THIS is the video I’ve been waiting for! Everybody has a videos showing of the sounds in their home studio, and also speculating on all the ways Tonex *could* be used in a live setting. I’m in a cover band and wanted to hear from someone first hand that has *actually* gigged this thing, ideally for an extended period of time. This is the first one I’ve seen on all of TH-cam. Thank you!
Yeah, that’s a downside with a lot of YT reviews and channels. That’s not to say their thoughts aren’t valid but I haven’t seen much YT content centered around live use.
It seems that most of the Tonex vids out there focus on capturing and the software interface. I love that you focused on using it in a live application. It would be great to see more videos on tips and tricks for live use. Thanks so much!!
Comment is not about the Tonex (except to tell IK who might be reading this... use this man more), but about the video. Just want you to know I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of your content. Great balance of info and experience. No need to respond to this... just wanted to say thanks for your hard work.
Thank you for this video for us professional gigging/touring musicians. This is waht I needed to hear and see....real world use!! Would love to hear the overall sound too of your shows....how it sits in the mix 🙂
Check out some of my vlogs - there are full band board mixes on those! (Although no vocals because of licensing/copyright) Anything in the last year or so will be ToneX for me.
Subscribed after watching you on Rhett's channel. Awesome take on the ToneX. I've captured all my amp/stompbox and combinations I use and use an HX Stomp for delay. I have a lightweight rig that won't break my back. Live at church, 99% of the time, I play my capture of my Ruby '63 or ToneJunkie's AC44 captures into to captured the IR of the Ruby '63 Greenback on the normal channel (richer in harmonics, smooths high end). For Lexington Lab Band, I have no trouble finding an amp/cab and sometimes eq match a sound for a video and use the ToneX by itself with a little room reverb builtin. "All Right Now" is an example (although Mike did change my sound a little in the mix). Awesome tone and playing on this vlog. Take care.
5 seconds jn, Judging from the thumbnail alone, seems like a pretty serious subject 🤣 but this turned out to be a really high demand setup, and it seems like the toneX measured up to the challenges.
Every time a revered musician treads into the water with Tonex, the credibility goes up. As we all grow older, the need to lug real amps is essentially gone. Great video Michael, thanks for your information. A couple of questions: you mention the HX Stomp, are you strictly using just delay and reverb, or are you keeping it around for a backup functionality? Also, how do you find the responsiveness and accuracy of your own captures?
Thanks! The HX Stomp is mostly getting used for Delay and Verb but also a boost or compressor every now and then. Yes, it could serve as a backup in a pinch. I’ve also just used it for a quick acoustic set with multiple instruments.
Love seeing the Wampler Belle in use, love this pedal! I use a simple version of this rig, tone x thru the loop of an hx stomp, the nobles model from line 6 always on thru a Tone junkies 65 deluxe capture on the tone x and of course all my effects come from the hx stomp
Would you do a tutorial on how you travel/fly with your gear? Specifically, I haven't found a solid way to fly with the pedal steel and it would be awesome to see how you're able to bring your rig around with no compromise on quality. Since you play so many instruments during the show, it would be awesome to see how you manage keeping track of all your gear and how you get all of it to the gig safely.
To be honest our amazing crew handles most of that. When we fly we have over 40 pieces of checked cases, it’s quite the sight. I big part of it comes down to good cases to protect everything.
I can’t get away from the HX with some of the tones I need but I can see myself using them here and there. Actually checking out a beta version right now!
@@MichaelWWestbrook As a result of your videos, I checked out the band. Great music and I appreciate your complex role as I am also a multi-instrumentalist (on a smaller scale than you).
Wow, that’s cool to see you working with a Christian band! Did you enjoy that element of the music? I love great worship music, it’s also improved my playing massively.
Excellent ! Are you using only an in ear system or is there a guitar cab on Stage ? I‘m asking because, as far as i know, it is not possible to switch off the cab sim for a cab on stage and switch the cab on for the FOH mixer…..
Michael, awesome coverage of the full size pedals. Are you planning on reviewing the smaller units? Thank you for sharing. I am a combo player and considering an hx stomp or tonex rig. Really appreciate the insight and your review! Nice share about the software truths too. If you have a video on that sweet black tele, please share the pickups you are using in that one. Thank you!
So you plug it into the house board and hear yourself through stage monitors? I'll be the 5yr old that needs this explained to me. Great vid, sounds cool though! Thx!
Always love your videos! I'm really curious to hear what you think of the smaller Tonex One. I'm hoping it lives up to the same audio quality, just with less features. It would be amazing if I could get away with just using a pair of those for gigs. I'm only ever using one amp preset per gig so I don't need midi switching. I would be using it for stereo EG and probably modeling my bass preamps/DIs I'm using an HX stomp that is super dialed for EG, but I've never been satisfied with the bass modelers in the HX
First time on your channel Fascinated by the same outboard pedals I have into Tonex. I’ve been interested in this ecosystem since the Tonex was released, but now relatable. (Is that a Texas Tea Tele?) Thanks!
WOW, your tones are really great, the Dobro sounds amazing! What do you carry for backup in case the main rig fails? That was always my big concern when I was still touring. I've been using ToneX in the studio since it came out and got the One as soon as I could. For me, the ToneX One is perfect on my pedalboard, but I don't really change amp tones when I'm playing with the band in rehearsal or writing. An edge of breakup and a more saturated tone are all I need in that situation. The original ToneX stays in the studio now and is my main tone monster when I'm not using my real amps. I follow Jason Sadites' method for calibrating my instrument inputs, it makes a ton of sense to me and really works. Thanks for this one!
