Paying $1400 for Delay and Chorus isn't very SMART!!! | VC407
Technological adancements mean that items will become faster, smaller, and cheaper. It even applies to guitar processors. Despite the protests of the Kemper & AxeFX crowd! Get the Complete Guide to Songwriting for only $299 at: spectreacademy...
0:00 The Villan
1:06 Technology gets cheaper
3:41 well it LOOKS more impressive
4:05 It's inevitable
6:07 Mojo and other nonsense
7:59 Real quick!
9:41 Butthurt of the axefx fan
10:57 Comment from possibly brain dead
11:55 it's starting to sink in!
12:50 Projection
13:46 There was an attempt to sound witty!
14:04 Proper and Legit (LOL)
15:00 Solid State and Speakers?
16:32 Facebook Hive Mind
17:43 Where is that bass plugin?
18:49 Unforeseen dangers
19:59 Don't Gain Match???
22:10 I want one too!
22:21 More camera content?
23:55 The Open Wallet Guitarist
About Spectre Sound Studios:
I'm Glenn Fricker, engineer here at Spectre Sound Studios. I love making records, and after doing it for sixteen years, I want to pass on what I've learned. On my channel you can find tutorials on how to record guitar, bass, real drums and vocals. There's reviews and demos of tube amps, amp sims, drums, mics, preamps, outboard gear, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, and plugin effects.
We've covered Moon on the Water, played Bias FX, given you the absolute best in Stupid Musician Texts, ranted & raved about bass guitar, and this channel is where The Eagle has Landed.
Everything you've wanted to learn about recording Hard Rock & Heavy Metal can be found right here on this channel!
I also respond to your comments & questions: The best make it into the SMG Viewer's Comments series of videos. Loads of fun, lots of laughs.
Thanks for checking out my channel & please subscribe!
Пікірлер: 708
It blows my mind that Glenn isn't doing voice for animated characters.
@leslawjurewicz8250
Жыл бұрын
He actually does. He mentioned it in one of his videos but I don't remember the cartoon name
@michaelcaron7334
Жыл бұрын
Dude I could see him voicing and dubbing for a character in like dbz or something
@michaelcaron7334
Жыл бұрын
Dude I could see him voicing and dubbing for a character in like dbz or something
@andthoseotherguys
Жыл бұрын
He is an animated character. Lol
@mickhoward3954
Жыл бұрын
Holy crikey dingo you're right, Glenn needs to be in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
I own a complete Kemper rig with the toaster, Kemper Kab, foot controller, etc and I love it. Paired with some excellent profiles it has been one of the best purchases I've ever made for my guitar playing enjoyment. But I will also be getting a ToneX because it looks absolutely amazing and technology does move forward, no sunk cost fallacy here. If it is vastly better, I can always sell the Kemper rig. If I like them both then I'm simply spoiled for choice. Been playing for 20 years and IMHO there has never been a better time to be a guitar player.
@shitmandood
Жыл бұрын
Well you heard the blind test didn’t you? I didn’t hear any difference at all, but you get rid of the Kemper you then have to fiddle faddle with stomp boxes and jury rig the ToneX that doesn’t have an FX loop. You’ll probably set it all up then see you wasted your time. 😅
Oh my God, Oh my God Glenn used my comment on his show! I’m shaking I’m so excited. Best day of the year so far! I just want take a moment to say: I could never had done this without the continuous support of my wife, son, and colleagues. Thank you everyone!! Also, I’ve been a Metalhead since the age of 6. I can play some jazz, blues, and surf on the guitar. But no matter how hard I’ve tried, I cannot play metal at all!!! 😢 That stuff is impossible🤘🏻
@shitmandood
Жыл бұрын
Don’t forget to thank Jeesus!!
@ReeseChown
Жыл бұрын
@@shitmandood ha ha
@onionheadguy7094
Жыл бұрын
I'm proud of you son
@HabAnagarek
Жыл бұрын
I think if you can play surf you can at least play classic metal, thrash, etc. Do you mean modern tech death or something?
@paisleepunk
Жыл бұрын
if you can do surf, you can probably do speed or thrash fine
Love my kemper rack and kemper stage. Sure there are great cheaper alternatives. There are even free plug ins as well. Dont have any reason to get rid of the kemper after the fact. It works and sounds better than my tube amps live.
Glen, as a guitarist of only 2 years, I'm ever so thankful that I found your channel before looking on forums or listening to other musicians for advice. The amount of money I will not waste in the future due to your videos is unreal. Keep up the good work.
@sharkuel
Жыл бұрын
They grow so fast.
@darksu6947
Жыл бұрын
@@sharkuel Lol, like a weed
@benstanfill363
Жыл бұрын
I just started looking into getting into a new guitar and I'm so glad I found out about tone wood not mattering. Makes picking a guitar much easier.
I bought my Fractal Axe-Fx ii 6 years ago. Best money I spent on sounds. Still going strong.
@colelewis9940
Жыл бұрын
Rn now I am playing my 2 and it's great, waiting for my 3 that was fried by a lightning strike to get sent back with new DSP. Still sounds better than all these plugins
The Tonex unit looks like it is pretty cool for the price. If you don't have anything like it, it's a great deal, and will hopefully start driving down some prices. However, I have to call you out on the last video when you said that if you already own a Kemper, that you should ditch it and buy a Tonex. Terrible advice. That's like telling someone who already spent the money on an iPhone 14 to go ahead and sell that and go out and buy an iPhone 13 because it's cheaper now. You're unnecessarily spending more money for little return. No one selling their Kemper or QC is going to get what they paid for it if they sell it. That means you have to add that loss to the cost of switching to Tonex, then consider that you are trading functionalities. If you have to buy effects, then you have to add that to the cost. If you already have a Kemper or QC, then keep using it. You don't really gain anything by making the switch. If you don't already have either of those, then get the Tonex. It's way cheap, and looks like it's worth the money.
