Bonex One vs Nana Cotex vs Why Bother?

[Alex Kenivel]

The Neural Amp Modeler has sucked me in. I've used ToneZone3000 to capture the Green, Blue and Red channels of my 50W Stealth and I've been using NAMU for practice along to tracks when the kids go to bed, and also on some more recent recordings.

I had been staving off these capture pedals, using the HX and Katana models to get "close enough" to the few amps that I have. The Stealth Green channel (which I use more often) has been harder to emulate in HXLand, hence why I've been resorting to NAM.

But do I really need captures in hardware form? There is little practical use case for me integrating a pedal like this into my band rig - I think it's just GAS. In my current band I run my little HX Stomp board like a pedalboard into the front of amps - Boss Katana or Fender Deluxe, and my plans thus far have been to use the Stealth Green channel.

One conundrum - I use IEMs to monitor my vocals and hear a little bit of guitar mixed in. So far I have been achieving this by using my Boss Katana's Line Out to my Rolls PM351 mixer. The overarching use case would be to provide my IEMs some amp sound.

I could conceivably use this GASlit device a few ways...

• Signal from the two outputs of my HX Stomp -- one to amp on stage and one to the New Box into my IEMs.
• HX Stomp > new box > TC BAM200 > Cab.
• HX Stomp > Stealth > DI > New Box as IR loader into IEMs

For what I need, I'm thinking the Tonex One might be the way to go especially since I can just drop my current NAM models right into the software and not need to retrain. (Wrong! I got brands mixed up) I only really need the Stealth Green, and having an extra channel on the pedal for the Stealth Blue would be icing on the cake.

Do I need MIDI? Kinda, but not really? I'd love to be able to actually use the Stealth Blue model sometimes, and have that switch with preset switching, but would that really be worth the extra cash for the NC? I'm leaning toward "no". I get by just fine with clean channel + modeled ODs.

Could I just use the Boss Katana? Probably, but I want to use my 2x12 cab.

Could I just use models in HXland? Probably, but my Stomp is pretty close to maxed out and I don't like carting my Helix Floor, especially if I'm going to also lug the 2x12.

Should I be looking at other things to make this work? One thought I had was to get a Katana Head, seeing as I know how to manipulate everything it has to emulate real world amps I like. Another AIAB/IR pedal? Would I be able to get the sound I want?

 

[Frodebro]

You do realize, of course, that you are posting this thread in the land of Collect Them All…

 

[Los-D]

The Neural Amp Modeler has sucked me in. I've used ToneZone3000 to capture the Green, Blue and Red channels of my 50W Stealth and I've been using NAMU for practice along to tracks when the kids go to bed, and also on some more recent recordings.

I had been staving off these capture pedals, using the HX and Katana models to get "close enough" to the few amps that I have. The Stealth Green channel (which I use more often) has been harder to emulate in HXLand, hence why I've been resorting to NAM.

But do I really need captures in hardware form? There is little practical use case for me integrating a pedal like this into my band rig - I think it's just GAS. In my current band I run my little HX Stomp board like a pedalboard into the front of amps - Boss Katana or Fender Deluxe, and my plans thus far have been to use the Stealth Green channel.

One conundrum - I use IEMs to monitor my vocals and hear a little bit of guitar mixed in. So far I have been achieving this by using my Boss Katana's Line Out to my Rolls PM351 mixer. The overarching use case would be to provide my IEMs some amp sound.

I could conceivably use this GASlit device a few ways...

• Signal from the two outputs of my HX Stomp -- one to amp on stage and one to the New Box into my IEMs.
• HX Stomp > new box > TC BAM200 > Cab.
• HX Stomp > Stealth > DI > New Box as IR loader into IEMs

For what I need, I'm thinking the Tonex One might be the way to go especially since I can just drop my current NAM models right into the software and not need to retrain. I only really need the Stealth Green, and having an extra channel on the pedal for the Stealth Blue would be icing on the cake.

Do I need MIDI? Kinda, but not really? I'd love to be able to actually use the Stealth Blue model sometimes, and have that switch with preset switching, but would that really be worth the extra cash for the NC? I'm leaning toward "no". I get by just fine with clean channel + modeled ODs.

Could I just use the Boss Katana? Probably, but I want to use my 2x12 cab.

