Which Toneport?

[sunvalleylaw]

I wish to upgrade my recording interface (right now, a garageband cable that works with one of my computers, coming from my looper or a pedal). After reading and watching threads hear, I am narrowing it down to one of the Toneports, the UX2, UX1 and GX (new guy, only $70). See product spotlight from Musician's Friend here: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/document/line6/toneport_GX_UX1_and_UX2?doc_id=102505


I read Hogfullofblue's thread, and many pick the PodXT to do the same thing and prefer it due to the actual knobs and the ability to use it on a standalone basis. I don't think I would use it much that way. Maybe I am wrong, but I am hesitant to go that deep. I am thinking on finding a used UX2 on the bay or somewhere as my compromise point.

My thoughts:

I want the extra inputs for more guitars (like my son's), mics and a keyboard at some point so want more than the lesser two units. I think the one guitar input only of the GX is a deal breaker. Used UX2's are not that pricey and can be found for the same as a new UX1. The patches seem to transfer across well among all three units and Pods. Being a Mac guy, I am influenced by what works well with Macs. Macworld gave it a great review: http://www.macworld.com/2006/12/reviews/toneportux2/index.php

Advice guys? Thanks!

 

[Robert]

Sounds like you want the UX2 with its extra inputs? Might as well go for it! Get a used one and have fun.

I have a UX1, since I don't need any extra inputs. Works good. Gearbox is very cool software. It will keep you trying all sorts of amp configurations for hours...

 

[jasongins]

I recently got a Toneport GX and am thrilled with it. It is probably the best money I've spent on this hobby. I originally got it just to use with my wife's laptop on a recent trip to my in-laws' house, but now it has taken over. In fact, I find myself not even wanting to use my amp anymore. It's been all toneport and headphones since I got it. While I am normally a mac guy, my mac mini system specs are too low for the toneport, so I've been using it on my PC. Installation went well, it works great, and sounds even better. The software is easy to use if not a bit cartoon-ish, there are many presets to get started with, and the online lessons are fun to get into (comes with a 30 day trial of the Guitarport service). Many of the lessons have a tone embedded in them which you can click on to automatically load up, as well as save them in your collection. One negative is that the software is not "plug-in" capable as is, rather this is a fairly expensive upgrade from Line6. This means that when you record in garageband, what ever tone you selected in the gearbox software will be permanently recorded onto your track. With the plug-in component, you can change your the tone on your recording just by selecting a different preset plug-in. This is not a big deal for me since I am more of a beginner. It can be used as an interface with other software, not just the Line6 gearbox software. I use it with NI Guitar Combos, and I am sure it would work fine with the amp models and effects in garageband if you chose to use them. It is small enough to put in your gig bag if you will be traveling. I'd say it is just a bit larger than a Klondike bar, and it has a clip for your belt or guitar strap. As for the stand-alone issue, I feel that if I get to the point where I can play with a band or perform live, I will be happy to invest in something that can stand alone.

Just get one, I think you will love it.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Jasongins, thanks for the response. You are making me think. Ouch! Do you know if the input can be used with a Mic? I have an idea I might like to mic my amph for some recordings. That was one reason for the xlr desire. I have never owned a real mic so maybe I am missing something.

 

[jasongins]

One more thing: Getting a used one may mean having to contact line6. There is a digital ID it retrieves from the unit and checks the registered ownership with line6. You may need to make sure the previous owner deleted the device from their line6 account. I don't know if this matters if you only only intend to use the gearbox software, but it will matter if you attempt to go online and use the guitarport service.

 

[jasongins]

... Do you know if the input can be used with a Mic?....

According to this page on Line6's site, you can use a mic but will need an XLR to 1/4 adapter. Some of the amp models in the software are just plain pre-amps, I assume for microphones.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Hmm' Glad to hear of your experience with the GX. I am still leaning toward more inputs, but how you are using it sounds interesting. Thanks for the heads up on the id thing.

 

[Jampy]

I own the UX2 and love it, but I will warn you, you will spend 99% of your time twiddling with the sounds rather than playing. It has a lot to offer but I will warn you plugging a mic into the instrumnet jack will provide you with very low levels so invest in a adaptor if your using a cheapy mic ( like me ).

I use it in conjuction with garage band 08 on my mac and really love it I get all the tones, sounds and effect I want and recording them is easy and clean.

