New Pedal Day - Boss IR-2 and an IK MM Tonex One Review

[jonfields45]

After building the Princeton Reverb kit (PR) and using it every day, my ear has been trained to like its tone and overdrive. My UA Dream 65 couldn't get me there and it left via eBay.

I then tried to get my Positive Grid Spark Mini and Go to sound as close to the PR as possible. I settled on the Tweed 4x10" Bassman model plus hall reverb.

Then the Boss IR-2 arrived. It weighs 15 oz. and draws 98 mA at 9 volts. It is not quite as light and battery friendly as I might like. Again my PR targeted setting is a tweed 4x10 Bassman model plus hall reverb.



The IR-2 has several useful power-on settable configurations:

1. Amp or cabinet models on/off
2. Hall/Plate/Room reverb
3. Output options to optimally drive an FRFR or to compensate for the model stacking on a real speaker or amp.

You can load an IR into any of the amp slots which means you could use this pedal to host one of my IRs. Either turn the amp models off or use the clean slot where the amp model is very modestly impactful. The hall reverb it is not as good as my PR kit's spring, but it is dead silent. All reverb springs pick up some 60 Hz power transformer hum. I'm not sure why they never went humbucking.

I like the IR-2 knob UI and the tones are overall excellent. There are two modeling camps, black box, and white box. In black box you set the amp controls and measure its characteristics. In white box you look at the schematic and attempt to build a computer model that runs sufficiently fast to be usable for audio. I'm not sure if Roland/Boss specifies black or white. I suspect most modeling is black box and the EQ is post processing with maybe some concession to the amp being modeled's tone stack.

IK MM has the older Amplitude White Box software, and the newer Tonex Black Box software and hardware. Black box might seem more limiting as you are stuck with the control settings when the amp was measured. I don't think that is important, at least for the clean and light overdrive I prefer (set all the amp's knobs to 5 and I'm good to go). It certainly generates a larger market for models (one per amp setting, instead of one per amp). For high gain amps with cascaded gain stages, black box must be a model seller's bonanza...

I am looking forward to the arrival of the Tonex One as it is lighter, smaller, draws less power, and I can download a model of my now favorite PR. Physically it is the perfect guitar gig bag pocket companion. Even the "recording studio" YouTube reviews are stellar for tone. I'll use my Mac to set the three foot switch accessible models (A/B mode, C On/Off mode). There are knobs for the important real time stuff that is not part of the amp model (pre-gain, EQ, reverb, master volume, plus compression and noise gate). The UI is crazy complicated if you want to dive deeper without a computer and there is no Bluetooth phone app (Positive Grid has this mastered).

In Summary, given they all have very nice sounding amp models:

1. Positive Grid Spark Mini/Go - almost no useful knobs, good iPhone app, battery, not stomp box sturdy.
2. Boss IR-2 - a stomp box! knobs! no model download, no tuner.
3. Tonex One - knobs, complicated pedal UI for deeper dive, Mac/PC for ultimate flexibility.

[jonfields45]

I've been experimenting with Lithium 9v rechargeable batteries. There are some sketchy ones on Amazon. These said they were 9 watt-hours, but turned out only to be less than 3 watt-hours which would not run an IR-2 for a 3 set gig. For reference, a disposable 9 volt alkaline battery is 4.5 watt-hours.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMSZSFKY...t_details&th=1

These "paleblue" batteries only claim 4.5 watt-hours and I've tested them on the IR-2 and they are still going after 4 hours. Which is plenty of margin for a 3 set gig.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C8GTM7FT...t_details&th=1

But they have 2 quirks so far:

1. They have Micro USB and USB C ports for charging, which is a strong hint that USB C orientation and voltage protocols were not implemented. They won't charge with some USB C cables and power adapters. They are bullet proof charging with a Micro USB cable, or a USB A to USB C cable (included).
2. If I install them in a pedal, the switching supply that converts the battery's internal 3.6 volt lithium cell to 9 volts hangs in the off state. The battery is not discharged, but it needs to be "reset"...ughhh. So far I've found hooking them up to a charger briefly takes care of that. I'm hoping it won't happen sitting outside the pedal unconnected.

Given the need to reset and recharge, it made more sense to Command Strip them to the outside of the pedal.

[Edit: this is working perfectly and the only solution for the incoming Tonex One]

[jonfields45]

According to IK MM my Tonex One should ship today or tomorrow from their Florida US office. They claim to have them in-stock. All retailers I've checked have sold out their earliest shipments for the next month or two.

I rehearsed today using the Boss IR-2. I definitely think it sounds better than the Positive Grid Spark Go as an amp emulator driving my QSC CP-8. The tone controls on the IR-2 are very useful. I've found the tone controls, via the phone app, to the Spark Go and Mini pretty useless and I've used the graphic EQ in the Sparks to make tone adjustment. It’s really nice having solidly built physical knobs that do what you want. Big win for the IR-2.

Thus at this point: Boss IR-2 >> Spark

[CASD57]

Looking forward to the comparison between the IR-2 and Tonex One

[jonfields45]

MF shipped me a Tonex One yesterday from a GC just a few states away. It will be here tomorrow. IK MM seemed only too glad to cancel my order. I'm guessing the Florida US office is set up to email SW licenses, not box physical hardware in volume. So much for MF's verbal to ship late July, or the estimate of late June in their email response to the order.

The Tonex SE software, the version with the pedal, you pay more to get more, model list is just too much. I've decided which of the factory loaded pedal presets will stay, eliminated all the downloadable SE presets that aren't my three favorite amps, and made the following list. Bold means I plan to have that in the pedal, roughly in gain order, starting from the first slot. Strikeout means it's being deleted from the pedal.

