Members steve_man Posted October 16, 2009 Members Share Posted October 16, 2009 Hi guys, I'm curious about the Tonelab. I understand that it's much easier to tweak/use on the fly than say a Digitech GNX3, Pod, etc. Do you find this to be true? Also, how good are the tones it puts out? I mean, through a good clean amp, how many of you would play live with one? I am also wondering about the difference between the LE and the ST. Same number of amp models, etc.? Thanks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roygbiv Posted October 16, 2009 Members Share Posted October 16, 2009 Yes, easiest to use. The tones are good. I've used it live. It sounds especially good through the Effects Return on a tube amp. I don't know about number of models. I think the latest one might have a few more than the older models? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted October 16, 2009 Members Share Posted October 16, 2009 I use an LE. Easy to use, yes. Never used a GNX, Pod, etc... so I can't compare. I do find the analog nature of the chicken head knobs makes it easier to deal with on-the-fly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted October 16, 2009 Members Share Posted October 16, 2009 I've used one live. It still requires presets and saving patches. It's easy to program, but you wouldn't want to rely on being able to tweak it live. I used it for its amp sounds and added a Line 6 M-13 for effects, because that really is tweakable live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Promit Posted October 16, 2009 Members Share Posted October 16, 2009 It's fairly easy to set up, but I haven't really spent much time with the competitors. The sounds, once you get them right, are beautiful. The effects configuration is not terribly flexible, but the tone, especially just the core amp simulation, is amazing. That said, you definitely make presets at home, live editing is out of the question. Okay yeah, it supports MIDI control and you could do crazy stuff, but I don't think that's really a very popular thing. So if you want to hook an X-Y to it or something that would work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted October 17, 2009 Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 It's definitely the best sounding modeler in my opinion. I had an AD30VT and liked it so much I got the original Tonelab. More models, more control, pedal models which are pretty usable. I'm pretty techie anyway, so PODs and the Boss and the Digitech stuff doesn't bother me but the Tobelab is absolutely easier to get started on. You can put it in manual mode so almost everything is right in front of you. Boss has a few models like this as well, but they don't seem quite as connected or direct to me. I tried my Tonelab into the front of a couple tube amps and found the best results running into the FX return of a Peavey Prowler. Great cleans, great mid level crunch, great high gain. Great all the way around. The mid level gain is where the Tonelab excels in my opinion. The PODs do great high gain and very tolerable cleans, but in my experience, they just can't compete with the Tonelab with the mid level crunchy Vox and Marshall tones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RashestHippo Posted October 17, 2009 Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 I have an ST and i think it sounds great, and i play through cheaper Vox amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted October 17, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 I tried my Tonelab into the front of a couple tube amps and found the best results running into the FX return of a Peavey Prowler. Great cleans, great mid level crunch, great high gain. Great all the way around. The mid level gain is where the Tonelab excels in my opinion. The PODs do great high gain and very tolerable cleans, but in my experience, they just can't compete with the Tonelab with the mid level crunchy Vox and Marshall tones. This is what I was really wanting to know. I've owned PODs, and a GNX3. Both did clean tones very well, and higher gain stuff was good...but neither did low to mid level crunch well at all. Even after a LOT of tweaking, just couldn't get the tone I wanted. I have a great tube amp, but it's large and a pain to move. For a live setting, I would like to use something like this through my Marshall MG. I play mostly clean, and mid-level crunch, so if the tonelab can pull those tones off, it might be just what I'm looking for. If the ST is as good as the LE, I like the smaller footprint much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jables66 Posted October 17, 2009 Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 Seen one of these going for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted October 17, 2009 Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 Seen one of these going for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DonK Posted October 18, 2009 Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 I've owned the SE, and now have the LE (I like the smaller footprint; I didn't need two expression pedals). Very easy to use, fantastic tones. More intuitive interface that its competitors IMO. I've owned a ton of Line 6 gear (still have a DuoVerb and a Pod XT). I prefer the ToneLab over any of the Line 6 stuff, and I'm far from a Line 6 hater. I've also been impressed with Vox's Valvetronix amps: I think Vox does modeling as well as, if not better than, anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aclarke Posted October 18, 2009 Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 I play live with one (LE). Have done for a couple of years now. Live, I tend to run either direct to a JC 120, a roland keyboard amp, or direct to the PA. At home I run to two small solid state 1x8s (an 80s roland cube and a no name keyboard amp), which gives a huge sound. I also run direct to the mac via the digital line. With all of these configurations, the trick is setting the amp/line toggle properly. If you have the output optimized for a 4x12 cab and run it to the board, it sounds like ass- and the reverse is also true. Set it properly, and it sounds like you wanted it to. As far as tweaking/setting on the fly, it's actually quite easy. Ish. While playing in preset mode, hold your foot down on the "down" switch - that puts it into the raw FX mode. At that point, you have access to the 4 pedals that are configured for your sound. When you set a preset, you can assign each of the pedals a value, but select them as "off". So a basic clean reverb, for example, would have an OD, a flanger, a delay and a wah - all selected, but switched off. Dropping into FX mode allows you to turn those presets on/off like stompboxes. In that mode, you can reach down and start tweaking knobs if you really want to. You also have the option of punching in external stompboxes, although for some reason I've never bothered to try that. As an aside, for some reason a lot of players neglect the L/R outputs. I did for a long time, and I kick myself for it. As a home practice setup, the sound you can get from the tonelab sending to two small solid state amps is incredible. I've also had great results running to the roland and a leslie (seizure inducing chorus), and running a clean sound with a little bit of delay to the roland and a dimed fender 600. