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IK - Amplitube TONEX - Has Landed


Heath Row

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1 hour ago, User 905133 said:

image.png.480943e3d1f9c4ef776ca7d2e79935c2.png

Source (about 7/8ths of the way down)

NOTE: I could be wrong, the website could be wrong/misleading, etc.  BTW, if you look at the comparison with the higher tiers, CS doesn't say "unlimited tone model creation" like the others do.  I take that to mean we cannot create any tone models with CS.  Again, I could be wrong, the website might be wrong/misleading, etc.

Well, 20 user ones isn't that bad.
Unless you are a guitar player, where you need zillions, lol.

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1 hour ago, User 905133 said:

image.png.480943e3d1f9c4ef776ca7d2e79935c2.png

Source (about 7/8ths of the way down)

NOTE: I could be wrong, the website could be wrong/misleading, etc.  BTW, if you look at the comparison with the higher tiers, CS doesn't say "unlimited tone model creation" like the others do.  I take that to mean we cannot create any tone models with CS.  Again, I could be wrong, the website might be wrong/misleading, etc.

I think this is correct.  Owners of CS can't create profiles of their own gear but they can download up to 20 that other users created (I.e. non IKM made images).  

Gives the end user a taste which I'm guessing turns many users into buyers down the road.   Since these are snap shots instead of fully modeled amps that slot of 20 free ones won't feel like 20 full amps but more like 20 tonal options.

I wonder how long until a pedal that can load these snapshots comes along?  Honestly this is the kind of thing lacking in other alternatives on the market unlike the pedals they did release which already have serious competition at the price point they wanted to be at.  Most amps in a pedal are either really expensive, limited in options or just not all that responsive to dynamic playing.  

Edited by Brian Walton
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I explored TONEX CS some more. With the search filter we have 5 choices under type: Amp & Cab, Complex Rig, Stomp, Amp, Stomp & Amp.  I am still exploring and have only downloaded 1 user model so far.  BTW, so far as I can tell the 20 downloads includes both user-generated models and IK premium models. [Corrected since the TONEX Software doesn't allow downloading IK Premium Tone Models not included in CS except by using the Try/Buy.]

The one I downloaded (a user contribution) includes an Amp and a Cab.  At present we can swap Amps and Cabs when we make our own presets.  So, I loaded up the downloaded Amp and swapped out the Cab and vice versa.  So far as I can tell at present we cannot swap stomps.** I seem to recall Peter saying wrt AT5 that the handling of stomps is non-trivial.  So perhaps TONEX might someday also include the ability to swap stomps.  In fact the actual chain bar has an unused space.  This is not in the manual.  So perhaps with improvements more flexibility (for AT5 and TONEX) will be added to create user presets with swappable stomps. [**See the User Manual, quoted below.]

BTW, so far it seems that only some fields in the user presets are editable. 

For those who are not ready to update to a higher tier with unlimited downloads, the above suggests possible considerations for choosing to download models now, choosing a model that includes both an Amp & Cab v. just either an Amp or a Cab.

Caveats:  These are just some initial thoughts wrt to  some explorations to date, things with IK are always subject to change, maybe at some point they will have a deal for CS owners such as 100 additional downloads for $9.99 ($6.99 with $3.00 in jam points), etc.

I am not a guitarist, but I have been testing TONEX CS in Voltage Modular using AAS's Strum and some other plugins that have guitars, so I will probably never need a higher tier, but I can see opting for a batch of additional downloads. Even though some improvements are forthcoming, I like what what it can do in its current state.

Looking forward to insights others come up with for using TONEX CS!

FOOTNOTE: TONEX CS currently exposes 40 controllable parameters. (I am using Voltage Modular's Plug-In Host.) Many are switches that correspond with on/off switches in TONEX's Chain Bar, but many others have ranges of values.