@Schatje79
Жыл бұрын
Not to mention there's limitations on the ToneX he always leaves out. That sponsorship money is really changing things up on this subject and not for the better imo.
@travisspaulding2222
Жыл бұрын
@@Schatje79 It just goes to show that a lot of KZreadrs are basically glorified music salesmen. They aren't giving you the best advice that they can. They are giving you the best advice for their bank account statement. He's becoming no different than the asshole Guitar Center salesmen who pushed the Line 6 Spider because it gave them a higher commission, rather than the best amp in that price range.
So, a $600 songwriting course "on sale" for $300 is something that is something that people should buy, even though there are tons of free resources for songwriting, and songwriting is literally "all in your head". Your inspiration and approach is a huge part of songwriting. But if you spend $100 on a pickup, or anything else besides a speaker, that inspires you to write to some great songs, you're wasting your money. Guitar tone isn't about science, it doesn't matter. Tone isn't for the audience, it's for the player. The only person that cares about the guitar tone is the guitar player themselves. It doesn't matter whether it's a songwriting course, lessons, speakers, pickups, wood, whatever else, if it makes you think you sound better and gives you confidence and inspiration, then it's worthwhile.
I had a Kemper and couldn't jive with it, so I got rid of it. I've had my Quad Cortex since launch and have zero complaints as it works for me. Why would someone complain about a lower barrier to entry when it comes to modelling hardware?
@2112jonr
Жыл бұрын
Investment interest. "I have to justify spending 3x as much as you". Simple as that.
@nicholasaragon4126
Жыл бұрын
A 60 inch 4K TV cost $2k at some point early on. Now you can get one for $500. Whether you invested early or later you're still enjoying 4k more than 720p. If someone gets a TV cheaper than me why would I be mad about it? If my TV breaks I can buy a better one for cheaper. If a meteor hits my house and destroys my tube amps and thousands of dollars worth of gear, I can just get a Tonex for $399 and we're back in business. This is a good thing for consumers.
@shitmandood
Жыл бұрын
@@nicholasaragon4126not a good analogy because the $2k TV is DISCONTINUED when the cheaper, shittier models come out later.
As a dad-rock bedroom musician, IK is single handedly the best equipment and software I have every bought. I have been through half-stacks, amps, and had my pockets bled dry chasing the magical unicorn of tone that does not exist. There is no reason to need amps these days if you are a guy like me. I focus more on my playing and creating music (and enjoying myself) than I do jerking off knobs on amplifiers I'll never get a good tone out of anyways as they never get cranked to the point it matters. And when you put it in a mix, it doesn't fucking matter anyways.
@shitmandood
Жыл бұрын
Sounds good, Pops
@TheOligoclonalBand
Жыл бұрын
I am a bit torn. I don’t make money with music or have any limitations regarding my rig, so I am pretty happy with my Engl, Marshall integrated into my digital setup and enjoy playing with the real hardware. I don’t need anything like the ToneX. Although it would be really handy to profile my equipment and use it with the ToneX.
@tortillaman2491
Жыл бұрын
My cat is really, really hungry. Hasn't eaten all day.
@tyleranderson1015
Жыл бұрын
@@tortillaman2491 Try feeding it
@tortillaman2491
Жыл бұрын
@@tyleranderson1015 I have no cat food.
Regarding an effects loop for your amp on stage: I'm an old guy and I gig regularly. I have never used and amps effects loop at a live performance. Always straight into the pedal board and then out to the amp. Everything sounds and works just fine. Studio you might want to clean it up using the loop I don't know.
@derekdenton8689
Жыл бұрын
Agreed. Even with live amps, my rig was usually dirt-pedal and slap-echo in front (maybe chorus or phase on rare occasions) and FX loops have never seemed needed.
I learned that I get my best "tone" when sitting on a stool instead of a chair. So, it's fair to say that true tone comes from an IKEA BEKVÄM stool. It has to be the natural one, the white or black ones don't deliver the same tonal dynamics.
@givemeajackson
Жыл бұрын
ayyy bekväm supremacy. that built in footrest really brings out the woody warmth of my toan.
@martin-1965
Жыл бұрын
No way man... you have to spend at least $4k on a designer stool that has been handmade from Italian oak and Bratislavian Spruce and then coated in nitro finish. Otherwise your tone is gonna suck balls 😎
@jani14jani
Жыл бұрын
Ola has a great tone so this makes sense
"Here we are in 2014 and I gotta say, the technogoly has matured". Haha XD well 2014 was a good year
You had me at "affordable"
@HalcyonGuitars
Жыл бұрын
Lols…
@snap-off5383
Жыл бұрын
cube baby: $40 IR / Cab loader. Even comes with pirated cabs and IRs.
@MetalheadArepa
Жыл бұрын
@@snap-off5383 yeah but it lacks a bit in response, even a Joyo American Sound Preamp sounds more natural (tried both, daily drive the AmSound)
Tonex + Amplitude 5 has officially blown my socks off!
@SpectreSoundStudios
Жыл бұрын
Same here!
@greevar
Жыл бұрын
@@SpectreSoundStudios I just wish more of these types of devices had stereo output AND input! I have two ears, and I want to pleasure them! lol Nevertheless, I have my JOYO UZI OD pedal feeding into a MIMIQ and a Cab X2 for those stereo jollies. No amp needed!
We are only as good as our experience. I have been recording metal music since 2000 and you really don't need to spend a lot of money to get good results. Thanks to everyone at Spectre Sound Studios, we can gain experience much faster. Much props keep up the good work!
Around 6:00 you said "here we are in 2014". Had to check to make sure this video want 9 years old and I've been missing out for that long haha.
Following up on my comments on those ToneX vids, it's great that there are cheaper options. But it doesn't instantly make anything else on the market obsolete. How much better are the tones compared to the HX Stomp? Or even better, compared to the similarly priced, and massively more feature rich, POD Go that you raved about 2 years ago?