I will however point out one downside, if you don't own any peddles lik eme it can be a real PITA beause you have to actually stop playing to change sounds so something simple like switching from clean to dirty now involves a extra step that tends to throw things outta whack when you got your groove on.

but other than that it was money well spent.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Thanks Jampy. I was anticipating investing in a decent mic, plugging that in through the XLR input, and having the option to mic my amp like StingX does. I do have pedals, and like the sound through my own amp at times. It will be fun to play with the sounds in the machine also though. As I think about it, a UX1 might be enough for me with both an XLR and a guitar input, but if I can find a good used UX2 with proper id transfer, it wouldn't hurt to have the extra capacity.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

So Toneport UX2 it is! Went to Guitar Center today and offered $150 on a brand new one they sell for $199. Out the door baby!

 

[SuperSwede]

I know that its a little too late, but if someone else is looking for a really good usb interface, controller and the best software amp emulation. Please take your time and check out GR2 !

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Native-Instruments-GUITAR-RIG-2-103560793-i1155100.gc

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Been playing with my little Toneport GX on a cheap laptop for the first time today.. nice little box... would almost fit in your pocket.. maybe a LARGE pocket. Has a clip on the back of it to hang it on your hip or guitar strap.. I dunno why, you would need a heck of a long USB cable...

Gearbox software worked fine under Vista ... and a pretty neat little setup..
Line6 Monkey configured it all up.. updated software.. pretty slick..

I did have a problem figuring how to make the browser window bigger in gearbox (to lazy to read docs) but that was it. Loading tones..getting tones offline/online.. went smoothe....

For the 70 bucks and at first glance and use..it's a winner..

One thing that's wierd.. you use your headphones.. sound does not come thru the computer speakers at all when first configured..

But yes.. it does record into audacity etc just fine..

I assume there is a work around to get this to the computer speakers.
Just have yet to look into it..

For a small silent setup.. Guitar,laptop, good headphones and toneport GX would be hard to beat...guitar case and laptop case and your set.

:beer:

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Glad you like it Justa! I love my UX2 also. My understanding (if both units work the same) is that you run the monitoring out of the toneport via speaker or headphone out to avoid latency. My computer speakers at home are external, and I just run them into the input of those, or into the effects loop of my amph. It really sounds good through my effects loop. It might warm up the pre-set tones some, and they sure sound good to me! I believe you can re-set a setting in your computer to use internal speakers that they tell you how to do but don't recommend. It's in the PDF lit and is pretty easy to find I think. For gear lit, the PDF manual reads pretty well.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Glad you like it Justa! I love my UX2 also. My understanding (if both units work the same) is that you run the monitoring out of the toneport via speaker or headphone out to avoid latency. My computer speakers at home are external, and I just run them into the input of those, or into the effects loop of my amph. It really sounds good through my effects loop. It might warm up the pre-set tones some, and they sure sound good to me! I believe you can re-set a setting in your computer to use internal speakers that they tell you how to do but don't recommend. It's in the PDF lit and is pretty easy to find I think. For gear lit, the PDF manual reads pretty well.

The Simplicity is excellent.. anyone should get up and running with this setup.

Although I have tried.. I am still failing to get the sound thru the internal Laptop speakers..
but, yes I could use externals with no problem..
I think I will try it thru my looper later and see what changes the amps sound like that way..
Just for the heck of it..

Simplicity.. is probably the name for this thing..
everything went so well on install.. and thats saying alot under Vista...lol
(Note: set to administator to run)

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Some observations I have noticed with the toneport so far:

1) I did get spikes and playback problems while using Audacity and the laptop. I am assuming this has to do with setup.. I am still tweaking this.
With running on battery, it happens more than if AC is connected.

2) For some reason Adobe Audition works fine with a spike now and than. which leads me to think it's made better than Audacity. again, still tweaking.

3) If you load a backing track into Gearbox, Only the guitar part will be recorded. I would have thought both Backing Track and guitar would come into the recording software.. Not a problem, you just load Backing track into the recording software and play away.

4) Using the headphone/lineout into computer still does not work right for me, I did connect external speakers to the lineout and to tell the truth, The headphones make it sound so much better. This ofcourse would have to deal with the quality of external speakers. Line6 probably intends Headphones to be used for best sound and they are.

5) Tried running Lineoit to Boss looper.. first interference from laptop (same plug strip) once fixed that.. the sounds just don't sound as good again as headphones do.

6) Although bad playing.. my recorded sounds again sound better if played back thru headphones.. even on better computer.. it just sounds that much better to experience it all thru headphones.

