IK Multimedia TONEX Plug – AI-powered guitar amp modeling in your pocket

Noise Harmony
4 hours ago
3 min read

Late-night headphone sessions. Silent practice in a tiny apartment. Warming up backstage. These are the moments where most amp modelers fall short—too bulky, too complicated, or just not designed for how guitarists actually live. IK Multimedia TONEX Plug is built for exactly those moments.

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This isn’t another floor unit pretending to be portable. The TONEX Plug is genuinely pocket-sized—small enough to plug directly into your guitar’s output jack, with a ¼″ swivel jack to accommodate your instrument. It’s the kind of form factor that opens up how and where you practice.

What makes it worth your attention

What sets it apart isn’t just its size. IK Multimedia packed the same AI Machine Modeling technology from the TONEX ecosystem into this tiny device. That means you’re getting studio-quality amp and effects modelling in a compact, travel-ready form.

The hardware reality

The TONEX Plug connects via a ¼″ swivel jack (instrument input) and has a 1/8″ (3.5 mm) stereo headphone output. It also includes USB-C, enabling it to function as a USB-C audio interface when connected to a computer.

A rechargeable battery provides up to six hours of playtime, and built-in Bluetooth lets you stream audio such as backing tracks or lessons. The TONEX Control app (iOS/Android) allows you to browse, load and edit presets wirelessly.

Physically, the unit includes buttons for cycling through presets, access to the built-in tuner, an on/off switch that doubles as a battery-status indicator, and two volume buttons that also handle Bluetooth pairing. There’s even an onboard metronome for practice sessions.

ToneNET & the modelling ecosystem

Access to over 40,000 free Tone Models through the ToneNET community is included. These aren’t generic factory sounds—they’re captures of real amps, pedals and rigs modelled via IK’s AI Machine Modeling process.

The ToneNET browser allows filtering by instrument, type, artist, and other keywords, making it easy to find or match tones to songs or styles.

The device comes pre-loaded with 30 factory premium presets, so you can start playing right out of the box.

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On-board tone shaping & presets

The TONEX Plug includes built-in EQ, noise gate, compressor, delay, modulation and reverb—enough to sculpt a full tone without clutter.

It stores 30 presets across 10 colour-coded banks, and features a chromatic tuner with an LED indicator for quick visual feedback in any lighting.

Who this is for

The TONEX Plug makes the most sense for players who need real portability without losing tone. Perfect for quiet apartments, travel, late-night jams, or warming up backstage—plug in, grab your headphones, and you’re ready.

At US$/€ 149.99 for the unit, or US$/€ 159.99 with the carrying pouch, it sits neatly between the Fender Mustang Micro Plus (100 presets) and the Boss Katana:GO (30 presets). The price difference is minimal, but the TONEX ecosystem and AI modelling give it a distinct edge for players chasing authentic amp response in the smallest possible package.