@Schatje79
Жыл бұрын
His sponsorship is really pushing this fr
@colelewis9940
Жыл бұрын
The HX stomp and POD GO don't use profiling technology where Glenn can if he wants, sell captures/profiles of amps for money. In case you are ever wondering why his obsession with this unit in particular. That is why
What's the betting a Tonex 2 appears before too long with an effects loop, a chorus, and delay? Those who buy the current one won't be happy, but at least they'll only be $399 unhappy and not $1800 unhappy! 😆
"I've never made a wrong purchase in my life!" I say, just before tormenting your ears with the Getzen Frumpet.
400$ for a chorus pedal ?! Gosh. *Small clone has entered the chat*
@rainbowkrampus
Жыл бұрын
Empress Effects has you covered for a $500 delay.
@user-zv7lm8uk7h
Жыл бұрын
@@rainbowkrampus I own the empress delay youre an idiot if you dont htink its worth it. It also has 4 cab sims in it. jack a s s s s s ssss s sss
@lacssbb
Жыл бұрын
Ha in my country the minimum wage is $1300 and a new chorus cost like $500 bucks 😂
@JoeStuffzAlt
Жыл бұрын
I started to get guitar pedals for my mic since I wanted something that wasn't all-in-one. Donner/Caline/Azor pedals are $20-40 each. Cool. "That reverb pedal sounds awesome! ... uh... $179... never mind". So... yeah... maybe later get an all-in-one. Still, with the ToneX + that pedal, you'll still come out ahead
@vkuolema79
Жыл бұрын
Echoflanger has entered the chat
Tonex is great! I have been using that for about a month, & I’m really liking it..I also have an AxeFx 3…but now I’m shutting the amp sim off & using the AxeFx for effects only…it is becoming overkill just for effects…i might replace it with a delay & chorus…Tonex is that damn good! Plus I REALLY like that Plate reverb on it. Don’t get me wrong, the AxeFx has been great…but if I am only comparing the amp sim of the Axefx to the captures of the Tonex…I like Tonex better.
@SpectreSoundStudios
Жыл бұрын
Fair enough. I haven’t shot out the fractal yet..
Sooooo Glenn about the Northern Lights whistling part did you at least ask what happens if you farted instead of whistled?😅 Agree with you 100% about some of the craziness on the fictitious assumptions about equipment with no empirical data to back it up and yet, this is where the craziness comes in, they are skeptical or remain in total denial when they are 'educated' with bonefide data. I don’t presently own any amp modeler because they weren't affordable for me. After your review on the Tone X I now will be able to get something I can afford. Thanks for your honest reviews and keeping it real.
At 22:00 the guy talks about audio for KZread ...I wonder if you will talk about set ups simple - intermediate and pro for sound for PC gamers - headphones and mikes - and home recording sound for youtube channels and online meetings - just a though. Always happy to add to another's workload. PS love the channel - I don't even record but I love it when you shout/swear and the high speed readers comments are sublime! BW from the UK
Re solid-state and speaker upgrades: My first amp was a little 10w JMF Spectra w/ 8” unbranded speaker. I never changed the speaker, but I did used to like running from the line-out Jack on the Spectra into the effect-loop input on bigger amps (Peavey tube amp in this case, w/ stock 12) and the improvement in hi-gain tones was HUGE. Not that stock Peavey Black Widows were the greatest speakers either, but I’m quite sure that was at least 50% responsible for the tonal improvement. (Also shows how easily impressed I was in the 80s.)😅
What you are about to do the Crate can work surprisingly well. I rehoused a Peavey Minx into it's own head and fixed a speaker jack to the back. A little repair was required in the power section (some idiot burned caps with a soldering gun). Replaced those, and cleaned the pots. I plugged it into an oversized Traynor 2x12 8ohm cabinet. It sounded awesome. Great little bass amp (very clean). Worth the effort, and now a I have a great pedal platform with a line out.
Thanks for the quote Glen. About to go in for heart surgery and it really lifted my spirits. Respect.
I don't have a Kemper (yet), but it's still on my list because I need a device I can include in my existing 19" setup with In ear and wireless system which can be controlled by midi and has enough outputs for my needs. I'd be open to other devices, but it just seems to be the best fit for my needs... 🤷♂🤔
I have installed Switchcraft switched jacks in my Marshall Lead 20’s so I can plug in my 4-12 cab and the speaker in the amp is shut off. It is amazing how much better the amp sounds. I even did it to my battery powered PIGNOSE amp , and man what a difference it made. The Pignose roars like a lion pushing the 4-12 cab. No not a huge amount of volume but great tone from small practice amps as the speakers are the limiting factor in these small amps. My guess is that the Crate is going to scream very nicely through a quality 4-12 or even a 2-12 with good speakers
"match the gain...." we've had the LPB-1 for over 40 years. All you need are pickups that don't have too low a cutoff frequency or magnets so big they pull the strings out of tune, and a boost pedal to hit the amp hard. You can even stick a tubescreamer set as a boost or other pedal with a useful filter in front of the amp to control the character of the distortion. If you're using a modeler you don't even need a boost pedal, and you can probably model the pedal too.
I think people are missing the point of what the ToneX is actually meant to do. A simple unit that’s meant to capture the character of an amp as closely as possible WITHOUT all the fuss of 50 different types of delay, reverb, etc., which is probably how they were able to keep the price so low. With that being said, a model with an FX loop would a little more expensive, but I think would be a great add on for people who want to add whatever effects they want.
Dude ~1:45 nailed it. I keep all my old and just buy new gear when it offers me something i need. Try the keyboard market over the past 30 years. I can get some decent tones out of my 20 year old Roland that ran $2500, but it doesn't touch modules I could get for a grand today. 🤷
Dibs on “Douche Canoe” for a band name. Glenn, as ever, your videos are top notch. Thanks for all the helpful-and always entertaining-videos. Cheers.