7) Using some patches created by StingX here, I found Gearbox is some excellent software.. even without the add-ons, it will suggest replacements to get it as close to possible to the original patch.. very cool.. very well done..

8) Buying add-ons.. I think thats Line6 catch.. you get a cheap unit with a few cabs,amps, effects.. but your gonna fall and buy the add-ons.. :whatever:

Im holding out.. for what you get.. at this price.. its an excellent little setup.. I am not getting rid of my amps or pedals though.. but it is cool! ude:

All this is off a 1.6ghz laptop with 2meg ram and standard graphics chip.
I am sure the latency issues would not exst on better system.. and mine are minor but do exist.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

I will however point out one downside, if you don't own any peddles lik eme it can be a real PITA beause you have to actually stop playing to change sounds so something simple like switching from clean to dirty now involves a extra step that tends to throw things outta whack when you got your groove on.

but other than that it was money well spent.

This brings up a question?

Do you think there is a way to create your own lesson-song within gearbox? I have noticed the autoload button switches the tone for you on them... would be nice if it was available for everyone.
:thwap:
Something I didn't know..
Once the 30 days is up.. all those songs I downloaded to learn "later" do not work.. I would have thought whatever was available at the time, would remain working after trial period.. I knew I was going to sign up at least for a bit, but didn't realize it was right away or no songs to practice on. I guess a person could save them as mp3 and then drop subscription but again.. a PITA moment...

I really like the setup in gearbox.. my problem is playing with so many different things in it like the amps and tone settings, not playing the guitar as much as I was prior to owning it..

 

[Spudman]

Here is an interesting way to use your Toneport UX2....and video camera.

 

[Big_Rob]

Ive got the GX but I havent been able to use it yet due to my wife and her ginchiness of not letting me play it now and wait for another week :messedup:

 

[Duff]

Toneport

I looked at the toneports but picked up a Lexicon Omega for 199 at GC due to MF price matching. GC wanted 300. So far I like the unit a lot.

I will have to figure out how to attach clips to this website. So far I made two CDs and sent one to a friend of mine in Washington state. Fairly sloppy and raw but has some nice parts in it. I still haven't figured out the program I'm using: Sony Acid. I like it, some people don't. The Omega came with Cubase le, but it has limited mp3s, twenty, things like that. You have to upgrade to get more.

I think I'll stay with Acid and buy some of the plug ins like the drum parts to songs, things like that.

Big Rob: I notice you have the v tone 2 x 60 amp. I have the v tone gm110 and like it a lot. I was wondering how you like your v tone? I thought about getting one. Lots of power and the analog modeling on mine is really nice. Never thought I'd buy a Behringer. Didn't think I'd buy a Fender either.

Anyway, that Omega is a real nice thing. Bar meters on the front, stereo, lots of inputs, 20 db pad button for condenser mics, external or usb power, lines out to my PA for monitoring and playback. I run my Digitech RP350 into it, switch on back for mixer or amp output. I think it does a good job. Just the learning curve on the Sony Acid is long. But it is fun to try to figure out. I bought another mic so I can sing and mic my amp at the same time. Try that out and see if it sounds better than the RP straight into the Omega.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

AC 30 Sound

I been hooked on a preset with the toneport GX..

Under Clean.. there is "Bad".. which is suppose to be a AC 30 top boost with a 2x12 cab...

Anyone know how close this actually is to an AC30?

I just love it as is or adjusting...

Also, on the AC30 they have Treb and Bass.. plus "CUT" is that actually a MID setting? and why did they use "CUT" if it is?

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

I been hooked on a preset with the toneport GX..

Under Clean.. there is "Bad".. which is suppose to be a AC 30 top boost with a 2x12 cab...

Anyone know how close this actually is to an AC30?

I just love it as is or adjusting...

Also, on the AC30 they have Treb and Bass.. plus "CUT" is that actually a MID setting? and why did they use "CUT" if it is?

No help here?
I know someone has a ac30TB and a toneport... or has had ...
how close do these sound?
I am really liking the tones this one preset gets..dunno why..
so much so, I am trying to decide on the amp or podxt or x3 live..
umm the toneport is the podxt sounds correct?
The toneport to amps just don't doit for me..sigh..
How about this.. anyone run the toneport to a PA system?
would that qive the headphone sound as it comes from the toneport?

