Dear IK Multimedia Development Team,
I am writing to introduce myself and share my user experience regarding the TONEX pedal (Standard Edition) and its accompanying software ecosystem. My name is Joel; I am a musician and a screen reader user. I utilize various screen readers for both my mobile devices and computers. Specifically on Windows, I use NVDA, which is an open-source screen reader.
Initially, I was concerned that the graphical layout of TONEX and TONEX Editor might present significant accessibility barriers. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the software is surprisingly usable with a screen reader. By utilizing NVDA’s Object Navigation—a feature that simulates mouse movement via keyboard inputs—I am currently able to navigate approximately 70% of the TONEX Editor smoothly.
Having tested the recent Beta, I would like to offer specific feedback regarding the remaining 30% of the interface to assist your team in enhancing overall accessibility:
- Unlabeled or Unclear Controls (~20%): Several buttons are announced by screen readers merely as “button on”, “button off”, “option button”, or “checkbox”. This requires trial-and-error testing for each control. Since some submenus and floating windows open on different areas of the screen, determining the exact function of these controls becomes quite challenging.
- Unlabeled Buttons & Preset Navigation (~10%): Certain controls are read simply as “button” with no registered state change upon activation. Additionally, managing certain purchased content has been tricky; for instance, I have not yet been able to access the 15 presets from the Brown Panel library, although the 80 Tone Models were relatively easy to browse and play.
- Observations on the Beta Build: In testing the Beta, I noticed a slight reduction in overall accessibility within the main TONEX software compared to the stable release. There are additional unlabeled buttons, and the layout changes make it harder to locate essential areas that were previously accessible, such as the Settings menu (TONEX Editor remains closer to its original structure).
- Targeted Accessibility Improvements:
- Adding explicit text/automation labels to effect Bypass buttons and switches that toggle between Presets and Tone Models.
- Improving native accessibility for Tree Views. Currently, I rely on OCR (Optical Character Recognition) screen captures to read on-screen text, but OCR captures often miss elements within expanded tree structures.
I mention developers like ML Sound Lab (creators of ML Drums, Gemini, GNR, and Amped) not to make a direct comparison, but rather to offer a practical reference based on my hands-on experience. I have personally tested their software and verified that in tools similar to TONEX—where the user selects cabinets, amplifiers, toggles effects on and off, or even adjusts microphone placement in real-time—keyboard and screen reader navigation is remarkably accessible and smooth. It is a feature that works incredibly well in their products (even though I am not familiar with the specific technical implementation behind it), and I believe taking their approach as a reference could provide a clear blueprint for what specific implementation is required to improve accessibility without compromising the visual layout.
I am thoroughly impressed by what TONEX delivers in both sound quality and hardware design. I would like to acknowledge that I appreciate the ability to access global settings, such as switching the pedal between interface mode and live mode, among other configurations. While I currently rely on OCR tools to interact with this section, the information is clearly presented and structured, making it extremely useful. Additionally, I would like to specifically highlight and thank you for how well-labeled the cabinet and amplifier selection options are; while I rely on NVDA’s Object Navigation to interact with these options, the navigation itself works quite well, as accessing the categories and subcategories is easy, and the reader even indicates the size of the cabinets, which is incredibly useful. I believe this should be the accessibility standard that would be fantastic to replicate for the presets and modeling section, so I can identify with the same clarity what I am selecting or listening to.
I run a YouTube channel and social media platforms dedicated to music technology and accessibility for blind musicians. I have several blind guitarist friends who are eager to buy the pedal but haven’t done so yet due to concerns about whether they will have the ability or patience to navigate the software’s accessibility hurdles. I am confident that if these navigation barriers are addressed, they would not hesitate for a moment to purchase their own TONEX.
I would be more than happy to assist your team with further testing or provide detailed feedback whenever needed.
Best regards,
Joel Betanzos Musician & Content Creator