IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal

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  • firepaulmusicfirepaulmusic Frets: 412
    edited October 10
    champ222 said:
    so, i got my tonex pedal yesterday and spent a bit of time with it last night. 

    i connected the outputs to my audio interface, mix knob all the way to "input", which just routes the headphones/monitors direct to the inputs. audio interface into headphones. Stock sounds were a bit Meh.

    Fired up the PC, got all the software installed and up to date. Plugged the guitar directly into the audio interface, mix knob all the way to "USB" and tried some of the sounds from Amalgam using the software. I got some great sounds! warm, smooooth, awesome!. Downloaded a bunch of those sounds, transferred them to the pedal. Plugged guitar back into the pedal, pedal into interface, mix knob to "input"... it sounds shit. Its shrill, a bit fizzy and noisy.

    i tried changing the global input trim, this changed the saturation, but the overall sound seemed much the same

    I'll have to do some more testing. 

    Now, with the guitar plugged into the interface directly, i had forgotten to press the guitar button (interface is Arturia Minifuse 2) which raises the input impedance. so its possible this was knocking a bit of top end off. Also, i have an EQ set to take the edge of the monitors for listening to music. I'm sure this was switched off, but i'll check it.

    So if i can get the sounds l did from the software directly from the pedal. i'll be happy, if not, i could send the pedal back and use the software i guess. 

    Hopefully i can suss it out.

    Any ideas?


    Here's a Studio Rats video on YouTube detailing how to set it up for your audio interface etc...wonder but if that might help?




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  • A couple of things to try perhaps - the first is to connect the Tonex pedal direct to your PC directly rather than to the Arturia Minifuse; and the other, whichever way you connect, is to ensure that the pedal is set to "Interface" mode rather than "Live" which it will otherwise be set to as default. To do this (copied from another post):

    Hold down the Model (select) knob until you see "Preset Setup" on the display, scroll right using the Model knob until you see "Global Setup". Quick press the Model knob and the display should say "NAMING" scroll right using the Model knob until you come to "OPERATION", quick press the Model knob and you'll have two options "Live" or "Interface", choose "Interface".

    Quick press the Preset knob to get back to "OPERATION". Scroll right using the Model knob to "USB" quick press the Model knob and choose "Dual"

    Your Tonex Pedal is now set as a usb audio interface, channel 1 is the "wet" signal, channel 2 is "dry" set your DAW or Tonex inputs for the desired wet or dry signal.

    If later using the Pedal live again, reset the interface to "LIVE".

    I am not sure why you would be using the pedal as an interface if you already have your Arturia, which obviously gives you access to the software? Simplistically I regard the Tonex pedal as a suitcase containg your favourite profiles to use out (with an FRFR, speaker cab or headphones) when you are not connected to a computer. Its use as an interface for me is to test additional profiles through a live rig to determine which ones to load onto the pedal, so the reverse way round to how you are using it. That may be just me however!



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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5751
    edited October 10
    This is one of the things that pissed me off with it initially, and I still sometimes forget to switch between Live/Interface when I'm connected to my laptop. 
    The other thing to remember to do in Interface mode is to switch off whatever preset you're using on the pedal as it will mix that signal with whatever setting you're using on the software resulting in an oversaturated, fizzy tone. Took me ages to find this out.

    IK could make it SO much easier to use but they haven't. The end results are worth it but it's not much fun getting there.
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  • Ah yes - I forgot about the switching the preset on the pedal off - for the OP just press the illuminated A/B/C pedal once to turn off!
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  • champ222champ222 Frets: 37
    ok, so my setup is a little strange.

    Firstly, i dont record anything so i dont have a DAW or anything like that. this is just for jamming along for me. I just want realistic, rewarding guitar tone, sat at my desk.

    I have the Arturia interface because i use it for measuring frequency responses in the car for working on the car audio setup.

    I have a desk that i use for PC use and gaming. i recently got rid of my amp and cab because i dont have the space, nor the time really. I tried software guitar modelling etc some years ago. i got good sounds, but the latency did my head in. ruined the feel. i also prefer physical knobs, than using the PC

    So i have a desk, that needed some speakers. Dont really have the space on the desk, or in the room for a HIFI amp, "HIFI" active speakers either seem a bit crap, or are horrendously expensive. However, good value studio monitors are plentiful, so i went that way. i already had the audio interface, so i'm just using it as a sound card really, to drive the speakers and also headphones. it all works really well. the speakers have auto standby. The interface is connected to the usb hub in the monitor so is powered all the time. I power on the pc, and just turn the output knob on the interface for sound, and the speakers come on automatically. if its night, i plugin the headphones and turn the headphone volume up instead. Its all perfect.