Note: With some IK products I have seen an issue involving (a) the control value, (b) the function change, and (c) the UI.  For example, I think its Sampletron (maybe) where a function turns on and off with a certain midi CC value, but the UI element's on/off image changes with a different value.  I found this to be true with at least one of the TONEX Chain function/UI element. Pure speculation: it could be a matter of scaling (128 values are mapped differently). Not sure and I have no plans to test all of the possible combinations!  

Almost forgot to mention: I do not see that presets can be switched remotely.  From what I have seen many plug-ins omit Program Change (and more frequently Bank Select) and I go not see either of them in TONEX at present.  If Program Change commands are available somewhere, please share how to do it!!!

Quote
  • Inside a preset a Tone Model is divided in two parts: AMP and CAB.
    • Doing so lets us swap any AMP/CAB module with another Tone Model’s AMP/CAB module to create new combinations of rigs.
    • The only Tone Models that can’t be swapped are STOMPs.
      • A STOMP can only be used alone and is designed mainly to bring your favorite stomp pedals as a plug-in inside your DAW.
      • If a STOMP is paired with an AMP creating a STOMP+AMP or a STOMP+AMP+CAB Tone Model, the STOMP part is tied to the AMP and when swapping the AMP part, the STOMP follows as well

From page 11 of 72 of the current TONEX User Manual.

Edited by User 905133
(2) Correction made; (1) to add additional comments that might be of interest to some TONEX users
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12 minutes ago, User 905133 said:

I explored TONEX CS some more. With the search filter we have 5 choices under type: Amp & Cab, Complex Rig, Stomp, Amp, Stomp & Amp.  I am still exploring and have only downloaded 1 user model so far.  BTW, so far as I can tell the 20 downloads includes both user-generated models and IK premium models. 

 

I don't think you get any IK Premium models in that 20 downloads number.  They can only be User Generated Models.  

Would love to hear I'm wrong.  

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2 hours ago, Brian Walton said:

I don't think you get any IK Premium models in that 20 downloads number.  They can only be User Generated Models.  

Would love to hear I'm wrong.  

You are correct.  We cannot download IK Premium Tone Models we don't already own without using the Try/Buy option.  

image.thumb.png.7c3c8a7907b51a6a172f0443eaab21e3.png

Both of the above Tone Models are "based on" the same  Stomp, Amp, and Cab.  The TONEX Software appears to allow me to download Tube Drive DLX, but not Boost That Deluxe.  Since I already own Tube Drive Deluxe as part of CS, if I click the download button, the software seems to go into download mode, but just offers a preset already included. I have updated my posts.  Thanks for the correction.   

BTW, it is unclear if the User Guide or the software is more current.  In the software, filter options include Premium Tone Model and Free Tone Model. However, the User Manual says User Tone Model and Premium Tone Model

UPDATE: That being said, IK has both Premium Tone Models and Free Tone Models.  In addition to a Free User Tone Model I  also own a Free IK Tone Model.  So evidently the software is more correct.

So, now I have (own) 22 Tone Models: (a) 20 that came with CS, (b) 1 Free User Tone Model, and (c) 1 Free IK Tone Model.  

As we know, things may change!

Edited by User 905133
Posted edited to reflect a better understanding of what the software does
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6 minutes ago, Paul Young said:

So this is another click and pay app?

Depends on how you define that.  I'd say yes but it isn't an ala cart thing.  If you start with the free version once you click around it is going to try to get you to buy into one of the tiers.  It isn't like AT5 where you can test and then purchase a single amp.  

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1 hour ago, Brian Walton said:

Depends on how you define that.  I'd say yes but it isn't an ala cart thing.  If you start with the free version once you click around it is going to try to get you to buy into one of the tiers.  It isn't like AT5 where you can test and then purchase a single amp.  

If someone has TONEX SE and then clicks on Buy for one of the Collections that's included in TONEX or TONEX MAX, what are they buying? Are they buying the tone models and the gear in just that collection or the entire tier?  If its the entire tier, why is the store set up in collections? 

Edited by User 905133
fixed typo
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12 hours ago, User 905133 said:

If someone has TONEX SE and then clicks on Buy for one of the Collections that's included in TONEX or TONEX MAX, what are they buying? Are they buying the tone models and the gear in just that collection or the entire tier?  If its the entire tier, why is the store set up in collections? 

