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Hitting the limits of my Tonelab

mayfly

mayfly

Epic Member
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Gentlemen,

After using a Vox Tonelab live for about three years and about, er 50 shows (?) and untold rehearsals, I think I'm finally hitting the limit of what the thing can do.  I was putting together a 12 string patch, which sounds great, but I needed a louder version for soloing - so I copped the patch to an empty space and started tweaking.  I could not get it any louder without objectionable digital clipping.  Now I need to make ALL my patches quieter for this to work (Grrrrr...) and I'm just wishing I had something that had a bit more headroom.

I think I've finally squeezed this thing as much as I can squeeze it.  Now it's time.  Well, actually it will be time when I sell some gear off. :)

Here's what's coming:

axe-fx-ultra-frontpanel.jpg


It's gonna rock (well, I hope  :icon_jokercolor:)

 
mayfly said:
Gentlemen,

After using a Vox Tonelab live for about three years and about, er 50 shows (?) and untold rehearsals, I think I'm finally hitting the limit of what the thing can do.  I was putting together a 12 string patch, which sounds great, but I needed a louder version for soloing - so I copped the patch to an empty space and started tweaking.  I could not get it any louder without objectionable digital clipping.  Now I need to make ALL my patches quieter for this to work (Grrrrr...) and I'm just wishing I had something that had a bit more headroom.

I think I've finally squeezed this thing as much as I can squeeze it.  Now it's time.  Well, actually it will be time when I sell some gear off. :)

Here's what's coming:

axe-fx-ultra-frontpanel.jpg


It's gonna rock (well, I hope  :icon_jokercolor:)
Click to expand...
Welcome aboard and put on your helmet.
If at all possible, spring for the Ultra over the Std.
 
:confused4: <- I'm that green with envy. But also happy for you, talk about new gear bliss!
 
Or, you can stick a compressor after the tonelab (can't you?) - hit that for your solos.
 
kboman said:
:confused4: <- I'm that green with envy. But also happy for you, talk about new gear bliss!
Click to expand...

smiley_green_with_envy.gif
Me too ...

... and we want reviews, sound clips, videos and sex tapes with it ... and you must come by Denmark too  :toothy11:
 
And Sweden! I could even look into getting you booked at next year's Malmö Festival (I have no pull but at least I can really nag about it to those who have). Malmö is a 30 min train ride from Denmark too ;)
 
kboman said:
And Sweden! I could even look into getting you booked at next year's Malmö Festival (I have no pull but at least I can really nag about it to those who have). Malmö is a 30 min train ride from Denmark too ;)
Click to expand...

I have three friends who live in Malmö and they have all been useless for getting us booked in that festival!  :icon_jokercolor:

BTW, would this act work?

www.cornflowerbluemusic.com

I don't think I could get everyone's schedule aligned if it were EFARM.
 
Cornflower Blue really should work with no problems. The trick is to find the right venue, I think. Digging the British invasion take on Pocahontas right now... :)
 
mayfly said:
Here's what's coming:

axe-fx-ultra-frontpanel.jpg


It's gonna rock (well, I hope  :icon_jokercolor:)
Click to expand...

I've been watching, playing with, studying, owning, listening to and destroying equipment for many, many years, and I've never heard/seen such unequivocal support for a piece of gear as I have for that one, even from diehard tube officiandos with stacks of exotic gear that most only dream about. The reviews are unequivocably glowing no matter where you go, and guys with mountains of expensive/rare/boutique gear are selling it all off once they have one. Apparently, it's magic, pure and simple. I can't wait to own one myself. Not exactly an impulse buy, though, unfortunately.
 
Cagey said:
mayfly said:
Here's what's coming:

axe-fx-ultra-frontpanel.jpg


It's gonna rock (well, I hope  :icon_jokercolor:)
Click to expand...

I've been watching, playing with, studying, owning, listening to and destroying equipment for many, many years, and I've never heard/seen such unequivocal support for a piece of gear as I have for that one, even from diehard tube officiandos with stacks of exotic gear that most only dream about. The reviews are unequivocably glowing no matter where you go, and guys with mountains of expensive/rare/boutique gear are selling it all off once they have one. Apparently, it's magic, pure and simple. I can't wait to own one myself. Not exactly an impulse buy, though, unfortunately.
Click to expand...
While not a great player, I do play at least weekly for an audience, and yes, I was a tube snob.
I do not have words to describe how night and day difference this is from other modelers.
Best I can say is, I got rid of a Plexi, and BMR and an AC30 with Blues for this. Not to mention a ton of botiique and hand built effects. Oh wait, the $$$ I had in mikes as a shure 57 on the cone at 3" does NOT do it for me.

And this fulfills all.

Oh wait, load in/load out time is now decreased. And now I am alos more certain of the tone I have in FOH. Oh wait, no volume issues anyone and compromising tone for them.


I could go on, but this ex tube snob is now a fanboy of the AXE.

