Quick Start Guide

FIRST STEPS

Tonocracy requires that you have a user account - if you do not already have one, go to Tonocracy.com and sign
up. Once registered, you’ll be able to download the application and get started

.(Please ensure that you have a reliable internet connection when first setting up, as the factory content is not included
in the installer and needs to be downloaded before use.)

When launching Tonocracy for the first time, you select the input channel. By default, the first channel is
will be presented with a login screen. Enter the used, but note that some audio interfaces assign the
username and password that you signed up with. dedicated microphone input to the first channel, and the
instrument input to the second. In this case you will
(NOTE: If you have not confirmed your email address, need to manually select the second channel. Consult
you will not be able to log in! If you did not receive a the user guide for your audio interface if you are unsure
confirmation email, it may have been blocked by your of which channel to use.
provider. If this happens, please try signing up with a
different email address.)
If your audio interface has more than two outputs,
Once logged in, the factory content will be click the output block and make sure that the
downloaded. This usually just takes a minute or two but appropriate channels are selected for the left and
can depend on the speed of your internet connection. right output.
You can monitor the progress in the upper-right corner
of the main window, near the "Sync" button. Once the
factory content is ready, you should see a default preset If everything is set up properly, you should now be
loaded in the main signal flow routing area. able to play through the default preset. If you don't
hear anything, double check the audio settings and
input/output channel selections.
If you are using the standalone application, you will
need to configure your audio settings. You can do
this either through the main menu on the upper-left, or To get the best possible results, you should also set
by clicking the "Show Audio Settings'' button if it is the "Interface Level" parameter of the input block to
visible at the bottom of the signal flow panel. In the match your particular audio interface hardware. This
settings dialog, choose the appropriate audio interface ensures that the input gain is set appropriately, so that
for both input and output, and make sure that the correct the amps and captures do not sound under- or
groups of input/output channels are selected, depending over-gained. By default this is set to a value that should
on how your instrument and monitors/headphones are work reasonably well across a range of different
connected. Tonocracy works best at a sample rate of interfaces, but you can precisely calibrate your signal
48000 kHz, and a buffer size of 16 or 32 samples. If you chain by using the value found in the manufacturer's
experience any clicks and pops while playing, try specifications for your interface. This value is often
increasing the buffer size, but keep in mind that this labeled "Maximum input level" and has units of "dBu".
increases the latency and has a very significant effect Set the "Interface Level" parameter to this value, and
on the "feel" of amps and captures. Also note that make sure that any analog gain control is turned to zero.
latency will be increased if you are not using the same
physical audio device for both input and output. (NOTE: There is some "common wisdom" that you
should turn up the analog gain control of an instrument
input until you have a signal that is peaking within a
After configuring your audio settings, make sure certain range. For modern pro or semi-pro audio
you have the appropriate input channel selected in interfaces this is usually unnecessary, and it is better to
the signal flow. Click on the input block, and use the leave the gain at zero to have a known reference, and
parameter panel in the lower area of the window to avoid any possibility of clipping.)

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UI OVERVIEW

The main window is organized into five main sections. At the top is the toolbar [1], which contains buttons for showing
the main menu as well as triggering actions such as Save, Undo, Redo, and Sync. The library browser [2] is used for
navigating through the user and factory content, loading presets and blocks, as well as viewing cloud library search
results. The signal flow routing [3] shows the blocks that comprise the current preset. The amp panel [4] shows the
primary controls of the last selected amp or capture, and parameter panel [5] shows the full parameter set of the
currently selected block.

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USER LIBRARY

The user library is similar to a file system that lets you easily access and organize all of your tone shaping assets like
amps, ToneSnap gear snapshots, NAM files, cabs, impulse responses and effects. These main asset categories get
their own top level folder. Users can create and name nested folders within these categories and populate them with
their own assets. Please note, users can not directly modify factory content or content made by another user.

