Line 6 GuitarPort

Very easy to use,just plug in,install and download drivers,takes a bit of tweaking in sound options on your DAW to get it working but definitely very simple and user friendly

Clean sounds are amazing
Rythm Distortion is very good but takes a lot of tweaking
Lead Tones are very very dodgy,takes ages to find the right sound

Very reliable product but Line6 aren't very reliable to buy products from

Their site is good but misses a lot of the small details such as how it would be better to buy their higher up models and get all the add-on packs preloaded

"Thank you for buying a guitarport now please spend another 100 euro buying model add-on packs we were to scabby to include with your purchase.......oh and don't forget to pay your monthly fee to USE the guitarport online software,yes we like to inform all our customers of the small print before they buy our products"

This would have been a much better slogan to have put on the front of the box,least then I would have known what I was in for

Don't get me wrong its a good product but the whole online thing is Bulls**t!!!!!!!!
the money grabbing bosses should be taken out into a field and bet with a stick,
Your better off buying one of the toneports or the pedalboards,don't buy into the lies that the front of the box feeds,I'd return it but its passed its return period

Install the software, plug the thing in and you are away!
If you have problems with this, then get geek squad to install your printer!

Firstly, choose your amps carefully! Not really being a gear head I found the array of options both bewildering and confusing! However, after searching through the (free) user/Line 6 tones on-line (and finding out what my favourite guitarists used on-stage) I began to find my favourite amps. But that aint all! There is also a wide variety of cabinets and 4 microphone settings to play around with (before you even look at the effects) which all do exactly what you'd expect.
Minus points, they can't make a bad guitar sound good. Also though you have to remember that pickups do exactly that (they 'pick up') so it's a good idea to get your guitar as far away from the computer monitor as possible (even on a laptop TFT), oh, and make sure your guitar is adequately earthed too!

It's not broke yet, and all the cables are standard size so you can replace them cheaply too!

Line 6 Monkey - well named as whenever I need to update the GuitarPort/GearBox software the Monkey will install a new copy of itself to Windows ALONGSIDE all the others (every few updates I have a big 'Download the latest version then uninstall eveything before reinstalling the latest drivers' party to stop my 'uninstall software' menu being full of the bloody Line 6 Monkey!

I use this as a guitar practice/recording set-up and frankly can't see myself ever messing around with mic's, amplifiers and the need for silent recording environments again. What you might lose in 'genuine tone' can be more than fully offset with ease of recoring, being able to clean up/dirty the track with VST in your recording software and the fact that now there is a plugin, you don't even need to re-record if you suddenly decide that it would have sounded better through the '91 JCM 900.
Great!

I use this as a headphone amp and sounds pretty good thru phones. For practicing with rifftracker and subscription it really can't be beat.It is a little noisey. i have had had some problems upgrading software, But did get it fixed.

For a headphone practice amp sounds pretty good.

Held up

Online support is a joke a big waste. Live support is good as long as it is on California time. You can't email that easy with your problem.

As a headphone jam amp this is really fun.

I've got the GuitarPort straight out of the box. No subscription/updates, so I don't use it to it's full advantage. However, what I've heard I like. It's quite simple to install/open/change/edit/play.

The sound quality is terrific on some, and decent on others. No bad patches. I will say that there is a little his from time to time with certain settings. Even with the noise learner, or whatever it's called, it doesn't take all of it out. The clean channels are amazing, but the distortions need a little tweaking. But again, I'm sure there are cool downloads for it that I'm not aware of.

Sucks for acoustic... but then again, it wasn't made for that.

Very reliable... now. When I first got it, I had the same problems as a few other reviewers had. My computer just couldn't find the darn thing. After I reinstalled it once, it never happened again.

Come on... I'm an aspiring musician. I'll figure it out on my own. :)

I play comtemporary Christian music, and our sounds range from clean, slight distortion, to heavy distortion. It helps me with all of it. I use a free recording program and it picks up the guitarport since it's USB and I get to make rough copies fairly easy with decent sound. I'd recommend it to anyone who just wants to jam out and have fun. As far as recording, you'd have to REALLY get the setting right.

Play on a Parker Fly Classic, Yamaha Pacifica, Dillion Prototype, and Ibanez SA

If you can habdle Ipod with your computer,
you can also use this easily.

Most first-time buyer expect it's reviews in terms of it's reality.
It's like powdered milk comparing with real fresh milk.
Someone can say that powdered milk is not so bad compared with real milk, and someone can't.
I can say this is definately NO more than powdered milk cause i know the taste of real fresh milk.
Don't even expect real Mesa or Marshall.
But it's not really bad as a powdered milk.
If you have decent monitoring system rather than cheap computer desktop speaker,the sound can be huge improved.

No prooblem. seems to be matched well with other recording software or hardware.

I'm not using guitar port online.

Overall,this is nice product providing large field of usablity at low cost.
Amp modeler,Audio interface,effect at one time for the money.

The Gearbox software is easy to use and very intuitive. As a first-timer I had no problems doing exactly what I wanted to do. And for your downloadable songs from GuitarPort online it will switch to the proper patches on the fly, which is absolutely awesome. I have no major complaints about the Gearbox software. It's easy to set up whatever modelling you want, whichever effects and edit them with ease. Even calibration for hum-cancelling is a breeze.

The worst part about the GuitarPort is the poor management software and the way in which it is upgraded. By management software I am referring to Line 6 Monkey and not Gearbox. So here's the deal, you install the software off your CD. Then you need to start up Line 6 Monkey, which searches for updates while it's starting. It finds an update, downloads, forces you to quit Line 6 Monkey, installs the software, then automatically starts with the new version. It did this SIX TIMES. ONE patch, please!

Upon loading Line 6 Monkey I had to download and update everything individually - drivers, Gearbox software, GuitarPort firmware. It's good that it shows you there is an update available and what version you are at, but it's a little too much work when updating software should be a breeze at this point.

I have been using the GuitarPort with a Fender American Standard Strat and a BJ Rich Ironbird with DiMarzio X2N and Air Norton pickups.

I'm having a little trouble getting the exact metal tone I'm looking for, but I have found some really good tones that I've been using for a bit. There's a downloadable metal pack as well as a few others that give you a large amount of additional options and effects to play around with.

The sound is excellent. The software does a very good job of cancelling extra noise and you'll be surprised by just how quiet everything is except what you're actually playing. It's stunning, really. And if you aren't playing anything it's dead silent. I only had a problem with a lot of noise on the patch for "Sharp-Dressed Man" which was easily fixable by reducing the amount of drive and it still retained the gain I needed. Overall the software is very quiet even when using single coils. I was absolutely blown away by the patch for Cliffs of Dover. It's dead on, no joke. Sounds absolutely amazing.

I don't know yet. Considering it doesn't actually do anything except sit there on my desk, I hope I don't have any problems with it.

This is by far the best guitar-related purchase I have made. I am REPLACING a Marshall DSL401 combo with this since I really only need something to practice with at home. There are a plethora of different sound combinations you can get out of this. The software is really easy to use, and GuitarPort online is really good. Lots of great songs to choose from and learn how to play, as well as some originals, some jam tracks to help you with your playing, and a whole bunch of lessons as well, some from Line 6 staff and some from famous guitarists.

I can be cheap sometimes and I wish ALL you had to pay for was the GuitarPort itself, but if you want GuitarPro Online it's 80 dollars a year, and you will need RiffTracks software if you want to record, supposedly. I don't see what's stopping me from plugging the audio out of the GuitarPort to the line in on my sound card and just recording directly, though. I'll have to try it sometime with a freeware software recorder and hopefully avoid paying the 100 bucks for RiffTracks.

If you're on the fence about this product, just get it already. It's cheap and awesome.

I got ther version with the Riff Tracker software. Overall it is very intuitive to use and I have used it to record a few songs.

The guitarport does a really good job with high gain sounds. There are a few good clean sounds to be found with it too. I mainly got this with the intention of recording demos on the computer and it does a really good job of that. It is also really easy to record two tracks over each other (but using different pickups). After the volume levels are appropriately adjusted, the resulting sound sounds very close to professional level recordings. The instant drummer doesn't record sound as good on recordings. It doesn't have as much low end kick or high highs as I would like. But if you don't want the instant drummer in your recordings you can very easily turn it off.

I don't like the effects as much and tend to prefer stompboxes over them.

I have had no installation issues, and have not had any problems in the 6 months or so that I have owned it.

This is an excellent piece of gear if you want to get into home recording. I also have gotten additional instant drummer sessions for a larger variety of drum beats for the stuff I have recorded (you can listen to them online and get ones that fit the genre of music you play). The sessions that come with the Riff Tracker software tend to be somewhat limited in their usefullness.

Super easy to use. All the Morons who have trouble with this are just that ... Morons. Hey if you are one of the "computer challanged" then hey!! Dont buy an emulator that is designed only to be used on the computer. Go out and get yourself a nice rack and amp's and stick with waht you "can" do. Better keep the rack REAL simple though cause if working this was hard for you Id hate to see you work a rack of effects.

Does alot of sounds and does them pretty good. for 50.00 you cant go wrong for playing around.

Yuppers

seems ok so far

For the money and as a tool it's far undervalued and very capable.

The guitar port is very simple to use. The intalation was a snap and I was instantly pleased with my purchace. It sounds even better with the free upgrades. I have had the guitar port for about 2 years now and it keeps me playing.

The sound quality is great, especially with headphones.It may not sound exactly like a Marshall plexi or a fender deluxe reverb, but it is close enough. The effects are of a very high quality and the overall sound is very powerfull. I use the guitar port with a Gibson Les Paul standard and it sounds killer.

2 years and not a single problem yet and I use it often.

Don't know, havn't needed it.

I would have to say that this is simply a great product. I have been playing guitar for 25 years, some of those professionaly and I am somewhat of a tone snob. I own a Marshall JTM45 amp and a Fender deluxe reverb (pre CBS)and I can tell you the guitar port is an amazing deal. It's sounds are truely inspired and it never gets old. If it cost twice as much, it wouls still be a great deal

Couldn't be easier. Just follow directions and there should be NO problems whatsoever. I've been recording with DAWs for nearly a decade and this is as easy to install and use as any other hardware/software tool.

