ToneX vs Anagram

[nitrateaudio]

Hi, I am debating going ampless as it seems many in bands are without amps these days. I am looking at these two options and they cost is about 50% difference. I guess my use case would be mostly in studio, and if I need to play live, take the unit with me and plug into a PA. For anything very familiar with these types of solutions, do you think the Anagram upgrade is worth it?

TONEX Bass

Meet the new TONEX Bass Editions, which include a new TONEX Signature Bass Collection and two hardware additions to the TONEX Ecosystem. TONEX Pedal Bass Edition and TONEX ONE Bass Edition come both preloaded with gig-ready Tone Models and presets from the collection.

www.ikmultimedia.com

Anagram Bass Multi-Effects Unit

Powered by a state-of-the-art hexacore processor and 32-bit/48kHz audio processing Studio and stage-grade I/O connectivity USB Audio, MIDI and Bluetooth capabilities Ultra-low latency, pristine clarity, and studio-grade sound Comes loaded with a curated collection of distinct preamps, 50+...

www.darkglass.com

 

[Barghest]

It depends how heavy of an effects user you are. ToneX is a very good platform from what I understand, but its primary purpose is amp sim and drives. The website itself makes basically no mention of pedals aside from distortions.

Personally, I'm an Anagram user, and that does it all, amp sim, effects of any kind, extremely flexible I/O, basically anything you'd need it'll do, and it's constantly growing.

If you're heavy into effects use, I'd absolutely say the Anagram is worth it. If all you do is basic straight to the amp tones, I'd go for the ToneX.

 

[nitrateaudio]

It depends how heavy of an effects user you are. ToneX is a very good platform from what I understand, but its primary purpose is amp sim and drives. The website itself makes basically no mention of pedals aside from distortions.

Personally, I'm an Anagram user, and that does it all, amp sim, effects of any kind, extremely flexible I/O, basically anything you'd need it'll do, and it's constantly growing.

If you're heavy into effects use, I'd absolutely say the Anagram is worth it. If all you do is basic straight to the amp tones, I'd go for the ToneX.

thanks for reply. there is something i should consider. i dont really use much effects. mostly very traditional bass tones.

 

[bigcupholder]

NAM captures are more accurate than Tonex captures though they're both so good I don't know that I could reliably tell in blind tests, maybe only on high gain

The Anagram has way more effects than Tonex.

The UI and overall UX is significantly better with the Anagram.

I briefly had a Tonex before returning it and getting an Anagram. IMO the price difference is completely worth it if you can afford it. If buying the Anagram means you're eating plain rice for the next 2 months and you don't really use effects, the Tonex is a perfectly reasonable choice at that point.

Going to the opposite extreme of the anagram, if you don't need effects and at all and just want a good traditional bass tone without an amp, maybe a Sansamp is all you need?

 

[CochinoBass]

Tonex is primarily amp sim/drive, and if you only need to switch quickly between two captures, consider the Tonex One. Its only $149 and sounds identical to the full size Tonex, but its got no LCD and if you needed more than two captures (you can switch between two with the footswitch), you would have to load it with a tablet or computer. I have a Tonex One and I really like it, but the software is frustratingly difficult to learn at first.

 

[JFlo]

I use a Tonex for practice but am looking real hard at the Anagram to downsize my pedal board for live shows. I agree that the quality of the captures between the two is probably indistinguishable in a mix or live setting. The Anagram does several thing the Tonex can't like pitch shifting, parallel processing and running NAM captures. The other issue that doesn't get mentioned much is the Tonex only outputs instrument level so it doesn't really work straight into a power amp. Tonex software is a mess and the Anagram UI is much cleaner. The Tonex sounds fantastic, especially for the price, but the Anagram is more flexible.

 

[pwilson]

NAM captures are more accurate than Tonex captures though they're both so good I don't know that I could reliably tell in blind tests, maybe only on high gain

The Anagram has way more effects than Tonex.

The UI and overall UX is significantly better with the Anagram.

I briefly had a Tonex before returning it and getting an Anagram. IMO the price difference is completely worth it if you can afford it. If buying the Anagram means you're eating plain rice for the next 2 months and you don't really use effects, the Tonex is a perfectly reasonable choice at that point.

Going to the opposite extreme of the anagram, if you don't need effects and at all and just want a good traditional bass tone without an amp, maybe a Sansamp is all you need?

