Sonicake Matribox II

More and more guitarists are turning to advanced amp modelers like the Sonicake Matribox II for an all-in-one performance and recording solution, and for good reason. The Sonicake Matribox II can be your everything — it can be your pedalboard, your amplifier, your live looper, even your recording interface. But does the Sonicake Matribox II perform well enough — and sound good enough — to be considered the best amp modeler under $250? Let’s take a look!

What is the Sonicake Matribox II?

The 2nd-generation Sonicake Matribox II improves on the original Matribox multi-effects processor to bring you a complete solution for live performance and studio recording. With your guitar or bass and the Matribox II, you have everything you need to send custom-crafted tones straight to a sound system or recording interface: it can even be your recording interface. If you want to integrate your favorite effects pedals in your chain, or use the Matribox II as a powerful multi-effects pedalboard with a traditional amplifier, you can do that too. And you can enjoy private practice sessions anytime with just a set of headphones, the Matribox II, and your guitar or bass.

Besides the sounds which are absolutely blowing me away for less than $250, this is such a small package that I’m ab le to bring it in any bag for any road date that I might have to do.. -@JimmyFranklin

What amps and effects are in the Sonicake Matribox II?

The Sonicake Matribox II is packed with advanced effects, amplifiers, and cabinet emulations, an easy to use interface, and the routing flexibility you need to optimize your guitar or bass rig. Here are some highlights:

• 63 realistic amplifier models based on legendary amps from Fender, VOX, Mesa/Boogie, Soldano, Dr. Z and more
• 61 cabinet emulations from compact cabs to 8x10 Ampeg stacks, with support for up to 15 user IRs
• Over 93 effects pedal emulations based on iconic effects from Keeley, Xotic, MXR, and moreLarge color screen, with dedicated buttons for easy access to all important parameters
• 3 footswitches for hands-free navigation, with 2 customizable footswitch modes to streamline your control
• Built-in expression pedal for effects control, plus inputs for external expression pedal and footswitch
• FX Loop for integrating effects pedals or connecting your rig with the 4-cable method
• MIDI I/O ports for advanced MIDI control from an external MIDI controller or DAW
• Onboard 90-second looper, tuner, metronome, and 90 drum rhythms to play along with
• USB audio interface for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android

And those are just the highlights — there’s a lot you can do with the Sonicake Matribox II, whether you play guitar, bass, or acoustic.

Want to hear some of the stock amp settings in the Sonicake Matribox II? Check them out in our No Fear Gear video demo with Jimmy Franklin.

How to Get Started with the Sonicake Matribox II

The Matribox II’s intuitive interface makes it easy to start creating your own epic tones right away:

1. Plug in your electric guitar, bass, or acoustic-electric guitar, and a set of headphones
2. Press footswitches 1 and 2 to enter tuner mode and tune up: press them again to exit tuner mode
3. Use the buttons below the display to instantly access each part of your signal chain
4. Press FX1 / FX2 to add emulated stompbox effects
5. Press Amp to select from a range of emulated amps, from classic American clean tones to British rock, legendary boutiques, modern high-gain amps and more
6. Press NR to add noise reduction to your post-amp signal, ideal for tightening up high-gain metal tones
7. Press Cab to select from emulated speaker cabs ranging from 1x6 to 8x10, or use Auto CAB Match to automatically select the matching cab for your selected amp model
8. Select the EQ module to fine-tune your tonal balance
9. Use the Mod, Dly, and Rvb modules to add post-amp effects like you would in a recording studio
10. Press the Save button to save your custom tone as a user preset

Watch Jimmy demo the tone-creation process in our No Fear Gear video.

Tips for Using the Sonicake Matribox II

The Matribox II is a versatile musical tool, and is equipped to serve you well both in the recording studio and live on stage. Here are some tips to get the most out of your Matribox II for different applications:

Turn off cabinet emulation if you’re using an amp

You can plug the Matribox II into a traditional amplifier, but you’ll want to turn off cabinet emulation for the best tone (no reason to send an emulated speaker into a real speaker, after all). Press the Cab button below the display to access the cab module to turn off cab emulation.

Get to know the 2 footswitch modes

The Matribox II offers a ton of navigational capability with just three footswitches, thanks to two switching modes: preset mode and stomp mode. Preset mode lets you switch between your presets, and stomp mode lets you toggle individual parameters like effects on/off. Switch between preset and stomp modes by long-pressing footswitch C, and you can fluidly change tone presets and activate effects with ease.

Use the AC Preamp emulations for your acoustic-electric guitar

The Matribox II is the perfect way to amplify your acoustic-electric guitar, but you probably don’t want to run it through an electric guitar amplifier emulation. Press the Amp button below the display and select “AC Preamp” or “AC Preamp 2”, two superb emulations of the classic AER® Colourizer 2 acoustic preamplifier. You’ll probably want to turn off speaker cabinet emulation too. 

Download the free Matribox II editor/manager software

You can even download it before you get your Matribox II to explore the amps and effects, and theory-craft some tones to try as soon as you get your hands on one. The free software from Sonicake lets you craft tones from scratch, edit your tones, transfer tone presets between your computer and Matribox II for preset management, and more.

Play with the onboard looper, it’s fun!

Press footswitches B and C simultaneously to enter looper mode: it’s a great way to practice accompaniment and sketch out new song ideas. In looper mode, press footswitch A to begin recording a loop, and press it again to complete the loop and enter overdub recording mode. You can stop loop playback with the press of a button by tapping footswitch B. Check out the “Looper” section in the user manual, there’s a lot you can do with it!

Check out our No Fear Gear video to see @JimmyFranklin demonstrate the looper.

Check the user manual for details on emulations

The Matribox II user manual offers a detailed list of all emulations including the effects pedals, amplifiers, noise reduction modes, cabinets, and post-amp effects. You can easily find them all within the Matribox II without the manual, but there’s a ton of cool stuff in there — the manual provides great info on what everything is.

Does the Matribox 2 sound any different from the original? Were there any upgrades?

Yes and yes — Sonicake re-designed the Matribox II with updated digital modeling technology and new hardware. The overall sound is more dynamic, higher fidelity, and more detailed with exceptional clarity. 

Does the Sonicake Matribox II also work as a USB interface to a DAW?

Yes — the Matribox II is equipped with a USB C port for use as an audio interface with your DAW software of choice, whether on your computer, iPhone, or Android device. You can record your tone into your DAW software, or re-amp recorded tracks from your DAW through the Matribox II’s effects, amps, and cabinet emulations.

So, is the Sonicake Matribox II the best amp modeler under $250?

It’s hard to see how anything else comes close: the Matribox II offers an exceptional collection of modeled amps, effects, and speaker cabinets, covering your needs for pretty any musical style. You’ll have everything you need to go direct right to a sound system or recording interface, plus the comprehensive connectivity you’ll need if you want to use traditional effects and amps too. And the Matribox II is a comprehensive tool for electric guitar, bass, and acoustic-electric guitar alike. If you want to spend $250 or less on an amp modeler, you’ll definitely be impressed with the Sonicake Matribox II.

The Sonicake Matribox II is a really great entry point into your modeling journey! — @JimmyFranklin