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Gearbox has been updated to 3.5.1 on the Mac side and now works fine with my Leopard equipped Mac, allowing access to the Guitarport Online resources which were the only things not available before. Yay! I have been messing around with Mayer tone presets and later and going to try some Setzer presets and see what happens. That is what is so cool, is you get ideas for settings on pedals, amps and such. :rockon: :AOK:

 

[Gil Janus]

A question - I have a Line6 Toneport KB37 - it is essentially a UX2 married to a 37-key MIDI keyboard. I've written a fairly long review of the object. Should I post it in this thread or make a new one ? SHould the thread be in the Review section ? The review is almost complete - I'm spell checking, etc.

It is about 15K in text, with many external links for pointers to further info and a pointer to some music I composed and played on the KB37 as a keyboard.

I'm working on another document that will be looking at presets for the Toneports. However, it needs a lot of work, so it won't be finished anytime soon. :thwap:

Gil, the new guy on the block

(Edited to ask another question about where to post the review)

 

[Gil Janus]

Review of Line6 Toneport K37 - part 1

Line6 Toneport KB37 Review

Here is my review of the Line6 Toneport KB37. You may think of it a Line6 Toneport UX2 and a 37-key MIDI Keyboard. This was used with a Macintosh MacBook Pro 2.16Ghz/3GB/160GB laptop running Max OS X 10.4.various - I haven't yet upgraded to 10.5 as Line6 had not updated their drivers for 10.5 until the end of January. The 10.5 upgrade does appear to work well under 10.4 - so far - it is listed as a Leopard Beta object.

Line6 KB37 product description:

The Line 6 TonePort KB37 is the latest addition to the award-winning TonePort family of USB recording and modeling audio interfaces from Line 6. With it you can record your guitar and vocals with renowned Line 6 sound and add a few choice keyboard parts to top off your compositions. The TonePort KB37 gives you 37 full-sized synth-action keys, pitch/mod wheels, assignable transport controls, an expression pedal input, and the same dual footswitch jacks as the UX2 for control of effect on/off, tone select, tap tempo, and other parameters as well as sustain, start/stop, and punch in for your MIDI/music recording software.

18 guitar and five bass amp/cab models; 30 stompbox and studio effects; and six high-end studio microphone preamp models deliver professional Line 6 sound to all your recordings. You can record through two mic inputs (with 48V phantom power), a guitar/bass input, and stereo line inputs. Other I/O includes a S/PDIF out, TRS line outputs, TRS monitor input, and independent headphone jack. It also gives you assignable VU meters and selectable 16- or 24-bit recording at 44.1, 48, or 96kHz. A real breakthrough is the Tone Direct monitoring, which lets you hear the signal with full Line 6 processing and zero latency. And all of it is now compatible with Macintoshes as well as PCs.

Included in the box with KB37 are a GearBox™ software installer CD, an Ableton Live Lite – Line 6 Edition installer CD, and a USB cable. There is no power supply because KB37 is powered by the USB cable.

Line 6 TonePort KB37 Audio Interface and MIDI Controller Features:

TonePort KB37 Hardware Specs:
37-note full-sized keyboard
Pitch and mod wheels
Assignable transport controls
Expression pedal input
Dual footswitch jacks
18 guitar and 5 bass amp/cab models
30 stompbox and studio effects
6 high-end studio microphone preamp models
2 mic inputs with 48V phantom power
Guitar/bass input with pad
Stereo line inputs
S/PDIF digital output
Line outputs via balanced 1/4"
Monitor input via stereo 1/4" jack
Headphone jack with dedicated volume knob
Assignable VU meters
Tone Direct monitoring
16- or 24-bit recording at 44.1, 48, or 96kHz
Mac and PC compatible

Here is pointer to a chart of the entire line of Line6 Toneports

Here the review starts for real.

Basic Pros

USB powered, no power supply
Compact design (22" width x 10.5" depth x 3" height) (the MOD and PITCH wheel extend about another 1/2 inch above the total height of the unit).
You can record mics, guitar or line-in and use the MIDI features all at the same time
Large amount of Amp, Cab and Sound Effects to choose from

Basic Cons

No MIDI channel assignment - hardwired to channel 1
Feels like plastic (which it is made of)
Pad and Phantom Power switches are small and on the back of the unit
Line6 Monkey always thinks that I need to register my unit (known bug - still not fixed after 3 updates!)
Large amount of Amp, Cab and Sound Effects to choose from
Issues with some MacBook USB ports (see below)

A carrying case is available from the online Line6 store.