My experience is consistent with this ^^^

 

[nitrateaudio]

I use a Tonex for practice but am looking real hard at the Anagram to downsize my pedal board for live shows. I agree that the quality of the captures between the two is probably indistinguishable in a mix or live setting. The Anagram does several thing the Tonex can't like pitch shifting, parallel processing and running NAM captures. The other issue that doesn't get mentioned much is the Tonex only outputs instrument level so it doesn't really work straight into a power amp. Tonex software is a mess and the Anagram UI is much cleaner. The Tonex sounds fantastic, especially for the price, but the Anagram is more flexible.

For me , I am trying to setup without an amp and just go into a mixer or PA. I see lots of live bands in my area not using amps on stage now.

 

[CochinoBass]

For me , I am trying to setup without an amp and just go into a mixer or PA. I see lots of live bands in my area not using amps on stage now.

If all you want is an amp sim to replace your real amp then I think Tonex is the way to go, the only thing is you will have to get a DI/LI if you do not already have one since even the big Tonex doesnt have an XLR DI out. To extend that, if an amp sim is all you really want, I recommend the smaller Tonex One, find a capture you like, set it and forget it. Personally, I would not bother with the bigger pedal, but thats just me. Also, all of the Tonex pedals are the same, the only difference is the color and capture packages loaded on them, you dont have to get the Bass version, even the regular guitar Tonex has some bass captures. I found that the user made free captures I downloaded on ToneNET are far superior than the ones loaded with the bass package from IK.

 

[nitrateaudio]

Thanks for replies so far. I am just trying to get my head around why am I looking into using amp sims for bass? I am mostly working in a small studio, everywhere I read and research recordings in the genres I usually work in, it seems everyone is just using DI for bass.

Inside Track: Tom Petty's Hypnotic Eye

Tom Petty’s first US number one album was mixed almost entirely without hardware — and with only two plug-ins!

www.soundonsound.com

" acoustic guitars were recorded using the Stephen Paul U87s, the bass is all DI.."

Should I really be just looking into getting a high end DI like radial for decent bass into a DAW and then use that live in a PA environment given that I dont use effects much other than some compression and limiting?

A good radial DI is about the same as a ToneX pedal on sale.

Bass - Radial Engineering

Radial's range of products for bass players, including Active and Passive Direct Boxes, Instrument Preamps, and Switchers.

www.radialeng.com

 

[JFlo]

It depends how picky you are and how much complexity you can put up with. A quality DI is simple and nearly bullet proof. However using a Tonex or Anagram gives you access to tons of DI captures including super expensive gear like the Noble. There is a great DI capture i use sometimes on the Tonex called "hot tube DI." If you like a clean DI sound then either route is great. I play rock with a gritty pick tone and it needs a cab sim or eq to not sound ganky.

 

[CochinoBass]

I use the Tonex with a capture I made of my own amp and cab, a GK 400RB IV and an SWR Henry 8x8 cab. I could just mic my amp and cab and then blend that with a DI signal in the DAW every time I want to record, but with the Tonex capture of my personal amp and cab I dont have to do that. Once the capture is done, I just run that capture straight to the DAW and I dont have to set anything up, same for an ampless stage setup. The Tonex capture process allows you to blend DI signal with your mic when you are doing the capture, so its like having "your" sound saved for any time you want to use it. There is no reason you couldn't just use a straight DI, lots of people do it, but with the Tonex (and any other of the capture systems) you get the feel and sound of an amp instead of just a DI signal. There are thousands of user uploaded captures, so you should be able to find almost anything as a free download. For example, I downloaded one I really, really like, its a Peavey MkIII with a 215 cab, its got the really obnoxious midrange that I love. Obviously all of the more mainstream stuff like SVTs, GK 800RB, Aguilar, etc is there also in the hundreds each.

 

[LowWay]

I have a Tonex. I like it a lot. I like it more for guitar than bass, but I do like it for bass quite a bit. Small price to pay to get that Trace Elliott sound from the ‘90s again. Plus all the other amp vibes available. But it is not a DI, and it won’t drive a power amp, so, make sure it aligns with your use case.

 

[Bass Ape]

I just picked up the big ToneX bass for their July 4th sale. It will be interesting to see what it brings to the board.