Could I just use models in HXland? Probably, but my Stomp is pretty close to maxed out and I don't like carting my Helix Floor, especially if I'm going to also lug the 2x12.

Should I be looking at other things to make this work? One thought I had was to get a Katana Head, seeing as I know how to manipulate everything it has to emulate real world amps I like. Another AIAB/IR pedal? Would I be able to get the sound I want?

View attachment 35019

I’ve been thinking of a “capture” device in the loop of a(nother) Hx device (Stomp, LT, Pod Go) for amp tones + L6 effects. Also smitten with NAM

 

[riffy]

AK, maybe I am as dumb as a brick, but how are you dropping NAM captures into Tonex without retraining?

 

[jellodog]

AK, maybe I am as dumb as a brick, but how are you dropping NAM captures into Tonex without retraining?

Was just about to ask exactly the same thing.

Surely that’s not possible @Alex Kenivel ?

 

[Alex Kenivel]

AK, maybe I am as dumb as a brick, but how are you dropping NAM captures into Tonex without retraining?

No, the dumb brick would be me. I was searching for Tonex videos this morning. There was a guy dragging and dropping his NAM caps into the software that I assumed was the Tonex software. Turns out it was Tonocracy

Sorry for the confusion

 

[Mongillo19]

You could check the Dimehead NAM player out?

 

[Alex Kenivel]

You could check the Dimehead NAM player out?

True, it's also bigger than I'd want. Ideally I'd be kicking my Relay G10 off my board to make way for this new addition.

 

[FuzzyAce]

The Neural Amp Modeler has sucked me in. I've used ToneZone3000 to capture the Green, Blue and Red channels of my 50W Stealth and I've been using NAMU for practice

 

[JiveTurkey]

I vote why bother

 

[PLX]

Bloody good tone, mate !

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I vote why bother

Valid. Is there anything else I could use to solve my little IEM conundrum? Or should I just lug the Helix Floor? We currently don't have any gigs until summer 2025, suppose some goldilocks product comes out before then..

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Found a used Two Notes Opus online and snagged it. I figure it can either be used with my amp as a DI/IR LOADER or if any of the amp models trip my trigger I can try those

 

[JiveTurkey]

Valid. Is there anything else I could use to solve my little IEM conundrum? Or should I just lug the Helix Floor? We currently don't have any gigs until summer 2025, suppose some goldilocks product comes out before then..

Your Rolls Mixer is a good thought. Though the Two Notes should be pretty nice as well for the task at hand? Interested to see how it works for you once you get it

 

[Byrdman]

AK, maybe I am as dumb as a brick, but how are you dropping NAM captures into Tonex without retraining?

Was just about to ask exactly the same thing.

Surely that’s not possible @Alex Kenivel ?

The company/person that comes up with a way to build one device that plays all capture formats will be the winner in that race. Or maybe a conversion program

 

[jellodog]

Yeah. But I still feel that NAM will likely win in the end.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I'm still floored you are digging the Stealth Green channel. I got nothing fun to say about it at all but I am probably just dumb. It's probably the speakers giving you the goods

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I'm still floored you are digging the Stealth Green channel. I got nothing fun to say about it at all but I am probably just dumb. It's probably the speakers giving you the goods

Most likely differing needs? In my current band all I really need is a clean pedal platform, which is why the Katana is working well in our practice space. I could probably get by with the clean channel of my MT15. We play funk, ska, Afro-Cuban, a little jazz mixed in, pop and RnB covers.

Your Rolls Mixer is a good thought. Though the Two Notes should be pretty nice as well for the task at hand? Interested to see how it works for you once you get it

Yeah the Rolls mixer is going to be used regardless, just getting the amp into an IR with an XLR out for the Rolls was the missing piece.

I have a DI that can handle splitting from a physical amp but no IR loader unless I plan to route it back into my Helix Floor's mic input for IR processing, and back out via XLR to the rolls mixer. I don't want to manage all of that.

If I used the Tonex as a simple IR loader, I'd still need adapters to and from XLR for DI/Rolls. Same with other IR pedals I see on the market.

Enter the Opus, DI out with IR for the Rolls mixer when used with my amp or I can use it as a clean pedal platform, hoping I can dial it in close enough to the Stealth Green. I was futzing around yesterday and can get pretty close to the Green with HX's Twin model (US Double) so I'm hopeful that this Opus will work out in some way or another.