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Amplifi Thoughts?


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So, do you think the Amplifi's new flat response stereo speakers will sound good with the JTV's acoustic models?

 

Any other thoughts? I was a little disappointed in no vdi connection to power the JTV.

 

This paired with a pod is a little overkill as far as effects go, but it's nice to plug in one cable and play as welll.

 

I would probably use the Bluetooth for practicing, but last time I had a 50 watt amp, I sold it because it was too damn loud to practice with. I was surprised to see this as a 150 watt amp!

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no cab simulated out also makes me think this isnt meant for us gigging dudes

 

You might be able to use the headphone out as a direct out to the board. I don't know if the speakers are disabled when the headphone jack is used, though. They might be.

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so if you don't own Apple gear what are your options?  what is the usb plug for?

 

On the Andertons video, the UK Line 6 rep says they are planning on making it Android compatible. I believe you can actually stream audio from any Bluetooth source right now - iPhone, Android, PC or Mac. As far as the USB port, I'd imagine they will at some point provide an editor that isn't mobile based. That's just me speculating.

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I have the AXE FX 2 but I will be buying the 150 to practice around the house and to use the Bluetooth option to stream music. I was fixing to purchase a BOSE wavestation III but with the option to play and practice Id much rather have this.

I think they are hitting an untapped market with this thing. I mean think about the money it will save someone that is going to buy those things separately...... It can even be used as your TV speakers.... Beyween a Bose and a Soundbar you have already spent 800  This thing is 499

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Having use as a bluetooth tune blaster makes it a good idea for kids that may lose interest in playing guitar.  Does indeed cover two bases and I'd probably consider buying it for my beginner kid.  Too bad the hype was not about some improvement in the state of the art rather than a de-evolutionary product as far as a guitar amp is concerned.  I really expected more than a last generation guitar processor combined with a bluetooth stereo.  But that is just my perspective.  

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I was expecting a "real" amp, something for "all" guitarists, and suitable for live situations...that's the impression their teasers gave me!

 

I'm not buying, which is kinda good, cause I was afraid I might want it and had to cough up the money...I'm pretty happy as I am, with the dream rig!

 

This seems more like a "toy" to me than a guitar amp

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I have the AXE FX 2 but I will be buying the 150 to practice around the house and to use the Bluetooth option to stream music. I was fixing to purchase a BOSE wavestation III but with the option to play and practice Id much rather have this.

I think they are hitting an untapped market with this thing. I mean think about the money it will save someone that is going to buy those things separately...... It can even be used as your TV speakers.... Beyween a Bose and a Soundbar you have already spent 800  This thing is 499

 

This is the key thing I have been saying.  I haven't heard it yet, but in theory, this thing should blow away any bluetooth music player in it's price range even if you take the guitar amp part out of the equation. Until they add the VDI, L6L, Direct out etc., it isn't a realistic replacement for any pro equipment, but it sounds like a great product for where it is targeted.

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last time I had a 50 watt amp, I sold it because it was too damn loud to practice with. I was surprised to see this as a 150 watt amp!

 

I am guessing that 50watt amp you sold was a tube amp? A 50watt tube amp will be *substantially* louder than this 150watt solid state BoomBox. I mean AmPlIfIeR, I mean Ampli, oh whatever. It's a BOOMBOX. If you love GarageBand, this thing is perfect.

 

If you own a DT series amp, this is several steps away from what a *real* guitar amp is. This thing doesn't even feature the HD models from the most recent POD series.

 

It's clever, looks cool - I would totally use it at home, when I am in the mood to play guitar while watching a movie.. Plug the movie audio in, the guitar in, sit on the couch, jam-film.

 

I am not dissing it in anyway, it's a majestic BoomBox. But as the advertising made it out to be "The Guitar Amp Reinvented", I'd have to say, ummm, no freaking way, not even close. Cool idea! If the price is low enough, I'd consider getting one for the home stereo system.

 

Looks like its going for $400 for the 75watt and $500 for the 150watt.

 

Here's the sales blurbs, these all scream "BoomBox!" to me:

 

- "Sleek, modern look that is "living room approved""

- "Bluetooth audio player"

- "Jam along to your favorite tunes using crowd-sourced Tone Matches pulled from the cloud"

 

I am curious - what is the sound quality of Bluetooth?