I don't know where to begin. I guess I'll start by bashing the so-called purists and self-proclaimed tone experts.

For starters, I HIGHLY doubt that, of the 100 plus reviews submitted for this product, any reviewers have ACTUALLY played through more than two or three of these amp/cab models. Unless you've worked in major recording studios that happened to have a large variety of these models, then you are simply spewing smoke.

Perhaps the most absurd thing of all are people mentioning the GuitarPort in the same sentence as "playing live". Or those that are hooking the output to an amplifier!

This gadget was NOT designed to be amplified. It is designed for the signal to be kept in the digital domain. Please read the last sentence and re-read it various times. If you "get" what I am saying, and will use it in that manner, then you will find the GuitarPort to be a VERY useful tool and will MORE than appreciate its sound quality.

I use the GuitarPort with a Carvin Bolt SSH guitar in the following configuration:

- The GP is pluggeg into a 750MHZ P3 with 550 Meg RAM via USB.
- My soundcard is the superb sounding Gina 24/96. One pair of
outputs of the Gina are sent to the GP(via a 2 1/4" to single mini
converter cable).
- The stereo outputs of the GP are then sent to a Mackie 16VLZ
via an RCA to 1/4" converter cables.
- The mixdown of the Mackie is sent to a Pentium 4 2.8GHZ Win XP
running Sonar Studio, Soundforge and numerous plug-ins.

With that setup I am able to record highly convincing guitar tracks. By convincing I mean that they sound like a real guitar; PERIOD. I could care less if it sounded like my Twin or Marshall or any other combo.

The bottom line is that, in a mix, the recorded tracks sound GREAT.
For anyone to say that the models offer no crunch, or that the tones are thin, is a head-shaker.

I am able to emulate/approximate THREE guitar tones: Hackett, Pettruci and Gilmour. The latter requires some creative post processing in Sonar to get that WIDE Gilmour sound. But for a DAW system which cost me less than $3K(software and hardware) I am more than happy with the results.

I'll give the GP an easy TEN for Sound Quality. If you know what you are doing and work CAREFULY and METHODICALLY within the digital domain you should be able to record professional sounding guitar tracks.

I can't see this thing breaking apart, unless its stomped on.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND...........This is NOT a unit to take to live gigs. It's not intended for that.

Haven't needed support and can't even imagine why I would. This thing is as intuitive as any other device in my studio

I've been playing piano/keyboards for over 30 years and began playing guitar about 15 years ago. My style of music is an eclectic mix of symphonic electronic and progressive rock. Imagine Vangelis and Camel with some Hackett thrown in. I am currently recording a CD which I hope to release within the next year and a half.

I have nothing but praise for the GuitarPort. It's extremely easy to use and sounds fantastic. But, learn how to work it and learn its limitations. For instance, do not expect to bring the GP and your laptop to your band's practice and expect it to sound like your "real" amp rig. C'mon! When I hear those comments they make me cringe.

Use the GP as it was extended to be used and you will love it!

This product is designed to play and record music through your computer. It does this well and serves its general purpose. It only takes a few minutes to get up and running then you just plug and play. You've probably read most of the reviews by now and may be a little sceptical on whether to buy this thing or not. I have all the updates and have bought the classic collection patch and the effects pedals patch for it. The latest update was for the gearbox software which has a few revisions to the compressor models and adds 2 extra amps: an orange head and a marshall 1974x head.
My setup when recording is a Fender Deluxe Players Strat with a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. bridge pickup, or an Epiphone Les Paul with a Gibson 498T in the bridge and a Gibson Burstbucker Pro in the neck. I use Mogami cables and run it into a BBE Sonic Maximer then into the guitar port.

The sound just through my computer speakers did sound thin and weak but i decided to try and do something useful with it. Being new to recording on a computer i searched the internet and found some recording software to use. Since i didn't want to spend too much i got the cheapest one that had some of the specifications i was interested in. I went with the mixcraft software by acoustica.
This was an excellent choice on my part. After spending just a few hours tweaking the sound i wanted through my computer speakers, i started recording. I had a whole song completed with 5 different guitar parts all using a fender deluxe players strat with a jb jr humbucking bridge pickup installed. After recording and mixing with the mixcraft software i burned the cd and put it in my car stereo. I truly couldn't believe how good this sounded. Now i really don't think that the cheap recording software had anything to do with it but it did sound much better after being burned down to a cd and played on a real stereo.
The first song i recorded had an acoustic rhthm using the acoustic piezo model, an electric clean rhythm using the vox ac-30 model, an electric lead track using the soldano slo-100 model, and another electric guitar track using one of the odd stompbox models in the effects patch i purchased that had some sort of bubble wah echo sound.
Since then i have recorded about 10 songs with the guitar port and mixed them down using the mixcraft software and have been very pleased. I got asked to join a band and brought my cd as my audition and they thought i had been to a real studio to record but i told them i did it on my computer and mixed it myself. They didn't believe it till i showed them, so needless to say i got the gig anyway.
Now as i've said i am very new to recording but like to think i have a good ear for tone and i believe the guitar port is a very useful practice tool but with the right amount of time spent you can get some very good tones from it, rivaling closely the amps that are modeled, tubes and all.

Haven't had a problem with it yet.

Haven't had to call anyone.

This is an incredibly good deal for the price. You really can't beat it. Great for beginners and wanna-be's alike. I've been playing for 15 years and have gone through a few amps and a room full of stompboxes but this has it all at your fingertips.

Well if everything goes right in the installation it is a piece of cake after that. If not, well the ride gets bumpy fast. Mine was fairly trouble free to get up and running and after that it is a web browser with effects. The Guitarport Online feature is pretty cool really and a great idea were it not for the crappy sound quality coming out of this thing complete with pops, clicks and drop-outs.

As a I read through the reviews for the GuitarPort, I sat thinking that people must be easily impressed. All my music room signals are being fed via a Yamaha mixer to a pair of Tech 21 Power Engine 60 powered extension cabinets. This includes a Vox TOnelab, Boss DR-880 Drum/Bass Rhythym machine, mid-line Yamaha keyboard and of course the GuitarPort. All the other sources sound stellar but not the GuitarPort. It sounds like crap and no amount of tweaking in the software makes it better. It's not like I'm comparing this unit to one of my tube amps either. The upside is that the strengths of the GuitarPort do not have to include stellar sound quality because it is an excerllent practice device -- provided you can overlook the crappy tone anyway. So far I have, but my tolerance grows thin lately. And lest you think I am talking about high gain sound and the noise that such settings would have, wrong. I'm talking clean tone all the way, with no effects either. This is pure unadulterated digital noise, probably from the Universal Serial Bus (USB). My computer is a nearlyu new Sempron machine with 1GB of memory and everything else on it is without issues.

All that said, even while there is a few seconds of good performance, the models and effects aren't all that but hey, the thing costs $100 and it is designed for practice after all.

Well let's see. Every 2-3 times I boot up may machine, the GuitarPort can't be located and driver tries to find it repeatedly until it eventually gives up. My choices when this happens are to reboot and hope for the best next go round or reinstall the drivers to help it remember. Either is a time consuming PITA, but I hold no hope of Line6 doing anything about it anytime soon either.

You're kidding right? But I have to give them their props for at least releasing new software once in a while -- even if I have to wonder what it is they are fixing. I think that the unit forgetting how to load itself and having nearly continuous clicking and popping noises along with drop-outs is fairly serious and so far no update has fixed those things. Makes me wonder how serious the things are that they are fixing.

As a stand alone modeling unit, I'd give this about a 2-3 maybe. The beauty of this product is the online facilty though which, while it costs extra every month ($7.95/month US) provides a decent number of lessons, backing tracks and jam tracks to keep a beginner pretty busy for a while. I have pretty much gleaned the things I wanted from the service now and I'm all but ready to sell off the GuitarPort very soon. Guitar newbies with computer skills will like this product I think, especially if they have a hard time finding a decent guitar teacher. The online part I'd rate at 8-9, making the aggregate score something like 5-6. What the heck, I'll give it a 6 for the benefit of the doubt.

I bought this as a learning tool and to get some idea of what different amp, cabinet and effects sounded like. I've found editing "patches" rather easy. If my edit sucks, I keep changing it until it sounds OK. The manual is nicely laid out, but it could describe things in more detail. Currently using edition 2.5

I'm using this through a Sony Vaio with a Creative Soundblaster Audigy LS sound card. I could use a better pair of earphones. I usually take one of the stock amp/cab/effects sounds and modify it. There are few effects, like compression, that could use some extra models. I'm slowly getting to my favourite sound, but there could be more amp/cab models with out having to spend another $99.

Had a problem with it once - kept cutting out - then it stopped doing that. Couldn't figure out if it was the guitarport, the cables, the USB Port, the axe or what.

Haven't use it too much. Usually found what I wanted. Have not used the Online Service for $8/mo. US het.

I fool around with different stuff, but mostly blues, blues rock. I played for 10 years, quit for 30 and started again last year. What I like about it, is that I can experiment with different amp models, cabs and effects without mortagaging my life,... and with a set of earphones. There are no other products like this so I'm happy it wasn't a wipe-out. Like I said before, I wish it had more amp.cab/effect models without having to pay as much as I did for the unit.

It is definitely good value for the money.

This review is for the Guitar Port & Rifftracker recording software. The Guitar Port is what it is and meant to be: very easy way to play your guitar into a computer via a usb port. Had no issues loading the Guitar port box and software. I was using it in less than 10 minutes! Of coarse my computer & speakers are not a marshall head and cab, so the audio is as one would expect: very low output or on my computer anyway. The amp models and effects are fine for what they were meant to be: computer based digital clones. The Rifftracker recording software however is not as well received by myself. The jury is still out on this part of the package, and a CAUTION, it does not come with any user manuals or documentions at all! Nor can you down load a user manual from the Rifftracker or Line6 website. ONly have overview and questionable demos. I am not entirely stupid, I used Audicity with their limited product support, but warning their is not any real support for Rifftracker. You are suppose to be able to learn rifftracker on the fly, which is fine, but makes me wonder why no user manuals?

it's a computer program, that clones amps and effects, so it sounds fine for what it is.

no experience here

It's pretty easy to use. It installed correctly and I was able to play sounds out of my computer/studio monitor system.
Editing patches is very easy. I am running Version 2.5. The clean sounds are more convincing that the dirty.

