Captor X vs UA OX

[@mesaseany]

I use the Bugera PS-1 attenuator an absolutely love it. I use it with my Diezel VH4 and VHX Which are annoyingly loud and you need to make them loud to sound good. I finally Bugera does not really color the sound and in fact it makes the clean channel on the VH4 sounds so much better because you don’t blow your ears out by raising the gain and volume

[@NStuffGuitars]

This is every reason why I love this channel in one video it's amazing

[@m.whitleyacton821]

Most information I’ve had put out there about the process and individual units. Thanks Phil!

[@glaucosouza1971]

I do have the Captor X. The price, the "swiss army knife" nature, the built in effects, stereo imaging, tweakability and compact size did it for me.

[@averyamadeusjacobson2650]

I am running a 100 watt plexi through a a captor x and the fan is going crazy and can hear it going 1 million miles an hour in the room. Any issues?

[@pcanarsky]

"just put comments down below, get it out of your system" Love this free-speaking version of Phil!!

[@eugenevedensky6071]

Was planning for an ox but realized tone King is probably the best attenuator so that’s most suitable. Thank you.

[@slugtoenail]

I just noticed the Ashy Slashy on the shelf. Awesome!! Great video too.

[@rhymeskill]

Wooo! Been waiting for this! I own the Captor X and have been thinking about getting the Ironman II.

[@stoffls]

I got myself the Captor X, after the review of Rhett Schull. What makes it special is, that it is not that clunky as the OX, so I put it into my gigbag and take it to rehearsals. And can get a better sound, as now my guitar is also going through the PA. And yes, it is extremely easy to load your own IRs - like the ones I bought from Celestion, to go with my Vox Amp.

[@richardpierce7819]

Yeah now i understand more about attenuators thanks Phil

[@stevelark9840]

Fryette Power Station is another GREAT option for "attenuation" but has the added feature of taking a low power amp (ie 5watt) and turning it into a 50 watt tube amp. I have the Captor X, Suhr Reactive Load, and the Fryette Power Station. They all serve a purpose.

[@mattmanley7118]

Tone king iron man 2 mini is also a great option

[@thehoppo]

Not to mention line out for silent recording and a really good effects loop!

[@johnou9001]

i also have the suhr and the fryette as well as the boss waza. i had the ox and sold it. all are great but i didn’t need four. :)

[@martinlahaie6012]

Me i have a house in Switzerland, a porshe, a Benz AMG and a wife with big hooters...they all serve a purpose...feeling it man👍

[@heythere6983]

Can someone explain to me what the purpose of attenuation is if you where to record straight into irs into a computer? Isn’t attenuation at that point unnecessary ? I did read someone say something like you can’t attenuate the volume if playing through monitors if your device couldn’t attenuate, this confused me. I’m personally interested in the waza although I have heard moving it’s reactive load switches can lead to amp failure . But yeah that aside , how does attenuation play into recording directly into a load box? Can’t you just set it an ay volume and you’ll be fine anyways? You can’t just adjust the volume on your monitors? Lol

[@tonedragon8616]

This is gonna be very interesting that you Philip for all the great content!

[@dnast01]

What a fantastic video! Been waiting for this. Glad I got my captor X

[@MusicdocMT]

Great demonstration !!! been using the captor X in the studio and live for over a year think it's amazing - great suggestions for alternatives - keep up the great work ☕️🤠👍🏽

[@shook9042]

I own the Captor X. Absolutely love it for he use. Headphones sound amazing and the attenuation and features are great.

[@Bluepilled-c5t]

I have a Friedman Runt 20 and it has a cab sim balanced out built in. Works brilliantly.

[@KleyDeJong]

I have an original non-X Captor. It provides that juicy dynamic load, but it requires I run into an audio interface and apply IRs and effects via plug-ins in my daw. It requires that I do the work and isn't as plug and play, but very affordable and I like having total control.

[@therealcharliebrown]

Thanks for the honest comparison. It helps that you have multiple options and can speak to the best or their applications. It was what I needed to decide to get an 8ohm or 16ohm Captor X (I chose the 8 since I want to use the IR for cab and mic configurations since I have always bought combo amps and have since run out of space in my small home studio. I have all the core recording amps and while some have built-in attenuation (Laney IronHeart IRT 30-112, MesaBoogie Dual Caliber DC-5, EVH 5150 III Iconic, Peavey Bandit 112, Marshall DSL40CR), there are several that just can't be tamed unless there is a resistor-style attenuator (I found simple ones from Donner that work really well) in the FX loop (Peavey Studio PRO 40, Orange Crush PRO 30, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV, Vox AC-30), but then there is the need for 8V power and extra cabling. I have several solid-state combo amps that have built-in modelling (Blackstar ID: CORE 100, Fender Mustang GTX100, and a Boss Katana LE 100 MkII). So this is a way to get years of tone chasing PLUS all the IRs for speaker cabinets, microphones, and placement configurations at a MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE price and smaller foot print. Greatly appreciated.

