Warning Regarding The Proper Use Of A Loadbox With A Tube Ampliﬁer; What Is A Loadbox - Two Notes torpedo live User Manual

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Part 2

Warning regarding the proper use of a

loadbox with a tube ampliﬁer

In the normal use of a tube ampliﬁer, it is recommended to always connect its power output to a

speaker cabinet prior to powering it up. The speaker cabinet (4, 8 or 16 Ohms) must always be

connected to the corresponding speaker output of your ampliﬁer. Not doing so can lead to partial

or complete destruction of the output stage of the tube ampliﬁer.

Most tube ampliﬁer makers protect their products with fuses or other protection systems, but some

ampliﬁers still remain not or insufﬁciently protected. It is impossible to predict the behavior of all the

ampliﬁers on the market in case of use without a load (a speaker cabinet or a load box).

The electronic term that describes the speaker cabinet with respect to the ampliﬁer is the "load":

we say the cabinet "loads" the ampliﬁer. The term loadbox ﬁts any product embedding a load. The

main parameter of the load box is its impedance, expressed in Ohms. An 8 Ohms load box has to be

plugged to the 8 Ohms speaker out of the ampliﬁer. The power sent to the load is changed into heat,

so please follow the cooling recommendation of the load box, otherwise overheating may cause

damage, both to the loadbox and the amp.

The TORPEDO Live is a loadbox. This term indicates that the TORPEDO Live is a load which can

electrically replace the speaker cabinet while dissipating (transforming into heat) the power coming

out of the ampliﬁer.

The embedded load in the TORPEDO Live is a reactive one: it embeds a speciﬁc circuit to simulate

the complex impedance of a real speaker. This kind of system is widely used in the industry to silently

test ampliﬁers.

Two Notes Audio Engineering

Always connect the speaker out of your tube ampiliﬁer to a proper

load (speaker cabinet or load box). TORPEDO Live, once powered up,

is such a load. Please note that you always have to power up the

TORPEDO Live before your ampliﬁer.

TORPEDO Live

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