    As a bit of an aside, but which kind of lead me down this road a bit, was that the kids are getting to the "using a PC" age, so the plan is to get another PC for the family to use, through a monitor with a KVM, the Arturia connected via the KVM, so when they switch on the PC to use that, and my gaming PC, that i dont want them fiddling with is off, it should all seamlessly work on that PC too.

    So.... I want a guitar solution that i can play through the speakers or through headphones. To get around the latency "feel" issue, i thought the tonex would fit the bill. since the audio is done in hardware, not in Windows, the latency is typically much smaller. So using the Tonex plugged into the Arturia, routed to the speakers, is JUST a way of getting the audio to the speakers/headphones, so that i dont have to keep unplugging stuff. All i have to do is turn the "mix" knob on the Arturia from "USB" (pc audio, gaming/youtube/music etc) to "input" (tonex) and i'm away. the Monitor USB hub powers the Arturia all the time, so with the MIX knob set to Input, i can play the tonex through the speaker/headphones, without the PC being on at all.... i can also Mix the audio from the PC and the Tonex together using the MIX knob so i can play along with music from the PC. Backing tracks, youtube lessons etc... it all works perfectly... if i can get the Tonex pedal to sound good!

    Although, the latency using the software is nowhere near as bad as i recall

    So... if your still reading. Yesterday, i had assumed that routing:

    Guitar ---> Arturia interface ---> windows running Tonex ---> Arturia mixed to USB ---> headphones

    EDIT would also be the same as?:

    Guitar ---> Tonex pedal in interface mode ---> windows running Tonex ---> Arturia (which is just running as a sound card here) ---> Headphones

    Would be the same as:

    Guitar ---> Tonex pedal running the same captures/presets/whatever ---> Arturia mixed to input ---> headphones



    It should sound pretty much the same. the only difference is that the thing making guitar sounds is windows running tonex, or the tonex pedal itself. Not having the Guitar button switched on the Arturia may have been the culprit here. Many of the sounds i tried were very dull and lacked treble, so i may have  just picked all the bright sounding ones. using the Tonex as an interface would have avoided this as its input is designed for guitars by default.

    hope this makes sense



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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2537
    I'm finding the whole connection thing very frustrating as well, TBH.

    What I want is to be able to play around with tone models and cabs etc. with the unit connected and edit direct on the unit itself; is that not possible? Is the process supposed to be to plug guitar directly into the interface, edit within ToneX, save the preset, connect the ToneX unit, move the preset to the ToneX unit...?
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  • champ222champ222 Frets: 37
    FarleyUK said:
    I'm finding the whole connection thing very frustrating as well, TBH.

    What I want is to be able to play around with tone models and cabs etc. with the unit connected and edit direct on the unit itself; is that not possible? Is the process supposed to be to plug guitar directly into the interface, edit within ToneX, save the preset, connect the ToneX unit, move the preset to the ToneX unit...?
    That does seem to be the idea... i have no real issue with that, as long as it then sounds the same once on the pedal.
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  • I have to admit that this connection set up seems very complex. There may be a reason for it (perhaps the only way if you do't have powered speakers to run Tonex through speakers?). Otherwise it would seem to me to be simpler to ignore the pedal as an interface for simply playing around with various Tonex profiles through your computer and instead just use the Asturia as an interface to the Tonex software. The pedal itself obviously has both a headphone out and a line out to an amp or powered speaker, so could be used standalone in that role. I may be wrong and am far from an expert but it seems that you are connecting two interfaces together in series, which may be where your problems lie? I am sure that someone else will be able to give you a better/fuller answer but that would be my very amateur view...

    When I connect Tonex pedal to PC, it is direct. My pedal is connected to an FRFR speaker and by using it as in interface I can audition any of the gazillions of profiles on my PC through the pedal to the FRFR speaker. It works brilliantly. No additional interface in sight....
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  • relic245relic245 Frets: 1124
    FarleyUK said:
    I'm finding the whole connection thing very frustrating as well, TBH.

    What I want is to be able to play around with tone models and cabs etc. with the unit connected and edit direct on the unit itself; is that not possible? Is the process supposed to be to plug guitar directly into the interface, edit within ToneX, save the preset, connect the ToneX unit, move the preset to the ToneX unit...?
    Editing sounds on the unit through the software is not possible. 

    It's something that has been asked for again and again by the user community. On the surface it sounds easy to do. You can do it with the line6 family for example. 

    I can only assume one of 2 things is going on:

    Either there is something in the hardware or sofware that makes it complicated, or impossible to implement.

    Or, they just don't listen to their userbase. 

