Is the ToneX plugin worth it for the $99 sale if one has Helix Native already?

[Rev2010]

So I've been using Helix Native for years now, love it. But to get my main guitar sound, since I personally feel the Recto model is lacking, I have to use two guitar amps blended into one IR. I really like the tone I get but always just felt it's just missing some of that body my real Triple Rec has. You can hear the tone in this one song here (not posting as a plug):



Was listening to some of the ToneX Recto profiles and honestly was really impressed. I know it's only $99 but I can't tell you how many plugin's within that price range I bought and wound up never using, like NeuralDSP's Fortin for a quick example.

Anyhow, any opinions on it? For $99 it's a great price. Not intending to capture my own Triple Rec but I like that the option is there though you kinda have to buy that add on hardware box. Anyhow, any opinions would be welcome. Thanks.

 

[Necky379]

I’m this close to pulling the trigger on Tonex as well. I’ve been doing a lot of reading but still feel a bit uninformed myself. One thing I may be able to clear up for you, it appears that you don’t need their Capture hardware if you have the plug-in, a load box and a DI box.

 

[fabronaut]

my biggest complaint would be that the ToneX UI sucks and IK Multimedia is sorta slimy with their business model. don't try to buy a used ToneX pedal, apparently, since you'll get fucked on having to pay them blood money to either buy a new copy of ToneX or reactivate the pedal to use on your account. pretty pathetic of them to go that route, tbh.

the UX / UI is really clunky and not consistent or clear like Helix Native. and that's not just b/c they do the skeumorphism thing. Line 6 did their version of that with the "Metallurgy" etc. bundles and it was much cleaner and easier to use... which is hilarious, given that IK's whole schtick is selling their software and the skeumorphic stuff?

even with all of those caveats... I still think the Amplitube 5 / ToneX combo is worth what I paid for it (on sale). it's absolutely worth a punt for "free" and A5 has some great recreations of specific tones in the user community. you gotta do some digging, but it certainly helped me better understand how certain kinds of tone may have been achieved that I would've never figured out on my own. (e.g. blending three amps and feeding the simulated mic captures into multiple studio compressors at the end of the chain?)

 

[Emperoff]

Tonex interface is horrid, but find some nice captures and it trumps the Helix down in the amp department. It is also less CPU intensive than NDSP Plugins, for example. I can set my recording buffer at minimum with no issues.

 

[Necky379]

The no dual amp thing is my biggest issue with it and I’m not even sure it’s an issue. Which brings me to my 2nd biggest issue, there’s a lot of info out there but anything official from IK is more of a flashy ad.

Can I build a multi amp rig in AmpliTube and load it onto the Tonex pedal? Can any AmpliTube setups be transferred over to the pedal? Can I capture two amps separately and use them simultaneously? I’ve been reading through so much info, I still have no idea.

 

[MatrixClaw]

The no dual amp thing is my biggest issue with it and I’m not even sure it’s an issue. Which brings me to my 2nd biggest issue, there’s a lot of info out there but anything official from IK is more of a flashy ad.

Can I build a multi amp rig in AmpliTube and load it onto the Tonex pedal? Can any AmpliTube setups be transferred over to the pedal? Can I capture two amps separately and use them simultaneously? I’ve been reading through so much info, I still have no idea.

Unless it's changed in an update I don't have, you can use profiles in Amplitube, but not the other way around. ToneX is not Amplitube, but ToneX works in Amplitube. Also, no, it's just one amp at a time.

IMO ToneX sounds great, but I use it to capture my own amps, so when I sell them off, I still have a representation of them that I can compare new amps to. It's also intended as a backup of my current amps and a convenient recording tool of them. I haven't really played around with 3rd party captures much.

 

[Necky379]

It all sounds so close to perfection I’m tempted to wait for the Tonex2 Perfection X model to drop which will inevitably happen 6 months after I buy this current model.

All the clips I’ve heard sound great, AmpliTube 5 looks sick. Perfect would be AmpliTube 5 setups work on the Tonex pedal and DI capabilities so I just need to plug in my load box. I don’t even care about capturing two amps simultaneously but the ability to use two amps simultaneously would seal the deal.

That being said, good chance I buy this when my DST8080 sells.

 

[complex-barb.0t]

If you desire more tones then sure. The amp models are great but you have to hunt for the good ones. Like everyone said the interface is a total shitshow.

As a nice bonus it works on iOS so it’s easy to take those tones on the go.

 

[Rev2010]

Thanks everyone! Your info helps me so much, I think I'm gonna pull the trigger at $99. For what it's worth, I didn't care for Amplitude at all, I bought MAXX version or whatever it is. The Mesa pack sounded pretty damn great and accurate but just ad nowhere near the gain of the real amps that I really couldn't use it so I sold it. At least I thought I did but it appears I still have the license so I dunno.

