Does Anyone use a TonePort UX1(2) and Pod Farm 2.5

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Has anyone used the Toneport UX with Podfarm 2.5 for vocals ? I'm intrigued by the mic preamp software in Podfarm 2.5. Is it really any good? USB interfaces don't impress me because of their big latency. I have a good PCI interface so I could just buy a mic pre instead, but a good ones at least 400.00

Also, is the Toneport UX a DSP unit ? Does it run its effects at zero latency with direct monitor.

Thanks Pete

P.S. Todd Rundgren claims he used a toneport to record his last 2 albums (including vocals), no outboard gear, all Propeller head ITB.
 
I have a UX8 that I use primarily for multitrack recording. I mess around with GearBox for guitar modeling when I cant be loud with amps. I have no latency problems at all in either case. My computer is modest running Windows 8 with an i5 3GHz processor and 8GB RAM.
 
Arena was recorded on an old version of Reason back in 2007. He had to use Riffworks to record and then transfer the audio recordings to samplers inside Reason. It'll do the whole thing now.

I'm not sure that Global was recorded in Reason, though. I think he's back on ProTools, but that's not certain.
 
I have the UX2 and UX8 and the GearBox PodFarm Mic Pre's are as good as any other vst imo. A lot of it is personal preference not sound quality. Only two channels can do the VST on the UX8.btw...
The UX2 needs a high output mic or a outboard pre amp to get a good solid level was my experience with soft signals. You can add some digital/software preamp gain but with the UX2 a good condensor works really well versus a SM7. Then you wont need outboard preamps, imo.

The beauty of the UX2 is it has the zero latency setup, like the Apollo. Its a great unit, Ive had the UX2 and UX8 for years.

I wish L6 would have kept expanding the interfaces but they seemed to stop the UX8 and were happy with the TonePort solo and duo.
 
Thanks Cool Cat, so does it run its own effects in real time like a UAD card? DSP?
 
yes. its one of the rare units that can do this. it can do it clean and dry or with FX. It works like a guitar pedal would, can be recorded with FX and no latency/direct recording.
Ive been reading all over about the Clarett which boasts even a better ability to do this, but with anyones-plug-ins, which would be awesome (but its in some development and requires some good computer etc).

The UX2, or UX8 if you can find it, can do this on 2 channels, like Mic 1 and Mic 2. I got the UX8 and was kind of bummed it could only do it on 1 and 2, also the other 6 channels are just normal like other interfaces.

Theres a software called Gearbox or Pod Farm etc... I prefer the original Gearbox only due to visual layout, but the Pod Farm works too. Some say the UX2 is like a dongle or something. Im not so articulate about how it all works.

But I was just like your comment, I plugged it in for fun and saw the guitar stuff ..ok...then the Bass sims..I thought cool!! then I saw the Mic Preamp sections of sims and was like "very cool...".
The LA2A compressor and the noise gates ...it all works well. You can create your own chain and save it too.

So I have like a SM7 saved-set, and a different saved set for the condensor. I usually use a PreAmp sim, then the LA2A comp, the Noise gate...then save it. Like a Channel Strip.

The guitar stuff is enormous selections and the Bass is good. Theres so much in there.

The one con I have with the UX2, and believe someone explained its USB powered units in general, is they use 5volts for everythign and can be a little weak. The UX8 has more gain on the knobs.....so I would recommend a preamp outside going to the UX2....even a small Rane MS1 or something can really get your mic gains right. Even a cloudlifter would work or something adding like 20db or so. You dont have to have one, and if your microiphone has decent gain output....you might not need the little-bump in gain. I like the SM7 and dynamics and those are low output mics. My condensors dont need a preamp outboard in the UX2 but they pickup a lot of room noises.

I think Line 6 says its a 20db preamp. Most common preamps are 60db.

For me to get the Clarett would require a new pc , big money. I use old cheap stuff and the UX2 has no drain. Thats another thing, by using the GearBox the CPU is not used at all hardly...very minimal.

Theres 2 ways to record they say...with everything on it going in and make minor tweaks later, or do it dry and have full tweak ability. I like going in a little "wet" at least with some comp and eq, I do the reverbs and stuff later.
 
Well.... with that said, if I could swing an Apollo Id do that. :D
if I could swing a Clarett entire system, that would be even better.

Todd Rundgren did use the UX though and produced CD's so thats a lot of credits to the unit, I think he did a couple bands CD's releases on it too. But you probably know that. Ive never gotten his level of recordings! ha...but I dont blame the gear.
 
So I have like a SM7 saved-set, and a different saved set for the condensor. I usually use a PreAmp sim, then the LA2A comp, the Noise gate...then save it. Like a Channel Strip.........................Theres 2 ways to record they say...with everything on it going in and make minor tweaks later, or do it dry and have full tweak ability. I like going in a little "wet" at least with some comp and eq, I do the reverbs and stuff later.

So, are you recording vocals/other miced sources and using that/a similar chain and recording it? What are you recording? Im just interested because like I said I use mine for just multitrack recording(mainly drums, one guitar track for live jam ideas) and mix after. But are you using the effects in gearbox and recording those signals every time? I dont know much about this stuff but is it possible to record the "normal" dry track and then send it back out and add effects later with the routing capabilities the ux8 has? Or can you use it as a plugin? Like I said, Im pretty ignorant to how it all actually works.
 
