Sonicake Matribox II Pro

The Sonicake Matribox II Pro is a digital modeling multi-effects processor: a floor unit that puts amp simulations, cabinet simulations, effect pedal simulations, a looper, a drum machine and a tuner in one box. It is the second generation Pro version of Sonicake's multi-effects processor, following the earlier Sonicake Matribox II, and it runs on what Sonicake calls the Matribox Gen 2 hardware platform with advanced digital modeling technology¹.

For a player, it covers the whole signal chain in one unit: 63 amplifier simulations, over 93 effect pedal simulations, 61 cabinet simulations with support for 20 user IRs, and 240+ legacy amp and effects models carried over from earlier generations¹. It records over USB at 16 or 24-bit at a 44.1kHz sampling frequency¹.

What it does: amp, cab and effects modeling

The Matribox II Pro models the front and back end of a rig. On the amp side you get 63 amplifier simulations; on the cab side, 61 cabinet simulations with room for 20 of your own impulse responses¹. Between them sit over 93 effect pedal simulations, plus 240+ legacy amp and effects models inherited from Sonicake's earlier products¹. The earlier Matribox II carried the same 63 amp and 61 cab emulations, so the Pro's modeling count is a continuation rather than a rebuild⁵.

The signal path is linear, in a single chain, so effects run in a fixed order rather than the movable modules of some competitors; Delicious Audio noted the Matribox II offered 10 movable effect modules, while Sonicake describes the Pro's path as a single chain¹⁵. An FX LOOP interface supports the 4 Cable Method for connecting other devices, so you can place your own pedals in the loop or integrate the unit with a real amp's front end and effects loop¹.

Practice and recording tools are built in:

• A 90-second loop function¹
• 100 drum rhythms, including a metronome¹
• A tuner with screen display, described by Sonicake as fast and accurate¹
• A headphone interface compatible with various impedance headphones¹
• USB audio at 16 and 24-bit, 44.1kHz¹

Controls, touchscreen and footswitches

The unit is controlled through a large color touchscreen with what Sonicake calls a user-friendly interface, backed by six footswitches with two customizable footswitch modes¹. That is double the footswitch count of the Matribox II, which had three footswitches with the same two customizable modes⁶. A built-in expression pedal is on the chassis, and there is support for an external expression pedal or footswitches¹.

For whammy-style pitch work, Sonicake's own guidance is to use the pitch module, assign the pedal to the range parameter, set dry to 0 and wet to 100; for transpose, use dual melody, set dry to 0, keep only one of the high or low volumes, and adjust the pitch of the one you kept¹.

One limitation worth knowing: Sonicake states the unit does not support MIDI output, so MIDI works for receiving control data but not for sending it out to other gear¹.

Firmware, editor software and the Matribox II

Free Mac and Windows software handles sound editing and preset management¹. The latest software version supports NAM A2, meaning Neural Amp Modeler captures of real amps can be loaded into the unit alongside the stock amp sims¹.

The update path has a quirk that matters to anyone buying the unit¹²:

The Pro is not compatible with Matribox II presets, so sounds built on the earlier unit do not transfer¹. The Matribox II itself remains part of Sonicake's range with 198 preset slots (99 factory presets) and a latest firmware of V1.3.0³⁷. Sonicake positions the Pro as the second generation Pro version of the line, with the new hardware platform and digital modeling technology reproducing every detail of the sound with higher accuracy, clarity and fidelity, in the maker's words⁴².

What reviewers said

Published coverage of the Matribox line has been positive. Delicious Audio, covering the Matribox II Pro at its announcement, wrote⁸⁵:

That matches the earlier Matribox II coverage, where the same writer noted the unit was gathering good reviews on Amazon with an average of 4.5 stars⁵. On the Matribox II Pro, the same writer found that YouTube reviews are more than positive, although many warn that the presets are not representative of how good the unit can sound⁸. One player quoted on Sonicake's page, Louis Hegmann, said he had used the previous Matribox generation for about 3 years before switching⁹.

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