@@DerekPaulGuitar Hey Derek, I have a Focusrite Scarlett Solo interface with only 1 mic input (not two for stereo). Can I still go mono out of the Captor X and into my interface, or would I need to buy an interface that can accommodate the stereo? Thanks so much.
Top notch video! Clear and precise explanation of all available features, and I like that you used a similar riff when demoing, so that we can hear the difference
I modded my VOX AC30C2 with Amp OUT and Speaker in connections. That way it make for me very easy to connect my Captor X to my Amp ac30c2 just the way with a head amp. BTW great video. 👍🏾🙏🏾👍🏾
Wonderfully done, I own a Peavey 5150 combo and I think the speakers are connected the same as your Fender with a Jack plugged in, it also has a speaker out Jack as well. This is very interesting. Thank you. 😎
Great improvement my man, with this you can now make things easier for you and share a even better sounds of what you are playing, I'm pretty sure your channel will grow twice in subs next year, keep going, stay well and merry Christmas
Really useful and informative video, I can see the benefits of having these options, especially when you have to share your house with your family! I'm embarrassed to say that I've never mucked around with the leads at the back of my HRD. I was going to ask whether that's the only way of doing it, for example, can you use the pre-amp out instead?
Thanks for the comment, you could instead use something like the JHS little black amp box in the effects loop, you’ll get the preamp tubes cooking and also tame the volume, with regards to the captor x you’ll have to disconnect the amp out and go into the back of the captor x, it’s the only way, cheers
Great video. So few thinking about practicality when making videos I think. I am wondering about the Captor X, but am in need of a better attenuator feature, so might go for the Tone King Iron Man II instead. But this video made it easier to help me making a better evaluation of the Captor X.
Thanks Rene, I wanted to make the video about how to connect it and what the benefits are so I appreciate your comment, the iron man was the other one I was also thinking of but hit a good deal on the captor x on reverb.com, cheers!
I have a Vox AC15 CC1 which has a detachable speaker cable. The cable i too short though so I put one of these to lengthen my speaker cable www.thomann.de/se/planet_waves_klinkenkupplung_pwp047t.htm?glp=1&gclid=CjwKCAjww-CGBhALEiwAQzWxOv_4KmbReDfvD6hBaie5FBv3ZbH6AfEadRlxwt_uivOHL8pe2wvSVBoCAWEQAvD_BwE
Thanks Derek. I use the Captor X with my Princeton. I had been using a Tom Scholz Power Soak for the past 35 years, but the Captor X is much better. 😁👍
@@MaxPower-js1sk I hear ya! me too, i'm still playing with the CAB IR's, i have two i purchased, the 65w Creamback and the A-Type, both celestion and only $11 each
@@DerekPaulGuitar I'm at the end of my music career, but I'm still recording. It's great to be able to make demos at home using my amp and my effects without miking up. It's great not to need an amp simulator. I can't get my sound with them. The Captor X has made a lot of gear redundant. 👍
@@MaxPower-js1sk Same here, i can practice quietly or silently, i don't have to mic the amp anymore and i can change settings instantly through the iphone app, it's just something i should have bought years ago!
Great video!!!! Perfect explanation. I would like to know what speaker extension cable you used in the video to connect the amp speaker to the captor torpedo.
I have an idea that a I never seen be used. Why not use a line out with the dry signal plug into an external solid state amp and then send it to the speakers? You will have a variable power attenuator without the high frequency loses. I think the 3 ways switch is very limited.
I tried to output the cabinet sim with 2 mics, one for each L and R channel to have them separated in the DAW and I couldn't. Can someone tell me if it is possible?
Very informative video and easy to understand. I have a 16 ohm version on the way because this is what’s labeled on the back of my Vox 4 W amp. Can I use the 16 ohm captor x with 8 ohm tube amps? Also there’s only one jack input on the back of my 4 watt. Is this the speaker output jack? Thanks!
Thank you!! You can use the external speaker jack on the back but need to make sure the internal speaker is ‘disconnected’ otherwise you won’t get the attenuation from the internal speaker, does connecting an external speaker disable the internal speaker? I’m not sure, also you’ll have to research using a 16ohm attenuator with an 8ohm amp as I’m not sure either, cheers!
Hi Derek. This is a great video and the answers to the comments helped a lot in understanding this as well. I have one question specific to my amp that I didn’t see in the comments already. I use a Supro Royale 2x12 combo tube amp. With it having two speaker cables and the Captor having one input, do I need to use a Y splitter to run both speakers into the Captor or do I just run one? And if one, does it matter which? Thanks so much!
Thanks for the comment! I’m imagining you’ll need a Y splitter and I say that because of the OHM rating over both speakers needs to be balanced, could be wrong though, plus you’ll be able to use both speakers that way as you’d attenuate the amp and still have both speakers working, maybe someone has more experience, thanks!
Thanks Derek for this nice tutorial! one questions i notice a difference when hearing my amp through the Torpedo headphones as while playing through the DAW and then studio monitors. How did you capture/record that sound coming from the headphones? it sounds great!
The Hot Rod Deluxe is definitely a loud amp and I would never find myself making use out of all that wattage, but other than that the amp checks a lot of boxes for me. Would it feel lika a waste to buy the amp only to be attenuated via my Captor all of the time when using the amps internal speaker? Or would a similar amp only lower wattage be a better fit so that I can get a unattenuated sound when playing in the room having me only use the captor for the occasional silent playing/recording? The problem then being that the other pedal friendly, lower than 40 watt Fender amps like the 65 Deluxe Reverb bumps up the price by a lot, maybe the 65 Princeton Reverb would be a good fit, hoping it can take a some distortion from pedals. The 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb would have been perfect if it wasn't suffering from high levels of noise floor. I'm at a loss with finding my new amp, it feels like a huge minefield haha.
Oh i hear ya! i went through the same process, but attenuating it with the captor X or indeed the JHS little black amp box has worked perfectly for me, all the captor x does is drive the power tubes but keeps the volume down, you then have the option to unplug the speaker and use speaker/cab emulations, although i only use the original speaker emulation and the creamback 65w which i have installed in the hotrod, the sound to me is fantastic and i can play at bedroom levels, it is indeed a minefield!!! cheers!
Going from EVH amp to Captor X, into Black Lion Revolution 2x2 into Presonus Studio Pro 5. No issues, clipping, etc and love using a real amp with Two Notes IRs. In other words couldn’t be happier. But I’m having an issue with getting a DI signal. I.E. the “armed” track is going into what I want as a DI signal for re amping. Where/what am I not setting up correctly? Many thanks in advance!
Hi Mark, I’m not entirely sure as I don’t use it that way however the only thing I can think of is have you selected the right input in the DAW (I only have 2 outputs on my mackie onyx but am guilty of not selecting the correct input in Logic Pro sometimes)
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thank you so much. I will try to swap the left and right. Basically I have two tracks, one for the amp and one for the DI but both are getting the amps signal as opposed to one “wet” and the other a clean DI
Sorry Derek I did not get the part about to connect what from the ampli to the out of the captor X. Can you explain better to me please. Thanks for the video
Hi Riccardo, yes sure thing, so use a speaker cable to connect the captor x (the red jack) to the amps speaker out jack and plug the amps speaker into the back of the captor x, does that help? cheers!
I'd like to know if the attenuator "attenuates" the output signal too much. It would have been better to include an intermediate setting such as -10 or -12 db.
So I just discovered how glorious the Custom side of my ‘68 Custom Deluxe Reverb is with the volume at 6+. Is this the simplest way to get that sound at comfortable (or even silent levels with headphones) volume? Attenuation has always intimidated me, not least because of the price and my fear that I’ll destroy my tube amp
It’s a great way to get the sound of your amp at lower volumes and even use headphones, plus you can record direct using can simulation if you want to try it :) it’s a winner and won’t ruin your amp
Thanks for reviewing it, Derek. I'm thinking about this captor x and captor. It looks like with this X model, I can bring my VOX AC15 amp tone anywhere and everywhere, as it has the preset function. But the captor doesn't have this feature, it only has GTR, OFF, and BASS selection. Am I right?
