The Ultimate Rig Switcher - N-Audio 8x7 Amp & Cab Router Explained
🎯 Intro: One Box to Rule Them All?
If you’re a guitarist juggling multiple amps and cabinets — whether for YouTube demos, studio sessions, or live gigs — you already know the nightmare: unplugging speaker cables, checking ohms, double-checking which amp is on, and praying you don’t fry a transformer in the process.
Enter the N-Audio 8x7 Amp & Cabinet Switcher — a box designed to make that chaos disappear.
In this post, we’re going deep into:
What the N-Audio 8x7 actually does
How it protects your gear while switching
Real-world use cases (including my own)
Why it might be the most important piece of gear you’re not thinking about yet
Let’s plug in.
🔧 What Is the N-Audio 8x7?
The N-Audio 8x7 Amp & Cabinet Switcher is a high-end routing device that lets you safely connect up to 8 tube amps and 7 speaker cabinets. With the push of a button (or via MIDI or footswitch), you can instantly switch which amp feeds which cab — without ever needing to physically swap cables.
👉 View the official product page
🛒 Where to Buy:
🧠 Why This Exists – And Why You Need It
Amp & cab shootouts are more popular than ever. But doing them the old-fashioned way is:
Time-consuming
Risky (you can easily mismatch impedance or leave an amp running without a load)
Tedious if you’re just trying to hear the tone difference in real time
The N-Audio 8x7 solves all that by giving you:
Instant routing
Zero signal loss or tone coloration
Full transformer protection
MIDI integration
LED indicators for safety and status
It’s not just convenience — it’s peace of mind for your gear.
🔍 How It Works – In Plain English
Let’s break this beast down:
8 Amp Inputs: You connect up to 8 tube amplifiers via their speaker output.
7 Cabinet Outputs: You connect up to 7 cabinets or speaker loads.
One Active Pair at a Time: Only one amp can be routed to one cab at any time — preventing accidental multi-routing or dangerous cross-connections.
Transformer Load Protection: If no cab is selected, a dummy load kicks in, saving your amp from blowing its output transformer.
Control Options:
Top panel buttons
External MIDI controller
Optional footswitch or relay
🎛️ Features Breakdown
Here are the specs and features that stood out:
Amp Inputs
8 total (1 active at a time)
Cab Outputs
7 total
Protection
Automatic dummy load when no cab is selected
Control
Manual, MIDI, or footswitch
Visual Feedback
LED indicators for both amp and cab selections
Signal Integrity
Fully passive analog audio path
Size
19” rackmount, 2U height
Build
Rugged metal housing, pro-grade jacks and switches
🎸 My Real-World Studio Use
As someone who demos a lot of gear — including amps like the Revv D25, Vox AC4HWR1, and various Fender combos — I can’t overstate how much this switcher has streamlined my workflow.
Before:
Crawl behind amps
Unplug speaker cable
Check which output jack I’m using
Move mic stands around
Hope I didn’t just leave a head running into an empty cab
Now:
Push a button
Tone instantly routes to the selected cab
Lights confirm the routing
I can focus on playing, recording, and listening — not wiring
It’s not just faster — it’s smarter, safer, and a lot more fun.
🎙️ Demo Applications
The N-Audio 8x7 is a dream come true if you:
Record amp shootouts
Compare speaker cabinets
Create amp-cab IR profiles
Need consistent mic positioning across multiple heads
Switch between amp flavors in a studio setting
👉 Watch my full video demo here
⚡ Live Use? Yes… If You’re Crazy Enough
Could you use this live? Technically yes. It’s rack-mountable, MIDI-controllable, and robust. But it’s really a studio tool. For live switching, the N-Audio Amp Cabinet Selector or a simpler A/B/Y switcher might be more appropriate.
Still, if you want to change between 3 different amps feeding 3 different IR loaders during a set — it could absolutely handle it. Just be ready for some serious rig-building.
💬 Common Questions
❓ Can I run two amps at once?
No. The unit is designed to allow only one amp and one cab connection at a time to ensure safe operation and avoid damage.
❓ Can I use a load box instead of a cab?
Yes! Just plug your load box into one of the cab outputs. That makes silent recording or re-amping super easy.
❓ Is there a version for fewer amps?
Yes — N-Audio also makes smaller switchers (e.g., 4x4, 3x1) if you don’t need 8 amps and 7 cabs. But the 8x7 gives you future-proofing.
🧠 Final Thoughts – Who Is This For?
If you’re:
A serious studio guitarist
A YouTuber or gear reviewer
Constantly switching amps and cabs
Tired of wasting time rewiring
Wanting to protect your tube gear
Then the N-Audio 8x7 is one of the smartest investments you can make.
Yes, it’s a niche product. But in that niche? It’s king.
📦 Ready to Upgrade Your Rig?
🔗 Check out the N-Audio 8x7 Amp & Cab Switcher
🗨️ What Do You Think?
Would you use something like this? Have another favorite amp/cab routing tool? Drop a comment on the YouTube video or shoot me a message — I’d love to hear how you manage your studio setup.