My setup is a Charvel Model III, a Kramer XLI with Dimarzo drop in and a Les Paul.
If you were thinking you're going to get a real distorted amp tone like on a record think again. You can get rock sounds, but up against my Rocktron Voodu or Digi 2112 which both emulate/model, this thing is sort of a joke. It is a good place for a beginner to start. The effects are good and it's cool to have a U-vibe but the basic sound is tinny, digital and harsh. I'm unable to recreate most the demo PodXT sounds from the website... like Eruption. You'd think they'd be patches. Doing my own tweaking I was able to come up with some descent early Van Halen and AC/DC tones. Clean tones are okay I guess. The cabinet amp models all seem to just be different EQ settings. When I go through the presets for the Demo song, they all sound like the same sounds with different EQ. The sound quality is passable as a practice amp and for $100 it's probably worth it for that. I have to agree that it's a toy, but great for practice. If you want to record, get a quality direct in unit.

I can depend on it as a practice amp.
It's not made for a gig.

Haven't had to deal with it.

All in all it's kind of cool. I like fiddling with it.
What style of music do you play? Van Halen, Rock
Is this a good match? Can come close to early VH.
How long have you been playing? 20 years on and off.
What other gear do you own? Johnson Millenium, Laney Pro-Tube, Rocktron Voodu Valve Online
If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? Probably wouldn't get it again.
what do you love about it? Playing through the computer with high gain at low volume. Can record as a single track easily. Built in metronome.
What do you hate? The tease of hoping to get an Allan Holdsworth or Ty Tabor sound and not being in the same universe. Plugging in my Rocktron back in and realizing how bad the sound is on the Guitarport.
What is your favorite feature? U-Vibe, Metronome.
Did you compare it to other products? there are none comparable
Why did you choose this one? Gift

The program is pretty easy to use. I have had no trouble playing around with it. There is so much stuff on here though that it has taken me quite a while to play with all of the sounds enough to know what I want to do with it.

It sounds good enough. I use my computer and the guitar port now as my amp. I do not play live and this piece of hardware has enabled me to be a one man band. I mixed my songs down and put them on my iPod and they sound like professional quality recordings to me. When I was in bands as a teenager and my early twenties, every band I knew would have killed to be able to record at this quality for this price.

I had a little trouble with the installation and I could not find my issue in the help manual or online. I called customer service and the guy just kept telling me to check the manual or go online. I eventually figured the problem out on my own.

I am very happy that I bought the Line 6 Guitar Port. It will serve me well and does exactly as I need it to do. I love the recording capabilities of this thing. The guitar Port has truly helped me with music writing. The drag and drop feature in the Riff Tracker makes writing and putting songs together relatively simple.

I have the GuitarPort/Rifftracker hardware/software combo. Pretty easy to use, the directions are clear and concise. If you can turn a knob on an amp, you can use this software. If you can use windows....you can use this software

Amazing sound!!! I have a 4.1 surround set up on the computer, and I swear it sounds like my half stack next to it!!! All the effects sound great, a little noisy at times.....but manageable. Downloadable patches are available on toneport.

So far so good............

Never had to call them........

It changed my life.........sad but true. I can record amazing quality songs in minutes on my pc, and have them on my website in seconds. Super tool for the aspiring home recording artist. Hear it on my site ca.geocities.com/shredrex@rogers.com

Too easy for words.

Only used with headphones plugged into my laptop - but have put some stuff onto CD and played on my Hi-Fi and it sounds fine, a little processed but OK.

No problems so far.

Had great customer support in the past when the power board on my Spider
blew up.
Have upgraded the software for my Guitarport recently with no problems.

Does everything I expected, I just wanted a tool to sketch ideas onto my PC and it does that just fine.
One minor down - I need a manual wah function (and my laptop doesn't have MIDI )
For the price it's the absolute bollocks.
I've been playing for over 30 years and i'm not even 40 - so if you disagree with me - you don't know shit.
Rant over.

Point and click.

OK, for all those calling it a toy, comparing it to the Pod XT, real amps etc., it is not any of those. It is more of a practice tool than anything else. I have mine hooked up to the computer so I can get the Online content to play along with. I plug my guitar into my amp. Now I do use the guitar input occassionally but don't have any expectations of anything but good usable tones to practice with. The sound of this unit is dependent on your processor and computer speakers. For $99 and $7 a month for the subscription it's the best value I've ever gotten on guitar related equipment. So if you're a new player needed a convenient easy to use interface with decent sounds or an experienced player who likes to practice with backing tracks and songs from some great artists this is a great deal. If you expect to use this live you're pretty clueless. I give it a ten because it sounds good for what it is. Not because it sounds like a Blackface Fender or Marshall stack.

No problems in 1 1/2 years.

Line 6 is a company on the cutting edge, despised by many for their inovations. Time marches on and Line 6 moves forward with it.

Great practice tool and takes up 10 square inches of space on my desk.

I have the riff tracker version.

Setting up the Port is simple. The online guide is easy to follow. Anyone who can't do it, should'nt even own a computer. Seriously. Basic sounds that come with the unit sound really good. You can edit things very easily with the mouse...Point, Click & Hold, move mouse, BOOM, Tone changes. That easy.

Remember, you are sitting in front of monitors. Unless you are using LCD's, you will get some hum. Use the hum eliminator to reduce 90% of the hum and still retain your tone. The Amps modeled are really nice to that of the name of the patch (eg: China Grove). And, you can further tweak to make it sound even better. I'm using a P4 2.6 with 1 gig of ram. NO LATENCY with a Soundblaster Audigy 2. Its excellent. Recording has never been easier and sounds absolutly amazing. What I first did was try to mimic sounds that I've listened to and try to dial them in. Its so close it isn't funny. Early Eddie Van Halen tones are excellent and easy to get. I've made Metallica tones, Zakk Wylde Tones, John Petrucci and more, and they sound very close to the album. I download the Metal pack (for a small fee) to get the Mississippi Criminal Model (5150MKII) and I have an original 5150. They modeled the lead channel, so I decided to mic up mine on the lead channel and record it, then compare it to the Guitar Port. I don't think anyone would notice once its recored.

I've owned it for a year now with out any issues what so ever. I've read that people can't set them up and they're buggy and what not, blah blah blah. I've used the ORIGINAL guitar port back in the day with out issue. Its brainless to setup, easy to use and sounds excellent. If you exceed the requirements, no problem. I've taken it over to my buddies place and used it on his P3 500Mhz with 256 ram. NO PROBLEMS. Installed the drivers and I was recording at his place.

Now...here's the sad thing. I have dealt with LINE6 before on WARRANTY issues...their turn around on amps and such is awful in Canada. A Friend of mine has the Vetta II head. It died. He waited over 2 months for it to be fixed due to lack of parts at the canadian service center which line6 didn't send up. I've seen this before and unfortunely must say...they're slow...but will fix it.

Overall, I feel this is an EXCELLENT value to those who are running home PC based recording studio's and can't crank out an amp. This is the solution. The sound quality is excellent to that of something you'll hear on a cd. What you hear on the website is exactly what I hear at home through my machine. If someone actually managed to break in and steal it, I'd get another one. This is such a great tool. I've never personally tried the online lessosn, but a customer from the store I work at did, and said they were excellent. Try one out...you won't be sorry. The Riff tracking software is great too. The drums are awesome.

I found this product very easy to use. Standard installation, just like any computer game, then you plug in and it's ready to go. The interface onscreen is pretty easy to use and very easy to start creating good sounds from scratch.

I've used a mex strat, a cheap acoustic + bass and cheap microphone with it and have achieved pretty good results with each. It definitely provides a good range of sounds that are usable, and when recorded (i use www.audacity.com cos its free!) i makes for a very pleasing sound. There was less effects than i was expecting but there is still plenty to use and play with. Its great for recording. Which is what it is designed for, it is NOT designed for live use as someone was complaining below that it wasn't good live.

o break down yet

For what it's meant to do, it is superb. Its a great way of getting song ideas down, and as a bonus the recorded sounds do sound pretty convincing. It does vocals, bass and acoustic as well, so it would be pretty damn useful for recording demos too. I have been very impressed by the ease of use and quality that you get for such a small price. I'm sure that it won't appeal as much to folk who are using pro studio equipment, but they aren't who its aimed for. a great piece of kit!

For anyone thinking of this, unlike the Pod XT it uses the computer's cpu, over 50% on a 1ghz processor. Line 6 goes to GREAT lengths on their website to suggest it's a pod XT without the physical controls.

They mention swapping tones between the devices and the fact that the pod XT uses guitarport (PC) software which suggests they are basically the same device.

http://line6.com/podxt/guitarport.html

"The new set of PODXT models in the free 2.5 upgrade means that GuitarPort owners will enjoy 15 PODXT-quality amp and cab models, 9 effects at once "

But they aren't the same thing at all. The models for pod use dsp code, the guitarport uses PC code and uses cpu power. That means they don't sound the same and that's the problem. It's a deliberate corporate scam.

Greetings All -

I feel that this unit (version 2.5) is easy to use, pick an amp, cabinet, effect and your on your way. Installation for me was a snap loaded the software and plugged in the wires and was up and running in 10-15 minutes. Help files are there and on the website if you need them. A good tower with a fast processor is a plus and if you dont have good speakers with a sub, you will miss out on its full sound spectrum.

