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M Elise
Published on 12/07/08 at 21:24
This amp simulator is distinguished from the others by the fact that it uses a tube to help produce its sound. It models most every classic amp and speaker combination in the book. It also has all the basic effects you would expect. It has room for 96 user presets. It can be used for direct recording or in front of an amp. It is very solid, well built and cool looking. The SE and LE versions are fundamentally the same thing in foot pedal form but take up more realesate.
UTILIZATION
The Vox Tonelab is very easy to use thanks to its user friendly knobs and clear layout. This is truly refreshing if you have ever experienced the nightmare of multifunction buttons and menu based layouts. The manual is very good at describing the original amps and history and can help because the different amp models require different approaches to the tone knobs due to the differences in the tone knobs of the original amps. The unit is the right size for what it does and sits nicely next to your computer. Storing, naming and recalling presets is easy. Its a great design.
SOUND QUALITY
This device is in fact extremely educational because the models actually sound like the amps and speakers they are modeling. I've owned various amps with various output tube types and speaker combinations and these models nail them as well as one could expect from a digital model(unless something else comes along and surprises me). Some of the detail of the models is truly remarkable like the rectifier sag you can actually hear in the cranked vintage tweed Fender model for example. The Vox AC15 and AC30 models sound particularly good. The sound and tweakability of the effects section is simply adequate and not as strong in quality as the models.
OVERALL OPINION
I love the sound of a great simple tube amp. Digital modeling always sounds kinda bad to me. However I picked this unit because I felt it sounded less artificial than the Pod. Pod products have an artificial sound to them I simply don't like. Digital modelers always sound cold and sterile relative to a good tube amp but offer some great advantages in terms of ease. This unit makes it easy to record a wide variety of great sounding amp/effect sounds quickly and cleanly. These modelers also seem to naturally compress and somehow eq on their own well when recorded compared to a real amp and this contributes to the ease of using them for recording. I use mine for writing in the studio and its great for that but I would probably never use it on a final recording for the public to hear. However in certain contexts one would probably be unable to know if one was hearing a model or the real thing. My favorite things about the Vox Tonelab are its user friendly design, sturdiness and lack of artificial coloring to the sound. And it looks far out!
UTILIZATION
The Vox Tonelab is very easy to use thanks to its user friendly knobs and clear layout. This is truly refreshing if you have ever experienced the nightmare of multifunction buttons and menu based layouts. The manual is very good at describing the original amps and history and can help because the different amp models require different approaches to the tone knobs due to the differences in the tone knobs of the original amps. The unit is the right size for what it does and sits nicely next to your computer. Storing, naming and recalling presets is easy. Its a great design.
SOUND QUALITY
This device is in fact extremely educational because the models actually sound like the amps and speakers they are modeling. I've owned various amps with various output tube types and speaker combinations and these models nail them as well as one could expect from a digital model(unless something else comes along and surprises me). Some of the detail of the models is truly remarkable like the rectifier sag you can actually hear in the cranked vintage tweed Fender model for example. The Vox AC15 and AC30 models sound particularly good. The sound and tweakability of the effects section is simply adequate and not as strong in quality as the models.
OVERALL OPINION
I love the sound of a great simple tube amp. Digital modeling always sounds kinda bad to me. However I picked this unit because I felt it sounded less artificial than the Pod. Pod products have an artificial sound to them I simply don't like. Digital modelers always sound cold and sterile relative to a good tube amp but offer some great advantages in terms of ease. This unit makes it easy to record a wide variety of great sounding amp/effect sounds quickly and cleanly. These modelers also seem to naturally compress and somehow eq on their own well when recorded compared to a real amp and this contributes to the ease of using them for recording. I use mine for writing in the studio and its great for that but I would probably never use it on a final recording for the public to hear. However in certain contexts one would probably be unable to know if one was hearing a model or the real thing. My favorite things about the Vox Tonelab are its user friendly design, sturdiness and lack of artificial coloring to the sound. And it looks far out!