Vox Tonelab SE

I found the Tonelab SE very simple to use, one still has to refer to the manual but the learning curve isn't as great as say, the Line 6 Pod XT Live. The Manual explains everything you need to know in simpleton terms.

The Vox unit is the best sounding unit for a modeling unit to use in a live situation, I've tried them all, even owned a Pod XT live for about 6 months and the Vox unit blows them all away. it's a little more expensive but worth it. Now, that being said, I don't like the distortion sounds in a direct recording setup, it sounds totally differnt to me and i don't know why but i don't hardly do recording anymore, due to too much time spent with the band playing live, so it's not that crucial to me. but my favorite sound is the octave fuzz this unit does, I don't know cause i don't have my strat yet but i think i could pretty much nail that Blue on black sound, i can get pretty close with my PRS but a Strat would work much better. I like most of the sounds this thing creates exept maybe some of the mod effects Like the flangers & phazers, all and all this is a pretty good sounding unit for the money

Seems like it's built like a tank but i haven't had it very long to tell for sure, i currently gig without a backup for it, i hate doing that but right now i don't have a choice.

Haven't had to deal with them... yet

I play mostly rock in a cover band and have been playing off and on since i was a teenager and am now in my mid thirties and have played or owned just about everything. The SE is a far superior unit than the XT live in my opinion. It's not perfect but then what is. it's deffinetly the best out there though, i here a lot of "you can't get heavy sounds out of the SE". that's crap cause you can.

It's acctually pretty easy to use when i compare it to BOSS. You choose your amp, and your off. Then add a pedal, modulation, delay and reverb.

Well, it's a ten. Some say that it is only good for blues/rock/jazz. But you can create a great metal sound as well. If you spend some time with the modulation and delay, you can get a very warm and tonefull dist. I found out, that it is better to work without the cabinet option for a more heavy sound. It's sure for a clear sound.

Just put it in the PA, and your off.

It has improved my joy for playing a tad more. I can go places with my style of playing that were undiscovered before. I don't think i would ever get rid of it. Certainly worth its money.

The Tonelab SE (TLSE from now on) is ready to be used right out of the box! Plug in you guitar, turn on it on, choose a preset, and play till night turns day. After trying out all of the pre-programmed sounds in the TLSE, you may find that you want more...but the good news is that you can have more!

Editing, from what I've heard, is hard for people to do. The only reason I think so many have trouble with it is because they are programming the TLSE on the actual unit. Using the MIDI interface, and by downloading the editing software (it's free from voxamps.co.uk) editing is a snap. The editor allows you to see EVERY knob and effect at once, instead of on the TLSE one at a time.

The manual comes in at around 60 something pages. It is a long read, but if provides the basic understanding of the TLSE. It details out the history of each amp and cab model and provides explanations of each effect. The online manual is considered more infomative, and I agree; However, reading both manuals will help volumes in using the TLSE.

Ease of use receives a nine, due only to the fact that we have to go to voxamps.co.uk to get the editing software.

Sound Quality, what can be said about it? Well, it's great! The people who built this thing did a terrific job. The distortion can be improved on, and I had to create a more crisp acoustic preset, but other than that I have no beef with the Sound Quality.

I actually use the nickname "TANK" to describe my TLSE. It is built solid. Thick metal protects it from accidental drops and the knobs and push buttons have held up over the last year. As for the reliability of operating, the built in tube has yet to show a sign of weakness. I would advise that a backup tube be carried on your person in case it should burn out. But I've been informed that the life span of the tube in the TLSE should last between 2 to 4 years. I'll find out if thats true in the next year.

I've never dealt with support because i've never had an issue arise.

Overall, this is a great processor. It's given me more than my moneys worth. From the 16 amp and 11 cab models provided, a plethora of sound can be produced. By using the Midi interface or by messing with each knob individually, even more luscious sounds can be coaxed out of it.

This unit is 100% recommended. It gives me the freedom to craft my own sounds, and it can store up to 96 different creations at one time. Yes, I do not need that many, but I like having that much leg room. I can also save my programs (via MIDI) in case my TLSE malfunctions (it won't).

All in all, The TLSE is superb.

I just bought this yesterday, so i will submit this novice review, and another once i've had the time to really get into this thing.

I own the Boss GT-8 (which you need an engineering degree to really understand), and i've had the Vetta II (as well as a bunch of other Line 6 stuff) which the PODXT is based on. This is much easier to use than the Boss GT-8 and comparable to the Vetta II and other Line 6 gear. The editing features dont quite measure up to the options of Line 6 gear, and doesnt come close to the Boss, but as you'll see below, what it lacks in options it more than makes up for in quality of sound. After all, how many gadgets do you really need? I never use more than about 4-5 patches at any given show as it is. - the rest of the oprions are wasted.

