Vox tonelab se or vox ad30 valvetronix?

golfo · Post by **golfo** » Tue May 03, 2005 5:50 am

i have a tech 21 trademark 60 (ss) and a peavey delta blues (tube). i'd like to add some versatility and have been reading the threads here and a number of other sites (the fender disc page and reviews at harmonycentral) about the vox tonelab se and the valvetronix amps - particularly the ad30. the tonelab se can be purchased new at mf for 499. the ad30 is half that - and the vox brown cloth version can be had at north coast for 279!

so - do i get more from the tonelab or is the amp just the tonelab with a 10" speaker and half the price tag? is the real diff (other than price) the double foot controller? if so, is it worth the diff? paul w.-- i know you have both - what do you think?
thanks
geoff

kevin · Post by **kevin** » Tue May 03, 2005 6:19 am

You get a lot more from the Tonelab SE when compared with the AD30VT. More amp models (16 vs 11), more effects (50 vs 11), the cabinet/speaker models are separate from the amp models so you can mix & match, and you have 96 programmable patches as opposed to two. There's more, of course, but those are the first things that come to mind. You should visit the Vox website and do some comparing: www.voxamps.co.uk

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue May 03, 2005 6:34 am

Kevin does a good job of channeling me!

Go for the SE if you've got the bux. The 30 is a nice little amp, but the SE is a machine for constructing music and you won't regret the choice.

Then you need to start looking for a nice 2-12 amp. I'd go tube if possible, or at least warm and powerful. Avoid anything that sounds dry and clinical. This, along with the SE, will widen your sonic horizons appreciably! (Still crazy about my new old ST825!)

joepee · Post by **joepee** » Tue May 03, 2005 6:57 am

I got to see "1964 The Tribute" run sound check before their show last summer in San Antonio. They were playing through Tonelabs, into the PA in the theatre. The sound was great.

Their sound man said it's impossible to lug AC30s around on a plane these days. They weren't using the SE models, just the desktop models, but it still was close enough.

I played through a AD30VT at Sam Ash the other day and thought it was okay, but the small speaker did not move much air.

I guess the question would be what you want the amp for. Playing live? I don't think the AD30VT would be loud enough. Do you own a PA to run the Tonelab through? Or do you just want something to record with? These all would be factors.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue May 03, 2005 8:00 am

Geoff, this speaks directly to my 2-12 comment. The small Tonelab amps don't move the air that 2-12s will. After playing through small single-speaker amps for months now (my '60 Fender Pro 15 is in Brasil), I had an epiphany when I plugged into the 130W ST825, which has 2 12" Celestions.

The Tonelab and Tonelab SEs are perfect for the sort of use that the 1964 Tribute guys put them to--get the sounds programmed, number the units, and ship 100 pounds of electronics instead of a bunch of AC30s.

golfo · Post by **golfo** » Tue May 03, 2005 8:10 am

thanks, folks.
i'm not a gigging musician - just a hobbyist. however - i like to have the best gear i can afford. i was going to spring for an ac30 cc2. then i started reading about the tonelab se. it got me thinking that maybe the idea for me is to have the versatility that it offers. i know that the ac30cc has more versatility than one of the originals, but not as much as the tonelab. on the other hand, the tonelab isn't completely tube - and digital components have their downsides. this 'hybrid' seems to get a good amount of the good of both worlds. it's a bit pricey, but half the price of a new ac 30cc.

you can tell that i haven't put the specs of both the tonelab and the amp side-by-side or i'd know some of the info presented to me here. my bad. i guess it's sometimes simpler to ask and see what comes up.

btw - my delta has the 1x15" speaker in it - it does 'move some air' and it's pretty good at it.
thanks for the good info so far!!
geoff

wormdiet · Post by **wormdiet** » Tue May 03, 2005 8:42 am

I'd defintely get a tonelab and a clean PA type amp of whatevr size you need for the venue. The thing about the tonleab that's great is it's flexibility. You can keep the same core for your sound system and add speakers to taste. Same brain creating the sound for your bedoom or Yankee Stadium.