An affordable, compact recording solution offering exclusive features for guitarists and a gateway to a new world of tone.
IK Multimedia releases AXE I/O ONE, the ultimate affordable audio interface designed for guitar and bass players. It combines the exclusive features of IK's AXE I/O family of interfaces with a massive software tone bundle, at a price never seen before.
AXE I/O ONE sports IK's exclusive Z-TONE® impedance control, JFET input for warm, tube-like sound, dedicated Amp Out for practicing or reamping, pickup selector, external volume/wah pedal or switch controller inputs, and includes award-winning AmpliTube and TONEX software with access to thousands of presets, amp and pedal rig tones on ToneNET for a complete digital studio rig that sounds like a pro.
Every electric and bass guitar is different and AXE I/O ONE's Z-TONE input circuit allows users to dial in the perfect tone for recording by changing the impedance of the guitar input to go from a tighter/sharper tone to a thicker/bolder tone on the same instrument.
The Class A JFET input buffer adds the midrange focus, warmth, and harmonic enhancement highly sought after by guitar players. An Active/Passive pickup selector allows precise input settings at the flip of a switch while, unique to AXE I/O family, the ONE features external controller inputs to connect switches or volume pedals to control the included software hands-free, without ever having to stop playing.
The exclusive Amp Out allows players to connect directly to a guitar amplifier or a guitar rig for practicing using a hybrid setup of virtual and real guitar gear. Or it can be used for reamping, the technique of recording a dry guitar signal and using external gear for processing or even to capture one's own real rig and turn it into a plug-in using the included artificial intelligence software.
With both AmpliTube 5 SE and TONEX SE included, users have instant access to a huge library of thousands of gear models and presets to record and play right out of the box, and AXE I/O ONE works with any recording application.
AmpliTube 5 SE includes 80 pieces of gear that cover a wide range of stomp and rack effects, amps, cabs, speakers, mics, and rooms with complex series/parallel rig chains easily built by drag and drop to emulate any type of sound.
TONEX SE is the new and revolutionary AI Machine Modeling software that's taking the world by storm, offering not only thousands of rigs that are indistinguishable from the real thing but also the possibility of modeling any real rig and turning it into a plug-in. Users can model their amps, cabs, or pedals including distortion, overdrive, EQ, fuzz, boost, and more, and play them inside TONEX and AmpliTube.
Both software applications include access to the ToneNET online service where there are now over 6,000 AmpliTube presets and 10,000 TONEX tone models to explore, produced, and expanded daily by a thriving community of guitar and bass players.
AXE I/O ONE is USB-C bus powered and requires no external power supply. To start recording is as easy as plug and play. Users can hit record right out of the box with the included easy-to-use AmpliTube 5 SE multitrack standalone application or, for more sophisticated composition, Ableton Live Lite software is included to take it to the next level. Everything is easy to set up and easy to use whenever inspiration strikes.
AXE I/O ONE's MIDI input and output also allow users to connect keyboard controllers or any other MIDI controllers to play virtual instruments or control the included software with external MIDI gear or vice versa. Plus AXE I/O ONE also works with the latest iPads for use with TONEX SE iOS (also included), the free AmpliTube CS iOS app, and a huge variety of compatible apps.
Great recordings require uncompromised quality and AXE I/O ONE delivers professional audio with sample rates up to 192 kHz, 108 dB dynamic range, and 9 Hz-45 kHz frequency response.
And for recording acoustic instruments and vocals via the XLR mic input, AXE I/O ONE features a PURE Class-A mic preamp with phantom power for ultra-transparent and clean recording, without any unwanted coloration, preserving the true sonic character of a vocal, acoustic guitar, piano, or other instruments.
Super compact and easy to carry in a backpack or gig bag, AXE I/O ONE can also quickly become the ideal interface for recording on the go.
AXE I/O ONE is shipping now and available from the IK Multimedia online store and from IK authorized dealers worldwide, for only $/€129.99* - including AmpliTube 5 SE, TONEX SE, and Ableton Live Lite.
For more information, please visit ikmultimedia.com.
IK Multimedia AXE I/O ONE USB Guitar Audio Interface
USB Guitar Audio Interface
Resistance to digital amps might just be futile at this point. Many tunes you hear—and an increasing number of live gigs—feature a bit of faux-tube tone somewhere in the mix. But while the sound of pro-level modelers can be nearly indistinguishable from their analog counterparts in a mix, the feel and simplicity of a real amplifiers remain appealing and even indispensable to many players. That said, modelers that make usability, convenience, and price priorities can convince even die-hard tube users to see what’s on the other side of the fence. IK Multimedia’s TONEX ONE is one modeling device that might make the cut. It’s likely the smallest, most portable modeler out there. And at $179, it’s easily the most affordable.