Hi Micheal thanks for the kind words, I’m not entirely sure as I haven’t tried the captor, there are plenty of videos on it though, you can certainly bring the sound of the vox speaker and cab sim wherever you go with the x :)
The main difference between a Captor and a Captor X is that the second has digital cab and mic simulations built in. The first only has some not so good analog simulations, but you can use both with IRs in your DAW for recording. With X you can go straight to PA with a good sound, no computer needed. Oh, and you have an additional level of attenuation in the X. That being said I wouldn’t look at any of those if my budget (even stretched) would allow for an OX, it’s just so much better. But most of the reviews won’t tell you that, because the reviewers want to keep good relations with distributors and such. 😉
@@gitarowydominik Thank you Dominik, That's what I want. As sometimes there's only the PA system in the room and I need a box that allows me to connect with PA directly. That's the function I need. So I can guitar - pedalboard - captor X - DI or no DI - PA system - Room speaker
@@michaelhe755 Captor X wont’t work with signal directly from your pedalboard, it requires the signal that normally would go out of your amp to the speaker cabinet. It replaces the cabinet, but amp is still needed. If you want to replace the amp with something on your pedalboard, something like Strymon Iridium could do that. But then you won’t need Captor X, also ot won’t sound as good as an amp in my opinion.
@@gitarowydominik I see. If that room has an amp I can always use a mic, and then to the PA system. But I still need this Captor for home recording silently with my VOX AC15 amp. (I already bought it). Thank you!
How do I connect the 16 ohm captor to a focusrite daw through my combo amp ? Do I connect combo amp speaker to red input on captor, then xlr direct to daw and pc? New to this and don't want to blow up my amp (currently only using the captor as an attenuator)
You’re doing it right! As long as the amp has a speaker load (the red input on the captor X) then as you say… XLR out to the focusrite to record (or stereo XLR outs to the focusrite) cheers
Hi and thanks for your time. I have a question about the connection to the sound card. I'm using Cubase and I'm trying to understand when you connect the Torpedo to the card, you connect everything in stereo, so I have to connect to two separate channels? How to do it exactly
Thanks for watching! You’ll need 2 x XLR cables from the back of the captor x into channels 1 and 2 of your sound card or audio interface, it’s an easy as that, cheers!
@@DerekPaulGuitar thank you my friend I am very confused between the ox and Torpedo x, what I understood is that the ox has a lot of disconnections and sometimes a problem connecting. And even when working with it, you can't access RUclips
I’m not sure about the connection problems with the OX but I’ve heard it has better reverbs although I’ve never tried it, I never had a problem with the Captor X though, thanks!
Hey I just bought the Captor and it arrived yesterday. Running the Captor into my headphones or my speakers... the sounds are incredible. However when I ran an XLR into my interface, I am having trouble with the following 1) I can't avoid clipping 2) I can't access the reverb sound design that I know the presets are able to create. It's almost as if the captor is doing nothing to "tame" the output of my amp head before reaching the interface. How did you get the interface connected properly and the recording process set up? Secondarily, I'm interested in the midi feature on the captor but I know nothing about it and have seen zero videos online about this.
Hi man, I had the same issue, the captor x output is really hot so I had to turn down the volume quite a bit on my interface, to around 3 (out of 10), and then I have the output on the front to about 12 o’clock, secondly you can get the torpedo app for your phone and Bluetooth it to the captor x, that’ll give you the reverb and twin tracker options, that’s how I use it, with regards to midi it’s not something I’ll ever use so I’m not sure, hope that helps, cheers
hi there. I just want to make sure I can use this for my VOX AC30 CC2. Can I plug this into an external speaker out on the back using a speaker cable? There's an option to set the amp to 8Ohms. I have the torpedo 8, so will this also be fine or should the torpedo 16 be a better choice? thanks!
Thanks for the comment, I only know to plug the speaker out into the captor x, not sure if the speaker extension jack will do it, and I think the 8 will be fine if you can switch the amp, sorry I couldn’t answer better as my experience with it it’s limited to the Fender hot rod, although two notes support is pretty decent, cheers!
Hi, I just received my Captor X and was trying to use it on my new Victory Copper amp combo, and I hear nothing from my headphones. I followed their/your instructions and nothing. The sound still comes out of my. amp instead of my headphones :(
Hey Derek, Great video mate! Question - Which Captor X should i buy for a Bassbreaker 30R? the 8 ohms or the 16? Also what cables would i require? Cheers, Lloyd!
Hi Lloyd, you would need the 8ohm version, with regards to cables i would imagine you'll need a speaker cable, something like this (www.daddario.com/products/accessories/cables/speaker/classic-series-speaker-cables/) and maybe a speaker extender to plug the amps speaker into the captor x (although i don't know how long the speaker cable is on that amp) hope that helps and cheers for the comment!
I have the Fender Hotrod ML. 60 watt. I looked up ohms and tried to figure out which one I need, but I'm hesitant to buy because I'm still not sure. I thought I needed a 4ohm which is not available in the captor x.
I’m using the 8ohm version, but according to fender yours may be 4ohm, have a look here shop.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/vintage-pro-tube/hot-rod-deville-ml-212/2232400000.html cheers!
I'm connecting this without a cab to my interface, but I get some hum from my pig hog xlr to trs cable that goes to the front of my Scarlett 4i4. Should I use xlr to xlr for the captor left output, rather than my XLR from the captor to TRS into the front of my Scarlett? I thought it could be my cable, or I should just buy/use a cable with both xlr ends. I've also read to go xlr captor x to trs line in on the back of the Scarlett. I'm just not sure which might be the most balanced or quiet.
My advice would be XLR out into the Scarlett’s XLR in, I didn’t experience any hum at all, might be worth checking other cables as well, this thing is silent! Cheers
Hey thanks for the all information, I have still one question. Captor c.a.b sim has aux in which is very handy, what about this one? Can you use Bluetooth for that matter? I want to use headphones and put backing track without using audio interface so.
If I understand correctly then it doesn’t, the sound you hear from your speaker is that sound, you’ll only apply the IR’s when going out to the audio interface
Hi Derek would you recommend this over the jhs little black amp box pedal? I have a vox ac15 and a fender blues deville. Just discovered your channel, awesome stuff. A fellow British youtuber!! 🤟🏼🎸
Nice man! i'll check out your channel! if you want a good sound at lower volumes then the JHS will work fine, if you want full attenuation from the power tubes and to use headphones and a DI in to record with cab IR's then the Captor X, depends on your application, cheers! 🤘
@@DerekPaulGuitar thanks for the sub! Just literally purchased the jhs now. Will possibly get the two notes in the future. It’s abit pricey. If I wasn’t currently doing the house up I think I would buy the captor x! 😂
@@JamesWoodGuitar no worries man! You have a good channel there, yeah the captor x is a little pricey, and I’m in the same situation, currently moving house, everything guitar related takes a back seat lol
Hi Derek. Very informative. I've taken the Captor X output USB and connected to my PC to try practicing through Torpedo Remote. It seems to be receiving a signal - albeit very low - but I can't hear an output signal from my computer. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
Hi Joshua, thanks for the comment, as I understand it (and I haven’t tried it as I don’t use it that way) you have to also connect the XLR outs to your audio interface, the USB alone won’t work as for audio as it’s just to control the captor x remotely from your PC or Mac, hope that helps!
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thanks. Total amateur here. I'm reading that Torpedo Remote can't function as a monitor without a dedicated DAW. Ultimately, I'm trying to enjoy my rig at a low volume that's appropriate with two young kids here in a small NYC apartment. And, unfortunately, I find that headphones out from Captor X distorts and compresses sound a lot. I'm hoping playing through an interface (which I'll have to buy), and a DAW (pulling in Captor X simulations) will give me authentic tone at an acceptable volume. But, in your expert opinion, will that work? Or am I just going to keep throwing money at the problem but not really solving it?
