Suhr Reactive Load Vs Two Notes Vs Rockcrusher

H

High Hunting

New member
Just getting into IR cabinets and I'm using my Rockcrusher line out into my Daw. I know line outs don't sound the best but do the Suhr or Two notes have a better sounding line out that would give me a better sound? Thanks
 
I seriuosly looked into all these recently and the Rock Crusher was the ticket... The Suhr Reactive Load was my least favorite based on features and price... Also and the clips I have heard of the Suhr did not do it for me... Go with the Rock Crusher is my call.
 
I have the standard Rock Crusher, but didn't know if the line out sound was better on the other units which in the end would give a better finished sound.
 
I have the rock crusher.

You need to turn up the line out about half way up. I noticed that with it down low it did not sound as good.

You may have to pad down your d.i. Before you hit the inputs of the daw as this will clip your signal.

One you run it this way you will be good.
 
Not sure how many times we have covered this in the last month but scrap the reactive load, just get a suhr ISO line out box and stick it between amp and anything that can handle a load ( used hot plate on the cheap) and take that into your cab impulse. 180$ solution.
 
If you're just getting into the ir thing, I'd give it some time experimenting more before you start buying stuff expecting a big improvement. Really finding the right ir for your amp and tastes will make a HUGE difference. Plus, I imagine there aren't many people that have actually played all three yet since the Suhr just came out and is backordered everywhere it seems. IMO it's really hard to compare clips done with these because different amps, ir's, post processing, etc will greatly affect the tone. How are you gonna know it's the load causing you to like/dislike a clip?

Don't get me wrong, reactive loads will vary in tone. I'm not sure how much of that is the actual load or the line out, though. I had an Alex attenuator with a reactive load and it sounded terrible as a load compared to my power station.

Just to add, there is a huge difference between using a resistive load vs reactive load too. Reactive is much better in terms of feel and eq response,, though, I'll say the Two Notes VB-101 had some voodoo going on with it's resistive load because it felt great, just a little hyped in the top end due to the load correction.
 
That's why I say take the load type out of the equation. Get the signal right out if the amp with the ISO line out before it even hits the attenuator. This way at least you know you are getting what actually hits a real speaker. That said, I am back to real speaker micing.
 
I have them all- Two Notes Live and Reload, Rockcrusher Recording, Suhr Reactive load, Aracom, Faustine, and some resistive ones (Komet Airbrake, Hotplate)... I have have used and tested them all extensively in my studio. I've also compared them all to loading with a real cab. In other words- I wasn't listening to the cab I was loading with, it was isolated in my live room, I was listening to the line out, into an IR in my computer, and then I'd disconnect the cab load and hook up each load box (or attenuator ) and could directly compare the sound of the loads that way to loading with the real cab (a /13 4-12" loaded with Greenbacks). I listened while playing and also recorded the results so I could listen back and really scrutinize.

I'm not going to rate them all against one another, but the most accurate sonically to loading to a real cab is the Suhr. It's basically indistinguishable from loading with a cab- the amp sounds/responds the same as with a 4-12" with greenbacks as the load. It's something you can measure as well and see on a scope. The others are really great as well, the closest sonically and measurement wise to a real cab as load is the Suhr. Yes I'm obviously a Suhr endorser but I also have great relationships with Rivera, Two Notes etc and I'm not here to blow smoke up anyone's ass- take it for what it's worth, I'm giving you the straight dope.

The Two Notes and Rock Crusher are very similar to loading with the real cab- with slight differences. I have used the TN units to great effect and I think they are terrific and great options, and the Rivera and TN Reload, with their switchable impedance, both get along great with my AC15 at 16 ohms (the AC15 only sounds good on the 16 ohm tap for some reason).... I plan on using them lots in the future and I also want to get the Fryette Power Station and give that a whirl.

The resistive loads all sound more midrangey and not as open. It's just the nature of the design... they don't have the high end rise and low resonant peak, that a cab has, or a reactive load designed to mimic a cab. Which isn't to say they suck, they just don't sound the same. You could hook up an EQ pedal and mimic some of what's changing using the resistive load, and I've done this and gotten good tones. My five minute lessons vol. 1/2 on my youtube were done this way (SL68-Hotplate-MXR EQ pedal_Matrilx power amp to reamp, into a 1-12" mic'd), I liked the tone lots.

Obviously the various units have various features and are at different price points, that will make them more or less attractive to different end users, for example the Two Notes Live also serves as an IR host, has digital out, is rack mountable, etc etc, it's a very well designed, elegant useful box. The Rivera also functions as an attenuator and has analog speaker simulation which may appeal to some dudes more than IR's... etc etc. The Suhr is the most inexpensive reactive box and is bare bones simple- it is really designed to be simple andsonically impeccable and for the recording guitarist mainly, although if you incorporate some other gear you can obviously load and reamp, etc.

So- it's not as easy as "which one's better?". It's "which one's better for YOU?"... at the price point you like, and with the feature set you need.

Incidentally, I wrote my Premier Guitar column on this subject this month, here's the link:

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/2 ... and-reamps
 
Kapo_Polenton":10ytk9o6 said:
That's why I say take the load type out of the equation. Get the signal right out if the amp with the ISO line out before it even hits the attenuator. This way at least you know you are getting what actually hits a real speaker. That said, I am back to real speaker micing.
Click to expand...

But you can't "take the load out of the equation"- just because you put the ISO line out box 1st after the head, the amp still reacts to whatever it's being loaded with, downstream, so to speak... and that affects that line out sound. Even if the line out box is right after the head's speaker out. And it makes a big difference (the load). The difference between a decent reactive load and a resistive load is quite big, your grandma could hear
it. :) ok, my grandma....

