Hello Jason. I'm new to the Tonex ecosystem (Tonex One) and your videos have been helpful. As a small thank you gesture, I just purchased your Lerxst Rush pack. Keep on the good work. All the best.
Great advice. Still, after using the Tonex since a few months in parallel with the Kemper Stage, I have to say that some things are a bit cumbersome. Of course, all that knob pressing and menu jumping with just the simple display - and no live edit feature in the software - is a big part of it. Not having a global EQ or output EQ is another big item - if you are only using a handful of presets, yes, you can adjust each of the presets every time you change speakers and/or venues, but it gets annoying when you have to adjust dozens (had to do that for a friend's wedding with over 50 songs from all over the musical spectrum). The third item for me (and yes, the Kemper might have me spoiled here) is that volume leveling is tedious and adjusting input trim or gain always causes huge volume jumps and the volume of tone models varies greatly (on the Kemper volume and gain and almost completely unrelated). If you make the mistake to set louder presets to a pretty high volume, you might find that even at 10 some quieter presets will be too quiet - in which case you have to redo the entire setlist. The best solution I have found so far is to put the Tonex pedal into the loop of the HX Stomp XL - I can use the send and return levels to solve gain/volume problems (even per snapshot) and use the HX Global EQ to adjust to different speakers, well, globally, without having to edit each and every preset. (And yes, I know that the Tonex pedal is a much newer and more affordable device. It is not criticism, but things future devices should address IMO.)
you know, I might be a bit slow, but having the -3 input trim being needed didn't really click with me until I saw the clipping demonstration show why it's needed for recording
That trim trick is great universally but on some rare occasions I like to bump it up a little for metal tones or bump it down even more than -3 if I'm driving the Tonex pedal with something super hot but overall it does sound best with most everything right around or at -3
Question please, but first - Thank You for another very valuable tutorial! On adjusting the Gain Knob where the input level is not known, would we set set Amp Volume level first, and then the Gain? What about the "Output" knob on bottom right of the page? Again, thank you for all your hard work!
I am a bit dissapointed not looking up that the outputs are instrument level. I thought I could just connect this to live PA without any active DI box involved like most other modelers. I will keep it since I found some killer sounds but I will probably keep this for studio use and get something else for live use that doesnt require extra gear to connect
Another great video dude! I do have a question if it’s not too much trouble. If I use Tonex on its own (just the software with the guitar plugged into my Scarlett Clarett) everything sounds great. However once I introduce my pedalboard into the signal chain, I find everything sounds less rich, a bit lifeless, and the pedals don’t respond as well in the way they’re supposed to function. I’ve also tried this with the Tonex pedal after my board going into a monitoring system and it yields similar results. Almost as if Tonex just wants a clean guitar signal with nothing else to deal with. Is there something I’m not doing quite right? I’ve heard a lot of people saying Tonex takes pedals really well but I can’t seem to get it down. Thanks for reading this and for all the top content you’re giving us, I’d be lost without it 👍
The consistent thing in the issue you've described is your pedalboard. How many pedals does it have? Are they connected in series or in a looper/switching system? If the pedals are connected in series, consider the total length of cables that connects your pedals. How long is your cable from your guitar to your pedalboard? Including your guitar-to-board cable, it's possible you have about 15 to 20 feet or more of cable in total, at which point the science of capacitance comes into play. The longer the total length of cable, the higher the capacitance, and the more high end rolloff (i.e., dull) you get. The only way to prevent this is to add a dedicated buffer pedal or a pedal that has a buffer built-in, or to install active pickups in your guitar.