So, are you recording vocals/other miced sources and using that/a similar chain and recording it? What are you recording? Im just interested because like I said I use mine for just multitrack recording(mainly drums, one guitar track for live jam ideas) and mix after. But are you using the effects in gearbox and recording those signals every time? I dont know much about this stuff but is it possible to record the "normal" dry track and then send it back out and add effects later with the routing capabilities the ux8 has? Or can you use it as a plugin? Like I said, Im pretty ignorant to how it all actually works.

you can record anything, vocals, guitars, drums etc...what ever you want. plug in a guitar to the unit or plug in a mic and record a guitar amp.

jams...noises and sounds...

Yes I plug the giutar in and select Gearbox....Pod Farm amps, mics, cabinets...noise gates flangers pedals...etc...
Then theres stuff for vocal mics and amps and stuff for bass guitars... the FX are on it everytime as it goes in to the DAW.

Yes Normal is easy to0...you can record dry through to your DAW and add stuff later if you want to record like all the other units.
just select No Amps in PodFarm and record dry to your track.
you can then use free VST/plugins on your dry tracks, like all the units do, you dont need to send it out and back in. you could I suppose but I dont know how you'd do that.

the UX8 is discontinued and hard to find and its really a regualr unit except for channels one and two which allow "real time" fx...like the UX2 is two tracks real time fx.
 
you can record anything, vocals, guitars, drums etc...what ever you want. plug in a guitar to the unit or plug in a mic and record a guitar amp.

jams...noises and sounds...

Yes I plug the giutar in and select Gearbox....Pod Farm amps, mics, cabinets...noise gates flangers pedals...etc...
Then theres stuff for vocal mics and amps and stuff for bass guitars... the FX are on it everytime as it goes in to the DAW.

Yes Normal is easy to0...you can record dry through to your DAW and add stuff later if you want to record like all the other units.
just select No Amps in PodFarm and record dry to your track.
you can then use free VST/plugins on your dry tracks, like all the units do, you dont need to send it out and back in. you could I suppose but I dont know how you'd do that.

the UX8 is discontinued and hard to find and its really a regualr unit except for channels one and two which allow "real time" fx...like the UX2 is two tracks real time fx.

Right, I know you can record whatever, I have done it for guitar ideas. I was just wondering what you do. I didnt know if there was a way to run gearbox as a vst or something or if you could route your outputs and inputs under preferences in a way to send that dry signal back out to the unit to mess around with tones. I dont even know if the unit itself is generating the tones/chains or if it is the software on your computer. I only mess with gearbox when I cant play my amp so I dont know much about it or any kind of intricacies that may be present within it.
 
I run it to Reaper, it lets you track with FX "wet". thats all I do.

So I pull up Reaper, select IN 1...and on UX2 or 8 , I tell it whicjh input Im using...Mic 1 or Mic 2 or INst 1 or INst 2.
In Reaper you have to tell it to record 1 or 2 (dry) or go to 9&10 (wet.)
Or I can record both using more Reaper tracks and record dry and wet at the same time.

I dont know all the other ways to use it either.
 
Has anyone used the Toneport UX with Podfarm 2.5 for vocals ? I'm intrigued by the mic preamp software in Podfarm 2.5. Is it really any good? USB interfaces don't impress me because of their big latency. I have a good PCI interface so I could just buy a mic pre instead, but a good ones at least 400.00

Also, is the Toneport UX a DSP unit ? Does it run its effects at zero latency with direct monitor.

Thanks Pete

P.S. Todd Rundgren claims he used a toneport to record his last 2 albums (including vocals), no outboard gear, all Propeller head ITB.

I'll add this- I took a SM7 and a cable plugged it into Mic 1- Selected Mic 1 as the Source.
Volume pre was max and volume digital max to barely hear it. Add Gearbox(old PodFarm)... maybe a picture is better. The small audio clip walks through it too... this is going in and obviously would be tweaked during mixing or verbs added etc.
 

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So, are you recording vocals/other miced sources and using that/a similar chain and recording it? What are you recording? Im just interested because like I said I use mine for just multitrack recording(mainly drums, one guitar track for live jam ideas) and mix after. But are you using the effects in gearbox and recording those signals every time? I dont know much about this stuff but is it possible to record the "normal" dry track and then send it back out and add effects later with the routing capabilities the ux8 has? Or can you use it as a plugin? Like I said, Im pretty ignorant to how it all actually works.

The UX8 can do the dry & wet at the same time. I dont think the UX2 can? Not sure....maybe some one can add in?
If you create Track 1, for example and record Source Mic/INst 1...it comes in dry.
If you create a Track 2 and record Source 9&10 you can get the "Wet" FX" sounds real-time.
Just arm both tracks the same time and hit record.

This is what Focusrite is claiming to be able to do with the Clarett, and be able to use any Plug you want, on any track real time. (computer needs to be able and willing...)

A few other do this, Apollo is one etc.. using only their software. Line 6 allows it but is the poor mans version and only allows their software on 2 channels. But you cant use your favorite VST it has to be PoDFarm and Line 6 VST...

and yes you can record without the gearbox etc...you can use it like any other interface with outboard stuff.

I think Rundgren used it on Arena and other bands he recorded, protools he used was broken or something...hes also has decades and decades of exp and talent, but he used a U87 and not much else as I read it. Not sure where he had it mastered?
Arena isnt Todd or Something Anything, but its a cool HR recorded album by a pro.
 
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