30 pedalboards used by Premier Guitar readers
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Two Notes Unveil the Next Giant Leap in Their Reactive Load Box Legacy With Reload II
Introducing Torpedo Reload II - Two Notes Audio Engineering's latest groundbreaking reactive load solution, featuring twin-channel operation, multi-impedance compatibility, and continuous attenuation. With a CelestionĀ® Approved Load Response and 215W per channel power amplifier, Reload II redefines backline control.
Two Notes Audio Engineering, the world's leading innovator and manufacturer of load boxes, attenuators, and digital cabinet emulators, has just announced Torpedo Reload II - The latest installment in Two Notesā class-leading reactive load solution legacy marking the definitive watershed in contemporary backline control.
Featuring twin-channel operation, selectable multi-impedance compatibility, and true continuous attenuation, Reload II is Two Notesā most advanced Load Box to date. Its mission is simple: unleash the power of any amplifier or line-level source without compromise. Armed with a ground-up rework of their defining reactive load for a CelestionĀ® Approved Load Response, the match is set to drive any ampās power stage (rated up to 200W RMS) to perfection, retaining all the sonic integrity your performance demands. Scalable from a whisper to a full-throttle onslaught, Reload IIās ultra-transparent dual-mono 215W (per channel) amplifier/attenuator and paired speaker outputs preserve every facet of your tone. Add a Stereo FX Loop, dual Line outputs, and GENOME Reload II Edition (software download) into the mix and Reload doesn't just enhance your rig, it redefines it.
āWhen it came to developing Reload II, it was obvious this couldn't be a run-of-the-mill update of its predecessor. Fuelled by an ethos rooted in continual redefinition of contemporary backline control, we set our sights on a ground-up rework of our defining reactive load. The results speak for themselves: hands-down the best-in-class impedance match available on the market to date and the first reactive Load Box to feature an industry first CelestionĀ® Approved Load Response.ā Said Guillaume Pille, Two notes CEO. āWhether itās a tube amp, a line level source, or even both simultaneously, all the hookup flexibility you demand from a Two Notes product is here. Throw a 215W (per cab output) power amplifier into the mix, and youāre primed with everything from studio-friendly silent loadbox operation to mainstage-ready source amplification. If that wasn't enough, thereās a suite of expertly-tuned tone-shaping tools - plus a super-versatile Stereo/Dual Mono FX loop - that all combine to make Reload II our most adaptable solution to date. The next generation of our Reactive Load legacy has arrived. Itās now up to you to reimagine your backline with everything the Two Notes ecosystem has to offer!
Reload II is now available for pre-order from Two Notes stockists worldwide, scheduled for shipping Q1 2025. At launch, Reload II ships with the following MAP / MSRPs
US: $999.99 (MAP)
Euro: 999.99⬠(MSRP)
GBP - £849.99 (MSRP)
For more information, please visit two-notes.com.
Introducing Torpedo Reload II - YouTube
In the ā80s, Peter Buckās clean, chime-y arpeggios defined the sound of alt-rock to come.
In the ā80s, Peter Buckās clean, chime-y arpeggios defined the sound of alt-rock to come. From R.E.M's start, his post-Roger McGuinn 12-string style served as the foundation for the bandās simple, plain-spoken approach, offering a fresh take on what an independent band could be and inspiring generations of artists to come. Buck not only found his sound quickly, he evolved throughout the bandās career. By the ā90s, R.E.M.ās sound had evolved to incorporate organic, acoustic textures, and eventually leaning into a glam- and grunge-inspired, distorted-guitar-focused sound on 1994ās Monster.
This episode is sponsored by Voodoo Lab.
Three new powerful and versatile solid-state heads from the British amp maker provide crunch, headroom, and classic tones in a small package with a same-sized price.
Epic sounds in a small, light, versatile package. Simple control set. Effects loop and footswitchable volume (with independent control) and channels. Dirty channel sparkles and spanks.
Clean channel lacks mid control
$599
Orange Gain Baby 100
orangeamps.com
Playing through a 100-watt head is immensely satisfying, regardless of your style. If you want dirty, and thereās a gain control, youāve got dirty. If you want clean, the headroom hits the sky. Whether youāre purveying rock ānā roll filth, snarling blues, old-school roots, or avant-skronk, itās all thereāespecially if you use pedals for low-gain drive and color.
