Vox Tonelab EX User manual

ii
Precautions
Location
Usingtheunitinthefollowinglocationscanresultinamal‐
function.
•Indirectsunlight
•Locationsofextremetemperatureorhumidity
•Excessivelydustyordirtylocations
•Locationsofexcessivevibration
•Closetomagneticfields
Power supply
PleaseconnectthedesignatedACadaptertoanACoutletof
thecorrectvoltage.DonotconnectittoanACoutletofvolt‐
ageotherthanthatforwhichyourunitisintended.
Interference with other electrical devices
Radiosandtelevisionsplacednearbymayexperiencerecep‐
tioninterference.Operatethisunitatasuitabledistancefrom
radiosandtelevisions.
Handling
Toavoidbreakage,donotapplyexcessiveforcetothe
switchesorcontrols.
Care
Iftheexteriorbecomesdirty,wipeitwithaclean,drycloth.
Donotuseliquidcleanerssuchasbenzeneorthinner,or
cleaningcompoundsorflammablepolishes.
Keep this manual
Afterreadingthismanual,pleasekeepitforlaterreference.
Keeping foreign matter out of your equipment
Neversetanycontainerwithliquidinitnearthisequipment.
Ifliquidgetsintotheequipment,itcouldcauseabreakdown,
fire,orelectricalshock.
Becarefulnottoletmetalobjectsgetintotheequipment.If
somethingdoesslipintotheequipment,unplugtheAC
adapterfromthewalloutlet.ThencontactyournearestVOX
dealerorthestorewheretheequipmentwaspurchased.
THE FCC REGULATION WARNING (for USA)
Thisequipmenthasbeentestedandfoundtocomplywiththelimitsfora
ClassBdigitaldevice,pursuanttoPart15oftheFCCRules.Theselimits
aredesignedtoprovidereasonableprotectionagainstharmfulinterference
inaresidentialinstallation.Thisequipmentgenerates,uses,andcan
radiateradiofrequencyenergyand,ifnotinstalledandusedinaccordance
withtheinstructions,maycauseharmfulinterferencetoradio
communications.However,thereisnoguaranteethatinterferencewillnot
occurinaparticularinstallation.Ifthisequipmentdoescauseharmful
interferencetoradioortelevisionreception,whichcanbedeterminedby
turningtheequipmentoffandon,theuserisencouragedtotrytocorrect
theinterferencebyoneormoreofthefollowingmeasures:
• Reorientorrelocatethereceivingantenna.
• Increasetheseparationbetweentheequipmentandreceiver.
•Connecttheequipmentintoanoutletonacircuitdifferentfromthatto
whichthereceiverisconnected.
• Consultthedealeroranexperiencedradio/TVtechnicianforhelp.
Unauthorizedchangesormodificationtothissystemcanvoidtheuser’s
authoritytooperatethisequipment.

Notice regarding disposal (EU only)
Whenthis“crossed‐outwheeledbin”symbolisdisplayedonthe
product,owner’smanual,battery,orbatterypackage,itsignifies
thatwhenyouwishtodisposeofthisproduct,manual,packageor
batteryyoumustdosoinanapprovedmanner.Donotdiscard
thisproduct,manual,packageorbatteryalongwithordinary
householdwaste.Disposinginthecorrectmannerwillprevent
harmtohumanhealthandpotentialdamagetotheenvironment.
Sincethecorrectmethodofdisposalwilldependontheapplicablelaws
andregulationsinyourlocality,pleasecontactyourlocaladministrative
bodyfordetails.Ifthebatterycontainsheavymetalsinexcessofthe
regulatedamount,achemicalsymbolisdisplayedbelowthe“crossed‐out
wheeledbin”symbolonthebatteryorbatterypackage.
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CONSUMERS
Thisproducthasbeenmanufacturedaccordingtostrictspecificationsand
voltagerequirementsthatareapplicableinthecountryinwhichitis
intendedthatthisproductshouldbeused.Ifyouhavepurchasedthis
productviatheinternet,throughmailorder,and/orviaatelephonesale,
youmustverifythatthisproductisintendedtobeusedinthecountryin
whichyoureside.
WARNING:Useofthisproductinanycountryotherthanthatforwhichit
isintendedcouldbedangerousandcouldinvalidatethemanufacturer’sor
distributor’swarranty.
Pleasealsoretainyourreceiptasproofofpurchaseotherwiseyourproduct
maybedisqualifiedfromthemanufacturer’sordistributor’swarranty.
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*Allproductnamesandcompanynamesarethetrademarks
orregisteredtrademarksoftheirrespectiveowners.

iv
Contents
Introduction ..............................................................1
Main features......................................................................1
Panel Tour (Top and rear panels) ...........................2
Top panel............................................................................2
Rear panel ..........................................................................8
Making connections.................................................9
Trying out the ToneLab EX ...................................10
Performance modes .........................................................10
Creating your own sounds ....................................12
Creating a sound ..............................................................12
Noise reduction settings ...................................................14
Using Total Equalizer .......................................................14
Saving a program...................................................15
About the amp models, 
cabinet models, and effect types.....................15
Amp models......................................................................15
Cabinet models.................................................................20
stand alone pedals ...........................................................22
Pedal 1 .............................................................................23
Pedal 2 .............................................................................24
Modulation ....................................................................... 25
Delay types ...................................................................... 28
Reverb types .................................................................... 29
Tuner .......................................................................29
Tuning procedure ............................................................. 29
Switching tuning mode ..................................................... 30
Calibrating the tuner......................................................... 30
Using the expression pedal for control ...............31
Expression pedal settings ................................................ 31
Assigning a function to 
the expression pedal (Quick Assign)................................ 31
Expression pedal minimum and maximum values ........... 32
Adjusting the sensitivity of the expression pedal.............. 34
Connecting to your computer (USB connection) ..35
Using librarian software.................................................... 35
Transferring audio data .................................................... 35
Restoring the factory settings ..............................36
Troubleshooting.....................................................36
Song Preset Program List .....................................38
Specifications.........................................................39

