The Vox Tonelab

Writing this review is something personal to me because some years ago, the Vox Tonelab was my main effect source for live shows.

I am grouping all the different variations simply into "Tonelab" because all of them sound very similar. The differences I have noticed are on the hardware and how to access the effects.

I need to state at this moment, that the Tonelab is retired from production but you can still find many of them in the second-hand marketplaces.

The first time I used the processor I was trying the default presets and although some of them are pretty decent, not one was perfect for me. I had to start making my own presents to find the right tone for me.

The pedal can get muddy when overly processed so it is vital that you try a preset on different amps before using live. Something that sounds good when playing alone may not cut through when playing with a band.

However, one of the best details of the pedal is the distortion and gain. I like to use heavy, dark tones and this tool provided just that. It has a feature that simulates tubes in an amp, it seems very attractive at first but I learned that my tone was best then the tube simulation was turned off.

Would I recommend this pedal? Yes I would. Second hand Tonelabs will be very cheap and will be very useful.