IK Multimedia ToneX One Joe Satriani Chrome Edition Deep Dive
I was down for getting the original black ToneX One edition - one was offered to me, but never quite arrived. Which turns out I’m quite happy about in the end really as it was the much better looking Chrome Joe Satriani Edition that finally landed for me. So thanks to IK Multimedia for their assistance!
Considering I’m mostly a classic stompbox guy - then the ToneX One isn’t always going to be he most natural fit for me. While as a Multi-Gain / Versatile Multi-Drive and Distortion pedal - it’s absolutely genius, with just a couple of fairly minor reservations. You can sort of imagine it as a mini Boss OD-200 in how I use it - while for other people it will be closer to a mini HX Stomp experience - using all those additional features and Modulations - where my existing signal chain already provides for all of those. For me this will mainly be an expansive Multi-Gain pedal - Overdrive and Distortion!
I would have preferred the device to be full stereo - for more flexible deployment within my rig - but it works well as that one transition point from Mono to Stereo - and is now in effect that first pedal in the final 1/3 stereo part of my pedal-chain. And it can really sound fantastic - while some fine-tuning will typically be required for each preset!
For this deep dive we will start by looking at the pedal’s control topology - and how those 4 knobs, ALT button and Footswitch yield multiple levels of controls!
CONTROLS LEVEL 1
As a straight start up you have :
Core controls - Bass, Mid, Treble, Volume, ALT, and Footswitch.
CONTROLS LEVEL 2
Quick Press the ’ALT’ button and you get secondary parameters on the knobs - Noise Gate [Bass], Compression [Mid], and Reverb Mix / Amount [Treble].
That is your core control and tone-tweaking environment.
CONTROLS LEVEL 3 = Global Setup
Press-Hold the ’ALT’ button for 6 seconds until the LED changes to Blue - which indicates Setup Mode.
The top 3 small knobs then yield the following functions :
BASS = MODE - Dual A/B Mode CCW (Green), and Stomp Mode 1/0 CW (Orange)
I typically live on the Stomp Mode as this ToneX One is just one of the 52 Tone Components I have in my signal chain!
MID = Cabs Engaged (Green) / No Cabs Engaged (Red)
And
TREBLE = Variable Input Trim - none CCW to Max CW.
Note that there are 2 ways you can switch between Dual and Stomp modes - either via these Setup settings, or when in Preset Browsing Mode - when using the Footswitch - if you flip to either of the A/B Dual Modes - the pedal will automatically switch over from Stomp to Dual Mode!
CONTROLS LEVEL 4 = Preset Browsing Mode
Quick Press both ’ALT’ and the Footswitch simultaneously to enter Preset / Preet Browsing Mode - main LED turns Purple -
BASS and MID controls then become Dual A, and Dual B preset choices - simply twist those knobs to change presets.
TREBLE Control is the PRESET control for the STOMP Mode.
In Preset Browsing Mode - the footswitch will step through each of the Small Knob Presets - Dual A (Bass), then Dual B (Mid), and finally Stomp (Treble) selected options. This means that if on Stomp Mode - then it’s the Final / 3rd knob that applies - where you can scroll through 18 of the 20 onboard selections - as the first two knobs will have an individual preset assigned live - so the topology is 1 + 1 + 18 for the sum total full 20 onboard presets.
The sequence and starting colour of the final ’TREBLE’ knob for Stomp Mode will always depend on what’s currently selected on the Bass and Mid knobs too - so per each individual dial you will never get more than 18 of the 20 options - as the other 2 are already covered by the active selections!
So if I’m mostly in Stomp Mode, I can trigger an A/B/C foot-switchable environment when in Preset Browsing Mode
SETTINGS LOCK MODE
By Press-holding the ALT button for 3 seconds you lock up the controls - so those cannot be inadvertently changed until you Unlock them once more by repeating said sequence in revers - i.e. a second 3 second press!
TUNER AND TAP TEMPO MODE
By Press-holding the main Footswitch for 3 seconds - the LED changes to a shell / light pink - where you are now in Tuner and Tap Tempo mode - a 3 second press gets you back to regular Level 1 Controls.
Generally the secondary params and functions access is based on ALT and Footswitch timings - where on other devices its more an about how many quick presses you do in sequence. Here you soon get used to the timing element of controls - while I did somewhat inadvertently and accidentally kick in the flashing Locked Controls Mode a few times. At first I couldn’t figure out what I’d done - but it’s all second nature now.
With those timing elements and combination presses - you have a really smart multi-part control centre as such - across a number of different layers of controls - where the same knob can have has many as 5 different functions!