@@DerekPaulGuitar I thought I did, but let me play around that way. The store technician (Sweetwater) suggests the sound quality on the headphones should be fine as is. Let me see if I toggle between cab settings if that helps; and if there's no change then perhaps that's indicative of a hardware problem. Can you suggest two good, wildly different cabs so I can run a foolproof experiment? I'm still concerned how low my headphone setting is. I'll try to troubleshoot that too. Thanks.
@@ArcMan82 No worries, mine seems to work fine in headphones so maybe a hardware issue, it has been known according to forums, perhaps try the silverjen, and the brit 650, should be miles apart, the first is a silver face fender and the second a marshall sound, cheers!
Hey Derek -- you mention at 2:20 that "the beauty of the first two connections, is that you can run them both together." Wondering if that could mean that you hear your amp's speaker when no headphones are plugged in, and you only hear the headphones (as I hope they'd override the amp speaker) when they are plugged in? Please say yes?
Ah i see what you mean, the headphones unfortunately wont override the amp's speaker, in order for that to happen you'd have to unplug the speaker from the back of the captor x (or...find or make a little box that allows you to switch the speaker off when using headphones, there must something out there) cheers
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thanks so much for the speedy reply Derek! So if I just pull the plug from the "Speaker Out" input on the Captor, the headphones are the speakers? And if I plug the amp speaker into the "Speaker Out" input, then the amp's speaker is the speaker? Also -- is there no "on or off" switch on the captor itself? Is it just always on, with the fan running???
@@adambluming8569 Absolutely correct! no on off switch you'll have to pull the plug out (or make or find a little switch box) on mine though the fan barely runs ever, it keeps itself nice and cool, i'm running a 40w hotrod deluxe into it at volume 6 if that helps and i run it for about 30 minutes each time to practice, just to give you all the info
do i get this right: through the speakers of your combo you hear the original sound of the speakers WITHOUT the cabinet simulation? same as with a halfstack: i could send my signal with the simulation to the PA but hear my speaker behind me without simulation/pure? or other way round: is it also possible to hear the simulated speakersound through my speakers, in a way overwrite the original sound?
@@DerekPaulGuitar thanks alot! so its not possible to hear the simulated sound through my original speaker? and how would you set it up in the rehearsal-room? send it from the captor to the small pa and hear the guitar through those speakers (just like the vocals)? (sorry i‘m a very oldschool/analog guy).
@@rams2702 no worries! It isn’t, but you’d send from the captor x into the p.a. or computer interface to capture the simulated sound, you could of course also mic the amp to blend it afterwards, hope that helps!
Hi Derek, can you get sound out of your monitors when you connect via the XLR at the back of the Captor X? I can't hear anything. Or do you need to have it in your DAW (I use Reaper). I don't see any Two Notes VSTs other than Wall of Sound that I had before but I'm not sure that's what I need. Plus I only have one XLR cable - do I need two and if so do they both plug into my Audio Interface? I only have one XLR in and one DI for guitar in my Audient ID4.
Hi Micheal, I don’t usually monitor using the captor x, I have the amp speaker plugged in, although as I understand it the wall of sound VST is used to monitor the captor x in the DAW (maybe also switch on input monitoring) I use two xlr’s so that I can use the twin tracker function in stereo although if you don’t use it then one xlr will work fine :)
@@DerekPaulGuitar thanks, Derek! Am going to upgrade my Audient ID4 to an ID14 so I have the two XLR ins and give that a shot. Enjoying it so far all the same though. It's amazing what a difference using different IRs can make to the sound of your amp though!
@@michaelggallagher it is great to be able to try different speakers with the amp without taking the amp apart :) I can even use the original speaker again as well if I want to, cheers!
Hi Derek. Thanks for the great video. Just wanted to check on something. The speaker extender cable that you have listed says that it’s mono. Does that make a difference at all?
@@DerekPaulGuitar Is there a shorter, higher end (like Pig Hog?) for the extension cable? Also, the link you provided only has a 6 ft cord for a 3 feet need. Or does that not matter? Thank you! Most informative vid/thread ever on what should be obvious for buyers of the Captor X to get started with our Hot Rod Deluxe :)
Hey Tim, I’m sure there are some good speaker cables out there now (I made the video a few years ago now) I’d say just get what length suits your needs, I.e. I have the captor X on the amp so a shorter cable is great, but if you want it next to your PC or Mac to have it permanently connected to use the software then a longer cable would be needed, cheers!
Hey Derek - if I wanted to run my Captor X directly into Garage Band to record, could I simply do so with the supplied USB? Or would I need an audio interface in between the Captor X and my Mac, like Focusright Scarlett, for example?
Yes Wall of Sound III You launch Garageband and you open up the plugins/FX button on the particular track you are on. Then you select WOS-iii from the list of FX/plugins and then you are off and running. Hope that helps
Ok so in order to make the combo connection as attenuator I MUST do it with the extender speaker cable right? If I connect the speaker jack through the speaker output of the amp, won’t work, right? Cause my speaker will be disconnected. What will happen?
@@DerekPaulGuitar I did it, but i can do it with an outside speaker cable, OR use the speaker cable coming from the speaker, you know what I'm talking about? It is a combo and the speaker has a tiny cable going to the amp speaker output. I wonder if those connections are differente. If I connect just the random speaker cable > torpedo ex or the cable coming from the speaker -> extender cable -> torpedo
@@fbaraky660you have an combo amp: turn off everything. Unplug the speaker cable from the amp. Plug in a new speaker cable going from the output the speaker was to the captor input. Thats it. If you wanna get back into the amp to attenuate it, youll need an extension cable from captor output to your speaker cable you unplugged at the beginning. So basically the captor sits between amp output and speaker cable
So you plug the guitar in the input jack on the front of the amp as normal? I've had mine for two weeks but haven't used it yet because I'm not sure how to hook it up. Directions not very helpful, at least for me. I'm not very tech savvy.
Derek, I can't get mine connected to my android. I have the app on my phone and it says the ID # is correct. I get the screens and can move the controls but I can't get the effects. I also get sound through my amp. Any ideas? I contacted two-notes but they haven't replied.
Thankyouu this vid convinced me to get a capture X sometime soon but I still have a few question; 1. The speaker extension cable you linked directs us to a regular guitar extension cord. I tried googling for speaker extension cables but all that comes up are cables for pc speakers, not for guitar amplifiers. I feel like the guitar extension is the only option, but wont using guitar extension cord hurt the amp or the cable being used? Or is this only true for the cable inbetween the preamp and capture x? 2. What headphones do you use with the capture X? Did you need a headphone amplifier with it to get good sound? 3. And do i need an audio interface to record the sound, or would a usb connection to the pc suffice? It wasnt sure from watching the video if the usb connection was for recording as well or just for setting up and loading IR's only.
No worries and sorry about the link, this is the type of thing I used and it’ll be fine CNE40261 25 Feet, 1/4-Inch Mono Extension Cable, 1/4 Male to 1/4 Female a.co/d/ayt7mlQ also I use either a cheap pair of headphones or my AHTM50’s they both gives great sound and you don’t need a headphone preamp, you will though need a recording interface as the USB connection is just to use the two notes software for the captor x, hope that helps :)
Hi, I'm having trouble with which ohm version of the captor X to purchase. I have a Blackstar HT5R Combo amp and a Marshall SV20C Studio Vintage combo amp. For both the speaker cable is running into the 16 ohm jack. Am I correct in thinking that to use the Captor X as an attenuator for these amps I'll need the 16 ohm version?
Hi according to Marshalls site and Google both Amps are switchable between 8 and 16ohms, but if both amps are running into the 16ohm jack then it’s probably safe to say the 16ohm version will work for you, cheers!
@@Skipray_Blastboat Hi... I know this is 7 months down the track, but I was thinking of this for my Marshall SV20C. Did you end up getting the 16ohm version (that's what I figured was required) & how do you find it as an attenuator? Any help here would be appreciated. 👍 Cheers.
