Vox Tonelab LE

more hard to use than expected.

How easy is it to get a good sound out of it? 5
How about Editing patches? 5
How is the manual for it (if there is one)? 5

very good sound!
you just need to plug it to a decent speaker.

What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with? tele > board > roland
Is it noisy? On what settings? just in hi-gain settings - normal
Are the effects weak or do they always sound great? some effects could have a wider range (delay, tremolo, phaser, etc.)
What amp are you using it with? roland jc
Can you get the sound of your favorite artists? almost
Are certain effects (distortion, chorus, ...) very good? Very bad?
the most common effects are fair in general; but wider ranges needed (delay, etc.)

Can you depend on it? 7
Would you use it on a gig without a backup? 7

What style of music do you play? rock
Is this a good match? generally yes
How long have you been playing? 20y.
If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? maybe get something else
what do you love about it? nice sound + plenty effects in one
What do you hate? not easy to use + lack of wide ranges
Did you compare it to other products? yes
Which ones? tonelab se
Why did you choose this one? price vs. features
Anything you wish it had? to change parameter on-fly without ear changing.
Does it help you make music, or does it get in the way? help me to make music

Its very easy to use. Plug and play! Editing patches is also easy. For special editing you find held in the manual.

My setup: PRS CE 22 - TLLE - Tech21 Power engine.
Its not more or less noisy than other gear. There is also a good working noise reduction in it. All the amp models, the pedals, and other effect sound really great. I espcially love the vox-wah sound.
I get evry sound I need in my cover-band.

Its built like a tank - metal chassis.

Never needed.

I'm in a cover band. Play since more than 20 years. Owned a lot of other gear. I would buy the TLLE again if it was stolen, because its so easy to use, it gives me the sounds that I need.

It's very easy to get a good sound out of it. Plug and play. Editing is easy too. Just turn the knobs and save sound - thats it. If your looking for something special: Just take a look in the manual - its writte in a way everybody can understand.

My Setup: PRS CE22 - Tonelab LE - Tech 21 Powerengine PE 60 (1x12 Box with an built in Power Amp). The Tonlab LE is not more noisy than any other gear. Anyway, the built in noisegate works fine. Theres no need to highlight any of the amp types or of the effects, because thy all sound great. I recommend to plug the tonelab in an amp like the Powerengine - it sound relly great.

It's built like an tank. I would use it on a gig without a backup?

Didnt need it till today.

I play blues, rock, pop music in a cover band. With the Tonelab LE I get evry sound I need - and evry effect I want. I play since 30 years. I pre-owend a marshall, or a fender, or a vox amp etc. Now I have marshall + fender + Vox + many others with all the pedals, wahs, delay, reverb .... in only one case and with the recommended Power Engine 60 I'm full equipped for the gig.

It's plug and play. The default programs give a good overview. Setting up the Tonelab LE (TLLE) is very easy, so the you barely don't need the manual. Anyhow - if you're looking for something special, the manual helps you in each situation. There are built in many amp-simulations and many pre / post effects.

My setup: PRS CE 22 - TLLE - Tech21 Power Engine 60. The TLLE is not noisy in moderate settings. Hi gain settings are a littly noisy - like in any other gear. But thats no problem, using the build in noise gate. Really all simulations and effects sound great (especially the vox-wah). The TLLE works fine with my amp, wich is rather a powered box. I cover top 40 hits and oldies. With the TLLE I get every sound I need. In my setup the sound is like a real tube amp - there's nothing digital in the sound.

I gigged a l w a y s with a simple pedal-preamp as backup in my pocket (even if I would used a marshall stack). But I depend on the TLLE. It is made of metal. I gig wih it. No problems.

Didn't need it until now

I play top 40 and oldies. For that the TLLE is a good match. Since more than 25 years I'm playing and I owned a lot of other gear. I would buy the TLLE it again if it was stolen, because of the good sound and the ease of use. The bottom in front of my feet has never been so clean and tidy since I use TLLE - no more tangled mess of cables and single pedals.