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted October 18, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 This is the one I was looking at the other day: It's priced right (especially used), and I like the smaller size. Just wondering if it is as user friendly/good sounding, as the LE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted October 18, 2009 Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 I've played through all of them... some longer than others, but they all sound equally good to my ears. I don't think the code has changed for any given model... IE, all the AC30 non Top Boosts sound the same. The LE and SE of course, offer a gigging musician a few more options. The ST just lets you click through the presets while the LE and SE allow you to click through the presets AND turn the 'pedal' off and on within the preset so you will likely be able to get through most reasonable songs with only 1 preset. Of course, the price on the ST is pretty attractive. You could still dial up two presets that were similar to work in one song and click back and forth between those two presets in lieu of turning the 'pedal' model off and on. That's WAY more confusing to type out that it is in real life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted October 18, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 Yeah, I noticed the on/off abilities of the LE. Looks similar to the FBV pedalboard I had with my Line6 Flextone....that might be a nice feature... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted October 18, 2009 Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 Yeah, I think for a gigging musician, I'd ante up the extra for the LE or SE over the ST but the ST would be a way for a bedroom player to save some cash while giving up a teeny bit of versatility. They both sound great. I still have the desktop Tonelab I got about 3 years ago. As I said, I play it into the FX loop of an upgraded Peavey Prowler. I usually play directly into a DRRI or an AC15, but sometimes it's kinda cool to play through the Tonelab and the Prowler. I have 8 presets that covers pretty much everything I want to do other than the occasional fooling around with some trippy, overly effecty tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted October 18, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 Now, are there different versions of the Tonelab LE? Like 8.0, 8.5, etc? I'm guessing this is software updates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted October 19, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 19, 2009 I played through an ST today at GC. They didn't have an LE. I could not believe how SMALL the ST was! Not a big deal, but the expression pedal was tiny! Just looking at them in pictures, I think the LE would be a better fit. I like the extra control on the pedal portion. I was blown away by the tones, though! I played it through a junky 30 watt Raven amp, and it sounded great through that. Can't imagine how could it would sound through a good amp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted October 19, 2009 Members Share Posted October 19, 2009 Whichever you get, be sure to try it set to PA/Line/Direct mode into the FX loop of an amp. I tried mine into the front end of several amps and I got the best results by far into the FX loop. Of course, then I had to go in a tweak all the presets I had already made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted October 19, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 19, 2009 Okay...I'll try that. Actually plugged into the Raven amp yesterday straight through the instrument output...so if it sounds better through the effects loop, that's awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted October 19, 2009 Members Share Posted October 19, 2009 What's the point in getting an amp modeler and plugging it into an amp? It's been my experience that the Tonelab sounds best into a PA or keyboard amp that doesn't color the sound. You can get decent sounds plugged into an amp, gut if you really want to let the modeling do its job, you need to plug it into something neutral sounding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roygbiv Posted October 19, 2009 Members Share Posted October 19, 2009 Plugging into the Effects Return bypasses the pre-amp. So, esentially, you are hitting the power tubes with the Tonelab as the preamp. Therefore, it is essentially uncolored. BTW, I turn the cab sims off in teh above situation. Works like a charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted October 20, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 20, 2009 the switch in the back controls the cab sim, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted October 20, 2009 Members Share Posted October 20, 2009 Plugging into the Effects Return bypasses the pre-amp. So, esentially, you are hitting the power tubes with the Tonelab as the preamp. Therefore, it is essentially uncolored.BTW, I turn the cab sims off in teh above situation.Works like a charm. No it's not. You still get the power tube distortion and the frequency irregularities and limitations imposed by the speaker. The tonelab emulates all that anyway. You can still get good sounds into a regular amp, but you're limiting what you can do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted October 20, 2009 Members Share Posted October 20, 2009 the switch in the back controls the cab sim, right? No, it's a knob on the front. With each patch you specify what amp and cabinet you want to use, including none if that's your choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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