[Ken Carr]

I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about using the Tonex One. You mentioned that you use CP-8. I also use a CP-8. I would like to achieve a warm jazz tone using a single coil pickup. Is the software program a separate purchase from the pedal? Is it difficult to use? Since I don't like distortion and a lot of overdrive, is it a sensible purchase?

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by Ken Carr

I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about using the Tonex One. You mentioned that you use CP-8. I also use a CP-8. I would like to achieve a warm jazz tone using a single coil pickup. Is the software program a separate purchase from the pedal? Is it difficult to use? Since I don't like distortion and a lot of overdrive, is it a sensible purchase?

You might consider a Boss IR-2 with physical knobs and only the preloaded models. Either the “clean” or Twin Reverb models should work well for you. The hall reverb is also good.

For the Tonex One, if you want to go beyond the factory loaded models you need to register the pedal and download the included with your purchase Tonex SE software. The “SE” version of the Tonex software includes 200 amp models to choose from. This link has all the IK MM models. Towards the end are the SE models.

https://g1.ikmultimedia.com/html/ton...8aArfnEALw_wcB

[jonfields45]

I received the Tonex One yesterday. In short, the modeling is excellent and the best of the 3 pictured. The Tonex spring 1, I did not try the other 4 options, is the best reverb of the 3.

While the Tonex One is spec’d at 120 mA, I measured 134 mA. The IR-2 is spec’d at 160 mA, but I measured 98 mA. Using the PaleBlue 9v battery, I got 3 hours and 15 minutes before the battery died. The IR-2 was going strong at 4 hours.

The Tonex App is unintuitive and a steep learning curve that I'll never bother to climb. The models and presets (I'm not going to claim I really know the difference) are organized in a nearly indecipherable way. I left the Tonex app running for a few hours and models in the pedal got seemingly randomly overwritten and the Mac UI lost cursor control. I had to reboot my Mac! If you're going to set the AB and Stompbox mode models once and forget about it, then fine. Using the Pedal UI to update those model selections from the 20 you can download onto the pedal is an exercise in frustration. There is no point in carefully curating the 20 models in the pedal with the app when you're going to have go back to the app anyway to set the AB and Stomp selections. The Tonex SE app's 200 models cover more than enough ground for 99.999% of us.

If you are willing to spend an hour or two downloading the models of amps you know, and are willing to deal with triaging the selection by model name (to listen to them all would be a near unending task), then this is the way to go. Otherwise, the Boss IR-2 sounds good enough for performance, has few enough options you can quickly evaluate via knobs, and only one power-on option needed to be set (to choose your preferred reverb type, the others are about not going into a PA or FRFR).

While I am certain the IR-2 is a better amp modeler to FRFR choice than the Spark, the best-in-class modeling of the Tonex One is offset by the UI complexity of the pedal and app.

All said, I'm taking the Tonex to tomorrow's gig.

[CASD57]

So at this point..before the gig, you are saying the IR-2 is a better pedal overall going to an FRFR or PA and ease of use ?? or did I read it wrong?
The only thing I've read about the IR-2 is it doesn't sound that good.
What is your opinion of the sound quality?

The reason I ask is I'm looking at a good pedal for going direct to a PA for my Electric, I've got an American Joyo copy but I think there is better...

[Ken Carr]

Here's the stupid question of the day. Say I don't care about the distorted amplifier sounds, but I am interested in the clean and tweed settings for jazz. Could I use the other nine amp simulation "spots" to use 3rd party acoustic irs' to use with my acoustic and classical guitars? Pardon my ignorance about this, but my only experience with impulse response technology is with my Tone Dexter pedal.

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by CASD57

So at this point..before the gig, you are saying the IR-2 is a better pedal overall going to an FRFR or PA and ease of use ?? or did I read it wrong?
The only thing I've read about the IR-2 is it doesn't sound that good.
What is your opinion of the sound quality?

The reason I ask is I'm looking at a good pedal for going direct to a PA for my Electric, I've got an American Joyo copy but I think there is better...

For modeling tone in my application direct to PA or FRFR:

Tonex One >> IR-2 >> Spark Go

For ease of use:

IR-2 >> Spark Go >>>> Tonex One

I don't agree with any reviewer who says the IR-2 is deficient in model sound quality for performance. For recording, the Tonex is enough better to be a better choice in the studio.

I'll find out today at my gig, but I am guessing the tone knobs, gain and volume control, built-in tuner, small size, and light weight, are going to make it my first choice for performing.

I am hesitant to recommend the Tonex One because both the App and Pedal have poor user interfaces and you have to set and forget the AB or Stomp modes and load your amp model selections into them at least once.

I think when an EE tells you it is hard to use, it really is :~).

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by Ken Carr

Here's the stupid question of the day. Say I don't care about the distorted amplifier sounds, but I am interested in the clean and tweed settings for jazz. Could I use the other nine amp simulation "spots" to use 3rd party acoustic irs' to use with my acoustic and classical guitars? Pardon my ignorance about this, but my only experience with impulse response technology is with my Tone Dexter pedal.

I assume you are referring to the IR-2...

Yes you could load your IRs and then set the amp model bypass mode (only the cabinet IR, which you overwrote will be active) when powering up the pedal for use with your acoustic guitars. But you won't have a IR/Bypass mix control and will need IRs with the appropriate amount of bypass built in.

It is not hard in a DAW to read in an IR and adjust the amount of bypass. Zoom in until you can see the first sample and make that first sample louder. Ideally you would then make the rest of the IR samples softer, to retain the same overall IR gain, but that is an optimization you don't have to make.

[Ken Carr]

Thanks Jon. I think I will get one soon. It sounds like it would be fun to play around with.