Quote:
Originally Posted by idimata
How do you think it compares to the Optima Air?
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Ah, good question. I got a pretty nice IR out of the Optima Air, and have been using it various places: with my Helix Stomp XL, with Positive Grid FX 2 on my iPhone, and in the Nembrini IR loader with my iPad and computer.
The biggest problem I had with the Optima Air was that there wasn’t a blend control. There isn’t a blend control in the Nembrini IR loader either, but there is in the Helix and in FX2.
There are some real advantages to the Tonedexter II though. First and foremost, the IR (Wavemap) I captured sounds a little more natural in the high frequencies. When I finished analyzing and moved the mic, it really surprised me because the sound was still there and I thought I was listening to the mic. Very natural indeed! When I listened to the original Tonedexter demos on YouTube, I didn’t really hear a difference between it and the other IR effects units. They all had a little bit of weirdness in the high frequencies…hence the need for the blend to mask them. A sort of weird phasey sound. I don’t hear that at all on the Wavemap I captured today.
Then there is the ease of capturing the Wavemap. Wow, it is so fast and easy! I love the way it automates the setting of levels.
Then there is the much higher level of control. You can EQ the Wavemap and straight sounds independently. That is way cool. I love the control over center frequencies and the notch filters. It really lets you, not only sculpt a really good sound, but optimize it. To do that on the Optima Air, you need external processing.
I LOVE the way the software is built into the Tonedexter and you just access it with a web browser and an IP address! That means that I can do librarian stuff and update the firmware from my iPad Pro. I really appreciate that!
The tuner is really nice. So is the boost. So is the use of TRS jacks. So is the customization of just about everything you need for it to be practical. Things like independent 1/4” and XLR output levels, or does the tuner mute through the headphones, or when you power it on, does it start in play or tuner mode…all very practical and useful stuff.
I LOVE how solidly it is built. I love that it doesn’t pop when you power it on. I love that you can reboot without disconnecting the power supply. That it can work with a standard 9V power supply. Really very high quality all around!
About the only thing that I dislike is that it uses micro-USB instead of USB-C. Come on guys! It’s 2024! USB-C should have been a no brainer! It’s one token flaw…