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thank you I had a Vox Ac15 that had to be slightly moded to work with the Captor Apparently the Hot Rod line is slightly different connection Thanks again 👍
@@DerekPaulGuitar I was having trouble with my phone app version. Once I got it on the lap top I figured it out. I am noticing a lot of unwanted line level distortion. I'm running a 50wt amp. I put the captor on low input setting and backed off all the levels in the virtual control room yet still get clipping even on a clean amp setting with volume rolled off. I'm using ear buds with an adaptor, do you think that's the problem? This is temporary, I'm just trying to figure out which phones to get.
@@willdenham oh I’m not sure, to be honest I just use it in its basic form to attenuate the amp and record it using the XLR’s out to my interface, other than that I may use the twin tracker occasionally, I don’t really use the software at all.
@@DerekPaulGuitar Hey Derek, Any recommendations on headphones for the captor? I am really starting from scratch here and the selection is endless as well as confusing. Whoops, just noticed we talked about this. How about just headphones you use with your computer studio setup?
@@willdenham no problem, I use two pairs, one is just a cheap pair that has some bass for general listening, and I use the ATH M50’s for mixing as they have a flat response, to be honest unless your a pro, mixing tracks the. I would just chose headphones that sound good to you :)
The tone loses so much when using Captor X unfortunately. It was really surprising for me to compare Captor X with an OX. I know the OX is twice as expensive, but it’s much more than 2x better in terms of recorded tone. So for all of you tone chasers and quiet recording fans, I encourage you to try an OX, you will be amazed!
@@DerekPaulGuitar Oh, gotcha. I can hear the recognizable thin sound of Captor X in your video when you compare Captor X IR with a miked cab. It’s something that can be dialed out to some extent with EQ in postprocessing, but even then it never sounds as good as even a simple SM57 in front of a cab. And to beat the sound of the OX one needs much more than a single SM57 in an average room. 😉 It’s that good. I am familiar with the sound of Captor X, SM57 and the OX, as we have been doing direct comparisons with different amps and guitars in our guitar group between those 3 methods. And Captor X sounds thin unfortunately, even with all those options in the software. And OX sounds great when recorded. The stereo room mikes in the OX simulations are awesome. The only drawback of the OX is that it only has a few level of attenuation for playing with a cab and that it changes the tone with a cab slightly. But it only affects live playing when one uses it for attenuation. We tried to like the Captor X, worked hard to find some usable tones, it just didn’t work. But I’m happy to hear you’re satisfied with the sound of recordings via Captor X. If it works for you, that’s great!
great video, Derek. I have a question for you. I use Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV in my bedroom and it's very loud amp. If I want to make it sound quieter trough the sepaker cab, which one would you recomend me? The JHS Little Black Amp or Torpedo Cab 8? I only need it to run the amp trough speaker cab, not recording direct into audio interface. My important points are: 1. tone. 2. ability to reduce volume. Thanks for advance
Hi, thanks for the comment, I would say that the JHS little black amp box gave me 90% of the tone of the amp at a bedroom level when I was using it and it costs so much less, the captor x gives me the tone of the power amp as well for recording, it really depends on whether the sound from the power tubes will matter to you, maybe try the jhs first? You can also run as eq pedal flat through the effects loop and use the volume control on it to give you the same result to try it out :)
Finally a video that teaches how to connect, thanks!!
No problem! Glad to help
Boy you got something (how to connect) I didn’t in your video.
@@DerekPaulGuitar Hey Derek, I have a Focusrite Scarlett Solo interface with only 1 mic input (not two for stereo). Can I still go mono out of the Captor X and into my interface, or would I need to buy an interface that can accommodate the stereo? Thanks so much.
@@AB-wy7dr Thanks for the comment and you can go mono into the Focusrite, cheers!
Thanks Derek. Best demo and explanation ive seen yet. Ive got a combo (Princeton Reverb) so this was really helpful.
Thanks Ben, really appreciate the comment, it means a lot, cheers!
Great demo thanks Derek, clarifying the stuff that most videos miss!
Thanks Chris, appreciate that!
Yep, the Twin Tracker is absolutely awesome, it's like someone's bringing everything to life.
Top notch video! Clear and precise explanation of all available features, and I like that you used a similar riff when demoing, so that we can hear the difference
Thanks man! Really appreciate that and thanks for watching!
I modded my VOX AC30C2 with Amp OUT and Speaker in connections. That way it make for me very easy to connect my Captor X to my Amp ac30c2 just the way with a head amp. BTW great video. 👍🏾🙏🏾👍🏾
Excellent Mike! Cheers for that and thanks for the kind words
Awesome video ! Had questions about this piece of gear that you answered in full detail. Thank You, God bless 🙏
Thanks! I’m glad it helped out
Fantastic stuff. The tools we have these days are amazing.
Thanks man!! So true
Wonderfully done, I own a Peavey 5150 combo and I think the speakers are connected the same as your Fender with a Jack plugged in, it also has a speaker out Jack as well. This is very interesting. Thank you. 😎
Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!
Same here.
just got the same and found myself here.
strat sounds so good
Thanks man!! Appreciate that
Captor x is probably the best piece of gear I own. I can actually play my valve amps
So true! And probably the best piece of gear I own too, cheers
Great improvement my man, with this you can now make things easier for you and share a even better sounds of what you are playing, I'm pretty sure your channel will grow twice in subs next year, keep going, stay well and merry Christmas
Thanks man! appreciate that, it does make life easier, and let's hope so :) cheers and Merry Christmas
Thx, best video on the X.
Thank you! Appreciate that very much
Really useful and informative video, I can see the benefits of having these options, especially when you have to share your house with your family!
I'm embarrassed to say that I've never mucked around with the leads at the back of my HRD.
I was going to ask whether that's the only way of doing it, for example, can you use the pre-amp out instead?
Thanks for the comment, you could instead use something like the JHS little black amp box in the effects loop, you’ll get the preamp tubes cooking and also tame the volume, with regards to the captor x you’ll have to disconnect the amp out and go into the back of the captor x, it’s the only way, cheers
Great video. So few thinking about practicality when making videos I think. I am wondering about the Captor X, but am in need of a better attenuator feature, so might go for the Tone King Iron Man II instead. But this video made it easier to help me making a better evaluation of the Captor X.
Thanks Rene, I wanted to make the video about how to connect it and what the benefits are so I appreciate your comment, the iron man was the other one I was also thinking of but hit a good deal on the captor x on reverb.com, cheers!
I have a Vox AC15C1 and I’d like to ask if anyone knows how I can connect from the Speaker Out on the Captor X back to my speaker on the Vox?
I have a Vox AC15 CC1 which has a detachable speaker cable. The cable i too short though so I put one of these to lengthen my speaker cable www.thomann.de/se/planet_waves_klinkenkupplung_pwp047t.htm?glp=1&gclid=CjwKCAjww-CGBhALEiwAQzWxOv_4KmbReDfvD6hBaie5FBv3ZbH6AfEadRlxwt_uivOHL8pe2wvSVBoCAWEQAvD_BwE
Hi Derek the hot rod deville IV works only with 8 ohms because i bought the 16 ohm versión for my amp heads but i want to try it out on my combo too
Merry Christmas Derek !
may God bless you !
sorry late 😊🤭
Merry Christmas also! 😀
Thanks for your good video and I fount an adapter (SAT UB-1) that can connect headphones by connecting to the amplifier speaker terminal on etsy.
Thanks for the comment and kind words!
Thanks! Can speaker out run trs into the mixing desk, or would you you just use headphone out / xlrs, cheers
Thanks Derek. I use the Captor X with my Princeton. I had been using a Tom Scholz Power Soak for the past 35 years, but the Captor X is much better. 😁👍
Cheers man! Loving the Captor X here still, great bit of kit 👍
@@DerekPaulGuitar It is indeed. I’ve barely scratched the surface. 😁👍
@@MaxPower-js1sk I hear ya! me too, i'm still playing with the CAB IR's, i have two i purchased, the 65w Creamback and the A-Type, both celestion and only $11 each
@@DerekPaulGuitar I'm at the end of my music career, but I'm still recording. It's great to be able to make demos at home using my amp and my effects without miking up. It's great not to need an amp simulator. I can't get my sound with them. The Captor X has made a lot of gear redundant. 👍
@@MaxPower-js1sk Same here, i can practice quietly or silently, i don't have to mic the amp anymore and i can change settings instantly through the iphone app, it's just something i should have bought years ago!