1
Introduction
ThankyouforpurchasingtheVOXToneLabEXModeling
EffectProcessor.
Inordertogetthemostoutofyournewgear,pleasereadthis
owner’smanualcarefullyandusetheproductasdirected.
Keeptheowner’smanualinasafeplaceforfuturereference.
Main features
•TheToneLabEXfeaturesapowerampcircuitthatusesa
miniaturetriode12AX7(ECC83)vacuumtubethatisnor‐
mallyusedinpreamps,generatingthesoundofarealtube
amp,andcapturingthefeelandtoneoftheoriginalampli‐
fier(Valvetronixtechnology).
•Thi
rty‐threeampmodelsusingsophisticatedmodeling
technologyarebuilt‐in.Therearealsoelevenspeakercabi‐
netmodels,givingyouaneasywaytorecallsoundsrang‐
ingfromvintageampsofthepasttoexpensivehigh‐end
tubeamps.
•Fourty‐fivehighqualityeffectsarebuilt‐in,allowingyouto
simultaneouslyuseuptonineeffecttypesincludingnoise
reductionandthe
volume pedal.
•Thereareonehundredpresetsounds(fourprogramsin
eachof25banks)thattakeadvantageoftheampsandef‐
fects,togetherwithonehundreduser‐editableprograms
(fourprogramsineachof25userbanks),givingyouatotal
oftwohundredprogramsthatyoucanswitchbetweenby
pressingafootswitchwhileyouperform.
•Youcanassignanyoftheelevenstandalonepedalsandad‐
justvariousparametersusingthecontrolknobsintheamp
section.Inthisway,theToneLabEXenablesyoutocreate
complex,pro‐levelsoundsfeaturingabundanteffects.
•Theexpressionpedalletsyoucontrolwah,volume,or
manyotherparameterswithyourfoot–agreatassetdur‐
ingliveperformance.
•T
heQuickAssignfunctionmakesiteasytoassignparame‐
tersorotherfunctionstotheexpressionpedal.
•TheAmp/Lineswitchensuresthatyoursoundiscorrectly
optimizedwhetheryou’reusingaguitaramporline‐level
systemasyouraudiooutputdevice.Settingthisswitchto
LinewillactivateaTotalEqualizerthatadjuststhetoneof
thefinaloutputsound.
•Abuilt‐inAutoChromaticTunerfeaturesswitchableNor‐
malmodeandStrobemodeforeasytuning.
•I
fyouuseacommerciallyavailableUSBcabletoconnect
theToneLabEXtoyourcomputer,you’llbeabletousethe
ToneLabEXlibrariansoftwareonyourcomputertoman‐
ageuserprograms,orusetheToneLabEXasaUSBaudio
interface.

2
Panel Tour 
(Top and rear panels)
Herewe’llintroduceyoutotheswitches,controls,andcon‐
nectionsontheToneLabEX’stoppanel .
Top panel
1
2
3
876549
1.Amp section
Hereyouʹllcreatesettingsfortheampmodelandstandalone
pedal.
Fordetailsoneacheffect,referto“A m pmodels”(p.15)and
“standalonepedals”(p.22).
NOTE: Youcannotusetheampmodelandstandalonepedal
simultaneously.Ifyouturnoneofthemon,theother
willturnoff.
ac
de g h
f
b
a. AMPS bank select switch and LED
Usethistoswitchthebank,ortoturntheampmodelon/off.
Eachtimeyoupresstheswitch,thebankwillcyclebetween
STANDARD,SPECIAL,CUSTOM,STANDARD...
ThecoloroftheLEDwillindicatethebankthat’sselected.
•STANDARD:green
•SPECIAL:orange
•CUSTOM:red
TheLEDwillbelit‐upiftheampmodelison.Byholding
downthisswitchforaboutonesecondyoucanswitchthe
ampmodelon/off.

