To me it is like having a handful of choice first call customizable amps in your studio. A few other nice accessories in there and it's simple and straight forward. The price is right for anyone from the casual to the pro to get it.
The cool thing is that even if you were planning on getting the full AmpliTube you can get this and then get the AmpliTube full upgrade which practically covers the difference in cost (the upgrade is $249. - so at MSRP it is even better than the difference!). That makes it a nice stepping stone, a trial piece or even just a smart buying move to get something extra for nothing (if you were going to get AmpliTube full anyway at some point) because Live/LE has a tuner and real time vol/wah, stand alone and other features that are different.
If you think about it that way it is sort of a no brainer. Why not? I think this version is hot. It's not like the quality was diminished either. It's the same quality amp modeling as in the $399. version. It just has less features that's all. But, if you look at the "features" of a Vox AC30 (ie. tone control) it is really all about the SOUND of running something through that amp.
When it comes to IK's modeled sound the fact that AmpliTube has won over 10 awards tells you that a lot of people really dig it. I think that's more awards than any other plug-in has gotten. Of course there have been other "me too" amp sims coming out as well lately. AT sort of set the standard though. Each company can approach it differently and it depends a lot on the people involved too. It's all in the engineering and the "ears". I know the people in Italy who are behind AT and have total respect for their talents. I learned about how the developers model the circuitry and then A/B by ear and go back and forth with the science and the art until it's musically hit the spot. I love this kind of thing. I even sent off a couple of vintage pieces I own for them to model (I won't tell you which though... he he. You'll have to wait and see!
). So, to be able to get a taste of IK's amp modeling for this price is really awesome. I opens up the doors for more people to be able to afford it. This has only recently become available as a package like this for multiple formats. ProTools users have been able to use it and seem to love it. But, now everyone can. If you get it I am curious to see what you think and if you appreciate it the same way I do.
