Calling all UAD Ox Owners (with Friedman Smallbox)

i_b_tullochi_b_tulloch Frets: 105
edited June 2020 in Amps
I am well down the load box rabbit hole. I liked some aspects of the Ox Box, but I found I could never get a nice clean sound on the Plexi channel of my Friedman Smallbox through the Ox, yet could always get a lovely clean sound in the room, so sent it back.

I tried everything I could think of to get it clean to no avail. I eventually thought that it was the effect of amp in a room, and the SB would be breaking up in the room, but this just became more apparent when using the Ox. It is a horrible fizz to the notes.

I have since acquired the Suhr RLIR which I can get all the lovely clean sounds on.

Since sending the Ox back I have found this thread:

https://uadforum.com/ox-amp-top-box/41510-crackling-noise-problems-ox-3.html#post285749

and there are a number of other threads where people were having similar issues not being able to get clean sounds.

I was hoping someone on here might have a Friedman SB and Ox, and could test if they can get a nice clean sound?

Even trying with one of the other Friedman amps would be interesting to see if you get the same results.

There are good and bad points about the Ox, but it did have a very full cab sound, which I liked, and I would like to see if I may have had a faulty unit.
My Trading Feedback Link is here i_b_tulloch

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Comments

  • WazmeisterWazmeister Frets: 9446
    Mine is perfect and works well with clean amps 
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  • i_b_tullochi_b_tulloch Frets: 105
    edited June 2020
    Thanks @Wazmeister. I do wonder if there was something in mine that wasn’t right as I couldn’t dial out the fizz completely like I can with the Suhr.

    Be good to hear from people using Friedman Amps, specifically the Smallbox if possible.
    My Trading Feedback Link is here i_b_tulloch

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  • SunDevilSunDevil Frets: 511
     I’ve not used an Ox (so appreciate this is a largely worthless opinion!) but I have read about distortion when the input is overloaded 

    My beef with load / line level attenuation is specific to Tetrode power valves, where i get the same fizziness - Power Station, Suhr RL and evening  passive DI are all the same.

    True attenuators (ie taking a % if the power but not down to like level, don’t have the same issue
    The answer was never 42 - it's 1/137 (..ish)
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  • NerineNerine Frets: 1971
    I have a Small Box and an Ox. 

    I’ve actually used that setup to track all the guitars for an album I’m currently producing. (Also used a JCM 800 and a Kemper for weirder sounds too.) 

    Had no issues getting a clean sound at all. In fact all of the guitar sounds are great. 

    Once the album is finished, and released, I’ll post up some links to it because there are quite a few pieces of gear and software used on it that people often enquire about. 
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  • BarnezyBarnezy Frets: 2173
    Isn't the Captor X or the Waza Tube Expander the way to go now? I though those devices have moved things on. 
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  • i_b_tullochi_b_tulloch Frets: 105
    @Nerine that would be excellent to hear. I suspect that gain/signal management on the Ox needs to be carefully managed. I now have a Suhr RLIR and use an Iridium to play high quality stereo Ownhammer IRs, which is excellent. Getting the lovely Plexi cleans with no break up when I need to too. 
    My Trading Feedback Link is here i_b_tulloch

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  • i_b_tullochi_b_tulloch Frets: 105
    edited July 2020
    @Barnezy I tried the captor, and it was very very good. Probably on par with the Suhr RLIR. I preferred the Suhr RLIR mostly because it was really simple to get a good sound. The Ox sound is no doubt excellent, and I think a big part of that feel is the room mics. I can get a similar sound using plugins with multiple IRs - two close mics and a room mic IR. The benefit with IRs is that there is a lot more choice, which is also the downside I guess. I have kept my whole chain very simple, except the use of IRs, and I have just bought the Ownhammer (r)Evolution pack which was integral to the development of the Strymon Iridium pedal too.  BTW - I’m finding the Iridium Punch (Marshall Plexi) model is excellent.

    It will be interesting to hear @Nerine results though, and if the SB can stay clean through the Ox, I might give it another go. Always good to have options!
    My Trading Feedback Link is here i_b_tulloch

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  • BarnezyBarnezy Frets: 2173
    @i_b_tulloch did you try the new Captor X, or the previous Captor model? Seems to do everything the OX does, but half the price. The Waza looks like the new standard for these now. 