I think the easiest solution is like an HX effects or similar multi-fx board that would go into this. Itd be $1050 in the end which isnt cheap but it still gets you the same functionality as a kemper or QC for less and its a complete package. Although for me personally id just spend a little more at that point and get the fractal fm3 personally bc i dont care about profiling as a feature but thats me personally. Id rather be able to have the insane amount of control over the signal chain offered by a fractal product in a single unit. Thats not for everyone tho but if you already are spending $1050 you may as well spend like $50-150 more and get one unit thats more way more comprehensive. Again, thats IF you dont need profiling. If you do need profiling, i dont need to tell yall that fractals arent for you.
I love this channel and Glen. It always puts a smile on my face. Even when I am pissed at the world. Although I do not agree with Glens views sometimes I still enjoy the posts. I personally still prefer real amps over the captures. However I can't afford real amps so I use my line 6 Helix it has around 70 models in it and I like how instead of using captures line 6 actually recreates the circuits of the amps digitally so it feels morganic than most processors I have played with. But it is preference. Just like I notice a huge difference in guitars with different pickups when I am playing and when I change the pickups. I even like the stock pickups on most guitars that people swear are horrible. It all comes down to what we as individuals prefer.
@SpectreSoundStudios
Жыл бұрын
Make some A/B recordings… suddenly those differences aren’t quite as massive as we’ve been led to believe
@greevar
Жыл бұрын
@@SpectreSoundStudios A/B recordings are the bane of all gear snobs!
@capacitiveguitarresistance
Жыл бұрын
@@SpectreSoundStudios You are correct. The funny thing is that the subtle differences I hear when playing through different pickups are barely there or completely gone when I play them back. I personally have not switched out pickups in guitars in years. I am generally fine with stock anyway but it makes me wonder if those perceived differences are more in my head than an actual real noticeable difference.
One thing that I would like tosay about the tonex is that I don't have ANY desire to capture guitar cabs. I just want to use the included or download able captures. Heck, if it comes with decent captures, which it seems to, I might never go into the software via computer etc. I need things as simple as possible, plug and play.
I saw a video of Glenn the other night, and he bragging about how great getting new pickups in your guitar would be.. I love how once his show caught on he become full blown myth buster. The Glenn of today is the Glenn we need.
Gee, i wonder what you can use the remainder $1400 after buying TONEX compared to Kemper or Axe FX III or even Quad Cortex...
@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn
Жыл бұрын
Buy lunch?
@Espresso101
Жыл бұрын
Bass strings
Glenn You are spot on with everything you are saying here. Like you I am old skool. Playing 43 years. If young musicians were wise, they would take this episode to heart. So many pieces of wisdom, which only comes with time and age. Good job! Cheers!
I have a Kemper and just sold my QC due to reliability issues. I would absolutely switch to the ToneX pedal if IK made one with the other effects. For a live setup AND MY NEEDS the Kemper just checks all the boxes FOR ME (Power amp, all the effects, and so on) . BUT the cool thing now is I can leave my Kemper in the rehearsal studio and use the ToneX software for recording. Whenever IK comes out with a unit that has all of the other effects built in I will probably go for that one but for the time being I'm Gonna Keep on Kemper-ing lml PS - I have a 4.5 minute video of a QC failing during Rebea's demo at NAMM if you want it. It was the nail in the coffin for me selling mine...
Great information thanks for all you do Glenn keep up the good work much appreciated God Bless your KZread channel Ozzy Rocks Australia
Great segment as always, Glenn. I really enjoy hearing you put those Kemper Klones in their place 🤘🏼
@3mstudiospalmdesert
Жыл бұрын
Kemper Klowns
Hey Glenn, I write you today with a problem I’ve been having, and I really trust your opinion. I just upgraded my noname chinese 2x12 to basically a pair of Matamp 2x12s and the difference is kind of disappointing. My chinese cab sounds so clear and studio like, and the new ones with ''real'' speakers almost sound fake, like a small practice amp kind of tone, and also kind of distant. any ideas at all? the new cabs are also huge 2x12s with Celestion G12T100s and Eminence Tonkers, so maybe that has something to do with it? I had an Emperor 2x12 with V30s and same issue. Using an Orange CR120 so maybe thats it ? First time I’ll take the blame, same issue 3 times I’m not sure sure anymore
Yeah, beeing able to have your entire rig in a guitar case and a backpack... I can see the disavantages of that. (My delay and chorus pedals - combined - cost about 80 euros new!.) So, the extra 1100 euros, could go into a couple of really good guitars and upgrades. Or, for a touring musician, a backup Tonex, because Murphy's LAW.
Over ten years ago I purchased my first pedal ever, Behringer UM300 because I thought it would make my guitar sound metal af. I plugged it into my 15w practice amp and it sounded horrible. Then I got a new guitar thinking it would a world of a differece. Nothing. My mum would even say "I hear no difference." Then I got a Zoom G1n. It helped me get slightly better tones but when I got to finally play big amps and big cabinets I got amazed at how everything sounded massive. A few years later I got into amp sims and cab IRs. Now, to present day, I have a Zoom G1on, old technology by today standards, but I coupled it with a Cuvave for IRs in live use. I got all the tones I need now for live use. I would like to have a better petal, but I just can't see myself spending a lot of money on something I use maybe 20 times a year, and also, people generally don't care about your tone as everything is so effing loud that they're deaf already hah
That pedal idea is definitely doable if you don't mind D-class amplification in the output stage. The rest is Electro-Smith's Daisy Seed hardware loaded with NeuralAmp captures/presets, and maybe even a Raspberry Pi with MODEP. All of that can fit in a pedal not bigger than ToneX... now that I think about it, I need to build me one of these...
