Line 6 POD Studio UX2

124 Guitarist February 2009
LINE 6 POD STUDIO UX2
£148
RECORDING
Line 6 POD
Studio UX2
PRICE: £148
TYPE: USB audio interface with VU
meters
ORIGIN: China
SAMPLING FREQUENCY: 44.1, 48, 88.2,
96kHz
BIT RATES: 24 bit
CONNECTIONS: 1/4-inch instrument
input x 2, 1/4-inch line input x 2, balanced
XLR inputs x 2 (with phantom power),
1/4-inch stereo monitor input, balanced
1/4-inch line out x 2, 1/4-inch stereo
headphone out, S/PDIF digital out, USB,
footswitch sockets x 2
CONTROLS: Channel 1 gain, channel 2
gain, output volume, phones output
volume
DIMENSIONS: 256 (l) x 154 (w)
x 77mm (h)
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 0.62/1.7
POWER REQUIREMENTS: USB
EXTRAS: USB cable, Ableton Live Lite 7
software, Reason Adapted software,
Riffworks T4 software
OPTIONS: None
RANGE OPTIONS: POD Studio GX
(£67), POD Studio UX1 (£102), Metal
Shop Model Pack ($49), Collector
Classics Model Pack ($49), Power Pack
Model Pack ($49), Bass Expansion Model
Pack ($99), POD Farm software (£74),
POD Farm Platinum software (£228)
SOFTWARE
MODELS: 18 guitar amps, 24 guitar cabs,
five bass amps and cabs, 29 stompboxes
and studio effects (+35 from FX Junkie
model pack) and six mic preamps.
FORMATS: Mac AU/RTAS/VST, Windows
RTAS/ VST
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: See website
Line 6
01327 302700
www.line6.com
Test results
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
GUITARIST RATING
The Bottom Line
We like: Flexible connectivity
and routing; great complement
of Line 6 sounds; Dual Tone
capability; VFM
We dislike: No pad switch on
mic inputs
Guitarist says: Affordable,
easy-to-use and sounds great –
it’s the complete package for
recording guitar on computer
many based on individual songs or
particular players and some with
the Dual Tone set-up.
POD Farm can be used as a
plug-in inserted into a software-
recording track or it can just be
used as a stand-alone program if
you simply wish to play. With the
UX2 you can also record POD
Farm sounds directly to a
recording track. When recording
there is great flexibility about just
what signal is actually recorded.
The two stereo recording paths
via USB can both work at once so
you can have the luxury of
recording the sounds from two
different points in the signal chain
to separate tracks. Each recording
path has a choice of recording the
fully processed sound, a semi-
processed sound (amp, cab,
compressor, EQ and effects
positioned before the amp only) or
a completely dry guitar sound
from the input – something that
will allow you to keep your
options open and use POD Farm
as a plug-in to process the sound
later. If you are recording a Dual
Tone Sound, each path gives you
the choice of recording Tone 1,
Tone 2, a mix of the two or the dry
sound. Whatever element of the
sound you choose to record, the
ToneDirect monitoring system
allows you to always hear the full
processed sound as you play.
As an audio interface the UX2
provides a clean signal path for
audio coming back from your
computer and for the inputs. The
XLR inputs have phantom power
so can accommodate condenser
mics for quality vocal recording
where the signal can be nicely
polished by routing through the
vocal preamp and compressor
models, and, with two mic inputs,
stereo recording is possible.
Overall what you get with POD
Studio UX2 is integrated
hardware and software, perfectly
focused on recording guitar
while streamlining the process.
Verdict
Any one of the POD Studios
would be a great value package
for anyone who wants to use
a computer for recording and
maybe a bit of practice. Not only
do you get the audio interface and
an excellent (and expandable)
library of guitar sounds but also
a version of Ableton Live 7 Lite
with 16-track recording
capability so you can start
recording straight away. Of the
three packages POD Studio UX2,
with the largest array of inputs,
offers the greatest amount of
flexibility – for less than £150 you
really can’t go wrong.
all the models along like the
Generation Game conveyer belt
and simply drag and drop one into
the signal chain. Alternatively, the
top window can show the panel of
any amp or effect in the signal
chain, allowing tweaking of its
controls with your mouse, or it can
show the list of presets, the
chromatic tuner or a mixer that
determines the routings and levels
of various signals transmitted to
and from the computer.
POD Farm provides the most
popular of Line 6’s quality amp
sims with a range of amps and
cabs for guitar and bass plus the
most-used effects that would
cover the majority of guitar
recording tasks. The extra FX
Junkie model pack increases the
creative potential with 35 effects
models that include delays,
choruses, compressors,
distortions, and more esoteric
stuff such as synths and filters.
A myriad of sounds are available
from just a simple signal path with
stompboxes, amp, cabinet and
studio effects but Dual Tone offers
the chance to have two parallel
signal paths for more flexibility –
like playing through an AC30 and
a Fender at the same time.
Loads of factory presets offer
instant access to usable sounds,
The POD Farm’s mixing desk There are 18 guitar amps and 24 guitar cabs to choose from
The UX2 and POD Farm
software has plug-in
capability
GIT312.rev_line6 124 22/12/08 7:25:49 pm