Korg Ampworks

Very easy to get good sounds. The manual is brief but this modeler is easy to use with no scrolling through banks. Very simple controls: amp model, speaker cab, effects. 3 band eq gain, and volume. Effects are difficult to manipulate, of course this unit is advertised as an amp modeler so I can't complain there, I consider them a bonus just to have any at all.

Ive tried this unit with a strat, tele, les paul. No complaints with guitars, sounded very good especially with my tele. I really have no complaints with the amp models. They sounded great. Obvioulsly some combinations of amps and cabs didn't sound great. there are many factors that go into the tone of this modeler, the same way a real amp would. The guitar, the pickup selection, THE GAIN LEVEL, and eq settings, amp and cabinet. You can't expect every combination to sound excellent, just like the real amps wouldn't sound excellent in every setting. Nevertheless, the modeler is a great recording tool and with experimentation, you will all the sounds you need. I particularly love the UK modern-

Does it sound good through an amp? depends on the amp, and the eq and gain settings on the amp. Chances are your amp is going to color the sound some. Will a marshall model make your fender amp sound like a marshall? Not neccesarilly because your taking your "marshall model" and then sending it through a fender amp! Why should it sound the same. Because of the tredemendous flexibility of this modeler, it is capable of amazing and awful sounds depending on the settings and where its destination is (recording direct, or through an amp"
I'm not too impressed with the effects, but thats not what this unit is intended for. They are nice to have for recording situations if you need a particular effect on a track.
Can it totally replace a real amp for recording? I would say maybe. If you love the sounds then it will. If you need to get feedback while recoring then obviously you will need a real amp. If you have an amp that you love record with that and use this unit to double your guitar parts and give you more variety for layering tracks then your one real amp will.

It seems reliable to me. I always prefer metal controls over plastic, but this unit isn't a pedal so I don't consider it a problem since I wouldn't purposefully step on it. PLus metal construction raise the price tremendously, and this unit is all about bang for the buck.
For concert use you could purchase an inexpensive footswitch to change between sounds. You could mount the modeler on the back of your pedal board or sit it on your amp. Wouldn't break unless you step hard on it-which there is no reason TO step on it. (of course accidents do happen.) Remember it costs 100 bucks, so it wouldn't be a greek tragedy if something broke like some much more expensive modelers.
But this unit really shines on your desktop for recording purposes, nice for practicing too.

Never had to deal with them. But this is a simple product, 99 bucks, don't expect to have any problems, if this thing dies 5 or 6 years down the road i would have gotten my money's worth

This pedal is a tremendous value. at 99 dollars (us) its simple, takes up little space, capable of a wide variety of great sounds. Don't waste your money on a pod. With the way technology goes, after you spend your 300+ dollars there will be something newer and better. This unit is cheap, and sounds great and is all you need for recording purposes. Its wonderful to be able to track even late at night without setting up my amp and a mic and not disturb anyones sleep (except my own) I wouldn't gig with this. I tend to need only a couple good "compromise" sounds for concert and do fine with my amp and a couple pedals. But in the studio my compromise concert tone that works well all around, might not be the ideal sound for a particlar part or song. This is where this unit really shines.
I wish it came with an ac adaptor. But this unit really is about value and not including the adaptor one of the things that helps keep it so affordable. For the price of a decent boss stomp box, you get all kinds of amp, cab sounds, and some decent effects.

I love this preamp! I'm not posting a full review, but am wanting to let others know that I made some jpeg images that you can print out on a label at least 5 inches wide that you can then cut out & stick on your knobs to make them more readable. They are white on black & are taken directly from the pdf files of the manuals for both the guitar & bass modules. Go to Yahoo Groups & find the new group I started called Korg Ampworks. The labels are in the Files section.

Downright simple, all the knobs are clearly labeled and there are only 2 patches to store your settings, so if you still get lost.....

The manual is clear, simple and almost not necesary.