@@jnh73Sorry for the late reply dude, I took your advice and went through all my pedals individually and in sequence, comparing it to the straight signal into the amp. There was indeed a lot of signal loss coming from a cheap noise gate pedal (lesson learned there i guess) both in volume and tone. I've got a buffer first in the chain by means of a polytune mini, but I think a dedicated buffer at the end might be a good idea. Already sounding a lot better than before so thank you for your comment. 👍
@@JasonSadites so if my interface is 12.5dBu at zero input gain, where would the app and plugin need to be set? so far i have found -3 on the pedal and +13 on the app sound very close to the same. seems in this video -4.5 on the pedal should match what i get in the app and that should mean (from my efforts to get it to be consistent) 8.5 on the app input should match. issue i am having is a capture is supposed to be high gain, guy said he uses default, but that could be 0 or 8.5... the model doesn't sound like it should as high gain... so how can i get it to be consistent? the app input sounds fantastic at +13 for me for several captures, but i'm not sure if i am doing it right. feels hit or miss, but seeing this video is showing me i am overthinking it and need to get my capturing worked out instead. didn't realize you can use the gain knob to adjust, probably because it didn't work on the capture i have been fighting with...
Hi Jason, this might sound like an odd question, but if I run my ToneX at 0dB input trim, and I purchase a capture that someone has created using 8.5db input trim, will I be able to adjust the the Gain knob enough to compensate for such a big gain gap? I hope that makes sense. Thanks for this video - super helpful!
My pleasure! Not an odd question at all. I have found that in the scenario you mentioned you would likely have to bump the Gain knob up to about 7.5 and it should do it. Let me know if that works for you 😃
I use Tonex direct to studio monitor. My trim input is -15. Am i doing it wrong? Somehow the setting of -15 with my single coils V60lp seems to give the most natural.
If it sounds the way you want it to, then I wouldn't say you are doing it wrong. Having said that, that is a pretty low setting. Do you have eq or compression active on Tonex and if so is it in Pre or Post mode?
@JasonSadites Thanks for the reply. I have a wah and TS9 (for buffer, never activate) before Tonex and a delay after. I never use the in-built compressor. Strangely enough, anywhere after -13, I feel as if there is a push and the tone does not sound natural or with dynamics. Perhaps you could experiment this since I am certain you have much better studio monitors than mine.
Did you happen to watch this video? By cutting your Input Trim by 15dB and then boosting your Gain up to 10, you are essentially ending up with the same result as leaving your Input Trim on O and default 5 on Gain. I would suggest setting your Input Trim to -3 dB and starting with Gain on 5 (defualt) and then simply adjust the Gain control to where you need it and that way you can save that with a preset.
@@JasonSaditesI now set to -3 and work my way from there. I managed to do some (amalgam SL 100) and adjust the EQ (post) to work with my studio monitors. Seems to work well. Thank you for the suggestion. 😀
I think people forget that there really aren't any controls for the tone model itself. It takes input and produces output. All those controls on the screen are the software equivalent of putting stomp boxes (noise gate, compressor, boost, EQ, reverb) in your signal chain either before (pre) or after (post) the tone model. I think that the Tonex software should show it that way (separate stomp boxes) kind of like looking at blocks before and after your amp/cab in the Helix. It's kind of a lie to imply that you are manipulating the EQ circuit on the amp being modeled. You don't change the Gain of the amp/tone model (it's a static snapshot), you just hit the input of the amp/tone model either harder or software which changes the amount of distortion. IMO, calling what Tonex does a "model" isn't terribly accurate. It's a tone capture of an amp/cab/mic with a static snapshot of settings. There is no "modeling" of how a Fender tone circuit works vs a Vox or whatever.
Everything you say here is true and accurate, but nobody (myself or IK) has said or implied otherwise. Nobody has ever said or implied that the EQ circuit or gain control is acting like the real amp.
