Guitar Reviews 4U the Vox Tonelab ST Amplifier Modeller

 

Guitar Reviews 4U the Vox Tonelab ST Amplifier Modeller

The Vox ST is a compact version of the Tonelab EX

being introduced after the ceasing of the Tonelab LE board

See my other Tonelab Modules review here

The Tonelab concept as a separate modelling unit started with the Studio module and ended with the EX and ST modules. The EX being a slightly more functional module than the ST. It has easy connectivity to Apple's Garageband software.

As we have covered in our previous review on the Tonelab series modules, I've added this one on the EX as one has come my way at a price that seemed too good to pass up and allows me to have an example of each of the Tonelab units and one to review.

The Tonelab ST in all its glory that still retains the functionality of the

original Studio module but with patch selection and expression pedal.

The physical size of the unit is less than the earlier versions from the EX back

The Tonelab St has 11 Amplifier models, the Vox ones are referred to by name Vox AC 15 etc. and the other models made by Fender, Marshall etc are referred to by titles that suggest who makes them! 

After the amplifier model is selected, to the right is the tone controls and gain control, below and to the left a Pedal section where you can have Top Boost, Octaver and a range of features often found on small standalone module effects.

The Mod/Delay sweep switch covers the Chorus, Flanger, Delay and similar effects and to the right of that is a standalone Reverb section.

Completing this row is the Patch display and write buttons.

Unlike the previous Tonelab products, the ST doesn't have a 'Bank' system, in this case the ST has the first 49 patches as editable patches - as you would have on the other Tonelab products, but the remainder from 50 up to 99 are pre-set uneditable patches.

The patches are cued in by use of the up and down buttons on the last row at the base of the unit - here is also the Tuner which you activate by pressing both up and down buttons at the same time.

The ST is really a 'Light edition' of the EX, in that it has most of the functionality but a small footprint.

Why did I buy it? It is compact and I can edit plenty of patches for live playing in various musical styles and sounds which means I can go into my aux in on the Vox VT40 and use that as a PA and use the ST as a 'Brain' - having a clean and neutral channel set on the VT40 first.

It is a pity this set up wasn't put into an amplifier and the addition of bank patches would have been great. 

However, in the meantime Ipad interfaces into the new Vox VT40+ have meant that patch management can be done on the Ipad rather than on the amplifier, through Sound Editor set up.

Old School outputs now feature USB and the MIDI connections are no longer

The ST gives me the 'old school' flexibility and although I could use an EX for the same job, the ST will be fine for most situations.

Lastly, we have a volume pedal to the right of the main controls, this can also be assignable as an expression pedal. On the rear panel, the ST and EX have USB connection, so you can use these for connection to a computer for recording and the line switch options and output volume are handy for that and for going into a D.I. situation for live playing.

This is a nicely made unit and very functional, it has moved on from the LE by the adoption of MIDI outputs to USB which a bonus, you can get MIDI to USB conversion cables I believe but the USB connection is more modern.

Connecting to Garageband is easy, you can use the USB in to the computer, simply connect the uint and power on and in your Apple Menu>System Preferences>Sounds you can then assign the Tonelab to the Input source - be careful to have the volume down in Garageband before introducing the Tonelab as it can cause feedback if you are using a high gain input. Also set the output switch on the rear panel to 'Line.'

For my Garageband test track I used a clean sound Vox AC15 amplifier patch with the rear panel volume set at 12 o'clock position - so when the pedal is right down it does not overload the input. I tried it against an instrumental backing track and it sounded nice.

The EX really is the last of the Tonelab 'old school' units and is both a collector's item and a fully usable modeller. The lack of Bank facility is a downside but most of us will be able to get by! 

Guitar Reviews for you - the VOX MINI3 G2 amplifier

Guitar Reviews for you - the VOX MINI3 G2 portable amplifier

Small but perfectly formed the VOX Mini3 G2

in this retro Vox cabinet variant I own, styled on the AC30 it looks great.

