OX Amp Top Box
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OX Amp Top Box
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C. Dengler
Incredible!
There are some reviews here that give only 1 star - after reading several of "those", I realized that those users were probably either (A) doing something wrong, or (B) misunderstanding what this really is. No, it's NOT to be used on MODELER guitar signals. I mean, you COULD, but that's not what the intention is - this device is to be used as an attenuator to your existing amp. HOWEVER, if your existing amp SUCKS, then this will likely return a "sucky" tone. Crap in, crap out.
As for me, the tone is INCREDIBLE coming from 2 different 5150 50 watt heads (Stealth AND EL34). I'm not ripping on people who misunderstood this process because it is a bit confusing. The only complaint that I have is that each time I turn it back on, I have to go through the complete "re-connect" song and dance to my LAN. Other than that, AMAZING TONE. If you're a "TONE FIDDLER", this will keep you occupied.
B. Gilmore
The Box gets 5+ stars but -2 for no release cycle!
I totally understand that the OX was a miss from a recurring revenue perspective (good for us customers though!). But it would be nice to see some semblance of an update cadence - new cabs, effects, USB capability, etc. Sounds amazing, does everything I wanted, but man it would be nice to have a new toy to play with every year. Oh, and Leslie Cab Sim please!!
F. Roos
Unnatural harshness
It's nice for cleans, but as soon as there are crunch or overdriven sounds involved, you will hear a complete unnatural harshness, that you just can't get rid of, no matter what you try to do.
This thing makes even a 90s Matchless DC-30 sound bad.
M. Music
Two years ago was the last firmware update!
Congrats UAD on abandon the OX box after a two years period of complete silence!
OX software is compatible and supported with:
• (iPad) iOS 12 or iPadOS 13
• (Mac) macOS 10.14 Mojave or 10.15 Catalina
• (Win) Windows 10 64-Bit Edition Computer*
*Tablets and 2-in-1 devices are not supported
So when buying a new iPad or Mac or Windows Computer OX app will NOT be compatible or supported by UAD. Prices for the OX has gone up lately but support or updates are lacking. One star is already one to many for poor support, non working USB ports, failing Wifi connection with the OX app, NO functionality for saving or loading your own presets and the list goes on...
N. MACAYA PINO
Just a couple more cabs and...
This is a great product. It sounds good, and gives a lot of versatility for someone who just can not make a lot of noise in a home studio. However, the tone i wanted wasn't instantly there. I had to use the provided tools to get it. Like the fantastic eq, or the room mics. Once you start adding some high mids, you get rid of a lot of the harshness, and the low mids gives that thump sometimes you may want
Finally, i think there are some things missing, like a cab with celestions g12t-75, and the ability to route the room mics or the effects, through the spdif alone, so you can record three tracks simultaneously: left output for mic1, right output for mic2 and spdif for room mics or the effects (i know this is more difficult).
Still, great product overall.
N. MACAYA PINO
Just a couple more cabs and...
This is a great product. It sounds good, and gives a lot of versatility for someone who just can not make a lot of noise in a home studio. However, the tone i wanted wasn't instantly there. I had to use the provided tools to get it. Like the fantastic eq, or the room mics. Once you start adding some high mids, you get rid of a lot of the harshness, and the low mids gives that thump sometimes you may want
Finally, i think there are some things missing, like a cab with celestions g12t-75, and the ability to route the room mics or the effects, through the spdif alone, so you can record three tracks simultaneously: left output for mic1, right output for mic2 and spdif for room mics or the effects (i know this is more difficult).
Still, great product overall.
K. Schwehr
More than a game changer
My OX came on Friday, Saturday it was on stage and Sunday and Monday I did records through my Apollo twin via spdif. This product is no game changer, It is a new game you play. I play a fender hot rod deluxe III and never go over 5 on the gain in the clean channel. Yesterday I did it and turn it to 8 to 10 and all of a sudden there was a drive that made my eyes become wet :D.
Universal Audio you did an amacing product. I guess everyone who has got a tube amp should have an OX. This product changes my guitar life in so many ways I want to thank you for creating so an amacing product. Once again, Everyone with a tube amp, go out to get an OX, more than a game changer, new bigger game :-) :-) :-).
