“The new touchscreen brings a more intuitive operation experience, and more pedals and interfaces bring more controllability”: Sonicake upgrades its flagship amp modeller and effects with the Matribox Pro II (and it's just $299!)

Sonicake has just dropped its new flagship amp modeller and is offering it for a bargain price of 299 bucks.

At this price we might expect the Matribox Pro II to be lacking features. But the vital statistics say otherwise. Under the hood you’ve got 63 different guitar amp models and there are more than 93 guitar effects pedal simulations. That’s a lot of sounds.

Oh, maybe there there will be no IR support? There is, with the Matribox Pro II shipping with 61 onboard cab sims and space for 20 of your own third-party IRs.

There is even a colour touchscreen to take the heavy lifting out of signal chain design, and six footswitches with two customisable footswitch modes to set the unit up just how you like it.

We have become accustomed to this surfeit of features on amp modellers but every now and again it is worth taking stock and reflecting upon how digital technology has transformed electric guitar tone.

Sonicake Matribox II: The Ultimate Affordable Multi-Effect Processor for Guitarists and Bassists - YouTube

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Ever since the amp modeller and guitar multi-effects pedal rose to prominence the raw economics of the guitar rig was laid bare; here were these compact units packing dozens of amps, dozens of effects, and if you were to have bought these sounds the old-school analogue way it would have set you back thousands. It was an open-and-shut case for monetary rationality; all these sounds for less!

But the modern-day guitarist cannot live on tone options alone. We need functionality and usability, and on that score the Matribox Pro II presents us with six footswitches with two customisable modes. There is an onboard expression pedal with an input for adding an external control pedal or switch. 

You can also integrate your pedalboard via the stereo effects loop, which is very 2024. What is even more 2024 is the capability to stream your audio in stereo, with an on-the-go function that connects directly with your smart mobile device (iOS/Android). 

As is often the case with these digital modellers, the user experience of the accompanying app will be all important in performing deeper edits and keeping your myriad tone options in good order.

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There are plenty of connections here, with MIDI, USB for recording, and a pair of balanced XLR outputs for sending your signal direct to PA, DAW or the FRFR speaker in your life. And can you even call yourself an amp modeller if you don’t have a headphones output for silent practice? Yes, there is one here, too. And there is an aux in.

Priced £/$299, the Matribox Pro II is available now. For more details, head over to Sonicake.