I had seen this small Vox amplifier on the market sometime ago and recently bought one hardly used off Ebay, the reason being I was looking for a small Vox with the classic tones to play along to DVD's on the TV and to use in conjunction with my iPod to play along to for practicing. So I didn't want anything too loud for the backing sound situation.

The larger sized Vox DA5 has a range of amplifier sounds but this Mini 3 has actual Vox modelled tones as you'll find on their valved Valvetronix units. Wanting something for playing along to music by the Shadows, this Vox seemed the ideal thing, small, looks right and not too loud.  Although this is valveless, it sounds great for what it is and has the real sounds not the DA5 generic sounds which may fit some situations but not what I was looking for this time.

Use on the move or at home - the battery installation bay - great for Buskers!

A fabulous value for money small unit, it has a built in Tuner (this tunes to the E note on each string not the EADGBE as on the VT20 etc), Mic in for acoustic or vocals and an MP3 player input via an 1/8th jack which you'd have to go to a VT series amplifier to have otherwise and even they don't give you a vocal mic in on those except for their Acoustic guitar type amplifiers.

The handy carry strap - note the amplifier is available in classic AC 30 type cab, AC TV type cabinet and modern looking and VT series Chromed Diamond Grill versions.

The Vox runs on either mains 230v via a small transformer or on batteries making it a great busker's amplifier and it also has a carrying strap which attaches to the two buttons on the sides of the cabinet. Hook to a guitar strap and you can be a real wandering minstrel.

Easy to use control panel lets you dial in classic tones with ease

I found mine on Ebay used but like new and gave it a go.

For what I wanted sound wise  the Vox AC15 setting was good. With some Compressor, tape echo and the tone to the max and the volume fairly low, I added a bit of gain to power it on to get to a clean Hank Marvin / Shadows sound. It has certainly more than enough volume to play along to a DVD on the TV. 

Ok, so you don't have the array of controls or patch saving of a VT20 and on or an AD 60 or 120 but this is a fraction of the size and cost of those larger Voxes. And in situations where you don't want to lug an AC30 size cabinet about it is good for a demo of a guitar, track or practice on holiday, playing a guitar in your lunch hour at work etc.

There are 11 classic amplifiers on the board to choose from including the VOX AC15 and AC30, Fender clones like the Tweed and Blackface Reverb (which Vox can't actually refer to by the Fender names) and also Marshall and High Gain type modelled amplifiers on the more fiery end of the scale.

Surprisingly the Mini3 is quite loud and for what I want, only a fraction of the volume of the volume was required. The off-white knobs look very retro and I think it is a great amplifier for the money and for what it is in the package / specification. There is a headphone socket for practice or to take the signal out to a recording device, computer for recording or Mixer.

I did try the other amplifier models on the dial and they do sound close to the real thing as you'd expect given the Vox Valvetronix type of programming. That is why I chose it over the DA5 (which I have played on) which just gives you style tones and not specifically modelled tones named to what they should sound like. Nothing wrong with the DA5 but I really wanted that real Vox sound.

All in all a cute looking, retro looking and nice sounding small amplifier, great for low volume practice and who knows, even recording situations. I find it difficult to fault for the money save for the lack of patch saving, or banks of patches but you have to go to a VT20 for that at a minimum which is totally dependent on a mains power supply.

On balance, it is great value for money and versatile. A great addition to my Vox array!

Here's Vox's specifications for the amplifier:

OUTPUT POWER

3 Watts RMS
4 Ohms

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SPEAKER

1 x 5″ Standard Speaker

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INPUTS

1 x Normal Input Jack
1 x Mic Input Jack
1 x Aux Input Jack

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OUTPUTS

1 x Headphone Jack

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CONTROLS

Volume, Gain, Tone, Amp Model Selector, Effects Selector, Delay/Reverb Selector, Mic Trim, Mic Send, Tuner

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AMP MODEL

11 Types

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EFFECTS

12 Types

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SIGNAL PROCESSING

A/D conversion = 24-bit
D/A conversion = 24-bit
Sampling Frequency = 44.1 kHz

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POWER SUPPLY

AC Adapter (included)
6 x AA Batteries (not included)
Battery Life = Max 12 hours (alkaline)

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DIMENSIONS (W X D X H)

262 x 174 x 223 mm | 10.32 x 6.85 x 8.78 inches
3.0 kg | 6.61 lbs (without batteries)

Hey VOX we need a new VOX Valvetronix VT amplifier - with more on-board patch storage capacity!

