Line 6

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cameltoe

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Line 6 has announced the GearBox plug-in Silver and Gold bundles.

For the computer-based musician who records guitar, bass and vocals, GearBox Plug-In bundles deliver the Line 6 "studio-standard" tone from POD xt, and classic vintage effects in a flexible software plug-in format. Both packages include Mac OS X AU and Windows VST plug-in support and a USB guitar interface with Line 6 ToneDirect monitoring.

GearBox Plug-In Silver and Gold bundles include a collection of professionally programmed presets. Plus, presets created during the recording process can easily be moved into other Line 6 products like POD xt Live for total portability to the stage. The Silver bundle provides a hand-picked model selection, while the Gold bundle delivers a comprehensive array for the ultimate tone palette. Both packages include the TonePort DI USB guitar interface and are compatible with the most popular Mac and Windows recording programs.

GearBox Plug-In Silver Bundle (MSRP $419.99):

18 guitar amp and 24 cab models from POD xt.
5 bass amp models from Bass POD xt.
6 world-renowned vintage and modern mic preamps.
30 studio and stompbox effects.
GearBox Plug-In Gold Bundle (MSRP $699.99):

78 guitar amp and 24 cab models from POD xt/Vetta II.
28 bass amp and 22 bass cab models from Bass POD xt.
6 world-renowned vintage and modern mic preamps.
80 plus studio and stompbox effects.
These bundles are expected to be released late Summer 2006 with RTAS support planned for summer 2007.

Damn...699.95...I assume you need the usb interface for this to work?...
 
I saw this earlier today. L6 has gone officially looney.

$99 for a 3 pack model pack is one thing, but $700 for a "gold" plugin bundle? Please.

I used to own a Toneport UX2, and for the $125 (GC hookup) I paid it was a great deal. For a beginner or scratch thing, getting a usb interface, with bass/guitar modeling its a great value. BUT, the converters and sound quality of the unit is very much sub par. I went directly from an EMU 1820M (which sounds AMAZING) to the Toneport and the downgrade in sound quality was absolutely staggering.

I'm still flabbergasted at the price they are asking for the "silver" and "gold" bundles. Many many users will scoff. Think about it.. $199 for the UX2 is a very budget friendly price. Anyone spending $200 on an all in one interface is surely NOT going to spend $700 on a plugin bundle! They are nutz.

Oh... and to answer your Q, yes, you will definitely need either the UX1 or the UX2 in order to use the gearbox addons.
 
They must still have some hardware DSPs on the USB unit if it's required. Kind of reminds me of DigiDesign's oversized dongles...

You know, I'm sad to see Line 6 waste their time with this honestly. They used to innovate, now they imitate. All they're trying to do is compete directly, putting out me-too products to compete with Native Instruments and M-Audio.

Just give us all the XT/Vetta stuff as a plugin, no hardware required, Line 6! They would SLAUGHTER Guitar Rig if it was all software-based. Call it Amp Farm XT or something, make it available in every plug-in format out there for Mac and PC. And then move on - tube modeling has run its course - put out hardware with real tubes and digital effects, with storable presets.

Imagine a cross between the Mesa Triaxis and the POD XT Pro! That would be innovation - but Line 6 won't do it because they've got too much pride in their tube emulation. Sure, it's the best tube emulation on the market, but it's nowhere close to the real thing, and I am starting to wonder if it's even possible to achieve convincing tube tone through emulation EVER, no matter how many developers work at it for how many years.

Perhaps Line 6 knows this - but assumes that only "pros" will know the difference, and that their products are (mostly) entry-level. Trouble is, more and more n00bs are becoming aware that nothing beats real tubes - and their purchasing habits show this.

I'm not trying to bash Line 6, but as somebody who loyally followed them for years, and who LOVES their digital effects and even loves the POD in spite of its shortcomings, I'm bummed to see them wasting their time putting out useless clone products. The XT/Vetta platform is old - make it available as a pure software plugin - and embrace tubes! In 1997, Line 6 were so ahead of their time with Amp Farm and the AxSys 212, but they've done little to advance from there - I want to see them reclaim their former innovative glory!
 
Kaz - there is NO processing done inside of the toneport (or guitar port) - it is completely 100% reliant on a PC.

