KVR Audio

A3ntar · Post by **A3ntar** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:00 pm

putte, oh, I didn't know that about the Ampeg plugin. Last thing I heard was that the people whom emulated device was found in Ampeg actually were enjoying the demo version and comparing it to the real thing favorably.

putte · Post by **putte** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:05 pm

.. hmm, i´d really love to remember what it was. maybe it was something i heard at musikmesse .. i shouldnt have said it, as its just a rumor.

putte

A3ntar · Post by **A3ntar** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:08 pm

Maybe squids can clarify this issue. Meanwhile, we want reviews people

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:08 pm

Lunch Money wrote:I have no clue about TonePort, but GuitarPort definitely has NO onboard processing. All software.

Sorry Greg, but that's nonsense. It doesn't say it's an audio interface anywhere on their site. Latency isn't mentioned either. I'd take almost every bet the POD part of things is inside the GuitarPort, not inside the software. Otherwise we'd seen a crack of it allready, believe me.

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:20 pm

I want some CLEAN, REVERBLESS and SOLOED demo sounds of BOTH Amplitube and GR2.
All that wishy-washy shit recorded by some wannabe rockstar posers, embedded in tons of effects is going on my nerves.
And I want them in all variants: Clean, crunchy, fully driven and whatever.

Seriously, it's as if these companies fear their new, shiny and kickass software wouldn't hold up against anything real when listened in comparison.

Compared to what I've listened to so far (AT1, GR1/2, whatever) I can just get a sound as good out of something more convenient not even costing a quarter.

If they want to go experimental, fine with me - but in that case they shouldn't advertise things like "your search has come to an end - all famous guitar amps in one box", when it's clear that not a SINGLE of the samples existing so far can hold up against ANY real thing.

putte · Post by **putte** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:24 pm

.. sascha, i agree. though i am glad that i am not that demanding in this ..

..

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:45 pm

Sascha, you've given me pause re. the GuitarPort, and it may warrant further research. When I last looked at it, I wasn't looking for specific information but it seemed very much to me like it was just a combination D.I. and dongle. A few things to consider in the meantime, though:

1. It seems to me that the "guts" of a POD would still be worth more than $99 compared to the PODXT at $399.

2. If it were standalone, SURELY they would have charged $10 more and given it at least a "program select" button so that you could use presets and lug it around with no laptop?

3. I HAVE seen literature, or at least a customer testimony, with the latency reported: a modest but not unusable 8ms. Couldn't tell you where that comes from, but there's definitely latency associated with it.

4. Of course the guys in marketing aren't going to go on and on about the fact that it's just a front-end for software... people would value it less, or mistakenly feel that they need to be computer-savvy to operate it, which is counter to the mandate. They DO list computer requirements, and also say that it comes with easy-to use software. That's enough for the marketing department.

You've given me pause, but I'm not interested enough in the argument to vigorously research it. I'm confident enough in the fact that it's just an interface that I'm satisfied. Furthermore, by making it a 'standalone' or a 'virtual audio device', they are making it more accessible for a certain demographic than a plug-in (which would require a host) would be.

In fact, that's what surprises me about this information on the Toneport-- I just assumed that the TonePort was the next 'evolution' of the Guitarport concept, but actually moving the effects on-board instead of using the computer.

It's not like Line6 doesn't have the software... their models are digital, after all, and even the POD firmware is software-upgradeable. It's not a stretch even without researching for direct evidence to imagine that the GuitarPort uses proprietary software. Taking that even one step further, isn't it conceivable that the models ARE designed on personal computers using proprietary software, and that therefore it's easier to make a front-end in their own format (= the Guitarport software) than it is to convert it all into the VST spec and release it as a plug-in?

Just because there's not a sentence on their website saying: "Warning, this is a front-end for software" doesn't mean that can't be the case. I'm willing to admit that you might be right, but you have at least take into account the things listed and admit that without direct clarification from Line6, that it really MAY be just a DI/dongle.

Greg

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:55 pm

Well, Greg, it's all sounding plausible - but I'm 100% sure that IF it was software, it'd be cracked by now.
Still, your points ARE sounding plausible... I'm wondering now myself.

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:00 pm

Well, the cracking issue is valid, too. That one hadn't occurred to me.

Perhaps somewhere in-between, then:

It uses an onboard DSP chip, but not the same 'collection of chips' that something more involved like the POD-XT would have. The software requires the hardware chip, perhaps, but the software decides which tasks are offloadable/POSSIBLE for the chip to process and which jobs require the computer's processing power.

Just totally guessing there. The more I think about it, the more uncertain I am, actually. Maybe the knobs/chassis of the POD really ARE that much more expensive than the cheap plastic codpiece of the Port.

Greg

multree · Post by **multree** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:01 pm

well I just remembered that I have Amplitube LE and the upgrade price is only 199 so if they allow me to get 2 for free when I upgrade to 1 now that'd be great

Sidhu · Post by **Sidhu** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:04 pm

The chiks really pissing me off... what would my mom say ?

Sidhu · Post by **Sidhu** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:11 pm

The GR2 demos... I think the high gain sounds are huge impovement! They say the used the Gratifier with a stomp. Think it's the same Gratifier algos as with the previous version ? Or better ?

A3ntar · Post by **A3ntar** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 12:31 am

The GR2 demo are not bad without being exceptional like AT2 is promising us. I don't know about the Gratifier specific issue, but to me I do hear small sonic difference between GR1 and GR2.

A3ntar · Post by **A3ntar** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 12:40 am

Well, Greg, it's all sounding plausible - but I'm 100% sure that IF it was software, it'd be cracked by now.

Sascha, I am 100% positive that the GuitarPort device has NO processing power onboard. It is just an I/O board and probably a license chip used as a dongle. The reason it is not cracked is: 1) you still need the device to input sound, unless you rewrite the sound processing engine on the GuitarPort or use some other emulation trick. 2) It is dongle protected.

These might be the reasons why nobody have tried doing anything yet with the software. Btw, LIne6 has protected all of it's devices to death, because they assumed that the algos will be pirated some day....It might still happen.

Cosmic Bandito · Post by **Cosmic Bandito** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 1:38 am

The Toneport isn't actually out yet so I wouldn't speculate about it being cracked as a reason to guess if it's hardware or software based. I can't be arsed to read all of lunch money's rationale but I think the toneport is just a front-end (like waves) and the rest looks like software to me. I was hoping to plug it in to my mixer so I guess I'll have to wait and see if it's a viable option for me.

Amplitube 2 Jimi Hendrix RELEASED this month!!!