3 Thoughts on the UA Ox and Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander That YouTubers Aren't Talking About

[@MarkCoffin]

I purchased the Waza TAE. I don't use the speaker sims when it is hooked up to my stack, only slight reverb and delay if needed. It sounds crystal clear and doesn't color my amp sound at all. That said, I had issues with it right out of the box BECAUSE the amp sims were all already engaged in the presets, plus I was using a Marshall 4x12. Once I turned off the speaker sim it was gold and my 4x12 sounded like it should. Recording direct with it is also gold if you use the right IR's and software. I've never owned an OX but my Waza TAE is everything I need and then some.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Sound like you're talking mostly about the attenuation/reamping feature in the TAE. That's not something I was addressing in this video. My understanding is that it does work pretty well, just beware with certain amps. Also, I don't think the TAE has amp sims; it has cabinet/speaker sims (which obviously you would not want to use if you're running out of the TAE into a real cabinet. You'd just want to use the dry line out). I'm glad it's working out for you though!

[@zlahan88]

many better amp and cab sims out there to use with. Connectivity and functionality are the key to me

[@tonyz4292]

Appreciate the vibe that comes off as being a straight up honest review and not just another review that’s basically a demo that wit no insight

[@cardbored_]

100% agree and thought the same thing. Everyone seems to focus on features but to me less is more. Sound quality is the most important aspect to me, features are great but if they take away from the sound quality then they’re pointless.

[@rogusratus]

Some interesting observations there. I did wonder which to try a few years back and went with the TAE. The TAE has been brilliant for my home studio with a full amp and complex effects system. Among other things I use it with a JVMHJS full stack, Boss ES8 (with Morningstar ML5 for more loops) and crucially an Eventide H90. I can put any part of the H90 after the JVM power amp so I can decide exactly where delays go and then the TAE provides re-amping to the speakers. I doubted this would work but it just does. When I bought the TAE I wasted money on the foot controller and tried to integrate the TAE effects. When the H90 arrived I realised what a waste of time that was. As for the effects loop on the TAE, I never saw the point of that at all so have never tried it. All I know is that after some years of trying crude attenuators and or having my master volume at near 0 I have been enjoying my set up for several years without thinking about the TAE being there (other than turning it on/off).

[@MrDomPolito]

Thanks for the video. I own both the Waza and the Ox. I bought the Ox first and thought it was great. I started also using it in the studio. At first I seemed to get some pretty good sounds. There are so many options, like the Waza that I found myself losing on the creativity side. When I had gone back to some older recording of my amps and compared the Ox recordings I wasn't liking it as much anymore. I suppose like anything I was getting used to the Ox at home so much so that one day I went something just doesn't sound right. I disconnected and wasn't able to fully crank it but all the clarity, response and shimmer all came back. I feel that the Ox does change your tone at least that's what I noticed on my 68 Plexi. Don't get me wrong the Waza does too. But I was able to tweak with the Waza. I also like the fact that I can get delay on amps that have no effects like reverb etc. The footswitch is great, nice and simple. For live I setup 1 dry channel a slapjack channel and a lead boost channel. That's all I need. I'm really considering selling my Ox now and when I found out about the possibility of no support made that feeling much stronger. I've never tried the loop in the Waza, I sometimes use the attenuator and run the amp clean with a slight bit of dirt then run pedals. The one thing to me that beats the Ox over anything is the Waza's variable volume control. It's really too bad the Ox wasn't like that. I can get bedroom volumes and anything above. The Ox has a rotary switch that drives me mad, because the first selection is too low and the next one is way too loud. So that variable volume to me is amazing. I can still Eq the Waza to make my amp sound great. I'm not sure these days about the Ox, I wanted to love it but believe it too changes the sound of my amp enough that I would want to sell it. My 2 cents. Oops the other thing I forgot to mention is I was doing a show with 2 4X12 Cabinets, the waza has that capacity but the Ox only has 1 speaker out.

[@NavneetKash]

This is the video I was searching for. The real thing.

[@KelsterVonShredster]

Very accurate review...I've owned both and agree with everything you said!

[@phishfacemountian]

Thank you. Very insightful and useful information.

[@mannyhoward2353]

Excellent info, thanks for posting this up. Oh.. and that custom is gorgeous .