Now as i said, i need to spend a little more time with this, but my initial impression is that this is the single best effects unit that i have ever owned...bar none. I ran a Les Paul into it, and plugged the unit directly into the input of my Vai designed Carvin Legacy tube amp. The great thing about this amp is that it has killer tone that still seems to allow the natural tone of my amp to come through. The GT-8 didnt do that. It over powered the amps characteristics to the point where us might as well just go direct out to a sound board.

The VOX presets will obviously need some tweaking but the sounds are sooooo natural and real. Not as digital sounding as the Line 6 and Boss stuff. I will def be able to get the quality sounds that i need without a whole lot of effort.

Now, i did hear a certain amount of noise from the unit (and i was using alnico humbuckers) and i hope that doesnt get worse when i crank it. I dont know if its due to the electrical current, or that the box is just noisy. Ill tinker with the gains and see. That could be a prob. If so, ill look into sticking some sort of noise suppressor between it and the amp.

I am not crazy about the wah either but then again, neither Line 6 or Boss does wahs very well either so thats a wash. I'll just stick my Hendrix wah before the VOX and that should fix that.

OVer all though, I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER. I finally found something that seems to give me the tone im looking for. Clean and distortions are great. Contrary to some of the other posts, I found that it not only delivered a killer metal sound and tone, but it had a punch thats lacking in the Line 6 stuff. Boss does a pretty good job at that, but like i said, i have the GT-8 (btw, its up for sale to anyone looking to buy it??)and this beats it hands down. It doesnt seem to give me the crisp clean harmonics that i get from the boss but ill change my strings and tweak the unit and see if anything changes.

it certainly looks sturdy. Im not crazy about the power supply thingy. Its got a 6 pin input that goes out to the outlet. I can see probs with this if you kick it or step on it by accident and it doesnt look as easy to replace as the conventional power supply boxes. We'll see.

Of course, eventually the tube will have to be replaced, hopefully not right before a gig. I will keep a delay and chorus pedal handy just in case so i can just jam w/out it if so.

dont know yet...

VOX ROCKS. Seriously though, I have 13 guitars, of all dif styles and makes, including a Gibby Les Paul, Gibby ES 300, and a Strat. For the last 7 or 8 yrs i have played LIne 6 amps exclusively - the AX212, Vetta I, and Vetta II (i also had a cheap Behringer practice modeling amp). I play a contemporary style of music in church with mostly clean tones with delay and sometimes moderate distortion. I also play out in bands and we play everything from hard rock to pretty heavy stuff. I was happy with Line 6 but never satisfied. I traded my Vetta II for the Legacy tube amp and the Boss GT-8. From day one, i loved the amp but couldnt get attached to the Boss. By contrast, i plugged the VOX in and fell in love with it immediately. I cant wait to really dial in my sounds and play out with this thing. I have an outdoors show this Saturday so I'll see how it goes.

Its not as versatile as the competitor products, but lets face it, how many of us ever really use all of the options those others have. I was about to switch to a few stomp boxes and my amp (and i will do that for backup purposes) but for now, i think ive found it. GREAT TONE. If i had it stolen i would be sHt outta luck, because i cant afford to fork over another 500 bills right now to replace it - but i would want to.

Decent with knobs...only hard part is setting up the left pedal.

I changed the tube in mine to a groove tube and it improved over the already good tone. It's quiet pedal. The effects are good and have that VOX tone. The delay is one of the best I've heard in any multi-effects pedal anywhere...very organic and natural. The reverb is a tad weak but is usable. I have used this for about 3 years without a problem playing mostly into a sound system directly.

I had a problem with the volume pedal loosening up and pivoting sideways. That happened a few times...lock-tite fixed that.

2 weeks ago at rehearsal, the unit just died..quit working.
When I got home, I took it apart and found it was just the main fuse..just a bus type fuse...30 cents. So I would have to give this guy a 10 on reliability..fuses are meant to blow if the unit gets a surge..so it did it's job..or maybe I just rock too hard... haha.

Never had a problem really.

I just purchased the Zoom G9.2tt so the Tonelabs is getting a rest.
I've been playing for 30 + years. I own tons of other gear, which all has its place in the studio, but this pedal has been my main pedal for the past two years and did a phenominal job. I would probably buy another if this one disappeared. I love the delays and the amp modeling. Plus there's a free downloadable program to program the unit in realtime through your computer. I wish it did have an easier manual setup for the left pedal..it's a pain to program. I think it is easier through a computer. I have used this in music production and it's a plus for recording..especially havinn an internal tube. One of the best tonal machines out there...my new G9 edges this one out, but this will always be one of my favorite pedals.