11:20 Be careful, Glenn! You'll upset the apple cart with the Strymon Fanboys. 😂
I have a kemper. They still sound great regardless of a new product coming around. But in all honesty, this was what many of us were hoping for kemper to make a long time ago; a significantly cheaper device that can fit on a pedalboard at the expense of all the extra effects. Kemper has spent the last 11 years effectively sitting on their hands and being slow to roll out new products, software, and updates. Of course someone was going to come along and release the product that kemper should have made 5 years ago
I must've missed the video, because all I saw was a very brief ad/intro to the Tonex, but nothing in-depth on how to actually capture your own rigs (beyond drag and drop of already available stuff) with said pedal or how it fares in a comparison against Kemper and QC.
Ahh that Crate GT! I'll never forget that amp. It was the house amplifier of my High school Jazz improv class. We used to love to hit the "overdrive" switch and play Metallica songs in between the jazz numbers and drive the teacher crazy. It sounded cool when I was 15.
19:28 the axe fx actually has a phantom power blocker in all its xlr outputs. another one of those "useless features" of the device that makes it so demonstrably expensive...
Hey, Glenn! What do you have to say about those who say that tone is in the fingers? I always said that technique is in the fingers, but tone is about amp and its settings, speakers, microphones and stuff like that. Eruption by Van Halen won't sound like it's supposed to if it's played on a clean amp and a guitar without a wiggle stick.
The ToneX is a brilliantly affordable more than ample to the task modeler. My buddy has a home studio set up with the Amplitube 5 modeling suite and I have to say it is very accurate and high quality. The fact that the ToneX comes with this suite included is amazing (I would opt to get the Joe Satriana add on). IK has really been shaking up the modeling scene for a while now and to offer a stompbox styled pedal that allows you to do very similar things as the Kemper and Quad Cortex at roughly 1/5th the price is outstanding. The ToneX leaves a great deal of meat on the bone for other accessories like a Carvin Mach 100 pedalboard amp ($189), a TCE Prophet Delay ($49), you could go TCE for the analog chorus ($49), or go for a MXR M-134 Stereo Chorus ($189). No matter how you went you are still under 1K for an entirely new rig that fits in a gig bag. Sure it is a few more pieces of hardware but still is over 800 bucks cheaper and is equally as versatile. I just do not understand why people are so quick to equate a pricetag as discerning either inferior, or superior quality? Not everything of quality requires a boutique pricetag, and the ToneX pedal is one of those times that I feel we get to have our cake and eat it too in that you won't have to donate an organ to afford it and it doesn't suck!
@colelewis9940
Жыл бұрын
Or you can just get an FM3 for 999$
I've just got my ToneX and I LOVE it. Gonna be paired with a Line 6 HX Effects and a Poweramp (Just in case I have to go through a cab) and that'll be my new "ampless" gig rig. No more lugging around a 12 pedal pedalboard or heavy amp head and cab for me. I'm sure my back will thank me.
As for the person asking about swapping the speaker in a solid state amp, definitely! I still have my very first amp, a Peavey Envoy 110. I replaced it with an Eminence Rajun Cajun and it really improved it a lot. For a 10” practice amp, it sounds good now. Awesome channel Genn!
@niteshades_promise
Жыл бұрын
i miss my buddys bandit back in the day. 🤔🍻
That's some drummer maths on the price of the pedals. I use a bass butler (bass amp modelling pedal/DI), fuzz, overdrive, bassballs, compressor and a wireless kit. Total price £600 including all cables and the case. Also, I personally prefer to have separate pedals for effects. If anything dies, I don't need to replace the full rig.
6:00 Glenn stuck in 2014 confirmed ❕️😆
I had a Donner chorus I got for $30 and it sounded absolutely great. Not only that, but I've used amps with built-in chorus that was fantastic. I borrowed a Rivera around '88 that had a wonderful built-in chorus. I also used a Gallien-Krueger with a wonderful built-in chorus. It was like an amp with a built in Rockman and it was amazing. I had that Maiden Somewhere in Time/Seventh Son tone and it worked. I remember playing a Roland JC and that built-in chorus is one of the best ever. In fact, the JC was the first amp with built-in chorus. After all, JC stands for Jazz Chorus. The thing is chorus is not a rare thing. There's no reason to pay a fortune for something so simple as a chorus. It's a ubiquitous thing.
@colelewis9940
Жыл бұрын
The Boss CE-1 sell for a bazillion dollars so you are sort of contradicting yourself super massive big time by talking about the Roland Jazz chorus (what the ce-1 is made to replicate) and trying to go for this whole.. cheap gear is good thing. No reason to pay a million dollars, except for roland then you can pay a million dollars? Then it's okay. The FM3 is 999$ (less money than a roland jazz chorus) and comes with over 20 different types of chorus. Tri chorus. Quad chorus. Delays can all be turned into personal chorus because the FM3 unlike pedals give you actual control over effects and not one control like "rate". Please do not let this loud obnoxious man guide you in your buying gear.
I have been telling people in my studio for years that the speaker is vastly more important than most people realize. When I purchased my 5150 head I tested it with several cabs and chose a Randall cab over the traditional Peavey cab they match them with. Don't get me wrong I love a lot of Peavey gear but that cab was not the right one for that amp. On another note the TONEX has been a blessing for my studio!
"step away from the keyboard you're definitely too stupid to be using the internet today" 😂 lol love it! Put that quote on a t-shirt I would buy it LOL
In regards to phantom power frying gear, as a live sound engineer, I've been well aware of this for quite some time, having to deal with other people who have various bits of gear fried by this. What I did for my company was invest in a handful of phantom power blockers. That and direct boxes will certainly do the trick. Some desks have phantom power either "all on/of", others are on/off in banks. Once I was able to move up to better consoles, with phantom power being switchable per channel, I didn't really need the phantom power blockers anymore but I really did benefit from the direct box purchases! I also built phantom power testers that I gave to all my crew and we would test any ends before plugging into gear with XLR or balanced TRS outputs just as a good operating practice just in case someone didn't properly zero the console/channel prior to setting up. The responsibility kinda goes both ways, the musician should take measures to protect themselves, and the sound company should take measures and engage in practices to "do no harm" to equipment of others. For musicians, take a moment to express concern. For sound companies, take that same moment to listen and then check and if necessary, take action to avoid the problem.