[@gfkeenan4]

I really like that you're the first video that focuses on sound quality, however i think your focusing on tone vs sound quality. The waza, in my opinion after having an Ox and a torpedo captor x, the waza sounds best. It deals with the low end much better, doesnt turn into a fizzy mess and deals with the high end better. The Ox I was always having to out extreme EQs on it. The waza only needs subtle EQs. The fx loop sounds like a buffer issue vs its actual loop.

[@thesandman775]

Honestly, sounds like you've gotten a subpar Waza unit. I've personally used it live in a lot of scenarios and haven't experienced any noise issues with it. The bad initial tone is puzzling, as well. Out of box, at least in person, i found that it was very easy to find a "rig" sound that i really liked, in conjunction with the transformative reactive load. Lots of options without needing to spend a dime.

[@Gbhbbgvsbnjhhdchhb]

Thanks Mike! We need more discussions like this. I am primarily a Live player, not yet doing studio as I'm in building phase. I have a Vox AC10 SRT 10 watt amp which sounds incredible but not cutting through a band mix Live. My interest in the Waza would be purely to boost the amp from 10 to 50W. I'm not intererested in Effects Loops or Effects as I have my own that sit on a pedal board. You mentioned noises from the Waza..... given that I'm purely using it to boost a low wattage amp, what would be your take on utilising the Waza for that situation? Your input is valuable by the way, and much appreciated. Boss want a lot of money and shortchanging their customers. Or at least those who know and desire tone. I see from below that UA are discontinuing the Ox which is also not great news.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Hey there - Good questions. So just one thing to remember: the TAE has a SOLID STATE 100w power amp. It's definitely loud but not LOUD. Your 10w tube amp is probably about as loud as the 100w solid state power amp. So I don't think you'll accomplish what you're looking to do with the TAE. I'd suggest using a Fryette Power Station 100 for the purpose you're suggesting. I own one and it's great for live, in-the-room tone and would fit your use case better than the TAE. Regarding the noise from the TAE. Probably the biggest issue I have, which I've discovered over time and didn't mention in this video, is preamp tube feedback. When I use my TAE, I get a lot of preamp tube squeal when I'm close to the amp, TAE, or speaker cabinet. (It does this with all guitars.) It's pretty annoying but not unbearable. The noise I was describing in this video is effects loop related. The grounding switches help, but it's just a very noisy loop made worse by the poor transparency. I prefer just adding the effects in the TAE software and not using the loop. Bummer because it's one of the main features of the unit. (Note: The Fryette also has a loop, which is much better.) I don't know about UA discontinuing the OX. That's just a rumor I saw in one comment on here. That said, they haven't updated it in forever so it's possible they're going to move on.

[@Gbhbbgvsbnjhhdchhb]

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge Mike. You’ve helped me to dodge a bullet. I was all set to buy the Waza. I’ll take a look at the Fryette. Best regards, FX

[@addisoncox102]

Great video! Keep making videos! Very informative and personable! Thanks!

[@wesliggett2454]

Some great thoughts here! I have an OX and have been looking at alternatives since UA is no longer supporting the unit with updates. I’ve send countless emails to UA, but there are still no plans to keep it current. It’s a great unit, but uses about 50% of what is is capable of. Very disappointed with UA for leaving us hanging.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

I didn't know this. That's so sad. Has this actually been confirmed by UA?

[@TomasLineros]

Wow! I was thinking about getting an OX, so it seems it’s not a good idea in 2023. Maybe UA is working on a new product, but It’s very disappointing they are not supporting the unit, leaving all the users with no updates.

[@wesliggett2454]

@@TomasLineros it’s a good sounding unit. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve emailed the company and called as many people as I could only to get the response “the design team does not have any plans to update the unit.”

[@wildmilne]

Thanks. Trying to find a comparison of the boss waza tube amp expander and the fryette ps2 for its reamp/attenuation abilities, can’t seem to find that.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

I could make this! Just give me a couple of days.

[@Daniel-ff3nv]

@@eldoradoguitars6456 just wondering if you have had a chance to do the comparison, Really appreciate your guidance. Great video!!