Tonex is a capture. The EQ (pre or post) acts and function as a post editing after a recording is done. I use it direct to studio monitors and P.A for live. Never on a computer (except downloading or arranging my presets). That being said, the EQ is use in conjunction with my monitors. If I need another sound with a different gain level, I press the button to change preset. That simple and final. 😊
Hello Jason. I'm new to the Tonex ecosystem (Tonex One) and your videos have been helpful. As a small thank you gesture, I just purchased your Lerxst Rush pack. Keep on the good work. All the best.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for grabbing the tone models! I really hope you enjoy and am so glad the videos have been helpful :-)
Great advice. Still, after using the Tonex since a few months in parallel with the Kemper Stage, I have to say that some things are a bit cumbersome. Of course, all that knob pressing and menu jumping with just the simple display - and no live edit feature in the software - is a big part of it. Not having a global EQ or output EQ is another big item - if you are only using a handful of presets, yes, you can adjust each of the presets every time you change speakers and/or venues, but it gets annoying when you have to adjust dozens (had to do that for a friend's wedding with over 50 songs from all over the musical spectrum). The third item for me (and yes, the Kemper might have me spoiled here) is that volume leveling is tedious and adjusting input trim or gain always causes huge volume jumps and the volume of tone models varies greatly (on the Kemper volume and gain and almost completely unrelated). If you make the mistake to set louder presets to a pretty high volume, you might find that even at 10 some quieter presets will be too quiet - in which case you have to redo the entire setlist. The best solution I have found so far is to put the Tonex pedal into the loop of the HX Stomp XL - I can use the send and return levels to solve gain/volume problems (even per snapshot) and use the HX Global EQ to adjust to different speakers, well, globally, without having to edit each and every preset.
(And yes, I know that the Tonex pedal is a much newer and more affordable device. It is not criticism, but things future devices should address IMO.)
you know, I might be a bit slow, but having the -3 input trim being needed didn't really click with me until I saw the clipping demonstration show why it's needed for recording
That trim trick is great universally but on some rare occasions I like to bump it up a little for metal tones or bump it down even more than -3 if I'm driving the Tonex pedal with something super hot but overall it does sound best with most everything right around or at -3
Question please, but first - Thank You for another very valuable tutorial! On adjusting the Gain Knob where the input level is not known, would we set set Amp Volume level first, and then the Gain? What about the "Output" knob on bottom right of the page? Again, thank you for all your hard work!
I am a bit dissapointed not looking up that the outputs are instrument level.
I thought I could just connect this to live PA without any active DI box involved like most other modelers.
I will keep it since I found some killer sounds but I will probably keep this for studio use and get something else for live use that doesnt require extra gear to connect
I use my input trim on tonex one as you described on another video (mostly dim green) and it's just perfect :)
That is great to hear :-)
wow you made my day with this video , thank you very much 👍👍🤩
My pleasure and thank you :-)
I wonder f you did a video about plugging straight into the power section of an amplifier through fx return
Another great video dude! I do have a question if it’s not too much trouble. If I use Tonex on its own (just the software with the guitar plugged into my Scarlett Clarett) everything sounds great. However once I introduce my pedalboard into the signal chain, I find everything sounds less rich, a bit lifeless, and the pedals don’t respond as well in the way they’re supposed to function. I’ve also tried this with the Tonex pedal after my board going into a monitoring system and it yields similar results. Almost as if Tonex just wants a clean guitar signal with nothing else to deal with. Is there something I’m not doing quite right? I’ve heard a lot of people saying Tonex takes pedals really well but I can’t seem to get it down. Thanks for reading this and for all the top content you’re giving us, I’d be lost without it 👍
The consistent thing in the issue you've described is your pedalboard. How many pedals does it have? Are they connected in series or in a looper/switching system? If the pedals are connected in series, consider the total length of cables that connects your pedals. How long is your cable from your guitar to your pedalboard? Including your guitar-to-board cable, it's possible you have about 15 to 20 feet or more of cable in total, at which point the science of capacitance comes into play. The longer the total length of cable, the higher the capacitance, and the more high end rolloff (i.e., dull) you get. The only way to prevent this is to add a dedicated buffer pedal or a pedal that has a buffer built-in, or to install active pickups in your guitar.
@@jnh73Sorry for the late reply dude, I took your advice and went through all my pedals individually and in sequence, comparing it to the straight signal into the amp.
There was indeed a lot of signal loss coming from a cheap noise gate pedal (lesson learned there i guess) both in volume and tone.
I've got a buffer first in the chain by means of a polytune mini, but I think a dedicated buffer at the end might be a good idea.
Already sounding a lot better than before so thank you for your comment. 👍
Hey Jason do you know what measurement the input volume on the plug in is in comparison to the input on pedal?