Honestly, I always thought of running stereo as having back up in some ways. I can always go mono. I could also just use the HX Stomp. If the whole board went down I’d be in a little trouble but fortunately I’ve never had that issue!
Good video. I have a Tonex to have access to amps that I don´t own, I agree the software is the weakest point, and time-consuming to audition and adjust presets but a workflow is possible. For live gigs, I prefer all in one solution ( I am not a pro)
Yeah, that makes sense for sure. Having access to all the amps on Tone.net is icing on the cake for me! It’s a lot of fun being able to check loads of stuff out and the software interface is getting better as they release updates. Also, if I weren’t on the road on a gig full time my rig would probably look very different (and smaller) 😂
When you factor in the cost of those fancy DI boxes, pedal board and power supply, your amp simulation board is almost at the price of Quad Cortex and is bigger and weighs more. And the Quad Cortex can even replace the MsaterMind with the amount of switches it has
Well sure but that’s not all necessary, just what works for me and what I had laying around. Like I said in another comment, it doesn’t make sense for me to sell a lot of stuff to put a bunch of money into one solution because what I need or want to accomplish changes all the time.
Greetings from Finland, what a great video 👍 Question: compared to, say, Quad Cortex, has the lack of balanced XLR outs been any issue in live or studio use? Do they use DI-box to take your sound to FOH ? Thank you.
Thanks! I have a DISO+ from Pinstripe pedals on my board that is a line isolator (functionally kind of like a DI for higher output 1/4” sources) that takes my 1/4” lines to XLR. That stays put on my board so I always XLR outputs. Most situations I’m in would have DI’s if I needed them as well
Hi Michael, what a great setup. The stage tones sound great. Looking forward to a video on the full signal chain and how you keep the output level consistent with different pedals switched on in the chain. Question, what would you use for onstage amplification w/ this rig? A solid-state class D power amp w/ a cab or maybe a powered FRFR cab?
I’m curious what a bar/small venue solution would be for stage sound, or if it would work well for that. I’ve heard a lot of folks saying modeling solutions aren’t for that environment, but wondering what you think @MichaelWWestbrook
@MichaelWWestbrook Have you had any trouble with phase issues using 2 units? I recently purchased 2 Tonex One pedals as well as your Platform collection (awesome). I have noticed that mixing with different captures there is sometimes a phasing issue. Is there a way to fix this or have you heard of this? Thanks! Great video!
Thanks for picking up my captures! A couple of things on phase issues - (1) Amps can be different polarity and be out of phase so you might need to switch the phase on one side. This is common with different amps or even different channels of amps (Normal and Vibrato channel on a Deluxe Reverb for example) (2) some folks have experienced a variable latency with ToneX One that was create phasing issues but I thought that was fixed in a recent update but I’m unsure. All that being said - I never recommend summing to mono with stereo effects/amps as phase issues can happen due to the effects or differences in response across frequency ranges.
Lehle A/B/C switcher, Pinstripe Pedal multibuffer, Lehle Volume pedal, RJM switcher, Cali76 Stacked, Pigtronix Octave fuzz, JHS Kilt, LSL Lucid Od, RC booster, Wampler Belle, Greer Lightspeed, (out of RJM) HX Stomp, Pinstripe TXRX send/receive, ToneX, Pinstripe Pedals DISO+. The order of things in the loops on the RJM do move around sometimes depending on the song or instrument
@@MichaelWWestbrook how do you like the JHS Kilt vs previous od/distortions you've had? What function is that serving in your current rig to win it a spot in your board? I'm a fan of the xpandora so I’m very curious about that pedal.
Very nice. I have a helix and use a tube amp 4cm but the amp is very heavy. I also have the powercab plus but I dont like the helix amps period so I only use helix FX. I have zero use for studio, only live setting or band practice. I dont use IEM and I dont play thru the PA at band practice as its too small. How can I use this tone X? I want to upgrade but not expensive like a FM9. I'd be ok to get a EV PXM-12P. Do you find you run out of foot buttons if only using the tone x?
You could use ToneX with the power cab. I don’t run out of buttons but I’m switching via midi. I think in most scenarios I wouldn’t be changing at all. I typically play single channel amps
What capture do you use for pedal steel? I don’t see any mention in your capture pack. I’m playing an Emmons push-pull and looking around for a good psg capture.
what is you signal chain, guitar into effect then into TONEX, then tonex out to the house? I'm currently using the TONEX in the loop of the stomp for all the effects and the tonex as the amp/cabs
Very interessting video! Would be great to get infos how those different sounds worked in the mix, I can´t imagine that those sounds all worked on one channelstrip/one EQ with different IR´s and Acoustic Instruments. Switching the Tonex with Midi saves the buttons on tour, so this not a fair test how good the hardware is.
Love your tone, Michael! I recently bought the Tonex collection, and it's incredible. In live clip 4, are you using a preset from the collection? I tried to find it, but I couldn't find an exact match with the names in the folder.
Thanks! The Matchless direct capture is available on Tone.net (check the link in the description) but the deluxe reverb isn’t. Maybe in the future I’ll release a pack!
It works great. It’s all about the capture. I use a dirty steel sound… like an Eric Heywood kind of thing… so a bit different. I haven’t heard or played any real PSG amp captures but my guess is they would work great!
