🎸 Gear Rant with BadBrad - Episode 6: The Fatal Flaw of IK Multimedia's ToneX Pedals 🎸

That’s some awesome guitar playing! Was thinking about trying the Tonex for bass for smaller fly board.

I can see why IK made this small unit the way it is. first, they don’t want to cannibalize their own product (big box). second, there really only so much buttons to use in such a small package. They need to fix their software to allow realtime adjustments and an IOS/Android version of it as well.

Loved the intro. I think IK Media looks at ToneX One as a peripheral device and their main ToneX platform is either their plugin or the big pedal. It is understandable really at the price point, but I understand your frustration. I get around this by tweaking my tones first on the ToneX plugin in my DAW (which I can run to the same monitors). By the way, it is way easier there because you don't have to fiddle with a bunch of ALT modes. I then use the ToneX One pedal only as a convenient way to package up my result. But you're right it would be amazing to get the full tweak ability in a sub-$200 pedal.

You should keep it dude hahaha, once you’ll sell it they will update it 😂

I just think of the tonex pedals as the 'amp' profiled at one state. The worst UI is the universal audio tablet app for the uafx pedals (except ox stomp that allows you to know more than just which speaker or other switch option I have a control set to. I resorted to writing the settings down on paper like a real amp. Incredible sounds out of those things but like why can't I see what my knobs were turned to? I know they saved them, and the unit is responding to these changes. Why can't I know what they are?

I agree that the 'editing' software is just plain awful. The TX1 is my first foray into the IK Multimedia universe. I've been using Fractal Audio products continuously since 2007 so I understand digital editing via a computer. I also use Line 6 HX StompXL and their GUI is good too. I don't expect to be able to edit all the parameters from the pedal itself - it only has four dials and two buttons. I don't know how they could possibly implement that on a unit this small. That's the trade-off. I do however expect to be able to deep dive via the GUI on an editor and that's where this unit fails for me. Hopefully they can address this before I sell the unit out of frustration.

Fatal flaw: the software. Mystery solved.

I was considering getting the Uafx lion, but after checking out Tonex One demos, I'm thinking I might go that route at more than half the cost, and with more versatility. I haven't personally played either of them. Would you say tonex one (with the right capture pack) will have comparable realism to the Lion?

100% agree. Totally makes it unusable and I wind up back to an NDSP plugin or Kemper. Great playing man! Love your vids.

Awesome demo of Tonex tones! Your experiencing something I was skeptical of with the Tonex One, that's it's heavily dependent on Amplitube to develop the tones. That's good if you're already tied to that ecosystem. If not it seems like more effort to get started from scratch that other options. Personally I though Bias had better tones so I bought that, although I skipped the whole Spark thing.

While points are valid, the reality is it’s not cheap to do all the things required to deliver a good UI. I’m also guessing from the feedback that they KNOW everyone wants a real time computer editing function, but as it hasn’t yet been delivered there’s probably some technical reasons/decisions that have been taken to hit a price point. These things will come over time, as time and funding (through further purchases) allows.

I am with you,to me most of this stuff is overkill,it takes too much time to really get it,I would rather have a good amp and a few good pedals.

I just got a tonex one and like you have been enjoying the tones. That said, coming from a HX Stomp, I fully expected to be able to plug the pedal in and adjust parameters like I do on the Stomp. I so expected that functionality I thought for the longest time I must be doing something wrong. I've since resigned myself to creating tones through my interface and the app, and then just dumping them on the pedal. But I agree, it's a very non optimal approach.

You're totally right, it's the worst thing about Tonex by far. I have the large pedal and I was instantly put off by the fact that you can't actually edit anything on the pedal through the software. The other annoying thing is that if you use it as an interface, it just uses the software on your computer anyway and doesn't play directly through the pedal. So there's a major disconnect between the hardware and the software where the only thing you can do between them is store profiles on the pedal and that's it. All in all I still love it and think it sounds great, though.

I got the Tone X one...... It is still sitting in the box. It was cheap. Loaded the software and haven't even tried it. You are 100% right. They are making these software apps too far from plug and play, twist the knob and go for it. I did get one called Simplifier X from D & M Humbolt that is 100% analog to get the tube sound and response feel applied to the Vox AC30, the Fender Twin and a Marshall in single, combo and stack speaker configurations. Lots of combinations to try, can use pedals as well, stereo, bla bla bla. It comes with two amplifier options in tandem or separate. My sound came to life in a very nice way. I use tube and digital amps in my studio and I am in heaven. These software developers are missing the boat. I want to tell the software via voice that I want to sound like this or that and should have a preset triggered by my voice, and then allow me to configure that choice further to adjust to my amplifier topology. Thank you for your videos. They are very informative and I totally understand your feelings and opinions. I have two beefs with the music industry. One is alcohol as an essential and unsolicited part of the music culture and the other is playing other people's songs to make drunks happy because they know the songs and expect magnificent musicians become glorified juke boxes leaving originality and creativity out of the paying gig unless they are super stars.

Killer playing and rant! I agree. Tonex sounds great but the editor sucks. ✌️

Dying laughing Brad. Great playing man. I would say turn off the gate and get a real gate pedal and run in front or behind it. 😂. Just kidding. 😂 Man, you had a Fractel? I would give my left testicle for an FM9, but can't justify the cost for what I do. 😂. Hope you're well man. 🤘🔥🤘

You see, I like the TONEX and not having all the effects in one. I like being able to have just the amps and build my pedal platform in front and behind running into the return of my effects loop of a real amp. The only problem I have is the latency of switching between two channels on the pedal like a real amp with a foot switch. I have to time going between a clean to distortion by 1 second. Play a song like Alone Again by Dokken and you will find out quickly how much it sucks to have to time those switches. So for now, its a home only save my tubes in my bigger amps and recording pedal.

You’re such a great player dude.

Agreed. The user interface is a hot mess...