[@jessejuno5317]

Excellant job, thanks.

[@nedim_guitar]

Very informative video, made things pretty clear about these products. Makes it easier to go down the rabbit hole to find out more.

[@garyjohnson791]

Thank you for doing all the research. Much appreciated.

[@danieltravis5082]

I'm a powerstation guy, so I have no interest in these products, as far as IRs or attenuation. The PS is the best sounding attenuator on the market (by far in my opinion) and I can run a line out into an interface for IRs if I need to. I've owned an ox, captor X, ironman, hotplate, and a million others, and this way works the best for me. Your mileage may vary. That being said, this is an incredibly well done, insightful, and thoughtful video, with great sounds and production. It does a great job of describing the best use-case and pros and cons of all these products, and I appreciate that Phil does videos like this, where he knows its not going to be an algorithm smashing massive hit. Because this is the kind of product information guitar players *need*, whether they want it or not - and youtube is a better place because its out there. Good job, phil.

[@jayp3887]

Yes sir. Dig it.

[@riverstone5994]

Yessss this has been a theory of mine for a while. That you’re better off getting a seperate attenuator. Thanks Phil

[@trushack]

That whole WiFi thing was the biggest hurdle for me with the OX, and it definitely took me a few tries to get all the connectivity sorted out. But once I got it going, man…the honeymoon is still going a couple years later.

[@edgarcesareo7574]

Very educational. Love the video. Thank you Phill

[@loubadabin420]

Yup, you nailed it. Thanks Phillip.....

[@LetsTalkAboutMathRock]

Super useful video! Thank you for taking the time to put it together. Our of curiosity what was the amp you used in the last demonstration? Sounded wonderful!

[@nickagervasi]

Great comparisons. I have a torpedo live and have been debating an attenuator. You just gave me another to look in to. Thanks Phil!

[@oldguy5381]

Good stuff Phill, well worth the time. Thanks!

[@deanoguitarguy2171]

Thank you for this. Food for thought👍🏻

[@n3rdg4m3r]

I have the standard 8ohm Captor Non-X version. It does attenuation at bedroom levels or silent recording flawlessly and for less money.

[@themog4911]

Thank you Phil, that was a really helpful video :)

[@chuckmannewrock4743]

Great breakdown Phil

[@Tronic21]

i love that when i used the captor x just for attenuating you don't have to plug it in and turn it on, it doesn't need to be connected to power and still attenuates so that's cool just for a little quick playing real fast if I want to not have to keep it on or go to the trouble (small trouble I know) of powering it

[@jazzzfer]

Awesome information ! I have both and agree with everything you said

[@therewasascene]

Great info, great 3rd option!

[@damonwalton5153]

Excellent video! Succinct and informative.

[@null2405]

I'm interested in where the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander fits in with these as i think it does a bit of everything these do. Any chance of having a look at it?

[@hairnation68]

@@witchell8976 WAZA doesn’t sound as good as the Ox. There is a video comparing them.

[@shreddyz]

@@witchell8976 Yeah, I like my TAE, and it's certainly got more options than my captor, but I don't know that I'd say either is better or worse sounding? The ability to add an effects loop to my loopless amps and increase the output of my 15W amp is nice though.

[@adam614ce]

@@hairnation68 It really doesn’t I’ve had both, The Ox Box is so much better sounding.

[@prasanthselvadurai3450]

@@adam614ce good thing you can add your own irs to make the waza sound better as more irs get released over time. You can try load irs into the ox, oh wait you can't.

[@adam614ce]

@@prasanthselvadurai3450 No you can use IR’s with OX with a IR Loader. Do some more research, most your info is wrong. You put too much value on others opinions. Try them out for yourself.

[@jerrymckenzie1858]

For recording I use the Suhr Reactive Load IR. It's simple, fast and sounds great.

