ToneX One vs real amp and pedals + 10 reasons why you should buy it (and 3 reasons you shouldn’t) @RichWordsMusic
ToneX One vs real amp and pedals + 10 reasons why you should buy it (and 3 reasons you shouldn’t)  @RichWordsMusic
Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
So, after your advice on my previous video, I bought the IK Multimedia ToneX One!

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Get a ToneX One at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thoprod/586125?offid=1&affid=1250
At Sweetwater (US): sweetwater.sjv.io/k0rdRN
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Picking the ToneX One over the Boss IR-2 and the Line 6 Pod Express was quite a challenge, but in the end two factors convinced me. One, the ToneX really seems to have more overall future potential than the other two in terms of how I’ll be able to use it. Two, because it’s the only one you can actually buy in Europe right now!

So, this video is all about my first steps with the ToneX One. It includes a blind test between the ToneX and my current favorite ‘real amp’ setup – a Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 with the Greer Lightspeed overdrive and Revv G3 distortion pedals – and a number of reasons why I think you should get yourself a ToneX One… along with a few reasons why maybe you shouldn’t!

Let me know how you got on in the blind test, and also your thoughts on the ToneX One if you’ve picked one up so far. Does it compare to a real amp for you?

Here are some links to the various parts of the video:

00:00 Hello and why I bought the ToneX One
02:26 Blind test: today’s rig and plan

Clean Sounds
03:43 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings
04:21 Ringing open indie pop chords
04:46 Funky riff
05:00 Blues progression
05:23 Strummed country chords
05:42 Surf pop riff
05:59 Ascending droning indie chords

Light & Medium Overdrive Sounds
06:13 Fat indie rock rhythm chords
06:41 Choppy barre chords
06:59 Indie octave chords
07:25 Upbeat indie barre chords
07:49 Alternative rock ballad arpeggios
08:25 Garage rock riff
08:42 Classic rock riff
08:56 Quacky rock riff
09:06 AC/DC inspired riff
09:21 Hendrix inspired riff
09:37 Groovy classic rock riff

High Gain Sounds
10:05 80s rock riff
10:24 Hard rock riff
10:45 Van Halen inspired riff
11:05 Classic hard rock riff
11:22 Alt rock riff
11:46 Pop punk riff
12:09 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)
12:24 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D)

Heavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D)
12:49 Metal chugging riff
13:06 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang
13:18 Heavy metal lead sound
13:33 Hardcore punk riff
13:44 Industrial metal riff

13:58 The big reveal!
14:56 Top reasons why you should buy the ToneX One
15:12 Initial setup
15:48 Sounds and playing feel
16:43 Tonal tweaking on the pedal itself
17:35 Works well with all my guitars and pickup types
18:01 Top tip: make different preset libraries for different guitars
18:47 There are some great free captures/presets out there
19:46 Price, size/portability
20:39 It’s loads of fun and very inspirational
21:17 What I don’t like: over reliance on the software
21:56 The ToneNET software is unintuitive with a steep learning curve
22:38 There are limitations
23:06 My conclusions on the ToneX One and why you should buy it

This is Amalgam Audio (no affiliation!) who have some of the best free ToneX presets I’ve discovered so far: youtube.com/@amalgamaudioLV

Here’s a video from @thetoneshepherd which really helped me when it comes to navigating the ToneX/ToneNet software: youtube.com/watch?v=hulUFgMELdU

And a general ToneX One explainer video from @galtonestudio which I found really helpful too: youtube.com/watch?v=J47E53j2SGk

My analog setup was as follows: I ran the Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed and my Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.

Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06m
Get all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0


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Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.

#IKMultimedia #ToneXOne #ToneX #ToneXPedal

*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*

@amalgamaudioLV
@ikmultimedia
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ToneX One vs real amp and pedals + 10 reasons why you should buy it (and 3 reasons you shouldn’t)

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