That being said, the loadbox in the Torpedo products is still an electronic circuit, and as such, there is always a possibility that they fail. If you suspect the loadbox in your Torpedo product (VB-101, Studio, Live, Reload. Captor X or Captor) is defective, here is how to test it.
Note: the Torpedo C.A.B., C.A.B. M, C.A.B. M+ and OPUS don't feature integrated loadboxes and as such, this article has no relevance to them.
This test will measure the DC resistance of the loadbox. This value won't tell the whole story because the loadbox is reactive, but can still show potential issues. An ohmmeter is required for this test. If you don't have an ohmmeter, proceed to the next test.
First, plug a jack cable in the Speaker Input of the Torpedo product. Unplug every other cable from the unit (except the power cord, if applicable) and power on the unit (if applicable).
Using an ohmmeter, measure the DC resistance between the tip and sleeve of the cable. Check the measured value corresponds to those noted in the following list (please note that small variations up to 10% are normal):
This test will let you compare the sound coming out of your amplifier in two separate scenarios:
Note: This test is not applicable for the Torpedo Reload.
First, connect your amplifier to the Speaker Input of the Torpedo device. Connect a speaker cabinet to the Thru output of the Torpedo. This way the amplifier is directly connected to the speaker cabinet, just as if the Torpedo product wasn't in the signal chain. Then, connect the line output of the Torpedo to your DAW.
Setup your DAW to record a track, then record a short guitar (or bass) sample. If possible, record a clean sound, then a distorted sound.
Then, unplug the speaker cabinet from the Thru output of the Torpedo. This will place the amp on the loadbox instead of the speaker cabinet. Don't modify any settings on the amp, the Torpedo device, the audio interface or DAW. Then record the same short sample, playing it the same way as much as possible.
From there, you can compare the two samples. Listen for any volume rise or drop, frequency difference (like loss or gain of treble, mids or bass, or different amounts of distortion). Small differences in the sound are OK (because the loadbox does not feature the exact same impedance as your particular speaker cabinet), but any significant difference may be an indication of loadbox issue.
Don't hesitate to send us the samples for analysis if needed.
This test will let you compare the sound coming out of your amplifier and real speaker cabinet, and the sound coming out of your amplifier when used via the loadbox within the Torpedo device. This can be used to detect abnormal behaviour of the amp when played via the loadbox which can be a sign of a loadbox malfunction.
Note: This test requires a microphone.
Connect your amplifier to a speaker cabinet. Place a microphone in front of the cabinet and connect it to your audio interface / DAW. Set the amp and DAW to record a track, then record a short guitar (or bass) sample. If possible, record a clean sound, then a distorted sound.
Then, connect your amplifier to the Speaker Input of the Torpedo device. Connect the line output of the Torpedo device to your DAW. Don't modify any settings on the amp, the Torpedo device, the audio interface or DAW. Then record the same short sample, playing it the same way as much as possible.
From there, you can compare the two samples. They will probably be quite different, because your own speaker cabinet may not be available in the Torpedo Device. However, this provides a good platform to listen for obvious defects including frequency differences (like loss or gain of treble, mids or bass, or different amounts of distortion).
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