TonePort UX1 Review

TonePort is the first line of USB recording and modeling interfaces, bringing world-class Line 6 guitar, bass, and vocal tone to the world of desktop recording. TonePort UX1 and UX2 hardware interfaces are USB-powered and come with Line 6 GearBox modeling software, which provides a must-have collection of 16 guitar and 5 bass amp/cab models, 24 stompbox and studio effects (up to 10 at once), and 6 models of high-end studio microphone preamps.

Ease of Use:	9.4
Sound:	9.6
Reliability:	9.6
Impression:	9.6
Overall rating:	9.6
Users rating:	6.8
Comments:	28

overall: 10

Featured review by: Spawn6937, on january 16, 2006

Purchased from: Big Deal Music

Ease of Use: // 10

Sound: I use the TonePort with an Epiphone Les Paul Studio Goth, and monitor it through a Marshall MG15DFX, sound is great and it's just well, got pretty much any sound you could require, minus the cat meows and Dalek sound effects on some multi effects pedals. There are tonnes of preset tones that replicate the tone of bands such as Iron Maiden and Metallica to name but two (albeit the latter not being totally faithful to Kirk or James' sound). On the Line 6 website you can even purchase add-ons to the amp and effects library for $49.99. I intend to use this for some home recording for a demo I plan to put together and the recording quality although a litlle quiet is in my opinion as close to studio production as you can get. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This is a really very dependable thing and hasn't cut out on me or anything yet, only problem is that occasionally you get a pop come through the monitor, which I personally don't know how to rectify, could be a bad cable as I have had trouble with it in the past, but even so its a very minor problem. It isn't exactly something I would use to gig with but if I had no pedals and just this and a laptop then yeah I would definately use it. // 10

Impression: I play everything from Metal to Ska and this suits all styles, the amount of different sounds you can bang out of this thing are ridiculous, it makes me smile just thinking about it. I do own a wah pedal which I don't use partcularly often and subsequently haven't tried running it through the TonePort, but I suspect it would be fine. I compared this product to the other home recording products in Line 6's range and this seemed to be excellent both in price and functionality. I would buy this pedal again if it were stolen/lost and I advise anyone interested in home recording to get this now, you won't regret it. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on february 12, 2008

Price paid: $ 100.65

Purchased from: eBay

Ease of Use: First of all, you should all be aware that when you purchase this product, go straight to the line6 website and download the latest software of GearBox (version 3 atm) and Monkey. The software on the CD is so out of date I could not even get the product to work and probably wasted about an hour! I had to look on a forum to get this product to work as the manual is so bad it's useless. Never the less, after finally getting the product to work and play through my computer speakers (1/4 headphone jack needed) I was very happy with the results. It's so easy to edit your sound, customize every pedal output and even download some free presets right in the software. // 8

Sound: There's so many options here it will be impossible to list. Even so, Line6 offer 3 different packs around $50 each or $100 for all 3 with loads more effects, which are Metal Shop, Collectors Classics and FX Junkie (more can be read at line6.com). Line6 even off GuitarPort Online where you can download tons of presets for your favorite bands (for a subscription fee of around $10 a month). Also, if your getting some sort of weird noise or static noise or sharp burst of noise or something that I see a lot of people complaining about with this product, this usually has something to do with your system performance, and by simply increasing the buffer size on the program will fix this! If it doesn't, you have a fault in the product or the cable or a very slow PC. Bottom Line: tons of effects which are usually only seen in expensive multi effects pedals with the benefit of being able to record your music (which sounds great). Personally I don't use the Abelton Live, but simply just GarageBand (MAC) and it works great! // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've had it a few weeks now and believe this product is very reliable, but being as it is a computer device and knowing that computers tend to go wrong, I wouldn't recommend this product with out a back up. I can't imagine anything going wrong with this product inside the warranty and considering it's made by a top brand in the music industry, it's looking like a great product at a fantastic price. // 9

Impression: I play all sounds of music from blues, rock and even some metal music. This product is Perfect if you wish to record your sound and get a ton of useful amp sounds and effects. I also have a Marshall 250dfx combo amp and have been playing for around 3/4 years now. I use this product with my Ibanez RG2570 and honestly sounds great, even playing through my computer speakers instead of my amp! I would definitely buy a replacement product if this broke or got stolen. You might also wish to look at the UX2 which has more dedicated inputs/outputs although this is also a fantastic product for the price! My favorite thing about this product is that it is so small and dependable, that I don't feel the need to have a very big powerful amp in order to get a good guitar sound. This is all you need! // 9

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: satomlinson, on april 02, 2007