Great video!!!! Perfect explanation. I would like to know what speaker extension cable you used in the video to connect the amp speaker to the captor torpedo.
Thanks!! As I remember I just searched for a d’addario one (it was a while ago) thanks for the comment
Great and informative video! Thanks :)
Thanks for watching and thanks for the kind words!
You don t need to use power on the Captor X when using it as an attenuator ;).....And the the power to the fun will be provided via the speaker cable.
That’s a good point :)
@@DerekPaulGuitar ;)...Got mine a couple of days ago, and it is pretty ok.....I like it......Squeezing the juice out of it now, hehehh ;)
@@gibson2623 nice!!!! You crank that amp!
@@DerekPaulGuitar heheheh Thanks mate🤙
Great video! Do you have any links for the cables I need for attenuating
I put some links in the description, if the pig hog cables are too expensive then standard XLR’s will work, cheers!
Great stuff, thanks for doing that 👍🏻
@@dan82dare absolutely no problem 👍
I have an idea that a I never seen be used. Why not use a line out with the dry signal plug into an external solid state amp and then send it to the speakers? You will have a variable power attenuator without the high frequency loses. I think the 3 ways switch is very limited.
I tried to output the cabinet sim with 2 mics, one for each L and R channel to have them separated in the DAW and I couldn't. Can someone tell me if it is possible?
Very informative video and easy to understand. I have a 16 ohm version on the way because this is what’s labeled on the back of my Vox 4 W amp. Can I use the 16 ohm captor x with 8 ohm tube amps? Also there’s only one jack input on the back of my 4 watt. Is this the speaker output jack? Thanks!
Thank you!! You can use the external speaker jack on the back but need to make sure the internal speaker is ‘disconnected’ otherwise you won’t get the attenuation from the internal speaker, does connecting an external speaker disable the internal speaker? I’m not sure, also you’ll have to research using a 16ohm attenuator with an 8ohm amp as I’m not sure either, cheers!
Do i absolutely have to use 2 xlr cables to connect captor to audio interface? Am i missing something if i just 1 xlr(left)?
It technically would work, just switch the channel in the DAW to mono, the dual XLR’s are for the stereo guitar effect, cheers!
I have a voxac15c1 could someone help me ?i cant find the speaker input thing
Hi Derek. This is a great video and the answers to the comments helped a lot in understanding this as well. I have one question specific to my amp that I didn’t see in the comments already. I use a Supro Royale 2x12 combo tube amp. With it having two speaker cables and the Captor having one input, do I need to use a Y splitter to run both speakers into the Captor or do I just run one? And if one, does it matter which? Thanks so much!
Thanks for the comment! I’m imagining you’ll need a Y splitter and I say that because of the OHM rating over both speakers needs to be balanced, could be wrong though, plus you’ll be able to use both speakers that way as you’d attenuate the amp and still have both speakers working, maybe someone has more experience, thanks!
Thanks for the advice - much appreciated.
Thanks Derek for this nice tutorial! one questions i notice a difference when hearing my amp through the Torpedo headphones as while playing through the DAW and then studio monitors. How did you capture/record that sound coming from the headphones? it sounds great!
Thanks for the comment! I didn’t actually capture a headphone sound, it’s not really possible to do it well, thanks for watching!
The Hot Rod Deluxe is definitely a loud amp and I would never find myself making use out of all that wattage, but other than that the amp checks a lot of boxes for me.
Would it feel lika a waste to buy the amp only to be attenuated via my Captor all of the time when using the amps internal speaker? Or would a similar amp only lower wattage be a better fit so that I can get a unattenuated sound when playing in the room having me only use the captor for the occasional silent playing/recording? The problem then being that the other pedal friendly, lower than 40 watt Fender amps like the 65 Deluxe Reverb bumps up the price by a lot, maybe the 65 Princeton Reverb would be a good fit, hoping it can take a some distortion from pedals. The 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb would have been perfect if it wasn't suffering from high levels of noise floor.
I'm at a loss with finding my new amp, it feels like a huge minefield haha.
Oh i hear ya! i went through the same process, but attenuating it with the captor X or indeed the JHS little black amp box has worked perfectly for me, all the captor x does is drive the power tubes but keeps the volume down, you then have the option to unplug the speaker and use speaker/cab emulations, although i only use the original speaker emulation and the creamback 65w which i have installed in the hotrod, the sound to me is fantastic and i can play at bedroom levels, it is indeed a minefield!!! cheers!
Going from EVH amp to Captor X, into Black Lion Revolution 2x2 into Presonus Studio Pro 5. No issues, clipping, etc and love using a real amp with Two Notes IRs. In other words couldn’t be happier. But I’m having an issue with getting a DI signal. I.E. the “armed” track is going into what I want as a DI signal for re amping. Where/what am I not setting up correctly? Many thanks in advance!
Hi Mark, I’m not entirely sure as I don’t use it that way however the only thing I can think of is have you selected the right input in the DAW (I only have 2 outputs on my mackie onyx but am guilty of not selecting the correct input in Logic Pro sometimes)
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thank you so much. I will try to swap the left and right. Basically I have two tracks, one for the amp and one for the DI but both are getting the amps signal as opposed to one “wet” and the other a clean DI
Sorry Derek I did not get the part about to connect what from the ampli to the out of the captor X. Can you explain better to me please. Thanks for the video
Hi Riccardo, yes sure thing, so use a speaker cable to connect the captor x (the red jack) to the amps speaker out jack and plug the amps speaker into the back of the captor x, does that help? cheers!
@@DerekPaulGuitar perfect thanks
Do you need a special cable if the speaker cable is not long enough?
@@MrCanRic No worries Riccardo!
all good thank you but please tune your guitar before demoing! :-)
Thanks for the comment, just me pushing to hard on the strings, bad playing back then (and some tuning issues), i've worked on it though, cheers
Great video. How do you connect the Captor X for attenuation if the combo amp is wired from the amp to the speakers?
Unfortunately it would mean some re-wiring as you’d need to isolate the speaker from the amp, thanks for the kind words!
@@DerekPaulGuitar thanks for replying. Might be something to look in to - could be an easy mod for an amp tech or electrician.
@@pauldennehy8921 no worries, yes for an amp tech e.g. it’s a really easy job
I'd like to know if the attenuator "attenuates" the output signal too much. It would have been better to include an intermediate setting such as -10 or -12 db.
I agree, maybe there was a price point on it that determined what the attenuation options could be, cheers
So I just discovered how glorious the Custom side of my ‘68 Custom Deluxe Reverb is with the volume at 6+. Is this the simplest way to get that sound at comfortable (or even silent levels with headphones) volume? Attenuation has always intimidated me, not least because of the price and my fear that I’ll destroy my tube amp
It’s a great way to get the sound of your amp at lower volumes and even use headphones, plus you can record direct using can simulation if you want to try it :) it’s a winner and won’t ruin your amp
Thanks for reviewing it, Derek. I'm thinking about this captor x and captor. It looks like with this X model, I can bring my VOX AC15 amp tone anywhere and everywhere, as it has the preset function. But the captor doesn't have this feature, it only has GTR, OFF, and BASS selection. Am I right?
Hi Micheal thanks for the kind words, I’m not entirely sure as I haven’t tried the captor, there are plenty of videos on it though, you can certainly bring the sound of the vox speaker and cab sim wherever you go with the x :)
The main difference between a Captor and a Captor X is that the second has digital cab and mic simulations built in. The first only has some not so good analog simulations, but you can use both with IRs in your DAW for recording. With X you can go straight to PA with a good sound, no computer needed. Oh, and you have an additional level of attenuation in the X.