As always sound is very subjective and this is most true here as i have read. If you think you are getting a dozen amps for $99 think again - what you are getting are line 6's repesentations of them. that being said i am very impressed, the recto gives me the essense of a recto (and i do own one) and the JC120 sounds like a JC120, but more imporant that sounding like the models - do they sound goodin general?
The answer is yes! All the models are very usable and tweakable. the bottom line is that you are not going to get a better tool for your PC at that price. As a scrathpad/practicing/recording tool it is absolutly unbeatable. and if you cant see that your being ignorant- period. nothing sounds like the original except the original so get over it.

so far so good - have gone through the upgrades and have tickets open with the support and have always got responses and follow ups.

Have had support tickets open and have always got responses and follow ups.

I play rock/blues/fusion type stuff and this thing rocks for practice and riffing out. I have plenty of big amps and i love em - however there is a place for guitar port for me
In the middle of the night when my kid and wife are sleeping and i iget an idea and have to hear/record it. sometimes you just dont want to fire up the amps. Its an invaluable tool for any guitar player. its not meant to replace anything in ones arsenal, its there to help you get better at what you do.

Fairly easy. I hate it when software needs to be installed before you install the drivers and before you plug the unit in. I was using Windows XP. I didn't have any problems getting it too run the first time. I could see though where some users could run into problems during the install. Also, I got the updated software off the Line 6 support site. I really like the fact that this, being software based, is upgradeable. However, with TonePort being weeks away, I can easily see Line 6 dropping support on this.

The software was fairly simple and it's nice to be able to load different tones.

It's OK. I've had the POD 2.0, the POD Pro and currently have a POD XT bean on order. The sounds from this are ok. I tried running out into my Rocktron Velocity 120 power amp and I wasn't totally impressed, but I didn't really spend a lot of time with it. I signed up to the GuitarPort Online and when playing with some of the lessons, etc., the sounds blend in really well between the GuitarPort and the music. I'm running the output through a set of Samson Resolv speakers.

In regards to some of the reviews, like the guy saying this isn't a professional sounding unit he can take and play live with....duh....it's a $100 computer interface. One, you get what you pay for and two, how many pros do you know currently touring with a GuitarPort.....geez....some people. This is a computer interface that allows you to use it with either RiffTracker or GuitarPort Online. It's more of a practice/sketchpad tool. It is what it is.

Seems reliable. The hardware is extremely well built. The software could cause some problems, but that would probably be more of an issue with the Windows environment and other sound drivers.

Don't know for sure. I know the Line 6 has put some pretty stupid licencing policies in place. For example, I can't use both this and my POD XT with GuitarPort Online (as well as model packs, etc.). I would need to transfer licenses between the two each time. They really need to figure out another way of managing licensing for folks with multiple products.

As I said, it is what it is. A practice tool/PC hardware interface. For example, you can use it to interface with other recording software, such as Guitar Tracks Pro. Yes, the sounds could be better. However, it's a great little practice tool.

Fiddly and tricky to install, they keep releasing bug version and fixing the patches later - expect BS and no support from Line 6 - they are a bunch of no talent computer geeks trying to make money out of gullible musicians. Listen to the demo on the website - it says it all!!

As with all Line 6 stuff it works well in the bedroom for all you bedroom players - try using it Live and you are in for a rude shock, when are you guys going to wake up and realise that the majority of their stuff are just toys compared to the real thing. Digital Modelling will NEVER succeed. Don't kid yourself.

Totally unstable with all the patches they send down to you - that's why they have the monkey software.

All automated and done by email now since they started using an automated CRM system. You can't even ring anyone. Try getting technical support, and no I'm not a disgruntled ex employee either!!

This isn't a rant it's an evaluation. This unit is barely useable in the real world of talented musicians, it's a toy and a complete con. If you don't believe me just try getting a refund under the 30day money back promise or try to get the Riffworks to accept the add-on drummers. Better still, try using any of your downloads if you cancel your membership. I hope this gets through and posted, Line 6 are an insult to the industry, buyer beware!! I've been playing for 25plus years, I know my S%&# - I'm angry because these guys don't deliver on their promise and are deceptive.

The Guitar port software is very easy to use. Although the hardware does not come with a manuel, everything is pretty straight forward and you have the option of getting a help file on the CD and/or on the website if need be. It was also pretty much a breeze to set up under Win XP Familly Edition

Like many have already said, this thing is worth donkey dung in the sound department. I have a more than decent speakers and Subwoofer outfit and I couldn't get that thing to sound good. Maybe I am too fussy and was expecting more than that unit could deliver, but with all the hype and bullcrap you find on their website about the unit, I think I was allowed to expect more from that unit than it really is. I have a Cube 60 at home and it does a much better job modeling other amps. Even the Line 6 Insane settings suck the big one. I bought it today (October 16, 2005) and am returning it tomorrow. The sound is very weak, no punch whatsoever...

Well, can't really say much about this part as I've had it for 4 hours and have already decided to send it back.

Haven't dealt with them. The support page on the website is in my opinion quite minimal and I think that's a let down right there. You're better off registering and using the forums to find someone to answer your questions.

I play Metal amongst other things and couldn't get any decent settings for that genre. I also like to play clean every so often and that too was quite a let down. All and all that was a very bad purchase from my part. I hope that the store will take it back or else I'll be selling it or trading it in at store for something else.

If you can point and click you can use the Guitar Port.

OK for all those who are disapointed in the sound of the Guitar Port I say your expectations were too high. I run it through my computers speakers and the sounds sre good enough for me to jam along with the Guitar Port Online downloads.Of course Line 6 hypes the sound quality but if you need nice pure tones for recording you'll have to fork over a bit more than $100. I like the Winter Dirty Blues from Online best and use it more than any other preset.

Had it for 1 1/2 years without a glich.

I contacted them be email and got a prompt reply.

This is easily the best gear purchase I ever made considering the price, convenience, practicing capabilities of Guitar Port Online, available models, effects, abilty to change the mics and their posiyion, equalizer, etc. It's perfect for home use and got me playing a lot more. I learned quite a few songs and my playing has improved. If you don't have Guitar Port Online you are missing the best feature of this little gem. Without it it isn't much different than any other multi-effects/modelling unit. The $7.00 a month fee is a bargain when you consider a good guitar teacher will charge you $60 a month for a couple hours of lessons.

Setting up involves routing your PC speakers through the GuitarPort. Easy and pluggin in the USB cable. Easy.

The software installed smoothly. Needed 2 reboots of the PC to get everything working and recognized by the PC.

The GuitarPort software needed to be tweeked to match the capabilities of my PC. This is explained in the 'help' section of the software on screen. Not difficult.

I upgraded the firmware from Version 2 to 2.5 as soon as I bought it. This was a little bit confusing, but after some perseverance I got there in the end. This is all handled through an automated process in the software. Perhaps a little daunting for some people, but not really difficult.

As for the GuitarPort software this is a bit confusing sometimes because there is so much content! You are given a window which is roughly like an internet browser window, and it has loads of buttons on it. For example, metronome, tuner, track volume, master volume, lessons, chords, tones, effects and on and on and on. But it isn't that difficult to use, you may find yourself having to make one or two extra clicks to navigate the sheer volume of content in GuitarPort.

I use this with my 2.1 Gigahertz PC and my 12 watt Lansing stereo speakers.

The GuitarPort software needed to be tweeked to match the capabilities of my PC. I was getting cutouts on the sound - as if the guitar cable had a loose connection. But I found out that the sound buffer in the software was getting full. I had to lower the quality of the sound to stop it doing this. This is all fully documented in the help section. I have a high - spec PC, but it also has a lot of software installed on it and I suspect that is what caused my GuitarPort to need this adjustment (as they are taking processing power away from GuitarPort).

My speakers didn't cost much but they are good and carry a good bass response. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Cheap speakers with no bass would make this product sound crappy. My speakers cost ?25 GB that is about $40 US or so.

I use this with my humberequipped Epi Les Paul. It sounds great! I have never used the guitar with a tube equipped amplifier (they are simply too loud to play where I live) - I have only used transistor amps. This product has changed the way I look at the guitar - it sounds alive now, and has made a definite improvement in my playing (I am now listening more keenly to what I am playing, because it sounds so much better).

I haven't really played around too much with the effects, as the sound you get playing 'clean' through the amp models is so good. That goes for the rock settings too, I don't think I need distortion as the amp model sounds so good by itself. I expect the effects models to be of good quality - after all, they got the amp models right, so modelling digital effects is easy compared to that. I would say that you need to listen for yourself to see what you think about the effects.

The software will give you an amp model for everything that is in the software. So if you want to do say an AC/DC lesson, it sets up the appropriate amp model for you. If you want a jazz session, then up comes a jazz amp model, same for hendrix, clapton and so on... There are few limits to what you can do with this. They give you all the settings built in to recreate classic sounds, but you can also customise everything if you want to, but I don't as what they give you is spot on and doesn't need tweaking.

The GuitarPort is a bedroom / study tool - there are quite a few wires trailing about and these could probably get kicked out. You wouldn't take this on stage!

It seems to me the guitarport is very solid - seems to be made of metal. The most vulnerable part of the system is the PC and the software in particular. This could obviously crash at some time and need to be reinistalled. But that is true with any software package.

Also, if your internet connection went down you won't be able to download new tones or lessons. (The lessons don't seem to come from the package but are downloaded on demand by you).

Excellent help within the package, and also telephone and email support. You also have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee from some outlets.

I would first like to say that this is the best product I have ever bought for playing the electric guitar (apart from my Epi Les Paul that I bought 12 years ago and have never found a better replacement that I can afford).

I would highly recommend it for the beginner / learner guitarist.

The GuitarPort is a must for anyone who wants to play Guitar in their house and not get divorced / evicted / beaten up. You can get overdriven tube amp tone without the ear piercing volumes normally needed. My Marshall ValveState amp is now in my loft, and I now have more space in my study. This amp is now redundant, I simply don't need it anymore for home use. If only I knew of GuitarPort before, I would have bought it years ago.

If you are a beginner at electric guitar, get the GuitarPort first to practice on and when you need an amp to play live, buy one. You will find out what style of playing and what tones you like to use, and then later you can go and buy the real thing. Why waste money buying an amp and then finding out that there is something that sounds better? Even if you have to by a new PC to use GuitarPort, it would still be cheaper than a lot of tube amps, and you could actually use it in the home environment without blowing the windows out with the volume.