Beautiful video. Very insightful. Question: Are you putting the different amps hard left and right through the PA? Do you experience any comb filtering caused by latency differences between the amp captures?
They are hard left and right in my in ear mix. I believe it varies in the PA but I think typically panned to the left a bit (so left would be all the way left and right at 2 o’clock or so) this allows room in the mix for the other guitar player. I haven’t really experienced comb filtering exactly but when summed to mono some amps seem to pair better than others. Maybe that’s a filtering thing caused by latency of captures but no way for me to really know.
@@MichaelWWestbrook Thanks for the reply! I'm going to give two Tonex One's a try for a dual amp setup. Hard panned left and right over the PA and in-ears as I'm the only guitarist.
The price point discussion is weird because on one hand Tonex is cheaper than say a QC, but on the other hand your whole board is probably more expensive than QC
Is there something with ToneX on your complicated Pedalboard setup that couldn't be done "entirely" within a QC Modeler without the need for any additional pedals or switches?
I tried but it didn’t work for me. Maybe a pro builder could get it all on there but it’s hard for me to drop $1k+ on something like that especially since in the past I’ve changed my setup a lot 😂
is there a particular di box you would recommend for live use with tonex one? i am used to using either tech 21 flyrig or dsm humboldt which both have xlr outs.
Hey Michael, TLDR: Can you do a video on how to dial in a good sound on the tonex? I'm and intermediate guitarist who recently started playing again after a 10 year break and this pedal seemed the perfect opportunity to take a deep dive into topics i previous glanced over. I've had the tonex for about a month and I'm struggling with it. I set up a edge of break up sound on TonexMax on the PC, load it up and the drive is crazy higher on the actual pedal. When I picked it up I was split between the iridium and the tonex, and the tonex seemed more versatile, but I feel like I'm drowning in the options and complexity. Other tutorials I've found seem to be more of advertisements for tone collections than actual tutorials on a methodology to dial this thing as a stand alone jam tool and almost none on using it as an interface. Please Help!
Your "Live Clip" sound demo is an isolated recording which is clean and pristine. How does it sound in the mix? How about a room recording to hear it in context with tje whole band? Not a direct to mixer recording either of everyone else. A real "LIVE"" clip of the whole band. Like a phone/video recording from an audience member?
Hi! Can the Tonex be used with acoustic (piezo) guitars , or it is only electric amps captures? I plan to use tonex in loop of the helix with acoustic and electric guitars. I think, it is worth to pair this two units. Thank you! Greetings from Ukraine!
I did captures of a DI for my Banjo and Mandolin and they seem to work out well. I use the on board EQ and compression to tweak them. I don’t do this but you could also load Acoustic IR’s into the ToneX as well.
I love the rig! I have a question about your ins and outs. Does FOH only get a stereo signal for you? I worry about running things like that when I’m doing a utility gig because I want monitor and foh mixes to be able to not worry about switching me around on a per song basis. I try to get one output per instrument to keep things easy. Do you have that same issue or consideration? Or am I worrying too much? 😂
Yes, I should have been more specific in the video! I only send out a stereo pair. Part of the challenge in the initial setup is getting everything EQ’d and level matched so that FOH is happy. It’s more work on the front end but is easier in the long run and cuts down on the bands channel count which is already lot.
@@MichaelWWestbrook that totally makes sense, especially with your channel count! Really great video, as a utility guy myself, I am always so intrigued by how people tackle these issues. Would love to hear your thoughts on pedal steel tuning, but I’m sure that’s another whole video 😂 thanks!
@@jonnytherrien8640 I've been using more of a straightforward tuning... The quick version is... I tune the E's with A/B pedals down (makes the E's a little sharp) then tune the B, D#, and F# a touch sharp like the E's.
so you don't get your sounds out of the hx stomp? Is that only because of the capture option or why do you finally choose a gear on Top of the hx stomp?
Iam 10 gigs in and it already makes problems for me. I love the sound, the tuner update is great, but somehow midi stopped working and I couldn't change banks on the pedal itself... Its a great device! and after a Morgan SW50, a Kemper, an old 70s Fender style amp from Japan (Newport) and ad VHT D50, this thing really is what I come back to. But the damn midi thing....back to step dance
Hey I have been running this as my pedal chain tot the return of a real amplifier head and have used it in no other ways yet. I just bought a ZOOM L-20 mixer to be able to record directly to the board. I was wondering if I can leave it hooked up to my live rig into the return of my amp head they way I have it now, and then use that second out and run that tot the mixing board at the same time? Or should I just mic my cabinet and record to the board that way with all my effects pedals I already have. I'm pretty old school that way and not sure if it will damage the TONEX by doing that if I do that. I can literally find nothing anywhere on the different ways to hook it up. IK needs to put better instructions out. But can you help if you have time?
First off...if you're running Tonex into the return of your amp you should be running a DI capture with no cab. So you could run the second Tonex output to a recording device, that will absolutely not hurt the Tonex, but you will be recording a DI only capture since you are running into a real amp and real cab. That's fine but you'll have to apply a cab IR to your recording afterwards. In short, the best thing to do is just mic your cab and record it that way.
can you explain better what you mean about using an acoustic guitar? on the iridium I can turn off the amp and use an acoustic IR, what is different on the tonex?