XT / Toneport / Guitarport in theory should all sound exactly 100% identical. A friend of mine is Line6 Fiend Boi and he swears up and down there is no difference at all between his pod xt pro rack versus that of his guitar port when going direct or through any number of his power amps and cabs, etc. I've never done any comparisons directly, but he is probably not too far off the mark.

Like I said, I think the UX2 Toneport is a killer value and massive bang for the buck for someone starting out, considering it is a daw interface (asio/wdm) has independent vol. control of headphone and monitors, has spdif i/o, and stereo line in and does bass/guitar/preamp modeling... for $199 its a no brainer.

I really do think it is SILLY for L6 to think they are going to sell a lot of these plugin bundles at those prices. I know MSRP is bloated.. a $699 might become $499 or some shit, but that's still TOTAL bs... one would be much better off with a UAD-1 or similar. My point being, anyone who is going to spend that kind of money on software/plugins is going to be using a more pro card, not a little USB L6 toy with poor DA's.

I almost thought it was a misprint, and was assuming any gearbox/toneport specific addons would be $99 or $49, just like the pod addons. I saw $699 I nearly fell out of my chair, hehehe!
 
EtherForBreakfast said:
Oh... and to answer your Q, yes, you will definitely need either the UX1 or the UX2 in order to use the gearbox addons.
Click to expand...


"Both packages include the TonePort DI USB guitar interface"


But even if we assume the so-called Gold bundle is just a TonePort UX2 with all the add-on model packs included standard, the MSRP should still be under $400.
 
Well.. this makes things a little bit better, but not much.

I did not read thoroughly. I thought these were add-on packs/plugin bundles for *existing* UX2 or UX1 owners, specific to toneport only. I'm wondering why they call it a toneport DI interface, and not specifying which model? Does this mean its a NEW toneport device, different from ux1 or ux2?

Let's pretend the gold bundle is $399 street. I guess they are selling a $199 UX2 (???) with $200 more of "software" (power pack, all 3 model packs) which is still $400...

Hmmm.. Fuckit. Once again Line6 has me confused.
 
I'd like to add one thing to the 'tube emulation not the real thing' debate.

FUCK IT!

Tubes didn't emulate shit - that's why they're tubes, and not getting slagged off as copycat bollocks. Line 6 can only emulate so much and so well before it's like trying to fuck the Grand Canyon. What I want to see is someone doing with solid-state and digital processing what those two formats are truly capable of. Dime got his tone with solid-state; tons of people are recording without knowing what a tube is and they do get decent sounds all the same; there's no reason why everything that isn't a poorly-designed, unstable, and inefficient overglorified lightbulb should be demoted to a position where all it can do is try to sound like one. Am I the only one who wonders why solid-state and digital companies don't find great use for the tons of little transistors in their own way, and not just being another bloody ripoff?

Maybe that would be worth $700, getting something that only Line 6 can do and knowing that it's the best they're going to offer in terms of their own 'new sound'. I just looked around on EBay and found that for that price I could get a XXX or one of three 5150s, as well as my pick of fuck-knows-how-many attenuators and cab sims that would let me use them with the same convenience and still be getting the *real thing*. I'm reading the press reports and seeing nothing but 'oh, well we took a small nation's worth of electrical engineers, half the planet's guitarists and producers, and resurrected Christ himself to get from 99% tube to 99.5% tube'... talk about a Rube Fucking Goldberg machine, goddamn.

While we're at it, who remembers why amp manufacturers switched to 12AX7s? Apart from the gloriously lo-fi tone and their magical utter refusal to behave as ordered or bias consistently, they were the cheapest available. Who remembers where the 'magical carbon-comp resistors' came from? Any shithole where they could be found - they were the cheap ones too. What were the reactions of the amp companies Tony Iommi went to looking for the best distortion out there? Fuck it, can't distort tubes, they don't sound good. Hmm. Doesn't seem to be anything magical about tubes when you pull one out of a box and look for the pixie-dust, or when you compare modern solid state to fully 50% of the tube amps out there in a moderate price range and can't say you prefer the glowing, unstable, twice-as-heavy electronic equivalents of geriatric wards. Has anyone else been looking for something that wasn't a rehash or a ripoff or a reworking of the flavor of the week, or is it just me? Fuck, if it'll help the tone I'll wire up bunny rabbits and newborn babies to fucking atom bombs, just end the fucking snap-a-picture-of-the-mirror-before-it-runs-away bullshit like paying $1000 to emulate a $500 amp. I'm not the only crazy one, am I?

