ToneX One vs 10 iconic overdrive pedals! How close is it to the real thing? (not sponsored)

Рет қаралды 6,955

Күн бұрын

Today we’re using the IK Multimedia ToneX One and shooting it out against 10 iconic overdrive, distortion and fuzz pedals: the Greer Lightspeed, Nobels ODR-mini, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Wampler Tumnus (as a Klon Centaur), Paul Cochrane Timmy, Tony City Dry Martini (as a Fulltone OCD), Electro Harmonix Big Muff, ProCo Rat 2, Greer Gorilla Warfare, and the Revv G3!
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Get these pedals at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/hy7r2nqlwf
At Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/9g0Zqy
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Since buying the ToneX One in spring 2024, I’ve been thoroughly convinced at its amp/cab models. They sound great, and - crucially - they feel great to play too.
But the ToneX One can also be used in your signal chain as a drive pedal - and so, in this video, we’re putting it to the test against 10 of my favorite overdrives!
I rounded up a bunch of my most-loved OD circuits - from light transparent drives to thicker overdrive FX, heavy distortions and even some gnarly fuzz - and found a free ToneNET model preset for each one. Then, I ran a comparison for each one, running a looper in front of the pedals and checking out how close the ToneX One presets come to the real thing!
Of course, this is not a scientific test in any way, but it was definitely a fun exercise, and hopefully it’ll help you decide on whether you think the ToneX One works well in this context. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Here are some links to the various parts of the video:
00:00 Hello and why I bought the ToneX One
01:09 The 10 pedals we’re using today
02:53 Today’s rig and plan
04:07 Greer Lightspeed vs ToneX One (guitar used: Fender Telecaster)
05:43 Nobels ODR-mini vs ToneX One (guitar used: Epiphone Les Paul)
07:39 Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini vs ToneX One (guitar used: Les Paul)
09:35 Wampler Tumnus Germanium vs ToneX One (guitar used: Les Paul)
11:46 Paul Cochrane Timmy vs ToneX One (guitar used: Telecaster)
13:55 Tone City Dry Martini (Fulltone OCD clone) vs ToneX One (guitar used: Telecaster)
15:58 EHX Big Muff vs ToneX One (guitar used: Les Paul)
18:20 ProCo Rat 2 vs ToneX One (guitar used: Les Paul)
20:29 Greer Gorilla Warfare vs ToneX One (guitar used: Les Paul)
22:38 Revv G3 vs ToneX One (guitar used: Les Paul)
24:13 My thoughts
25:59 It’s so close to the real thing!
27:08 Things I don’t like about the ToneX: not true bypass
27:39 The joy of analogue pedals
28:17 Support independent FX pedal builders!
28:45 Tweaking settings the pedal itself is fiddly
29:49 Dual function knobs can cause problems
30:28 Gain, volume and headroom
31:28 Why I love the ToneX One and why you should buy it
My setup was as follows: I ran the pedals (and the Boss RC-10 looper) straight into the front end of my Hughes & Kettner AmpMan Classic pedal amp. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.
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Backing music from the KZfaq Audio Library: Duck In The Alley - TrackTribe.
#IKMultimedia #ToneXOne #ToneX #ToneXPedal #GuitarPedals #GuitarGear
Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!
‪@ikmultimedia‬

Пікірлер: 71

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Get your pedals at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/hy7r2nqlwf At Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/9g0Zqy And those timestamps again: 00:00 Hello and why I bought the ToneX One 01:09 The 10 pedals we’re using today 02:53 Today’s rig and plan 04:07 Greer Lightspeed vs ToneX One 05:43 Nobels ODR-mini vs ToneX One 07:39 Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini vs ToneX One 09:35 Wampler Tumnus Germanium vs ToneX One 11:46 Paul Cochrane Timmy vs ToneX One 13:55 Tone City Dry Martini (Fulltone OCD clone) vs ToneX One 15:58 EHX Big Muff vs ToneX One 18:20 ProCo Rat 2 vs ToneX One 20:29 Greer Gorilla Warfare vs ToneX One 22:38 Revv G3 vs ToneX One 24:13 My thoughts 25:59 It’s so close to the real thing! 27:08 Things I don’t like about the ToneX: not true bypass 27:39 The joy of analogue pedals 28:17 Support independent FX pedal builders! 28:45 Tweaking settings the pedal itself is fiddly 29:49 Dual function knobs can cause problems 30:28 Gain, volume and headroom 31:28 Why I love the ToneX One and why you should buy it