@@MichaelWWestbrook well actually to show some love to the iridium I have to say that with its latest firmware you can do amp on/off per preset without power cycle! in fact in my setup I have the acoustic IR and amp off just programmed on the fav button while the regular channel is amp on.
That’s fantastic! Didn’t know that. I use the Iridium in my studio but only as an IR loader. That and a Two Notes Captor (not the X version) lets me record my amps silently. I’ll have to keep that in mind as a quick and easy alternate.
Good review. Very helpful. But Sorry, it sounds terrible to me. Fizzy distortion. Missing the smooth overdrive of a tube amp. I think your pedalboard is heavy as my tube amp.
@@MichaelWWestbrook Thanks for the great and informative video! Since I'm rather new with ToneX and capturing technologies, I'd like to specify "direct capturing", what does it actually mean? As far as I've understood you can capture the whole signal chain from amp input/distortion effect to speaker (excluding time/modulation based effects) by recording the speaker normally with a mic. But if you want to capture just the pre/power amp stages and leave the speaker off and then use IR, how is that done?
Interesting that you criticized the "size" of the units, but like, you didn't have to take amps or cabs, so isn't the "size" actually a pro or am I misunderstanding?
![กี่หมื่นฟ้า | Your Sky Series EP.1 [2/4]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qJbQs_nhjD4/mqdefault.jpg)
New ToneX capture pack “Platform” available now! www.michaelwwestbrook.com/presets-and-irs/platform-tonex-capture-collection
THIS is the video I’ve been waiting for!
Everybody has a videos showing of the sounds in their home studio, and also speculating on all the ways Tonex *could* be used in a live setting.
I’m in a cover band and wanted to hear from someone first hand that has *actually* gigged this thing, ideally for an extended period of time. This is the first one I’ve seen on all of TH-cam.
Thank you!
Yeah, that’s a downside with a lot of YT reviews and channels. That’s not to say their thoughts aren’t valid but I haven’t seen much YT content centered around live use.
Man, I love that you have all these live clips isolated.
Thanks for the shout dude!🍻
No problem, thank you!
Dude, this is a badass setup. Switch from guitar, to banjo, to pedal steel, etc with one click of a button is amazing! Subbed
Thanks!
Another excellent video, sir! We are honored to be a part of your touring rig... Thank you for taking us along for the fun. See you soon!
Thank you! Wouldn’t have it any other way!
It seems that most of the Tonex vids out there focus on capturing and the software interface. I love that you focused on using it in a live application. It would be great to see more videos on tips and tricks for live use. Thanks so much!!
Comment is not about the Tonex (except to tell IK who might be reading this... use this man more), but about the video. Just want you to know I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of your content. Great balance of info and experience. No need to respond to this... just wanted to say thanks for your hard work.
Genius! You've certainly got this figured out. Simply blown away by your talent and live sound!
Thank you!
Hey Michael! So glad you are digging the 62 Pro! 🤘 Big fan of the channel and all the content.
Hey! Thanks so much!
I will try your free captures! You have some nice amps. I'd love to hear some of the others on Tonenet.
You’re so great with Crowder. It works so well with them.
Thanks! Means a lot
Excellent content, Michael! Thanks for sharing. Cheers from Brazil!
Thanks!
This was really well put together. Seriously considering grabbing the tone x myself
Thanks! Not sure it can be beat right now
@@MichaelWWestbrook I went for it, loving it so far
Got my tonex last week. Loving it! Great content as always man!
Thank you for this video for us professional gigging/touring musicians. This is waht I needed to hear and see....real world use!! Would love to hear the overall sound too of your shows....how it sits in the mix 🙂
Check out some of my vlogs - there are full band board mixes on those! (Although no vocals because of licensing/copyright) Anything in the last year or so will be ToneX for me.
@@MichaelWWestbrook Will do and sounds great…thank you 👍👍
I just got the anniversary pedal. Love it.
That was awesome hearing the live direct tones soloed
Good stuff! Man I'm gonna have to try out your captures! Thank you for putting this video out!
I just got a Tonex One. Love it. Also a Crowder fan.
Subscribed after watching you on Rhett's channel. Awesome take on the ToneX. I've captured all my amp/stompbox and combinations I use and use an HX Stomp for delay. I have a lightweight rig that won't break my back. Live at church, 99% of the time, I play my capture of my Ruby '63 or ToneJunkie's AC44 captures into to captured the IR of the Ruby '63 Greenback on the normal channel (richer in harmonics, smooths high end). For Lexington Lab Band, I have no trouble finding an amp/cab and sometimes eq match a sound for a video and use the ToneX by itself with a little room reverb builtin. "All Right Now" is an example (although Mike did change my sound a little in the mix). Awesome tone and playing on this vlog. Take care.
Wah, those effects used with that tele is super thick!❤
Can’t wait to buy more direct captures of your amps
@jonathanarnold2225 They are available now! Check them out - www.michaelwwestbrook.com/presets-and-irs/platform-tonex-capture-collection
Man, I love your videos. Thanks per usual!
Thanks!
Super cool! Always look forward to your content! Thank you brother!
Wow! You're playing for David Crowder!!!
Killer sounds from this setup, but that dobro tone is something else!😎
Thanks! Yeah, not your typical dobro sound
Would love to see a Tonex pedal steel video!
Great video man! Sounding great as always
Thanks man, hope you are well!
Thanks for another great video. I might have to consider a Tonex.