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  • i_b_tullochi_b_tulloch Frets: 105
    Yes it was the new Captor X. The things I didn’t like:

    - The fan comes on and off on demand totally in sync with your playing. For example, when you hit the low E string hard, then mute it quickly, you hear the fan on full, then stopping. It is really obvious in a studio environment. I suppose it is to be expected given how compact the unit is. The Suhr does this too, but it is much more subtle. No fan on the Ox is great, but huge box.
    - Personally I didn’t like the additional features on the X like the double tracking, enhancer etc. I didn’t even like the eq on it. It felt a little gimmicky to me, but others may find it useful.
    - The tone knob on the front (can’t remember what it was called) which morphed between scooped and mid heavy sounds was ok, but probably more useful at gigs.

    The good points:

    - The small room reverb is excellent. When I managed to dial this in it gave me the same feeling as the Ox.
    - The small size is great, but the fan noise is the downside.

    Ultimately, I didn’t like or need the extra bells and whistles and prefer the Suhr into an IR player in Logic Pro, then find IR combinations I like, then load into Suhr or Iridium for hardware playback. Also, I have the Suhr Ace box which ‘feels’ really good. Considering all this, the Captor X wasn’t for me. However, if you have no load boxes or IR players already, the Captor X would be an excellent choice. 
    My Trading Feedback Link is here i_b_tulloch

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  • NerineNerine Frets: 1971
    @Nerine that would be excellent to hear. I suspect that gain/signal management on the Ox needs to be carefully managed. I now have a Suhr RLIR and use an Iridium to play high quality stereo Ownhammer IRs, which is excellent. Getting the lovely Plexi cleans with no break up when I need to too. 
    Well, I must admit, I’ve never had any issue with how much signal the Ox is receiving. Ultimately it’s an attenuator. It takes up to 150w from a valve amp. The amount of signal being pushed into it shouldn’t be a concern? 

    Ive never had any issues with levels feeding it. In fact, so little so, that I’ve actually given it almost no consideration at all. I set my amp how I want it to sound and the Ox kinda does the rest. Yeah, I gain stage it in the software and then into my mic preamps etc, but I’ve never heard the Ox do anything it’s not supposed to. I.e. distortion or clipping etc. 
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  • Happy OX user here, not had any issues and found it very easy to get good sounds out of.

    I also have Suhr RL boxes and love those too. I use the OX when I want to just practice away from a computer. 

    It sounds like the OP might have had a bad unit tbh.

    When I was learning about all this stuff I had some frustrations with distortion and sample rate mismatches. That does tend to give ugly distortion on clean sounds and I messed up that way a couple of times when setting up.
    Link to my trading feedback: http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58787/
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  • i_b_tullochi_b_tulloch Frets: 105
    @FreddieVanHalen I’m starting to wonder about my unit too. Even at the very cleanest SB settings I was getting slight hair on the signal. Same story with my deluxe reverb. I wasn’t using any digital connections.
    My Trading Feedback Link is here i_b_tulloch

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  • normula1normula1 Frets: 639
    Headphones can be quite revealing of distortion. I've just bought a Mad Professor Super Black to use as a "clean" preamp on my pedal board with a Nux mini studio for IR duties. Through phones there's always a slightly annoying touch of hair that gets masked when playing through a power amp an speakers.
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  • I recently decided to get an Ox again and this time around it is fantastic with the Friedman SB. Really great sound and feel from it. Still has all the annoying Wi-Fi issues with disconnecting, but I have programmed the front switch with my favourite cab and fx settings, making it plug and play. 
    My Trading Feedback Link is here i_b_tulloch

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  • joeWjoeW Frets: 459
    I recently decided to get an Ox again and this time around it is fantastic with the Friedman SB. Really great sound and feel from it. Still has all the annoying Wi-Fi issues with disconnecting, but I have programmed the front switch with my favourite cab and fx settings, making it plug and play. 
    Glad you got it sorted. I use my ox for recording jazz and the clean tones I get are brilliant. The Wi-Fi link is a pain but I really rate it for recording valve amps
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  • EpsilonEpsilon Frets: 600
    I've never noticed before, but having just plugged into my Ox it definitely breaks up on the clean channel earlier than when going through the speaker. It is possible to go completely clean though.
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  • i_b_tullochi_b_tulloch Frets: 105
    edited October 2022
    I haven’t tried it clean yet actually

    I am able to get a nice clean with the Suhr RLIR by cranking the master, and keeping gain low and making up signal on the SRLIR level control (if required). The amp and Ox is stored away just now while we have house renovations, but I will have to try this with the Ox when I get a chance. 

    @Epsilon ;How do you run the SB and Ox to get clean?
    My Trading Feedback Link is here i_b_tulloch

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  • Batman-GMTBatman-GMT Frets: 22
    edited October 2022
    I use a freidman Runt 20 at home into an ox, so not the same kind of wattage obviously but not had any issues. 

    Been extremely impressed with the OX tbh. 

    Not that much headroom on the clean channel on the R20 anyway. 
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