User Manual

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2017/11/08

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some ampliﬁers are still 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 loadbox).

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” is used to describe any product that

provides a load to the ampliﬁer. The main parameter of the loadbox is its impedance, expressed in

Ohms. An 8-Ohm loadbox must be plugged to the 8-Ohm speaker output of the ampliﬁer.

The power sent to the load is turned into heat, so please follow the cooling recommendation in the

manual — otherwise overheating may cause damage, both to the loadbox and to the ampliﬁer.

The Torpedo Studio is a digital loadbox. This term indicates that the Torpedo Studio is a load which

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

coming out of the ampliﬁer.

Within the Torpedo Studio is a selectable Reactive or Resistive load:

• A Reactive load simulates the complex impedance of a real speaker. The result on the sound is

usually a brighter tone and more natural sounding.

• A Resistive load is a simple resistance, or a network of resistances, which has a ﬁxed impedance

value (4, 8 or 16 Ohms) over the whole audio spectrum. This kind of system is widely used in the

industry to silently test ampliﬁers. The result on the sound is usually a warmer tone, with your amp

going into saturation a little sooner on the output volume (this actually depends on your ampliﬁer’s

internal design).

Always connect the speaker out of your tube ampliﬁer to an appropriate

load (speaker cabinet or loadbox). The Torpedo Studio, once powered

up, is such a load. Please note that you should always power up the

Torpedo Studio before your ampliﬁer. The maximum admissible power

of the Torpedo Studio is 150W RMS, your ampliﬁer shouldn't be set to

play at a higher output power value. See this article if your ampliﬁer is

more powerful than 150W.

2.2 Which output volume for my ampliﬁer?

The correct use of your ampliﬁer with a loadbox requires some precautions. Because of the silence

while playing, it is much easier to accidentally run your ampliﬁer beyond the reasonable limits set by

the manufacturer than when using a real speaker cabinet with it. This can lead to faster tube wear

and, in some cases, to more serious inconveniences.

When ﬁrst testing the ampliﬁer at high volume, monitor the color of the

tubes and the general state of the ampliﬁer. Red-glowing tubes or any

appearance of smoke are signs of a problem that may result in partial or

complete destruction of the ampliﬁer.

Keep in mind that the “sweet spot” - the perfect running point of the ampliﬁer, the one that will give

you the tone you’re looking for - is rarely obtained at maximum volume. In addition, the volume

control of the ampliﬁer is usually logarithmic, which means the volume goes up quickly on the ﬁrst