I only wish I had found this product years ago, my playing would be much more advanced by now.

My guitar playing has taken new directions thanks to the GuitarPort lessons, you get so many new ideas from it. They are definetly worth the money you have to pay each month for the subscription if you are serious about learning the guitar. There is LOADS of content, and it will take months to learn all of it. The content covers Jazz, blues, rock etc. You go through it at your own pace using the software.

took me some time to get the sound i wanted .. not bad but i can jam for hours.. i use it more than i used my 30 watt behringer.

i use a torino tr1(upgraded to have 2 seymour duncan pickups) and it sounds kick ass. the only thing that i didnt like was the sound is kinda
weak .. good but weak.. when i hold a note it fades quicker than when i use a real distortion pedal.(digitech hot rod and heavy metal distortion.

Sound
its not really noisy unless u put too much gain. i use computer speakers and stereo speakers.

ive tried getting the sound of panteras cowboys from hell and megadeths holy wars.. cant seem to get it almost do but to no avail.(if u can plz help email me terran236@yahoo.com)

EFX:
i love that gain that the treadplate has..the flange is great.. sounds real like the one i use with my real modeling amp.

also cool is that u can plug in a mic and bass :-D
i tweaked it so i can use my comp speakers for my comp and guitar port at the same time :-P

hasnt messed up yet ive had it for a long time now almost half a year.still 100% ok.. i dont hear any popping sounds people talk about.

havent had problems so i dont know

i play metal, classic rock, and dont mind playing blues.
ive been playing for a little over a year..
id buy another if it was stolen.its an assome product.
i like that it has alot of effects and u can plug more than just a gutiar into it.
i wish i could download the other effects and amps. but it costs $100+
it helps me record ideas .maybe i can make a demo using it.
buy it! i recommend it! \m/ rock out!

Easy to hook up blah blah its been coverd a billin times before.
Decent interface. Not overly confusing
What Manual?
its been upgraded to latest

So I bought this over a year ago as a cheap "scratch pad" for my home. At the time I was reading reviews of this peice here at HC and many a newb foretold of the guitarports supreme quality and total ownage.

I was lookig to record into homestudio with and was told this would do the trick with minimal latency problems.

This was not for hi pro quality recordings. Just for doodling and getting ideas down.

Where do I begin. Well I installed no prob and I had it running strait to my little 600 watt PA in my basement. Sitting next to me are a couple nice amps but they need to be cranked to loud and frankly I am tired of hoooking up mikes and ****ing with mixers and ****.

Anyway for 100 bucks Im not expecting a whole lot. Good thing too cause this thing is pretty crappy. Let me explain.

First and formost I was looking for ease of use. At this guitarport excels. Sound wise it is garbage. I stupidly compared it at first to a couple amps I had sitting right there with me. A fender twin and an ac30. Um there is no comparison, which again for 100 bones I really did not expect them to sound identical. But like others have mentioned here they sound dead, lifeless and flat. Not only that by there dynamics sound more like 60 dollar crate amps to me, in other words, they have zero dynamics.

So that takes out my two favorite models right there. Sure I can add that funky over the top fuzz or fuzz pie but they both sound the same but set at slightly different octaves or something. Garbage. Bust out a real fuzz face and you can dail in so many tones in front of a twin it sick. On the GP If I put the fuzz pie infront of there Deluxe model is sounds like major ass. Tweak away if you want. Your stuck in midrange wash.

And that is true if you really listen to most of the amp models. NO matter how much you fiddle with knobs they are all awash in midrange. Sure play with the goofy little four channel graphic eq. Its to broad ranged and not plyable enough to save the poor modeling.

The only overdrive worth mentioning is the Pro Co RAT. This was actually a major selling point to me as there is nothing like a good Rat infront of some clean hot tubes. A good RAT (and Ive have a few bad RATS) can punch you right through the mix for leads or if you just need to tear peoples faces off in the first 3 rows. The rat in the GP is definatly a worthy model. Its the only distortion in my opinion that sounds and feels and reacts like the real deal. Bravo Line 6 1 out of 4 is not to bad.

Ok on to Modulation. These are a little better implimented but again they dont act like there real world counterparts. But overall they are useable. Nothing screams out as being the killer effect and if your not carefull they will sound cheesy as hell in the mix since its hard as hell dialing out that huge midrange wash.

Reverbs are garbage. Not sure where they pull those modeling from. There reverb stombox they sell is primo. Who knows how the GP reverbs all fell so far from the tree.

Delays are ok. Nothing great. A little to washy for me but some dig that. Nothing great or horribly wrong here. Easy to find that Gilmore tone with the analog delay.

Gate/Compressor. Both are pretty crappy and almost seem like a last minute add on. Neither one is sensitive enough (like almost everything else in the package) to dial in correctly. You are either gated to much or not enough. The whole program seems to compress the **** out of the models anyway so the only point ive found in using the compressor pedal was to increase the over all volume, but again its hard to dial in the sustain because the knob is not sensitive enough.

Wah is garbage, the volume knob does not affect anything as far as I can tell.

The only amps that seem to have some thought behind them are the spinal puppet and solo 100. \

The puppet amp sounds much more like a duel/triple rectofier then the rectofier model does. The Soldano amp feels like a Soldano as fa

Only as reliable as your computer. The software burps now and again but nothing major.

Line 6 is ok. I have quite a few buddies that use some of there gear, mostly there pedals and they are generally pretty good about repairs and whatnot. Plus it helps that I live like 20 min. From Canoga Park heh.

Overall this is a good unit for the utter beginner who only has played that crappy 10 what rogue amp from musians friend. This lets you experiment to your hearts content and if you have never known the true glory or power of some serious tubes then this is gonna feel pretty good.

As a noodling toy this GP will surfice.

As a serious recording tool or song crafting peice it utterly fails. I played with it for a coule months but could not stomach how bad it sounded so I sat on my dest collecting dust. I purchased the Native Instruments Guitar Rig and it destroys the poor little GP. But its also quite a bit more expensive soooo........

Overall its decent if you can live with your tone smeared with midrange.

Oh and the online part is actually pretty cool. I only did it for a couple weeks but if I was still a young hotshot learning as many licks as possible this would be the way to go. So in the practice catagory I would give it higher marks cuase tone dont matter as much then.

The install process was painless , but when plugging it in the guitarport did not always initalize and work. The unit comes with no
manual on how to set it up. Its all provided on the cd or online
so for those who are not computer literate , you are in trouble here.

One thing that I hated was I just like to plug it in and play. Here
you have to spend time about 10 mins just tweaking around just to get
a good sound. Not good for those you want to plug your axe in and
spend 10 minutes warm up , then rock for half hour or till or fingers
bleed. With this product you will spend 10mins then loose the will to live.

Sound quality was good through headphones and through my Roland Cube 15 amp. But then an annoying popping sound kept happening about every
15 seconds. all the time.

Totally unrealiable.

Was playing my guitar through headphones , when the unit cut out
and sent a high pitch hissing at max volume. Just through the thought
of losing ?99 , prevented me chucking it through the window

Very limited customer support at line 6.

Internet Guitarport web site had few comments on how to reduce the popping sound but none of these worked on my pc

If you can stop the popping noise and ensure that the unit never
cuts out when you have headphones on the your ears may last you.

I am very computer literate and I could not get it to stop and
my pc was a good spec P4 3GHZ 512MB ram and after two days of
getting it to work, gave up and took it back to the shop. Determined
to get something that was worth the money. So bit the bullet and
bought a pod version 2. Which cost an extra ?30 but was ready to rock within minutes of taking it out of the box.

Its very easy to use, especially if youre already familiar with line 6 amps or PODs. they have a long list of presets, some useful, some not. if you sign up for guitarport online, you get access to thousands more guitar tones. the music player (which is what i think makes this such a valuable tool) is also quite simple, so if you can use windows media player or winamp, this is a breeze. mine is the most recent model (2.51 i think) but im not worried because future updates are downloadable from the website for free. the only qualm i have is that the interface (the shiny red thing that you actually plug into) essentially becomes the sound card. you have to run an 1/8" cable (included) from the output of the soundcard into this, and then the guitarport has stereo RCA outs to your speakers and a dedicated headphone jack...so you might not be able to use standard computer speakers. this isnt so bad however, because they probably wouldnt sound as good. i give it a nine because the program is super easy but hooking it up to begin with requires a little more brain power.

it sounds like a line 6 amp, which for years i have been quite fond of. i dont use their amps anymore but im glad i purchased this. the effects are straightfoward and very convincing. there are numerous patches you can get from guitarport online, and they all sound great (most of the time). there is a strange idiosyncracy with this however...just because jimi used *blahblah* amp to get this sound doesnt mean that you use *blahblah* amp to model his sound. we all know eric johnson doesnt use soldano amps but certain sounds of his are modeled better with an SLO-100 than a plexi with a tube driver in front of it. this means you have to play around a bit and experiment when your creating tones from scratch. also, when you download certain tones dont be surprised if the model isnt what you thought it was. i think part of this strange fact is why there are so many line 6 "original" amps included. that and copywright laws.

the only hardware is the interface between the guitar and computer. i imagine if you dont break mice, keyboards, cable modems, LAN routers, etc very often, then this will be ok on your desktop. beyond that i dont know how it will hold up. its mostly software that makes the guitarport what it is.

line 6 has a cool email based q&a thing which has always helped me, except they never responded the very last time i used it.

i give it a 9 because despite the partial headache you get setting it up with your speakers, the beauty of this device is that it lets you play alongwith music without the original guitar parts. it almosts makes it a neccesity to have signed up for guitarport online, especially if you inted on getting the most of out it, but thats where you find all these cool songs to jam with. is it a practice tool? yeah. is it fun as hell and entertaining for hours? yeah. ive been playing for 10 years, and i have a couple opf nice amps and guitars (various parker flys, hotrodded strats, VHT pitbull, fender deluxe revered reissue) i play everythign but hardcore metal. sometimes i play that too. i think every guitarist who uses a computer could get some cool uses out of this thing

this program is very easy to use. you can play with the effects, amps and all the features all day long. also, if you sign up for guitarport online, it gets even easier. i am not sure if there is a manual, but you don't need it.

i use a fender strat and an epiphone les paul. i foud there are two things i do not like about this setup. first off, it sounds very thin. i found there is too much room noise, even if you move the mic right up on the grill. the second thing is that the noise reducer is not very good. the amps do produce a lot of noise.
with that said, i still think that it is worth it for the 100 bucks or what ever it costs now days. the sound are still remarkable, and if you really spend some serious time tweaking your settings, you can get a fairly good sound.

always works.

i run a studio in alameda, ca. i record mostly rock stuff. this is a valubale tool that i use in re-amping guitar sounds after teh client has left. it is a great product. i would recomend it, but you should consider this: unless you spend a lot of time getting your sound right, it sounds digital and thin, but for a project studio, i think it is one of the best products on the market.

