Line 6 POD Studio USB interfaces for guitar players (and their guitars)
Line 6, makers of a variety of virtual amplifier modelers and other nifty hardware for guitarists, is pushing out a new like of interfaces called the "POD Studio", all of which support high quality audio input over USB.
The main difference in the models (of which there are three) seems to be in the number of inputs that are available. The GX has a single quarter-inch input; the UX1 adds an XLR input and a headphone out; the UX2 [pictured] gives two quarter-inch inputs, two XLR inputs, a headphone out, and a couple of analog gauges and four big, cranky knobs. They're $140, $210, and $280, respectively, and each comes with the basic version of "POD Farm", a software guitar and amp modeling package.
I've got a big ol' Kustom amp and cabinet in my room on loan from a friend, but I hardly ever plug it in these days. It's been me, an interface box (I use FireWire), headphones, and software modeling for years. Oh, and a guitar.
POD Studio product page [Line6.com via Electronista via Engadget]
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Dig the foamy ribbed Kustom units. I made the mistake of leaving a keyboard head unit with someone, and never saw the thing again. Made a great TV stand for a while.
This pretty much appears to be last year's TonePort with new software. Still nice, but way to rehash the old stuff and sell it as the newest most amazing thing EVAR, Line 6.
There's also a UX8 with, you guessed it, 8 inputs. It's rack shaped.
My UX1 came with Ableton live, light edition. I'm very pleased with that, even if the le only lets you save up to 8 tracks. The key that came with the package was for 5 but Ableton lets you upgrade to the latest version (7) for free. Upgrading to the full edition is cheaper as well, which could be a good deal.
This has no place in my world. This is a 2 channel USB audio input with some extra modelling crap built in. $10 of components stuck in a $280 box.
The ultimate problem is that you're reliant on software to keep working in order for these things to perform well. I've got a Line 6 TonePort UX1, hooked up via XLR and a phantom power supply to a condenser mic for recording vocals, and it's recently started producing sound of frankly hideous quality that no amount of settings poking seems to resolve. Presets that used to be nice are now carrying a nasty edge like the sound's been down a telephone line and back again.
Stupid computers.
analog is definitely the way to go. but when those get too expensive, digital can be pretty good. i have a digital effects processor, and, while it's no analog stomp box, it still has WAY more capabilities than even 20 analog ones. i just don't like going through computers. mostly because music software is so damn expensive. and my computer is really slow. mostly the slowness of my 512MB SDRAM, and pitiful 800MHz powerpc g4...
i have a nice amp, though!
ElCheapo USB audio interfaces sound like poo.
@ toxonix:
Do you know of a USB interface with 2 XLRs and 2 quarter inch jacks for the same price or less? I'm not being sarcastic... I really haven't priced this stuff, because I have a high-end interface, but this seems like a pretty good deal for a guitarist who wants to start recording digitally.
Meh. USB audio interfaces are way too unstable and very limiting in regards to bit depth/sampling rate. Plus their preamps suck. Budding studio musicians, beware.
Firewire devices are much more useful and stable, and offer more variety of inputs/outputs. Just get yourself an Edirol FA-101 10 in, 10 out (96kHz/24bit) or a MOTU Ultralite (same specs). Both devices are rocksolid and run on PC, Mac and Linux (with some modding of course). You could also get the RME Fireface 800. Another solid device. You could actually do something useful with the hundreds of dollars that way.
- Drew, from an academic computer music studio
'Scuse me? Reviews without even trying it out?
The Toneport UX2 is recording heaven for musicians
who loath most usb or firewire interfaces. Great
interface for working, AMAZING sound (#5 might need
to check his settings), and ZERO latency monitoring
(this is big).
Can't imagine POD Studio would be a step down.