Ik-Tonex modeling amp pedal

  • Thread starter Thread starter BDuncan
  • Start date Start date
I have one and like it, but mostly because it does several jobs that make it a good value. I use it 2 ways:

1) Tonex software / amplitude through a DAW via headphones to practice / play along with songs on youtube
This what I do 99% of the time and it works great. The value comes from getting a license with the pedal and grabbing captures from the online library to play along. Playing along with tracks helps me choose tones I otherwise might skip. TBH I almost never use amplitude as just the tonex + reverb is enough.

I usually use the amp captures with my own IRs, I was a little disappointed at first with the stock tonex captures when played like this but I'll get to that below... I prefer it to Sgear, or a drifwood loadbox + amp + IR setup. I tried the Neural amp modeler and its good too (free) but many of the online tonex captures beat it.

2) Tonex pedal through frfr108 on a mini stand for band practice
This surprised me as many of the stock captures that didn't sound great in headphones or isolation sounds GREAT playing live. I think context matters when picking tones and there is a difference in what sounds good jamming by yourself and in the mix. Lots of good tones out of the stock library that kinda shocked everyone. Super portable.

When you add the frfr108 + the tonex pedal + IRs you're at like 700 and there are other options you could get for that money. But I think if you want use it like I do its pretty hard to beat. If you just want to jam by yourself then getting a combo amp is a good argument. However I've found that the distortion sounds better on the tonex setup than the SS combos I've tried.

Cons are that the software UI / UX could be done better so I'd watch some videos, and you need to create a tonex account and wade through the captures online. I mostly use the mirror profiles bogner IRs and the amp only user captures as they sound better to me than the amps+cab ones.
 
Hmm. I was planning on using it with a passive 112-speaker cabinet. Would I need a poweramp for that?
 
scottosan said:
I ditched mine for a Fractal FM 3. IK software and licensing model is the absolute worst in the business
Click to expand...
Yeah. I'm not into the software, and home recording, at the moment. I just thought it would be a good "amps in a box" kind of thing. Maybe I'll just get a new noise gate pedal.
 
So this hardware pedal intrigues me but I tried the free version in my daw and I found it a tad noisy. I'm guessing the advantage of the hardware is that you won't run into latency or noise sitting close to a monitor. For the price it is intriguing. Some great uploaded user presets too from what I have seen.
 
I have one. I don't use it much. But Like it for what it is.
 
I’m on the fence as I just got one. Haven’t dove in totally yet but first impressions were that the quad cortex is better. Then again $$$$
 
I almost pulled the trigger but to be honest, I feel like using my real amps with my CABM+ and Reload for the load is going to serve me just as good. Also a lot of comments about how people couldn't find usable captures. Lots of content but not very good content. I guess if you want to save tubes, it would make sense to profile or capture and play your amp.
 
I bought a poweramp pedal with my Christmas credit. Maybe another preamp pedal would be better for me since this one is more for use with home recording and capturing.
 
How much bloatware and crap do you have to sign up for and download as far as emails, accounts, passwords, credit cards, sperm sample, etc.. just to use one of these things and also download user made captures?
 
Metalhex said:
How much bloatware and crap do you have to sign up for and download as far as emails, accounts, passwords, credit cards, sperm sample, etc.. just to use one of these things and also download user made captures?
Click to expand...
Install anything with IK media is a PITA jumping to next screen and their pop up making sure you register shit. Plug and play is still king.
 
BDuncan said:
I bought a poweramp pedal with my Christmas credit. Maybe another preamp pedal would be better for me since this one is more for use with home recording and capturing.
Click to expand...

What preamp pedals are you finding?

I was close to getting a BluGuitar Amp 1 Iridium but...

Before Christmas I found a great deal on a used ISP Theta Pro DSP Michael Sweet preamp/effects pedal. The cab sims work well enough and sound good to me (no IRs), but once I decided it's a keeper I got the ISP Stealth Pro power amp - small but not pedalboard small because of the power brick - that I run into either a Marshall 4x12 or Mesa 2x12. Sounds great, '80s in a box.

ISP has a Theta preamp pedal without the effects, with ridiculous levels of gain; but Michael Sweet hinted he's working on a new all-analog sig preamp pedal with ISP, looking forward to see what it is, should work great with my Stealth amp.
 
I really like what IK is doing with their guitar pedals. I think I have all of them except the Tonex Capture and I'll probably get that eventually.

The Tonex modeling pedal is awesome. At least for what I'm using it for. It's the main ingredient in my desktop practice rig.

I haven't used the software except to make sure all my products are registered and showing up. For instance if you buy the X-Vibe modulation modeler you get the software version for free and you might want to make sure it's showing up in Amplitube 5.

Here's my stereo desktop rig that's going to my mixer channel 5 & 6 L & R and out to the moniters.

I'm thinking of picking up another Tonex pedal so I can run separate amps L & R.

They have a special now until the end of the year if you buy a second Tonex pedal you get their new Dumble OD Legends Pack for free.
20231229_085311.jpg
 
rsm said:
What preamp pedals are you finding?

I was close to getting a BluGuitar Amp 1 Iridium but...

Before Christmas I found a great deal on a used ISP Theta Pro DSP Michael Sweet preamp/effects pedal. The cab sims work well enough and sound good to me (no IRs), but once I decided it's a keeper I got the ISP Stealth Pro power amp - small but not pedalboard small because of the power brick - that I run into either a Marshall 4x12 or Mesa 2x12. Sounds great, '80s in a box.

ISP has a Theta preamp pedal without the effects, with ridiculous levels of gain; but Michael Sweet hinted he's working on a new all-analog sig preamp pedal with ISP, looking forward to see what it is, should work great with my Stealth amp.
Click to expand...
I haven't decided yet. I'm an old Carvin person so I thought I might look into one of theirs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rsm
BDuncan said:
I haven't decided yet. I'm an old Carvin person so I thought I might look into one of theirs.
Click to expand...
If you're into high gain, that ISP Theta Preamp pedal is worth a look, it's also a 10+ year old design.



AMT made (makes?) preamp pedals some 2 channel, many designed from existing amps. May be hard to find new since they're based in Russia.

I owned a Tech21 PSA 1.1 rack unit many years ago, and earlier this year I got the PSA 2.0 pedal, and you can turn the SansAmp on or off if you're running it into a guitar power amp and cabs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top