3
b. STAND ALONE PEDALS switch and LED
Usethistoturnthestandalonepedalon/off.
TheLEDwillbelit‐upifthestandalonepedalison.
c. CABINET ON/OFF switch and LED
Thisturnsthecabinetmodelon/off.TheLEDwillbelitifthe
cabinetmodelison.
ByenteringtheOPTIONparametersettingmodeyoucanset
parametersforthecabinetmodel.
The OPTION parameter setting mode
ToentertheOPTIONparametersettingmode,holddownthe
CABINETON/OFFswitchforaboutonesecond.You’llbein
TheOPTIONparametersettingmode,andtheLEDwill
blink.
TheOPTIONparametersettingmodeletsyouadjustthefol‐
lowingsettings.
•GAINcontrol:cabinetmodel(CABINETSELECT)
•TREBLEcontrol:presence(PRESENCE)
•MIDDLEcontrol:noisereduction(NR)
•BASScontrol:TotalEqualizerHigh(EQHI)
•REVERBcontrol:TotalEqualizerLow(EQLO)
•VOLUMEcontrol:Trim(TRIM)
Toreturntothepreviousoperation,presstheCABINETON/
OFFswitchortheEXIT/TUNEswitch.
NOTE: TotalEqualizerisenabledonlywhentheAMP/LINE
switchissettoLINE.
NOTE: Presenceiseffectiveonlywhentheampmodelorthe
standalonepedalisturnedon.
d. AMPS/STAND ALONE PEDALS selector
Thisselectstheampmodelorthestandalonepedal.
Thetypeyouselectwilldeterminetheresponseofthegain
circuitandtonecontrols,andtheorderinwhichtheyare
locatedinthecircuit.
Iftheampmodelandstandalonepedalsareturnedoff,rotating
thisselectorwillturntheampmodelorstandalonepedalon.
e. GAIN control
Thisadjuststhegainoftheselectedampmodelorstand
alonepedal.
IntheOPTIONparametersettingmode,thiscontrolselects
thecabinetmodel.Ifthecabinetmodelisturnedoff,turning
thiscontrolintheOPTIONparametersettingmodewillturn
thecabinetmodelon.
f. TREBLE, MIDDLE, BASS controls
Theseadjustthetoneofthehigh,mid,andlowfrequency
ranges.Thewaythesecontrolsaffectthetonewilldependon
themodelyou’veselected.
NOTE: Dependingontheselectedampmodel,theremaybe
almostnosoundifyouturnallthreeofthesecontrols
tothefarleft.
IntheOPTIONparametersettingmode,theTREBLEcontrol
adjuststhepresence,theMIDDLEcontroladjuststhenoise
reduction,andtheBASScontrolenablesyoutoadjustthe
TotalEqualizerHigh.
g. REVERB knob
Dependingonthepositionoftheknob,thisselectsthereverb
type(SPRING,ROOM,orHALL),andadjuststheamountof

4
reverbinthemix.Ifyouturntheknoballthewaytotheleft,
thereverbeffectwillbeturnedoff.
IntheOPTIONparametersettingmode,thiscontrolknob
enablesyoutoadjusttheTotalEqualizerLow.
Fordetailsoneacheffect,referto“Reverbtypes”(p.29)
h. VOLUME control
Thisadjuststhevolumeoftheprogram.
IntheOPTIONparametersettingmode,itenablesyouto
selectTrim.
HINT: Youcanadjustthevolumeoftheprogramevenwhen
theampmodelisturnedoff.
2.Bank select section
a. BANK UP/DOWN pedals
a
a
Inprogramselectmode,thesepedalsenable
youtoselectaprogrambank(p.10,“Trying
outtheToneLabEX”).
PressingtheBANKUPpedalwillincrement
thebankbyone,andpressingtheDOWN
pedalwilldecreasethebankbyone.
Thebanknumberwillbedisplayedinthe
Bank/Valuedisplay.
IfyoupresstheUPandDOWNpedals
simultaneouslyforaboutonesecond,the
“”indicatorwillappearontheBank/Valuedisplay,and
theunitwillenterStompBoxMode.InStompBoxMode,
thesepedalsturnonorofftheamp/standalonepedalandthe
effectassignedtopedal1individually(p.11,“StompBox
Mode”).
3. Program Select/Tuner/Stereo Speakers section
cc
ab
a. Program 1–4 pedals and LED
Inprogramselectmode
,thesepedalsenableyoutoselectapro‐
gramfromabank(p.10,“TryingouttheToneLabEX”).Ifyou
selectaprogram,aprogramLEDthatcorrespondstotheselected
programwillbelit‐upred.(Program1–4LEDsarelocatedabove
theprogram1–4pedalsandindicatethetuningstatus.)
HINT: Youcansetthedelaytimeusingtheprogram1–4ped‐
als.Inthiscase,theintervalatwhichyoutaptwiceona
programpedal(thatcorrespondstotheselectedpro‐
gram)willbeassignedasthedelaytime.
HINT: Ifyoupressandholddowntheprogrampedalthatcorre‐
spondstothecurrentprogramforaboutonesecond,allef‐
fectswillbebypassedandyouʹllbeabletousethetuner.If
youholddowntheprogrampedalforabouttwoseconds,
youʹllbeabletousethetunerwiththesoundmuted.
InStompBoxMode ,thesepedalsturnonoroffthepedal2
effect,modulationeffect,delayeffect,andreverbeffectindivid‐
ually.Whenaneffectisturnedon,thecorrespondingprogram
1–4pedalLEDwillbelit‐upred(p.11,“StompBoxMode”)
.