That being said I wouldn’t look at any of those if my budget (even stretched) would allow for an OX, it’s just so much better. But most of the reviews won’t tell you that, because the reviewers want to keep good relations with distributors and such. 😉
@@gitarowydominik Thank you Dominik, That's what I want. As sometimes there's only the PA system in the room and I need a box that allows me to connect with PA directly. That's the function I need. So I can guitar - pedalboard - captor X - DI or no DI - PA system - Room speaker
@@michaelhe755 Captor X wont’t work with signal directly from your pedalboard, it requires the signal that normally would go out of your amp to the speaker cabinet. It replaces the cabinet, but amp is still needed. If you want to replace the amp with something on your pedalboard, something like Strymon Iridium could do that. But then you won’t need Captor X, also ot won’t sound as good as an amp in my opinion.
@@gitarowydominik I see. If that room has an amp I can always use a mic, and then to the PA system. But I still need this Captor for home recording silently with my VOX AC15 amp. (I already bought it). Thank you!
Can you come straight out of the 2 Captor x XLR outputs, into 2 XLR inputs of a mixer board, then thru the AI to get true stereo into your DAW?
The two XLR’s in the captor x will be in stereo if the effect you are using is in stereo, for example a reverb, if that helps
How do I connect the 16 ohm captor to a focusrite daw through my combo amp ? Do I connect combo amp speaker to red input on captor, then xlr direct to daw and pc? New to this and don't want to blow up my amp (currently only using the captor as an attenuator)
You’re doing it right! As long as the amp has a speaker load (the red input on the captor X) then as you say… XLR out to the focusrite to record (or stereo XLR outs to the focusrite) cheers
Hi and thanks for your time. I have a question about the connection to the sound card. I'm using Cubase and I'm trying to understand when you connect the Torpedo to the card, you connect everything in stereo, so I have to connect to two separate channels? How to do it exactly
Thanks for watching! You’ll need 2 x XLR cables from the back of the captor x into channels 1 and 2 of your sound card or audio interface, it’s an easy as that, cheers!
@@DerekPaulGuitar thank you my friend I am very confused between the ox and Torpedo x, what I understood is that the ox has a lot of disconnections and sometimes a problem connecting. And even when working with it, you can't access RUclips
I’m not sure about the connection problems with the OX but I’ve heard it has better reverbs although I’ve never tried it, I never had a problem with the Captor X though, thanks!
Hey I just bought the Captor and it arrived yesterday. Running the Captor into my headphones or my speakers... the sounds are incredible. However when I ran an XLR into my interface, I am having trouble with the following 1) I can't avoid clipping 2) I can't access the reverb sound design that I know the presets are able to create. It's almost as if the captor is doing nothing to "tame" the output of my amp head before reaching the interface. How did you get the interface connected properly and the recording process set up?
Secondarily, I'm interested in the midi feature on the captor but I know nothing about it and have seen zero videos online about this.
Hi man, I had the same issue, the captor x output is really hot so I had to turn down the volume quite a bit on my interface, to around 3 (out of 10), and then I have the output on the front to about 12 o’clock, secondly you can get the torpedo app for your phone and Bluetooth it to the captor x, that’ll give you the reverb and twin tracker options, that’s how I use it, with regards to midi it’s not something I’ll ever use so I’m not sure, hope that helps, cheers
Good video! Thanks. I don't suppose the cab sims play though the headphones....
Thanks! And yes they do 👍
hi there. I just want to make sure I can use this for my VOX AC30 CC2. Can I plug this into an external speaker out on the back using a speaker cable? There's an option to set the amp to 8Ohms. I have the torpedo 8, so will this also be fine or should the torpedo 16 be a better choice? thanks!
Thanks for the comment, I only know to plug the speaker out into the captor x, not sure if the speaker extension jack will do it, and I think the 8 will be fine if you can switch the amp, sorry I couldn’t answer better as my experience with it it’s limited to the Fender hot rod, although two notes support is pretty decent, cheers!
Hi, I just received my Captor X and was trying to use it on my new Victory Copper amp combo, and I hear nothing from my headphones. I followed their/your instructions and nothing. The sound still comes out of my. amp instead of my headphones :(
Hmmm should work perfectly, the only thing I can think of is the phones level knob on the front? Hope you solve it as it’s a great feature
Can you use the Captor X from XLR’s into powered FRFR speakers?
Yes I don’t see why not, cheers
Is it possible to record with the Torpedo captor while the amp is attenuated?
Yes absolutely! it's perfect for that
Can you connect headphones TRS output into mixer?
Yes there’s a headphone socket on the front and it has 2 XLR outs on the back to go to an interface or mixer
Does the Captor X do amp sims or just cab sims?
Just cab sims, but the software for the PC also has mic placement
Hey Derek,
Great video mate!
Question - Which Captor X should i buy for a Bassbreaker 30R? the 8 ohms or the 16?
Also what cables would i require?
Cheers, Lloyd!
Hi Lloyd, you would need the 8ohm version, with regards to cables i would imagine you'll need a speaker cable, something like this (www.daddario.com/products/accessories/cables/speaker/classic-series-speaker-cables/) and maybe a speaker extender to plug the amps speaker into the captor x (although i don't know how long the speaker cable is on that amp) hope that helps and cheers for the comment!
@@DerekPaulGuitar Sweet!! Cheers for the speedy reply! All the best
@@flightopssupportcell1770 no worries man! All the best too
Hey Derek, I'm guessing i wouldn't be able to use a preamp pedal through the Captor X?
@@flightopssupportcell1770 Hmmm good question, i mean i don't see why not, i'm just not sure :)
I have the Fender Hotrod ML. 60 watt. I looked up ohms and tried to figure out which one I need, but I'm hesitant to buy because I'm still not sure. I thought I needed a 4ohm which is not available in the captor x.
I’m using the 8ohm version, but according to fender yours may be 4ohm, have a look here shop.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/vintage-pro-tube/hot-rod-deville-ml-212/2232400000.html cheers!
Yep, I just erased my last sentence after rewatching the video. Thanks.
I'm connecting this without a cab to my interface, but I get some hum from my pig hog xlr to trs cable that goes to the front of my Scarlett 4i4. Should I use xlr to xlr for the captor left output, rather than my XLR from the captor to TRS into the front of my Scarlett? I thought it could be my cable, or I should just buy/use a cable with both xlr ends. I've also read to go xlr captor x to trs line in on the back of the Scarlett. I'm just not sure which might be the most balanced or quiet.
My advice would be XLR out into the Scarlett’s XLR in, I didn’t experience any hum at all, might be worth checking other cables as well, this thing is silent! Cheers
@@DerekPaulGuitarI got my new Pig Hog XLR to XLR connected, and it's so silent, thank you!
Good stuff! Glad you got it sorted! Enjoy!
Hey thanks for the all information, I have still one question. Captor c.a.b sim has aux in which is very handy, what about this one? Can you use Bluetooth for that matter? I want to use headphones and put backing track without using audio interface so.
Thanks for watching! To be honest I’m not sure, it’s not a function that I use
@@DerekPaulGuitar I think it doesn't have, well I'm recording so it will anyway go to the audio interface
Does the speaker in out allow you to apply IRs to your existing speaker cabinet?
If I understand correctly then it doesn’t, the sound you hear from your speaker is that sound, you’ll only apply the IR’s when going out to the audio interface
Hi Derek would you recommend this over the jhs little black amp box pedal?
I have a vox ac15 and a fender blues deville.
Just discovered your channel, awesome stuff. A fellow British youtuber!! 🤟🏼🎸
Nice man! i'll check out your channel! if you want a good sound at lower volumes then the JHS will work fine, if you want full attenuation from the power tubes and to use headphones and a DI in to record with cab IR's then the Captor X, depends on your application, cheers! 🤘
@@DerekPaulGuitar thanks for the sub!
Just literally purchased the jhs now. Will possibly get the two notes in the future. It’s abit pricey.
If I wasn’t currently doing the house up I think I would buy the captor x! 😂
@@JamesWoodGuitar no worries man! You have a good channel there, yeah the captor x is a little pricey, and I’m in the same situation, currently moving house, everything guitar related takes a back seat lol
Hi Derek. Very informative. I've taken the Captor X output USB and connected to my PC to try practicing through Torpedo Remote. It seems to be receiving a signal - albeit very low - but I can't hear an output signal from my computer. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
Hi Joshua, thanks for the comment, as I understand it (and I haven’t tried it as I don’t use it that way) you have to also connect the XLR outs to your audio interface, the USB alone won’t work as for audio as it’s just to control the captor x remotely from your PC or Mac, hope that helps!
