| I just spent the day in tonal heaven. My Line 6 | | | | arrangement minus all guitars.These arrangements |
| GuitarPort Online bundle just arrived today - | | | | are all faithful performances of the original hits -- |
| approximately one week after ordering. This may | | | | and some, such as a number of Jimi Hendrix |
| be the ideal tool for raising your musical | | | | tunes, are actually from the original performers! |
| experience from the toy world of Guitar Hero the | | | | The following are some of the wonderful learning |
| game, to being a real guitar hero in your own | | | | resources contained in the online component: |
| right. | | | | You get full lessons for over 400 songs. |
| So what is the Line 6 GuitarPort Online bundle, | | | | GuitarPort Online teaches you both music theory |
| you ask? It is a combination of hardware, | | | | and hot songs in genres from blues to jazz to |
| software, and online service, that combine into a | | | | metal to classic rock and modern rock. GuitarPort |
| complete guitar learning, performance, and | | | | has hundreds of accurate guitar and bass tabs for |
| recording system. The current price of entry to | | | | songs by top artists such as All American |
| this soup-to-nuts system is less than $30.00 US! | | | | Rejects, Allman Brothers, BB King, The Beatles, |
| In order to gain an understanding of all that is | | | | Chuck Berry, Black Sabbath, Johnny Cash, |
| included, let's talk about each element of the | | | | Coldplay, Alice Cooper, Creedence Clearwater |
| system separately. We'll start with the hardware. | | | | Revival, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Al |
| Included in the box is the Line 6 TonePort DI | | | | diMeola, Fall Out Boy, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, |
| Silver. This is a small, solidly built metal unit | | | | Eric Johnson, King Crimson, Kiss, Albert Lee, Linkin |
| measures about 6"x4"x2", sitting comfortably on | | | | Park, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Marley, Modest |
| your desktop. The front panel has a 1/4" jack for | | | | Mouse, Motley Crue, Muddy Waters, Pantera, Pink |
| plugging in your guitar, bass or other instrument, a | | | | Floyd, P.O.D., Ramones, Rush, Joe Satriani, |
| Pad switch for lowering the gain (good for | | | | Scorpions, Soundgarden, System Of A Down, Joe |
| instruments with active or other high output | | | | Walsh, Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and ZZ |
| pickups), and a volume control for the direct | | | | Top. |
| monitoring function. The rear panel has a USB | | | | Fully-Produced Songs to Play Along With. These |
| jack for connecting to your computer, a 1/4" | | | | aren't cheesy-sounding, inaccurate, freebie MIDI |
| stereo headphone jack, a 1/4" DI Out jack, and a | | | | jam tracks. You can listen to and play along with |
| pair of 1/4" Analog outputs. This is, in essence, a | | | | the full arrangement, or with lead guitar, rhythm |
| 1 in, 2 out computer audio interface, specifically | | | | guitar, bass, or all guitars removed. Your guitar |
| tailored to be convenient for guitarists and | | | | playing is automatically mixed with the band, |
| bassists. | | | | allowing you to replace your favorite guitar heroes |
| The software consists of GearBox and Line 6 | | | | on their greatest hits. |
| Monkey. Monkey is a handy utility that connects | | | | Lessons on specific topics -- such as chord |
| to Line 6's servers, and provides a centralized | | | | progressions, blues solos, etc. Some of these are |
| interface to check all aspects of the system for | | | | master classes taught by chart-topping guitarists. |
| possible software and firmware updates, and | | | | Awesome Guitar Tones. When you choose a |
| simplify the upgrade process. | | | | song on GuitarPort Online, it automatically loads a |
| GearBox is where the rubber hits the road. This is | | | | recording of the song, accurate tabs for all guitar |
| a fairly full-featured 'amp sim', that contains | | | | parts and the guitar tones the perfectly match |
| models of most classic amps and FX you might | | | | the recording. The modeling software mimics your |
| care to name. These are all rendered as quite | | | | favorite artists' amps and stompbox and studio |