PS: If you do try thing, PLEASE do not run it through some power amp into a guitar cab. Most who are not loving this are in that scenario. You have got to go FRFR. And also realize the difference. This is a miked tone. same that you hear in a concert or on a disc.  Not what you hear out of your 4x12 on stage. You have got to realize is that what you are hearing is what your audience was hearing or the board, not what you WERE hearing on stage.

Bottom line: best musical gear investment I ever made. Thats over 30 years. A portion of which this was my bread n butter trade.
 
No it is not an impulse buy, unless you got an inheritance.

I did perform a minor study on this. A fair portion of guitarists has the price of one of these already invested in their current gear. I know my gear covered this and all the accesories.
Even those who current gear doesn't cover it; their lost in, buy, then sell away, buy something else, when added to the equation, brought it up to within 3 years of expenses, almost 75% had spent+lost, had this dollar figure invested.

Is this what you go to from a Champ and a decent guitar? No. Nothing wrong with that.
But if you have 2 tube amps, a few cabs, a board with some botique effects (non Boss, etc) and decent cabling, you are pretty much there.
 
TBurst Std said:
But if you have 2 tube amps, a few cabs, a board with some botique effects (non Boss, etc) and decent cabling, you are pretty much there.
Click to expand...
:laughing7: If you're REALLY thrifty....
 
TBurst Std said:
PS: If you do try thing, PLEASE do not run it through some power amp into a guitar cab. Most who are not loving this are in that scenario. You have got to go FRFR. And also realize the difference. This is a miked tone. same that you hear in a concert or on a disc.  Not what you hear out of your 4x12 on stage. You have got to realize is that what you are hearing is what your audience was hearing or the board, not what you WERE hearing on stage.

Bottom line: best musical gear investment I ever made. Thats over 30 years. A portion of which this was my bread n butter trade.
Click to expand...

I've read that numerous times from numerous owners. Whole different beast that has to be dealt with a whole different way or you don't get what you paid for. Makes me wonder if some of the other modelers might sound better if they were applied properly.

I've got a Carvin TS-100. It's a tube power amp, but it's pretty clean in spite of that. I'm hoping that'll work out ok. But, I'm wondering what I'll be able to do, if anything, with my speaker cabinets to flatten them out and make them full range. Hate to have to replace those; I just built them not too long ago. Certainly the speakers will have to go, as they're clearly very colorful in and of themselves. It's a little disturbing, because it means the Axe FX isn't a magic bullet. I'll have to make other investments as well. Several others I've talked to have the same concern. The cost of moving to an Axe FX doesn't end with the device. You gotta buy an amp and speakers, or you're wasting your money.
 
Get some of those Mackie powered Speakers. Those are fantastic. I use an SRM 450 for my acoustic and it's so much better than my AC60 which was pretty decent. In the mean time run an MXR Micro Amp. That will give a nice boost.
 
Yeah those SRM's are some of the best investments I've made. They sound sooooo good. I've used them for solo gigs, open mic stuff, I've even hooked up the ipod at parties and barbecues and stuff. For a while I just used one for my own stuff but to use it as a PA you need two. I've never put a fully mic'ed band through them. I imagine a subwoofer would come in really handy for the bass and drums though. For guitars and vocals they are great! Very versatile. The Bose L1 we used to run was pretty damn good too. I'd like to put one in my media room for my A/V stuff. There's just so many other things that I can do with that coin though.
 
Gentlemen,

I already own a pair of Bose L1s, which we use for smaller clubs.  I usually use the PA at bigger places, so I think I'm all set.  Now I just need someone to buy this:

http://www.spacemanmusic.com/Amps/Tube+Amps/Mayfly+BC-30+Head+with+Cabinet

aaaaand this:

http://www.spacemanmusic.com/Guitars/Electric/Chandler+555

BTW - managed to get that patch working.  Turns out it was the delay model that was clipping.  Switched to a different delay model and things started working.  Translation - I'm not in a huge rush.  Besides, I'm gonna need that groovy pedalboard they make as well, which is not quite in production:

mfc-101-midi-foot-controller-3-4-280.jpg
 
Cagey said:
The cost of moving to an Axe FX doesn't end with the device. You gotta buy an amp and speakers, or you're wasting your money.
Click to expand...
True. What I got was:
Pedalboard - Liquidfoot Pro - $675
Amp/Speaker - a pair of QSC HRR 112is (powered speaker) - $700 for the pair, but you only need 1
2 expression pedals - $200
MIDI cable - $30
expression pedal cables - $40

So an additional $1645 is what I spent. That was covered by 1 amp/cab and some pedals I sold.
The AXE was more than covered by selling 2 other amps.
 
Gentlemen,

An update:  got the money together, and made the decision to order....

... only to find out that they are out of stock on all items!  k-rap.

Currently on the waiting list.  Good thing I'm in not that much of a hurry.

 
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