I thought the same thing, but those also don't seem to include everything (ex the only amps I'm really interested in are the Dr Z ones - Z Wreck and MAZ18).  

I'm guessing for now this is more of an option to potentially try a sub set without having o start a 30 day trial for way more than you could consume in the entire collection - not sure.    Each of thse boxes does indicate which product tier they are included in.  From the marketing perspective, it seems to me like it is a way to draw you in to what is actually available in terms of gear modeled as the "browser" it completly unwieldy in this respect as the preview images of gear are somewhat generic unlike in somehting like amplitube where you have a clear picture of each amp (TONEX you have a generic picture and it could be used 40 times for a model of the same and even different amps).

 

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CS users can only download 20 user Tone Models.  You can't download from the Premium Tone Models (from SE/standard/MAX) so no, a free CS user is not going to be able to grab a bunch of Dumble and Klon models for their 20 free choices.

We are not selling these a la carte, so if a Premium Tone Model is in one of the versions (SE/standard/MAX) you'd need to purchase that version in order to get those Tone Models.  There's a full list of gear which includes information about in which version they are included on the site.

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Anyone have a diagram for capture setup and routing for AXE IO?   

I realize that IKM is pushing the new TONEX Capture box, but with the bundles with AXE IO (and the fact it has been on the market for ~3 years) would be helpful to have diagrams for that capture setup also.

 

 

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6 hours ago, Brian Walton said:

Anyone have a diagram for capture setup and routing for AXE IO?   

I think you mic the amp cabinet, route that to the tonex input, take the out from tonex to the amp input and tell tonex to do it's thing. That said I don't have Tonex, this is how it's done on the Quad Cortex which seems similar. Whatever you do make sure any tube amps have a load or cab hooked up so you don't cause damage  to an output transformer.

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26 minutes ago, bluzdog said:

I think you mic the amp cabinet, route that to the tonex input, take the out from tonex to the amp input and tell tonex to do it's thing. That said I don't have Tonex, this is how it's done on the Quad Cortex which seems similar. Whatever you do make sure any tube amps have a load or cab hooked up so you don't cause damage  to an output transformer.

 

You are exactly right.  You select the desired ASIO driver... then assign the following ports (you can use one or two mics):

  • Monitor L/R outputs
  • Send to Rig (feed going to the Amp input)
  • Mic input 1
  • Mic input 2
  • Instrument input (guitar)

As you mentioned, it's very similar to setting up a Capture using Quad Cortex.

 

Note that if your audio interface doesn't have proper re-amp functions (many don't), you'll need a re-amp DI box.

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15 minutes ago, Jim Roseberry said:

 

You are exactly right.  You select the desired ASIO driver... then assign the following ports (you can use one or two mics):

  • Monitor L/R outputs
  • Send to Rig (feed going to the Amp input)
  • Mic input 1
  • Mic input 2
  • Instrument input (guitar)

As you mentioned, it's very similar to setting up a Capture using Quad Cortex.

 

Note that if your audio interface doesn't have proper re-amp functions (many don't), you'll need a re-amp DI box.

Yeah, this is why I'm specifically asking about the AXE I/O as it has an re-amp out.

It has two Mic Inputs (or two instrument inputs) but I'm not sure if the ReAmp out is tied to one of those "input channel slots" 

Thus wondering about getting a two mic setup potentially all within the same interface.

I have one incoming (and since IKM is the only company I can think of that won't let you download drivers/control software without registering a product) I'm not sure what the options are in terms of routing.  I'd certainly expect that using Instrument In 1 would both record the input and also send that exact same signal back out vie the re-amp....but that would then most assuredly get rid of a 2 mic capture on a 2 input device.  

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You have an nVidia CUDA card? They are supposedly the bees knees, the ducks nuts, when it comes to TONEX capturing, slicing times right down.

Personally, I have zero interest in capturing, just here for the capture, the capture and only the capture. 

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