You wont be disappointed
5 seconds jn, Judging from the thumbnail alone, seems like a pretty serious subject 🤣 but this turned out to be a really high demand setup, and it seems like the toneX measured up to the challenges.
Oh yeah, I’m always very serious and I hate jokes. 🤣
Very cool perspective coming from a multi instrumentalist like yourself. Seems like a hard gig to move from instrument to instrument like that.
I’ve subbed on this gig for over 8 years and it was always a challenge jumping in and getting used to the switching and fast transitions!
Every time a revered musician treads into the water with Tonex, the credibility goes up. As we all grow older, the need to lug real amps is essentially gone. Great video Michael, thanks for your information.
A couple of questions: you mention the HX Stomp, are you strictly using just delay and reverb, or are you keeping it around for a backup functionality? Also, how do you find the responsiveness and accuracy of your own captures?
Thanks! The HX Stomp is mostly getting used for Delay and Verb but also a boost or compressor every now and then. Yes, it could serve as a backup in a pinch. I’ve also just used it for a quick acoustic set with multiple instruments.
Very cool, I’ve got some shop amps I’d love to capture!
Very well done video. Thank you 🤟🎸🎶
Love seeing the Wampler Belle in use, love this pedal! I use a simple version of this rig, tone x thru the loop of an hx stomp, the nobles model from line 6 always on thru a Tone junkies 65 deluxe capture on the tone x and of course all my effects come from the hx stomp
Yeah, the Belle is great! Been thinking about picking up another one for my studio board!
@@MichaelWWestbrook shoot it out with the prize drive in the HX stomp, I was pleasantly surprised!
Great video. Would your Tonex “Platform” Capture Pack amps & IRs load onto the smaller ToneX One ?
Yes!!
Thank you for this video.
I have a tonex and I'm transitioning to using live..
I not as competent as you though.
Informative video! Thank you
Would you do a tutorial on how you travel/fly with your gear? Specifically, I haven't found a solid way to fly with the pedal steel and it would be awesome to see how you're able to bring your rig around with no compromise on quality. Since you play so many instruments during the show, it would be awesome to see how you manage keeping track of all your gear and how you get all of it to the gig safely.
To be honest our amazing crew handles most of that. When we fly we have over 40 pieces of checked cases, it’s quite the sight. I big part of it comes down to good cases to protect everything.
Love it. Verdict on ToneX One?
Still putting it through its paces!
Please post more of your live stuff.
Good info
Great video! Subscribed
Thanks!!
Great video Michael. Do you think you will use Tonex effects with the Nov ‘24 release or stick with the HX entirely?
I can’t get away from the HX with some of the tones I need but I can see myself using them here and there. Actually checking out a beta version right now!
@@MichaelWWestbrook As a result of your videos, I checked out the band. Great music and I appreciate your complex role as I am also a multi-instrumentalist (on a smaller scale than you).
Wow, that’s cool to see you working with a Christian band! Did you enjoy that element of the music?
I love great worship music, it’s also improved my playing massively.
Excellent ! Are you using only an in ear system or is there a guitar cab on Stage ? I‘m asking because, as far as i know, it is not possible to switch off the cab sim for a cab on stage and switch the cab on for the FOH mixer…..
Correct, just in ears!
Michael, awesome coverage of the full size pedals. Are you planning on reviewing the smaller units? Thank you for sharing. I am a combo player and considering an hx stomp or tonex rig. Really appreciate the insight and your review! Nice share about the software truths too.
If you have a video on that sweet black tele, please share the pickups you are using in that one.
Thank you!
Thanks! Everyone asks about this Guitar! Fender American Vintage Reissue 62' Telecaster
th-cam.com/video/_UhtQnswgZ4/w-d-xo.html
Thinking of getting the Tonex and run it through the Fender Tone Master Power cab 112 to replace my Fender Hotrod.
So you plug it into the house board and hear yourself through stage monitors? I'll be the 5yr old that needs this explained to me. Great vid, sounds cool though! Thx!
Yes but we use In-Ear monitors but same concept. We each have our own monitor mix that comes into our individual headphones.
Always love your videos! I'm really curious to hear what you think of the smaller Tonex One. I'm hoping it lives up to the same audio quality, just with less features. It would be amazing if I could get away with just using a pair of those for gigs. I'm only ever using one amp preset per gig so I don't need midi switching. I would be using it for stereo EG and probably modeling my bass preamps/DIs
I'm using an HX stomp that is super dialed for EG, but I've never been satisfied with the bass modelers in the HX
First time on your channel
Fascinated by the same outboard pedals I have into Tonex. I’ve been interested in this ecosystem since the Tonex was released, but now relatable. (Is that a Texas Tea Tele?) Thanks!
WOW, your tones are really great, the Dobro sounds amazing!
What do you carry for backup in case the main rig fails? That was always my big concern when I was still touring.
I've been using ToneX in the studio since it came out and got the One as soon as I could. For me, the ToneX One is perfect on my pedalboard, but I don't really change amp tones when I'm playing with the band in rehearsal or writing. An edge of breakup and a more saturated tone are all I need in that situation. The original ToneX stays in the studio now and is my main tone monster when I'm not using my real amps.
I follow Jason Sadites' method for calibrating my instrument inputs, it makes a ton of sense to me and really works.
Thanks for this one!
Honestly, I always thought of running stereo as having back up in some ways. I can always go mono. I could also just use the HX Stomp. If the whole board went down I’d be in a little trouble but fortunately I’ve never had that issue!
