Palmer DACCAPO

Until quite recently I had not used any reamping but the problem it solved for me was getting a line level ouput from a guitar amp into an input on a USB mixer to record it. The line out was positioned after the effects in the amp so I wanted to use the high-quality amp effects in recording. I could have put a mic in front of the amp but I didn't want the sound of the amp itself to be heard elsewhere. The problem was how to do it.

The answer was to put the line out from the amp through a dummy load first (because it's not safe to turn a valve amp on disconnected from the speaker - it needs to be connected to something that looks like a speaker resistance-wise) and then to get the audio signal into the mixer. Unfortunately it's not quite that simple, and that's where this DACCAPO box comes in.

If we simply connect the signal straight into mixer, we will also be getting all kinds of 'ground noise', noise generated by the amplifier because it's connected to the mains supply. This ground loop problem is perfectly resolved by the DACCAPO box because the audio signal goes through a transformer and is effectively decoupled. The noise can't get through the box but the signal can.

If that's all it did, this box would be worth the money but it also has some very useful additional features. 'Line level' comes in two shades in the audio world, depending on whether it's professional audio equipment or consumer equipment. Professional audio equipment is referred to a +4dB and the consumer stuff is -10dB. Connecting a +4 output to a -10 input won't sound good because the level's too high. Connecting -10 to +4 will be too weak and you might not even hear it. The DACCAPO comes to the rescue with a switch to choose the option you need. Often it's not clear on a mixer but clicking the button sorts out the problem by either boosting or reducing the signal. You also even have a volume control to fine-tune it.

If you doubt the existence of the 'ground loop problem' you can give yourself a little demonstration with a button on the box to choose between LIFT and GND. With GND you'll confirm why you bought this box!

This is an excellent little box which does exactly what it claims. For me it was an obvious buy. No regrets.

My jaw dropped on my first attempt to reamp. Used a plain old Boss TU-2 to split the guitar signal into may amp and straight into my interface, just for shits n' giggles to set things up. Mic'ed up the amp and recorded that, clean and through a Big Muff. I then sent the pre-recorded direct guitar down into the Muff and Amp and recorded. A/B'ing was virtually indistinguishable! I then proceeded to do a null test by inverting the phase against the original take, and obviously it doesn't completely cancel out, however, there was an average -12dB drop, low end and most low mids completely gone. More pronounced on the clean than on the fuzz… in any case, reamping has opened a completely new world for me! Particularly self-recording. I focus on performance, edit the direct recording, and then focus on the engineering side! NOT both a the same time anymore! What a blessing! I love this little yellow box to bits and highly recommend it!

I was blown away how it clear up my sound.
There is no other Reamp Box in this price range and quality. The Daccapo takes care of all impedance matching issues and also eliminates ground loop humming thanks to the use of a Transformer.
I'm using this in front of EVH 5150, studio usage it's for me.
A passive re-amp box should be pretty simple, and the DACCAPO is - it's basically a transformer and a few resistors with some switches and sockets. It?s passive so you don?t need power, and operation couldn?t be much simpler: route your recording to a line out, connect to the XLR input on the DACCAPO (I use a mic cable) and plug an ordinary guitar lead from the Isolated Output into your amp or pedal. You can select -10dBV or +4 dBu input line levels. Palmer does its job very well indeed,
This is one product that does exactly what it needs to do, very well, at a great price!!!

This affordable little Reamp box is an absolute life saver in the studio and punches well above its price in terms of usability and effectiveness.

Pros:
- Incredibly affordable, at 65euro it's a steal compared to more expensive Reamp boxes.
- Fantastic build quality, this little box is made of solid metal and built like a tank. I've accidentally dropped this box countless times and there isn't a single scratch or dent on it after extensive use at home and in the studio.
- Great sound quality, I've noticed no drop of audio quality at all when Reamping through this box.
- Perfect features, having a dedicated level knob as well as a ground lift and a -10dBV and +4dBu button are all incredibly useful features on a Reamp box and they are the exact features one would require on a Reamp box.

Cons:
- I can't think of any, this little box has made my life in the studio so much easier and I can't recommend it enough.

If you're looking for an affordable studio tool that you will use for years to come and will likely never break or need replacing, the Palmer DACCAPO Reamp Box is definitely for you, cheers and thanks!