In the case of Orangeās new Baby series entries, these possibilities exist in triplicate: the compact, highly controllable Gain Baby 100, Tour Baby 100, and Dual Baby 100 amps. These grab-and-go solid-state units with strong metal chassis are a mere 6 1/2 pounds, come with a durable shoulder bag for transport, and can be dropped atop a cabinet or into a rack. (These amps measure 12.8" x 3.13" x 7.68".) Each model has two radically different channels, guaranteeing versatility, plus a class A/B power stage for clarity and heavy lifting. They all offer the fat, midrange growl and the fast touch-sensitivity I associate with the classic, Orange sounds of players ranging from Peter Green to Slipknotās Jim Root, which is perhaps a result of their single-ended JFET preamp stage.
I tested these Babies with a vintage Les Paul, a PRS Silver Sky SE, and a Zuzu custom with coil-splitting, to get a wide variety of tones. I also switched between a 1x12 cabinet with a G 12M Greenback and another with a 50-watt Eminence Red Coat Private Jack. Both cabs were 8 ohms, but the amps can also run 70 watts into 16 ohms. While the Celestion drilled down on nasty, Hendrix- and early ā70s-era voicings, the 50-watter really let the amps breathe in lush harmonic detail.
Each of the triplets has a footswitch option for channel and volume switching, an effects loop, and a balanced XLR out, and can be easily used with a DAW, cab sims, and IR captures. These units can also be switched for 100, 110, and 220 volts AC. Short take: I found a lot to like about these sonic siblings.
āGain Baby 100
While Iām not typically a high-gain player, I took to the Gain Baby 100 immediately, enjoying the edgy tone, responsiveness, sustain, and articulation in its dirty channel. Dirty offers gain, volume, presence, and 3-band EQ, plus the footswitchable volume has its own level control, and it delivers a stinging rock voice where chords hang and bloom. This channelās real ādirtyā secret is a toggle that can be flipped to ātightā mode, which functions like an additional EQ stage that polishes lows and focuses the mids, making them really singing and dimensional.
I initially viewed the clean channel on the Gain Baby and Tour Baby as pedal platforms, with just a volume control and bass and treble, but the clean sideās built-in, single-knob compressor pushes the Gain Babyās volume and low-end character to the fore, conjuring memories of that ā70s uber-beast, the Sunn Beta Lead (and the Melvinsā King Buzzo). Ultimately, the Gain Baby 100 delivers very distinct and appealing bookends of heavy for just under 600 bucks.
Key: Dirty channel rhythm > dirty channel rhythm with tight switch engaged > dirty channel lead > dirty channel with tight switch lead > clean channel rhythm > clean channel lead
Tour Baby 100
The road-oriented Tour Baby seems the most versatile of the trio. The dirty channel has the same control panel as the dirty side of the Gain Baby, minus the tight switch. And while overall the amp seems to have a bit less gain, itās still easy to get into Wayne Kramer territory by cranking up the gain control when you want to kick out the jams. Sweet, sustained tones were a snap to achieve by dialing back the guitarās tone pots, riding the ampās mid control high, setting treble to about 7 or 8, and dialing in the bass at 3.5 to 4. And, again, like the Gain Baby, the 3-band EQ offers plenty of range. If even more crunch is desired, the presence knob helps dial it in.
The Tour Babyās clean channel also mimics the Gain Babyās clean setup, but the compressor doesnāt lean into the low end like it does on the Gain Baby. It does, however, sculpt and define tones in a very appealing way, warming and pushing midrange. While I preferred the dirty channel here, my colleague Tom Butwin fell for the clean side, and his excellent demo video online is well worth watching. For me, this ampās strength is that it stands on its legs and growls from the dirty side, and provides a characterful pedal platform on the clean side. All three amps, by the way, sound terrific with a reverb pedal, though less so at higher-gain settings.
Dual Baby
For players devoted to traditional British voicings, the Dual Baby may be the most enticing option, providing at least two recognizably classic sounds in one small, efficient package. Channel A is based on the companyās Rockerverb series, minus the reverb, and both A and B channels on the Dual Baby have 3-band EQ. The B side has the same setup and tonal characteristics as the dirty channel of the Tour Baby, sans the footswitchable volume, so you canāt pump up the level for solos with a quick stomp. However, it does have a ātightā toggle, so itās easy to get into the same spanking, airy terrain as the Gain Babyās dirty side or play it relatively clean.