[@FastRedPonyCar]

I sent the Waza back and I also sent the Torpedo Captor X back. I ended up using a hotplate which will help tame stage volume and then the line out from the hot plate goes into a line 6 stomp HX which has a simple signal path of reverb, delay (switchable), chorus (switchable) and a volume boost (also on a switch) than then goes into one IR or a blend of 2 IR's then out left and right to the house and my floor monitor. I've found that for a fraction of the cost of the waza, I can have switchable FX, tons of IR options (you can get a big pack of ownhammer IR's for $25, not $100's of dollars) and the added flexibility to just switch to a different patch on the Stomp HX if I have an amp failure and just run the guitar into the stomp with a good amp setup, the IR's and then out to the PA. I've taken that a step further and setup our singer's Quad Cortex in a similar way. He's using my Silver Jubilee, a rock crusher attenuator into a 2x12 cab and also out to a similar signal path in his Quad cortex but he's also running his vocal mic through another signal path in the quad cortex and has a 3rd signal path that he switches on when he grabs his acoustic. Hugely flexible.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Hey there, glad you're happy with the setup you're running. What you're describing is definitely more of a live setup than a home studio or recording setup. I agree that in that case, what you're doing makes sense. However, a lot of people aren't going to want to set up that kind of multi-piece rig and would rather have one box that does it all for live use. If that's the case, as I said in the video, I recommend the Waza TAE. The UA OX is not very practical for live use. Regarding IRs - This is a very touchy subject as different people like different IRs for different reasons. Personally, I like the Celestion IRs, and sometimes I prefer the "bright" Celestion IRs. I also feel like there are a ton of IRs out there, many of which don't sound very good. I think many people would rather have fewer amp simulation options that all sound very good rather than hundreds of IRs of which only a handful actually get used. That's the use case for the way Boss and UA have set up their units.

[@FastRedPonyCar]

Update…I sold my axe fx iii as I was only using a fraction of its power and only tried to dial it in to sound like amps I already own. I got another captor and have been enjoying it but I’ve run out of patience with its lack of routing options and can’t do true stereo panning with the mics. I got another Waza TAE on the way. I’m 100% live with my playing so the outputs, built in effects and stuff are the big selling point. Initially I thought it was too expensive for “just a load box” but after hitting limits with the others, the extra features are worth the price.

[@scottpeters4401]

IR’s make a huge difference…but I agree,the OX sounds great,and the stereo room mics are just next level….the Plate reverb is amazing too……my biggest problem with the OX is that the reactive load curve is based on a 1x12 cab,so the curve looks nothing like a real 4x12 cab…..I personally didn’t notice the loop problem on my TAE…it sounded fine to me….I agree the FX in the TAE are anywhere near the quality of the OX…I had both units for awhile,but I ended up selling both and getting a Fryette PS100….I then use the Line out to send my amp into an AxeFXIII for FX and IR’s……I would like to see an updated version of the OX with a more realistic reactive curve,and I absolutely hated the attenuator on the OX….great review though..

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Great point, Scott. I definitely prefer the reactive load in the TAE. Also, you're right that the TAE will only be as good as the IRs you have. I still like my TAE, and use it regularly because of those features and the live-friendly features. But overall, if I could only keep one, it would be the OX for me.

[@montelab2334]

i am thinking to do the same of you. How do you fell with PS100 DI ? is it good to record in the daw with IR ?

[@scottpeters4401]

@@montelab2334 The PS100 is great…but if you are just looking for a simple load box,the Suhr Reactive Load or the Fractal X-Load are both great….affordable,and they sound and feel great to play thru….

[@heythere6983]

I was looking into the suhr but the suhr is only 8 ohms, right?

[@0megalul309]

the ua reactive load doesn't even resemble any cab

[@davidkrystal9783]

Am I crazy? The boss out of the box half stack 4x12 green back as you put it sounded better than the UAD or the Celestion Impulse Response to me. The other two sounded shrill. I’m on the fence with these two. I’m a big UA/UAD user so it makes perfect sense that they have great effects. I also didn’t hear any of the noise issues you pointed out. Could it be that you have a bad ground at home? Also why would a microwave be on while you’re playing? They don’t give you effect parameters in the waza app? Could you show some examples of the grounding issues. An example of the effects loop as that’s a huge draw for me. Thanks for your review. Would love to hear this stuff addressed.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Hey David - You might not be crazy, perhaps you just prefer the sound of the Waza's out-of-the box cabinets! I'm not doing any sophisticated recording here, it's just my Yeti mic by the Yamaha HS-8 studio monitors, but in the room the IRs sound much better to me. The reason you didn't hear the noise issues is because I spent a lot of time lifting various grounds and re-plugging things into various outlets to resolve the problem as best I could. I can undo what I did and try to make a second video showing what I mean -- it's very apparent, you won't be left wondering. It's also definitely possible that there are bad grounds at this house; I'm a tenant, so not something I can really fix. I'll try to address the effects loop thing at the same time.