[@bonedale]

Super helpful vid, thanks

[@pupstop1]

I do a similar thing to feed signal to my audio interface using the original Rivera Rockcrusher and the Mooer Radar and it works great. The Rockcrusher is a reactive load/attenuator and has line out which I run to the Mooer Radar cab simulator, which has IR's and allows you to load your own if you want. While my set up does not have any FX, all that can be added in your DAW. At $550 for the the Rivera and $150 for the Mooer it way less then the OX. YOu can get the Mini Rockcrusher recording which has no attenuation but is a loadbox and is ~ $400. Personally I bought the original Rockcrusher used for $400 (which is a great attenuator) and the Mooer new for $150. Another bonus is the Rockcrusher is not powered so you don't have to plug it in to the wall. Phil used to have a Rockcrusher, not sure why he moved away from it.

[@JamesMartin_music]

I was thinking of something similar. Marshall TSL100 -> Two notes Captor -> Mooer Radar or TN CAB M+ -> DAW. i mean the TN Captor is on sale for $219 which is super cheap. I don't need the effect or attenuator on a Captor x and thats on sale for $500 which is still alot of monmey (silent recording and In Ears).

[@pabcrane]

Thoughtfully done video.

[@scottakam]

Thanks Phil.

[@hawg427]

I went back and forth between the OX and the Captor-X for months. I read many users had trouble with their wireless connection with your iPad, many lost connection. Plus like you stated OX is Twice as much. I got the Captor-X in 8ohm I use my in ears with my Captor and the room sounds sound killer. I love UA products as I own a UA Apollo/Twin. Phil, do a video on how you have all your cables hooked up, hopefully you don't have to pull out your amp head to hookup. My First Attenuator was a Weber 150 Max or something like that, great attenuator at not a high price tag. Great video.

[@Popskull_666]

"Run to the front of your audience" I'm lost. I am still one of those guys that plays just through an amp. Please teach me your magical ways PHIL

[@backlom]

I’ve gone down the TwoNotes path with a Captor 8 + CabM. Works seamlessly!

[@jaimetrejo1722]

I feel that the ox is so huge at times. I used to have one but it always felt like it can be slimmer. They can also improve spdif to something else. Wish Suhr would release an attenuator since they have lodboxes/irs.

[@randycrooks6240]

Great info.

[@PhillipMcKnight]

Hi Randy, thank you for being a member and helping me make content. Hope to see on the Friday live show

[@MacawAviculture]

Hi Phillip another great video! Have you tried the Fryette Power Station PS-2?

[@robert_starling]

Thanks for posting this. I sold my Weber attenuator for the Captor X and regretted it. I replaced that with the UA OX box and am more than thrilled with it. My #1 complaint about the Captor X was that mostly useless two position switch on the back that never takes your amp down to silent without unplugging the cab. The middle position was still too loud and the low position was way too low but not silent. That's just my experience YMMV

[@300spentbrass9]

Another great thing to point out is that the Two-Notes Cab M+ includes a license of their Wall of Sound plugin. So you can come out of the Captor or Ironman direct into your recording interface, and add the cab sim on the back end, for more flexibility when mixing.

[@sephiroth762]

I have a TAE and yes, it does all of these things. There is some talk, however, about the TAE not being safe for all amps. Dave Friedman and John Suhr have been talking about this for awhile. I'm sure it's safe 99% of the time but might be worth checking out if you're going to be running your vintage plexi into a TAE.

[@mattyounis5636]

Great video keep em comming

[@TheGtrjim]

I like using my Milkman The Amp 50 and running it into a cab sim or mic a cab (or both). I also like it because it has become my gigging amp also for shows. For me, it fits all my needs. I really like how we have so many options now to choose from

[@BradPham]

Good explanation.

[@tsiliffe]

i have both the two notes products love them both- easy to use- played a live show with the torpedo- and no issues- i do wish the plug was on the side out of the way - from all the other inputs and where cables would be

[@philfrite5324]

I have an ox, and noticed the lower upper frequencies, so I added more on the amp head and solved the problem. I may well end up with a captor x as well though for flexibility.

