IK Multimedia brings its AI Machine Modeling to the floor with the TONEX Pedal, promising “unlimited amp and cab rigs” from one compact unit

IK Multimedia has launched the TONEX Pedal, completing what it describes as an eco-system of digital electric guitar tones with a compact hardware unit that pares seamlessly with its TONE Max software and the guitar amp and effects models of its ToneNET user community.

The TONEX Pedal is a self-contained guitar rig, powered by AmpliTube’s AI Machine Modeling, capable of storing up to 150 Tone Model presets at any one time, arranged across three banks of 50. These could be entire rigs, or a pedalboard, or any combination of amps, effects and speaker cabinet emulations. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

With its own IR loader, players can hook the device up to the TONE Max software model their own gear and access it digitally via the device. Alternatively, choose from 1,000 premium Tone Models, or download a user-created rigs from the 6,000-plus presently available via ToneNET.

The pedal ships with five stereo reverbs from the AmpliTube X-Space pedal, plus noise gate, parametric EQ, and a compressor.

It has an anodized aluminium enclosure, three-footswitch design for cycling through preset banks, a display at the top of the pedal that shows you which Tone Model preset is active, the bank number, or a parameter’s name and its value.

There are dual-action turn-and-press knobs for the Model, Preset and Parameter Encoders, plus dual-function knobs for adjusting Gain/Reverb, Bass/Compressor, Mid/Noise-Gate, Treble/Presence and Volume/Depth.

Around the back of the unit you’ll find 1/4” inputs for your instrument, stereo 1/4” outputs,   a headphones output for silent practice and monitoring, MIDI, and an input for an external expression pedal. A USB connection allows you to hook up the pedal to the accompanying software for performing deep edits, or for using the unit as a guitar audio interface.

The TONEX Pedal uses 24-bit, 192 kHz processing, has a 5 Hz to 24 kHz response, and 123 dB of dynamic range. It has IK Multimedia’s VIR cabinet and mic simulation tech onboard, and a full version of AmpliTube 5 for integrating Tone Models with your studio setup. 

This “full studio integration” is all about the workflows, streamlining the process for arranging your rigs digitally. The TONEX software has a librarian section with a drag-and-drop GUI.

The TONEX Pedal is made in Italy, and it is available now, priced €399.99. For more information, head over to IK Multimedia, and check out MusicRadar's news story on the TONEX eco-system and what it means for the future of guitar tone profiling.