[@davidkrystal9783]

@@eldoradoguitars6456 thank you! I really appreciate it. But now I’m a bit confused. That wasn’t a direct recording? You mic’d it?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

@@davidkrystal9783 Correct. This is not a direct recording. This is just coming out of my studio monitors and being recorded in the room with the Yeti. That's why you can hear my pick attack clicking on the strings as I play.

[@davidkrystal9783]

@@eldoradoguitars6456 oh. So no cab involved?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

​@@davidkrystal9783 Correct, no speaker cabinet. That is what I am comparing in this video: the speaker emulations and IRs. This is not comparing their attenuation features into a guitar cabinet. This is comparing their output through an audio interface for recording or onstage in a live context for FOH.

[@tanvarma4169]

Hey man, what would you recommend for a Diezel VH2? I notice mine sounds better with the master cranked and preamp low. But was wondering if I could get a better sound by cranking preamp as well and attenuating. Power tube distortion comes through nicely I feel.. But might be a waste of money to buy one

[@Skoora]

If you’re using the XLR’s out to an interface, then DAW, do you get actual stereo delay and chorus with the Waza?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Yes

[@TheD33pthawt]

Liked and subbed. I have been using my OX with a Digitech FS3X 3-button foot switch to control FX for a year now. You can assign the functions of the foot switch in the OX iOS software. I considered the Boss unit for a bit but settled on the UA OX and I love it. I use mine with my Two-Rock Classic Reverb Signature or my Mesa-Boogie Mark V which both have effects loops built in as well, but the UA effects sound so good I wish I could use them with my actual speaker cabinet but UA doesn’t allow that “yet” so I use them anytime I’m running into my interface.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

I'm hoping for an OX firmware update before the end of the year that addresses some of the footswitching, and hopefully adds some speaker cabinets like a G12M-65.

[@benallmark9671]

Has there been any firmware updates lately ?

[@KenKuroGuitar]

For someone who does not have an attenuator yet, and who is not even familiar with using an attenuator at all -- assume there is no need for the effects loop or other built in effects on the Boss, and assume there is no difference in cost or for the IR's -- would you still suggest the Ox is the better choice? Or would it be more of a toss up?

[@nikokatiedax9467]

Great video . Totally agree about everything. Which unit is your preference on “attenuator “ or playing with the cab? I have all major 3 units ( TAE , Ox and PS-100). PS-100 is by far my favorite.

[@heythere6983]

Don’t you find the ps changing the tone a bit since it uses 6v6 tubes I believe . This is I’m undecided , I figure it has to, by default, change the tone unless my amp uses the same tubes as it. I also want an attenuator and have considered the waza. I just wonder it’s feel, I have heard people say it doesn’t change the sound in person . And being able to use 3rs part irs seem useful to me. I was on the ox forums and it seems they have no intention on expanding or upgrading any of their features anytime soon despite it being out for years . Sounds limiting . Ontop of the fact you need WiFi to use it. Uad themselves said they have no plans to do anything with it

[@nikokatiedax9467]

@@heythere6983 I literally went crazy with these load boxes. My main amps are Z Wreck and vintage 1959 100w. Both can’t be used without attenuator in my home lol . Waza sound good but I think Fryette sounds better . At least PS-100 is def better at preserving original tone. Yes it might add hair of tube harmonics and compression but it’s absolutely best at the keeping the feel of the amp. For me the feel it’s all about. Plus you can’t really AB since the volume change perception of the tone. Simple fact that guitar gurus like Pete Thorn, Dave Friedman, George Metropoulos are all big Fryette advocates. I guess if I were using high gain modern amps Waza would be fine. With Old Marshall I woundnt dare plug them in TAE

[@nikokatiedax9467]

@@heythere6983 plus Fryette loop is amazing IMHO and unit is dead quite in my basement. Considering I’m running vintage 1959 with everything on 10 . Even more so I prefer PS-100 DI to Fractal Axe FX 3 speaker sim vs OX . If I didn’t had Fractal and had to use 3rd party IR loaders I would prefer Ox for DI .

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

The OX is definitely not the best attenuator if you're looking to use a cabinet live in the room. The Fryette Power Station 100 is absolutely, hands down, the best for that. I have two that I use. Great unit.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

@@heythere6983 No. It's totally transparent. I get where your head is at but the 6550 tubes have almost zero impact on the tone. The Fryette Power Station is simply as good as it gets for in the room attenuation.

[@metroecco7908]

God this is such a great video!!!