The installation is quick and easy, the interface is very intuitive and the integrated help files are (usually) very useful. Unfortunately, the documentation doesn't seem to have been updated much, and as of 6/28/05, the official website still says that the documentation for version 2.5, released in November 2004, is "coming soon." This isn't much of a problem, though, because as previously stated, everything is very intuitive.

Totally blew me away. The first time I routed a screamer (modeled off the Ibanez tubescreamer) into a spinal puppet (line 6 original amp head) I spent like 10 minutes just playing power chords and listening to them ring. The cabinet and mic simulation is always very convincing, and the EQ and compression effects are simple but very high quality. The only problem I have is with the reverb. Included is an effect based on spring reverb and a couple of line 6 originals. The spring verb sounds just like the real thing, which is okay, except that it never sounds very warm. The line 6 reverb models are decent, except there is always some predelay even when the knob is set at zero.

Also, some users complain that clean sounds are boring. I disagree, but I'm hardly ever use completely clean tones and I suppose I'm not in a position to argue.

I can't figure out what inspires the occasional "this-sounds-like-butt" review, perhaps these folks are feeling insecure and need to take out their feelings on an object that won't retaliate.

It seems reliable enough, but it is very small and light and would probably break with very little encouragement. Not that it will see much abuse sitting on your desk 24/7.

Some people think the customer support is terrible. I strongly disagree. I have no access to technical support for my $900 keys, but these guys will talk to you on the phone and answer questions by email very quickly and effeciently. I contacted them twice by email with questions recording, and both times they solved my problem. The email system isn't so intuitive (you can't reply to their emails, like one reviewer did...if you do, they don't get your response and the case is considered "solved") but the support overall is very good.

Great toy for recording and practicing. Blows my RP100a out of the water. In retrospect, I kind of wish I had put down the extra $200 for a PodXT because I would love to be able to take this guy on my apartment's roof to practice, and because upgrading the guitarport to have the same amps and effects as the podXT costs an outrageous $100. But I digress. There is no better digital recording option in this price range.

the software is version 2.51. This thing is brilliant. it seriously takes no more than 5-10 minutes of going through all the amps and effects to master the controls. everyone I have shown it to are amazed, and most can make their own sounds immediately. however, I hate having to stop playing to switch settings or reset the wah. it would be great to have a pedalboard for this.

using it with a custom strat w/ a JB in the bridge, the guitarport sounds great. most of the high gain settings match the real amps well; the others you can usually tweak to get good tone. the wah setting's only control is with the mouse, which is (obviously) not usable while playing. they need to have an autowah setting. also, the only real clean amp is a roland jazz chorus, and it's kind of weak. Line 6 needs to make upgrades for the clean amps.

I use it for home recording, and it has never failed me.

N/A

For $175, I have something that I can use for just about any recording I would need. It also came with an OLP guitar (which actually wasn't too shabby for a free one) that I gave to my girlfriend. It has almost everything I need for recording, and whatever it doesn't have, I'm sure Line 6 will make for it eventually. again with the pedalboard though, it seriously needs one just for jamming.
I've been playing for about 6 years, and Line 6 has been good to me, so I'm not one to bash it for being digital. I have no problems with using this on a daily basis, and I show it to everyone I can. go buy one.

Very easy to use. Installation went very smooth, no problems what so ever. Version 2.51

Only thing I wish it had was a way to switch between effects easier on the fly.

The sound quality out of this little thing is nothing but AMAZING. Im a play of over 9 years, use a Jackson RR3R with EMG 85-85's, and a DR3R with a Duncan JB in the bridge. Normal equipment is a Marshall JCM900 head, and 11 Boss pedals... since Ive gotten the guitar port, I havent turned my amp on once yet.

The interface is pretty straight forward, easy to edit sounds and get the sound you want. Some people here were complaining about the feedback. Thing is, the feedback is no different than any other real amp. Secondly, CRT monitors can cause pickup interference, so take that into consideration too. I use an LCD, and recieve no feedback what so ever. I have no skipping, popping, or anything of the sort. If your experiencing problems, you might have a USB latency issue.

Simply the best $100 Ive ever spent on anything music related.

Ive had it plugged in and running for about 2 weeks now, and have had no problems yet. Works every time.

N/A

I play everything from classic rock to metal, and this little Guitar Pod covers it all. If I lost it, Id buy another one in a hear beat. As I said, since Ive gotten this, I havent plugged into my rig yet.

Im going to use this to do some recordings, I think Ill finally get the sound I want to be recorded. Whats great about this is that I dont have to mess with buying mics, room acoustics, or anything else... plug it in, and rock away.

If your in doubt about buying this, GO OUT AND GIVE IT A TRY. Most places like Guitar Center will give you a 30 day trial, so you've got nothing to lose... thats why I did it, and after using it for 15 minutes, I decided that I would NEVER take this back. Just give it a try, I pretty much guarantee youll love it.

Sets up in about 5 minutes... I've moved it to a few different computers and never has a problem. The install program tells you exactly what to do and when.

The software is simple and straightforward, and the box only has one knob (volume)... I have never been frustrated by the GuitarPort.

It also has some nice little features like metronome and hum reduction, and the delay and tremolo effects have BPM-style interfaces, which is really useful when you want to do something like put in eighth-note delay at 135 BPM without doing the math.

I run this through my computer speakers, so that may be part of it.

Some sounds simply don't sound good, especially if you load up the effects and turn up the overdrive, and every now and then it seems like these kinds of sounds are suffering from digital artifacts.

However, there are so many good sounds that it doesn't really matter, especially since you can look up the tones used on specific songs... think about that one for a second... Hendrix, Floyd, Nirvana, U2, Beatles tone - and not just generic artist tones, song specific tones, and often multiple tones per sound (intro, rhythm, solo, etc) at the click of a mouse button.

The hum reduction is a nice addition, too.

I've had mine 2 years with no problems... its not really a gigging type of unit, but if I was gigging with a laptop, I'd be more worried about Windows than the GuitarPort (GuitarPort is Windows only).

I would recommend this to almost anyone with a PC who plays guitar. Think digital amp/effects modeler pedal with a much much nicer interface, and a much lower price. It's great for recording, especially if you're a hobbyist and don't have hundreds or thousands of $$$ for effects.

If you're a sound snob, this probably isn't for you, but for everybody, you'll love it.

Super easy to set up -- just follow the instructions. No special computer geek skills required -- even a novice to computers could do it.

Some noise but using the noise cancellation wizard helped get rid of about 75% of the problem although some settings still create a little buzzing -- just stand back from the speakers and it is tolerable. From my perspective, the sound was really good but not great, but considering what I paid for it I can't complain.

Seems to be relativly solid but probably not for gigging -- seems more suitable for home practice and recording purposes.

No opinion on this.

I got this in the bargain bin for 90% off because it was missing the software. Was able to get a copy of the software install CD from a buddy that already had it so no big whoop in that area. If you are looking for a way to incorporate playing your guitar with the computer and have a very basic computer knowledge then this might be worthwhile.

It's pretty easy to setup. Install the software, plug it in and go. Editing patches takes a few minutes to learn and is fairly easy. There's no manual but it has so-so online help.

The sound quality is pretty poor. I have used a lot of modelers and I have to say the GuitarPort was about the worst I have tried. Everything just sounds artificial. All of the clean sounds are dull and lifeless. The high gain sounds plastic and artificial. If I understand correctly, this is the same sound engine as in the PODxt. If so, I am so happy I went with the Vox Tonelab instead of the PODxt. Only someone who has never played a decent amp would think any of the sounds on this device were remotely acceptable. Yes, you get what you pay for. But if Line6 expect me to shell out a monthly subscription of GuitarPort online, they need to offer something that sounds better.

What cracks me up the most is that none of the amp models sound remotely like their real world counterparts. For instance, I was doing the Sex Pistols lesson on GuitarPort online. In the lesson it says Steve Jones used a Fender Twin with custom speakers cranked to 10. So what does the lesson use to match Jones' tone? A Marshall Plexi with a disto stomp box. Seriously, WTF?!?

The website is junk. GuitarPort online is hopelessly jumbled. God forbid I would ever have to contact Line6.

Overall, it's good for anyone with $99 to waste who wants to play guitar on their computer. I was not at all satisfied with the amount of new content on the website or its organization so I returned the product. Like I said above I have a Vox Tonelab and its modeling far, far surpasses anything the GuitarPort could handle. I guess I was just not the target audience for this product. I would never buy another Line6 product after this. The whole experience was negative for me. I am amazed Line6 does so well and has such a loyal following. I am beginning to suspect their success is more related to their advertising budget than the quality of their products and services.

Very easy to install and use. The onscreen menus are very intuitive and appearance and function of the amps and effects are just like the real thing--very cool interface.

Manual and help text is electronic and is fine. The Line 6 online forums and support are second to none--outstanding.

My Guitarport came with the latest firmware, 2.51. I am told this release includes at least one more amp model, more effects, and much better sound.

For $100, this device is a steal. I have a Digitech GNX4, Korg PX4, and Behringer VAMP-Pro. Frankly, this little box and its software beat them all for AMP modeling quality.