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thanks. Total amateur here. I'm reading that Torpedo Remote can't function as a monitor without a dedicated DAW. Ultimately, I'm trying to enjoy my rig at a low volume that's appropriate with two young kids here in a small NYC apartment. And, unfortunately, I find that headphones out from Captor X distorts and compresses sound a lot. I'm hoping playing through an interface (which I'll have to buy), and a DAW (pulling in Captor X simulations) will give me authentic tone at an acceptable volume. But, in your expert opinion, will that work? Or am I just going to keep throwing money at the problem but not really solving it?
@@ArcMan82 ah hang on a second, you can use headphones no problem and it sounds great but have you loaded a cab IR? If you don’t it sounds awful!
@@DerekPaulGuitar I thought I did, but let me play around that way. The store technician (Sweetwater) suggests the sound quality on the headphones should be fine as is. Let me see if I toggle between cab settings if that helps; and if there's no change then perhaps that's indicative of a hardware problem. Can you suggest two good, wildly different cabs so I can run a foolproof experiment? I'm still concerned how low my headphone setting is. I'll try to troubleshoot that too. Thanks.
@@ArcMan82 No worries, mine seems to work fine in headphones so maybe a hardware issue, it has been known according to forums, perhaps try the silverjen, and the brit 650, should be miles apart, the first is a silver face fender and the second a marshall sound, cheers!
Hey Derek -- you mention at 2:20 that "the beauty of the first two connections, is that you can run them both together." Wondering if that could mean that you hear your amp's speaker when no headphones are plugged in, and you only hear the headphones (as I hope they'd override the amp speaker) when they are plugged in? Please say yes?
Ah i see what you mean, the headphones unfortunately wont override the amp's speaker, in order for that to happen you'd have to unplug the speaker from the back of the captor x (or...find or make a little box that allows you to switch the speaker off when using headphones, there must something out there) cheers
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thanks so much for the speedy reply Derek! So if I just pull the plug from the "Speaker Out" input on the Captor, the headphones are the speakers? And if I plug the amp speaker into the "Speaker Out" input, then the amp's speaker is the speaker? Also -- is there no "on or off" switch on the captor itself? Is it just always on, with the fan running???
@@adambluming8569 Absolutely correct! no on off switch you'll have to pull the plug out (or make or find a little switch box) on mine though the fan barely runs ever, it keeps itself nice and cool, i'm running a 40w hotrod deluxe into it at volume 6 if that helps and i run it for about 30 minutes each time to practice, just to give you all the info
@@DerekPaulGuitar Copy that. Thank you Derek!
@@adambluming8569 Happy to help where i can Adam (i had the same questions when i got it and couldn't get the answers)
do i get this right: through the speakers of your combo you hear the original sound of the speakers WITHOUT the cabinet simulation? same as with a halfstack: i could send my signal with the simulation to the PA but hear my speaker behind me without simulation/pure? or other way round: is it also possible to hear the simulated speakersound through my speakers, in a way overwrite the original sound?
You are correct, you hear your original sound through the speaker and the emulation gets sent to the p.a.
@@DerekPaulGuitar thanks alot! so its not possible to hear the simulated sound through my original speaker? and how would you set it up in the rehearsal-room? send it from the captor to the small pa and hear the guitar through those speakers (just like the vocals)? (sorry i‘m a very oldschool/analog guy).
@@rams2702 no worries! It isn’t, but you’d send from the captor x into the p.a. or computer interface to capture the simulated sound, you could of course also mic the amp to blend it afterwards, hope that helps!
Hi Derek, can you get sound out of your monitors when you connect via the XLR at the back of the Captor X? I can't hear anything. Or do you need to have it in your DAW (I use Reaper). I don't see any Two Notes VSTs other than Wall of Sound that I had before but I'm not sure that's what I need. Plus I only have one XLR cable - do I need two and if so do they both plug into my Audio Interface? I only have one XLR in and one DI for guitar in my Audient ID4.
Hi Micheal, I don’t usually monitor using the captor x, I have the amp speaker plugged in, although as I understand it the wall of sound VST is used to monitor the captor x in the DAW (maybe also switch on input monitoring) I use two xlr’s so that I can use the twin tracker function in stereo although if you don’t use it then one xlr will work fine :)
@@DerekPaulGuitar thanks, Derek! Am going to upgrade my Audient ID4 to an ID14 so I have the two XLR ins and give that a shot. Enjoying it so far all the same though. It's amazing what a difference using different IRs can make to the sound of your amp though!
@@michaelggallagher it is great to be able to try different speakers with the amp without taking the amp apart :) I can even use the original speaker again as well if I want to, cheers!
Hi Derek. Thanks for the great video. Just wanted to check on something. The speaker extender cable that you have listed says that it’s mono. Does that make a difference at all?
Hi, yes the speaker cable will be mono, to record in stereo you’ll use the XLRs out to your interface, cheers for the comment and kind words
@@DerekPaulGuitar Is there a shorter, higher end (like Pig Hog?) for the extension cable? Also, the link you provided only has a 6 ft cord for a 3 feet need. Or does that not matter? Thank you! Most informative vid/thread ever on what should be obvious for buyers of the Captor X to get started with our Hot Rod Deluxe :)
Hey Tim, I’m sure there are some good speaker cables out there now (I made the video a few years ago now) I’d say just get what length suits your needs, I.e. I have the captor X on the amp so a shorter cable is great, but if you want it next to your PC or Mac to have it permanently connected to use the software then a longer cable would be needed, cheers!
@@DerekPaulGuitar Wow. Killer response in record time. Thanks!
No worries Tim, thanks for the comments
Hey Derek - if I wanted to run my Captor X directly into Garage Band to record, could I simply do so with the supplied USB? Or would I need an audio interface in between the Captor X and my Mac, like Focusright Scarlett, for example?
Hey Adam, you can run it straight in without the need for an audio interface, Two Notes have free software for that, thanks for the comment!
@@DerekPaulGuitar you mean Wall of Sound? I specifically want to use it to record into Garage Band.
Yes Wall of Sound III You launch Garageband and you open up the plugins/FX button on the particular track you are on.
Then you select WOS-iii from the list of FX/plugins and then you are off and running. Hope that helps
Ok so in order to make the combo connection as attenuator I MUST do it with the extender speaker cable right? If I connect the speaker jack through the speaker output of the amp, won’t work, right? Cause my speaker will be disconnected. What will happen?
You must connect the speaker output of the amp to the captor x, the tube amp must have a load attached or it’ll just damage the output transformer
@@DerekPaulGuitar I did it, but i can do it with an outside speaker cable, OR use the speaker cable coming from the speaker, you know what I'm talking about? It is a combo and the speaker has a tiny cable going to the amp speaker output.
I wonder if those connections are differente. If I connect just the random speaker cable > torpedo ex
or the cable coming from the speaker -> extender cable -> torpedo
@@fbaraky660you have an combo amp: turn off everything. Unplug the speaker cable from the amp. Plug in a new speaker cable going from the output the speaker was to the captor input. Thats it. If you wanna get back into the amp to attenuate it, youll need an extension cable from captor output to your speaker cable you unplugged at the beginning.
So basically the captor sits between amp output and speaker cable
So you plug the guitar in the input jack on the front of the amp as normal?
I've had mine for two weeks but haven't used it yet because I'm not sure how to hook it up. Directions not very helpful, at least for me.
I'm not very tech savvy.
That’s ok, yes guitar into amp as normal, if you need any more help let me know, cheers
Thanks buddy,
Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
@@markbecker8661 Thanks bud! you too
What ohmage should I get?
It depends on the amp that you have.
Derek, I can't get mine connected to my android. I have the app on my phone and it says the ID # is correct.
I get the screens and can move the controls but I can't get the effects. I also get sound through my amp.