5
b. TUNER LED
Theselightsareusedfortuning(p.29,“Tuner”).
Whenyou’reusingthetuner,theLEDswillindicatethetun‐
ingstatus.
c. Stereo speakers
Youcanlistentothesoundoutputfromthebuilt‐instereo
speakers.Toadjustthevolumelevel,usetheSPEAKER
LEVELcontrolontherearpanel(p.8).
NOTE: Thespeakerswillbemutedwhenacableisconnected
totheOUTPUT/PHONESjack.
NOTE: Someprograms(especiallythosewithanemphasized
lowrange)maycausethesoundfromthespeakersto
bedistortedornoisy.Insuchacase,adjustthevolume
levelusingtheSPEAKERLEVELcontrol.
4.Pedal 1 section
b
a
Hereyoucanadjustthesettingsforthe
pedal1effects.
Fordetailsoneacheffect,referto“Pedal
1”(p.23)
a. PEDAL 1 ON/OFF switch and LED
Thisturnsthepedal1effecton/off.
TheLEDwillbelitifthepedal1effectison.
b. PEDAL 1 knob
Rotatingthisknobenablesyoutoselectthepedal1effect
typeandadjuststheeffectparametersassignedtoeacheffect.
Ifthepedal1effectisturnedoff,rotatingthisselectorwill
turnthepedal1effecton.
5.Pedal 2 section
Hereyoucanadjustthesettingsforthepedal2effects.
Fordetailsoneacheffect,referto“Pedal2”(p.24).
a. PEDAL 2 ON/OFF switch
and LED
b
ac
Thisturnsthepedal2effect
on/off.TheLEDwillbelitif
thepedal2effectison.
b. PEDAL 2 selector
Thisselectsthepedal2type.
Ifthepedal2effectisturned
off,turningthisselectorwill
turnthepedal2effecton.
c. EDIT knob
Thisadjuststheparametersofeacheffect.
6.Modulation section
b
acd
Hereyoucanadjusttheset‐
tingsforthemodulationeffect.
Fordetailsoneacheffect,refer
to“Modulation”(p.25).
a. MODULATION ON/OFF switch
and LED
Thisswitchturnsthemodula‐
tioneffecton/off.
TheLEDwillbelitiftheeffectison.

6
b. MODULATION selector
Thisselectsthemodulationtype.
Ifthemodulationeffectisoff,rotatingthisselectorwillturn
themodulationeffecton.
c. EDIT knob
Thisadjuststheparametersofeacheffect.
Youcanusethisknobtoadjusttwodifferentparameters,EDIT1
orEDIT2.Thespecificparametersthatareadjustedwilldepend
ontheselectedeffect.Fordetails,referto“Modulation”(p.25).
•EDIT1:turntheEDITknob
•EDIT2: holddowntheTAPswitchandturntheEDITknob
d. TAP switch and LED
Thisisusedtosetthespeedofthemodulationeffect.The
intervalusedtopresstheTAPswitchtwicewillbeassigned
astheeffectsmodulationspeed.
TheLEDwillblinktoindicatethespecifiedspeed.
HINT: Tosetaprecisespeedthatmatchesthetempoofasong,
presstheTAPswitchseveraltimesinrhythmwiththesong.
•Ifyou’veselectedPITCH,thepitchsettingwillchangeeach
timeyoupresstheTAPswitch.
•Ifyou’veselectedFILTRON,theenvelopeup/downsetting
willchangeeachtimeyoupresstheTAPswitch.TheLED
willlight‐upifUpisselected.
•fyouʹveselectedTALKMOD,thevocalcharactertype(1or
2)settingwillchangeeachtimeyoupresstheTAPswitch.
Iftype2isselected,theLEDwilllightup.
YoucaneditparameterssuchasSPEEDorPITCHbyholding
downtheTAPswitchandturningtheEDITknob(EDIT2).
Fordetails,referto“Modulation”(p.25).
7.Delay section
b
a c
Hereyoucanadjustthesettingsforthe
delayeffect.
Fordetailsoneacheffect,referto“Delay
types”(p.28)
a. DELAY ON/OFF switch and LED
Thisswitchturnsthedelayeffecton/off.
TheLEDwillbelitiftheeffectison.
b. DELAY knob
Rotatingthisknobenablesyoutoselectthedelaytypeor
adjustthedelaylevel.
Ifthedelayeffectisturnedoff,rotatingthisselectorwillturn
thedelayeffecton.
Toadjustthefeedbackamount,rotatetheDELAYknobwhile
holdingdowntheTAPswitch.
c. TAP switch and LED
Thisisusedtosetthedelaytimeofthedelayeffect.Theinter‐
valusedtopresstheTAPswitchtwicewillbeassignedasthe
delaytime.
TheLEDwillblinktoindicatethespecifiedtime.
NOTE: Youcansetthedelaytimeusingtheprogram1–4ped‐
als.Inthiscase,theintervalatwhichyoutaptwiceon
aprogrampedal(thatcorrespondstotheselectedpro‐
gram)willbeassignedasthedelaytime.
HINT: Tosetaprecisetimethatmatchesthetempoofasong,
presstheTAPswitchseveraltimesinrhythmwiththe
song.

7
8.Setting/Display section
b
a
c
d
e
a. Bank/Value display
Thisdisplayusuallyindicatesa
banknumber.Whenyouʹreusing
thetuner,itindicatesanotename.
Whileyouareselectingabank,the
banknumberwillblink.
Whenyou’reeditingaparameter,
thisshowstheparametervaluethatyou’reediting.
Iftheparametervaluematchestheoriginalvalue,thedecimal
pointsegmentinthelowerrightoftheLEDwillmomentarily
lightup(p.13,“Parameteroriginalvalueindication”).
InStompBoxMode,the“ ”indicatorwillappearonthe
Bank/Valuedisplay(p.11).
b. EXIT/TUNE switch
Pressthisifyoudecidetocancelanoperation(suchassaving
aprogram).WhentheCABINETon/offswitchLED,the
QuickAssignLED,orthebank/valuedisplayarenotblink‐
ing,youcanpressthisswitchtousethetuner(p.29,“Tuning
procedure”).
Byholdingdownthisswitchforabouttwoseconds,youcan
activatetheKeyLockfunction,whichlocks(disables)the
operationsoftheswitches,selectors,andknobsonthetop
panel.Todeactivatethisfunction,holddowntheswitchonce
againforabouttwoseconds.
c. WRITE switch
Pressthisifyousavedthesoundyou’veedited(p.15,“Sav‐
ingaprogram”).
d. Quick Assign LED
ThiswilllightwhentheQuickAssignfunctionisavailable,
andwillblinkwhenyou’respecifyingthevariablerangeof
theexpressionpedal.
e. EXPRESSION switch
Thisletsyouspecifythemaximumvalueandminimum
valueoftheparameterthat’sassignedtothepedal.For
details,referto“Expressionpedalminimumandmaximum
values”(p.32).
IftheQuickAssignLEDislit,holdingdownthisswitchfor
approximatelytwosecondswillassignaeffectparameterto
theexpressionpedal(p.31,“Assigningafunctiontothe
expressionpedal(QuickAssign)”).
9.Expression pedal section
b
a
a. EXPRESSION PEDAL LED
Thiswilllightwhentheeffectassigned
totheexpressionpedalison.
b. Expression pedal
Thiscontrolsthefunctionthat’sassigned
totheexpressionpedal(e.g.,volumeor
wah),orcontrolstheparameterofsome
othereffects.
Ifyoufirmlyadvancetheexpressionpedal
allthewayforward,theeffectassignedto
thepedalwillbeswitchedon/off.
NOTE: Ifvolumeisassignedtotheexpressionpedal,advancing
thepedalinthiswaywillnotturnoffthevolumepedal.

