The correct use of your amplifier with a load box requires some precautions. Because of the fact that you may be playing “silently,” it is much easier to accidentally run your amplifier beyond the reasonable limits set by the manufacturer than when you are using an actual speaker cabinet. This can lead to faster tube wear and, in some cases, to more serious issues.

Keep in mind that the “sweet spot” — the perfect running point of the amplifier, the one that will give you the tone you are looking for—is rarely obtained at maximum volume. In addition, the volume control of the amplifier is usually logarithmic, which means that the volume goes up quickly on the first half of the potentiometer’s rotation, reaches its maximum at 12 o’clock, and will not change much beyond that point. Therefore, you canreach the maximum volume of your amplifier even if the volume potentiometer is not set at maximum.

By reaching the maximum output power of your amplifier, you will hear a lot of distortion, which may not sound as good as you could hope. In fact, most amplifiers do not sound great at maximum volume. Always keep in mind that your amplifier may not have been conceived to be used at maximum volume for a long time. Running an amplifier at high volume will cause premature wear of the tubes and possible malfunctions or damages to the output stage.

When first testing the amplifier at high volume, monitor the color of the tubes and the general response of the amplifier. Red-glowing tubes or any appearance of smoke are signs of a problem that may result in partial or complete destruction of the amplifier.

The fact that the volume control of your amplifier is not set at maximum doesn’t mean your amplifier is not running at maximum volume. A good habit is to keep the usual volume setup you would use in rehearsal or on stage, rather than just following what the volume potentiometer indicates.

High voltage test

The high voltage tester (also called dielectric strength test or hipot test) can be carried out using AC or DC. If the high voltage test is performed using DC, it is then combined with insulation; if the high voltage test is made using AC, this is more stressful for the sample and therefore carried out according to the sketch below.Measurement of a high voltage test under alternating current is performed using an alternating voltage (50Hz) adjustable to an effective 50V to 1,500V. As is the case with direct current, the high voltage test detects any sudden rise of current up to a programmed threshold.The short circuit test is maintained by default. The rise time is more than 500 ms and the application time at least one period.Warning: The high voltage test under alternating current is penalised by the capacitive value of the tested equipment. It must be remembered that the generator power is limited to 5 mA.