Tonelab and Peavey ValveKing Royal 8

[djmonnette]

Just ran across a Tonelab in mint condition. I plan to use it direct into a Peavey ValveKing Royal 8 tube amp. That has only 2 tubes,but a Class A amp. One 12 AX 7 and one EL 84. Should all my controls be set in middle? Or set up for Clean Tone? Thanks

[Nik]

Set the amp for a clean tone, with Treble and Bass on zero and the Middle control on ten.

But an amp like that is going to colour the sound way too much for the Tonelan's modelling to come through cleary. So Your guess is as good as mine.

Try connecting the Tonelab to your stereo, or a studio monitors, or a keyboard amp.

[joerocker]

I just plain wouldn't use a tonelab or ANY modeling effects pedal with ANY guitar amp. They ALL color the sound way too much.

Use a keyboard amp, power engine, or straight into a PA.

All guitar amps are trying to sound "unique" or are trying to emulate a "unique" sound. This will make whatever you're trying to do with the tonelab sound too much like whatever the amp is trying to sound like and sometime it ends up not being so good.

[djmonnette]

I bought it because the reviews said it was one of the best.And it has a switch you can switch on for using with a guitar amp.Guitar cable to Tonelab and cable to Amp.After reading many positive reviews on this way to use it.I'm sure it will work as good as the reviews state using a guitar tonelab amp combination.(I'm more interested in using effects-Reverb-Tremolo-and delay.)Maybe some of the presets after I see whats in there.

[joerocker]

The switch is fine and dandy...I have one on my RP too. That doesn't mean it's a "magical" switch that takes the unique tone out of EVERY guitar amp.

My point is this: ALL guitar amps have their own "sound", whatever you send through it will pick up this "sound" and it won't be the same as if you were going straight to PA.

Think of it this way...two people are singing the same song. One is a man and the other is a woman, no matter what each does, you can still hear that it's the man or the woman singing. Same with amps, each amp is "its own sound", just like a man sounds like a man and a woman sounds like a woman. So, when you set your tonelab to sound like a "woman", and you're playing it through a "man" amp, it doesn't sound good. When you set it to sound like a "man", the amp adds more "manliness" to it and it STILL doesn't sound good. Do you understand my analogy here?

In amp speak it would be this... The amp is a Peavey, your tonelab is trying to sound like a Marshall, Marshall + Peavey doesn't sound right. Even if your tonelab is set to sound like a Peavey, adding MORE Peavey may not be a good thing.

This is why I'm selling my Vox AD30, no matter what amp model I use, it colors my RP output...and I don't like that...

[rlaf]

I think that most of the coloring by an amp is in the preamp section. Plug the Tonelab into the effects return on your Peavey if it has one. That way you are using the TL as a preamp and modeler, and only using the power amp section of the peavey. I do it with my Laney, and it works very well.