The input on the plugin is going to be dependant on how you have your audio interface set :-)
@@JasonSadites so if my interface is 12.5dBu at zero input gain, where would the app and plugin need to be set? so far i have found -3 on the pedal and +13 on the app sound very close to the same. seems in this video -4.5 on the pedal should match what i get in the app and that should mean (from my efforts to get it to be consistent) 8.5 on the app input should match. issue i am having is a capture is supposed to be high gain, guy said he uses default, but that could be 0 or 8.5... the model doesn't sound like it should as high gain... so how can i get it to be consistent? the app input sounds fantastic at +13 for me for several captures, but i'm not sure if i am doing it right. feels hit or miss, but seeing this video is showing me i am overthinking it and need to get my capturing worked out instead. didn't realize you can use the gain knob to adjust, probably because it didn't work on the capture i have been fighting with...
Hi Jason, this might sound like an odd question, but if I run my ToneX at 0dB input trim, and I purchase a capture that someone has created using 8.5db input trim, will I be able to adjust the the Gain knob enough to compensate for such a big gain gap? I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for this video - super helpful!
My pleasure! Not an odd question at all. I have found that in the scenario you mentioned you would likely have to bump the Gain knob up to about 7.5 and it should do it. Let me know if that works for you 😃
@@JasonSaditesbrilliant! Thanks so much for your reply. That’s really helpful.
@@GxBxN anytime, my pleasure 🙂
I use Tonex direct to studio monitor. My trim input is -15. Am i doing it wrong? Somehow the setting of -15 with my single coils V60lp seems to give the most natural.
If it sounds the way you want it to, then I wouldn't say you are doing it wrong. Having said that, that is a pretty low setting. Do you have eq or compression active on Tonex and if so is it in Pre or Post mode?
@JasonSadites Thanks for the reply. I have a wah and TS9 (for buffer, never activate) before Tonex and a delay after. I never use the in-built compressor. Strangely enough, anywhere after -13, I feel as if there is a push and the tone does not sound natural or with dynamics. Perhaps you could experiment this since I am certain you have much better studio monitors than mine.
In addition to the above, with -15 input trim, my gain levels on some of the captures have to be on 10.
Did you happen to watch this video? By cutting your Input Trim by 15dB and then boosting your Gain up to 10, you are essentially ending up with the same result as leaving your Input Trim on O and default 5 on Gain. I would suggest setting your Input Trim to -3 dB and starting with Gain on 5 (defualt) and then simply adjust the Gain control to where you need it and that way you can save that with a preset.
@@JasonSaditesI now set to -3 and work my way from there. I managed to do some (amalgam SL 100) and adjust the EQ (post) to work with my studio monitors. Seems to work well. Thank you for the suggestion. 😀
Why not set to zero? Is it so you can use a boost or overdrive pedal?
I tried that. It sounds different and a lot of volume loss. I try not to increase the level of the monitors as it is.
I think people forget that there really aren't any controls for the tone model itself. It takes input and produces output. All those controls on the screen are the software equivalent of putting stomp boxes (noise gate, compressor, boost, EQ, reverb) in your signal chain either before (pre) or after (post) the tone model. I think that the Tonex software should show it that way (separate stomp boxes) kind of like looking at blocks before and after your amp/cab in the Helix. It's kind of a lie to imply that you are manipulating the EQ circuit on the amp being modeled. You don't change the Gain of the amp/tone model (it's a static snapshot), you just hit the input of the amp/tone model either harder or software which changes the amount of distortion. IMO, calling what Tonex does a "model" isn't terribly accurate. It's a tone capture of an amp/cab/mic with a static snapshot of settings. There is no "modeling" of how a Fender tone circuit works vs a Vox or whatever.
Everything you say here is true and accurate, but nobody (myself or IK) has said or implied otherwise. Nobody has ever said or implied that the EQ circuit or gain control is acting like the real amp.
Tonex is a capture. The EQ (pre or post) acts and function as a post editing after a recording is done. I use it direct to studio monitors and P.A for live. Never on a computer (except downloading or arranging my presets). That being said, the EQ is use in conjunction with my monitors. If I need another sound with a different gain level, I press the button to change preset. That simple and final. 😊