[@Stashmanfpv]

Phillip, you’re going to have too adopt me, as you’re costing me a fortune with these new goodies that I MUST HAVE!!! I did however send my Ox Box back and purchased the Captor X, as it fits nicely in my studio and even the attenuator works fantastically with my late 70’s Marshall JMP and it’s Master volume. Sounds terrific and the new DynIR’s are something else… WOW!!! Thanks for another great review and please think about the adoption thing. Best! ✌🏼

[@Holtenstein]

I bought 2 Captor X. I also have 2 Cab M pedals. They sound fantastic. Great stuff. I use UA Apollo and plugins but I still prefer the X

[@Oilid]

Captor X all the way! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

[@5150show]

Love my ox and I love my captor x

[@jakajarc]

Thanks Phil, I've been wondering about these three... I got the NUX cab sim pedal, so all I realy need is the Ironman :)

[@ericbgordon1575]

One attenuator that's no longer being manufactured but I would love your take on all the same, Mr. Mcknight, is the SR&D Power Soak.

[@allakazoo6267]

Am I the only one kind of waiting for an “Ox 2.0” before I purchase 😂

[@wesliggett2454]

So disappointed UA abandoned this unit after we spent all that money. Only one update and no plans to release one. I’ve enjoyed the OX but will be selling to get the x.

[@mranalog241]

@@wesliggett2454 What is the Ox missing that requires an update? It seems pretty far ahead of the Captor in terms of features.

[@wesliggett2454]

@@mranalog241 just more cabs, the ability to buy or expand the collection. Don’t get me wrong you can get some good metal sounds, but nothing along the lines of an uberkab. Captor has more options.

[@dangreving1094]

I just played a blues solo over your comparison backing track. Lol . . Oh, great video, glad to see your still not a company man.

[@arisperperoglou3341]

Got a Captor X, used for £250. Cannot beat that price, works really well. Bonus use at gigs, absolutely fantastic features when connecting to a PA and easy to use. Love it!

[@tomholderness9419]

did you still have to go and buy any software direct from two notes? i've been looking at 2nd hand but don't want to then spend another £100 and it be more expensive that just buying new..

[@arisperperoglou3341]

@@tomholderness9419 I did not have to buy anything. Default cabs were more than enough for me and good to use without the need to spend extra money.

[@AlexDD]

Wll done, Sir!

[@MaMa-lv3xp]

Hmm a Kemper on the shelf 🤔 Is this a new addition Phil?

[@yuliefelice5643]

❤ wish i had seen this video before i bought the two notes

[@MetallicA29]

Great video! What do you think about the Mesa Attenuator?

[@anthonyjmunoz]

Good video! Thanks. On a side note, where did you get those shelves? Thats exactly what I need.

[@kere92]

I had both the Captor X and Ox, but for my use, the OX was way easier to get a good sound via headphones, and there is an on/off switch. You have to fiddle a lot more with the Captor X with settings and lack of physical control. I got rid if the Captor X, and the UA OX price was well worth it.

[@BOATIE141]

Really? The detailed software Wall of Sound didn’t do it for you?

[@ERWebster]

Or just buy a Hughes and Kettner GrandMeister/Tubemeister and get your excellent tube amp, balanced line out, great attenuater, and decent cab sim all in one surprisingly compact unit. Although the cab sim is the weakest link IMO, you can easily turn it off, record DI, and run it through the IR of your choice.

[@NelderGuitar]

Another option is the Tube amp expander. It’s all of these boxes in one. But pricey

[@sduck409]

Having tried all of these, the Boss WAZA tube amp expander is the best one.

[@prasanthselvadurai3450]

Still cheaper than the ox

[@gillamb8669]

That’s cool 🤘👍

[@TheArmchairrocker]

Ox looks like some kind of Radio Shack electronics projects kit.

[@Donald.W.Rissler-ARTS]

Totally has that Heathkit vibe.

[@RonZabrocki]

Can you recommend new ir's for the Captor X? great vid!

[@AndrewSmith-lg8dj]

you can choose direct mics on the ox and then use IRs in your DAW. kind of an annoying workaround but it does work. The only thing I care about is how these sound recorded, I have the ox but im interested in the captor.

[@jelmeromero]

I have the captor and besides the price point after watching review videos the biggest reason was form factor, looks and of course the huge price difference. I liked the idea of being able to load ir's. Also, my desk space is limited and I love how the captor looks and it's small footprint. The ox is huge! And in my opinion it's ugly. It looks like some 70's retro design. I can't stand the brown/beige look. It reminds me of the old appliances from the 70's. It reminds me of the brady bunch. That's just my opinion. I do think from the vids it has better options and the on/off swtich. My biggest complaint on the captor is no on/off switch and no switch to turn off the cabinet. I plugged mine up to a furman conditioner- so that solved my problem with that piece but I can't stand having to unplug the cab depending on if I want to record silently or use my cab with attenuation. Sound wise I have no complaints. Feel wise, the captor x feels great. It has that feel when i crank my amp up. I do wish we had more attenuation options but just being nitpicky and certainly not a deal breaker. Great vid man. We are so spoiled having youtube gear reviews to help us decide on gear. I am super happy with my captor x. No regrets.