T. Schuster
Packed back up the same night it arrived.
What is up with the microphonics coming from my tube amp? That is not normal. It’s not ok. And even if it was….how am I suppose to use this to record?! What if I wanted to mic my cab and mix that room tone with the modeled guitar tone? UA…you need to go back to the drawing board with this thing. I even considered getting out my scope and meters and opening up the OX to figure out WTF is going on and how to fix it. But you know what? I didn’t spend $1300 for a mod project. If UA wants to pay me $50/hr, I’ll figure out a solution. I’m not doing it for free and I won’t be paying $1300 for a product that is still under development.
N. Lloyd
Perfect.
I’ve been a big fan of UAD products for a long time now.....I bought the very first UAD PCI cards probably about 20 years ago.....that’s crazy!!!!!
Anyway.....I’ve got terrible tinnitus from a long career in bands and studios, so loud guitar amps are really not what I want to be near anymore.....
This Ox Box is a game changer. Took a while to figure it out......I never read the manual so that’s probably why.
Why has it got USB ports in the back? The seem to do nothing.
Apart from that, it sounds amazing.
Better results than I get with cabs and mics.....plus it’s silent. Awesome.
10/10 UAD. Love it.
N. Lloyd
Perfect.
I’ve been a big fan of UAD products for a long time now.....I bought the very first UAD PCI cards probably about 20 years ago.....that’s crazy!!!!!
Anyway.....I’ve got terrible tinnitus from a long career in bands and studios, so loud guitar amps are really not what I want to be near anymore.....
This Ox Box is a game changer. Took a while to figure it out......I never read the manual so that’s probably why.
Why has it got USB ports in the back? The seem to do nothing.
Apart from that, it sounds amazing.
Better results than I get with cabs and mics.....plus it’s silent. Awesome.
10/10 UAD. Love it.
G. Heath
Had high hopes for this, especially at the price.
So I bought an OX a couple of months back and thought I'd get used to it before I formed any opinion of it. I have a lot of UAD gear and plug ins and this is not in the same league.
On paper a great piece of kit, BUT it distorts clean sounds on the first 3 attenuation settings, and to my ears has a distinct piezo type quack through headphones. It's more pronounced on IEM cans, less so on decent over ears but still there. Using distortion channels it's not noticeable or lost. I have several decent amps and it does it with all of them, so I'm distinctly underwhelmed for £1050.
It's been suggested I use a compressor before my guitar hits the amp, but that kinda defeats the purpose I just want my clean amp sound attenuated, not clipped.
I'm not the only person to complain about this problem there are literally dozens of posts on forums about this, so hoping UAD can do some sort of Firmware update that addresses this.
b. janzen
firmware? more like nowhere
Hope you saved your flashdrives from 2005 cause this sonnabitch can't be updated unless your flash drive is less than 2GB!
Currently digging up grandmas grave to grab her last flash drive so I can try to make this work in 2021.
b. janzen
firmware? more like nowhere
Hope you saved your flashdrives from 2005 cause this sonnabitch can't be updated unless your flash drive is less than 2GB!
Currently digging up grandmas grave to grab her last flash drive so I can try to make this work in 2021.
b. janzen
ox box sux
more like sux box ammirite
A. Barker
Best tool for Home Studio guitar tone!
I’ve had all the other speaker sim reactive load boxes... and to me the OX sounds and feels at least twice as better when I compared my then current favorite loadbox. I spend much more time grooving good tones than tweaking also, but even when tweaking Ox, it’s a fun tweak.
R. Park
Two years in, and it's still the magic box for guitar!
By way of full disclosure, I originally intended to order the Ox just to see what all the talk was about, play with it, and send it back. No way was I keeping a $1300 glorified direct box. It arrived in impressive packaging, very well protected for the trip. Call me shallow if you'd like, but packaging is the first clue to quality. You can tell if THEY think something is important in the box by what sort of box they put it in. Good start.
