Elan Audio Lab combines reactive attenuation, silent loading and DI in SoundBakery
The passive $479 box handles tube amps up to 100 watts, offers 4-, 8- and 16-ohm inputs and needs no external power.
· Edited by Peter Luha
Credit: Elan Audio Lab (via source)
Elan Audio Lab’s SoundBakery combines a reactive load box, speaker attenuator and direct box in one passive unit. Handmade in the United States, it is designed for tube amplifiers up to 100 watts and is listed at $479 direct from the builder.
Three dedicated amplifier inputs cover 4-, 8- and 16-ohm loads. The attenuation control can reduce the connected speaker from roughly a quarter of full output down to silence, while a bypass switch reconnects the amplifier directly to the cabinet. The balanced XLR and unbalanced quarter-inch line outputs remain active in bypass, with one shared level control.
With its load engaged, SoundBakery can run without a speaker cabinet for silent recording, in-ear monitoring or a feed to a PA. Its line outputs carry the amplifier signal without cabinet simulation or EQ, leaving players free to add an impulse response or cabinet model later. The box can also send the signal into another amplifier and requires no battery or power supply.
The design follows work previously associated with MetalHead Electronics, giving the product a lineage beyond a first release from a new name. For guitarists using loud tube heads, its practical value is the ability to separate power-amp drive, room volume and cabinet simulation instead of forcing all three decisions into a single stage setup.
Why it matters
SoundBakery gives tube-amp users one passive path for attenuation, silent recording and direct routing while leaving cabinet simulation to the player’s chosen hardware or software.
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