The Classic VOX AC15, Watkins tape echo & Stratocaster

So, we all may know VOX from the heady days of the 1960's when the iconic VOX AC30 amplifier seemed to be the must have amplifier for any player into the music of the time and any player wanted to be Hank Marvin of the Shadows, Keith Richards or George Harrison, not to forget the Monkees to come with their Vox stacks.

Yet from the success of that iconic amplifier range, a range of guitars and effects, the VOX company were victims of fashion and by the late 60's the Marshall stack was the new must have. And VOX was struggling.

The AC30 was the main amplifier of the early 1960's

Sadly, VOX went solid state at the end of the 1960's and the company was sold on and moved away from the AC30 in time to wonders such as the VOX Venue, adequate but a world away from the 30. I had a 1964 VOX AC4 in the 80's and that was everything my Venue wasn't. My first Venue caught fire and the second one was pretty awful.

Fast forward to the Korg ownership and we were blessed with the AC30 reissue in the 1990's. Yes the 6 input leviathan was back. Twin speakers and all. Still as weighty.

The Tonelab SE and the Pathfinder 15R amplifier

the Pathfinder is a 'new' take on the AC4, but solid state and sounds good

But new was to come in the form of the VOX Valvetronix series. Here, an amplifier modelling brain was built into an amplifier, styled on the old AC30 and the TV Cabinet 1959 AC15 size amplifier, the VOX AD120 and VOX AD60 amplifiers.

Also built as a studio module and as the SE stage version floorboard with expression and volume pedals, the VOX Valvetronix delivered very realistic amplifier sounds with the capacity to store 96 user editable patches on the SE and Studio version.

The VOX AD60 Valvetronix, practical and portable

The building of the Valvetronix brain into the AD series amplifiers was a master stroke. The single speaker AD60  with 32 on board user editable patches supplies plenty of scope from early 50's rockabilly to present day sounds, allied to a VC12 footboard which can store its own patches to upload and can be used to select patches and guitar volume.

The brains of the beast - old school VOX chicken head knobs

The partner to the 60 was the 120, a twin speaker amplifier which is lighter than the old AC30, but still in the same retro style, with the stylish Blue cloth speaker cover which I like. Also an on-board tuner is so handy and can be engaged in silent mode for onstage use. This amplifier has everything, so what could be done next? Blow it.

The VOX AD120 - best of old school looks, best of modern modelling

So the AD series amplifiers were king of the hill in the early 2000's and we then saw a new version come in, the VT series. Although styled on the lines of the AD's with traditional styling, the lack of on-board patch storage reduced to 8 was abysmal.

 

The VOX VT30 part of the VT Series

The VT dropped the on-board tuner function, perhaps the AD had been expensive to make and at over £700 for the 120, they were pricy but they had so much functionality.

The VT by a contrast was basic and poorly appointed. The updated range of VT+ amplifiers reinstated the tuner but the same few patches storage, why? Memory is cheap these days!

I contacted VOX and asked why they had gone backwards, essentially they needed an AD with more patch memory. It was hinted that a new version would come out, but to be honest they need that AD or Tonelab capacity of storage.

The VOX AC30 continues to be popular some nearly 60 years after it first made the stage, today there are Valve Reactor versions which are less costly and have the same look, but no patch storage. You have to bring your own pedal board to the party here.

So the challenge to VOX  is, go and give us a new AD series with more patches on-board and that nice beefy foot controller!

The New VT40X does have an on-board USB socket for modelling, perhaps that is the way forward or to produce a Donkey controller box to set up patches that can be disconnected for playing, but with on-board patch storage in the amplifier. Oh and whilst there, put a bigger LCD like on the Tonelab so we can name patches and see the names.

Then you'd have another market leader. Go to it.