The difference in sound between different reactive loads is also there- kinda like the difference between a V30 and a greenback, it's that noticeable.

Don't take my word for it, test it for yourself- use a hotplate or some other resistive load, and your line out, and record a clip, using an IR in a plug in in your recording program for speaker sound. Then plug in a couple real cabs and each time record the same riff (still using the line out box, pre cab and IR's for speaker sim... The cab is only for loading) listen to how the tone changes, between the resistive load and the different speaker/cabs being used for load.
 
fearhk213":3b67fijn said:
If you're just getting into the ir thing, I'd give it some time experimenting more before you start buying stuff expecting a big improvement. Really finding the right ir for your amp and tastes will make a HUGE difference. Plus, I imagine there aren't many people that have actually played all three yet since the Suhr just came out and is backordered everywhere it seems. IMO it's really hard to compare clips done with these because different amps, ir's, post processing, etc will greatly affect the tone. How are you gonna know it's the load causing you to like/dislike a clip?

Don't get me wrong, reactive loads will vary in tone. I'm not sure how much of that is the actual load or the line out, though. I had an Alex attenuator with a reactive load and it sounded terrible as a load compared to my power station.

Just to add, there is a huge difference between using a resistive load vs reactive load too. Reactive is much better in terms of feel and eq response,, though, I'll say the Two Notes VB-101 had some voodoo going on with it's resistive load because it felt great, just a little hyped in the top end due to the load correction.
Click to expand...

Good post, yup I agree with all of this!
 
One last thing- a fella emailed me the other day, saying he just wasn't sold on the load/IR thing, he got the Suhr and was using some IR's and said he's a busy pro, and he just wouldn't feel comfortable yet using the tones he was getting over traditional mic techniques. I suggested he try Ownhammers, as they are just outstanding IR's, and he said he'd give that a try. Well he wrote back a few hrs later and was like, wow holy shit THAT did the trick. Long story short, if you are going this route just get Ownhammers and thank me later :) they are SO worth the measly $19.95 (I think?) he charges for each studio mix library. Great amp+great load+great IR and you will have GREAT tone. Any one thing missing and the tone won't be there.
 
Kapo_Polenton":3on1exey said:
Not sure how many times we have covered this in the last month but scrap the reactive load, just get a suhr ISO line out box and stick it between amp and anything that can handle a load ( used hot plate on the cheap) and take that into your cab impulse. 180$ solution.
Click to expand...
10$ solution and the most transparent in the world if you want to record with Irs.

cable.jpg


The 0$ solution is exactly the same with your cab.
Control the line out level with the master of your amp.
 
bmi":tbpnn6et said:
Kapo_Polenton":tbpnn6et said:
Not sure how many times we have covered this in the last month but scrap the reactive load, just get a suhr ISO line out box and stick it between amp and anything that can handle a load ( used hot plate on the cheap) and take that into your cab impulse. 180$ solution.
Click to expand...
10$ solution and the most transparent in the world.

cable.jpg
Click to expand...

Good inexpensive solution, yes. Transparent? If you are suggesting it responds just like a cab... No. Try the experiment I outlined above- I.e. Load with a cab, but don't listen to the cab, isolate it in another room... Then listen to line out signal with a speaker sim. Then replace the cab load with your load resistor.... Tell me what you hear
 
petethorn":1debli2k said:
Good inexpensive solution, yes. Transparent? If you are suggesting it responds just like a cab... No. Try the experiment I outlined above- I.e. Load with a cab, but don't listen to the cab, isolate it in another room... Then listen to line out signal with a speaker sim. Then replace the cab load with your load resistor.... Tell me what you hear
Click to expand...
I edited my post. If you have a cab, use your cab as an active load...And compare (0$ solution). ;)
Of course this is just for recording.

I mean transparent because there is nothing more transparent than this way.

You need an amp with a master volume and a parallel speaker output.
Plug your load into the first output and link the other output to your sound card then control the level with the master.
That's all.
 
petethorn":253mun1d said:
One last thing- a fella emailed me the other day, saying he just wasn't sold on the load/IR thing, he got the Suhr and was using some IR's and said he's a busy pro, and he just wouldn't feel comfortable yet using the tones he was getting over traditional mic techniques. I suggested he try Ownhammers, as they are just outstanding IR's, and he said he'd give that a try. Well he wrote back a few hrs later and was like, wow holy shit THAT did the trick. Long story short, if you are going this route just get Ownhammers and thank me later :) they are SO worth the measly $19.95 (I think?) he charges for each studio mix library. Great amp+great load+great IR and you will have GREAT tone. Any one thing missing and the tone won't be there.
Click to expand...

They are good IR's and worth the dough BUT I find you scroll through so many damn options that your brain explodes. In the end, when I A/B'd them with my boring old 57 on a legacy or cascade on a Super V, I liked my own blend and tones better than the IR's. Maybe it is sensory overload. I just keep thinking i have found "the one" and then I completely change my mind when I compare to my mics. I don't even have a good pre! I think if you want polished/smooth studio tones, ownhammer are great. However, I think I preferred the rawness of the free Redwirez greenback cab. In a mix, I think none of this pickiness matters because it will all sound good. So in short, if you have the ability to mic and open your amps up then do it. If you have less of a chance because of neighbours, wife, babies, and water pipes making noise, then use IR's. Or combine them.

One thing I would love to do is make my own impulses but i could not figure out what i was missing when I tried he two notes blendIR. Just doesn't sem to work for me. Maybe a Pete Thorn video would clear this up? We do need a tutorial on this..

Also remember to take into account the "Pete Thorn Disclaimer"..he doesn't have it listed on any of his youtube videos but he should... "Disclaimer: I can make everything/anything sound good. You may not be able to/likely will not. Proceed with caution !.." ;)
 
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