Makes sense, it would be unusual for the whole chain to go down.
Good video. I have a Tonex to have access to amps that I don´t own, I agree the software is the weakest point, and time-consuming to audition and adjust presets but a workflow is possible. For live gigs, I prefer all in one solution ( I am not a pro)
Yeah, that makes sense for sure. Having access to all the amps on Tone.net is icing on the cake for me! It’s a lot of fun being able to check loads of stuff out and the software interface is getting better as they release updates. Also, if I weren’t on the road on a gig full time my rig would probably look very different (and smaller) 😂
When you factor in the cost of those fancy DI boxes, pedal board and power supply, your amp simulation board is almost at the price of Quad Cortex and is bigger and weighs more. And the Quad Cortex can even replace the MsaterMind with the amount of switches it has
Well sure but that’s not all necessary, just what works for me and what I had laying around. Like I said in another comment, it doesn’t make sense for me to sell a lot of stuff to put a bunch of money into one solution because what I need or want to accomplish changes all the time.
Greetings from Finland, what a great video 👍
Question: compared to, say, Quad Cortex, has the lack of balanced XLR outs been any issue in live or studio use? Do they use DI-box to take your sound to FOH ? Thank you.
Thanks! I have a DISO+ from Pinstripe pedals on my board that is a line isolator (functionally kind of like a DI for higher output 1/4” sources) that takes my 1/4” lines to XLR. That stays put on my board so I always XLR outputs. Most situations I’m in would have DI’s if I needed them as well
Thank you for the reply 💪
Hi Michael, what a great setup. The stage tones sound great. Looking forward to a video on the full signal chain and how you keep the output level consistent with different pedals switched on in the chain. Question, what would you use for onstage amplification w/ this rig? A solid-state class D power amp w/ a cab or maybe a powered FRFR cab?
I’m typically on in-ear monitors but if I needed to amplify it, it would greatly depend on the specific situation
I’m curious what a bar/small venue solution would be for stage sound, or if it would work well for that. I’ve heard a lot of folks saying modeling solutions aren’t for that environment, but wondering what you think @MichaelWWestbrook
@MichaelWWestbrook Have you had any trouble with phase issues using 2 units? I recently purchased 2 Tonex One pedals as well as your Platform collection (awesome). I have noticed that mixing with different captures there is sometimes a phasing issue. Is there a way to fix this or have you heard of this? Thanks! Great video!
Thanks for picking up my captures! A couple of things on phase issues - (1) Amps can be different polarity and be out of phase so you might need to switch the phase on one side. This is common with different amps or even different channels of amps (Normal and Vibrato channel on a Deluxe Reverb for example) (2) some folks have experienced a variable latency with ToneX One that was create phasing issues but I thought that was fixed in a recent update but I’m unsure.
All that being said - I never recommend summing to mono with stereo effects/amps as phase issues can happen due to the effects or differences in response across frequency ranges.
Cool vid Mike! What's your signal path?
Lehle A/B/C switcher, Pinstripe Pedal multibuffer, Lehle Volume pedal, RJM switcher, Cali76 Stacked, Pigtronix Octave fuzz, JHS Kilt, LSL Lucid Od, RC booster, Wampler Belle, Greer Lightspeed, (out of RJM) HX Stomp, Pinstripe TXRX send/receive, ToneX, Pinstripe Pedals DISO+.
The order of things in the loops on the RJM do move around sometimes depending on the song or instrument
@@MichaelWWestbrook how do you like the JHS Kilt vs previous od/distortions you've had? What function is that serving in your current rig to win it a spot in your board? I'm a fan of the xpandora so I’m very curious about that pedal.
I use it almost like a fuzz. It’s so versatile but not hard to dial in. I almost wish I had another one to use different settings 😂
Very nice. I have a helix and use a tube amp 4cm but the amp is very heavy. I also have the powercab plus but I dont like the helix amps period so I only use helix FX. I have zero use for studio, only live setting or band practice. I dont use IEM and I dont play thru the PA at band practice as its too small. How can I use this tone X? I want to upgrade but not expensive like a FM9. I'd be ok to get a EV PXM-12P. Do you find you run out of foot buttons if only using the tone x?
You could use ToneX with the power cab. I don’t run out of buttons but I’m switching via midi. I think in most scenarios I wouldn’t be changing at all. I typically play single channel amps
Great video and amazing tones! I probably missed this but what monitoring solution are you using live? Thanks in advance.
I didn’t mention it which is a miss on my part. We are using In ear monitors for everyone’s mixes.
Cool thanks! Have a good weekend.
What capture do you use for pedal steel? I don’t see any mention in your capture pack. I’m playing an Emmons push-pull and looking around for a good psg capture.
I use a Deluxe and a Dumble clone in stereo but I also don’t do the typical steel thing. Not super clean
what is you signal chain, guitar into effect then into TONEX, then tonex out to the house? I'm currently using the TONEX in the loop of the stomp for all the effects and the tonex as the amp/cabs
Great video! Are you running the ToneX units into some type of direct boxes for FOH?
Into a DISO+ from @pinstripepedals !
Very interessting video! Would be great to get infos how those different sounds worked in the mix, I can´t imagine that those sounds all worked on one channelstrip/one EQ with different IR´s and Acoustic Instruments. Switching the Tonex with Midi saves the buttons on tour, so this not a fair test how good the hardware is.