8
Rear panel
11
12345678910
1. SPEAKER LEVEL knob
Thisadjuststheoutputlevelofthebuilt‐instereospeakers.
NOTE: Thespeakerswillbemutedwhenacableisconnected
totheOUTPUT/PHONESjack.
2. USB connector (Type B)
IfyouuseacommerciallyavailableUSBcabletoconnectthe
ToneLabEXtoyourcomputer,you’llbeabletouselibrarian
softwareonyourcomputertomanageuserprograms,oruse
theToneLabEXasaUSBaudiointerface.
3. Cable hook
WrapthecableoftheACadapteraroundthishooktoprevent
theACadapterfrombeingaccidentallydisconnected.
Fordetails,referto“Makingconnections”(p.9).
4. DC 12V connector
ConnecttheincludedACadapterhere.
NOTE: TheincludedACadapterisonlyforusewiththe
ToneLabEX.Usingitwithanyotherdevicemaycause
malfunctions,soyoumustneverdoso.
5. ON/STANDBY switch
Thisturnsthepoweronoroff(STANDBY).
6. INPUT connector
Connectyourguitarcablehere.
7. AUX IN jack
Thisisastereomini‐jackwhereyoucanconnecttheoutput
(analogoutput)ofanaudiodevice.
YoucanconnectaCDorMP3playerhere,andplayalongon
yourguitarwhilelisteningtoyourfavoritesongs.Toadjust
thevolume,usethecontrolsoftheconnecteddevice.
8. OUTPUT/PHONES jack
Connectyourguitaramp,mixer,orheadphoneshere.This
jackwillaccommodateeitherstereoormonauralconnections.
9. LEVEL knob
ThisadjuststheoutputleveloftheOUTPUT/PHONESjack.
10.AMP/LINE switch
Thecorrectsettingofthisswitchwilldependonwhatiscon‐
nectedtotheOUTPUT/PHONESjack.
Fordetails,referto“Makingconnections”(p.9).
11.Valve
Theinternal12AX7(ECC83)vacuumtubeislocatedhere.
NOTE: Thevacuumtubemaybreakifitissubjectedtophysi‐
calimpact.BecarefulnottosubjecttheToneLabEXto
strongphysicalimpact.

9
Making connections
Here’showtomakeconnectionsandstartusingyourToneLabEX.
AC adapter
CD, MP3 player, etc.
Audio system
Mixer, recorder, etc.
Computer
USB cable
Guitar
Guitar amp
Headphones
VOX
OUTPUT/PHONES INPUT DC12V
AUX
IN USB
1. SettheAMP/LINEswitchappropriatelyforthetypeofde‐
viceyou’llbeconnectingtotheOUTPUT/PHONESjack.
SettheAMP/LINEswitchasfollows.
AMP (VOX, F, M)
Ifyou’reconnectingaguitaramp,choosetheVOX,F,orM
setting.Thissettingwillcompensatetheoutputfromthe
ampmodelasnecessary.However,compensationwillnot
beappliediftheampmodelisofforthestandalonepedal
isselected.
•VOX: Usethissettingiftheoutputisconnectedtoan
ampthathasadistinctivemid‐rangesuchastheAC30
open‐backedcomboampmadebytheVOXCorporation.
•F:Usethissettingiftheoutputisconnectedtoatypical
clean‐soundingUS‐madeopen‐backedcomboamp.
•M:Usethissettingiftheoutputisconnectedtoahigher
gainstack‐typeampsuchasa4x12closed‐backcabinet.
LINE
Usethissettingiftheoutputisconnectedtoyourguitar
amp’spoweramp,toanaudiosystem,mixer,orrecorder,
ortoheadphones,oriftheToneLabEXʹsbuilt‐inspeakers
areused.WhenLINEisselected,youcanuseTotalEqual‐
izer.AdjusttheoutputsoundinOPTIONparameterset‐
tingmode(p.14,“UsingTotalEqualizer”).