 

From a purely aesthetic point of view, I don't like the red color in the bottom half. And while I doubt this is true, the whole thing looks 'plastic'. The mesh grate looks plastic, the back looks plastic. I would imagine it's a mix of wood, metal and plastic, but it just looks, for lack of a better word, "easy to break"

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Knobs look limited and I see no screen.  Is it easy to program the patches from itself?  Can I hook it up to my Windows computer (via USB or Bluetooth) and control it from there?  I see no VDI for my JTV.  Will I be able to use my Android phone to control it in the future. Can I hook a controller pedal board of some kind up to it to change and/or control patches and use a controller pedal like on the FBV?  $500 for a practice amp?  I'm setup to do most of what it does already just with my android phone, whatever pod I decide to use and Bluetooth speaker.

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I was also expecting from all the hype that something really cool will come out, something like a DT and FRFR and the blend mix those 2, not an ''apple speaker'' - boombox. IMO, it is the most useless thing line 6 created, with the MOST hype in it.

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My wish: I hope they take the Bluetooth integration and add it to the POD line. Then they could have an app on a mobile device that would allow for creating, editing, and backing up of tones. Create a tone on the mobile device and send it immediately to the POD. Hell, why not integrate the HD Workshop into it as well for the JTV owners. Use a mobile device to edit your pickup config and send it to the guitar through the POD via Bluetooth. Use the ToneMatch stuff too, search for a song and send not only the patch, but a guitar model and configuration to the POD and JTV. Tweak the patch using the mobile device and then save it to a patch location. Create set lists on the mobile device that contain POD patches and JTV models. For gigging guys and pros, this would allow you to backup all of your tones and set lists. When playing from a set list, tap a song on the mobile device and the patches load.

 

If your POD dies because beer gets dumped in it, drop by the local guitar center for a new one, connect to it via Bluetooth and send all of your backed up tones/patches/models/set lists etc. to it and you are good to go. You could have different versions of your patches saved for different playing situations, e.g. If you are playing through a PA, stage amp, or going direct for recording.

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I was expecting a "real" amp, something for "all" guitarists, and suitable for live situations...that's the impression their teasers gave me!

 

I'm not buying, which is kinda good, cause I was afraid I might want it and had to cough up the money...I'm pretty happy as I am, with the dream rig!

 

This seems more like a "toy" to me than a guitar amp

i'm totally agree with you...i was expecting a real amp, with no latency and a software able to create new tape of sound like "positive grid bias"

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this Amplifi product release could perhaps be a sign that the top of the line will be abandoned in favor of products even cheaper and more for the mass ..the HD line has been cut to the bone, the only products still in production are the HD500X and the PRO X ..I wonder how much longer the JTV will continue to be produced, as the brand new products do not even provide its integration..

 

are these the effects of the acquisition of the company by Yamaha?

No idea what their plans are, but I seriously doubt Yamaha had anything to do with this particular product at all. They've been in charge for what...a month, five weeks at most? No way this thing went from concept to release that fast. I'd be surprised if Yamaha has even gotten their name on Line 6's stationary yet. At this point they're still trying to figure out how many people they're gonna let go...mundane things like the future of various product lines will have to wait until all the hiring/firing/cost cutting gets sorted out.

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I'm pretty sure that the press release regarding yamaha said that they've agreed on the deal and it wouldn't even be official until they got regulatory approval from SEC etc.

(expected mid-january)

I'm sure they are planning the transition and future together... but highly unlikely that any of this has affected day to day operations at this point.

 

No idea what their plans are, but I seriously doubt Yamaha had anything to do with this particular product at all. They've been in charge for what...a month, five weeks at most? No way this thing went from concept to release that fast. I'd be surprised if Yamaha has even gotten their name on Line 6's stationary yet. At this point they're still trying to figure out how many people they're gonna let go...mundane things like the future of various product lines will have to wait until all the hiring/firing/cost cutting gets sorted out.

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This is another new class of gear designed for the entry level home player.  It is light years ahead of anything in its class as far as a BT music player and the iOS integration will capture the interest of a new generation of players.  Take a look at the POS IK Multimedia iLoud 40W Portable Personal Speaker. It is BT enabled and plays streamed audio.  2 3" woofers and the whole thing weighs under 2 lbs.  It is $299...  Which would you pick?