@zigballiveguitar Ай бұрын

Thank you so much for taking all the trouble to create this comparison video. It helped a lot.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

No worries, glad you found it useful! Was pretty helpful for me too actually 👍

@Lamz.. Ай бұрын

That was a fun one, thanks Rich! It's amazing what this little pedal can do. Great job showing it off!

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

It was indeed (I had a lot of fun making it too!), and yes, amazing what the ToneX One can emulate... hope you get the chance to give one a try soon!

@seongbinchoi917 Ай бұрын

Thank you Rich! there's only one or two videos out there using tonex one as drive pedal! I really liked the part where you adjusted input trim and matched the sound with nobels odr, now I see how versatile tonex one can be. This video is so helpful. Thank you for your effort and time!!

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Thanks, really glad you enjoyed it! It was fun for me to test all the pedals too, and I learned a lot about the ToneX while doing it... it's such a practical little unit! I actually need to work with the input trim more as it might be helpful in getting some of the tones even closer - but it's amazing how close most of them were straight away with all controls at noon. Cheers and rock on!

@Tone-Quest Ай бұрын

Excellent video!!! Thanks for the awesome comparison.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed the comparisons! This was a really interesting video for me to make as well.

@tonycruz3382 Ай бұрын

Amazing comparison and review as always, TSM for this one 🤘🏻

@jeffroq Ай бұрын

Bloody hell Rich. What a great video. I bought the full tonex a couple of weeks ago. I have loads of drive pedals and now I'm thinking they are basically just colour choices. My experience of the tonex controls is with everything is at noon = the settings of the pedal captured. Stacking and boosting tonex drive captures with other pedals would be a good video.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Thanks! Yep, totally agree on the colors thing... they're all different shades of overdrive, all with their own uses and advantages. It's great to have access to so many in such a small box like this! And yes, I also found that with the analog pedals set all to noon, that matches pretty well to the ToneX... so I assume that's the way they were modeled, although I don't fully understand the tech behind it. Stacking/boosting sounds like a great idea to try next... I'll add it to the list! Cheers, and enjoy your ToneX!

@jackbootshamangaming4541 Ай бұрын

I got my ToneX One and I love it. It does so many different captures of every pedal I'd want it for, and I can capture my own pedals for it too, and the full rigs/DIs are amazing!

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Yeah, it's pretty amazing what it can do... I'm still just scratching the surface with it and I am majorly impressed already.

@sivadyert 2 күн бұрын

Great review!

@SeanAllocca Ай бұрын

Another great video Rich! I love my ToneX One and recommend it for all players looking to get their feet wet in the modeling world.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Cheers Sean! Yep, I'd heartily recommend the ToneX One to anyone who (like me!) has always been sceptical about modelers... every day it impresses me more!

@raygehring Ай бұрын

I'm impressed by it. Especially the Klon capture. We both have the germanium Tumnus and I felt that the ToneX did a really nice job emulating the Centaur sound- through my computer speaker so...probably not the best way to hear it.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

The ToneX did do an excellent job, I agree, although I thought some of the others were even closer... with the Tumnus the one thing I missed from the ToneX was the headroom. Tone-wise it was close enough for my ears! Crazy how good this little ToneX box is 😅

@steventhomas231 Ай бұрын

Great video Rich.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it!