[@veerchasm1]

Thanks for saving me $$$ on buying a Waza

[@jdiesel9048]

I hope Boss adds a Noise Gate. That should be very easy.

[@lastcaress83]

Thanks for the review, very informative. May want to work on the smacking, tho…

[@BaronsDuju]

Which one would you recommend for simple attenuation going into a 4x12? I need to play at roughly television volume but want to keep using my cab.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Of these two? The TAE. But the best choice for that use case is the Fryette Power Station 100

[@BaronsDuju]

@@eldoradoguitars6456 thanks heaps! Although I heard at that low volume the fan can become annoying? Not in your experience?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

@@BaronsDuju Overblown - not an issue

[@EJH-jn6mo]

Here’s my biggest perceived gap with the OX (and I haven’t tried because of this): there is no FX loop so unlike the Waza I can add pedals/multi FX units when playing through my cab. Is there any way the Ox could do this that I’m not aware of?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Hi Ed - Unfortunately there's no effects loop in the OX. There is one in the Waza, but IMO it's not very good. You lose a lot of tone in that loop. Your sound will become a bit thinner and airier when you use it.

[@EJH-jn6mo]

@@eldoradoguitars6456 IMO my guitar tone sounds pretty full through the Waza but to each his/her own.

[@nickkellie]

Thanks for this

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

You're welcome Nick! Thanks for leaving a comment.

[@nickkellie]

I was considering the boss for recording my boogie mark 2 amp and loved the idea of the effects loop but think I’ll just go with something else for home recording (kemper or axe fx)

[@GreggStallingsProject]

I am thinking of getting a Marshall Studio Classic but - it's not hoing to be enough gor live performance. What do you think of the Waza just for the watts?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Hey Greg - The Waza reamps your guitar signal using a 100w RMS solid state power amp. I am not sure it will be significantly louder than the 20 tube watts from the Marshall Studio Classic. I don't know the volume level of the Studio Classics but my '86 50w JCM 800 is the loudest amp I own. In fact, it's louder than the other 100w amps I own. You might try to see if the Studio Classic is loud enough on its own before buying more equipment. You could also consider just buying a full powered JCM 800. Otherwise, I'd consider something like the Fryette Power Station that has a louder tube amp for reamping your signal.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Also, keep in mind that by using the Waza the goal is to let you crank your amp while keeping the volume down, then send that signal to FOH (front of house). The cabinet on stage then just becomes a monitor for you. So realistically, you don't need your amp to be super loud on stage. The 100w RMS is more than enough for that purpose. Most of your "volume" is going to come from the PA because that's where you're sending your signal to be mixed by the sound engineer. I know you said you want it for the reamping watts alone, but just saying that at most gigs with a Marshall Studio Classic, a Waza, and a 2x12 I think you're going to be pretty set.

[@jimbradley1155]

Remove a message in messenger

[@Bigslick440]

Can the ox simulate a double track when recording? One more question when using the stereo room mics does the guitar sound stereo if I was using the spdif output to my apollo twin?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

No it cannot simulate a double track. Yes, it is stereo with the digital out to your UA interface. You can pan the mics however you'd like and the effects are also stereo.

[@5150show]

Love my ox

[@ShineDawg]

3rd sub, nice gear. A Marshall man. I'm on the fence, I was leaning Boss til I saw this....

[@llwonder]

I have no desire to use this for live use. I’m a guitarist who needs an attenuator for baby friendly volume. I do a lot of recording. I was thinking of UA box, now that you point out a lot of things. I was either gonna buy an ox or go full modeling to reduce volume, but I think going modeling would feel sad compared to having analog tech

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

If you have no desire for live use and you do a lot of recording, then the OX is going to be better for you. Run your amp into the back of the OX, then run a digital audio cable from the OX to your recording interface. You'll be able to crank your amp's master volume as high as you'd like into the OX to get great tube sound, while controlling the overall volume of the signal with your recording interface and/or DAW and/or the OX software. Obviously you can also use headphones out of the front of the OX or out of your recording interface if it has a headphone out.

[@AxeRocker88]

I’ve had the Ox for about two weeks and I’m NEVER going back to modeling…….EVER! The Ox is that good. What was surprising to me is that I, actually, prefer the effects of Overloud TH-U more than the UAd effects……which are tremendous. I’m like the poster of the video, the Ox will have you playing for hours!