Any ideas? I contacted two-notes but they haven't replied.
Hi Mark, hmmm honestly I’m not sure, I’m using an apple phone, are there any forums about for android, sorry your having troubles!
Thanks for getting back to me, I'm not sure either. We'll I'll just have to figure ot out.
Do you have their phone # by any chance?
@@markbecker8661 hi Mark, I haven’t unfortunately, probably start with their website? Cheers and hope you get it sorted
Thankyouu this vid convinced me to get a capture X sometime soon but I still have a few question;
1. The speaker extension cable you linked directs us to a regular guitar extension cord.
I tried googling for speaker extension cables but all that comes up are cables for pc speakers, not for guitar amplifiers.
I feel like the guitar extension is the only option, but wont using guitar extension cord hurt the amp or the cable being used?
Or is this only true for the cable inbetween the preamp and capture x?
2. What headphones do you use with the capture X? Did you need a headphone amplifier with it to get good sound?
3. And do i need an audio interface to record the sound, or would a usb connection to the pc suffice?
It wasnt sure from watching the video if the usb connection was for recording as well or just for setting up and loading IR's only.
No worries and sorry about the link, this is the type of thing I used and it’ll be fine CNE40261 25 Feet, 1/4-Inch Mono Extension Cable, 1/4 Male to 1/4 Female a.co/d/ayt7mlQ also I use either a cheap pair of headphones or my AHTM50’s they both gives great sound and you don’t need a headphone preamp, you will though need a recording interface as the USB connection is just to use the two notes software for the captor x, hope that helps :)
@@DerekPaulGuitar Oh tysm for the fast reply and answering my questions!
@@LozenMSC Absolutely no problem at all, cheers!
If I just want to run it as an attenuator on my prs sanzera 20w do I run it out of prs into captor then out of captor back into the prs?
Should’ve just watch further in the video. This is what you mean at 2:10 right?
Hi, I'm having trouble with which ohm version of the captor X to purchase. I have a Blackstar HT5R Combo amp and a Marshall SV20C Studio Vintage combo amp. For both the speaker cable is running into the 16 ohm jack. Am I correct in thinking that to use the Captor X as an attenuator for these amps I'll need the 16 ohm version?
Hi according to Marshalls site and Google both Amps are switchable between 8 and 16ohms, but if both amps are running into the 16ohm jack then it’s probably safe to say the 16ohm version will work for you, cheers!
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thanks for the fast response. Great video and much appreciated!
@@Skipray_Blastboat Hi... I know this is 7 months down the track, but I was thinking of this for my Marshall SV20C.
Did you end up getting the 16ohm version (that's what I figured was required) & how do you find it as an attenuator?
Any help here would be appreciated. 👍
Cheers.
So just your head into the carport x into your guitar which is hooked into your PC?
Guitar into the head, head into captor x (using it as a speaker load and cab sim), captor x into audio interface, audio interface into PC :)
@@DerekPaulGuitar oh ok, so you do still need an audio interface to record
@@Bryce_Miller711 hi Bryce, yes you would still need it, cheers
@@DerekPaulGuitar Ok, thanks for taking the time!
@@Bryce_Miller711 no problem at all!
For a Blues Deluxe is the process the same ?
Thanks
Hi, yes it would be the same process, cheers!
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thank you
I had a Vox Ac15 that had to be slightly moded to work with the Captor
Apparently the Hot Rod line is slightly different connection
Thanks again 👍
@@marcoamelio9680 No worries man! thanks again 👍
How do I connect my Captor x to an Behringer XR16
Amp connected to captor x, XLR’s out of the captor x straight into the mixer, is that what you meant?
@@DerekPaulGuitar Hi thanks for Replying. Yes Amp direct into my xr16
@@usyid66 Ah good stuff, then XLR's from the Captor x straight into the XR16 will work
How did you turn twin tracker off? I can't seem to bipass the presets.
I use the two notes app on my phone and there’s a button called ‘twin tracker’ on one of the screens.
@@DerekPaulGuitar I was having trouble with my phone app version. Once I got it on the lap top I figured it out. I am noticing a lot of unwanted line level distortion. I'm running a 50wt amp. I put the captor on low input setting and backed off all the levels in the virtual control room yet still get clipping even on a clean amp setting with volume rolled off. I'm using ear buds with an adaptor, do you think that's the problem? This is temporary, I'm just trying to figure out which phones to get.
@@willdenham oh I’m not sure, to be honest I just use it in its basic form to attenuate the amp and record it using the XLR’s out to my interface, other than that I may use the twin tracker occasionally, I don’t really use the software at all.
@@DerekPaulGuitar Hey Derek, Any recommendations on headphones for the captor? I am really starting from scratch here and the selection is endless as well as confusing. Whoops, just noticed we talked about this. How about just headphones you use with your computer studio setup?
@@willdenham no problem, I use two pairs, one is just a cheap pair that has some bass for general listening, and I use the ATH M50’s for mixing as they have a flat response, to be honest unless your a pro, mixing tracks the. I would just chose headphones that sound good to you :)
I just bought one. Do I need an audio interface to just go direct from amp head to headphones and bluetooth the device options on my phone or laptop?
You can just use it with headphones if you wish, but to record you'll need an audio interface.
@@DerekPaulGuitar Thanks, and I can control mic/cab setups through app or usb connect?
@@willdenham yes that’s correct, the software is connected and controlled via the USB
@@DerekPaulGuitar Sorry, one more question, do you think it'd OK to run an old Fender that wants 4ohms into an 8ohm Captor?
@@willdenham that’s ok, now that question I’m not sure, might have to Google that one, cheers
The tone loses so much when using Captor X unfortunately. It was really surprising for me to compare Captor X with an OX. I know the OX is twice as expensive, but it’s much more than 2x better in terms of recorded tone.
So for all of you tone chasers and quiet recording fans, I encourage you to try an OX, you will be amazed!
Thanks Dominik I don’t find that to be the case (in my experience) thanks for the input though, cheers
@@DerekPaulGuitar Did you compare those two units or do you mean Captor X sounds good to you by trying just that one unit without a direct comparison?
I mean the comparison between my hot rod amp with a cream back speaker vs the captor x emulation of it, no experience with the ox, cheers
@@DerekPaulGuitar Oh, gotcha. I can hear the recognizable thin sound of Captor X in your video when you compare Captor X IR with a miked cab. It’s something that can be dialed out to some extent with EQ in postprocessing, but even then it never sounds as good as even a simple SM57 in front of a cab.
And to beat the sound of the OX one needs much more than a single SM57 in an average room. 😉 It’s that good.
I am familiar with the sound of Captor X, SM57 and the OX, as we have been doing direct comparisons with different amps and guitars in our guitar group between those 3 methods. And Captor X sounds thin unfortunately, even with all those options in the software. And OX sounds great when recorded. The stereo room mikes in the OX simulations are awesome. The only drawback of the OX is that it only has a few level of attenuation for playing with a cab and that it changes the tone with a cab slightly. But it only affects live playing when one uses it for attenuation.
We tried to like the Captor X, worked hard to find some usable tones, it just didn’t work.
But I’m happy to hear you’re satisfied with the sound of recordings via Captor X. If it works for you, that’s great!
BTW A great decision to replace the A-Type with that Creamback! I watched the video with tonal comparisons and I like the Creamback sound much more.
great video, Derek. I have a question for you. I use Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV in my bedroom and it's very loud amp. If I want to make it sound quieter trough the sepaker cab, which one would you recomend me? The JHS Little Black Amp or Torpedo Cab 8? I only need it to run the amp trough speaker cab, not recording direct into audio interface. My important points are: 1. tone. 2. ability to reduce volume. Thanks for advance
Hi, thanks for the comment, I would say that the JHS little black amp box gave me 90% of the tone of the amp at a bedroom level when I was using it and it costs so much less, the captor x gives me the tone of the power amp as well for recording, it really depends on whether the sound from the power tubes will matter to you, maybe try the jhs first? You can also run as eq pedal flat through the effects loop and use the volume control on it to give you the same result to try it out :)