I can’t help thinking this pedal would have been better with just one more control - just to give you a more elegant separation of the different levels of functions - but it really works very well as is - while those tiny knobs can be a little fiddly - particularly when flipping between presets - with 18 settings on the one knob - we’re talking about micro / safe-cracking movements here! The Gate and Treble controls also seem to be particularly sensitive on the dial-in. The Treble control can get a little priercing on occasion - so I mostly have that dialled down.
The Noise Gate has to be dialled in very finely too - as you either cut too much or just not enough - it requires tiny movement to hit the exact right threshold that sound optimal - but it still mostly works really well!l
The size and scope of some of those knobs makes for a touch fiddly manoeuvring at tmes - also with heightened sensitivity in some areas - but you soon get adjusted to how the device works and where you need to be a little more refined in your movements. Overall it’s really clever - and works pretty well. And it give you full and proper access to most everything you need - certainly for how I used the device!
The Joe Satriani Presets
The main differential part of this pedal vs the original black edition, apart from its distinct shiny looks - is getting access to Joe Satriani's classic IK Multimedia Library of effects - which are here rendered as those core 20 onboard presets. The above rather diminutive visual gives you all the different options - for which I will transcribe the key constituent parts here :
Essentially - Number. Preset Name | Character | Actual Amp Reference Name
- 01.Summer Song Lead | Drive | 69 Marshall Super Lead Plexi 100
- 02.Love Thing Lead | Hi-Gain | Marshall 30th Anniversary 6100
- 03.Love Thing Clean | Marshall 30th Anniversary 6100
- 04.Flying Lead | Drive | 3rd Power Dragon
- 05.Alien Rhythm | Drive | 3rd Power Dragon
- 06.Always With Me Lead | Drive | '71 Marshall Super Lead
- 07.Ice 9 | Drive | 3rd Power Dragon
- 08.Summer Song Rhythm | Drive | EVH 5150 IIIs EL34
- 09.Crush of Love Lead | Hi-Gain | Marshall JVM 410H JS C83 Mod
- 10.The Extremist Rhythm | Hi-Gain | Marshall JVM 410H JS 6L6 Mod
- 11.The Extremist Lead | Hi-Gain | Marshall JVM 410H JS 6L6 Mod
- 12.Always With Me Rhythm | Drive | '71 Marshall Super Lead 100
- 13.Cryin' Lead | Drive | EVH 5150 IIIs EL34
- 14.Starry Night Lead | Hi-Gain | 3rd Power Dragon
- 15.If I Could Fly Clean Rhythm | Clean | Custom Hiwatt 100
- 16.Crowd Chant | Hi-Gain | EVH 5150 IIIs EL34
- 17.Cool #9 | Hi-Gain | Marshall JVM 410H JS 6L6
- 18.Headless | Drive | Wells Amp
- 19.If I Could Fly Lead | Hi-Gain | Marshall JVM 410H JS C83 Mod
- 20.Marshall 20th Anniversary 6100
All Presets really sound pretty great - some need tweaking - typically just balancing EQ and Noise Gate on more distorted modes. As mentioned - I mostly use this as a Multi-Gain / Multi-Drive pedal - where I don't really need to call on the Reverb or Additional Modulation abilities. Having relatively easy access to Noise Gate, Compression and Reverb Level / Mix is fantastic - and really helps you fully adjust the ToneX One to your rig.
It's always hugely impressive when you get such a big sound from such a tiny device - it's really impressive in its delivery for sure.
I have several favourites from the Presets - which I have also emboldened in the above list.
They Include : 01.Summer Song Lead | 03.Love Thing Clean | 05.Alien Rhythm | 07.Ice 9 | 08.Summer Song Rhythm | 12.Always With Me Rhythm | 20.Time Machine.
I must admit I was genuinelly surprised by how good some of those sound - some of the distortions are just fantastic - searing and richly textured but really nicely balanced too.
Obviously you can gain access to other Tone Profiles via the Tonex Librarian and Editor - but I'm intending to keep this as a tribute to Joe Satriani and his sounds - so it's all about getting the most of those included sounds for me. Where this pedal adds a really novel dimension to Joe Satriani's Tone Legacy. It's been a really worhtwhile exercise for me!
Note that you also get access to to Joe Satriani's IK Multimedia Amp Vault - or full access to all his signature Amp sounds - which of course in turn populate those Presets!
The ToneX Apps and Editing Ecosystem / Environment
So I ended up downloading 4 apps in the end - Starting with the ToneX App from the iPhone App Store.
This give you access to the ToneX Eco System - but alas gives you no control over your ToneX One. I was pretty sure that was the case - and tried a cable connection from my iPhone to my device - but no there is no way to control your ToneX One from your mobile phone - which would have been the most handy solution for me!