[@lionPGF]

Torpedo captor x

[@omarsiregar]

How does the waza TAE sound after you tweak it to the max? Cant it compete the ox sound quality? (after tweak to the max too of course)

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Yes, it can, but you'll have to buy or supply your own IRs. In my opinion, the cab and mic simulations that come with the Waza cannot compete with the cab and mic simulations that come with the Ox, no matter the tweaking.

[@detlevski]

To be honest I think this video is rubbish. I have a TAE and found the tone wonderfull out of the box with the classic (Greenbacks), but I have read more of this corksniffing crap and bought the greenback IR's for 29 euro from ML Sound Lab, and loaded them in the TAE and compared both. I am playing a Strat and SV20 and the difference between the Boss GB IR's and the ML Sound Lab is hard to hear. So I don't understand his "out of the box" tone. Furthermore the effects loop can never be working good because the sound already passed the distorting power amp. That's just how it works. The reverb is not al that great but I always use my Neunaber Immerse, you cannot beat the Immerse. But if you want a great attenuator buy the TAE.

[@danpetersonmusic]

What exactly are we hearing here? It sounds as if the guitar (with both units) is coming out of monitors which are then being picked up by a microphone. Neither of these units sound like this when run direct even with the stock IRs. What we should be hearing is something that sounds present and full and instead it sounds like there is either some phase cancellation or comb filtering or both.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Hi Dan - In some other comments that maybe you missed, I explained that this is not a DAW recording. This is simply an in-the-room audio coming out of my studio monitors. The video is not meant to present an A-B comparison of the two units' sound quality (there's plenty of YT videos on that); rather, it's simply to give a few of my own opinions. Cheers!

[@thefam9179]

So the boss doesn’t come with any good sounding i r? Or any that sounds as good as the ox? You have to get those somewhere else?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Correct. The WAZA does not come with any IRs. It comes with "cabinet simulations," which I don't think sound very good. Now, that's not to say cabinet simulations are bad. The ones in the OX sound great. But if you have a WAZA and want IRs, you have to buy your own.

[@thomasfokas]

Boss does suck out of the box. You need to load 32 of your favorite Its. TAE is the only box to use live. The Ox doesn't hold a candle and I don't like the creative load or the speaker modeling on the Ox. I also don't know why you claimed that the TAE has only ¼" outs and not XLR outs. Take a look at the back of the unit. Line outs and FOH are both on XLRs. I wish that the TAE had stereo fx return to use as a power amp for my Fractal.

[@hanshol5399]

My thoughts on the Ox vs the Boss Waza TAE...http....this is the big difference

[@Swampster70]

If you had set the reactive load to hi-mid and hi, like it tells you too on the top of the Boss for an old school Marshall - and in the manual too- it would have sounded more like a super lead with a more natural tone. But hey, leave it on a setting that's more suitable for a Fender Champ with a 1x8 speaker and complain that it sounds too mid and blah... ... just sayin'.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Fair enough, but it is on Hi-Mid on both Presence and Resonance in this video. (Which isn't a Fender Champ 1x8 setting, by the way.) IMO, there's not THAT substantial of a difference between Hi-Mid/Hi and High-Mid/Hi-Mid. But you're right that those controls can make a large impact on the sound and are absolutely worth playing around with. I find the recommended settings in the manual are ok, but I usually do tweak them a bit depending on the amp.

[@mrt7476]

This. I have the impression the author of this video hasn’t looked at the manual of the Waza. I own one, and it’s the best piece of gear ever. Straight out of the box.

[@BigDancin]

This review already feels dated, because IRs are used in everything these days, and are by far the best way to find your sound. The fact that the Ox doesn't allow interposing IRs makes it very limiting in this day and age. I am a happy user of the Waza. I am sure the Ox is a great product, but really IRs are essential today, especially as you are switching your amps. Also, I don't have any of the noise problems you are having. There is a loud noise which kicks up if you get your guitar too close to the Waza unit, which also happens with other attenuators like Palmer speaker simulators. But once you step about a foot or two away, that is not an issue (and I don't hang out next to the unit during a show)! The unit is dead quiet for me otherwise. I also disagree with you on the FX - the Waza reverb and delay are top notch as you would expect from Boss. They are using the same effects as are present in the $1,000 GT-1000.

[@koonsickgreen6272]

Great forearm bud.

[@davidfaustino4476]

Did the OX finally get a vintage 30 cab??? 🙄

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Yes, I think a few years ago.

[@hanshol5399]

disagree..they sound both great.....its all in what you prefer...