@user-wv1ef2my2t Ай бұрын

Excellent review and comparison, the ToneX sounds great, some people may, and I repeat, may be bothered by the smaller (sized) controls. I like effects from EHX, but the effects shown here.....I would like to have them all. The choice will probably be quite individual according to each guitarist. Analog x digital effect, I often put them together in PB, sometimes it takes a little time to find the right place, but why not. Perfect video. Greetings Pavel CZ.👍👍👍

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Thanks so much Pavel! I think this is the beauty of the ToneX... it can do so many things, and everyone will find their own favorite use for it. For me, I guess I'll use it more as an amp, but it's also a great way to try these different kinds of pedals. I'm really surprised at how close they all sounded. But you're right, the knobs are too small for me 😉 And you can tweak on the computer, but I prefer not to do this... I'm not great with software. Hope you get to try a ToneX soon, and let me know your thoughts if you do! I'd be really interested to hear your opinion 😊

@TomaszGruszewski Ай бұрын

great comparison!

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Cheers, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Was fun (and eye-opening!) to make too.

@m.malina6797 Ай бұрын

Solid video, Rich - thanks so much for demoing it. Like you, I think I’m too retro to purchase one of these. It seems like it takes a bit of effort to dial things in, and I really like having access to the knobs to make changes without needing my phone or computer. Curious how the Tonex One stacks up to something like the Source Audio L.A. Lady/Kingmaker. That’s likely as digital as I want to go for now :). Have a great one!

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it's definitely a radical step for a more retro- thinking player (like me, and also clearly you!) to try something like this. While I'm loving the overall performance and playing time with the ToneX, I could do without the software side. Once you've got your chosen amps/pedals/presets copied into the pedal, technically you don't need the software... but it does make things 'easier'. In this sense, the larger ToneX pedal would possibly be a better buy, as it has more control via extra footswitches and knobs, etc. This is something I want to try in the future. But the sounds (and playing feel) out of the box with the ToneX convinced me straight away that it's something worth investing a bit of time in, so I really would encourage you to give one a go if you ever get the chance. You never know, you might take to it! I've not tried the LA Lady, but I love my Source Audio Collider (without ever having used the App!). Digital drive pedals have always been difficult for me, but I did like the Strymon Riverside when I tried it, so maybe I'll give the LA Lady a go too - the ToneX has already made me a little more open minded to try some more digital stuff like this in future. Enjoy!

@m.malina6797 Ай бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic - Good insights. Based on your thoughts, I may be more likely to look into the full Tonex Modeler instead of the One pedal as it looks easier to tweak with the knobs accessible on the top panel (like a standard analog pedal :)). Could really see that being a solid option if you want to slim down a collection or put together a separate board for shows. If you like the Collider, I’d recommend looking at those other Source Audio One pedals. You may have to adjust things on the software, but once you dial it in it sounds pretty good. And with the knobs and switches available, it’s easy to make adjustments like a typical pedal. I got mine used on Reverb for about $100 US - which is a steal for the various tones you get out of one box.

@jeffsurtees847 Ай бұрын

Excellent video. I have both the big and little Tonex pedals. They are great but I agree, not as intuitive as old school pedals. Still too nervous to use them live.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, every day it gets easier but because I'm averse to plugging into the computer/software any more than I need I do feel that analog pedals have the edge there. I'd love to try the big ToneX pedal soon as well, and as for live... I could imagine it, but will have to check out how it's worked for others first.

@chrisj1602 Ай бұрын

Another possible use for it is to set it up to A/B for rhythm/lead, so you could have (for example) an “always on” low gain Lightspeed then hit the switch for a cranked Lightspeed (or a different pedal altogether).

@StoneXue Ай бұрын

I think on most if not all of those if you AB tested them without showing anyone which was active most people claiming they prefer the pedals could not actually pick out the pedal. If you dont tell them when its being switched as well most , once you dialed it in, would not even be able to tell.

@user-jy3io4iz2p 27 күн бұрын

It makes great pedal to try out what you like (as you explained) and can become your back up or live prdal. Just that it can do a RAT and TS mini and BM is pretty nice 🤠

@SCASTRO50 23 күн бұрын

Excellent demonstration, thank you very much for this type of video. It showcases one of the features that interests me most about this pedal. Is it possible to buy those captures from you? This collection of drives is exactly what I would like to have in my arsenal.