A Pedal Aside

Line6 doesn't sell Sustain Pedals, but does sell an Expression Pedal (the EX-1). I bought the M-Audio Black Box Pedal Board - it has 2 Sustain Pedals and an Expression Pedal mounted on a steel platform. You could buy individual pedals for the 3 pedal inputs - M-Audio sells each type as separate items (SP-1 and EX-P).

I purchased the KB37 from Musiciansfriend - paid $299.99. I purchased the M-Audio Black Box Pedal Board from Sweetwater - paid 49.95. I purchased these objects back in March and April of 2006.

The pedals are not absolutely needed, but do make your life much easier. I suggest having pedals - it allows for two more basic controls plus a pedal that could be a volume or wah.

Please note - the M-Audio unit has a 15K pot in it - the Line6 one has a 10K pot - Line6 and some other users report that the full range of motion on the M-Audio unit doesn't fully match what the KB37 expects - I may attempt to mod the M-Audio unit to better match the Line6 specs - I'm following the issue on the Line6 support forum. Line6 says they only really support 10K pot Expression Pedals. A problem is, almost none of the pedal vendors list what the ohm rating of their pedals - including Line6 and M-Audio.

This ends part 1 - see the next post for part 2.

Gil

 

[Gil Janus]

Review of Line6 Toneport KB37 - part 2

Line6 Toneport KB37 Review

Audio

I've used this Audio Device with many different audio programs:

Ableton Live Lite 5 and 6
Apple Garageband 3 and 4
Audacity (free sound editor - can use audio devices + plugins on a Mac)
Audio Hijack Pro (paid audio recorder - can use audio devices + plugins)
Cockos Reaper MacOSX pre-release
Line6 Gearbox stand-alone
Demos of many different Native Instrument programs including Guitar Rig 2 and 3

In all cases the device appears as a Macintosh audio device. There is a separate Line6 Audio/MIDI System Preference Panel. This Preference Panel allows you to select various feature on the device - both audio related and MIDI related. It comes with presets for the MIDI for various programs - all are changeable.

As I said - the device appears a Mac Audio Device - 2-channels in at a time. The device can send different inputs:

Mic 1
Mic 2
Mic Stereo
Mic 1 and Mic 2
Line 1
Line 2
Line Stero
Line 1 and Line 2
Instrument 1
Instrument 1 and Mic 1

All controllable via the Preference Panel - unless you are in the Gearbox program - it can control these inputs itself.

I have a pair of M-Audio Studiophile DX-4 Powered Monitors (18 watts/channel) plugged into the KB37 using 1/4" TS cables and I use a Sennheiser HD 280 PRO set of headphones for when I don't want to scare the humans or animals.

In general if you ignore the Keyboard, the device is a UX2 - same inputs, same outputs, same controls, same meters.

The issue mentioned as a Con above has to do with the right USB port on MacBook Pros. Some users have reported connectivity issues between various Line6 USB devices and that port. I myself have NOT seen any issues, but it is suggested that one use the left USB port. The differences between the ports are that the RIGHT port is connected to the same USB controller that the keyboard, touch-pad and bluetooth are connected to - it is also only a USB 1.1 port - the LEFT port is a USB 2 port and is not shared.

The Gearbox software comes with many different Amp Sims, Cabinet Sims, Mic Sims, and Effects. You can extend the range of sounds by buying Model Packs. I bought the Model Pack named the Power Pack. It comes with 19 more Amp sims and 26 more Effects. It extends the Gearbox software to be equal to a Line6 PODxt. It means that you can download PODxt presets from the Line6 Customtone webpage (http://line6.com/customtone/) and use them. Customtone is where users of Line6 gear upload their presets with a description of what they do or sound like. The various sims are documented in the basic Gearbox manuals and in the Model Pack manual itself.

(An aside - presets can also be purchased from a third party - http://www.perimetersound.com - they even have free download subsets of each of the four sets they publish. I also won Preset Set #3 from them over on the Line6 forum - try the free ones, there are some pretty nice ones in there.)

(Another aside - I've also bought the Gearbox Plugin - this allows one to record dry (no Gearbox tones) and add effects later in a DAW. I bought this back in April when they were having an online only sale - $129 instead of $200. It is now $99. I haven't used this feature much, but expect to get more use out it later. To use the plugin, you have to assign it to a specific Line6 object that must be plugged into the computer (you don't have to be using it), but whatever device you add the plugin to, must be present. The Plugin and the various Model Packs can be moved to another Line6 device. The price of the Plugin and Model Packs has just been cut in half by Line6.)