 

I think this is just the beginning for this line and as I posted elsewhere, I expect by the end of the year there will be a much more expensive AMPLIFI HD with all the I/O features and L6 link, VDI and HD models and L series DSP.  If they do that it could well be the FRFR counterpart to the DT line and I will definitely consider buying one.

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At first when I saw this I thought damn it doesn't have Line6Link (to hook up HD500) what a drag.  But in reality does it matter other than transfering Audio what would I need it for ( the HD500 would do all the processing there are no power sections to alter) so would just a 1/8 audio input do just fine????  Just go Headphone out into the LIne in for the hifi ( a much cheaper alternative to L2t or L3t)..  I wonder how it would sound hooked up to my Alesis drum kit??

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I can't imagine it doing much for a e-drum kit (i have the TD8) 

but i suppose it might be fine if you don't mind keeping the volume under control, 

I have my vdrums straight into a 1600watt PA and it still wont get acoustic kit loud without sounding like poo.

 

At first when I saw this I thought damn it doesn't have Line6Link (to hook up HD500) what a drag.  But in reality does it matter other than transfering Audio what would I need it for ( the HD500 would do all the processing there are no power sections to alter) so would just a 1/8 audio input do just fine????  Just go Headphone out into the LIne in for the hifi ( a much cheaper alternative to L2t or L3t)..  I wonder how it would sound hooked up to my Alesis drum kit??

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I'm not buying, which is kinda good, cause I was afraid I might want it and had to cough up the money...I'm pretty happy as I am, with the dream rig!

 

 

 

Yeah, exactly!! I just bought a DT25, followed shortly after by a JTV59. I am totally relieved that this thing in no way, shape, or form competes with the DT25. I am keeping my baby!

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I can't imagine it doing much for a e-drum kit (i have the TD8) 

but i suppose it might be fine if you don't mind keeping the volume under control, 

I have my vdrums straight into a 1600watt PA and it still wont get acoustic kit loud without sounding like poo.

Thanks for the info I didn't think it needed that kinda wattage to sound good.  I have never played on a accoustic kit ( I am actually new to drums, just working on my rudiments mainly for now)..

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You may not need that kind of wattage or even want to be as loud as an acoustic kit.. if its just for personal and recording use it may not matter.

if you want to use them for a rehearsal/performance/jam it may need everyone else to quiet down... which kind of steals some of the fun :)

If i was getting the amplifi myself i'd certainly try it!.. just not sure that i'd base a purchasing decision on this as an intended use.

i may end up getting one... :) for a number of reasons.. i like the tech part, bluetooth speaker, and "front room" looks for a stealthy practice setup.

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It is what it is.... A JamBox with X3 modelling, for living room practice.

 

I guess it is pretty cool for kids, a beginner or an occasional amp for the living room.

 

It is what it is.

 

I would not say it was a "Re-Invention" ... That is a big stretch.

iPad with speakers....

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iPad with speakers....

 

 

Erm, or an X3 with powered FRFR speakers... if this had come out pre - HD series it would have been the flagship amp, yes?

 

With X3 modeling I will have to pass, can't go back to those inferior tones now.

 

But if they ever put out an HD version with VDI input or just the cabinet with power amp in an HD500 friendly powered FRFR version I am definitely interested.

 

Kind of a let down, but I still have high hopes for the future.

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Erm, or an X3 with powered FRFR speakers... if this had come out pre - HD series it would have been the flagship amp, yes?

 

 

Yes, until the next Vettaisk miracle happens along and then whammo! A new flagship is born to die another unfinished death before its pinnacle of support should be complete.... ;) I still have my Vetta 2 btw. It sits under the counter now, and is still in excellent shape... I look at it and kinda feel sad for all the current HD owners, knowing that someday very soon they too will suffer the same fate for another new "flagship" moment in history...  Maybe they already have?.... Time will tell... 

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But if they ever put out an HD version with VDI input or just the cabinet with power amp in an HD500 friendly powered FRFR version I am definitely interested.

 

Erased for negativity... I wish them the best of luck in their new amp directions....

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I look at it and kinda feel sad for all the current HD owners, knowing that someday very soon they too will suffer the same fate for another new "flagship" moment in history...

 

 

I don't get it - why sad?