This thing was so easy to get a great sound out of. I sat down with a mates POD XT Live and couldn't find a sound a liked for 2 hours! I tried the Tonelab SE for 10 minutes and found sounds that were outstanding.

I sat down with one of my churches soundguys and fed the unit into a PA, as this is where i would mainly be using it, and he helped me to create patches which suited the sound of a direct feed. As he was tweeking the sound, he exclaimed at how easy the unit was to operate.

The manual is very good if you get stuck. It has great descriptions of all the amps and different effects this pedal has to offer.

I use a Gibson Les Paul Goldtop - 1957 custom shop reissue. The hot pickup on this guitar light up the sound of the pedal. I also have an ESP LTD M251, which has a deeper and darker sound than the les paul. With this unit, it is just a matter of tweeking patches to different guitars. you really have to put effort into the unit to make it sound great. The preset patches are pretty lame, as it is with most multi fx units. The pedal is noisy only on high gain settings, but this is quite cool in some ways, as the pedal is modeling the fuzz from the actual amp model you are using.

I run it straight into a PA and use wireless in ear monitors. I love the sound of this pedal direct. I have not used it through an amp but a mate of mine puts it through a Laney Valve amp, and he gets some Phat tone, but if you are tight on $$$, straight into a PA sounds WICKED! u just have to tweek it with a PA!

Built solid as! nice metal buttons for hard stomping, big fat expression pedals, very hard shell. this thing is a tank!

This product is distributed by Yamaha. ive never delt with either VOX or Yamaha, but im sure that if i did, Yamaha would be pretty cool.

I play all kinds of music: Rock, pop, alternative, heavy, jazz, funk, blues (love it all). This pedal is great because it is so versitile. I was wanting to get heaps of individual pedals and a nice amp, but that required much money... money i don't have. This pedal combines all the things that i wanted into one solid unit - driven by a tube preamp which warms up the tone oh so nicely! Much much MUCH better than many other digital amp modelers out there 2day! One day i would love to run this unit through a nice Valve amp, but for now - direct is fine, and you save the soundguys much heartache coz your too loud on stage! This allows them to pump you more through the mix!

THIS PEDAL ROCKS MY SOCKS!

I found the Tonelab SE pretty easy to understand. I have owned the following: Flextone II with pedalboard, Magic Stomp II, and various pedals, rack effects and amps over the years. Vox's Sound Editor really helps one understand the potential of this processor. Also,you can visit a Vox Tonelab users group, and get tons of tips, patches, and practical experience. The manual is ok, but not the hardest I've ever seen... trying reading Yamaha's Motif ES 88.

I was looking for the ability to be able to cover a wide variety of guitar tones. I didn't want to get bogged down with dialing thru tons of settings... been there, done that. IMHO, the valve/tube preamp is what sold me. I played/demo Korg, POD, GT 8... and they each have their strenghts. But after owning my TLSE for a few months, I am really pleased with my guitar tones. I run this thru a powered Mackie speaker 450, and thru a PA at our church. Again, I like the ability to see what's in front of me, make adjustments and then play.

I play at least 2x a week, with a wide variety of vocalists/musical combos. My current fav guitar is a Taylor T5. I am able to switch between clean scoustic sounds, clean R & B ,and get a good old rock distortion with the TLSE. It is built like a tank, plus you can read this from a good distance when the stage lights are down low.

Don't know, but I think the company is not going anywhere. Vox is a pretty good company.

I play praise & worship. And I need to be able to cover a variety of musical styles, rock, folk, gospel, country. I've been playing for over 40 years, and come into contact with a fair amount of guitar players. I like the Tonelab SE's ability to represent a wide variety of guitar tones. I own a Gibson 335 ES, a Fender Telecaster B Bender, a Taylor T 5, and several acoustics. I am called upon each Sunday to make our music fresh and different. Sometimes I play with a 5 piece horn section, 30 voice choir, and then just a good old rcok format ( bass, drums, keys and etc.) As each week goes, I'm amazed that I don't get lost in the music. I am inspired to become a better guitar player, because of the "ah ha " moments I've had playing this unit. Is it better than the POD, GT8, etc? Go play this unit along the others... its different enough to let you develop your own sound/tone/musical style. You will have fun creating your own tones...its easy enough to do that.