I am not quite sure what the problem is for some of the reviewers below ... this thing is by far the easiest multi-FX unit I've ever used. It is so incredibly intuitive! You select the type of effect you want to use with the chickenhead knobs at the top, and then use the dials to adjust the sound. If you have ever used a stompbox, you can use this. No twiddling in menus or complicated settings. when it comes to user friendliness, nothing beats this.

Well done VOX.

My setup has changed, due to the TLLE. I play in a U2 tribute and have gone through a wide array of different setups. At first, a pedalboard from hell with loopers, splitters etc, all running into an AC30. Next, I ditched the pedalboard for a G-System. Next, for lack of mod delay on the G-System, I got myself the Tonelab LE. Never looked back. Guitars I use are Fender Strat, Gibson LP Standard, Gibson '76 Explorer and Yamaha APX 500 electro-acoustic.

At first, I ran it through the AC30 but after a few months I noticed that the AC30 sim on the TLLE sounds so close to the original it really made no sense to carry the real amp so I sold it and now plug the Tonelab directly into the mixing desk.

Playing in a U2 tribute the TLLE has to rival Edge's Cape Canaveral setup and after each and every show people come up to me to praise the sounds I'm getting. 'nuff said.

The only two things I'd like to see improved on the next generation are:

1) have 2 "pedal" sections, so we can use a distortion pedal and wah or compressor for instance. This can be overcome by getting distortion from an amp sim but it would still be cool.
2) the delays don't trail when you switch preset. Especially in a U2 tribute, this can be annoying, as delays are an integral part of my sound.

I have built my TLLE into a flightcase and never had any problems with it. It never let me down, never played tricks on me.

I fully depend on it, and don't use backup when gigging - which I do quite often.

Never dealt with them.

Have been playing for 15~20 years and my current setup is by far the best compromise between quality, flexibility and practicality. If it were stolen I would definitely get a new one, and load the presets I stored on my PC onto the new one, and I'd be back in business in 5 minutes.

Can't wait for the next generation to come out - if VOX have implemented the same usability and also added the 2 features I described above, I'll be their first buyer.

Not as good as the original ToneLab or the ToneLab SE but just ok

Just use it for recording late at night or to get ideas not really good enough to use as the final product, to noisy and does not sound as good as the ToneLab or the ToneLab SE. It sounds just too digital not as good as a real tube amp with a good mike, not even close.

Never gets moved around but not that well built so I would be very cautious moving it without a case. When you bought the original ToneLab SE it came with a great gig bag but this is a cheaper version so you get what you pay for I guess.

Had problems with switching system to much lag between settings, so not that good for live gig, but then who would it for a live gig anyway.

I have been playing for 25 years in mostly Roots Rock, Blues, Country and Classic Rock Bands. I own and play through a Fender Vibro-King, Vibrolux Reverb and a Deluxe Reverb and also own a Marshall 50 watt plexi head and use it through a 2X12 bandmaster cabinet with V30 speakers. I had an original ToneLab SE but was stolen so I bought this and it isn't even close. The amps modeling is not as good as the original and you only get 1 expression pedal. The tuner just sucks and you can't change the tube as easy as the original. I am going to sell it and try to find a ToneLab or a ToneLab SE.

It is horrible trying to get the exact sound you want. There are amillion different options when it comes to changing/enhancing your tone. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it sure is a mother to dial in.

This thing sound great for clean stuff and classic rock. Right now I am using it on my Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. I have bypassed basically everything, and use their tube screamer for my lead channel, and a seperate channel with bi-chorus and reverb for my clean channel.It does the job to enhance my amp. I compared VOX's version of the tube screamer to my TS-9 tube screamer, and the sound was almost identical. VOX does a great job of emulating other amps.

I have never had any major problems with this thing, it just gets really frustrating spending hours dialing it in differently. I would not use it as a primary amp, but more of a backup.