@RichWordsMusic 19 күн бұрын

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! You can't buy these captures from me, but only because I didn't make them myself! These were all free downloads I got from the ToneNET software, so you could too. Just search for each pedal and then list the search by "most liked" and those are the ones I picked usually! Let me know if you want any more info on this and I can help and send screenshots if you need!

@mSarimaa Ай бұрын

Did you Mess with the Global master volume on the ToneX? ITS the big knob when yuo press the alt button for 6 seconds straight. That maxed gives me a lot more volume on tap than default which is halfway. On the same page is the input trim on the top right button.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Good ideas. I have messed with both, although I didn't in this video. As far as I know the Global Master is literally an overall output (so it just makes it louder in my headphones but not in terms of the recorded signal), whereas the Input Trim would maybe work more like a boost for each preset/pedal as it's like adding input gain. Definitely something I will be exploring further to see how it affects stuff like this!

@mSarimaa Ай бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic when using the ToneX as drive pedal into another amp or amp sim or into another interface and plugins more volume output works just like the actual more volume from analog pedals, which makes it really useful.

@mSarimaa Ай бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic and mire input trim gives more gain as it just drives more volume into the pedal.

@paulstacyenriquez9872 14 күн бұрын

To my ears almost all of the pedals have more headroom than tonex. Maybe start to set the tonex master volume to 100 then adjust the tonex "pedal sim volume" to unity. After that if additional adjustment needed, go with the input trim. I own tonex 1 and i will try this soon. Thanks tor the video

@masterofreality230 Ай бұрын

My Halberd has an ungodly amount of volume, I wonder how the Tonex would compare in that realm.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Ooh, I've always wanted to try one of those! It would be really interesting to see how the ToneX handles that, yes. I'm guessing that you could make a model/preset of the pedal when you're using all the headroom and that might actually do a decent job! Hopefully someone can try that soon.

@dasninjastix Ай бұрын

Would this work well as a pedal going into the front input of a combo amp or is this better served as a preamp?

@mr.d.572 Ай бұрын

I would like to know that too!

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Interesting... I've not seen anyone trying to use the ToneX as a preamp yet, although I'm sure you can. My guess is you'd simply turn off the cab/IR and you're good to go. That's definitely something I need to try at some point! I can confirm that the ToneX is fantastic going into the front of the amp like a standard drive pedal - that's what I was doing in this vid and it works like a charm.

@BobRock420 Ай бұрын

I have a question I’m told that I can’t use the Tonex One through my Windows laptop because I only have USB ports. I DO NOT have USB C ports on my laptop. Is there ANY WAY I can make the Tonex One work on my laptop? I REALLY want to purchase the Tonex One but am not going to buy a new laptop just for that. ANY advise would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. Thanks

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Hey Bob, my Mac is a couple of years old and also only has the older, larger USB ports. So, while the USB C to USB C cable that comes with the ToneX One didn't work for me, I just used another one I had (which is USB C to the standard USB) and it worked like a charm. Get a cable like that and you should be just fine!

@BobRock420 Ай бұрын

AWESOME. Hey my friend THANK YOU GREATLY APPRECIATED. 😁😁😁

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Happy to help, and hope you get to try the ToneX for yourself soon! I'm loving it so far.

@dianat.6426 Ай бұрын

There are adapters that cost very little.

@BobRock420 Ай бұрын

Yup already found an adapter and preparing to order my Tonex One tomorrow. I GREATLY APPRECIATE all the help. 🤘

@vince8081 Ай бұрын

Sound almost identical, maybe there's a little bit less dynamic with the tonex. As you said, If the feel is the same, tonex is an absolute winner. I would love Ik Multimedia release the tonex in a normal pedal size with more presets available (something between the big one and the mini). For now, i would go with the big one.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Yep, I would love an in-between ToneX pedal too, as at the moment I have serious GAS for the big one 😉 It's amazing how close the ToneX presets get though (and don't forget, these were also 'just' the first free ones I saw)... so the potential is there for it to get even better. Great times to be a guitar player for sure!

