Is there a device to get you a direct out signal from a speaker cable?

+1

 

There used to be a direct box called a Red Box that did what you want. I'm pretty sure they're less expensive than Hot Plates but don't offer the attenuation function.

 

CAE makes a line out box which does exactly this.

 

However the Red box and others like it have built in cabinet simulation and are intended to go right to a mixer for recording or PA.

 

But since the cabinet emulator has a similar response to a cab (which knocks of high end) I don't think you'd be losing anything.

 

Weber VST has quite a few products that will also acomplish this. The simplest one is probably the Headphone Tap that is designed to provide a dummy load for an amp so it can be run without a speaker, and also a headphone tap and a variable line out.

A little more sophisticated is the Power Tap.

Here: http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm

 

Asuming he wants to use the line-out signal for a wet/dry rig the roll off will be an issue.
However, and I remember that anymore the Red Box may have a bypass.

FWIW, long before I worked for THD I started using Hot Plates so I had delay post power amp on my JMPs.

 

The current Red box incarnation (Red Box Pro) does either speaker simulated or or unsimulated line out, selectable via a switch.

gb

 

Behringer also has the Ultra-G, which is quite a bit cheaper than the others and works just as well. You can turn cabinet simulation on or off.

 

Unfortunately, the Red Box only has an XLR output, so you'd have to run thru a transformer to get a line level signal for your sub. Doesn't Weber have schematics for a simple, resistor based tap to get a line level signal? You'd parallel a large resistor with the speaker cable and tap a small vltage signal off of that...

 

Palmer PDI 09

jon