N/A

I play mainly metal, and it is not very good for it by itself. I use it mainly to enhance my current rig, alongside with a BBE Sonic maximizer. If this was lost or stolen, odds are I would buy a line 6 POD, or line 6other effect/modeling amp. IMO, line 6 does a far better job at modeling for what I play. This is a great product, but whether you like it or not is all a matter of personal preference. Go to a music store and try it out!

This is the most user friendly and simply the best multi effects I ever had. Changing the effects and amp modellers is straightforward by switching any of the five chicken head knobs. Tweaking of these effects can be easily done by selecting any one of the six silver knobs. It is so easy to get a nice tone and it can be done in mere seconds, then you are ready to ROCK.

I've had a few multi effects before this Tonelab LE like Zoom G9.2tt, Zoom 707, Boss ME-50, Pod XT and none comes even close to this unit. To think that I am just using a cheap low end amp like Ibanez Toneblaster 25 and get great sounds out of this unit, it is just mind boggling. The sound I got is so natural, full and very realistic with no fuzzy. The sounds of the amp and cabinet modelling are close to the actual thing. I can even get heavy lows out of the distortion or screaming highs easily out of the lead solo. I am now seriously considering selling my other effects which also includes pedals like BOSS DD-6 and BOSS DS-1.

I cant say much on this topic because I've just got it about two weeks. Its reliability remains to be seen.

Cant say much either. So far the unit is doing mighty fine, no problems at all

I play mostly 80's rock and progressive rock and this unt sertainly delivers. It is a joy to be spending time playing the guitar when I can easily get the tone that I want. It is easy to use, cheap and most importantly sounds really great. What else can you ask for? It is my perfect multi effects pedal period. :)

This unit, as multieffect processors go, is very easy to use. I really don't like menu driven units, so the Tonelab LE has a great interface--very well designed.

It is a tall order for one unit to do everything well. I think VOX has done a great job of getting closer than any otmaher nufacturer at this price point (or higher, for that matter). The sound quality is outstanding. For live performers who have to cover a lot of sonic ground, this is a great unit. Many classic sounds are amazingly recreated. The distortion options are top-shelf, although my personal experience has been that to use the unit for heavy distortion, a clean amp setting works best. The ability to select effect routing is very handy, too. Feeding the dely signal into the chorus, for example, like The Edge of U2. Not every option is a home run, though. The WAH option is a bit thin and lacks the drama you would get from a standard VOX or Cry Baby pedal. The acoustic simulator isn't really useable, although it works better on single poles rather than humbuckers, I feel.

I have had no issues with my unit and it has seen alot of use. It is a heavy unit and it is built tough. I recommend purchasing gig bag for it. I looked for the VOX-issued bag but couldn't find one. I did buy a padded Gator gig bag which is perfect and protects the unit nicely.

I only had one interaction with customer service. I had a question about using splitting the unit's output via a transformer-based A/B box. The response I got was prompt and accurate.

This unit simply sounds great. It does so many things very well. Of course, I have my pet peeves. One is that (not an issues with the SE product), is that you can only use one of the "Pedal" options at a time. I would like to see a separate section in future products that contain only distortion options. Another issue I have, and I just live with this because I have to, is that there is a small delay when you change programs on-the-fly. Even though the front end is analog, everything else is processed digitally which means you have to wait for the processor to catch up. It isn't too bad, just that it is not instantaneous as with a stomp box. The 1/8 inch headphone jack is a somewht of a pain too. I wish the unit had a built-in power supply, but that would have been cost prohibitive for VOX (I despise wall-warts). But there are so many great sounds in the box. Where else can you call up the greatest effects of all time and mix and match them with the best sounding amps ever made? The Boutique distortion is remarkable, and so is the Tube Overdrive (Tube Screamer. I have actually A/B these). Emulation of Dumble and Marshall are also fantastic and are very nuanced and authentic sounding. The unit is quiet, and has great headroom. The delays and reverb have quiet, detailed tails. Try turing off the AMP and CAB option, and using the reverbs and delays through the effects loop of your amp. To my ears, the sound eexceeds many rack units costing much more. The Tonelab LE is powerful. So much so that you may have to strike a balance between the unit and you curreent rig. Clean setting for distortin, in my experience, works great. Sometimes an added gain stage (that is driven) from an amp can suck the tone a little from the VOX, so I had to experiment with my channel settings for different patches. Being able to disengage the CAB option has been handy, too, as this carries considerable EQ overhead. Overall, this unit is such a great value. Typically, you find a few programs in multi-effects units that are good and the rest are off-the-wall and only good for, I don't know, doing scores for films or something. The Tonelab LE does so many classic amps and effects well. I highly recommend this to any guitarist a discerning ear, and with varied tastes from Pat Metheny to Metallica.