| convincing emulations of the expected Marshalls, | | | | effects, so when you are learning and playing |
| tweed and blackface Fenders, Mesas, Voxes, | | | | your favorite songs, you can sound exactly like |
| Soldanos, Jazz Choruses, etc. Also included are | | | | the recording. |
| Bass amp sims like both SVT and B-15 from | | | | GuitarPort Online plugs right into GearBox, such |
| Ampeg, Eden, GK, etc. Also included are | | | | that one navigates and operates the online portion |
| emulations of API, Neve, and other preamps, as | | | | from right within GearBox. This forms a |
| well as a number of Line 6 models. | | | | streamlined interface for browsing the catalog of |
| GearBox also includes all the speaker cabinet | | | | songs, tabs, and tones. Indeed, the online |
| models that one would expect to mix and match | | | | component can even switch patches for you on |
| with the above amps, in configurations from 1x6 | | | | the fly! |
| through several 4x12's. Also included are a full | | | | Taken as a whole, this system provides all a |
| array of modeled microphones such as Shure | | | | guitarist or bassist might need or want to learn |
| SM57, Sennheiser 421, Neumann U67, EV RE-20, | | | | and perform the most important pieces in the |
| AKG D112, and Telefunken U-47. | | | | guitar repertoire -- melodically, harmonically, and |
| GearBox also has a full complement of stompbox | | | | tonally. Each of the pieces also form a solid |
| effect emulations. Included in these are a gate, | | | | offering in their respective category. Granted, Line |
| volume pedal, wah pedal, distortions, fuzzes, and | | | | 6 likely is offering this bundle in order to addict |
| overdrives, compressors and de-essors, | | | | people to the GuitarPort Online service, which |
| equalizers, chorus, flanger, univibe, tremolo, | | | | after the three month trial period (should you |
| phaser, Leslie, delays, echos, and reverbs. | | | | choose to continue it), will continue to cost you |
| Also included is an accurate, full-function chromatic | | | | $7.99 per month. However, not long ago, one |
| tuner. | | | | would likely expect to pay $100-$200 for an |
| GearBox can be used either as a standalone | | | | interface of this capability, and another $50-100 |
| application, or as a VST plugin within a host | | | | for such a capable amp sim program. As a $30 |
| application such as Logic, Sonar, Pro Tools, | | | | complete hardware, software, and Internet |
| Cubase, or other DAW. In the standalone | | | | service bundle, this may be the best deal of the |
| application, one could listen to their performance | | | | year for guitarists and bassists! |
| through headphones, or even run the main stereo | | | | For an even more impressive value, the TonePort |
| output from the TonePort DI-S to a massive PA | | | | DI can be used as a dongle to unlock a copy of |
| system for concert applications. | | | | Line 6's POD Farm (for a limited time), which is an |
| The third component of GuitarPort Online bundle is | | | | even more comprehensive amp sim, allowing for |
| the hosted service. The $29.95 initial cost includes | | | | two complete parallel chains of FX, amps, |
| a three months subscription to GuitarPort Online. | | | | speakers, and mics. |
| This is an Internet service tailored as a tool for | | | | All told, the GuitarPort Online package forms a |
| guitar players to learn new songs and nail not only | | | | complete and comprehensive system of |
| the performances, but also the tones of scads of | | | | hardware, software, and education. Its content will |
| great guitar songs. Included are patches for your | | | | have you playing and sounding like your favorite |
| GearBox, accurate Tablature of the guitar | | | | artists, no matter your current experience level. |
| portions of the tunes, and full recordings of the | | | | And with such a low price of entry, it forms an |
| tunes -- in variations of complete arrangements, | | | | unbeatable value. |
| the complete arrangement minus the lead/main | | | | Note: the author Joe Bear has no financial |
| guitars (where you play these parts in real time), | | | | relationship to Line 6, and is not compensated in |
| complete arrangement minus bass, and complete | | | | any way by Line 6 for this review. |