But the A channel has another asset: a ātubbyā switch, which is new for Orange. With gain pushing toward 7 and presence at about midway, and the treble rolled back, the tubby settingās low-end boost evokes Black Sabbathādark and ominous and perfect for sustained power chords. If your tastes run toward nasty, thereās a lot to like with the Dual Baby.
Key:
Channel A rhythm > channel A lead > channel A rhythm tubby > channel A lead tubby >
Channel B rhythm > channel B lead > channel B rhythm tight > channel B lead tight
The Verdict
Orangeās three versatile Babies cover a lot of ground in small, very affordable, well-built packages. Their response and rich-hued soundsāavailable even at low volumesānever left me pining for tubes, and their 100-watts make them useful for any stage. For travel, studio, or at-home playing, they are well worth investigating. These Babies can unquestionably run with the big boys. PG
The fast-rising, indie-rock outfit shows how they bring their varied four-piece string section to life on tour.
Last yearās Manning Fireworks was a breakout moment for Asheville, North Carolinaās MJ Lenderman, which is both the name of the band and the actual name of singer and guitarist Jake Lenderman, who also plays in the band Wednesday. The record topped plenty of year-end lists and drew favorable comparisons to the likes of Neil Young, Dinosaur Jr., and other stars of the pre- and post-ā90s indie-rock boom.
On tour behind the record, the band stopped in at Birmingham, Alabama, joint Saturn on February 1. PGās Chris Kies met up with Lenderman, guitarist Jon Samuels, pedal-steel player Xandy Chelmis, and bassist Landon George before the show to get the dirt on their dirt.
Brought to you by DāAddario.The SG
Lendermanās main guitar these days is this 1979 Gibson The āSG,ā which he bought in Birmingham while opening for Plains. Itās tuned to D standard, with Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky strings.
Do the Mascis Mash
Itās no surprise that Lenderman digs the Squier J Mascis Signature Jazzmaster. Heās a big Dinosaur Jr. fan and got to sit in with them in Los Angeles to play āIn A Jarā in December 2024. From top to bottom, this one is tuned CāGāDāGāGāE for āYouāre Every Girl to Me.ā
Tele Time
This Fender American Vintage II 1977 Telecaster Deluxe comes out for cleaner needs in the set.
Original Jazz
This is Lendermanās iconic 2008 Jazzmaster, which he bought back in Asheville.
Hi-Steppin'
Lenderman borrowed a Hiwatt to use at some hometown shows in Asheville and fell in love, so he brings this Custom 50 out on the road now. Heās working his way to a full J Mascis setup, āone cab at a time.ā
MJ Lenderman's Board
Lendermanās clean, easy board has a DāAddario tuner, Death By Audio Interstellar Overdriver Deluxe, a Dunlop wah which he uses as a subtle filter, and TC Electronic Flashback 2.
Loan from Lenderman
Lenderman recorded plenty with this Fender Player Telecaster, but now Samuels puts it to work
Hartzman's Hot Rod
Another loaner, this Hot Rod DeVille combo is on long-term borrow from Wednesdayās Carly Hartzman.
Jon Samuel's Board
Samuelsā board, which is a hybrid of his own pedals and even more borrowed units, carries a Hardwire HT-6 polyphonic tuner, Death By Audio Fuzz War, JHS Double Barrel, Dunlop wah, J. Rockett Archer Clean Boost, Joyo Tremolo, EHX Nano Small Stone, and TC Electronic Flashback 2.
Xandy's ZB
Chelmis, also a member of Wednesday, plays this 10-string ZB Custom, made in the early ā70s with a proprietary pickup. It stays in E9 tuning, and Chelmis makes it sing with a steel he bought from a pawn shop. It runs through a Fender Twin Reverb outfitted with a single 15", and a Goodrich H-120 volume pedal handles swelling duties. From time to time, Chelmis adds in a Guyatone SD2 sustainer for some fuzzy fun.
Precision Vision
Georgeās go-to is this 2006 Fender Mike Dirnt Precision Bass, strung with Ernie Ball medium-gauge flatwound strings.
Better Beta
George runs through a Sunn Beta Bass head into an Ampeg SVT810E cabinet.
Landon George's Board
On his board, George packs a Korg Pitchblack tuner, Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass, Boss DD-7, Darkglass Electronics Alpha Omega, and a Noble Amplifier Company utility box: Itās a tube preamp, DI box, and power supply, all in one.