Thanks for featuring my comments. There’s a lot that goes into making good sounds. With the right equipment, half the battle is over. Learning to play the chosen instrument helps too.😁
Just a quick note on the phantom power thing... it can destroy cell phones and laptops too if you go XLR to 1/8th inch cable. I always use 1/8 inch to 2x 1/4 inch and use aux or line in. And, Dave Rat has a funny video where he tests the cable by sticking it on his tongue while phantom is on! I won't spoil it but it's fucking funny!!
Pretty amazing IK Multimedia is causing this tribal consternation with their $400 little box, competition is always a good thing! Maybe the other guys will also create a similar priced box rather than the super pricey models they have now. I really love the Neural DSP plugins, really enjoying them, and been a Amplitube owner for awhile and love its sound and variety, love the choices. I imagine IK will release at some point a Tone X with the inclusion of the X series Pedal effects, That would be a killer box.
@pino_7428
Жыл бұрын
Tone X is a different product when compared to lets say the Quad Cortex. QC is all in one whereas the Tone x is more a pedal platform.
When I was first learning to play guitar I had some cheap Cort guitar and while I couldn't play anything at the start, it was really fun to play with. I stopped playing for quite long time so I finally sold that Cort guitar cause I didn't use it anymore. 12 years have passed, I started playing guitar again and I didn't want to go with the "cheap ass Cort" again (cause now I could actually afford to get something "better") so I purchased a Schecter guitar which was 4 times more than that Cort. Now that Schecter is great, looks nice, sounds nice but... For some reason, I don't enjoy playing it so much as the cheaper Cort I had. It got to a point that I started looking to buy an used one, the same model I had. So I think it's really not about the price, it's more about what you like and enjoy and in this regard I can understand that some people want to buy an expensive guitar which "looks great" and I'm fine with that to be honest. I really can understand if someone pays like 1000$ for a guitar because it "looks great" and "feels great" to that specific person, because it's kinda hard to measure if something "looks great" or not, this is usually a subjective opinion. The problem starts when you go into the technical stuff cause like it was mentioned here many times before, the only way you can find out if something is "better" or "worse" when it comes to the sound itself is to put it to a test. And I really don't believe in people saying they have "super hearing", hell, my own brain fucks with me from time to time so I wouldn't even trust myself on this stuff. So if someone wants to buy expensive stuff, sure, go for it but at least don't fool yourself (and other people) about why are you actually doing it ;)
When I bought my axe fx2 in 2012(i think) there was almost no other "good" options. Buying a tonex would not make me save money... If I was in the market today, I would probably not buy an axe fx. I agree on that but I'm pleased with the versatility and the ease of use of the axe fx. I also like that I have everything I need in one unit.
@colelewis9940
Жыл бұрын
FM3 = 999$
Glenn, I have a good “stupid bass player/musician” story for you. It’s from Dave Grohl’s Storyteller book. While on tour far from their home town in Virginia his band, Scream, was in L.A. . Like most bands, they were living on the little money they made playing shows and bunking at friends houses along the way. One night the bass player vanished and went back to Virginia with no explanation. He left the bad broke, unable to complete their tour or travel home. They literally were stuck in LA and had no way to get home. Luckily for Dave, he soon got word from Nirvana to try out for their band. The stupid musician part is that said bass player had done this before and they took him back when he asked to return only to have him later destroy the group by leaving unannounced in L.A. . It wasn’t all bad though, while they were stuck in L.A. they were also staying at a house full of female mud wrestlers. 😂
I have the ToneX software, an Axe FX2 and a Blackstar tube amp. My personal thoughts are that the tube amp is the most satisying to play with, the Axe FX is the most fun and ToneX is the most practical
I have been a Kemper user for many years now, but I would definitely cross shop it if I were just getting into something like it. I would be curious if you can automate the Tone X via MIDI the way you can with the pricier units, but most users wouldn't use that function anyway. Modern players have so many options now, that there really are no wrong answers to finding great tone.
@2112jonr
Жыл бұрын
Finally, the voice of sanity. Kemper was ground breaking 10 years ago. So it was naturally expensive to cover the R&D. Today, others have joined the party and now it looks expensive. But hey, that's the price we all pay for being early adopters of great new technology. Good to read a level headed reply. 🙂
@blokkadeleider
Жыл бұрын
You can do mostly anything MIDI-wise with the ToneX. At least PC and CC messages, EXP if you so wish.
The amount of art not being made or ignored for the sake of perfection of the sound truly baffles me. To be clear, you have to achieve a level of sound quality for your song, but that can be achieved in reaper using the free plugins (having good EQ balance, stereo and low to no noise). With the know how, reaper and an sm57, you can write the next generation of greatest hits. Don't believe me? take a look at Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. P.S. Talent makes for good music, not the mojo, the amp, guitar, microphones or preamps. BUDGET does not always equal beginner, if it works, then you can create.
I’m really curious about the whole 1/4 to XLR thing with the ToneX pedal. I just got one and I absolutely love it but is it like necessary to have xlr or a DI box or balanced input or all of that? I’m super new to anything audio so I’m really curious what the outcome would be if I just plugged it into a PA or soundboard with just the 1/4 cable.
I just ordered the ToneX Pedal. I have been waiting for this. Even better, I wanted to buy a gate and an interface anyway, and now I get a modeling amp almost for free with it.
@Zmayic
Жыл бұрын
I also ordered and am waiting 🤗
Upgrading the speak in an amp will fix a ton of problems, even if the amp sucks. I put an aftermarket car speaker in a busted practice amp some years back. Transformed it completely.
Ron Nevison who produced “Out Of This World” with the band Europe tried out 20 different cabs for Kee Marcello’s guitar tone. He found 2 speakers he liked and mounted those in a 412. If anyone things speakers don’t matter….listen to the Superstitious solo. It’s a legendary tone.