Big Tones, Tiny Controls
The TONEX ONE isn’t designed to put a million different options at your feet, and that economy may be the unit’s strongest feature. It features several different modes, but the primary operating mode allows you to either switch between two different models, or simply use the unit as a stompbox. Each model can be an amp, an amp and cab, a pedal, or a pedal driving an amp and cab. Judging by how deep the online repository tone.net is for user-created presets, the options are nearly endless, which speaks to the already sizable user base. It’s a little strange to consider a modeler in a package this small with so few controls. There’s a large main knob that controls volume and gain (when you’re in ALT mode), and above that are three illuminated mini knobs that control the 3-band EQ, gate, compression, and reverb. You can also plug your headphones directly into the pedal, which makes it a dynamite silent practice amp.
My experience with modelers is that high-gain tones and clean tones are relatively easy to achieve and typically very good. After unboxing the TONEX ONE, I loaded up a slightly dirty Vox-style amp to evaluate the edge-of-breakup tones. I paired the pedal with humbuckers (with a coil split option), Stratocaster single coils, and P-90s in a T-style solidbody. With each one, the Vox-style amp was punchy and clear but could also range to very nice higher-gain sounds. Naturally, each version of a modeled amp offers different gain structures, so it pays to experiment. Combining the humbuckers in a PRS SE DGT with a few hot-rodded Marshall emulations and the growl offered tones nearly as good as those from much more expensive modelers. In a blind test, I’m not sure I could hear—or feel—much of a difference. As I explored further and fine-tuned things a bit more, the ToneX One felt more alive in my hand,s and sounded much less shrill in the top end than other digital solutions I’ve encountered.
One of the most obvious tone fixers in a modeler—and maybe one of the most underutilized—is the EQ section, and kudos are due to IK for placing those controls at the fore. Being able to adjust the most immediate tone-shaping options without having to dig through menus or touchscreens is a pleasure.
There are many possible uses for the TONEX ONE. It can serve as a high-quality direct solution on your pedalboard, a portable recording interface, and a plug-and-play practice solution when high volume is a no-go. One handy setup I tried was disabling the cabinet emulation in the pedal and then plugging into the effects return of a combo amp, in this case, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I immediately imagined many backline amp headaches being a thing of the past. You can always plug directly into a flat-response cabinet or PA system too.
Because it has such a small footprint and streamlined controls, harnessing the unit’s full potential, and accessing all the different modes, takes a bit of effort. You can store 20 different presets within the pedal and assign them to any of the three active slots (two for dual mode and one for stomp mode). And although doing this on the fly is handy, I found it much easier to program the presets via the easy-to-use desktop editor.
The Verdict
TONEX ONE benefits from a rather singular focus and its biggest advantage is that it’s not shrouded in unnecessary layers of tweakable options. You can simply load up a base sound or two, drop it at the end of your pedalboard, and go.The included software allows you create your own models and makes swapping presets easy. I did find the multitude of modes, and their color-coded indicators, a bit confusing at times, but IK’s documentation was very clear and got me through any trouble spots. The TONEX ONE would serve well to those who want to explore digital modeling but still hold on to their analog pedalboards, and at $179 it’s a steal.
If 3 Were 6
With six times the controls found on the 1 and 2 versions (if you discount the original’s on/off slider switch,) the LPB-3’s control complement offers pre-gain, boost, mid freq, bass, treble, and mid knobs, with a center detent on the latter three so you can find the midpoint easily. A mini-toggle labeled “max” selects between 20 dB and 33 dB of maximum gain, and another labeled “Q” flips the resonance of the mid EQ between high and low. Obviously, this represents a significant expansion of the LPB’s capabilities.
More than just a booster with a passive tone, the LPB-3 boasts a genuine active EQ stage plus parametric midrange section, comprising the two knobs with shaded legends, mid freq and mid level. The gain stages have also been reimagined to include a pre-gain stage before the EQ, which enables up to 20 dB of input gain. The boost stage that follows the EQ is essentially a level control with gain to allow for up to 33 dB of gain through the LPB-3 when the “max” mini toggle is set to 33dB
A slider switch accessible inside the pedal selects between buffered or true bypass for the hard-latch footswitch. An AC adapter is included, which supplies 200mA of DC at 9.6 volts to the center-negative power input, and EHX specifies that nothing supplying less than 120mA or more than 12 volts should be used. There’s no space for an internal battery.
Power-Boosted
The LPB-3 reveals boatloads of range that betters many linear boosts on the market. There’s lots of tone-shaping power here. Uncolored boost is available when you want it, and the preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.
“The preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.”
I found the two mid controls work best when used judiciously, and my guitars and amps preferred subtle changes pretty close to the midpoint on each. However, there are still tremendous variations in your mid boost (or scoop, for that matter) within just 15 or 20 percent range in either direction from the center detent. Pushing the boost and pre-gain too far, particularly with the 33 dB setting engaged, can lead to some harsh sounds, but they are easy to avoid and might even be desirable for some users that like to work at more creative extremes.
The Verdict
The new LPB-3 has much, much more range than its predecessors, providing flexible preamp, boost, and overdrive sounds that can be reshaped in significant ways via the powerful EQ. It gives precise tone-tuning flexibility to sticklers that like to match a guitar and amp to a song in a very precise way, but also opens up more radical paths for experimentalists. That it does all this at a $129 price is beyond reasonable.
Electro-Harmonix Lpb-3 Linear Power Booster & Eq Effect Pedal Silver And Blue