Plug it in, get a good sound. That's pretty easy. Of course it also pays to set the output setting for whatever your particular rig happens to be, which isn't really clear till you read the manual, which is average to below average in terms of clarity. 2 demerits.

Editing patches was incredibly easy. Set the knobs where they sound good and press the "write" button. Of course, other functions (like how to set the control pedal) are lass clear, till you read the afroementioned poorly written manual. I am currently using a

I am currently using a Mexican strat equipped with a Floyd Rose and Carvin pickups. I am also using a Schecter Diamond series A-7+ 7 string and a franken-Paul. Different setting seem to work with some guitars but not others. Fortunately the thing is highly tweakable. Noise out of the box was a problem, but the built in noisegate fixed it. It'd be nice to have an actual buttong for "noisegate" out in the open.

The effects sound incredible with one exception. The acoustic guitar simulator, which sounds great through headphones utterly sucks live. I attempted to use it at a gig this past weekend, and my "acoustic" setting vanished in the mix.

I'm plugging the Tonelab directly into the return jacks on a Line 6 Flextone (Yes, the Tonelab finally puts my trusty Flextone to pasture. Except for it's power amp!)

I could get most of my favorite guitarists' sounds. These include Jimi Hendrix, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy Rhodes, Dimebag, and Hammet. The inclusion of a Roland JC120 model would have been nice.

The amp models sound realer than real thanks to the tube and faux output tube modelling. As far as I know no other company is doing something like this. They should! Hats off to Vox. The modulation effects all sound warm and full, and these include a few oddball things aside from your standard chorus/flange/phaser/pitch varieties. The Filtron model is good for hours of fun and I even got my guitar to produce analog synth type sounds with it. Other notables include a reverse delay which I can't stop playing with, a hold delay with 8 seconds of time, and numerous analog delay models. There are reverbs galore, but I don't use reverb much. One other thing; when setting the output setting use LN2 and the EQ gives things a much thicker feel.

I'd have given it a ten but for the acoustic simulator.

I did gig with it without a backup. No problems, and we have lots of gigs booked, so if it does become a problem you can be sure I'll report back here ;-)

Haven't dealt with them yet.

I play pretty much everything. From Nancy Sinatra to Kitty. It's kept up with my eclectic playing quite nicely so far.

I've been playing since 1978. I also own a Digitech TSR 24, TSR 12, Digitech RDS 8000, Zoom 2100, Alesis Nanocompressor, Yamaha 16 channel board, Peavey CS 800 power amp, Peavey SP2 mains, Behringer monitors, mics, a Zoom 1600MRS 16 track recorder, Line 6 Flextone, Behringer GMX212 and some pedals.

If it were lost or stolen I'd buy another. I may anyhow, just for a backup.

I love the tones, hate the acoustic simulator and the manual, my favorite feature is the tube, baby, the tube! I compared it to a Zoom 9.1ut and this just blew it out of the water. The zoom sounded tinny and plastic by comparison. If Vox would add a JC120 model and a 2nd expression pedal I'd be in heaven.