Growing up and getting into guitar durning the 2010’s a kemper or axe effects was always a tone I’ve wanted. I’m glad to see products like the line 6 pod go and the tonex really cut the cost on digital amps. I run my pod through a celestion cab and the tone is amazing for just $500 dollars. I love the tips you give out and I appreciate the wisdom.
We have shitty Marshall MG10 from 2006 or so, we hooked it up via return channel of the Bugera 6260 into Harley Benton 2x12 with V30s. For our surprise, it actually sounded quite cool. We did that just for fun during rehearsal, and guitarist actually used that setup for quite a while until we got Ampero modeller. Waiting for your results with Crate. Definitely it will make things better a bit :D Talking about that Ampero thing. We were tired of getting our tube amps on gigs all the time, decided to try the Ampero thing. Yes, its kinda cheap and has its own flaws, but I loaded IR that we are using in our production, selected an amp model which has approximately the same character as the plugin that we use and well - it fits the need perfectly! Considering that this modeller has XLR and jack outputs, it makes it a good candidate for gigging, especially with routing functions it offers. I wouldn't put it on record tho, but c'mon, we have amazing plugins for that job and we can have similar sound live - what else do you really need? :D Conclusion here is: try stuff, select what works for you; good sound can be reasonably priced, especially nowadays. Focus on writing good music rather bitching about gear!
The fact you name dropped night Chicago died. What a niche song but one I love!
That board thing with 100w (actually 200w) and a bazillion pre-sets is called Black Spirit 200 Floor and it's by Hughes and Kettner
I have a feeling that Crate with better speakers would make a killer fuzz/doom tone
@SpectreSoundStudios
Жыл бұрын
It remains to be seen!
@garygrinkevich6971
Жыл бұрын
inquiring minds want to know, I think we've all pawned off an 8' practice amp at some point!
@juicicles5881
Жыл бұрын
@@SpectreSoundStudios Try a nice celestion. My buddy had one of those that he got for $10 at a pawn shop with a blown speaker. His marshall head/cab weren't getting used because not in a band and living in an apartment at the time. We got stoned and thought it would be funny to try one of the great speakers in the little Crate. We switched it the next day, after coming down so we didn't fuck anything up. It sounded pretty darn nice.
@greevar
Жыл бұрын
@@SpectreSoundStudios Any properly built solid state amp, I repeat PROPERLY BUILT, will sound better with a quality speaker. I guess we'll see which the CRATE is!
ToneX pedal will be my next purchase! That means I can model my favourite pedals and amps with my favourite settings, and use them with my favourite impulse responses. In one box! Cool! And as for chorus and delay. I got them already so I can use them together with the ToneX! And also that it doubles as a recordning interface just makes it even more appealing! I mean... what the fuck is the hesitation for!? This means I can start recording in minutes from where an idea pops up in my head! So what can I say more? FUCK YEAH! Keep up the good work, Glenn! :)
@reav3rtm
Жыл бұрын
There is Neural Amp Modeler free and open source plugin that does what Tonex does. Try that first before you spend 400USD.
@lukastorstensson8219
Жыл бұрын
@@reav3rtm cool! But I like the idea of a pedal so I can live gig as well :)
I just wanted to answer your question about "where the eff is that guy getting $400 for a delay or chorus pedal?!?!" I believe he's talking about the higher end stuff from companies like Strymon or Empress (and there's a lot more of course). As an example, the Strymon TimeLine is $450, and it's essentially the be-all-end-all of delays. Super high quality and it includes every kind of delay you would ever want (there's 12 delay types, plus preset saving, plus midi control, plus multiple footswitches for easy patch changing, etc...). It's essentially like the old school digital rack delays that would cost in the thousands back in the day but in pedal form, where it provides a boat-load of functionality. They also offer the same thing for both Reverb and Modulation (each are $450) and it's the same deal where they each include 12 different types and a boat-load of options. Now of course, not everybody needs one of these and can get by with a much simpler delay / chorus pedal for much cheaper. In the metal world this is probably more true than not. But in the non-metal world, gigging guitarists tend to need these kinds of options as it's essentially helping them get more gigs due to their flexibility. Also they're fantastic in the studio if you want to experiment with soundscapes to record for various kinds of parts. This might be an interesting video / series of videos for you to do? Comparing the high-end boutique pedals to the more affordable options in a metal context and see if they're worth the spend? Cheers!
Excellent video! Have you had a chance to mess around with the Mod Audio Dwarf pedal yet? They just added a new amp modeler called the Aida-X and it sounds amazing!
@SpectreSoundStudios
Жыл бұрын
Not yet!
I’ve had a Kemper for quite a few years, it’s the 600 watt solid state version. Wow it’s a great piece of equipment. If I was going to get a new rig today, I’d probably try the new $400 gadget.
I’m checking out the ToneX right now and I wish I had something like this when I was learning guitar. Kids these days have it so easy
@ryanbwags
Жыл бұрын
I've said that so many times. I don't know about you, but my first "rig" was a Fender Squire 15 with an Ibanez Soundtank Tube Screamer (Cause I found out Kirk Hammett used a Tube Screamer) 1997 was weird.