 

I had a Vetta II, sold it because my HD500 sounded way better, and if L6 or someone else comes out with something that I like even more than the HD I will probably get that instead.

 

Progress makes me happy, not sad. Be happy for me!

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Because IMHO the Vetta II and the HD had room for improvement and were left behind for the next best "flagship of the day". Some call that progress. In a way it is, and in another , well... I sometimes wonder if its not like the Texas two step... Two steps forward, one step back... ;) Nice to have the newest flavor of the day as long as it lasts... Which isn't very long it seems. I see maybe one more update on the HD, before it too is put out to the Vetta pasture... Ahh such is progress... A sad thing to see at times nostalgic wise...  :)

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Because IMHO the Vetta II and the HD had room for improvement and were left behind for the next best "flagship of the day". Some call that progress. In a way it is, and in another , well... I sometimes wonder if its not like the Texas two step... Two steps forward, one step back... ;) Nice to have the newest flavor of the day as long as it lasts... Which isn't very long it seems. I see maybe one more update on the HD, before it too is put out to the Vetta pasture... Ahh such is progress... A sad thing to see at times nostalgic wise...  :)

 

Planned obselescence is the name of the game in everything electronic since the transistor. Good or bad, it keeps the merry-go-round running.

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You have got it wrong!  It's not "Planned Obselescence".  It is called Progress.  New processors are hundreds of times more powerful and orders of magnitude cheaper to make.  My Dell PC has more processing power than a $10,000,000 computer from the 70's and it cost $700.  I develop hard drives for a living.  When I started out a 10MByte drive cost $10,000.   Now  you can buy a 2TB drive for $120 or less.  We did not plan for that to happen in 1982 but it did.  (2TB vs 100MB is a factor of 200,000)  Products are designed with the resources and technology that is available at the time.  They are not designed for the future. 

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You have got it wrong!  It's not "Planned Obselescence".  It is called Progress.  New processors are hundreds of times more powerful and orders of magnitude cheaper to make.  My Dell PC has more processing power than a $10,000,000 computer from the 70's and it cost $700.  I develop hard drives for a living.  When I started out a 10MByte drive cost $10,000.   Now  you can buy a 2TB drive for $120 or less.  We did not plan for that to happen in 1982 but it did.  (2TB vs 100MB is a factor of 200,000)  Products are designed with the resources and technology that is available at the time.  They are not designed for the future.

 

Yeah, I don't think it's so much planned obsolescence as much as it's inevitable obsolescence. For one thing, with most consumer devices, people actually start wanting newer and shinier before whatever it is they have actually wears out. Really, how many items have you owned that have simply worn out and you needed to replace? I can only think of a relative handful where that's actually happened. Most of the time something new comes out, and I think, "ooh, that looks cooler than this old piece of crap... I'm buying that!".

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You have got it wrong!  It's not "Planned Obselescence".  It is called Progress.  New processors are hundreds of times more powerful and orders of magnitude cheaper to make.  My Dell PC has more processing power than a $10,000,000 computer from the 70's and it cost $700.  I develop hard drives for a living.  When I started out a 10MByte drive cost $10,000.   Now  you can buy a 2TB drive for $120 or less.  We did not plan for that to happen in 1982 but it did.  (2TB vs 100MB is a factor of 200,000)  Products are designed with the resources and technology that is available at the time.  They are not designed for the future. 

 

Don't get me wrong...I love technology. I love what Line6 has been able to produce.  However, there's more than one kind of progress.  And to the CEOs and bean counters of the world, the only kind of progress that matters is the kind that makes them more money. This is easily achieved by convincing (and it doesn't take much) our "keeping up with the Jone's" culture that only the latest and greatest will suffice. Like it or not, this is what keep our economy going. I'm not saying it's good, bad, or indifferent.  It just is. If you don't think that Apple already has a 5 year plan including the next iThingy and iThingy 2 that we'll all be told we "need" to have, then I don't know what to tell ya...agree to disagree I guess.

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If you don't think that Apple already has a 5 year plan including the next iThingy and iThingy 2 that we'll all be told we "need" to have, then I don't know what to tell ya...agree to disagree I guess.

 

Sure they do... Just like any other company selling consumer goods. Even a relatively technologically conservative company like Fender releases new guitars and amp every year. The thing with them, though, is that they rarely introduce any new technology. A good bit of what they do is simply building reissues of decades old products. No one is forcing people to buy the stuff, though.

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I agree that businesses are driven by profit.  That is capitalism at it's best.  They also know that they need to have satisfied customers to survive in a very competitive market.  Unless you are in the undertaker business. :-)  They would love to sell the same old product rather than have to spend big bucks to develop new ones but the market doesn't let that happen.  When Line6 drops a product it's because it no longer makes sense to make it because there is a new one replacing it that is better and often no more expensive to produce than the old one.

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  They would love to sell the same old product rather than have to spend big bucks to develop new ones but the market doesn't let that happen.  When Line6 drops a product it's because it no longer makes sense to make it because there is a new one replacing it that is better and often no more expensive to produce than the old one.

And thats the crux of my argument isn't it... I don't think its all an improvement more than its all to make a buck. And I don't think Line 6 (not that they are the only one) gave a rats rear end about improving the old stuff past a confirmed cutoff date to move on, no matter what is left that needs fixing. And instead of expanding and improving on the HD and HDx line by adding even more memory or doubling the process power on whats there now, and using better sounding technology on what they have, they have moved on instead to an iPad with speakers, the Amplifi... And I don't have any beef about them or anyone making profits, but please tell me if you can, just how many old output transformers failed in the Vetta amp back then, versus the "new" ones in the DT25/50 now...? I don't believe theres a better record involved with the new technology in this example. And I don't call that part of the process progress. I guess what bothers me more than anything is that I expected Line 6 to be "the" best modeling company out there, but they are not now and haven't been for a while. YMMV on this opinion of course, but with their now fast track attitudes, QA lackadaisical line inspections, and no direct communications with their user base here, is what I think has caused this.

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And I don't have any beef about making profits, but please tell me if you can, just how many old output transformers failed in the Vetta amp back then, versus the "new" ones in the DT25/50...? I don't believe theres a better record involved in this example. And I don't call that part of the process progress.

 

Well, seeing that the Vetta was solid state, and didn't have an output transformer, it's kind of moot point... jus' sayin'... :ph34r:

 

My Duoverb, which was around the same vintage as the Vetta (I believe I got it in 2003) did have a power amp that blew up, though.

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Then tell me phil, what made all those output watts in the vetta if there wasn't some kind of a step up output device, like a solid state switching power supply/transformer/doubler/trippler for a solid state like circuit? Cold fusion perhaps? A little info just for you...

 

Switching Power Supply Operation

Modern power supplies are known as "switching regulator power supplies."
In most switching supplies, the 110 volt AC input is first rectified by
two diodes and filtered by a pair of capacitors. This creates two high-
voltage sources; one positive and the other negative.

A pair of transistors is then used to switch these high voltage supplies
across the primary winding of a transformer. This switching action is
very fast. A typical switching speed is around 40,000 cycles per second
or 40 kilohertz. An integrated circuit is commonly used to control the
transistors. This IC not only controls the speed at which the
transistors are switched, but also controls the amount of time that each
transistor is energized. The output voltage of the power supply is
determined by the "on" time of the transistors. If the transistors are
keep on for a longer period of time, the output voltage of the supply
will rise, while shorter times lower the output voltage. This is known
as "pulse-width modulation."

The output of the transformer (which is now alternating current) is then
rectified by special high-speed diodes to change it back to direct
current. This output is not pure DC however, and requires extensive
filtering to remove the high-frequency "noise" that is generated by the
rapid switching action of the transistors. Filtering is accomplished by
using a combination of coils (also known as "chokes") and capacitors.

The output voltage of the power supply is regulated by feeding some of
the output back to the integrated circuit that controls the switching
transistors. If the output voltage is too low, the IC allows the
transistors to remain energized for a longer period of time, raising the
voltage. An output voltage that is too high signals the IC to cut back
on the transistors, lowering the output voltage.... And so on....

 

 

All of which could have failed with a record like the transformers in  the DT line, but didn't.  :P  I would doubt its a moot point to a DT owner with a blown one...

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 Solid state amps do NOT have an output transformer.  Most are directly coupled from the output transistors to the speaker or coupled through a large capacitor.  Tube amps all have output transformers to convert the high impedance tube outputs to match the low impedance speaker coil.  Spikey, you do not know what you are talking about here.

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