Not as easy as the other ones on the market. Manual is decent but could explain some aspects more in details. The main problem for me is that you don't know anything about the settings of the patch you've loaded (Like POD I)

My Setup Strats (EMG, Std or CS) -> Tonelab -> Mesa Boogie 50/50 -> 4*12 VHT. I bought the tonelab one year ago in order to have less rig to go bring to the rigs (You know, preamp, effect, power amp cabinet, guitars) and I've played it nearly every day since then. I've used it in any situation (in front of an amp, in the effect loop, direct in the PA) and to be honest I'm quite disapointed with this unit because there is no way to get the sound I want.

I'm not saying that there are no good tones out there but in my opinion they are quite limited and always have that "Tonelab Signature" in the highs that I dislike.

The cleans are OK but have the trend to break up too early, giving you a limitation in the max volume you can reach if you want to stay totally clean. On the other hand this unit can produce a real good SRV tone quite easilly .

The crunchs are good but the main problem is for the "high gain" (let's say Gary Moore's tone) sounds, which are quite sterile and suffer from hiss,noise and fizz, you may tell : "Use the integrated Noise gate" but it kills all sustain and the compressor can add so much noise that you finally get uncontrolabe feedback. I red someone saying that the soldano model sounds like a real soldano, I doubt this person owns a soldano...well, I do and to my ears it simply can't. Don't even dream to get a real metal sound...

The effects are not that good not that bad but need to be tweaked a lot to be useful.

Conclusion : Like always, this unit can't do everithing, you have to ear it to know if it suits yor taste or not. Don't be too excited by the reviews and go try one for yourself. I give a 6 because my main Tone is soldano alike.

Built like a tank

Well, it's well built, in some way limited in the tones you can get and not as-easy-as-the-other to configure.

two coments i want to make that i feel other should know about 1) im not a computer musician and you dont have to be one to work the tonelab se. i was worried i wouldnt be able to get great tones, cause i dont have a computer. all my worries were unfounded. 2) the vintage amp models are a bit hard to control with out the manual, not impossible though. most vintage amp dont have a full eq so the mid and presants control work differant than a normal amp. so the manual really helps

74' les paul delux w/ 72'hums into the tonelab then into the pa and not a good one an oldass peavey from the 80's. i have not yet put it though my tube amps (soldano slo or a h&k tube 100) so this is just based on the oldass pa. imho this sound amazing the us hi-gain sound very much like my slo, but i play though a 72' greenback loaded marhall, so i cant get my sound because there is not a greenback cab model. but the ac30 cab sound great with the us hi-gian. the thing i dont like are; the compertion makes every thing sound digital and fake, the usvin30 cab model sound like crap, no greenback cab, and some of the delay sound harsh and digital, but most sound good. if you make this sound good than is in your fingers were tone starts. all in all i'll dock 1 point for no greenback mod

its metal and vox... i think so

??????

i play post-prog/ambaint/stoner/indie/pre-want'snexted rock. it work great. the tonelab will a great influince on me and my band i just know it. its most costly than boss gt8 and the line6 pod, but tone in priceless

I have previously used a Boss Gt-6 and in comparison it is 50% better. I perform in a Duo as well as a band situation and at first it was hard to get use to. I think it was just an old dog learning new tricks. I now find it is easy to alter while playing. Maybe one day they will have pedal settings with an undo for when you get it wrong. We all know muso's are never totally happy with anything in regard to sound.

This pedal is very valve sounding. I have used it direct into a PA as well as my Fender Deluxe. This is more your English sounding pedal and not the processed digital American pedal. The Reverbs & Chorus could be better and I think it a shame that they could not add the quality of the Boss GT-6 Chorus & Reverbs into the Vox. I find it to be a relationship of sound when using valves. The use into the PA is the best I have used so far but could be improved. It be comes a problem with any pedal when tring to have a controled thumpy hard rock sound. They always seem to make the top end of the PA range grate. If you find you are not getting what you want try changing the output selection.

So far excellent. I want to know why the guys that design these things dont put plug supports under the input and outputs as they are vulnerable to drunks, punters (not counting the odd roady and muso) standing on the plugs. I use this 2 to 3 times every week.

Within Australia I have contacted them once and it seemed like they did not understand my questions. I asked about upgrades in the software. I dont know if the people concerned actually use these products them self or even worse maybe not even musos. But it is built well and I rated this a 5 as I am not sure. I have not had to have the emergency contact as yet.

I use a processor pedal for versiatility. I have been playing professionally for 35 years. I use a Ephipone les paul, Fender Nashville Tele and a Fender Power Strat. The extra pedal is a bonus as I am enjoying the art of expression pedals. I could always handle a third pedal.