Yamaha RG121D straight into Ampworks and into computer/headphones/peavey audition 110 transtube, ocassionaly adding some other effects processors between ampworks and amp for better flexibility, and of course all I need to do to get a good tone out of it is to set everything else(amp) flat. Like all other modelers they tend to sound best when use with a very neutral sounding amp (mostly solid state amps)and some tube amps, and let me tell you, i never believed I could get a "realistic" amp tone from the peavey amp until i plugged this thing. I couldn`t tell you what a real tube amp feels or sounds since I never actually played one, but this unit comes close to what I hear on records and I realy enjoy it.

Obviously the real strength of the unit is as a headphone amp or recording device and once i recorded some stuff on my computer I was sold. The effects are really just an "extra" since there aren`t many parameters to go trough for each effect but they do sound good and add value to the unit, I usually only use reverb and tremolo and it just works. Though chorus and wha just dont`t do it for me.

One thing I noticed is that once I find 2 or 3 amp tones and cabinet combinations that I like I don`t move to far from them, and my favorites on this unit are UKMDN with 412CLS, BLK212 with 212BLK and UK80`s with 412CLS/412MDN. I especially like how clear the notes come trough even when I use lots of distortion, midd and bass (not to creazy about trebble or scooped mids)

Is plastic and designed for desktop use so it should hold, unless you kick the crap out of your equipment, in that case it won't last a day.

don't know

I tend to play ether blues or metal and its great for both, been playng for about 12 years and never owned "real/proffesional" gear so I tend to look for the best cheap piece of crap that sounds really good and this is it. Was originally looking to get a Vamp2 but the price seem to high for me (always on a tight budget), so yeah, Ill buy it again if I had to.

For basic use it's very easy to use. Just dial in and play! Writing the effects into the two memory functions is incredibly easy (two button presses) and once you read the manual about how to get the added bonus of the footswitch, this thing is great! (Turn on while holding the prog button down and you can use it to bypass whatever setting your on, instead of scanning through the three modes) This footswitch function makes the unit very benifical if using it live.

The only problem with this unit is setting the effects up. The effects that use 'speed' controls on other units are controlled by a 'tap' switch on this one. This makes it a lil harder to dial in your desired effects, but it does work once you get the hang of it!

I played with this thing for a good two hours to get the most out of it when I first brought it home. First I tried just plugging it into the front of my Mesa Dual Rectifier behind a Godin LG P90 and just jammed away with the settings. Then I decided to use it with my PA or AB box, unfortunatly it started distorting, creating lots of noise. When plugged through the effects loop of my mesa (the best way to run this for what I use it for) gives me lots of problems when any settings are changed (loud feedback, popping, or air siren noises) just not very cool at all.

Alas, the unit was designed for recording, not for rocking out! But I did seem to get lots of great tones out of it!

The JCM800 patch (UK '80s) was pretty damn close to right on! My second guitarist uses such Marshal and we were both amazed at how well the thing sounds! It is now one of my most favorite sounds out of this box.

The Vox amps were quite disapointing, sounding more like my Mesa than anything else, just really fat and flubby. But this seemed to work for me on quite a few occasion.

My favorite setting though is the BotiqueCLN mode. This mode dialed in properly adds a beautiful clean layer of boost to my amp. It also accentuates the highs more when dialed in flat. This is what I was looking for in my amp, seeing as how I have constantly complained about how weak the db's are from a Mesa Rectifier in the clean channel. (I find it very hard to get a good clean sound out of one.)


As for the effects, I'm very impressed with the tremelo on this unit. In fact I find myself using the Ampworks trem more than my TR-2 from Boss. It's much louder and dominate, and sounds a bit cleaner too.

The auto-wah feature is cool in its own way. Yes it sucks major goat cheese, but it does have its own soul that actually makes it cool.

My favorite patch though is definatly the Rotary speaker simulator. Some people think it's noisy, I think it faithfuly recreates the sound of plugging into a real Leslie! (hence the 'noisiness') When idle, you can litterly here a 'wir' of the speakers rotating ala leslie style, how cool is that?!?!!?!?!?!!??!?!

Chorus is so weak it destoryed my opinon of the sound quality. and the reverb I find too hard to control.


Finally, the cabinet styles are great for tone buffs, in fact I find that they can really tighten up your sound and give it a lil extra punch (especially if your using an open back cabinet with the ampworks set to a close back cabinet model)

If I dropped it I would fear I would need to get a new one. All my units run off of AC so I do not need to get batteries, but I hear they last a long time.

