IK Multimedia TONEX

[Chocol8]

I wish it ran 24/48 as an audio interface, and to be able to record wet and dry tracks simultaneously. Latter might be possible, but I don’t believe the former is.

I am pretty sure it can pass wet and dry as two different inputs. I think the hardware is capable of 24/192 so I don’t know why the output is limited to 44khz, but I never would use either pedal as a recording interface anyway.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I am pretty sure it can pass wet and dry as two different inputs. I think the hardware is capable of 24/192 so I don’t know why the output is limited to 44khz, but I never would use either pedal as a recording interface anyway.

For demo stuff it’d be a useful tool.

 

[Chocol8]

For demo stuff it’d be a useful tool.

I can see the use, but I already have other interfaces and the Tonex software. FWIW, if you dive into the menus, USB Out can be set to stereo with left as out 1 and right as out 2, or "dual" where left goes to out 1 and the dry signal goes to out 2. So, you can record wet and dry tracks simultaneously, but only in mono.

 

[MBT74]

The Pirate Midi Polar Plus is in the mail so I’m looking forward to adding that to the Tonex One.

The Amalgam Audio free JTM45 edge capture is superb. I think that pack might have to be my first purchase.

 

[djd100]

The Pirate Midi Polar Plus is in the mail so I’m looking forward to adding that to the Tonex One.

The Amalgam Audio free JTM45 edge capture is superb. I think that pack might have to be my first purchase.

I have been impressed with both Amalgam and MattFig DI captures so far, though there are a number of great free ones on ToneNet as well (that's DI captures that you need to use with your IR's, which eliminates peeps screwing up the cab mic'ing which dooms a lot of the full ToneNet captures).

 

[Chocol8]

DI captures allow you to use real cabs and use an IR of any cab, which are two big pluses to me. Especially with a head amp, in real life I would be swapping cabs so I want to digitally, and I also change speakers on combo amps and play them through external cabs.

Full captures, done really well, are ok for some situations but I have found I almost never use them.

 

[dbagchee]

How are you guys that got the capture packs fairing out with them??

Playing with the Metal Gems pack has been fun. I started by going through the entire pack (filtered down to the captures that included the cabs) and just clicked through one by one and strumming and/or playing quick riffs and using the favorite feature to mark the preset to come back to. I found this a good way to pare down the 100 or so presets so that you don't get overwhelmed by all of the captures. There's a surprising amount of variety, and several really nice clean sounds.

The biggest surprise was that I liked the Diezel Herbert captures the most overall (I thought I would favor the SLO). Most of the Herbert captures have a nice high end rolloff that I like (though may be too dark for some uses - sounds good solo though). I've only had a few hours on it, so didn't mess with changing any of the settings - just using the presets straight up so far.

I recorded this quick idea the weekend before last, inspired by the new sounds in this pack. I was hoping to develop it a bit further (might post that up for this weeks challenge, but here's the rough draft (this is using a Clean and Dirty Herbert capture):

 

[Sascha Franck]

I wish it ran 24/48 as an audio interface, and to be able to record wet and dry tracks simultaneously. Latter might be possible, but I don’t believe the former is.

So what's the audio format it works with?

Edit: I see, seems to be 44.1. Would be fine with me.
Having a separate DI tracking option would indeed be great. I'm thinking about purchasing a TX One for the vacations and I don't think I'd have the patience to dial in final sounds, so it'd rather be sketches I'd record - hence a great thing if it delivered a DI signal as well.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

So what's the audio format it works with?

Edit: I see, seems to be 44.1. Would be fine with me.
Having a separate DI tracking option would indeed be great. I'm thinking about purchasing a TX One for the vacations and I don't think I'd have the patience to dial in final sounds, so it'd rather be sketches I'd record - hence a great thing if it delivered a DI signal as well.

iPad version theory is great for that but they haven’t really done a load with it. It’s such a strong advantage for ToneX over other platforms that I’m surprised they haven’t pushed it more

 

[EOengineer]

Having a separate DI tracking option would indeed be great. I'm thinking about purchasing a TX One for the vacations and I don't think I'd have the patience to dial in final sounds, so it'd rather be sketches I'd record - hence a great thing if it delivered a DI signal as well.

I’ve long hoped we’d see a settings option to send different signals out of the dual outputs on the Tonex.

Just my opinion but I suspect modern guitarists are less likely to run stereo and more likely to want to send an IR to FOH through one output while the other either optionally sends the amp capture with no cab/IR, or even send a guitar dry through to a physical amp on stage.

 

[EOengineer]

iPad version theory is great for that but they haven’t really done a load with it. It’s such a strong advantage for ToneX over other platforms that I’m surprised they haven’t pushed it more

The only time I tried to use Tonex on iOS I couldn’t get IO with any of my interfaces. I’ve been meaning to circle back around to it. I love the idea of it if it’s any good.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

The only time I tried to use Tonex on iOS I couldn’t get IO with any of my interfaces. I’ve been meaning to circle back around to it. I love the idea of it if it’s any good.

The first time I tried playing one of my own models through an iPad (with a USB powered interface) it just felt surreal really. At least back then, it was a total PITA to move your own models around and the app didn't really seem totally optimised for iOS. So much potential there

 

[Sascha Franck]

I only need this for macOS. No iOS devices in my current setup.

 

[EOengineer]

The first time I tried playing one of my own models through an iPad (with a USB powered interface) it just felt surreal really.