I actually *want* just a single amp, and a faithful recreation. I do really like my Helix Native patch that made for my main sound but it always miffed me that I had to use two amps. My PC is insanely powerful so it handles it with no problem, I just feel it doesn't have that air pushing chug like the real Recto. Sure I could up the bass but eeeehhh, still not the same somehow. I would still use Helix Native even if I got the ToneX, I'd just run the ToneX amp into it for the effects, or when nothing special is needed just use one of the many VST effects I have like the Valhalla reverbs. Or I could layer both the ToneX and Native together. I really just want a killer accurate Recto sound and only get like 90% there with Native.

Anyhow, thanks again! Gonna buy it and after some time with it report back.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

Honestly I gave up on toneX because I spent so much time trying to figure out how to get things started and I hated the UI so much I just gave up. LOL
I’ve heard that if you get good captures it’s actually quite good—if you can stand the UI that is lol.

I tried Neural Amp Modeler a few weeks ago and honestly I can’t go back to my neural dsp plugins. NAM is free so it doesn’t hurt to give it a whirl. Once you find some good captures it’s honestly amazing and feels much more “authentic” to the real amps than any other VST I’ve tried.

Curious to see how you like tonex!

 

[trem licking]

native is a million times better than tonex. i wouldn't bother but im sure you could find some use. tonex runs like shit tho, laggy and buggy as hell on my pc

 

[Rev2010]

Bought it and have been messing with it a bit today. It's very early so take this with a grain of salt, also I am only messing with a capture someone posted on ToneNet, I downloaded a few and have been playing with the best one and same IR I use with my Native patch.

ToneX beats the sound and feel of Native. Again, I'm only messing with the Recto model so far! But holy shit, it sounds and plays/feel like the real amp. The oomph, the woodsy resonance when you palm mute far back and get that decay, Jesus I'm really liking it.

UI does indeed suck and take getting used to. Anyhow, don't have time to post more at the moment but will in the near future. For $99 I think it's totally worth it if amp tone is something you've never been fully satisfied with. Native has a billion times more effects and options so it's vastly superior in basically every other way, but I was focused on getting that recorded real amp tone in my DAW and this is the best it's been for me so far. Sounds like a real mic'd recording.

 

[complex-barb.0t]

Honestly I gave up on toneX because I spent so much time trying to figure out how to get things started and I hated the UI so much I just gave up. LOL
I’ve heard that if you get good captures it’s actually quite good—if you can stand the UI that is lol.

I tried Neural Amp Modeler a few weeks ago and honestly I can’t go back to my neural dsp plugins. NAM is free so it doesn’t hurt to give it a whirl. Once you find some good captures it’s honestly amazing and feels much more “authentic” to the real amps than any other VST I’ve tried.

Curious to see how you like tonex!

NAM is indeed awesome. Somebody needs to come out with a quality NAM pedal.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

NAM is indeed awesome. Somebody needs to come out with a quality NAM pedal.

agreed.

 

[complex-barb.0t]

agreed.

My hope is somebody like Joyo/NUX/Mooer make a NAM compatible product. Would be killer if done right. The price on modeling is going to be a race to the bottom in prices as ARM or DSP chips get faster. It seems so crazy to “invest” $2500 on a Fender Tone Master when we are likely on the verge of a $300 product having better and more open modeling.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

My hope is somebody like Joyo/NUX/Mooer make a NAM compatible product. Would be killer if done right. The price on modeling is going to be a race to the bottom in prices as ARM or DSP chips get faster. It seems so crazy to “invest” $2500 on a Fender Tone Master when we are likely on the verge of a $300 product having better and more open modeling.

Yeah for sure. If a Joyo/Nux/Mooer made a hardware product for NAM it would be absolutely amazing.

I wonder if a big company will scoop up the technology as well, like Line 6 adding it compatibility for the Helix or something.

 

[MatrixClaw]

NAM is indeed awesome. Somebody needs to come out with a quality NAM pedal.

There's one coming out. I just really don't see it selling well.

 

[complex-barb.0t]

There's one coming out. I just really don't see it selling well.

First multi effects that supports a NAM block I will buy day one. I like the idea of my captures not being locked into a single vendor like Tonex.

 

[Stiman]

I haven't given the capture a try yet, but I'd love to capture my 5150 Iconic, mostly to see how close it really is to the real thing.

 

[MatrixClaw]

First multi effects that supports a NAM block I will buy day one. I like the idea of my captures not being locked into a single vendor like Tonex.

Here's the post on it:

I'm not really sure why your capture being in NAM vs ToneX, Kemper, Quad Cortex, etc matters? The pedal is going to have to be priced extremely aggressively to continue production and support, which I doubt a smaller builder will be able to achieve. The only way I ever see NAM competing with the big 3 capturing products out right now is if it's adopted by a larger company, which I don't see happening because very few companies want to release hardware based on software they don't control.

It's a cool product and I don't doubt it'll continue to be better than the competition because the devs working on it are more passionate about it. However, without a pedal platform that's well thought out and supported, I don't see studios having this available on their systems for you to just bring your capture on a USB drive and start recording. It will stay a home studio solution, which is fine, but I don't see what benefit you get by "not being locking into a single vendor" in that case