My first impression of HX Stomp

[SillyOctpuss]

Realistically, I prefer that too... but it's hard not to enjoy and experiment with these multi-fx goodies at times.

Absolutely. I've lost loads of nights going through all the different fx and seeing what weird sounds I can make. Changing effect orders, going in parallel etc.

Most of the time though I'm happy with a fuzz, a drive or boost, something wobbly and some delay. I find I get more done when I've less to pick from and know them well.

 

[Chocol8]

This is the discussion that I’d like to have. Tell me more about what you mean.

Use the Tonex (or a real tube amp) for the amplifier section. Use the Stomp (or other Helix for factor) for digital effects. Basically the Stomp can replace the entire pedal board for a lot of people, and do it very well and when you add it all up, at a pretty reasonable price.

 

[laxu]

Use the Tonex (or a real tube amp) for the amplifier section. Use the Stomp (or other Helix for factor) for digital effects. Basically the Stomp can replace the entire pedal board for a lot of people, and do it very well and when you add it all up, at a pretty reasonable price.

See to me adding Tonex to a modeler seems like a fool's errand. You've just doubled the crap you have to manage via software, and you've added a good chunk of latency too.

I'd rather stick with the HX Stomp as single box and compromise on the number of fx in presets instead.

 

[Chocol8]

See to me adding Tonex to a modeler seems like a fool's errand. You've just doubled the crap you have to manage via software, and you've added a good chunk of latency too.

I'd rather stick with the HX Stomp as single box and compromise on the number of fx in presets instead.

The added latency is less than 1.5ms which is a non issue if you don't have a board full of other digital pedals. You also have not doubled the crap you have to manage, at worst you subbed the amp block on the Helix for the capture block on Tonex and have barely moved the needle on what you CAN manage.

The best use of Tonex/NAM/Kemper or really even any modeler IMHO is to dial in a few amp sounds that replace the real amps you would use and then leave them alone. You don't have to keep tweaking endlessly, that is something people do to themselves.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Yeah, the Stomp is great as either (1) all-in-one or (2) a Swiss-army-knife box on a complicated board to cover occasional effects you don't want an individual pedal for.

And #2 is a pretty rare instance. If your church tone is that Kunde (god is he all over my Facebook feed pimping his little books lately) "pedals and amps feel better than digital modeling; so the first pedal you need is a compressor to squash everything so much that you can't feel anything" than just use a Helix. If you're playing a function gig - either just use a Helix, or don't worry about having a Swiss-army-knife box on your board because whether or not you are using a flanger like they did on the record is not going to be what determines if people get on the dance floor or not.

 

[laxu]

The added latency is less than 1.5ms which is a non issue if you don't have a board full of other digital pedals. You also have not doubled the crap you have to manage, at worst you subbed the amp block on the Helix for the capture block on Tonex and have barely moved the needle on what you CAN manage.

The best use of Tonex/NAM/Kemper or really even any modeler IMHO is to dial in a few amp sounds that replace the real amps you would use and then leave them alone. You don't have to keep tweaking endlessly, that is something people do to themselves.

Don't forget that if you are running in 4CM you have also increased the latency using the loop. No idea how much on the HX Stomp, but let's assume it's Tonex 1.5ms + maybe 2ms? So that puts you into somewhere in the around ~5-6ms range total. That's of course not bad, but it's definitely felt a bit.

I tend to use a bunch of different guitars at least at home, so I'll always tweak something on the amps, real or not.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

The best use of Tonex/NAM/Kemper or really even any modeler IMHO is to dial in a few amp sounds that replace the real amps you would use and then leave them alone. You don't have to keep tweaking endlessly, that is something people do to themselves.

But why add the Stomp? If I'm picky enough that I prefer the amp tones of Tonex/NAM/Kemper enough to justify complicating my power supply, cable, preset control/managent, etc., than . . . I'm probably picky enough that certain things in the Stomp are NOT going to be what I really want. And is where am I at that point? I've spent more money on a bigger board, a power supply, and I still have a "compromised but compact rig".

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Don't forget that if you are running in 4CM you have also increased the latency using the loop. No idea how much on the HX Stomp, but let's assume it's Tonex 1.5ms + maybe 2ms? So that puts you into somewhere in the around ~5-6ms range total. That's of course not bad, but it's definitely felt a bit.

I tend to use a bunch of different guitars at least at home, so I'll always tweak something on the amps, real or not.

When did the bar for latency get to be this low? MAYBE if you add a wireless to that you'd be in the world feeling things, but anyone feeling 5-6ms is...working REALLY hard to feel that.