I connected it to a few amps that I have never been able to run in their sweet spot live: a Carol Ann Tucana 3 and a PRS HX/DA, each directly into a 2x12 cabinet. Turning the attenuation down and the amp up, I was impressed to note that the sound wasn't compressed and lifeless, as many attenuators tend to do when pushed hard. I wish there were twice as many attenuation points, but what is there is serviceable in the real world. It has since been tested on a variety of other amps: a black face Deluxe Reverb, a vintage AC30TB, and on every amp, the result is the same... set it where it sounds good, control it with the OX, done. Test #1: Success!
I downloaded the app to my iMac/DAW, followed the quick start connection guide and I was up and running in short order. As an aside, I totally do not get the comments on connection difficulty... following the instructions, it was a snap. The app is good, and has a lot of control. Getting around and assigning rigs is a bit tedious, but that's likely more my unfamiliarity than the app... most of the time I just use the box. Graphics are useful, and needless to say for UA, the effects are gorgeous and incredibly well implemented. The ability to add room mics really opens the sound and produces that "good studio" vibe into your sound. Test #2: Success!
Then I put the two together, and was shocked at how good it can sound mixed. With a direct tone coming from the cab and an effected tone coming from the monitors, the sound is immersive. It gives you that great live guitar tone from the comfort of your favorite studio chair. This was not something I had really purchased the Ox to do, but it immediately became my favorite sound combination. (Unanticipated) Test #3: Smashing Success!
So, I guess you could say the test drive very positive 3 for 3 sweep, and I would be happy to have found out what I wanted before sending it back. Well, that was two years ago, and the OX is still with me in regular use! Far from the fancy direct box I thought it was, the Ox Amp Top Box is an instrument unto itself, and you just need to open your mind to what it can be used for to see many possibilities beyond the obvious. I could take away stars for things I would like to see there, but this review is about what IS there, and that justifies the 5 Star rating. It is the best I have found for a guitar amp interface/attenuator/effector/expander/etc. It has become as much a part of the setup as anything else, and if you look around on YouTube, you'll find I'm not the only one who always has the orange Ox power light glowing in the background.
I paid the money and didn't return it... there's no better score I can give it than that.
t. edwards
Awesome for recording
I had to wait until the firmware supported Windows, but have never had connection issues. So much different (better) than other load boxes I've used, and IR's are outstanding. Add in the "mic locker" , ability to add in room mics and effects, EQ and compression, all in one ap, and it's a game-changer. I have the space and the mics to mic-up cabs, but haven't done that since I got this box.
H. Schmidt
Tolle Hardware, sehr schlechte software unter Windows
Ein sehr schönes Teil, welches meinen Bogner Atma Amp im Wohnzimmer nutzbar macht. Leider ist es mir bis heute nicht gelungen, die App unter Windows zum laufen zu bringen. Für Windows-Nutzer, vermutlich 70 % aller Computer-Nutzer, ist die Ox-Box nur teilweise nutzbar und nicht empfehlenswert. Warum werden Windows-Nutzer so schlecht von Ihrem Unternehmen behandelt?
M. Harvey
The Ox amp top box rocks
Wow! I can't believe what a difference this has made for my recorded guitar tones. Being able to have my tube amp in its sweet spot playing through whatever cabinet and mic combo I'm looking for at the moment, and to have it feel and sound so awesome like I recorded it in a great space is phenomenal! This is going to bring my productions to pro levels. I'm recording through the spdif connection into my x8 Apollo interface and I couldn't be happier. If I just want to play without disturbing the household it's nice to be able to play through the speaker or headphones at reasonable volume and still feel that sweet tone, minus the cab and mic/room emulations though. As for the wifi connection issues I've seen others have posted, I haven't had any. I love everything this box does and wish I had known about it long ago. In my opinion it is much better than any of the amp plugins I've been using trying to achieve big realistic guitar tones. Thank you UAD! Like the Ox, you guys rock! And I didn't even mention the top notch onboard signal processing.
J. Romanchik
Make it hardwire-able!
Was REALLY looking forward to using this. But have been stuck using only the 6 presets on the front. Will not connect to WiFi. There is ZERO customer service! Dont want to return this but if i cant access the app there is no way it is worth $1300. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS