short letter 6 , the well - regarded guitar paraphernalia manufacturer that just deal to Yamaha , has a new guitar amp that ’s going to give thermionic valve traditionalists — like me!—a hemicrania . Bluetooth ? ! iOS app ? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa . OK , but let ’s not be luddites for the hell of it . What’sLine 6 ’s young Amplifigot to offer ?
Line 6 is n’t on the button new to making eldritch guitar cogwheel . It ’s been using digital modelling in its gear — from ampere to pedals for ten , so really this newfangled uncanny amp is only the in vogue .
Like billet 6 predecessor Amplifi uses “ amplifier modeling ” DSP that allow the ampere to sound like everything from a Fender to a Marshall . In fact , its crazy software lets you append a dizzying number of gist — delay , distortions , etc — to the mix . For the first prison term on a Line 6 amp , you control the sound modeling from an iOS app , that looks quite a bit like apps that have been useable for pedal accouterment for a while . Indeed , none of this applied science is new — the Amplifi only combines it all into a undivided consumable package . Your customary tone , loudness and addition ascendance will continue on the amp ’s body , as well as a boss that let you adjust the mixture of sloshed and dry sign so you’re able to blend in your heavily modify phone with the clean .
Like it or not , this type of digital sound modeling is only going to develop in popularity , particularly as the technology improve . No matter how enamored you are with the sound of your vintage Music Man amp , or your Tube Screamer overdrive pedal , it ’s going to be increasingly difficult to argue against every possible sound you could ever require if it fits in your pocket .
And there ’s applied science that ’s been around before , the Amplifi is the first guitar amp I ’ve ever get word that ’s got Bluetooth progress in . Besides letting you join the app that moderate how your amp sound , this also turns the whole matter into a Bluetooth speaker .
This seems like a handy addition . Lord know I ’ve never got the cable television I need to secure in an iPod or my calculator when I want to act along with something . And hey , if you throw a house party , easy , really fracking loud loudspeaker system system .
Speaking of speaker , the Amplifi ’s array is probably its weirdest aspect . Traditionally , combo amps are big speaker box with mogul and circuitry up top . If there ’s more than one speaker , moot the classic Fender Twin , the speaker system are ordinarily identically matched . The Amplifi tosses this formula out by using a 5 - number one wood regalia more kin to what you ’d see in a stereo loudspeaker system . You ’ve get the two swelled drivers in the eye , but they ’re complement by two high - terminal drivers and two mid - range gadget driver . Which is weird !
I have to admit , this puddle me unquiet . I care my Twin just the way it is ! But at the same clock time , it sort of make good sense that a ware , which uses so much digital sound moulding would profit from the little flexibility give by distributing the frequency load to speaker appropriately designed for short band . On the other hand , it ’s not decease to make this the easy amp in the world to revivify . If having two self-aggrandising 12 - inch speakers in amps before had an advantage it ’s that they were both sluttish to replace , and you knew exactly how they were going to behave .
The Amplifi comes int two models : 75 watts and 150 watts for an MSRP of $ 560 and $ 700 , though , Musicians Friend has them for $ 400 and $ 500 .
Ultimately , agate line 6 has n’t really made a merchandise for purist or swot at all here but for consumer . It ’s a staring “ experience ” much the way that other product you buy these days are . It ’s more than a really gimcrack speaker box . You ’re not await to amount to the tabular array with much else — except for a guitar and mayhap some chops to make the thing sing . The Amplifi is not for everyone , but Line 6 is one of those party that ha been doing digital long enough that they might actually pull up it off . I ’m certainly worked up to give this adenylic acid a try — even if I ’m not going to get rid of my Twin and my treadle gameboard any clock time shortly . [ Line 6 ]
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