 

[JiveTurkey]

But why add the Stomp? If I'm picky enough that I prefer the amp tones of Tonex/NAM/Kemper enough to justify complicating my power supply, cable, preset control/managent, etc., than . . . I'm probably picky enough that certain things in the Stomp are NOT going to be what I really want. And is where am I at that point? I've spent more money on a bigger board, a power supply, and I still have a "compromised but compact rig".

The Tone-X experience is dogshit across the board and the whole point of the Stomp is how it is goldilocks as can be for what it offers in the size it offers it in.

 

[laxu]

When did the bar for latency get to be this low? MAYBE if you add a wireless to that you'd be in the world feeling things, but anyone feeling 5-6ms is...working REALLY hard to feel that.

I'm just listing one of the cons of using multiple modelers together.

Again, I'm not saying that's some dealbreaker issue or anything. I use a ~5ms audio interface all the time, and my Ampero 2 Stomp is about 5-6ms if the fx loop is in use. I do think you can tell e.g 2ms vs 5-6ms. It's subtle, but it's there.

Like you said, if you start adding wireless to that, then you might be in trouble where it does start to have an effect on your playing.

 

[Chocol8]

But why add the Stomp? If I'm picky enough that I prefer the amp tones of Tonex/NAM/Kemper enough to justify complicating my power supply, cable, preset control/managent, etc., than . . . I'm probably picky enough that certain things in the Stomp are NOT going to be what I really want. And is where am I at that point? I've spent more money on a bigger board, a power supply, and I still have a "compromised but compact rig".

Everything is a compromise. Tonex plus Stomp, or Tonex plus VP4, or Dimehead NAM plus Stomp, or…

Combining two digital pedals is not all that difficult compared to many boards I see with a half dozen plus digital pedals, analog pedals, digital switchers, etc. There are a lot of people using Helix/Fractal/Boss for effects and getting the amp elsewhere. That’s why HX effects and the VP4 exist!

 

[Mikael Dez]

See to me adding Tonex to a modeler seems like a fool's errand. You've just doubled the crap you have to manage via software, and you've added a good chunk of latency too.

I'd rather stick with the HX Stomp as single box and compromise on the number of fx in presets instead.

I had a ToneX + stomp last fall and while it was powerful it was a pain in the ass and I had way less fun with the whole setup than I wanted. That’s really why I got a QC.

 

[Iron1]

Ain't nobody buying off politicians and judges, then paying for all the party supplies with a Tonex.

StompBucks, when you need tonal currency.

 

[JiveTurkey]

StompBucks, when you need tonal ease of use currency in the smallest package

 

[laxu]

Ain't nobody buying off politicians and judges, then paying for all the party supplies with a Tonex.

StompBucks, when you need tonal currency.

With China's influence on the rise, I'm sure any day now I'll be flush with HotoneStompBucks.

The currency that brings all the Hos to the yard, and damn right it's more chabuduo than yours!

 

[the swede]

I get what Swede is saying. You could take away the amp and cab modeling from the stomp and it would still be a feature-rich, very capable pedal for 99.5% guitarists. Although I think the main issue with any pedal like this is there will always be a percentage of players that just don't want to be bothered with menu diving and the sheer amount of options. That is understandable.

@HomespunEffects what fuzzy said.

It’s just a darn good box for anything imaginable. Even works as the only one thing, in a pinch. I played with only my guitar and a stomp in a band setting for 2 years. It worked fine. It’s also a perfect homeplayer device. Brilliant as a “hub” for the home studio.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Everything is a compromise. Tonex plus Stomp, or Tonex plus VP4, or Dimehead NAM plus Stomp,

Exactly. So don't do any of those comprises.

 

[Chocol8]

Exactly. So don't do any of those comprises.

What part of EVERYTHING do you have trouble understanding? A 1967 Marshall is a compromise, as is a Dumble ODS or a BF Twin Reverb. AxeFXIII, QC and Helix, all compromises as well. Stymon pedals, or Analogman, same deal.

 

[HomespunEffects]

Ok, I no longer want to have this conversation.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

What part of EVERYTHING do you have trouble understanding? A 1967 Marshall is a compromise, as is a Dumble ODS or a BF Twin Reverb. Analogman.

Nah. Those things are either no compromise correct or incorrect. Limited? Maybe.

To be fair, there are parts of Helix and Fractal and Kemper (and I'm sure others) that are NOT a compromise, imo, (including many amps in Helix).

What is almost always a compromise though is "I'mm'a get every sound out of this one box" and "I'mma get all my effects out of this one box".