New competition from IK Multimedia for Line 6 Helix?

Fretwired

IK Multimedia have a big announcement on Thursday. New modelling unit or just a guitar interface?

WiresDreamDisasters

Axe I/O it says at the end.

I'm guessing a soundcard with built-in DSP processing for Amplitube models. Like a Universal Apollo unit, but IK specific.

guitarfishbay

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Axe I/O it says at the end.

I'm guessing a soundcard with built-in DSP processing for Amplitube models. Like a Universal Apollo unit, but IK specific.

If Neural DSP did that I’d be excited. Obviously after they’ve made more stuff, but it looks like they’ll continue to release awesome stuff.

Fretwired

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Axe I/O it says at the end.

I'm guessing a soundcard with built-in DSP processing for Amplitube models. Like a Universal Apollo unit, but IK specific.

Looks like you're right ...

Fretwired

More info here:

https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/axeio/

digitalscream

I'm really not sure what the current trend for interfaces with integrated guitar modelling is all about...or, more to the point, why it seems to be popular. It won't get rid of the latency completely, and besides...tracking direct while monitoring with DAW plugins is incredibly low-latency anyway with remotely modern hardware. All it does is lock your workflow to specific modelling software, which sucks balls as a prospect.

And, unlike something like the Helix or AxeFX II/III, it's a bitch to use live.

That said, the built-in reamping functionality looks good. 

Fretwired

digitalscream said:

I'm really not sure what the current trend for interfaces with integrated guitar modelling is all about...or, more to the point, why it seems to be popular. It won't get rid of the latency completely, and besides...tracking direct while monitoring with DAW plugins is incredibly low-latency anyway with remotely modern hardware. All it does is lock your workflow to specific modelling software, which sucks balls as a prospect.

And, unlike something like the Helix or AxeFX II/III, it's a bitch to use live.

That said, the built-in reamping functionality looks good. 

I agree .. IK's interfaces have never really caught on. Putting Amplitube in a box like the Helix could have been cool.

WiresDreamDisasters

Ahhhh. No DSP on the box itself by the looks of it. It's just a soundcard, basically. The Amp Out feature is cool.

John_A

Looks like a great sound card for the guitarist, in my case for use with HX Native, been thinking about upgrading y soundcard so depending on price may have a look at this one

Fretwired

John_A said:

Looks like a great sound card for the guitarist, in my case for use with HX Native, been thinking about upgrading y soundcard so depending on price may have a look at this one

It will be about £400 or less based on the list Euro price.

John_A

Fretwired said:

John_A said:

Looks like a great sound card for the guitarist, in my case for use with HX Native, been thinking about upgrading y soundcard so depending on price may have a look at this one

It will be about £400 or less based on the list Euro price.

Ouch, I'll stick with using my Helix then

Fretwired

John_A said:

Fretwired said:

John_A said:

Looks like a great sound card for the guitarist, in my case for use with HX Native, been thinking about upgrading y soundcard so depending on price may have a look at this one

It will be about £400 or less based on the list Euro price.

Ouch, I'll stick with using my Helix then

The problem is its bundled with a lot of expensive software like Amplitube 4 Deluxe and some T-Racks modules. Maybe they will sell an unbundled version at a lower price.

Fretwired

New video .. looks better .. US price $349