Overall it does feel very cheap..but for $120...it balances out with how much work they put into the tones.



Also watch for cold solder joints, I have heard of many Korg products suffering from this problem

Korg have never been helpful to me when contacted personally. Even their store customer service seems to blow.

However their AMERICAN website is very informative and gives you everythign you need to get going.

A very impressive little effects unit. For Rock and new age styles it seems to work quite well. While other people say its been good for recording, I just can't get over how noisy it gets when plugged into a mixer. Even a balanced TRS cable dosn't help very much.

Compared to a PODxt or 2.0 the models are a lot better (I find a much broader front end in the ampworks, the line6 models have always been very bland to me) compared to the vox units...well the vox units are kings of the modulation work because of the 12ax7 in the preamp stage that just gives them all that front end you need to get a fat, broad, and massive sound out of the amp models. But for a $120 unit, this thing wins over the other two just for the simple fact that what it does, it does well.

Stolen or lost, or most likley broken, a new one would be coming home very quickly.

Bargin wise....oh yea, it's a bargin!

This unit is very easy to use. Just turn a few knobs and you're on your way to a sound that you like. Editing and saving in the 2 memory slots is real easy too. Just change to your new setting and press the write button twice. and if you don't want to use your own settings, u can always use the presets by pressing the preset button then choosing your amp. It can't get any easier than this.

I'm using a BC Rich neck-thru mockingbird with duncan hotrail and duncan distortions pus. I use this mostly into my computer with headphones or computer speakers and it's not bad. Low E string sometimes seem to have the buzz/fart sound when using high gain settings but for lead... this unit is great. Noise gate works very well.... almost too well if you set it up too high so if you turn down your guitar volume, you are going to have problems. the Wah on this is pretty lame but hey, this thing is call ampworks, not effectworks so you shouldn't expect too much in terms of effects anyway.

This thing is plastic. So i assume you wouldn't want to put it on the floor like your stomp boxes. And becuase it doesn't allow much footswitch functions, it is pretty much designed for desktop recording/practicing purposes i think. In terms of powersupply, this thing takes 4.5V adapters so you wouldn't be able to plug your regular boss adapters. However, 2AA batteries are said to be able to last for over 10 hours.... that's pretty i.pressive.

I've been using this thing for a week so these are just preliminary things that i'm looking at. I used to have a Boss ME-50 but i got tired of carrying that big thing around and also it sounds like crap when i record it with line out. This ampworks fits right into my guitar case and line out sounds good. This unit is perfect for any recreational guitarists that record some songs on the computer. The price is low but you can get tones out of it. If I had more money, i would certainly look into line 6 or VOX too but those cost like double the price and they're bigger too. Once again, i think this unit is amazing for playing metal/rock solos and leads.

Very easy to get this running. You only have 2 editing patch slots, but the presets are excellent. The manual is well written and there is an additional document that has pics of the amp preset configurations.

The only negative thing I can say is that they should have used black knobs with white lettering (what were they thinking?? Was it a marketing weeinie's decision that overrode the musicians?)

Sound quality is excellent, it emulates the amps and cabinets faithfully. The effects are pretty good as well.

I'd depend on this to get the job done. The only backup I'd consider is to have extra batteries around (it uses standard penlight for a change, not expensive 9 volts), but that caveat goes down the tubes if you spring for a plug-in-the-wall 4.5V power pack ($10)

I've never had to deal with Korg, so I can't personally rate this aspect.

I picked up one of these a few weeks ago. A very nifty series of tonal values and effects. This little guy has a somewhat smaller footprint than a generic stomp box and is easily stowable in a gig bag with your cables, etc.

It uses two standard AA batteries and although the factory states they can last 10 hours of constant use, they are actually good for about 15 hours.

One annoying thing about this unit is that the lettering on the three selector knobs are white on silver. In bright light (stage or sunlight), it can be difficult to note the settings.