The KB37 uses the same software as all of the other Toneports, so the same methods are used to maintain the software and possible flash/firmware upgrades to the hardware. They have a program called the Line6 Monkey which does most of the work for you. You must have a Line6 account (no charge for it) to do this. The account can be used to post on the Line6 support forums and is your login to the Line6 online store. When I got the device in March it came with Gearbox 3.0 - so far I've updated to 3.1 and 3.5 and I'm now using 3.5.1. I also had to update both the flash and the firmware on the KB37 - all of these updates have been very easy to perform.

To avoid getting noise because of missed audio packets, Line6 suggests turning off features of your computer that could cause excessive resource utilzation - I turn off Wireless, both Airort (WiFi) and Bluetooth. They don't support running any of the Line6 USB audio devices thru a USB hub. I have done this, but the hub was a powered hub. YMMV. There is an extensive section on troubleshooting in the manual to assist you.

You can install the software on multiple computers, including a PC and a Mac combo. You need to copy over the authorization files. This procedure is documented in their Knowledge Base - it is fairly straight forward. I did it to authorize the device on my old G4 PowerPC desktop.

You can do the same with presets that you download or generate. You just copy the ones that you want to use and place them in the appropriate folder for the OS that you are using on that system.

I've used the KB37 as an Audio Interface and run the Gearbox software to allow me to practice, selecting different presets to get a particular sound and tone, either in headphones late at night, or thru the monitor speakers. Using it as a practice tool is pretty nice - you can either load songs in the Gearbox software, or you can run Garageband (remember I'm on a Mac) and import a MP3 backing track or commercial song, and play along as the song plays, and of course you can record yourself as an extra track to see how you sound - in my case - my playing leaves far too much out there - it's easy to hear your mistakes of course, in my case - slow and badly done chord transitions, bad strumming, bad rhythm patterns, etc.

I've done similar things with Ableton Live Lite and Reaper (the alpha release). As I've said, the KB37 just appears as another Audio Interface and just works with any program I've used.

The shear amount of presets in Gearbox is more than one can actually use and I haven't even really explored the hi-gain models - I'm into the cleaner sounds with some effects. You can adjust them yourself - lots and lots of virtual knob turning or effects settings and just punching in or out some effect like a reverb, or chorus.

The only time I've had issues is when I forget to turn off the Airport (WiFi) access and then I get some noise - not all of the time - it depends on how clean your wireless reception is. Bad reception seems to cause the Mac OSX system to use lots system resources which has a cascading effect on the time-critical audio programs. This has been reported on the Line6 forums - it is not an unknown problem. Many folks seem to keep their audio computers off of the internet - but I can't see how one would get much stuff done - downloading updates, browsing sites such as this one, reading/writing email, etc.

Continued in Part 3.
Gil

 

[Gil Janus]

Review of Line6 Toneport KB37 - part 3

Line6 Toneport KB37 Review

MIDI

The KB37 appears as a MIDI device to the Mac. The MIDI traffic is carried over the USB cable - nothing extra to buy and plugin. So the Audio/MIDI Preference Panel can be used to look at the device and potentially change a few things. One of the things you can't change is that the KB37 transmits on Ch1. It can receives on Ch1 thru 16. Note, you don't have to be using the Audio portion to use the MIDI keyboard.

So how do you use the MIDI features. As I said on a Mac, there are MIDI presets in the Line6 Audio/MIDI Preference Panel. You can select which program you are going to use, so the appropriate mappings take place. You can edit all of the presets if you so desire.

No Mapping
Ableton Live
Empty Preset
Garageband
Gaearbox & MIDI Default
Gaearbox Default
MIDI Default
Reason 3

I've used this as a MIDI device many different audio programs:

Ableton Live Lite 5 and 6
Apple Garageband 3 and 4
Audacity (free sound editor - can use audio devices + plugins on a Mac)
Audio Hijack Pro (paid audio recorder - can use audio devices + plugins)
Cockos Reaper MacOSX pre-release
Line6 Gearbox stand-alone
Demos of many different Native Instrument programs

The one program that needs some extra help is Garageband - all of the controls work except the Transport controls! These can be enabled by downloading a free tool - GarageRemote 1.0.10 (5) available at http://www.muratnkonar.com/otherstuff/garageremote/ - this tools allows you map the appropriate MIDI codes so that the keyboard can then control the Garageband Transport controls.