The Line 6 online forum/community offers hundreds of tones (preset-patches) produced by Line 6 and customers. Many of them are simply outstanding. The Guitarport accepts most PodXT tones and will accept them all if you purchase a $100 add on PowerPack. I probably will do this in the future.

The effects are more than satisfactory. I have not played much with them yet--the only negative comment was the reverb. I recorded some stuff using a Malsteem tone patch and it sounded fantastic during recording--but when I listened to the finished MP3 through the stereo, it was a bit overdone sounding.

I have the GuitarPort connected to the computer via USB and to a mixer via its audio outs. The mixer is connected to a ART SL-1 Power amp and Kustom PA.

Depending on the AMP model, there is noise, just like the amp would produce in real life. Cleaner amp models have no noise. A built-in hum/noise eliminator (not noise gate) works fantastic to cancel hum from single coil pickups--this is worth the price alone!!!!

For some reason I have had an aversion to Line 6 products--no longer. I wish now I had gone with a POD XT or similar Line 6 product rather than the VAMP/KORG.

Hard to say. Not meant as a live device--it is intended for home/studio use. As such, should last a long time.

Line 6 is often ripped for poor customer service. I don't understand. They have been very responsive and their online forums/community is second to none. Virtually every question I had was answered through their online setup. Plus, their layout and access to tones (patches/presets) is great. Equal with Digitech. Better than Behringer and Korg (nonexistent).

The GuitarPort kicks _____. I don't plan to use the online/internet feature. I am using it as a simple guitar recording and amp simulation device. For that it is absolutely bitchen. I have a Digitech GNX4, Korg PX4, and VAMP Pro. IMHO, the GuitarPort beats them all for ease of use and AMP modeling. Obviously, the GNX4 offers much more in the way of onboard recording, drum machine, etc., but soundwise, the GuitarPort is right there if not better.

I would definitely replace it with another, and plan to purchase the optional PowerPack to acheive the same functionality of the PodXT. Though now, I would love to have a PODXT Live or Pro.

The interface is well thought out and it's very easy to dial in the tone you are looking for. I give it an 8 only because it takes a little PC knowledge to keep everything running tip top. A PC novice might have problems. But, I assume that since you found this site, you would be capable of using this product. Be sure you have plenty of RAM. You really need a minimum of 512Mb to run the riff tracker smoothly. I had to upgrade and it fixed a "dragging" problem between riffs. Other than that, it's a piece of cake.

I run my Ibanez Prestige RG and S series into a Crybaby from Hell, into the GP. On my PC, I upgraded to a 24 bit SoundBlaster sound card and got a Logitech 5.1 system from Sam's. Both items, combined, cost under a hundred bucks. If you are using the crappy speakers that came with your PC, don't be surprised they sound crappy. Since configuring everything about a month ago, I have yet to plug in my plexi., and my pedals are all in a box. I can go from Randy Rhodes to CCR to Angus with a click. No cords, no batteries no shaking walls, no pissed off neighbors, just good tones, even at low volumes. The GP puts you right in the mix and with the tweeks they provide you can dial it in, balls on. I agree with previous posts that the dirty tones sound better than the clean ones.

In my opinion, the riff tracker is not worth the extra hundred bucks. Spend the money to upgrade your soundcard or speakers. The GP website has many cool backing tracks you can jam with, but RT will not allow you to record the mix from GP because of copyrights. RT will only lay down your guitar signal. If you are like me and don't want to waste hours trying to record a song a riff at a time, just get the GP and then download a shareware program called Goldwave. I found out about it, oddly enough, from the GP message boards. It works great and records the signal from the sound card, not the GP.

Definatley not for gigging. The box itself is nothing to brag about, but the volume knob works. The software runs pretty smooth but will crash every now and then. (fixed witrh a re-boot. I've left it running for days at a time with no problems. I'm able to run other programs at the same time with no problems. I have found Line 6's website down a couple of times. Other than that, I'd say it's reliable enough for a hunderd dollar hardware/software bundle.

Who cares! It's a hundred bucks. Do you really send in your warranty cards anyway? To the people that are having problems: I suggest you go to the place you purchased it and get them to take care of you. Most dealers are there to make you happy. If you can't get GP to work on your PC, take it back to where you bought it and buy a POD. It has many of the same tones and you?ll get to use your cables and batteries again.

Seriously though, any questions I had were all answered by posts on the message boards at the website. Line 6 techs monitor the site and try to answer questions there. My guess is they would rather handle customer service for a product like this with message boards than to field 100 calls a day from people saying "Why don't I get sound from my speakers?"-Just guessing...

Ok- here's the skinny- Buy this- you will not be disappointed. I have been playing for more than twenty years, I love it! The wife loves it! (she hates the plexi:-) I can play the lead to "I'm Tore Down" record it, rip it, burn it, email it, etc... All within about 5 Minutes. There is nothing else on the market that will allow you to do that. It is simply the best practice tool I have ever used! Lessons, books, videos...Nothing comes close. If you are thinking about getting one, just do it! I guarantee your playing will improve overnight.

At a hundred bucks, it should be the cheapest piece of gear you own. The seven bucks a month for the website is worth it as well. I guess if you are cheap, you could join and download the entire site, then cancel. But for the price of a pack of smokes and a beer at your favorite blues bar, you can log on every day and jam. Hum?

Piece of cake, so much fun trying different effects amps etc.

I use strats, les pauls and PRS all sound excellent.
Cant say if they sound like the originals but they do sound good, especially considering the price. Remember this is good fun not professional quality recording kit.

Not gone wrong yet, easy set up. Home use only.

Poor response from online support.

All sorts, lots of rocky blues.

Just trying to shed some light for people who are about to get it. I spent a better part of yesterday morning reading GP reviews on Harmony Central. I bought it during my lunch hour @ local Guitar Center.
Some people had various issues installing the product on their PC. Notice that most of them either had a POS pc or started playing guitar before computers were invented. No disrespect intended whatsoever. The whole install took about 7 mins. Yes I did have a USB driver snag, which was resolved by Windows XP prompt within 20 seconds. So if you have a Pentium 3 or 4 + XP don't even concern yourself with all those negative "setup" reviews.
Its hard to think of software that incorporates some many options/possibilities and is as easy to use, especially the online portion of it. BTW, no connection lag at all when you have cable - really good server.

What do you get for $99??? Not much, one good pedal if you're lucky. I used my John Petrucci Music Man (amaizing instrument) through a regular sound card and my trusty Senheiser HD-580 headphones. I must say, I was very much impressed by the quality of the modulation and its realism. And it gets 10 times better once you download actual artist's tones from their well arranged server. You'll never feel like your guitar doesn't sound right when you're jamming along with a song. I tried Clapton, Petrucci and Ty Tabor with their tracks from both the server and my PC library and their tones were there. Not 100% of course, but it made me realize how much $$$$$$$$$ you'd have to spend to get their tones in real life/gig situation.
Once again, you'll never get 16 different stacks in your house for $99, but sh*t, what you get here is great. Every tool must fit its purpose, so just ignore the people who expect this soft to sound like their $3000 Boogie stacks.

Physical reliability - well, it will collect dust by your PC and I don't think it will hurt it. Must agree with everybody here - definitely not for live gigs, not much flexibility. Although, I did see John McLaughlin play a show with Variax and a laptop, as he was seating in a lotus position for about 3 hours straight. Not much different from your home practice disposition.

Absence of a paper manual and multiple complaints of reviewer would suggest that it simply sucks.

Overall, you get what you pay for. I've seen those cheezy GP's for years and thought that it was another $99 piece of garbage for kids. Not true at all. Perhaps, its finally those initial steps the industry is taking steps to combine technology with mass rpoduction and still make some money off of us. In my opinion, its worth paying $100 just to access their online database with tonns of info, lessons and tones and other downloads. Its a great practice tool for many of us for the fraction of the price. Just think of how much $$$ you have spent on guitar teachers who ask you: "what do you want to do today?" when you come to your lesson. BEWARE, RiffTracker is only demo for $99.
So if you want to learn the instrument, lay off the rock star dream and a hundred bucks, get it have fun as you're learning.

For recording this thing is a snap. Unfortunately, I can't get it to connect to GuitarPort Online, a problem that several other users have discussed on the Line 6 message boards.

I play a mid-90's Japanese tele with Barden pickups. The sound modeling is extremely good for something so cheap. The presets are reasonably good and can be edited easily. The distorted tones sound better than the clean tones. You can get surprisingly good bass sounds out of it too.

seems reliable, but of course you would never use it for live purposes

The absolute worst, even worse than the guy from Nigeria who promised to send me all that money. Go to the Line6 message boards and see the thread titled "Guitar Port server down?" to understand what I am talking about. If you have a problem, don't expect to get any help at all. I would give it a negative 10 I I could.

The sound is very good, it is easy to use and makes sense as a very affordable option for computer recording. But I am giving it a 1 because the customer support is so terrible. Good luck trying to get a response out of them if something goes wrong. If it broke I wouldn't replace it and I will never buy anything else from Line 6.

The installation was very easy, just follow the steps. I also downloaded the latest version from their site (2.51) which added a few extras

I use Kramer/Steinberger/Epiphone plus an acoustic guitar with GuitarPort. The noise gate is working very well. I record the guitar using Cakewalk - very simple and the sound quality is amazing. The presets are not bad, although you have to play with them a bit in order to get what you have in your mind. What I did not like is that the effects provided were very few. I give it a 10 not because it is as good as the real thing but because you can have so many alternatives to record your music by paying almost nothing!

Not for very heavy duty use I guess, but who cares :)

I've been playing guitar for 17 years. I own many different amp modelling boxes (Genesis 3, Boss GT3, Zoom) and I decided to buy this just because of the price. I am very happy with my decision. The rest of the pedals are now somewhere hidden. This is because I mainly use the computer to record music and with GuitarPort this is so simple and the sound is good enough for my purposes.
I think that I will upgrade it soon (they have different pack) in order to get the extra effects/flexibility that I need.