[@deancarrier123]

so as someone who knows NOTHING about these units and is trying to find out about these things you managed to do what everyone who makes these videos do and that is not tell me anything. So the Ox sounds great alone out of the box? so you plugged you LP into the ox and this sound comes out of the Ox? no other amp involved? no other anything? the guitar plugs into the ox and this sound comes out. what size and kind of speakers are mounted in that ox? I'm not talking about the simulated speakers that live inside some software , I am talking about the speakers that the sound I hear is coming from? and what mic do you have in front of them or it? From other videos I was lead to believe although not actually told that you need an amplifier to go with the ox because it is an excessory to be used with an amp and it wasn't actually an amplifier. I find all the other videos that use the ox with another amplifier never tell me where the sounds I hear in their videos are coming from as what lind of cab with what speakers or how they mic it. They tell me they run their guitar through whatever mystery they have on the floor board into an amp head then into the ox and then the sound is just there apparently. but I guess I know now that the ox has these built in speakers of some sort that produce the sound like in your video. so how loud are these speakers that are built into the ox? I seriously doubt you will read or respond to this comment although I really wish you would because all you guys are constantly making videos on equipment and you never tell what the complete signal chain is ? you guitar running through every peace of gear all the way to the point of sound

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Hi Dean - I think you're a bit confused and perhaps my video made it unintentionally more confusing. I hope I can clarify. Both the OX and the Waza require a regular guitar amp to function. They do nothing on their own without an amp. They also do not have any physical speakers of any kind. You'll have to either use headphones or run the OX or Waza into powered speakers and/or an audio interface to get sound out of it. Cabinets are a bit more complicated. You do not need any physical cabinets to use either unit. You will see in the video that I do not have any physical cabinet in the room. The cabinet is being simulated by each unit, and each unit has very different options for that simulation. There’s also different microphones and room options as well. All that said, you can also use physical speaker cabinets with these units if you choose. The units will attenuate your amp's signal and then feed it into your physical speaker cabinet to make the sound volume more manageable. You are correct that in most videos, the basic signal chain is guitar > mystery floorboard full of pedals > amp > OX/Waza > headphones/studio monitors. That's basically it. For my video, I didn't have any pedals engaged. All the speaker cabinets, mics, effects, etc. were all from the OX and Waza.

The complete chain you’re hearing is:

 Guitar > Friedman BE-100 Deluxe > OX/Waza (See Below) > UA Apollo Twin Quad > Yamaha HS-8 Studio Monitors > Blue Yeti Mic positioned about 1 foot from the HS-8’s 

The OX is the factory default #1 sound: A Marshall 4x12 with Celestion Greenbacks mic’d with a SM57 on-axis, a Royer 121 off-axis. All mic’s panned to center. There is a touch of EQ in the factory default #1 sound that I disabled. The reverb is the “Pristine Clean Room” reverb option in the OX.

 The Waza you’re hearing first is a “Classic 4x12 Stack.” It’s not clear exactly what that is. I believe it’s based on a Celestion Greenback but Boss does not provide additional detail. The mic is a “Dyn57” which I assume is a dynamic SM57. The Reverb is the default Reverb in the Waza. After that, when I switch to the IRs, you’re hearing the IRs that I describe. There are no mics or mic placement on an IR. It’s a static capture software file. You can’t change anything about it. 

Hope that helps!

[@davidfaustino4476]

The Waza has it's own built in interface too.. how do you not know this?

[@rickhuff9030]

I use the USB connection to my Mac/Logic and it is dead silent, no noise whatsoever. Another feature with the TAE is that you can use the line out for effects for either a W/D/W or W/D rig. Again dead silent signal to noise plus, you can use any effect/s you want including UAD. Just pay attention to gain staging.

[@satinwhip]

I have one of those metal shelves to hold all of my amps. Then I bought a Kemper. Then I sold all of my tube amps. Now I just have an empty metal shelf. And tone for days.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Glad you're happy! I had a Kemper a year or so ago and really liked it. Definitely very close to tube amps these days, and only getting closer. IMO, the tone is there but the response and feel is quite different. Anyways, I just like tube amps and think they're cool, and enjoy collecting them. Cheers!

[@npdzster]

Vaya, acabo de comprar el OX porque creía que la función de atenuador era buena, aparte de querer usarlo fuera de la caja, aunque para eso tengo el torpedo live. Me entristece

[@highgainmaster7856]

I have two waza loadbox is better than ox attanuator is better and waza side you hear effects from cabinet but ox only headphones and line out.