How to get the Transport controls to work with various DAW programs are documented on the Line6 support pages in their Knowledge Base.

To actually generate music using the keys you must be running either a standalone Synth program, or load a Synth Instrument plugin in a DAW. With Garageband, you get lots of synths and presets to play with. For some really good sounding synths you can download demos of various Native Instrument synths. If you use Live Lite that came with the the KB37, it too has a built-in synth, and you can use either the VST or AU plugin versions of the NI synths.

There are many free synths availble for both the Mac and the PC. You can find these by searching the plugin database at http://www.kvraudio.com - just select instrument, plugin type and operating system and freeware.

The keyboard works like any other MIDI keyboard, except you only have 37-keys. Of course, many compact MIDI keybaords only have 25-keys, so you a little ahead. You have Octive Up and Down buttons to shift the keyboard up and down an octive at a time - there are status lites to indicate how far you have shifted the keyboard. There's a Pitch Wheel and a Modulation Wheel. See Page 4.10 of the Gearbox Manual (v3.5) to see the rest of the MIDI controls. There are Program Up and Down buttons, plus 4 switches and knobs that can be assigned to various funtions in you Synth or DAW program.

Here is shortcut to the page for a demo of what can be done - listen to Gil Janus's - Hello from Vermont Demo

This is a quick tune in a SciFi scary movie motif

2 tracks using Reaper
One track of the demo version of Arturia Jupiter-8V Synth (http://www.arturia.com)
One track of the freeware KeyToSound Remedy Synth (http://www.keytosound.com/)

Conclusions

My conclusions are based on using the Line6 Toneport KB37 with my 2 different Macs - a newer MacBook Pro 2.16Ghz/3GB/160GB laptop and my 7 year old Quicksilver model of a G4 PowerPC desktop - with lots of memory, but not the fastest processor - only a 1.33Ghz upgrade with 1.5GB of memory and lots and lots of disk space.

I like the KB37. I chose it to do several things:

be an Audio Interface for my guitars and a mic
the Gearbox software - very flexible, nice tones available
be a MIDI Keyboard for when I'm in an electronic music mood

I had been leaning at first to a separate Audio Device like a Line6 UX2, or a M-Audio Fast Track Pro and then getting a small MIDI 25-key keyboard like the M-Audio Oxygen8 V2 or the Korg K25. I also looked at the M-Audio Ozone, which is a combo unit like the KB37. But after adding up everything included with each unit, the KB37 looked like the better deal, it was new, and I didn't need the portability of a 25-key keyboard, I could live with a 37-key one.

It does have some issues sometimes - the drivers from Line6 could be a little better, it would be nice to be able to change the channel that the KB37 transmits on - but all in all I'm a very satisfied customer.

I have a 37-key MIDI keyboard with many MIDI controls, a nice, but not highest grade of Audio Interface, a good mix of Guitar software and a general purpose DAW program - Ableton Live Lite 6. The unit came with Ableton Live Lite 5 and a free upgrade was (is) available to Ableton Live Lite 6. The unit works with every piece of Audio or MIDI software that I've tried it with - what more could one ask of a unit.

It does have a plastic feel to it - but so does every other low to medium price MIDI keyboard - so I'm not shocked. I like the look of the unit - black, silver knobs for Audio, black wheels and knobs and buttons for MIDI and a red back plate plus some nice working meters that are illuminated!

Line6 needs to do some work on their documentation, not everything is in one document, and you really need to download the GearBox3.1_OnlineSupport_Recording.pdf document - even though the version number is out-of-date, and some of the software mention is out-of-date, it is a comprehensive manual on getting the Toneports to work well with many different DAWs on both Macs and PCs.

If anyone sees any errors in my review, please correct me. I'm new at this reviewing game.

Gil

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

There are many free synths availble for both the Mac and the PC. You can find these by searching the plugin database at http://www.kvraudio.com - just select instrument, plugin type and operating system and freeware.

The keyboard works like any other MIDI keyboard, except you only have 37-keys. Of course, many compact MIDI keybaords only have 25-keys, so you a little ahead.

Here is shortcut to the page for a demo of what can be done - listen to Gil Janus's - Hello from Vermont Demo

This is a quick tune in a SciFi scary movie motif

Thanks for the review Gil.