Recommended: 100%

The install was fairly painless and the software/hardware worked fine. Let me mention that I installed both the Guitar Port and the RiffTracker software.

I want to mention that the install process seemed to take a fairly long time. In fact, for a while, I thought the process hung but it installed okay.

After an initial run thru of the tutorials, I was off and running with the Guitar Tracker software initially and then I fooled around with the Riff Tracker software.

I ended up having to re-review some of the tutorials again but this software is fairly easy to use. I mean, try using Cubase sometime.

I am disappointed that there's no hard documentation nor is there a "soft" manual available. It would be a good idea if Line 6 spent the relatively small amount of effort/cost and included at least a "soft" manual. What is there is a series of videos that walk one through the various processes.

I've run the output to my mixer and have the PC output connected to a cheap pair of Dell speakers that came with my system. I'm also using a Behringer UB2442FX-Pro mixer, an Alesis RA300 amplifier and a pair of Event 20/20 V2 reference speakers.

For those who say the tone is poor, etc. I totally disagree. I mean the damn thing sounds good through a pair of cheap-a** Dell PC speakers. And this is with a few presets that I happened to like without any tweeking. I was really amazed at the tone when cranked coming through a pair of PC speakers.

Kinda cool to jam along with Pink Floyd's "Breathe" with minimal effort in getting an appropriate tone and getting the guitar tablature, chords, etc.

Too soon to tell. I don't gig out anyway. I bought the Guitar Port & Riff Tracker as a practice aid, a learning aid and a easy way to loop and record guitar tracks.

And, IMHO, it excels in all three categories.

Well, there's a lot of discussion on the Line 6 board about the thin offerings pertaining to the Instantdrummer. Actually, I'm a little disapointed at the relatively few drum tracks included with the product. And the ones available for purchase (at $9.99) seem somewhat similar and for $10 it's unclear how many and what the drum tracks are that one is paying for.

In fact, I'm a little miffed at ALL companies that hawk products that require add'l purchases from the get-go. They should tell you up front that if you want to make good use of the Instantdrummer, you'll need to purchase add'l drums.

Others on the board complained about the 4/4 limitation of the drum sounds.

In any case, I've been using computer software and hardware to record guitar since 1985. I've owned (and still do) most of the sequencing & digital recording packages on the market. Personally, I'm tired of spending time as an engineer when I want to play. That's were the Guitar Port/Riff Tracker shine. Yeah, there may not be as many features as one would typically find on a $600 software package. But, when it comes time to just play, the product appears to let one do just that.

Granted, I've only used the software since Saturday (3/5/05) but it blew me away after playing with it this past weekend. I really like the way Riff Tracker's set up to record consecutive takes of loops or riffs. Really slick. I should mention that I've been heavily involved with various loopers for many years (Echoplex Digital Pro, Lexicon Jam Man, Electrix Repeater, Boomerang, Boss RC20XL) and I can say that Riff Tracker does a nice job in this domain. Again, it's not anywhere near as complex as the EDP, but there's a very low learning curve.

Guess I should have mentioned what kind of stuff I do. I like to work in both a standard 4/4 realm for fun and more esoteric musical realms as well. Generally, I like to build backing tracks using drums, bass, percussion, sometimes keys and solo over the whole mess. As Jeff Beck called it, "Chance music".

I will post my thoughts on the package at a later date after using it for a few months.

Set up was straightforward. Typical Windows install process. My computer recognized the GuitarPort hardware and I could use the amp modeling right away. But not everything went smoothly. The GuitarPort software failed to recognize my internet connection (DSL though a router). Tried adding line6.com and guitarport.com to Trusted Sites, turning off pop-up blockers, disabling firewalls, connecting directly to the DSL line without the router, etc. Nothing worked! I'll give it a 3 only because the modeling worked; otherwise it would be a 1.

Sounded just OK. I mean, you're playing back though a USB connection into a computer. What were you expecting, a blackface Fender Twin Reverb?

Well, since I couldn't get it to work, I guess I can't rely on it.

Oh boy, does Line 6 ever suck. CAVEAT EMPTOR. I tried getting help online and through the phone. No one in customer service took ownership of my problem. They asked me to run a diagnostic tool, which I did, and sent them the data file. Two days later I get an email asking if I'd run the diagnostic yet since they hadn't received the file -- pretty funny when you consider they were responding to the email to which the diagnostic file was attached! Anyway, I dutifully sent it again and waited a couple of days, when another email arrives saying that since they hadn't received the diagnostic file they were marking the problem solved and closing the case. WHAT A BUNCH OF INCOMPETENTS!

I returned this piece of crap. Line 6. Never again. I should have known. The Line 6 Spider 112 I bought was about the worst sounding amp I ever had the mispleasure to plug in to -- thank God for eBay!

Very easy to use, if you know how to operate knobs than you shouldn't have a problem with this product. The setup was a snap, pretty much like any other Windows application. You can also save your patches and even take note of your guitar settings so you know which settings you had with which patch. Don't Forget to upgrade firmware to latest one (2.51 at time of writting), see why below.

I run an ESP EX-400 thru a Dunlop Wah and then thru GuitarPort. Originally, I wasn't impressed that much with the sound, it was most certainly worth the price but a lot of the amps didn't sound that good, nethier did they sound that close to their real world counterparts but once I upgraded to version 2.5 I was completely blown away! almost all the amp models sound AMAZING, absolutley identical to the real thing. In fact, when I'm listening to my playing it sounds like a professional studio recording. Just make sure you have hi quality headphones, something with a range at least close to 10 to 30,000 Hz or monitors or you won't appreciate the quality of the sound. The effects also sound really good and in combination with the amps should give you almost any sound you want. The noise gate function also works very nicely and cleans out your sound without sucking the tone. My only complaint is about the Messa/Boogie Dual Rectifier model which actually sounds worse than it did in the previous version, not enough presence, but other than that all other amps sound superb.

The GuitarPort hardware itself is your average paraphernalia, plastic made and not too heavy duty so keep that in mind if you're planning on gigging with this thing. The application however is very solid and stable and has yet to crash on me, it also by-passes Windows in a lot of places so that only adds to the stability. I'd say the only gigging issue would be Windows itself.

oh boy. I made the mistake of signing up for GuitarPort Online. What a huge mistake. My trial period was fun and everything, a good number of backing tracks were available online but absolutely not enough to justify $10/month or whatever they were charging. Once I tried to cancel my subscription, I realized that it can't be done online and I had to call this number and xplain to them why I want to cancel my service but interestingly enough my call was never answered and the only thing that saved me from being charged again was the fact that my card was maxed out and they stopped trying after a couple of tries. So if you ask me, the online service is absolutley not worth it, just search the web for backing tracks.

GuitarPort V2.5 is an amazing product that sounds awesome and it's worth every penny, it's stable and works great, easy to use and out of your hair.

I got the Guitarport used (traded it for a TS9 reissue) and it came with 2.0 software. I never installed that but downloaded the 2.5 version from the Line6 site. Installation was easy and also the upgrade went perfect. There's no manual which is I ususally don't mind cause there a online manual, but I also use the Guitarport on my laptop without an internet connection. I do believe there are options I have not yet discovered and a manual could be usefull for that.

I have used other modelling stuff like Digitech RP100, Korg AX100G and Pandora PX4 and this Guitarport beats all of them. The sounds are really incredible !! I even like the presets which on my other gear sounded so artificial.

The amp models sound very real regardless if I play through my headset or with PC speakers. Of course I don't like them all, I have my favourites, but they really sound good. Also the effects and cabs sound realistic.

Tweaking the amps and effect is fun. Everything looks and works like the real thing, even when mic'ing the cabinet you have to move the mic.

The thing that really amazed me was how it responds to amp settings. Turning up the gain really works as with real tube amps. If have had a lot of different amps, tubes and solid state, and I love the tone of a slightly overdriven tube amp. The GP can really nail that sound. The only other modeller that could do that is my Tech21 Trademark amp.

Trying to get the sound of your favorite guitarist is easy if you know what gear he's using. Just select the same amp, cab and effects and you have the basic sound. A bit of tweaking and you should be spot on.

Depend on it..? It runs on a Windows PC so even if I could I would never gig with this. Who would ever take the risk that Bill Gates' blue screen would ruin a gig?

I won't rate this item cause it has not broken down on me yet... but I never trust anything that works on/with a PC.

Have not dealt with them

I play a lot of different stuff and the guitarport covers it all. From blues to metal, it all sounds great.

I use it on my PC and my laptop. On my laptop I sometimes have some popping sounds because of some applications or processes running on the background and that can annoying. On my PC it works perfectly.

I think the Guitarport is THE perfect practising tool. I also have the Korg Pandora PX4 which is also a nice piece of equipment but the GP sounds so much better. I still use the PX4 when I travel but at home nothing beats the GP. After hearing the GP I just might end up selling the PX4 and buy a PodXT.

Easy as install software & drivers plug in USB cable and guitar and start playing. I had no problems at all, i did the firmware upgrade on it as well.

Im on a P4 2GHz, 786 MB RAM, using a now old Soundblaster Live card and running WIN XP Pro SP2.

You have to know a far bit about what is what whilst editing or creating patches as little changes can have a big impact on the sound.

I didnt get a manual from my friend just the guitar port i had cables myself and downloaded software from the website.

Its really not at all difficult to use.

Im pluging in a Jackson DXMG guitar into it. I ran the output from the Guitar Port into a Yamaha Mixer which is connected to some studio monitors. I must say this is the best sound quality i have heard from any digital unit both for playing and recording.

Even though i have a 17" CRT monitor after using the HUM Reducer on the software it usually gets rid of any alien/unwanted noise.

The Sound from the amps are just amazing, as good as the real thing i must say, however they could improve the effects a little.

Well this is not al all ideal for use at a gig. ( well then again i might be wrong)

Using at home i have not yet had any problems with it at all.

Never had to contact them.

If you are looking for a good recording unit or a great tool to learn with then this is it.

I have been playing for about 4 years and have had many other digital amp simulation units and nothing comes close to this sound quality wise.