Love your tone, Michael! I recently bought the Tonex collection, and it's incredible. In live clip 4, are you using a preset from the collection? I tried to find it, but I couldn't find an exact match with the names in the folder.
Thanks! The Matchless is the one that ends in #0. Not exactly sure about the #124 capture but it would one of the “Clean-ish” captures.
I’ve seen you as well as others running two Tonex’s on your board…for you what is the benefit of running two?
Stereo amps baby! Also, kinda serves as a back up if one goes down for some reason.
Hi Michael, great video. Your Matchless and Deluxe Reverb Captures sound really great. Do you have those available somewhere?
Thanks
Bjoern
Thanks! The Matchless direct capture is available on Tone.net (check the link in the description) but the deluxe reverb isn’t. Maybe in the future I’ll release a pack!
@@MichaelWWestbrook Thank you 🙏🏼
Would love to hear your opinion on how tonex is with pedal steel
It works great. It’s all about the capture. I use a dirty steel sound… like an Eric Heywood kind of thing… so a bit different. I haven’t heard or played any real PSG amp captures but my guess is they would work great!
You have some great tones. I live on my volume knob of the guitar and rarely touch anything else. How does the Tonex handle the volume knob?
Beautiful video. Very insightful. Question: Are you putting the different amps hard left and right through the PA? Do you experience any comb filtering caused by latency differences between the amp captures?
They are hard left and right in my in ear mix. I believe it varies in the PA but I think typically panned to the left a bit (so left would be all the way left and right at 2 o’clock or so) this allows room in the mix for the other guitar player.
I haven’t really experienced comb filtering exactly but when summed to mono some amps seem to pair better than others. Maybe that’s a filtering thing caused by latency of captures but no way for me to really know.
@@MichaelWWestbrook Thanks for the reply! I'm going to give two Tonex One's a try for a dual amp setup. Hard panned left and right over the PA and in-ears as I'm the only guitarist.
Are you running straight into the mixer or do you mic a cab? Great video, thanx
Straight into a mixer/interface.
also want to know if This will utilize captures from Kemper or any others?
No, only ToneX captures.
@michaelwwestbrook what are your compression settings on the tonex?
I strictly play single coil pickups
I’d have to go back and look but most of the time I’m just getting a little bit of reduction on hard playing. Slower attack
The price point discussion is weird because on one hand Tonex is cheaper than say a QC, but on the other hand your whole board is probably more expensive than QC
For sure… apples and oranges in some regards but cost of entry is still comparable.
@@MichaelWWestbrook at the end of the day it’s what works for the individual
Exactly what I was thinking.
Is there something with ToneX on your complicated Pedalboard setup that couldn't be done "entirely" within a QC Modeler without the need for any additional pedals or switches?
Absolutely. Different solutions for different situations.
Great infos , but I do believe Both tonex could fit your big board except the DI
I tried but it didn’t work for me. Maybe a pro builder could get it all on there but it’s hard for me to drop $1k+ on something like that especially since in the past I’ve changed my setup a lot 😂
is there a particular di box you would recommend for live use with tonex one? i am used to using either tech 21 flyrig or dsm humboldt which both have xlr outs.
Only one I really recommend is the Pinstripe DISO+! There are others out there but Pinstripe is the best IMO.
Hey Michael, question for you. I have a similar Tele. Was wondering what type of pickups you had in yours.
I’ve got Fralin Blues Specials in it! A touch hotter, darker than a standard Tele pickup
@@MichaelWWestbrook thank you sir!
Hey Michael, TLDR: Can you do a video on how to dial in a good sound on the tonex?
I'm and intermediate guitarist who recently started playing again after a 10 year break and this pedal seemed the perfect opportunity to take a deep dive into topics i previous glanced over.
I've had the tonex for about a month and I'm struggling with it. I set up a edge of break up sound on TonexMax on the PC, load it up and the drive is crazy higher on the actual pedal. When I picked it up I was split between the iridium and the tonex, and the tonex seemed more versatile, but I feel like I'm drowning in the options and complexity.
Other tutorials I've found seem to be more of advertisements for tone collections than actual tutorials on a methodology to dial this thing as a stand alone jam tool and almost none on using it as an interface.
Please Help!
Hi Michael, which powercar are you using with your Tonex live?
Your "Live Clip" sound demo is an isolated recording which is clean and pristine. How does it sound in the mix? How about a room recording to hear it in context with tje whole band? Not a direct to mixer recording either of everyone else. A real "LIVE"" clip of the whole band. Like a phone/video recording from an audience member?
I don’t really have any but search Insta or TH-cam for a video of crowder in the last 9 months or so and you’ll hear it!
I just saw Crowder about a month ago.
GOAT
Hi! Can the Tonex be used with acoustic (piezo) guitars , or it is only electric amps captures? I plan to use tonex in loop of the helix with acoustic and electric guitars. I think, it is worth to pair this two units. Thank you! Greetings from Ukraine!
I did captures of a DI for my Banjo and Mandolin and they seem to work out well. I use the on board EQ and compression to tweak them. I don’t do this but you could also load Acoustic IR’s into the ToneX as well.
@@MichaelWWestbrook Thank you!
You may have mentioned this, but what are you using to monitor? My issue with stereo rigs like i run is how do i monitor in stereo. Thoughts?
Yeah, I didnt mention it in the video… we use In Ear Monitors so stereo makes a big difference.
@@MichaelWWestbrook right on. What are you using to do that? Are you going into a daw or just directly via the interface?