It’s getting to be phone upgrade time here and I’m thinking I’ll probably add an IPad this year. I really want to get things up and running on a phone though, preferably with some Bluetooth foot control too.

I have the Axe IO One laying around that I’m hoping I can just connect USB-C and hit the ground running once I’m running newer hardware.

At least back then, it was a total PITA to move your own models around and the app didn't really seem totally optimised for iOS. So much potential there

Did you have to jump through all those hoops replacing the Tonex database from a backup file?

 

[DrewJD82]

Playing with the Metal Gems pack has been fun. I started by going through the entire pack (filtered down to the captures that included the cabs) and just clicked through one by one and strumming and/or playing quick riffs and using the favorite feature to mark the preset to come back to. I found this a good way to pare down the 100 or so presets so that you don't get overwhelmed by all of the captures. There's a surprising amount of variety, and several really nice clean sounds.

The biggest surprise was that I liked the Diezel Herbert captures the most overall (I thought I would favor the SLO). Most of the Herbert captures have a nice high end rolloff that I like (though may be too dark for some uses - sounds good solo though). I've only had a few hours on it, so didn't mess with changing any of the settings - just using the presets straight up so far.

I recorded this quick idea the weekend before last, inspired by the new sounds in this pack. I was hoping to develop it a bit further (might post that up for this weeks challenge, but here's the rough draft (this is using a Clean and Dirty Herbert capture):

Hell yeah! Those tones sound great!

 

[paisleywookiee]

So what's the audio format it works with?

Edit: I see, seems to be 44.1. Would be fine with me.
Having a separate DI tracking option would indeed be great. I'm thinking about purchasing a TX One for the vacations and I don't think I'd have the patience to dial in final sounds, so it'd rather be sketches I'd record - hence a great thing if it delivered a DI signal as well.

Exactly what my planned usage would be. I just spent 9 days away from guitar, and it was terrible. Just. Terrible.

 

[prog n roll]

Has anyone experienced high-output pickups clipping the input of the Tonex Pedal?
(I’m referring to the larger version with three footswitches.)

Both my Music Man JP7 and Ibanez RG1527 with Dimarzio Crunch Lab in the bridge seem to clip the Tonex input. I can clearly hear it when using the Tonex Pedal as an audio interface outside my main rig — my DI tracks have a slight overdrive, almost like soft clipping.

However, when I use the same guitars in my main setup — where the Tonex is in the FX loop of my HX Stomp, and I enable the input pad on the HX — there’s no clipping at all, even when recording through the Tonex USB. That’s what makes me wonder:
Are my guitars’ outputs really that hot, or could my Tonex Pedal unit be defective?

Note 1: I’ve emailed IK Multimedia’s support, and they told me the input clipping is expected behavior and not a defect — the pedal simply doesn’t handle very hot signals well.

Note 2: Clipping happens regardless of the Input Trim setting. I’ve tested with the trim set extremely low, and it still clips. That makes sense, since IK confirmed that Input Trim is applied after A/D conversion, meaning it doesn't prevent analog clipping at the input stage.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Has anyone experienced high-output pickups clipping the input of the Tonex Pedal?
(I’m referring to the larger version with three footswitches.)

Both my Music Man JP7 and Ibanez RG1527 with Dimarzio Crunch Lab in the bridge seem to clip the Tonex input. I can clearly hear it when using the Tonex Pedal as an audio interface outside my main rig — my DI tracks have a slight overdrive, almost like soft clipping.

However, when I use the same guitars in my main setup — where the Tonex is in the FX loop of my HX Stomp, and I enable the input pad on the HX — there’s no clipping at all, even when recording through the Tonex USB. That’s what makes me wonder:
Are my guitars’ outputs really that hot, or could my Tonex Pedal unit be defective?

Note 1: I’ve emailed IK Multimedia’s support, and they told me the input clipping is expected behavior and not a defect — the pedal simply doesn’t handle very hot signals well.

Note 2: Clipping happens regardless of the Input Trim setting. I’ve tested with the trim set extremely low, and it still clips. That makes sense, since IK confirmed that Input Trim is applied after A/D conversion, meaning it doesn't prevent analog clipping at the input stage.

I think the ToneX pedals have about 6 or 7dBu of headroom IIRC, so it’s quite easy to clip. The input level controls come after the A/D so you can’t avoid the clipping unfortunately.

 

[prog n roll]

I think the ToneX pedals have about 6 or 7dBu of headroom IIRC, so it’s quite easy to clip. The input level controls come after the A/D so you can’t avoid the clipping unfortunately.

Thanks for the info! Kind of a bummer, though, not being able to use the pedal in standalone mode without clipping the input...

 

[Richard_G]

I see, seems to be 44.1. Would be fine with me.
Having a separate DI tracking option would indeed be great. I'm thinking about purchasing a TX One for the vacations and I don't think I'd have the patience to dial in final sounds, so it'd rather be sketches I'd record - hence a great thing if it delivered a DI signal as well.

I only need this for macOS. No iOS devices in my current setup.

I'd say that bringing your Tonex One with you on travels and vacations is one of its many cool use cases.

You can use the Tonex One as a small and lightweight audio interface connected to your Mac on vacations. You can then record DI tracks in your DAW while monitoring through the Tonex plugin (or other plugins of course). And when you don't want to sit in front of your Mac on your vacation, but still want to play or practice with your guitar, you can just go Guitar -> Tonex One -> Headphones.