Korg/Vox Tonelab SE

[scooterlow]

I have used quite a few different pedals/ fx /muliti effects over the years.
A lot of the time I want different things out of my gear than other people want.
I'm not a high gain junky or an efx craving U2 The edge type player. I want my sound to be clean clear and maybe have a bit off processing to it. The hardest thing I have found to get in a floorboard type multi fx pedal is that clean but if you smack it a bit you can get it to break up sound, like a bluesy stevie ray tone.
Now I know you can get that out of most any tube amp in the world but I do something else different. I go direct line in to my board with no amp for my solo gigs. I have to because I have everything mixed through one set of mains and I don't want that guitar sound coming from the left field somewhere by itself. With that being said. This pedal came out in 04 and there not too easy to find these days.
The Tonelab SE has been my answer to a question Ive been asking for years. It hosts one 12ax7 tube which they say uses one side for the preamp and the other side of the tube for a power amp simulation. (Not sure how that works but I can get the tone I want with ease). It also has a volume pedal and a user specific pedal for waa waa or modulation / verb /rotor speaker speed. what ever you want to real time.
The next coolest thing about it is each preset can be set up like a two channel combo amp. You have an A and a B on each preset. So you may have a tone you love and you just want a bit more gain for something. Smack the B channel and there ya go. All also user specific to what you set up.
The board has a heavy duty metal chassis and buttons with stove type knobs which are also cool. The pedals tops are the same as what they have on a real Vox Waa. And its blue and chrome like a classic car. Groovy:P

The next thing I love about the SE is the easy of use. Its like turn a knob to fuzz on the pedal section adjust gain and EQ like you would on an amp hit save... your good. You get the point. It make setting up patches on the fly just that easy. And tweaking stuff out on the gig isn't a disaster anymore.

As far as efx you'll find a few crazy thing, but for the most part everything is usable from a real world standpoint. Good chours delays flange's. Great waa. Also boast some nice amp Mods. Don't get me wrong, you can get the high gain in yo face tones also. It focuses more on the tweeds ,Vox AC's and other high gain British amps. The rectifier will bite your face off. LIke I said Ive had my fair share of amps Pedals, EFX and this is the first one that hasn't disappointing me in some way. Its perfect for all my needs.
You can check out the link and see for your self. Thanks for reading. Scootout!!!

ToneLab SE Valvetronix Floor Modeling Processor

[garww]

I just ordered the baby ST version and am wondering about the tube.

I just waded through the search on the forum, and think a upgrade might be nice. I have a Mullard sitting in my buy cart, but I may have a handful of '60s era Japanese tubes I could experiment with.

The pickups on my two guitars are usable, so they could use some help. In particular, the Dearmond could use a bit more mid-hi sparkle. I also have a dimarzzio FRED in my cart. Should I just plan on getting the better pickup? My tastes are more '60s- '80s. I have to many little problems to fix right now and am wondering if a better tube can hold me over for awhile.

[scooterlow]

Originally Posted by garww

I just ordered the baby ST version and am wondering about the tube.

I just waded through the search on the forum, and think a upgrade might be nice. I have a Mullard sitting in my buy cart, but I may have a handful of '60s era Japanese tubes I could experiment with.

The pickups on my two guitars are usable, so they could use some help. In particular, the Dearmond could use a bit more mid-hi sparkle. I also have a dimarzzio FRED in my cart. Should I just plan on getting the better pickup? My tastes are more '60s- '80s. I have to many little problems to fix right now and am wondering if a better tube can hold me over for awhile.

I fell that the se version I have is able to adapt to most of my guitars with just a bit of tweeking and I save the patches for each one. I use mostly an 91 strat deluxe with fender fat 50s pickups. But I also play an epi les paul with the stock pickups, and two teles with noiseless pickups.

I did swap the tube out a few times because I had some issues with the sound dropping out a bit and other oddities that tend to happen when you have a real tube in your gear. I tried a fender tube and a groove tube. the groove tube added more volume to the cleaner sounds and took my light gain presets and made them a bit brittle. I just tweeeked them out again and I'm happy with the sound again now.

Anyhow, I bet the baby version can get most of the basic sounds of its big brother with the exception of not having all the extra buttons for live sound swapping with in patches.
If your not happy with the basic sound of a guitar you plan to run through your pedal, you may consider putting a better pickup or two in before trying to make the pedal do its job.

[garww]

I really appreciate the reply. The big boys look just fantastic, but I really don't need the "pro" type features at this point.

Between my Turser fake p90 and the Dearmond fake PAF, I'm not too bad off, but it's clear they are not top performers. I don't really need hi-gain sound or extra jangle.

I'll toy with it and maybe try a old or new tube. Supposedly, there is a bias trim inside that a careful user can use to tailor response.

At any rate, I visited Vox after my purchase and found a sound clip "PhatOctave" that demonstrates the mids I like to play around with. Very much like what I got without pedals in the simpler days. So, I'm excited. The other clips I wasn't so excited about.

My plan is to record direct from a split guitar cable and use my my little Behringer to get the guitar vibrating(feedback, etc.).

Thanks for the heads-up on these devices. It really helps me understand how to deal with it.

[roysboy]

Interesting to see you 'veterans' mention the Korg/Vox pedal board . I have a Korg g3 ( 1995) effects board which has served me well since around that time .I will say it lacks many of the features and latitude newer units have- I have tried some Boss stuff and several Digitech things ,and a Zoom pedal along the way somewhere and never found the ****th and ease of use I have with the Korg G3 . Recently I purchased a Bad Monkey and have used it as a modeler more than anything but that is the only other thing I've used alongside the Korg. Having said that , about the only thing that would improve my sound ( direct to PA from effects board) for me would be a better amp cab sim . Otherwise ,I plan on keeping the Korg and, as an aside , I have had many ,many players ask what I use that sounds so **** ....guys using Pods and such ...so it isn't just my own familiarity with the Korg or personal bias .

all the best

[garww]

It was modeling that got me with korg/vox. Usually in the sampling world, I prefer dry sounds.

[garww]

The little Tonelab came today, and I really don't need to worry about the pick-ups on my guitars. My little amp may be off to the closet for good.