10
2. UseacabletoconnecttheToneLabEX’sOUTPUT/
PHONESjacktoyourguitaramp,mixer,orotherdevice.
NOTE: BeforeconnectingtheToneLabEX,lowerthevol‐
umelevelofyourguitarampormixer.
TheOUTPUT/PHONESisequippedwithastereooutput
jack.Useastereo(TRS)cabletoenjoylisteningtoorre‐
cordingwithyourToneLabEXinstereo.
Ifyouramplifierormixerhasonlymonoinputs,youcan
purchaseacablethathasastereoplugononeend,and
twomonoplugs(LeftandRight)ontheother.
ConnectingamonocabletotheOUTPUT/PHONESjack
willonlypickupthesoundfromLeftchannel.
3.
SettheLEVELknobandSPEAKERLEVELknobonthe
rearpanelto“0”byturningtheknoballthewaytotheleft
(asseenfromtherearpanel).
4. ConnecttheplugendoftheACadapter
(included)totheDC12Vjackontherear
paneloftheToneLabEX,andtheother
endintoanACoutlet.
SecuretheACadaptercablearoundthe
cablehook;thiswillreducestressonthe
plugendoftheadapter,andpreventit
fromdisconnectingaccidently.
5. Usingastandardguitarcable,connectyourguitartothe
INPUTjackoftheToneLabEX
6. Makesurethatthevolumeofyourampormixeris
turneddown,andthensettheON/STANDBYswitchon
theToneLabEXtothe“ON”position.
7. Raisethevolumecontrolsofyourampormixertotheir
normallevels,andusetheLEVELknobor
SPEAKER
LEVELknob ontherearpaneltoadjustthevolumetoa
suitablelevel.
NOTE: TheToneLabEXusesavacuumtube,soitmaytake
afewsecondsforthevacuumtubetowarmup,and
fortheToneLabEXtoproducesound.
Trying out the ToneLab EX
TheToneLabEXhasatotaloftwohundredprograms,con‐
sistingofrewritableuserprograms(Banks1–25x4)andpre‐
setprograms(Banks26–50x4).
Performance modes
TheToneLabEXfeaturestwoperformancemodes:Program
Selectmodeenablesyoutoselectandplayprograms;Stomp
Boxmodeenablesyoutoturnonoroffindividualeffects
assignedintheselectedprogram.
Switching between modes
PressboththeBANKUPandBANKDOWNpedalssimulta‐
neouslyforonesecond.
RepeatthisoperationtotogglebetweenStompBoxmodeand
ProgramSelectmode.
IftheBank/Valuedisplayindicatesabanknumber,Program
Selectmodeisengaged.Ifthedisplayindicates“,”Stomp
Boxmodeisengaged.

11
Program Select Mode
Thismodeenablesyoutoselectandplayprograms.
WhenyoupowertheToneLabEXon,itautomatically
engagesthismode,andtheBank/Valuedisplayindicatesa
banknumber.
Use the BANK UP, BANK DOWN, and Program 1–4 pedals
to select a program.
Forexample,toselectprogram3‐1(Bank3,Program1),press
theBANKUP/DOWNpedalstoselect“3”ontheBankdis‐
play,thenpresstheProgram1pedaltolighttheLED.
YoucanpresstheProgram1–4pedalstoselectprogramsin
thesamebank.Ifyouwanttoselectaprograminother
banks,presstheBANKUP/DOWNpedalstoselectabank,
thenpresstheProgram1–4pedalstoselectaprogram.
Eachprogramcontainssettingsthatassigntheexpression
pedaltocontrolwah,volume,delayfeedback,reverbinput
level,orsomeothereffectparameter.Usetheexpression
pedaltotryouttheassignedparameterforeachprogram.
Stomp Box Mode
Thismodeenablesyoutoturntheeffectsthatareassignedto
thecurrentlyselectedprogramonoroff.
InProgramSelectMode,pressboththeBANKUPandBANK
DOWNpedalssimultaneouslyforonesecond,TheBank/Value
displayindicates“”andStompBoxModeisengaged.
Eacheffecton/offisassignedtothefollowingpedals:
Effect Pedal and LED
STAND ALONE PEDALS/AMPS BANK UP
PEDAL 1 BANK DOWN
PEDAL 2 Program 1
MODULATION Program 2
DELAY Program 3
REVERB Program 4
Forexample,iftheProgram1LEDislit,thePedal2effectis
on.PressingtheProgram1pedalwillturnthePedal2effect
off,andtheProgram1LEDwillbecomedark.
Inthesameway,iftheAMPSbankselectLEDislit,theamp
modelison.PressingtheBANKUPpedalwillturntheamp
modeloff,andtheAMPSbankselectLEDwillbecomedark.
Saving the effect on/off status as a program
Theeffecton/offstatusinStompBoxModewillremain
unchangedwhenyouswitchtoProgramSelectMode.How‐
ever,ifyouselectotherprograms,orpowertheToneLabEX
offafteryouswitchtoProgramSelectMode,theeditedeffect
on/offstatuswillbecancelledandwillreverttoitsinitialset‐
tingfortheprogram.
Ifyouwanttosavetheeffecton/offstatusinStompBox
Modetoaprogram,youmustsavethesettingbypressingthe
WRITEswitch.
Fordetails,referto“Savingaprogram”(p.15).