[@PatrickJWenzel]

That Tone King there, that’s something I’m very interested in.

[@paulstubbs4487]

Great video thanks Phil. Considering selling my Kemper and going down this route so I can use my tube amps instead. The Kemper is great but as I always end up trying to mimic my tube amps and pedals I may as well play them. The Ironman looks an interesting if expensive option compared to the "X" but maybe the Ironman Mini might do?

[@Nowo78]

Interesting Video, thanks Phil! I'm just wondering why you would prefer the Ironman II to the Captor X if you just want attenuation, given that the Ironman II costs more than the Captor X?

[@stevewright107]

Great video

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Hi Phillip - ( off topic ) I love your Amp Racks. I am looking to get the exact-same ones that you have. Can you please let me know, Where to purchase them? I'd appreciate it & Happy Holidays from NYC.

[@timp.9582]

IKEA?

[@rebuiltbyusn]

Sorry this is coming so late. I have been looking to start looking into setting up a music studio for recording myself. So, I have been looking back at some of your videos pertaining to Audio Interface with included programs that have Amp sims or the ability to load in amp sims. My question is why do you use the Ox box with the Neve Audio Interface?

[@darrelpennington3489]

I purchased the Bugera attenuater $50 and passive , I lost some tone (treble and some midrange) but with a decent equalizer and patience. Know where in or of the Universal “OX” Audio

[@KristopherCraig]

I’m using a Rivera mini RocRec and am quite happy with it. Noy quite as many features. But it works well.

[@jimwilliams746]

I have the same Ironman 2 that is in this video. I think it blows them both away if you don't want all the extra effects.

[@thomasguerra6810]

I had the OX for a year and struggled with it. At times, the Wi-Fi wouldn’t connect, which was annoying. IMO, there are only a handful of good IRs available. They’re great, but the fact you can’t try third party IRs was also annoying. The size of the unit I think is a bit overkill. There is also a weird clipping or just strange “sizzle” with OD and higher distorted sounds. I ultimately sold it, too expensive and I wasn’t happy with it. I want to try the Captor, but I fear it will be the same. I don’t think they are quite there with this technology yet.

[@BOATIE141]

Had my Captor x for nearly 9 months and no issues

[@BOATIE141]

And you have the ability to load any IR you want onto it plus you got mobile phone tweakability with the Remote app

[@vanhalen5150jhs]

I like the Phil Funco Pop. when are they coming out ?

[@averyamadeusjacobson2650]

I am running a 100 watt plexi through a captor x and the fan is going crazy and can hear it going 1 million miles an hour in the room. I also hear this weird breakup swishing with the OX only through monitors that is very up front but with the captor x, a cab or anything else it's there but very much in the background.

[@sbrave2]

Which is better as a load box for doing amp head only captures for my Nano/Quad Cortex. I recently saw Steve Stevens rig and he had 3 Two Notes boxes (one for each Friedman head in his rack) and they sounded great through FOH. Also heard the OX, and it sounded good too, but $1400 good, and you need an iPad to use it???

[@marcoz9651]

I have the Captor X and love it. How does the Rivera Rockcrusher compare to the Ironman?

[@miket2728]

Just bought the Captor x from Andertons

[@johndeschain2156]

Love my Cap X.

[@guitarz]

I have the iron man II and use it just to hit the sweet spot on my high wattage amps...not so much on recording. One I startup logic and "think" I'm ready to record I loose all inspiration and attention to what I need to do and focus on everything else but playing. Grip it and rip it is the way I go... my patience to record anything is that of a sloth.

[@miguela.migallon5055]

I am agree with you the ironman ii sounds better ❤❤❤❤

[@wickid_chyld]

TRS/XLR combo jacks are input/female-female only. As of right now, to my knowledge, no one makes and output/male-female version. That said, while the two notes doesn't have the space, there's no reason the ox couldn't have added XLRs.

[@leocubiasmusiclifestyle7460]

Hey Phillip , what about the Torpedo Reload , would this unit compare to this other ones ?

[@jetblack7044]

What about Boss Wazacraft, have you tried that?

[@Coastal-Sasquatch]

Using the two notes off a car battery when the power goes out 🤟