    I have no idea which but don't hold your breath that it will be implemented anytime soon, if at all. 
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 10489
    It's in the next update due in November (editing on the pedal whilst plugged in)
    I'm scared and I'm waiting for life
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  • relic245relic245 Frets: 1124
    It's in the next update due in November (editing on the pedal whilst plugged in)
    Well Fk me, I've clearly not been paying attention :) 

    That is awesome news.
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  • champ222champ222 Frets: 37
    I've not seen any mention of that coming in the update. Source? Not that I'm disagreeing with you, just want to read up on it. I've only heard about the extra fx. Thanks
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 10489
    edited October 10
    champ222 said:
    I've not seen any mention of that coming in the update. Source? Not that I'm disagreeing with you, just want to read up on it. I've only heard about the extra fx. Thanks
    In fairness i had to dig around a bit to find that but it is mentioned here, pending me finding something official from IK themselves

    https://www.guitarworld.com/news/ik-multimedia-tonex-update-2024
    I'm scared and I'm waiting for life
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  • BodBod Frets: 1448
    It's in the next update due in November (editing on the pedal whilst plugged in)
    I saw the mod and delay stuff, but completely missed that.  It's the one thing that really pi55es me off - all that dragging and dropping and messing about.

    Further still, IK Multimedia has expanded its TONEX Live Editor – introducing a real-time editor for making off-the-cuff changes and presets – and announced the imminent arrival of new artist, brand and IK signature TONEX collections throughout 2025.
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  • BodBod Frets: 1448
    edited October 10
    champ222 said:
    I've not seen any mention of that coming in the update. Source? Not that I'm disagreeing with you, just want to read up on it. I've only heard about the extra fx. Thanks
    In fairness i had to dig around a bit to find that but it is mentioned here, pending me finding something official from IK themselves

    https://www.guitarworld.com/news/ik-multimedia-tonex-update-2024
    Found it - https://www.ikmultimedia.com/news/?item_id=16996 - although is it in the Tonex FX update, or one after that?  The language is somewhat ambiguous.
    Expanded TONEX Live Editor
    Following TONEX FX, the next scheduled update for TONEX is a real-time editor for quickly creating custom tones and saving them to TONEX Pedal and TONEX ONE. This update streamlines editing with an intuitive desktop editor built into TONEX software, making building stage-ready tones easier and faster than ever. 
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 10489
    Ahh crap yeah that reads to me like it's not this update. Bugger 
    I'm scared and I'm waiting for life
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  • champ222champ222 Frets: 37
    Yeah it does make it sound likes it's the next update after this one. Still progress though I guess. Thanks for the link 
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  • rickd2112arickd2112a Frets: 55
    edited October 15
    For those that have the Tonex Pedal with the Tonex Max software, can you verify if the ODS Legends Collection is included?

    I saw a John Cordy YT video where he said it's now included with Max, but I can't find any confirmation on the IKM site.

    Ignore this.
    Appears I got a little confused. The Bonamassa ODS is included in Max, and the ODS Legends Collection was included with new Pedal purchases Nov - Dec '23.




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  • jamesguitarjamesguitar Frets: 203
    For those that have the Tonex Pedal with the Tonex Max software, can you verify if the ODS Legends Collection is included?

    I saw a John Cordy YT video where he said it's now included with Max, but I can't find any confirmation on the IKM site.

    Ignore this.
    Appears I got a little confused. The Bonamassa ODS is included in Max, and the ODS Legends Collection was included with new Pedal purchases Nov - Dec '23.





    The expansion packs are currently half price. If you buy them from a plugin site like Audio Deluxe, then you’ll get that (or the Satriani amp vault of Mesa reference collection) for $49, which I think is around £37. They should work with any version of ToneX.

    They also do a Total Studio Max bundle which was on a crazy discount last time I checked. It includes everything IK make, which is a ton of plugins and sound libraries as well as AmpliTube etc.
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  • Basher said:
    Shelders said:
    Happy Sunday guys!

    So I'm thinking about getting a tonex pedal as not 100% happy with PodGo amps and after playing with the free software they do sound better. However the whole amp captures thing is confusing me slightly so I'm hoping someone can clarify. My understanding of the captures is that they are quite simply that - a capture of an amp setup with all the amp knobs set up in a certain way. So my confusion comes when editing the gain, treble etc on the app. Surely this won't do much if the whole point of capture is that the amp is setup for a certain sound ?


    The capture/tone model is just as you describe. You can however adjust the gain,  EQ etc. to sculpt that sound to your needs. You can save these changes plus gate/compression/reverb settings as a preset.

    I know what you mean about it seeming odd to change what was the original sound of the amp, cab, stomp etc. but you don't have to.

    It's quite useful to be able to tailor the capture for your own needs and I suppose the sound is what's important. It's highly unlikely that a punter will throw a wobbler claiming that you've cut the mids beyond what is actually possible on a Matchless DC-30 (or whatever). 
    Sold my Tonex because I'm not sure I "get" the capture thing either and it just led to a rabbit hole of new captures to find a sound I was happy with.

    Wanted to use it with my HX Stomp to free up DSP on that unit but I found that I preferred the sound (and usability) of the Stomp.

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