Presets: Tonocracy comes stocked with an assortment The infinite possibilities available with ToneSnap gear
of presets so you can start playing the moment you snapshot tech can leave some with analysis paralysis -
open it for the first time. They are designed to showcase this is why Atomic has partnered with some of the
tones from a variety of styles, provide a starting point for leaders in the tone/gear community to provide diverse
you to find your sound and get an idea of what is yet well-curated collections that cover the most popular
possible. Customizing presets is simple: Make changes styles and genres. You may not even need to venture
to any parameters within a preset then use the save beyond these collections to find your ideal tone!
button to lock them in. ‘Save over existing’ will overwrite
the preset in use. ‘Save a copy’ will create a new preset NAM Support: Tonocracy has the ability to play full
and you will be prompted to enter a new unique name. NAM models natively. Simply drag your favorite NAM
Factory presets cannot be overwritten but you can save files from a desktop folder and drop them into the
a modified copy in your user preset folder. Tonocracy library. From there, add them to your signal
chain as you would with any other Tonocracy asset.
The Undo/Redo actions only cover parameter changes
and modification to the signal flow. Modifications done to Speaker Compression: The speaker compression
library assets such as renaming, moving, deleting, ect. parameter allows you to dial in the nuanced and critical
cannot be undone. relationship between the power amp, the speaker voice
coil, and the natural compression that occurs in real
Amps: Tonocracy’s flagship amp models are powered guitar amp speakers. We apply this modeling to our
by Atomic’s SchemAccurate technology. It combines the SchemAccurate and ToneSnap technologies as well as
best of both component modeling and AI-based to NAM models imported into Tonocracy. This delivers
techniques, resulting in a fully adjustable model with the otherwise elusive feel that can be missing from other
controls that respond just like its real world counterpart. offerings. Just turn the knob and season to taste (or feel,
The factory amp list contains a well curated but growing as the case may be).
collection of classic amps that are the basis for more
exciting developments in the future. Cabs: Tonocracy includes a diverse set of factory
cabinets from ML Sound Labs, Amalgam Audio, and
ToneSnaps: Tonocracy’s proprietary ToneSnap gear others. To import your own cabinet IRs, drag WAV files
snapshot technology delivers an extremely high level of into the ‘User Cabs’ folder. Cabinet impulses can be up
accuracy when capturing gear. We pay special attention to 8192 samples in length, giving superbly accurate
to other integral aspects of the guitar playing experience frequency response.
like the transition between clean, breakup, and full-on
distortion which guitarists adjust using their playing FX: Inside this folder you will find several categories of
dynamics and by using the guitar volume control. We effects, including Drive, Reverb, Modulation, Delay,
feel that in these other less-referenced but equally Dynamics, EQ, and Pitch. To import your own reverb
important benchmarks, ToneSnap is best in class. In this IRs, drag WAV files into the ‘User Reverbs’ folder.
folder you can find a set of ready-to-use captures made Expect to see more here soon!
by several premier creators.

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SIGNAL ROUTING

Tonocracy offers a very flexible signal flow routing system that allows everything from a simple chain of blocks to
complex, nested parallel paths. All operations are done by dragging and dropping blocks, either within the signal flow, or
from the library to the signal flow.

To add a new block, locate it in the library, and then drag To make it quick and easy to switch out items within a
it to the desired location. As you are dragging over the given category (Amp, Cab, Reverb, Delay, etc.), there is
signal flow, a light gray rectangle will highlight the a "Browse category: ..." shortcut accessible from the
location it will be inserted. Dragging between two context menu that appears when mousing over a block.
existing blocks in a chain will insert the new block in the This will open the library folder associated with the
middle. Dragging immediately above or below an category, allowing quick replacement by double-clicking
existing block will insert the new block in parallel. the listed items. (This can also be triggered by clicking
the name of the block displayed at the top of the amp
Existing blocks can be moved around to any location and parameter panels.)
with the same interaction.
In addition to the signal flow blocks, the tuner and
To delete a block, move the mouse over it and click the record features are also accessed through the signal
"X" button that appears. flow area. Clicking the tuner button will show the tuner
interface in the parameter panel. Clicking the record
When a new parallel path is created, two extra blocks button will start or stop a recording of the main output.
will be added to the chain at the split and join points. Once stopped, an OS file browser window will open to
These are selectable, and have parameters just like show you the location of your recording.
normal blocks, but cannot be directly moved or deleted.
Instead of moving a split or join directly, move other Saving Presets
blocks into or out of the upper/lower paths. To collapse
the parallel path, remove all blocks from either the upper To save the current signal flow as a preset, click the
or lower path. Once either path is empty, the split and “Save” button in the toolbar, and choose whether you
join will be removed. want to save over the currently loaded preset, or save
as a new preset. In both cases, you will be presented
(HINT: Use the panning controls in the join block to with a dialog that allows you to edit the name,
achieve stereo spread when creating dual-amp or description, and tags:
dual-cab routings)

The input and output blocks always appear at the

beginning and end of the overall signal flow. They
cannot be moved or deleted, and their parameters are
not saved as part of a preset. (Think of these as "global"
blocks.)

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LIBRARY MANAGEMENT

Tonocracy organizes content using a folder-based paradigm. Some sections of this folder structure contain factory
content which is read-only. However, the rest can be freely modified and rearranged to suit your preferences.

