Software and hardware amplifier simulators are so good these days that you might think that amplifiers are a thing of the past. If you have a favorite amp with a favorite sound, you still want to use it without blowing the walls down, you already know the appeal of a reactive load box. Two Notes Audio Engineering has been one of the leading names in this category for years, and their new Torpedo Captor X+ is the most capable version of their award-winning Captor X platform yet.
What It Does
At its core, the Captor X+ is a compact 100-watt RMS reactive load box that lets you run your tube amp at full tilt with no speaker cabinet connected, then route the signal directly to a PA, audio interface, or headphones.
It’s available in 8-ohm and 16-ohm versions, so you can match it properly to your amp’s output transformer. An onboard three-step attenuator gives you Home (-38dB), Club (-20dB), and Stadium (0dB) settings, which covers everything from late-night bedroom practice to a full stage performance.
What’s New
The headline upgrade over the original Captor X is the new True Stereo DynIR Engine. You can now independently position and pan two virtual microphones or static IRs across the stereo field, creating a three-dimensional soundstage that previously would have required a complex studio miking setup.
The dual mono routing option lets each microphone feed its own dedicated XLR output with a completely independent signal chain, which is a big deal for anyone splitting a signal between front-of-house and monitors.
The second major addition is the Virtual Load Shaper, which lets you apply customizable post-load impedance curves to reshape how your amp feels and responds before the signal even hits the cabinet simulation.
This directly addresses the playing feel and touch sensitivity that some guitarists felt was missing from previous-generation load boxes.
The Rest of the Package
Captor X+ ships with 32 preloaded DynIR virtual cabinets, each with 8 selectable microphones and 13 room simulations, which works out to an enormous number of potential combinations.
There are 512 memory slots for your own custom IRs, 128 preset locations, and 6 front-panel quick-access preset slots.
The onboard post-FX suite includes reverb, semi-parametric EQ, the Twin Tracker virtual double-tracker, an Enhancer, and a noise gate.
There’s a lot of different types of connectivity available, including dual balanced XLR outputs, a headphone output, USB-C, MIDI, and wireless Torpedo Remote via Bluetooth for editing every parameter from your phone, tablet, or computer. The unit also includes a lifetime license to the GENOME plugin ecosystem for use inside your DAW.
The Two Notes Torpedo Captor X+ retails for $599.99 and is available now. You can find out more here, or watch the video below.
