The legendary Hughes & Kettner Redbox is now in its fifth generation, and by now it's practically the industry standard for recording instrumental amplifiers without using a microphone – and without a lot of fuss. But the Redbox 5 is much more than just a simple DI box. In addition to the classic functions such as a ground/lift switch, the newest model here has three very interesting additional features: a tight/loose switch for the response, a modern/vintage switch for altering the sound being emulated, and even a small/large switch for selecting the size of the virtual cabinet. In addition, the levels can be set between 0dB and -26dB, which makes the Red Box 5 suitable for use with a huge range of instrumental amplifiers. Nothing has changed when it comes to this new generation's reliably robust construction, its characteristic red metal housing, and of course its compact size – all things that have helped cement this miniature classic's cult status.
The Red Box 5 makes it easy to record amplifiers when a high-quality signal is important but there's no need – or perhaps no way – to actually mic up the amps. This little red box is simply connected between the amp's output stage and the cabinet: The balanced XLR output delivers the sound directly to the mixing console with remarkable clarity and presence. The Hughes & Kettner Red Box 5, like its predecessors, is just as suited to live use as it is when hooked up to a recording interface in the studio. It's powered by a 9V battery, although it's also possible to operate the Red Box on phantom power. In addition to its three filters, the adjustable characteristics of the virtual speaker, and of course its practical size, the Hughes & Kettner Red Box 5 also offers guitarists and bassists a number of other effective features, allowing them to adapt their instrument's output to the specific setting and circumstances.
Because it does away with the need for complicated mic setups, while simultaneously guaranteeing a perfectly clean signal from the amplifier with zero background noise, most studio techs will have already been using one of Hughes & Kettner's Red Box models for years. The little red box is an indispensable fixture of PA work, and it can be found in more or less every well-equipped sound engineer's toolkit. With the addition of the three filters, the fifth generation of this evergreen also makes it possible to process the sound to such an extent that there's scarcely any need to use a mixer to further correct it, be it live or in the studio – a high-quality signal quality is guaranteed.
Hughes & Kettner is one of the largest German suppliers of guitar and bass amplifiers. Founded in 1984 by Hans and Lothar Stamer under the name Stamer Musikanlagen GmbH, the manufacturer from St. Wendel in the Saarland can boast of its numerous innovations. For example, its first venture into the field of guitar amplifiers, the ASR64 from 1986, was the first programmable amplifier in the world. Thanks to its compact format, the Cream Machine of 1987 can be counted among the very first mini tube amplifiers. Equally influential were the Red Box analogue speaker simulation, the first six-channel amplifier (the Triamp), and the ZenTera, which used modelling technology in an integrated amplifier even before Line 6.
Used between the output and the cab of a guitar or bass amplifier, the Red Box 5 delivers an unaltered and balanced signal directly from the amp to the mixer. This means there's no need to mic the amp for live gigs, which saves an enormous amount of time and also makes the mixer's job much easier. Often, a clean DI signal like this is used to complement the microphone pickup of an amplifier, in order to isolate the room sound and combine it with the dry signal to give a satisfying overall sound. The Hughes & Kettner Red Box 5 is an excellent tool for this purpose too, both live and in the studio.