, I'm just a bit gun shy to stray from the Suhr or Two Notes.

I think that maybe sticking with my original option is the way to go. Using the Suhr Reactive Load as my load box and attenuator, and the Two Notes CAB for my speaker sim in live situations. I would most likely continue to mic my cab anyway, but options are nice. I would probably find one cab, and mic setting I liked, and use it for everything in a gig scenario. Any Two Notes product I purchase will give me access to the Wall of Sound software anyway, and I believe I can store any combination I come up with in the CAB. I just know it would be a super portable solution.

Who knows, maybe I would consider plugging my pedal board directly into a setup similar to this in real small gig scenarios. I'm not planning on getting fancy changing patches between songs. In the studio is a different matter. For songwriting purposes it would be beneficial to have access to many cabs, mics, and power amp (tube) options. Last question, does the Wall of Sound allow me to choose the cab, mic, and power amp combination and store it to the CAB? or is that why you need to go with the Live?

 

[born_hard]

I'll follow this thread closely. In addition, I'd like to know what speakers/monitors to use as part of the computer+DAW setup. Maybe an inexpensive option to start with...

For a no-computer setup, I think you need a LoadBox that also has an attenuated throughput (like the new Two Notes Captor) or a full amp (like the Reload, Fryette Power Station).

The Reload and Power Station V2 are demonstrated in this long attenuator comparison (skip to the 54-min mark for back-to-back demos

You clearly can hear that the Reload is somehow thin and soft in attack. I had a reload and have a Suhr Reactive Load. The difference is noticeable, the Suhr is great. In the video above I liked the Power Station and the Koch Box. Its all about sound/coloration/feel for me. The features, price and handling is not important to me.
What exactly do you need? An attenuator , a dummy load or both in 1 unit? For live or studio? Or both?

The way I figure it, the Reload as an attenuator can't be any worse than my Hotplate so if that is the standard, I am good to go. I wouldn't say i hear the "softness" in the attack but I think the edge would have gone to the Fryette in that clip too. Also, the reamp features are useful if you want to go balls to the walls when nobody is home and had a small window to do so. As long as you pre-recorded a strong DI performance, you are good to go.

I have to be honest...maybe it's his amp, but they all sound crappy to me. The Fryette has some really cool features, I'm just a bit gun shy to stray from the Suhr or Two Notes.

I think that maybe sticking with my original option is the way to go. Using the Suhr Reactive Load as my load box and attenuator, and the Two Notes CAB for my speaker sim in live situations. I would most likely continue to mic my cab anyway, but options are nice. I would probably find one cab, and mic setting I liked, and use it for everything in a gig scenario. Any Two Notes product I purchase will give me access to the Wall of Sound software anyway, and I believe I can store any combination I come up with in the CAB. I just know it would be a super portable solution.

Who knows, maybe I would consider plugging my pedal board directly into a setup similar to this in real small gig scenarios. I'm not planning on getting fancy changing patches between songs. In the studio is a different matter. For songwriting purposes it would be beneficial to have access to many cabs, mics, and power amp (tube) options. Last question, does the Wall of Sound allow me to choose the cab, mic, and power amp combination and store it to the CAB? or is that why you need to go with the Live?

The Suhr is not an attenuator but a load box. So be aware that you won't attenuate your amp with that box. The Suhr Box +CAB is the same as the Live. So both are a Load Box+IR Loader but no attenuation. But you still could amplify the output of the CAB or the Live and send it to a guitar cabinet. The Reload is also a Load box with a built in solid state amplifier. So technically different like a classic attenuator. The same with the Power Station but here the amplifier is 6L6tube. The reamp features are nice but that can be solved with a special DI box. And yeah the Reload is not really soft but kinda hollow. I would take the Suhr or the Power Station and an IR loader like the CAB, Pangea if you need it as separate hardware for live purposes. You can't go wrong with the Suhr or Power Station thats for sure.