That Mobile App seems more designed or an iPad than and iPhone - and you can only really use it in horizontal alignment on the iPhone - which is not particularly practical - it does work well enough I guess - but doesn't really do the main thing that I need!
Next I downloaded the IK Multimedia Product Manager which works a little like Adobe's Creative Cloud - all apps on your desktop are controlled and updated via that IK Product Manager App.
Then I downloaded the ToneX App for Mac Desktop - where you download your presets from your device, update them using the editing part of that, and then upload and save back to your device - which is a little clunky for sure.
Note that to get to the IK Product Manager you need the Serial Number of your device - which only appears on a card that is included within the pedal box - the barcode number on the box is nothing to do with the Serial Number - it's a separate code. I found all that a little tricky and wondered why you could not have a QR code on the device which takes you direct to Registration - with the appropriate number in tow. I actually inadvertently misplaced the card for my first Satch ToneX One.
Fortunately I had two devices - one direct from IK Multimedia, and one from Andertons - so I did in the end manage to register one of those pedals - which granted me access to download the Tonex SE App onto my desktop.
So the original ToneX SE App kind of gives you once-removed access to your device - based on downloading and re-uploading your onboard pedal presets. It kind of works and there is a separation between Amp Controls - via the visualiser and then individual controls for Noise Gate, Compression, Modulation, Delay, Reverb, and 'Advanced' Settings.
All of that works well enough - but is a little old-fashioned and clunky - but there was soon to be a new ToneX Editor app that actually went live today - the Thursday before this article is published. That Editor would give you direct editing access to all your ToneX One Parameters - with a slightly different interface - as pictured below!
The ToneX Editor!
The ToneX Editor gives you a more instant and seamless / universal editing environment that is really very slick. The one proviso there - is that said Editor would be even better as a Bluetooth enabled iPhone App. I've got so used to using my Boss Katana : GO with its Bluetooth connected app that anything else just seems behind the times. I know there are complications with Bluetooth licensing etc - and that there is a cost to that functionality - but I would be happy to pay £30 or £50 more for a pedal that had that ability. I'm really not a fan of having to connect a hard cable from your laptop to your pedal - to be able to edit your more advanced settings.
The topology on the ToneX Editor is a little more user-friendly - and gives you fantastic access to :
NOISE GATE - On/Off, Threshold, Release, Depth, First/Post (Order)
MODULATION - On/Off, Type : Chorus / Tremolo / Phaser / Flanger / Rotary, Rate, Depth, Level, Sync, Pre/Post (Order)
AMP - On/Off, Gain, Bass - Hz, Mid - Hz - Q, Treble - Hz, Pre/Post (Order), Presence, Depth, Mix, Model Volume
CAB - On/Off, Mode : Tone Model / Custom IR, VR, then various Cab Options!
COMPRESSION - On/Off, Threshold, Gain, Attack, Pre/Post (Order)
DELAY - On/Off, Type : Digital / Tape, Normal / Ping Pong, Time, Feedback, Mix, Sync, Pre/Post (order)
REVERB - On/Off, Type : Spring 1-4, Room, Plate, Time, Pre-Delay, Color, Mix, Post/Last (Order)
This gives you everything you need - but having and iPhone Editor via Bluetooth - would really be the icing on the cake here!
ToneX One - What works well, and what could be improved!
I'm actually really pleasantly surprised - and overall really love the ToneX One.
It's a little fiddly in use sometimes - but I can do everything I need on the actual device itself. The most fiddly bit is scrolling throught the Presets on a single tiny knob. I feel there are some parallels between the ToneX One and those various Micro Plugin Headphone Amps - the Boss Katana GO, Fender Mustang Micro Plus, and Nux MP-3 Mighty Plug Pro. I love that the Boss and Fender ones have a small one-line screen - which is perfect for letting you know what preset you're on - the ToneX could really do with a strip like that.
If I were to update the ToneX One myself - I would make it full stereo TRS in and out for more flexible pedalboard placement. I would add a tiny mini-strip screen similar to the ones on the Katana : GO and Mustang Micro Plus. And I would make the pedal Bluetooth with a connected iPhone Editor App!
Other than those 'tiny tweaks' the device is pretty much perfect as is.
Early the most potent Mini pedal out there - just a few iterations would make it entirely unassailable!
The 3000 Limited ToneX One is just €229 / $229 / £229 - an absolute bargain! It's available at most major international dealers - while these Chrome version won't be around for too long. Those 3000 should get snapped up relativelyy quickly!
You can read more about the ToneX One Joe Satriani Edition on the IK Multimidedia Website.
I thoroughly recommed this to all the Hi-Gain and Joe Satriani fans. But Joe has so many classic tones - lots of Marshall sounds in the mix - should be something there for near enough everyone!
Demos