@willchug
Жыл бұрын
@@ryanbwags 🤘My first rig was home made combo, a used car speaker and some kind of solid state amp I’m guessing, my old man put it in a pine box he made with some kind of controls = A volume and I can’t remember what the other actually did 🤷♂️ 1992 was a long time ago. Soon later I got a used SD1 for a birthday gift and ran it with it. A friend had a small Gorilla amp, that thing sounded so good. Man I wanted that Gorilla amp. 😂😂😂
@Hydrophish
Жыл бұрын
My first rig was a Harmony Strat copy with strings about an inch off the fretboard, into a Washburn 1x10 combo and a Boss HM2
@willchug
Жыл бұрын
@@Hydrophish 👌 My first guitar was an Audition 🎙️ Stratocaster copy, second hand, originally sold from Kmart department store. 😂
And facts about the gate keepers man. I literally have the Mesa Cab and I have the Triple Rectifier but I also have a Behringer loaded with new cheaper V30s and a Marshall MG100 I run into that cab with 100 bucks worth of used pedals into the FX return and it rips just as hard as my Mesa. I in fact only use the tube amps for recording and in the studio and use my solid states and mini setups for gigs because I HATE DRAGGING CABS AROUND LOL everyoonnnnneeee hates moving a 412 and EVERYONE hates moving heavy tube heads. Why would I use that live when I got something lightweight and usable? Powered monitors/front of house with the Cab Box or a 212 / 412 with v30s and my Duncan powerstage or a lighter solidstate 100w head. It's nice to have options! OPTIONS are good! ESPECIALLY when they're cheap! Why do people hate saving money?!
Shoutout to ENGL for introducing Ironball Combo with Hempbacks as speakers. Can't wati for Glenn's review \m/
I mostly run direct and, even with units that have built in effects, I never find them as good as the pedals I have. I also like the direct control I have with the pedals, not having to go menu diving to adjust them.
7:19 - I think a lot of it comes from most people not being able to do 2 things at once, like hearing the tone differences more accurately while playing (me included). Have to have someone else play while tweaking knobs and tone. Funny thing is, the modelers and tone capturing can really help with this. Just use a looper, let the looper play while you tweak…
I have an axe fx but I love the tonex too, it's a damn good value for what it does...I consider it a 3 channel amp..and all I have ever used is chorus and delay so all the effects in the flagship units like my axe fx never get used.. I like everything lol
Hi Glen, this is something I was thinking about. I believe you are right about the speaker is the main tone of a guitar sound. Another thing I was thinking about was tube amps. Most guitarists not all day a tube amp is the best sound, but most guitarists plug there tube amp into pedals. Most not all pedals are not tube pedals. So are they really hearing the tube amp sound or are they really hearing the non tube pedals. Hmmmmm. Maybe the tube amp sound they love are really not the amp at all just amplified pedals.
I used to have a stack of those crappy Behringer cabs you mentioned . I thought I hated all my amps and kept trying effects to make them sound good. I later ended up with a Marshall MF350 Mode Four and matching oversized cab. I tried all my amps through the Marshall cab, and they suddenly sounded great. The Behringer cabs got sold.
I’m always a bit perplexed at the animosity from gear heads. I have tried most forms of amplifiers, and I have positive view of them all. I personally have decided to use a single regular amp (a Fender Tonemaster), with a small group of pedals; so, why would I waste my time and energy ranting about plug-ins, laptops, and modelers? Even with all the new devices and tech that gets created, we are free to build a rig using anything we see fit. The last gig I played I brought one guitar, my Deluxe Reverb Tonemaster, one chorus pedal, and one wah pedal. The guitarist that played after me was using a laptop. Honestly, I think it’s cool.
I just got into the digital stuff (left tube amps) over Christmas. Got a Kemper. Few weeks ago bought a HX stomp XL. Can you explain the whole Direct box saving your unit if FOH hits phantom power while plugged in to their board? Or whatever the situation is? I don’t understand this kind of thing and would love a beginner explanation and rarely hear it brought up other than briefly . Trying to avoid frying my hard earned gear. Do I need to get a direct box for both my units? Or am I not understanding this correctly? Been watching(listening at work) for years and fuck you. Cheers from Akron Ohio.
The reason I don’t own a modeler is I will be on that software all day everyday playing with all the amps and cabinets and making little tweaks. I won’t play my guitar at all. With my 5150 I have no options for tone so I never touch the knobs and I just play.
Hi. What cabinets do you recommend? I know speakers are very important, but I can imagine a good construction is also something to consider. I’m looking at a PRS Tremonti 1x12. Does it matter that’s it’s only one speaker? Or the Celestion Vintage 30 Will do the job? Thank you.
Glen. And everyone else. After hearing the comment about you starting a second channel it brought back to mind an old idea I had. I've worked in film since I was 16 so I learned most things from trial and error. Now I'm finishing my degree and I'm flabbergasted by the stupidity of some people. Seriously I've had people surprised that I was cleaning my lenses. Seriously, full grown adults on the last year of college didn't know you had to clean the lenses. So I thought for a long time about creating a KZread channel to teach this stuff that should be obvious. Do you guys think it's a good idea?
If you consider all the "infrastructure" that goes into having extra pedals, units like the FM-3 start to make more sense. You need a power supply, more cables, and if you want to switch multiple things with one tap, you have to get a unit like the Voodoo Px-8. Truth be told, though, I'm not much of an effects guy. My rig is just a noise gate, a Revv G4, a Palmer Macht 402, and two HB 2x12s.
That crate was my first amp!!! I put a ts9 in front and it and it was incredible for hard rock! Really loved rail pickups. My dimebucker SANG and hotrails in a maiden style were great too. Can I have it ?😢 I paid $20 on the school bus in ‘99
it's just easier to spend a bunch of money than to learn to play your instrument at a level that it no longer matters.
Technology can be a really cool thing. I still run an old Trace Elliot RAH350SMX amp, 1524 2x15 cab, and 4052h bright box. It is huge, heavy (over 200lbs all three combined), and when new it was expensive (over $4k) as hell! I caught a lot of shit when I ditched my all tube Trace Elliot Quatra Valve for the that hybrid SS amp. Then when Behringer started making a cheap 300 watt bass amp, I checked it out and it sounded just as good as my super expensive Trace Elliot head through the same cab but was so much more affordable and lighter. Caught hell for that as well. Lastly checked out the 200 watt Trace Elliot Elf digital bass amp that will almost fit in your back pocket. Thing sounds freakin great! Again, metal heads said it just wasn't metal because it wasn't huge and didn't have that metal "look"