12
Creating your own sounds
Creating a sound
Therearetwowaystocreateyourownsound:youcanstart
withaprogramthat’ssimilartowhatyouhaveinmindand
thenedittheparametersasdesired,oryoucancreateapro‐
gramfromscratch.
Herewe’llexplainhowtocreateaprogramfromscratch.
1. Turnoffthecabinetmodelandeffecttypes.
IftheCABINET,PEDAL1,PEDAL2,MODULATION,
andDELAYLEDsarelit,presscorrespondingswitchesto
turnthemoff.SettheREVERBknobtotheoffposition.
2. PresstheAMPSbankselectswitchtoselectabank,and
usetheAMPS/STANDALONEPEDALSselectorto
selectanampmodel.
EachtimeyoupresstheAMPSbankswitch,thebankwill
cyclethroughSTANDARD,SPECIAL,CUSTOM,STAN‐
DARD...
Fordetailsontheampmodels,referto“A m p models”(p.15) .
3. UsetheGAIN,TREBLE,MIDDLE,BASS,andVOLUME
controlstoadjustthetoneandvolume.
TheGAINcontroladjuststhegain.
TheTREBLE,MIDDLE,andBASScontrolsadjustthehigh,
mid,andlow‐frequencytone.
TheVOLUMEcontroladjuststhevolume.
HINT: Thesoundmightbedistortedinanundesirableway
dependingonthesettingsoftheTREBLE,MIDDLE,
orBASScontrols,ordependingonothersettings.If
so,adjusttheVOLUMEcontroltoanappropriate
volume.
4. Ifdesired,selectacabinetmodelandadjustthehigh‐fre‐
quencytone.
To turn the cabinet model on
PresstheCABINETon/offswitch.TheLEDwilllight.
To change the cabinet mode
HolddowntheCABINETon/offswitchforaboutonesec‐
ondtoenterOPTIONparametersettingmode(theCABI‐
NETon/offswitchLEDwillblink).ThenturntheGAIN
control.
Fordetailsonthecabinetmodels,referto“Cabinetmod‐
els”(p.20).

13
Adjusting the high-frequency tone (Presence)
HolddowntheCABINETon/offswitchforaboutonesec‐
ondtoenterOPTIONparametersettingmode,andthen
turntheTREBLEcontrol.
5. Selectandadjusttheeffectsofothersections.
ForexampleifyouwanttoaddTAPEECHO,turnthe
DELAYselectortoselectTAPEECHO.
IftheselectorisalreadypositionedatTAPEECHO,turnit
tosomeotherdelaytypeandthenbacktore‐selectTAPE
ECHO.
UsetheTAPswitchorEDITknobtosetthedelaytime,de‐
laylevel(themixamountofdelaysound),andfeedback.
To set the delay time
PresstheTAPswitchtwice(thetimewillbesettothein‐
tervalthatwasusedtopresstheswitch).
To adjust the delay level or feedback
Delaylevel:TurntheEDITknob.
Feedback:HolddowntheTAPswitchandturntheEDIT
knob.
Fordetailsontheeffecttypes,referto“A b o u t theamp
models,cabinetmodels,andeffecttypes”(p.15).
HINT: Ifyou’veselectedapedaleffect,itmightbeeasierto
makeadjustmentsifothereffectsarenotbeingap‐
plied.Ifso,adjustthepedaleffectafteryou’vespeci‐
fiedtheampmodelandcabinetmodel,butbefore
youadjustsettingsforothereffects.
6. Whenyou’vecomeupwithasoundthatyoulike,saveit
asaprogram.
Fordetails,referto“Savingaprogram”(p.15).
NOTE: Ifyouswitchtoadifferentprogramorturnoffthe
powerbeforesaving,thechangesyou’vemadewill
bediscarded,andthesettingswillreverttotheir
originalstate.
Parameter original value indication
Thisisawayforyoutochecktheoriginalvalueofaparame‐
ter;i.e.,thevaluethatwassavedinthepresetprogramor
userprogram.
Whenyouʹreusingaknobtoeditthevalueofaparameter,
thedecimalpointinthelowerleftofthebank/valuedisplay
LEDislit‐upmomentarilywhentheeditedvaluematchesthe
originalvalue.
HINT: Youcantakeadvantageofthisoriginalvalueindication
tofindouttheactualsettingsofaprogramthatyou
like.
NOTE: ThesettingsoftherearpanelLEVELknob,SPEAKER
LEVEL,TotalEqualizer,andAMP/LINEswitchset‐
tingsarenotsaved,andwillnotbeshownbytheorig‐
inalvalueindication.Norwilltheoriginalvalueofthe
SPEEDparameterorTIMEparameterbeshownwhen
youusetheTAPswitchtosettheSPEEDparameteror
TIMEparameter.

14
Noise reduction settings
Noisereductionreducestheunwantednoisethatmightbe
heardbetweennotes.Thissettingismadeindependentlyfor
eachprogram.
HINT: High‐gainampmodelsareparticularlypronetonoise,
sowerecommendusingnoisereductioninthiscase.
1. HolddowntheCABINETon/offswitchforaboutone
secondtoenterOPTIONparametersettingmode.
TheCABINETon/offswitchLEDwillblink.
2. TurntheMIDDLEcontroltoadjustthenoisereduction
sensitivity.
Turningtheknobtowardtherightwillincreasethe
amountofnoisereduction.
Turningtheknoballthewaytotheleftwillturnnoisere‐
ductionoff;itwillhavenoeffect.
NOTE: Dependingontheguitaryou’reusing,excessively
highsettingsofnoisereductionmaycausenotesto
becutoffunnaturally.
3. Whenyou’vefinishedadjustingthesettings,pressthe
EXIT/TUNEswitch.
Using Total Equalizer
SettingtheAMP/LINEswitchtoLINEenablesyoutouse
TotalEqualizer,whichcanadjustthetoneofthefinalsound
outputfromtheToneLabEX.Youcansetthefollowing
parametersinOPTIONparametersettingmode(p.3):
•BASScontrol:TotalEqualizerHigh(EQHI)
‐10–+10Highrangeboostamount
•REVERBcontrol:TotalEqualizerLow(EQLO)
‐10–+10Lowrangeboostamount
•VOLUMEcontrol:Trim(TRIM)
‐10–+10Inputlevel
NOTE: IfusingTotalEqualizertoboostacertainrangedis‐
tortssound,adjustthetrimsettingtolowertheinput
level.