@StoneXue Ай бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic Now imagine what is there in 5 years not just ToneX but all of them with AI the sky is the limit now.

@PooNinja Ай бұрын

Such a great age to be a gear nerd 🤓 😀

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Yes, exactly! So many cool toys 😎

@PooNinja Ай бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic I’m looking forward to the mobile editor for the gen 3 katana. The head version will be my next purchase. I feel strange being completely satisfied with my current set up. Katana 100 112, podHd500 a few drive pedal a wha and a whammy pedal And a twonotes opus . Something with really have to impress me with amazingness to add it to my must haves at this point. Or if’n i hit the lottery?

@timchalmers1700 Ай бұрын

Sounds close enough for me. But if I get a Tonex One, I'll probably use it as an amp.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

That's probably how I will use it most as well - but of course you could also profile your amp with drive pedals in front and do both. Kind of amazing the amount of options you have with this little box! For live stuff the sounds are close enough, absolutely.

@TOadamus Ай бұрын

i love nirvana,korn metallica linkin park this should be enough for me right? :D

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Oh yes, absolutely! There's loads of awesome amp models that'll get you those base sounds no problem!

@650thunderbird5 Ай бұрын

👍🏻👍🏻

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Cheers, my friend!

@toliskoskinas Ай бұрын

The Timmy, the Tubescreamer and the Gorilla is where the Tonex shines (without listening to your comments). Really inspiring unit the dwarfy Tonex, maybe I need to start saving. Not helping my wallet Rich, no you don't 😄

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Ha ha, sorry 😅 It is really good, though, this little box! I hope you get the chance to try one soon. I totally agree about those three pedals as well, especially the Gorilla Warfare... straight away that one sounded dead on. So impressive! The Timmy and the Tube Screamer are also spot on... it makes the ToneX a super flexible device to have around.

@chesneytube1 17 сағат бұрын

Most of them are pretty different... the Gorilla Warfare was pretty much identical... sometimes the tonex sounded better sometimes the pedal did. Tumnus sounded WAY better than it's capture.

@robertdonosobuchner3129 Ай бұрын

The ToneX One is really good and versatile. But do you really need this pedal? I think it depends what you needed it for. You don't need it to imitate a Proco Rat, it's only about 90€ and if you get it used it's a lot cheaper. I think it's great to get the sounds or the taste of other expensive and boutique pedals. I imagine that it can be really useful for recordings because of its versatility. The sounds of the ToneX One are really good but in some cases the real pedal sounds better.

@RichWordsMusic Ай бұрын

Yeah, that's an interesting point. I think everyone will have different use cases. For me, the ToneX One will probably be more of an amp/cab all-in-one solution than a pedal... although I could totally imagine also using it as a drive pedal in (for example) a covers band situation. It would let you have a number of different overdrive/distortion/fuzz sounds in one tiny pedal, which could be really useful if you need 5/6 different sounds per gig and don't have the room or the pedals. And live, I also think the tones are easily good enough - like you though, I agree that in many cases I prefer the response of the original pedals. But yes, also great to be able to test out the ballpark tones/feel of pedals here before you buy the real thing. Especially with hard to find boutique pedals that could be a nice thing! Cheers for watching and commenting as ever 😊

@fivefingerfullprice3403 Ай бұрын

You can also capture full rigs with it (OD, amp, cab) or just an amp, or just a pedal, it's extremely versatile and sounds great.

@mr.d.572 Ай бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic About live gigs and storing 5-6 tones on the pedal, correct me if I'm wrong but I thought only two could be stored / accessed on the pedal at one time? Wouldn't you need to go back into the software to change what is stored on the pedal?

@StoneXue Ай бұрын

Wont be anything to model if we all switch? You are right but where you and most people are not seeing is in the coming years we are going to be designing "pedals" ourselves and the tones people are going to find is going to be a wonderland we have never experienced in tone expression. Right now you have to have money and be specialized expertise to design a pedal. The software is going to come where building a pedal is like playing a video game. Just think how creative people will get when they are not limited to physical skillsets with electronics and the resources money wise to build them.