There are also six cruise control knobs that are kind of small. The indicator line on each knob is a little indentation, silver on silver. If I were you, one of the first things I'd do is to get a marker pen and colour in the little line indentation on each knob - I used red. This way you can tell the levels at a glance. If you do it right, it will look as if had been done by the factory.

Unlike the Boss Amp Factory, Ampworks doesn't come with a footswitch, only a jack, but footswitches are only about 10 or 20 bucks.

Also unlike the nearly indestructable Boss boxes, the Korg is plastic. No big deal, just keep it on your amp or nearby off the floor. There is no integrated pedal so why keep it on the floor anyway?

But that stuff is only cosmetic....this unit is exceptionally good, I have no complaints whatsoever on the amp/cab emulation or effects. Excellent sound and zero background noise or hiss. I've sampled all the effects, but the ones I tend to use are exciter, distortion and filter.

Overall in the areas of performance and sound, it would stand toe to toe with a Line 6 Pod.

Can't get much easier. Tap tempo multi function is a little confusing at times, but otherwise it's plug and play - just like an amp. Editing patches is a breeze. Manual is not bad.

I am using a 99' American Strat with on Seymour Duncan hot rails in the bridge. Single coils sound punchy and full, while the buckers sound thick. Bought it mostly for the Marshall modern setting as a practice tool (need Marshall sound without volume for practice), but it has since proven to be excellent recorded. Fuzz is a waste of an "amp" model, but otherwise, everything is excellent. Fender twin model breaks up too early, but lower the gain, and it sparkles well. Frankly, I'm not a huge Vox fan, so I haven't used the vox models much. Very quiet, and the effects are pretty convincing (with exception of the wah). Basically, it's the same as a pod for sound quality - it doesn't sound identical to what its modelling, but it still sounds good in its own way.

Seems reliable, but this isn't a gigging device - it's a practice sim.

Never dealth with Korg.

This is an excellent product. I initially bought it for practice, then wrote a little lick... I didn't want to forget it, so I hooked it up to my computer (DI) and recorded. My initial worries about the lower bitrate than a line 6 pod were dashed when I played it back. I am very impressed - cheap, small, sounds good, what more can you ask?

This is and addendum to my previous review below. I found after having this awhile that it actually works better with single coils for some reason. I tried running humbuckers on it this last weekend and was very disappointed. I also have come to find the bottom end very lacking and disappointing. So, bummer now, I can't give it as rave reviews as originally. The search for the perfect all in one processor for recording guitar goes on.

Fairly simple to use.

Do not waste your money!!!! I bought this to do some computer recording. I have used POD, PODxt, J-station, pandora, digitech,etc. This was extremely dissapointing. I found 1 clean sound I liked. Distortion sounds are real bad and not warm at all. Overall stereo sound is weak and thin. Effects are not very good. Knobs look like they are nice metal and chrome but are plastic and cheap, scary. I thought the PXR4 from KORG sounded real good and had great stereo sound and effects and this was a huge dissapointment from KORG in my opinion. Buy a POD or something like else.

easy to use, the tap funtion is a little small, but ok.

i use it for the VOX AC30 and for bass, and it really is very very good. i try to use it clean and i put a tube screemer in front of it, and a delay after. Then in to my PC- or Behringer V tone GMX 212.
To me its a very strong likeness to my dream sound, i love it. the other amps sound good, but i dont know enough about them. I think that the cabs on revalver sound more like a fender to me, but its still very good. better than my V tone. Not as fat but more real.
The sound is not brittle, and it it destorts nicly, very nicely indeed. The fx sound good, but the control is crap. The smallest amount is from nothing to somthing it to big a leap, i would want the tremolo to be so quiet u hardy hear it. The sound good.
When i first used it. It sounded very GATED, and noisey. but i had it set up WRONG. i use hardly any gain now, and i get that real, VOXY sound. Im so pleased with it, for 100 its the best modeler i have heard yet.

seem like it would brake if u droped it, britle plasic. be carefull
but its not a stompbox anyhow

over all i will give it 8.5
At last i haev a cool sound. thanks to this little thing. And the for the price....if u are recording, this is what u need.
I would not recomend putting it through a normal guitar amp. A PA System would sound great i bet.