Price paid: € 29
Purchased from: Peavey Italy
Features: Ampkit is a combination of Ampkit Link (hardware) and Ampkit+ (software). It's made by Peavey in collaborations with Agile. It allows you to connect your guitar to an iphone/ipad/ipoud touch through a pre-amplifier with anti-feedback & anti-crosstalk system, then have various functions (amp modeling, tuner, recorder) with the software. Using it is very simple and intuitive. You can make all the combinations you want with virtual amplifiers, pedals, microphones and so on. The full version of the software (Ampkit +) costs about additional 30$, but there's a free version with limited gear in it. // 8
Sound: The models of the Ampkit are pretty cool, and the sound combination if you buy the full version of the software (you can also buy additional gear later) is pretty deep. Certainly you can't expect a huge sound quality from your guitar (I used it with a Les Paul Studio and a Strat American Special)... For example the dynamics are not so great and it tends to "equalize" a bit all your different guitars and pickups, but it's still a very cool and useful (and relatively cheap) tool for practice. You can use it with headphones or connect your ipod/iphone/ipad to a external speaker system. I connected my Ipod Touch to a pair of studio monitors and the result was pretty decent. You can also record what you're playing, at the same time in processed and "dry" mode. You can edit the unprocessed dry recording with any amp or effect later. That's cool. // 8
Reliability & Durability: Basically it's a piece of plastic, but I found it pretty solid. It takes one AA battery to run, but after several months the first battery I put in still works. Amazing. // 9
Impression: I think this could be a useful practice/cheap tool. The downside is you need to have a iOS device since the software is working only on iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad. Don't expect miracles from this Ampkit and you won't be disappointed. // 8