You can navigate within the library in two ways: you drag an item, a horizontal line appears, indicating
where it will be positioned upon release. To move an
1. Expand or collapse folders to display their item inside a folder, first ensure the folder is expanded
content. by toggling the expand/collapse arrow to point
2. Double-click on folders. This action focuses downwards.
the library browser on that folder's contents.
To navigate to the parent folder, simply click Right-clicking on library items unveils a menu offering
“Back”. actions like "New Folder", "Delete", and "Edit Info". To
rename an item, or modify its description or tags, select
Double-clicking a preset will load it instantly. For other the "Edit Info" action.
non-folder items, such as amps, ToneSnap gear
snapshots, NAM files, and IRs, double-clicking will load To import external content, such as cabinet IRs or NAM
the item into the currently selected signal flow block. If files, simply drag and drop them from your computer's
no block is selected, the item won't be loaded. file browser into the desired Tonocracy library location.

While certain item types are saved to a designated Items created by another user will have an icon
default location, you can move them around after saving featuring a user avatar with a downward arrow. If you've
or downloading. shared an item for others to see, a similar icon with an
upward arrow will appear.
Except for the factory content, all items can be moved
by dragging and dropping within the folder structure. As

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CLOUD BACKUPS AND SYNC CLOUD LIBRARY

Tonocracy offers seamless backup of your private library Tonocracy enables users to publish any self-created or
and synchronizes content across multiple devices imported library item. This published content becomes
through the "Sync" feature. This feature is triggered with accessible to others via the cloud search function.
the toolbar button in the upper-right of the main window.
Any modifications made to your local library are To explore content shared by other users, click the
mirrored in your cloud account after syncing. If you search icon located at the top-right of the library panel.
install Tonocracy on another device, your entire library This action reveals a new interface where you can input
will be available as soon as you log in. If you use search parameters, tags, item types, and determine the
multiple devices, you can modify your library on any of sorting of results. By default, the newest published
them and synchronize the changes using the "Sync" content is displayed.
feature. For instance, if you have a desktop in your
studio and a laptop for live performances, you can To revert to your library view, press the "Back" button.
design presets on the desktop, organize them into a
setlist folder, and then sync them to the cloud. Syncing When you double-click an item from the search results,
on your laptop then fetches these updates. Likewise, it's loaded just as it would from your local library. This
any last-minute adjustments on your laptop can be feature allows you to preview the content or incorporate
synced back. it into your current preset without needing to add it to
your library first.
NOTE: Syncing isn't automatic - you need to manually
initiate it by pressing the button. It's advisable to sync However, if you decide that you want to download an
periodically to ensure that your local library is backed item directly to your library, click the download icon next
up, ready for restoration if required. to the search result. The item will be saved to its default
location in your library based on the item type, e.g.,
presets to the "User presets" folder, captures to the
"User captures" folder, and so forth.

To publish your own content, right-click the desired item

in your library and select "publish". This opens a dialog
where you can review the name, description, tags, etc.
before it is made available to the wider community.
(NOTE: Any subsequent edits to a published item will be
visible to other users!)

NOTE: Before publishing, ensure that you are the

original creator of the content or have secured explicit
permission from the original author. This also applies to
any content that is included by reference, such as a
cabinet IR within a preset. Do not publish or otherwise
redistribute any commercial content!

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TONESNAP MODE

For more details on how to create your own ToneSnaps, refer to the ToneSnap Gear Snapshot and Calibration Guide,
available at https://tonocracy.com/download

To exit ToneSnap mode, click the exit button [1]. The steps of the ToneSnap workflow are displayed in the top area [2].
You may toggle back and forth between the current step and the “Process” page, which shows you the current state of
the cloud processing for all ToneSnaps that have not yet been added to your library. In the setup step, you have various
monitoring options [3] (including the ability to listen through a cabinet impulse), buttons for triggering the calibration
process [4], IO configuration, levels, and routing [5], selection of the type of ToneSnap being made [6], and buttons to
move forward/backward in the workflow [7]

To enter ToneSnap mode, click the “ToneSnap Mode” button in the toolbar.

The steps of the ToneSnap workflow are as follows: ToneSnap: Your gear will be analyzed using a
pre-recorded signal
Setup: Configure your IO and signal routing, perform
any calibration, choose the ToneSnap type Process: Multiple ToneSnaps can be queued up for
cloud processing
Check: Your setup will be checked for common
problems Audition: ToneSnaps which have completed processing
can be auditioned and compared to the original before
Info: Enter information about the gear being captured. being added to your library
(It is best to enter detailed information here, right before
the capture is done, so that you don’t need to recall it
later.)

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In the “Info” step, you are prompted to fill out various fields:

The name and notes fields [1] are required for all ToneSnaps. It is recommended that you note the model and
manufacturer of the gear being captured, including any associated equipment such as a cabinet, microphones, etc.

The fields for knobs and switches [2] should be filled in to match the settings of your amp or pedal. You may add and
remove fields as needed. These values will be used to automatically populate the description when you add the
ToneSnap to your library after the audition step.

ILOK LICENSE MANAGEMENT

Tonocracy uses PACE iLok to manage licenses. To activate or deactivate a license, use the options in the main menu.
For details about the activation process, see https://tonocracy.com/how-to-activate.

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