15
Saving a program
Whenyou’vecomeupwithasoundyoulike,here’showto
save(write)it.
NOTE: Ifyouswitchtoadifferentprogramorturnoffthepow‐
erbeforesaving,thechangesyou’vemadewillbedis‐
carded,andthesettingswillreverttotheiroriginalstate.
1. PresstheWRITEswitch.
TheBank/ValuedisplayandtheprogrampedalLEDswill
blink.
2. PresstheBANKUPorBANKDOWNpedaltoselecta
bank(01–25)oftheuserprograminwhichyouwantto
saveyoursettings.
TheselectedbanknumberwillblinkontheBank/Value
display.
3. PresstheProgram1–4pedalstoselectthedesireduser
program.
NOTE: Yoursettingswilloverwritetheprogramyouselect
here.Becarefulnottooverwriteanimportantpro‐
gramthatyouwanttokeep.Youcan’tsavetoapre‐
setprogram(26–50).
HINT: IfyoudecidetocanceltheWriteoperation,pressthe
EXIT/TUNEswitch.Youwillreturntotheprevious
mode,andtheLEDwillstopblinking.
4. PresstheWRITEswitchonceagain.
Yoursettingswillbewrittentotheuserprogramyouse‐
lectedinstep2,andtheBank/Valuedisplayandthepro‐
grampedalLEDwillreturntoasteadilylitstate.
About the amp models, cabinet
models, and effect types
Thissectionprovidesdetailsabouttheampmodelsandstand
alonepedalsandcabinetmodels,andonthepedal1,2effects,
modulationeffects,delayeffects,andreverbeffect.
Thefollowingillustrationshowsthesignalflowwithinthe
ToneLabEX.
11 STAND
ALONE PEDALS
MODEL
GAIN
33 AMPS
POWER AMP
(Valve Reactor)
VALVE ECC83
(12AX7)
VOLUME
PEDAL
1PEDAL 2
MODULATION DELAY REVERB
VOLUME
PEDAL
CABINET
MODEL AMP/LINE
switch OUTPUT
AMPS/S.A PEDALS
Amp models
Herewe’llexplainthe33differentampmodels.
HINT: Eachampmodel’sGAIN(adjustedbythetoppanel
GAINcontrol)canbeassignedtotheexpressionpedal
forcontrol.Fordetailsonhowtoassignaparameterto
theexpressionpedal,referto“Assigningafunctionto
theexpressionpedal(QuickAssign)”(p.31).

16
1. CLEAN
STANDARD
Thismodelsthecleanchannelofahigh‐qualityampthatwas
producedonlyonspecialorder,andwasknownastheover‐
drivespecial.Withabeautifullyroundedlowrange,asharp
mid‐rangeattack,andasweettrebleregister,thisisidealfor
singlecoilpickups.
SPECIAL
ThismodelsthecleanchannelofaJapanese‐madeampwith
2x12ʺspeakersthatwentonsalein1975.Itisknownforits
cleanfull‐rangesoundanditsbuilt‐instereochorus,andis
usedonstagesandinstudiosaroundtheworld.
CUSTOM
Thisisthebestmodelforobtainingapristinecleantone
usingthe4bande.q.
TogetaflattonalresponsesettheGAIN,TREBLE,MIDDLE,
BASSandPRESENCEtominimum.Inordertogetacom‐
pletelycleansound(similartousingthelineinput)pleaseset
thecabinetmodeltooff.
2. CALI CLEAN
STANDARD
The6G5‐A“Pro”ampwasproducedduringtheyears1960–
1963,andwasdistinctiveforitsyellowishbrownvinylcover
androundbrownknobs.This40Wcomboampisknownfor
itswarmandcleantone.
SPECIAL
ThisAmerican‐madetweed‐covered2x12ʺcomboampmade
in1957isknownforitsrichandcleantonethat’sidealfor
classicrock,blues,andcountry.Byraisingthevolumeyou
canalsoproduceapowerfulandpunchyoverdrivesound.
CUSTOM
ThismodifiesanAmerican‐madeblack‐paneledampthathas
beenmodified.Withthismodification,analready‐superb
ampgainsevengreatersmoothnessandadditionalwarmth.
3. US BLUES
STANDARD
Thismodelsa4x10ʺcomboampfrom1959thatwasorigi‐
nallydesignedforbassguitar.Itssmoothandcrispoverdrive
soundwillrespondsensitivelytoyourpickingdynamicsand
tothevolumeofyourguitar.
SPECIAL
Thismodelsthe22WBrunoCowtipperProII22whichowes
itsexistencetoaspecialfriendofVOX,thecustomamp
designerTonyBruno.Itrespondswithextremesensitivityto
yourplayingtouch,anditssilky‐sweetcleantonewill
becomeacrunchsoundrichinovertoneswhenyouturnup
thevolume.
CUSTOM
Thismodelsawood‐finished30Wboutiqueampheadthat
costmorethan$25,000.Itdeliverssparklingglassyclean
tones,andraisingthegainwillproduceoverdrivesounds
thatarestartlinglysweetinamusicalway.