I really like my toneport and been thinking on a 25 key midi/synth to go with it..

I am suprised they didn't add any software just for the keyboard side.

But, as you stated they have many free programs around for it..

The key touch feel good on this one? weighted keys with aftertouch?

How much bigger is a 37 keyboard? Say if you want to set it in front of your monitor on your desk.. will there be any room left on the desk?

once again.. thanks for your review and clip.

:AOK:

 

[Gil Janus]

Thanks for the kind words.

They don't mention anywhere that the KB37 is either weighted or has after-touch. They don't seem to bounce, and they have a good feel to them - but again, I'm not a keyboard player.

As far as size goes (largest to smallest):

22" W x 3" H x 10.5" D -----------> Line6 Toneport KB37
19.3" W x 2.7" H x 8.3" D --------> Korg K-25 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller
18-1/2" W x 2-1/2" H x 7.5" D ---> Novation ReMOTE 25 LE USB MIDI Controller
17-1/2" W x 1-1/2" H x 8.5" D ---> M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 25-key MIDI controller

Here are a couple of shots of my desk/studio to allow you to see how the KB37 looks on a desk, next to a computer and a monitor. I use the KB37 either sitting on a stool, or standing up.

First, the Messy version :thwap:

And, then after cleaning and re-arranging :dude:

In both shots, the KB37 is sitting on top of a 9" h x 19" w x 14" d wooden box frame. I've had boxes like these forever it seems - I've always used them with Audio/Stero equipment. I leave the KB37 hooked up to my speakers, a headphone extension cable, a 20' guitar cable, and a 20' mic lead. This way I don't have to fiddle around in the back of the unit too much.

The monitor to the left of the KB37 in the second shot is a Dell 2007FP, which I use as the 2nd monitor on my desktop, and the 2nd monitor on my laptop and the monitor for my PS-2. The monitor is on the right in the first shot. The monitor takes multiple sources in - just pick what you want. My other MIDI device is just in front of that monitor - a M-Audio Trigger Finger TF-16 - it is a set of 16 drum pads, plus lots of knobs and sliders - I use it to do drums and as a MIDI control surface.

The KB37 does come with Ableton Live Lite - it contains a free synth, fairly hi-quality. Plus Live and can use other VSTs or AUs plus it's own internal format instruments and effects.

The version of Live that's included has presets available to assist in using the KB37. I got a similar set of software with the TF-16, so Live knows how to use both objects - at once if necessary. I've added some mappings to allow easy use of the KB37 and TF-16 in Reaper.

Gil

 

[jasongins]

Hey Gil...

Your setup looks like fun. I see your Squier '51 in the first shot - I have one too. Maybe we should start a thread of "Show us a picture your studio." Great review on the KB37 - very comprehensive, and I liked that you made effort to try it with as many different software packages as possible. I have the M-Audio version of Live Lite 6, and that version limits you to using one VST or AU plug-in at a time. There is also a fairly tight limit on the number of audio and midi tracks you can have at once, but that is not a problem for me. Is the line 6 version the same?

 

[Gil Janus]

Hey Gil...

Your setup looks like fun. I see your Squier '51 in the first shot - I have one too. Maybe we should start a thread of "Show us a picture your studio." Great review on the KB37 - very comprehensive, and I liked that you made effort to try it with as many different software packages as possible. I have the M-Audio version of Live Lite 6, and that version limits you to using one VST or AU plug-in at a time. There is also a fairly tight limit on the number of audio and midi tracks you can have at once, but that is not a problem for me. Is the line 6 version the same?

Yes, the versions from Line6 and M-Audio are the same, except for the lessons and setup help for each device. I figured how to merge those together. It has the same limitations. I don't really want to spring for almost $400 or so to get a full version of Live - just like I'm on a budget for my guitars - the same budget is ruling over the entire Music area of my life. Reaper seems fine to me at $50 for a non-commercial license - especially when Justin gets around to adding AU support to Reaper. Garageband covers much of the same ground, but has it's own limits - but it is very, very easy to use. If I was going to get a commercial DAW, Apple's Logic Express looks like a good bet for me - YMMV.

One of the reasons I showed all of the software was that many commercial reviews of gear tell you how well the device worked with the included software, may mention the limits and indicate that it might/should work with other software. So I though that I should show what worked for me. :AOK:

Thanks the kind words :beer:

And showing off the home studio/practice space seems like a good idea. :bravo:

Gil