[@Mikey-ff9vp]

Tens of thousands of dollars behind you, but the sound of the guitar recorded from a webcam/phone? Why?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Don’t have the time or energy to put into professional audio production

[@davidfaustino4476]

Wut? The TAE loop is great. Theres a little volume loss. The rest is placebo ya bozo. Get better fx.

[@heythere6983]

One thing I saw on some forums explained down to its specs was that the ox has the worst reactive load out of all the popular options out there . I also find it sounds midrangey compared to others out there , compressed , a bit unnatural to me

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

The OX's reactive load is very good, it's just not adjustable like the TAE. It sounds very accurate to a mic'd speaker cabinet. Does it sound like in the room? No, but nothing will. A mic'd speaker cabinet is a different sound than feeling the air move in the room. Always will be.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Also, be aware that when adjusting the TAE to the higher settings on the reactive load, some people have had their amps blow up. John Suhr won't warranty his amps if used in a TAE for this reason. Dave Friedman has also commented on this. Google it and you'll see what I mean.

[@heythere6983]

Thanks for the response, actually I was about to ask you this before seeing you had replied . I saw someone mention to be cautious moving the reactive load settings . I had read on a forum someone mention the ox reactive load could be dangerous since it according to him wasn’t very good And it seems the boss can be tweaked to also be dangerous for the amp too. I gotta look into this more . Idk how I would know what the proper reactive load would even be. I still find out of all the ir load boxes out there the waza seems the most balanced sounding. Whereas I find the ox a bit boxy and then two notes stuff to be more high mid focused . I find they all have different midrangey tones . From what I remember the ox is based off a 1x12 where the waza is more of a 4x12 . I’m honestly mostly interested in an attenuator but at the price of a tone king I could spend a little more and get something like a waza with extra features . But yeah I need to look into the issue with changing the settings, it’s kinda weird that’s even doable considering it can harm the amp.

[@peterm3964]

Buys multiple Marshall heads Realises they are too fuckin loud!!! Buys device to play at low levels Sells marshalls Buys s low wattage head . Happy ever after.

[@Incountry]

Then Kemper knocked on the cabinet door one night….

[@davidfaustino4476]

$100 in IRs??? Lolol 10 bucks my man.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

I was talking about the Celestion IRs that are for sale on their website. Of course you can always find more affordable options if that's too much cash for you.

[@geocmartin6593]

You had to send you Ox in for repairs for a week. That doesn't sound very reasuring.

[@cardbored_]

Why not? Things happen and need repaired, and a week turnaround isn’t bad at all. Good luck getting a Waza repaired at all when you have to ship it off to Malaysia.

[@geocmartin6593]

@@cardbored_ I wasn't talking about the time it took but the fact that he had to ship it back for repairs when the unit was brand new, meaning the quality control at UAD is not that stringent or non existant. I am not as nonchalant as you when brand new units I buy which cost a pretty penny don't work.

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

@@geocmartin6593 I've spoken to other OX owners recently who also had to send their units in for repair/replacement. I agree that the build quality seems a little suspect with the OX. This hasn't been my experience with other UA products. I stand by everything I said in the video, but the OX does seem to have a higher incident rate. That said, they replaced it within a week at no cost to me other than the shipping.

[@geocmartin6593]

​@@eldoradoguitars6456 That's what I was talking about. Not only you have to be without it for a number of days but also had to pay for shipping to have it repaired when it was brand new! Not on. I have an OX myself and while I think it's probably the best loadbox/IR/Cab sim out there, the temperamental wifi only connection for the app, useless USB ports, the lack of XLR DI outs and ground lift make this unit an unfinished product for the price tag in my opinion. So, I love it for studio use but no way I'd trust it for live situations. Thanks for the reply BTW. Cheers.

[@EddieOctober]

Sounds great out of the box you say???? Sounds awful man....that les paul sounds like a 335 for God's sakes. Horrible.....sounds hollow. Lol What a joke

[@EJH-jn6mo]

Here’s my biggest perceived gap with the OX (and I haven’t tried because of this): there is no FX loop so unlike the Waza I can add pedals/multi FX units when playing through my cab. Is there any way the Ox could do this that I’m not aware of?

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

You are correct. There is no effects loop with the Ox. The Waza does have a loop. I personally don't find it to be a very good one. It sucks a lot of tone.

[@XChristianNoirX]

@@eldoradoguitars6456 it sucks so much tone it's useless! Shameful!