Load box
A device that takes the place of a loudspeaker so a valve amplifier can be run at full output while making little or no sound.
A valve amplifier needs a load connected whenever it is powered up, so a load box is both a practical tool and a safety device: it absorbs the power the speaker would have dissipated and passes a small portion on for recording or attenuation. Resistive versions are simple but change the feel and high-frequency response as they load the amplifier, while reactive ones present an impedance that varies with frequency and keeps the amplifier behaving closer to normal. Many also include a balanced output with cabinet simulation.
Example: a head cranked into a load box can be recorded at two in the morning through its speaker-emulated output.
See also
Related
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