Yamaha buys Line6

shuikit

http://jp.yamaha.com/news_release/2013/13122002.html

monquixote

Jinkies. 

I have much love for Yam. I hope they do some cool stuff with L6. 

octatonic

I see this as *mostly good*.

John_P

That's a bit unexpected - I really like the yamaha modelling gear (Thr at home,dg stomp for rehearsing and would love a dg amp), I've had a lot of line 6 gear and it hasn't lasted that long.

Hopefully the next generation of products will be special with yamaha influencing the line6 technology.

dindude

Interesting. I hope that Line 6 technology doesn't influence Yamaha too much, I consider Yamaha better at the modelling game than Line 6.

ICBM

Wow. Didn't see that coming!

If they come up with Yamaha digital guitars incorporating a blend of Line6 modelling and Yamaha synthesis it could really give Roland some proper competition.

Grumpyrocker

This could turn out to be very interesting. L6 seems to have been treading water quite a while in terms of guitar gear - for example the M13 needs a replacement.

monquixote

It's possible they cut back on R&D spending to make the balance sheet look better if they were going for an acquisition. 

GuitarMonkey

http://www.mi-pro.co.uk/news/read/yamaha-acquires-line-6/018410

"The Japanese giant will continue to operate Line 6 as a wholly owned subsidiary and will retain the current management team at the firm"

Could be a very good thing for Line 6 products I think.

monquixote

Ahem

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/7392/yamaha-buys-line6#latest

Fretwired

dindude said:

Interesting. I hope that Line 6 technology doesn't influence Yamaha too much, I consider Yamaha better at the modelling game than Line 6.

Er .. it's the other way round. This has been on the cards for years as Line 6 has been flat-lining. I'm a big Steinberg user and since Yamaha took over the company the R&D has been stepped up, the quality improved to the point where Cubase is probably the best DAW at its price point. Hopefully they'll do the same for Line 6.

dindude

Fretwired said:

dindude said:

Interesting. I hope that Line 6 technology doesn't influence Yamaha too much, I consider Yamaha better at the modelling game than Line 6.

Er .. it's the other way round. This has been on the cards for years as Line 6 has been flat-lining. I'm a big Steinberg user and since Yamaha took over the company the R&D has been stepped up, the quality improved to the point where Cubase is probably the best DAW at its price point. Hopefully they'll do the same for Line 6.

You misunderstood me. I get that Yamaha are doing the buying!, but often companies do this to get a fast track to tech they haven't yet got, so my thoughts were that yamaha digital tech may well now  come through the line 6 channel from here on in when they've proved they pretty good at it anyway.

Axe_meister

http://www.premierguitar.com/blogs/5-daily-news/post/20096-yamaha-acquires-line-6

Fretwired

dindude said:

Fretwired said:

dindude said:

Interesting. I hope that Line 6 technology doesn't influence Yamaha too much, I consider Yamaha better at the modelling game than Line 6.

Er .. it's the other way round. This has been on the cards for years as Line 6 has been flat-lining. I'm a big Steinberg user and since Yamaha took over the company the R&D has been stepped up, the quality improved to the point where Cubase is probably the best DAW at its price point. Hopefully they'll do the same for Line 6.

You misunderstood me. I get that Yamaha are doing the buying!, but often companies do this to get a fast track to tech they haven't yet got, so my thoughts were that yamaha digital tech may well now  come through the line 6 channel from here on in when they've proved they pretty good at it anyway.

OK - I see what you're saying. I don't think that will be the case. Yamaha have purchased quite a few companies and have tended to work the other way round. Steinberg now has access to Yamaha technology for their interfaces and the sounds from Yamaha's synths have been incorporated into Steinberg's soft synths. I was close to dumping Cubase until Yamaha came along. Steinberg is going from strength to strength. Line 6 is a global brand. I can see Yamaha rationalising the product range [too many products] and maybe providing funds to take on the Axe FX. Line 6's audio interfaces are long in the tooth - I expect a new range based on Yamaha's pro audio technology. I see this as a win for the consumer.

Fretwired

Upstairs .. http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/7392/yamaha-buys-line6#latest

digitalscream

I think that the pertinent question in all this is, "What do Line6 have that Yamaha wants so badly?"

All I can think is "market share", and possibly a bit of the technology.

EDIT: Frankly, though I'd rather they'd bought Zoom and given Line6 et al a bloody nose. Zoom's digital tech is fuggin' great, and there's so much potential there it's unreal. If they'd combined that with Yamaha's build quality and engineering, they'd be unstoppable.

Fretwired

digitalscream said:

I think that the pertinent question in all this is, "What do Line6 have that Yamaha wants so badly?"

All I can think is "market share", and possibly a bit of the technology.

EDIT: Frankly, though I'd rather they'd bought Zoom and given Line6 et al a bloody nose. Zoom's digital tech is fuggin' great, and there's so much potential there it's unreal. If they'd combined that with Yamaha's build quality and engineering, they'd be unstoppable.

Line 6 is a great brand with a loyal user base and is a US company. Buying Zoom makes no sense for Yamaha. Backed by Yamaha Line 6 can dominate the modelling world.

Grumpyrocker

I agree about the audio interfaces, the L6 ones are getting very old now. It's a real surprise that that L6 hasn't released a software version of PODHD for its audio interfaces too. There seems a lack of synergy across its products that Yamaha would do well to correct.

johnnyurq

Looking forward to what comes of this, it could be well awesome.

Anyone for an SG 2000 with a new gen of Variax guts onboard with mag pups?

Ianpdq

Bit early for April Fool or the link is shot Ah the link is shot
http://line6.com/news/pressReleases/1520

stickyfiddle

I'd just like an updated DL4. And better switches on stuff.