At home I run my board into an interface to tweak tones. On the road I have a wireless pack that my monitor mix is fed to.
@MichaelWWestbrook sweet yeah that's what I do too. Always like to hear if someone has a better mousetrap. Thanks Michael, and killer tones!!
I love the rig! I have a question about your ins and outs. Does FOH only get a stereo signal for you? I worry about running things like that when I’m doing a utility gig because I want monitor and foh mixes to be able to not worry about switching me around on a per song basis. I try to get one output per instrument to keep things easy. Do you have that same issue or consideration? Or am I worrying too much? 😂
Yes, I should have been more specific in the video! I only send out a stereo pair. Part of the challenge in the initial setup is getting everything EQ’d and level matched so that FOH is happy. It’s more work on the front end but is easier in the long run and cuts down on the bands channel count which is already lot.
@@MichaelWWestbrook that totally makes sense, especially with your channel count! Really great video, as a utility guy myself, I am always so intrigued by how people tackle these issues. Would love to hear your thoughts on pedal steel tuning, but I’m sure that’s another whole video 😂 thanks!
😂 I just went through an existential crisis in regards to PSG tuning… what even is “in tune”?!? 🤣
@@MichaelWWestbrook Same here!! I just gave it all up and started tuning everything straight up on a TU-2. Works well so far 😅
@@jonnytherrien8640 I've been using more of a straightforward tuning... The quick version is... I tune the E's with A/B pedals down (makes the E's a little sharp) then tune the B, D#, and F# a touch sharp like the E's.
so you don't get your sounds out of the hx stomp? Is that only because of the capture option or why do you finally choose a gear on Top of the hx stomp?
I just can’t do everything I need to with the HX stomp with amps and effects. I do like using captures of my own amps too!
@@MichaelWWestbrook ok Unterstand. Will try one
Good stuff man …
What tele are you playing at the end
Thanks! I made a whole video about it - AVRI Telecaster
@@MichaelWWestbrook thanks man
Iam 10 gigs in and it already makes problems for me.
I love the sound, the tuner update is great, but somehow midi stopped working and I couldn't change banks on the pedal itself...
Its a great device!
and after a Morgan SW50, a Kemper, an old 70s Fender style amp from Japan (Newport) and ad VHT D50, this thing really is what I come back to.
But the damn midi thing....back to step dance
were you with crowder this past October? I was in the upper deck and if it was you i didn't realize it. 😂
I was!
@@MichaelWWestbrook sounded awesome!
Hey I have been running this as my pedal chain tot the return of a real amplifier head and have used it in no other ways yet. I just bought a ZOOM L-20 mixer to be able to record directly to the board. I was wondering if I can leave it hooked up to my live rig into the return of my amp head they way I have it now, and then use that second out and run that tot the mixing board at the same time? Or should I just mic my cabinet and record to the board that way with all my effects pedals I already have. I'm pretty old school that way and not sure if it will damage the TONEX by doing that if I do that. I can literally find nothing anywhere on the different ways to hook it up. IK needs to put better instructions out. But can you help if you have time?
First off...if you're running Tonex into the return of your amp you should be running a DI capture with no cab. So you could run the second Tonex output to a recording device, that will absolutely not hurt the Tonex, but you will be recording a DI only capture since you are running into a real amp and real cab. That's fine but you'll have to apply a cab IR to your recording afterwards. In short, the best thing to do is just mic your cab and record it that way.
How do you get the sound to FOH? Do you need a Di box aswell with the tone x
Hi , I purchased my Tonex in the US. Can I use it at Dubai where they have a different voltage with the same adapter?
can you explain better what you mean about using an acoustic guitar? on the iridium I can turn off the amp and use an acoustic IR, what is different on the tonex?
I’m able to go between presets for the 2 between songs easily. You can do that on the Iridium but it requires powering off/on.
@@MichaelWWestbrook well actually to show some love to the iridium I have to say that with its latest firmware you can do amp on/off per preset without power cycle! in fact in my setup I have the acoustic IR and amp off just programmed on the fav button while the regular channel is amp on.
That’s fantastic! Didn’t know that. I use the Iridium in my studio but only as an IR loader. That and a Two Notes Captor (not the X version) lets me record my amps silently. I’ll have to keep that in mind as a quick and easy alternate.
Good review. Very helpful. But Sorry, it sounds terrible to me. Fizzy distortion. Missing the smooth overdrive of a tube amp. I think your pedalboard is heavy as my tube amp.
So the direct capture, you need to add a IR to that correct?
Yes which is an option in ToneX. You can also use the VIR which is their virtual IR cab sim that sounds great!
@@MichaelWWestbrook Thanks for the great and informative video! Since I'm rather new with ToneX and capturing technologies, I'd like to specify "direct capturing", what does it actually mean? As far as I've understood you can capture the whole signal chain from amp input/distortion effect to speaker (excluding time/modulation based effects) by recording the speaker normally with a mic. But if you want to capture just the pre/power amp stages and leave the speaker off and then use IR, how is that done?
Interesting that you criticized the "size" of the units, but like, you didn't have to take amps or cabs, so isn't the "size" actually a pro or am I misunderstanding?
Absolutely! For what it does it’s tiny 😂 but also… as far as pedals go, having 2 of them to be able to run stereo takes up significant space.
Any issues with latency?
Tonex with Helix HX Effects…anyone have any experience with this combo? Do they work well together?
Any harmonica examples?