Jeff
 
Fuck those L6 bundles.

Silver gets ya 1/3 of an XT with 1/3 of the addons
Goldie gets ya ~almost~ a decked XT for your MSRP of $699

A BRAND NEW bean XT with ALL packs (amps, fx, bass) with NO DEALS are …what ..$499?
..and even that, you get more …not just a sampling of “the best of”…
Add $100 more if ya want the control of the XTL.

EFBreakfast mentioned the shittiness of the sound quality of the USB 1.0 connection.
I concur. It blows.

If you’re strapped for $$, get a fucking 4-channel Eurodesk, or whatever the shittiest Behringer board is …way better that the USB.
That’ll set you back about 40 bucks.


For $699, I expect a POD with tits-up pre’s …ok settle for just as good as a Mackie VLZ.
…not a solution that eliminates a bean or the floor XTL.


Oh yeah, JBroll – great post! – made me laugh :kickass:
 
Cashing in before they go out of business or at least completely lose the market for their current product base?

Look at us here, tossing around cabinet impulses that completely own line6 cab sim.. like it's nothing. Soon enough amp emulation will be the same. It's already at least competitive.

Anything they can make their shit do, can be done without it. Only people who don't realize this will pay up such ridiculous money. There's no way their technology is worth ..anything really.
 
JBroll said:
I'd like to add one thing to the 'tube emulation not the real thing' debate.
Click to expand...

I've thought of this too. I think there's a lot of tonal possibilities in the digital realm that don't involve trying to emulate older pieces of gear. And Dimebag did get amazing tone for using a solid state amp and passive pickups. Let's not confuse solid state with digital though, as they are two very different animals.

At the end of the day, I can't say I've found anything I like as much as a real tube amp. They just sound better to me. Less harsh, more smooth, more inviting. Whatever it is, I have yet to hear anything on the digital side that produces as musically voiced of a timbre as a tube amp. I don't think my mind or ears have been conditioned to think this way, I was a digital die-hard for years who only recently switched to tubes. I still use a Line 6 POD XT and Native Instruments Guitar Rig for their digital FX and convenience. But when it's time to do a final recording, it's gotta go through tubes!

The proof is on recordings. I don't think anyone in their right mind would say that Lacuna Coil gets anywhere near as good of a guitar tone as, say, Arch Enemy. A lot of that is the tube factor.
 
A friend of man that is really into HIFI constructions told me that you can achieve the same sound with a transistor instead of bulbes/tubes/valves.
The only bad thing is that nobody till now has made a good solid state schematic for a guitar amp.
Tubes produce even harmonics while transistor odd harmonics, if you work in a good way you can produce even harmonics on a solide state project.
Big companies never tried to build a great transistor amp, just concentrated on manufacturing great tubes amps.
I bet that if mesaboogie will start doing solid state amp with a passion they would produce the best ones we will ever heard of.
It's just marketing anyway, if you put on the label "Tubes" it will sells more than solid state.
Have you ever wondered that Marshall JCM2000's line is not a full tube path?
that's it, search the web.. a tube amp that sound like a good transistor.... bah
But how long will it take before the last tube factories will stop making tubes?
Remember there are very few ones (china, russia, Czech).


p.s.
This conversation seems like the war for petrols buahahah :)
Hydrogen Vs Petrol
 
I've always heard the magic in tubes is that when they are overdriven, they compress...If you think of a wavelength, as it is overdriven in a tube amp, the tubes will compress the peaks of the wavelength down...But, in a SS amp, it will clip off the peaks, which is what results in the harsher gain sound of SS. I may be wrong, but until SS amps can do that effectively (i.e. as good as a tube amp), I don't see tubes going away, depsite all the digital gizmos and technology we see. To me, tubes sell more because they do sound better. And this is coming from a former Line 6 devotee.
 
i agree, i think tubes do, and always will sound better, they simply cannot replicate the sound of 100W tube amp pushing speakers, using a digital device.
 
Well.... Consider this though.... What's common practice with metal? Throwing a TS9/808/820 solid state / diode clipping boosty pedal in front of your all tube amp. =)

It has been my experience that a solid state preamp into a tube power amp sounds and feels "better" than a tube preamp into a solid state power amp.

I really dig Randall solid state amps, especially RH100.. it's good stuff and it's behringer ass cheap. Love it.
 
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