It’s not perfect: the wifi-only connectivity, stepped attenuation, fixed sample rate and unassigned footswitch could all be improved, but we anticipate that some of these misgivings will be addressed as upgrades become available. In addition to superior tone and flexibility, the neighbours won’t complain, extraneous noises are a non-issue and spillage is eliminated. If you have access to a great-sounding recording room and a selection of the finest classic mics, compressors, equalisers and reverb effects, then the old-school approach will likely still win out, but we would have absolutely no reservations about using the OX on a professional session.įor most guitarists in the real world, the usual modus operandi is to record amps in a back bedroom, cupboard or project studio vocal booth using an SM57, and compared to those approaches, we believe the OX is infinitely preferable.
On the recording side, the clincher is whether the OX sounds as good, if not better, than a conventionally mic’d cab. If you are only looking to crank up your amp at sensible volumes then there are numerous cheaper and more sophisticated options out there, but the OX offers so much more than an attenuator with some cabinet emulations thrown in for good measure.
It’s powerful, versatile, extraordinarily convenient and sonically we can identify no downside.ĭespite a lingering suspicion that the OX will benefit from future software updates as a result of user feedback (as is commonplace in the tech industry these days), it’s already a fine attenuator and a uniquely wonderful tool for live work and recording.
In effect, Universal Audio has simulated a typical mixing desk-based pro recording set-up for electric guitar, complete with multiple mic channels and all the commonly used effects. Selecting the virtual equivalent of the physical speaker in a couple of our test amps and comparing them, the OX sounds exactly like a well mic’d version of the real thing. However they are also very intuitive and fun to use. Virtual input levels are 50 watts and 100 watts, and there’s a speaker drive control that changes the compression and overdrive characteristics of the selected speaker model.Ĭompared to cheap and cheerful guitar amplifier modelling technology, Universal Audio plug-ins are subtle and sophisticated. Clicking the cabinet tab gives you 17 familiar cabinet and speaker types. If you prefer, you can pan each channel hard left or right to record each mic onto separate tracks, or separate the close mics from the ambience. They route to the master fader and EQ, compression, delay and plate reverb can be applied globally. On each channel you can select a classic dynamic, ribbon and condenser microphone model – with two choices of each.Įvery channel has solo, mute and bass-cut switching, with individual equalisation. There are three channels – two for close mics that can be switched on and off axis, and a third for a room ambience mic. Once we’re in, the interface is clear, comprehensive and impressive.
We select the OX wifi hotspot from our computer’s drop-down menu, enter the OX’s assigned password and launch the software. The OX software is downloaded from UA’s website and installed. The digital connections are restricted to 44.1kHz so we opt for the analogue stereo line outputs plugged directly into our audio interface. The attenuator is very transparent and there’s no loss of treble or clarity, however the stepped level switching is less flexible than the controls of some reactive attenuators. Simply connect the OX to its power supply, your amp and speaker to the OX, power up and use the speaker volume control to set the level coming through your speaker.
If your primary interest is attenuation, the manual and quick start guide barely require a glance.