Found a Tonelab SE for cheap...

[poodlesrule]

Seller says two bills.

Seems too good to pass up.

Trigger or not..?

(I know... my "skillz" are minuscle, but I am getting old (sounds like NY singing that!) and need to press on the GAS pedal to pick up speed!)

EDIT: Seller does not know how old the unit is. Are there older versions of the SE..?

[Duffy]

I have seen them new old stock for two bills, brand new.

[Kazz]

Amazon has 6 of these NEW for $199 with free shipping.

Amazon Linkage

http://www.musicgoround.com/detail.aspx?id=865616 for 161 plus shipping

[poodlesrule]

The Amazon link is for the ST not the SE, I think?

Another concern is that basic looping can be done, but is not very intuitive on the Tonelabs, from what I understand.

[Duff]

What is better, the SE or ST?

I think that the SE does not have an expression pedal, at least the one I have seen; it's blue and has a lot like the VTX controls on it.

[SuperSwede]

Are you thinking about the standard desktop Tonelab Duff? iirc all other Tonelabs have expression pedals.

[Duff]

This one does not have an expression pedal and it is a desktop type I would guess, with lots of knobs and switches and a tube of some sort, probably a miniture. 200. I think it is a bit high, NOS.

Same place I got the Ibanez SZ320 gold top NOS for 250 out the door, great sounding guitar and a looker too.

This place has a Vox AD60VTX that I could probably talk them down on to about 200, NOS, never purchased; but the highly digital modelling amps worry me because when it comes time for something to go wrong, I can see major labor time put into diagnosing, and then a lot of the components and parts may be VERY hard to find or impossible to find.

I don't know if anyone knows about this, but do you think an amp like that would be mainly disposable, planned obsolecence?

[SuperSwede]

Is the desktop model blue?

[Duff]

The Tonelab I'm looking at is blue and looks like the one shown on the amazon link but has no expression pedal on it.

I'm not sure if it has a usb or firewire out though. I don't think it does. I'll have to check that out. I could always probably run it thru my Lexicon Omega and record to my computer that way, if it doesn't have the computer interface.

I really need to hook up my PA and Lexicon recording rig. It works pretty well. I now have the Lexicon programs I lost in the separation, as well as Cubase LE and recently found and installed my Sony Acid recording software. I like the Sony Acid better because I'm used to it.

[SuperSwede]

Then it is the original Tonelab, excellent sounds but no USB. It does have midi in/out and digital sound out.

[Tarin]

It's not much of a great deal... they go a little bit under 200 on Ebay or your local CL.
I've never tried the blue-desktop one, but i happen to have the ST and comparing it to a Digitech RP355... i'd say Tonelab ST all the way. So easy to use, small and sounds really great.
It's also great for home recording via USB interface.

[SuperSwede]

Sure the new ones are great and have USB but imo not much beats the simplicity of the amphlike layout of the original blue tonelab.

[Duff]

This blue tonelab below is like the one they have for 200, probably negotiable at a place by me. Looks like a nice item, but no usb out.

How about the AD60VTX? They have a NOS one. What do you think a fair price would be on that cool item?

Sure is nice for what it is but didn't sound as good as the new 50 watt chromie.

[SuperSwede]

The VTX and the blue Tonelab pretty much have the same features BUT the ADxxVT amphs does not have a good line out sound due to the design that the line out comes before valvereactor (where all the mojo is happening). So if you plan to record with your valvetronix I would recommend the Tonelab.

The blue one does have S/Pdif digital out so you could always buy a USB audio interface.

[Duffy]

I have a Lexicon Omega that has midi and Spdif inputs on it and is a usb interface.

Would that Tonelab original blue unit be a good item to have? Does it have really good sounds? I wonder if it would sound good straight into my PA or from the Lexicon, monitoring into the PA, recording playback, etc.?

I have a Digitech RP350 with a usb or firewire that works good, but I bet the Tonelab is in another dimension.

Being that this tonelab is NOS, I think I can talk them down way below two bills, possibly.

Do you use regular rca cables for the S-pdif connectors? Would it be better to use the midi connectors or do you need even more software.

Also, should this NOS tonelab I am looking at come with a software cd or other accessories. They may have spaced some of the packaging out, I should know what is supposed to be there and ask them if they have the stuff, if such is the case. Even so, it is possible that the software would be so obsolete that it would be unusable on a Vista or Seven Windows system.

I wonder if Vox has updated software for the original tonelab if it indeed requires any?

This could be a problem with really old stuff: software drivers, etc.

It definitely looks like a really cool, high class item though. Maybe I'll play thru it today into a SuperSonic on the Vibrolux voice, vintage channel and see what it sounds like.

I might have to get one of those SuperSonic Fenders, they have a year old used blonde one for 775, mint. This is one nice amp if you haven't played one yet: Fender Pro Series. Vintage 30, a bunch of tubes, simple controls and input.

[marnold***]

The VTX and the blue Tonelab pretty much have the same features BUT the ADxxVT amphs does not have a good line out sound due to the design that the line out comes before valvereactor (where all the mojo is happening).

AFAIK this is has been remedied with the VTxx series.

[Duff]

I read that there were design elements improved on the VTxx series, possibly some of them going back to the recommendations that were given in that big report by the guy at the "patchtronix" forum.

Also there were a couple of ideas on how the line out should sound if I remember correctly. But the new design correction sounds like it is the way it should have been to begin with.

[Duff]

They have a used or NOS big blue Tonelab with twin expression pedals at the place that has the small blue one without a pedal. The small one without the pedal does not have Spdif outs on the back of it, just quarter inch jacks, stereo or mono, and midi in and out.

I didn't check out the big pedal board Tonelab but should see how much they want. It sits on a stack of fairly ratty looking used Peavey amps and such.

[SuperSwede]

AFAIK this is has been remedied with the VTxx series.

Well I have tried to record with my VT50, it sounds horrible. So unfortunately they still havent got it right.


Duffy, the tonelab has midi in/out so if you invest in a cheap usb midi adaptor you can use the Vox tonelab editor.

Here is a clip that I did for the fret back in 2006 when I still had my tonelab.
http://www.box.net/shared/j50n8xdvin (Modern Marshall + reverb)

http://www.box.net/shared/o5g62ldsgh (UK 80s (JCM800) +reverb).

Only guitar > tonelab > iMac.