Hey all, I’ve been happily using a Torpedo Captor (4 Ohm) since August of last year. I mainly got it because I wanted to capture the sound of my amp (which I love) when recording directly into my computer DAW. I figured the attenuation feature would be a welcome bonus. I’ve had the amp (a Fender “Custom” Vibrolux Reverb) since around 2000 and it has served me well over the years. Unfortunately, this particular model has a well-known reputation for being noisy (mainly hiss) and mine was not spared from this affliction. Over the years I just learned to live with it. I actually figured the Captor might help with the noise a little because I would be able raise the volume control a little bit, which would somehow give me a better signal to noise ratio. It at least sounded possible.
Anyway, the Captor has been plugged into the amp ever since I got it, but yesterday I had occasion to unplug it and plug my speakers (it has two 10-inchers) directly into the amp for the first time in months. Oh my god, I couldn’t believe the noise. So much hiss! More than I even remembered. I kept asking myself how I put up with the noise for so long. Playing around with the amp last night I discovered that the hiss wasn’t just reduced by the Captor — it is essentially GONE. I can crank the amp way up and it’s just not there anymore. A little hum remains, but it’s a minor issue. Now, to be clear, this only happens when I’m using the attenuation output. Does the amp sound as good as before? Yes, to me it totally does, just without the annoying noise. I was amazed.
So, my question is, what is going on here? Is the signal getting filtered in some way? Is there some other cool electronic mojo happening? Are the Two Notes engineers aware of this possibly unintended benefit? All I know is that it is working brilliantly and it has totally made me love and appreciate this amp even more. It’s also saved me money, because I’ve contemplated replacing the amp numerous times over the years. Now I see no need. Thanks all.
Anyway, the Captor has been plugged into the amp ever since I got it, but yesterday I had occasion to unplug it and plug my speakers (it has two 10-inchers) directly into the amp for the first time in months. Oh my god, I couldn’t believe the noise. So much hiss! More than I even remembered. I kept asking myself how I put up with the noise for so long. Playing around with the amp last night I discovered that the hiss wasn’t just reduced by the Captor — it is essentially GONE. I can crank the amp way up and it’s just not there anymore. A little hum remains, but it’s a minor issue. Now, to be clear, this only happens when I’m using the attenuation output. Does the amp sound as good as before? Yes, to me it totally does, just without the annoying noise. I was amazed.
So, my question is, what is going on here? Is the signal getting filtered in some way? Is there some other cool electronic mojo happening? Are the Two Notes engineers aware of this possibly unintended benefit? All I know is that it is working brilliantly and it has totally made me love and appreciate this amp even more. It’s also saved me money, because I’ve contemplated replacing the amp numerous times over the years. Now I see no need. Thanks all.