Price paid: $ 102

Purchased from: studica.com

Ease of Use: Very easy to get great sound out of the TonePort UX1 I was up and running in 5 minutes The manual is included in the software. You can edit all the factory presets and they all sound really cool.Its so easy a caveman could do it. I mean it no prblems at all tweekin this software to get awesome delay or killer tube tones. // 10

Sound: I run my guitar into my Toneport then I run a cable to my sound card and the USB to my pc I have a nice set of monitors so I get awesome low end. You can connet to internet and download tones from Guitarport.com but I don't have connection of my set up. And what sucks is the guitarport.com will not let you extract files to disk to tranfer to offline computer but oh well. I really enjoy just messin around with this thing endless tweekin is really fun. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Extreamly reliable, I really like to record with this through Audacity and they work great together, I wouldn't recommend dropping the Tonport, it's Plastic. As far as giggin with goes If you had a laptop you could gig with this by pluggin straight into amp or PA. // 9

Impression: Any style of Music is a good match for the Toneport. I play through a Marshall VS265 I have a bunch of effects. This will never replace these but it's a great new way to record. I love the end less tweeking but hate the fact that you have to be online to enjoy guitarport.com. If lost/stolen I would cry a little but get over it and buy another one. // 10

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: Sanitarium24, on january 08, 2007

Price paid: $ 129.99

Purchased from: Sam Ash

Ease of Use: Once you get the hardware and software up and running, it's easy. It's very instrument friendly. Plug in, start up the software, and play. Now, the only difficulty is in running the included software (Gearbox). Version 1.0 is included on the CD, and it won't recognize the UX1 at first. You will have to use the Line 6 "Monkey" software to upgrade to Gearbox 3. This was annoying at first because there isn't much in the way of a manual to guide you through this part. Once you do that, you're done, everything is a snap. Customizing tones and effects is simple. Everything works the way you expect it to. Downloading effects from the Line 6 tone library is also easy and very fast. So, like I said, the only problem is with the initial upgrading of the software. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the included version of the Ableton Live recording software. It's not the greatest thing to use, there are much better recording programs available for free out there to use that I would recommend over that. // 9

Sound: The sound is very good. You can monitor it with anything, headphones, speakers, or a small amplifier. The recording quality is excellent. The tones sound great during playback. There's an occasional small popping sound or weakinging signal on the output, but this isn't a major issue. As for getting the effects of your favorite artists, it's simple. All the effects you need are in the Gearbox software and possibly even in the Line 6 Tone Library. // 9

Reliability & Durability: As with all expensive equipment, I wouldn't drop it. Especially since this thing is fairly light. But it's built solid, and everything runs smoothly with it. I haven't encountered any bugs with the Gearbox software since upgrading it. // 10

Impression: I play various varieties of metal, and this can give me the sound I want without any other gear. Works great, easy to use, and fairly simple to set-up, if you are a beginner when it comes to recording, I would highly recommend this piece of equipment. I have tried out some other cheap USB interfaces like the M-Audio jamlab and the software they give you with that is trash. This is worth every penny. // 10

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: jmac72187, on february 25, 2006

Price paid: $ 130

Purchased from: Daddy's Junky Music

Ease of Use: This is a fairly simple piece of recording equpment. I had it up and running pretty quickly without any problems. Editing patches is simple because the whole interface is right there on your computer screen. You can also download presets from the Line 6 web site. // 10

Sound: I use this with an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus. It sounds pretty good to me. The only problems that I have had is that every once in a while, I get a loud static sound in my headphones for a split second. I don't think that this shows up in the recording though. It might just be my headphones. It has a ton of effects and you can pretty much get any sound that you would ever need out of it. For instance, I downloaded the Nirvana - Come As You Are patch and it sounds exactly like Nirvanas recording. It just takes some playing around with. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I can depend on it. I only use it for recording myself because I just play guitar for fun. I don't think that it would give up on me because ther isn't really anything to go wrong with it. I wouldn't use it on a gig because its really a recording device. You could work it through a laptop with a foot pedal if you wanted to but that seems a little complicated for a gig. // 10

Impression: I will play mostly anything. I write and play hardcore most of the time. But I am always open to other types of music. Lets just say Rock in general. This easily matches my style because it will match anyones style. I have been playing about 7 months now. If this were stolen or lost, I would most likely buy it again if I had the money. It is a cheap and simple way to record guitar, bass, and vocals. The only thing that I would change would be the sound output. I would like for the sound to come out of my computer speakers rather than my headphones. This does allow you to do it but you have to buy cables. It should just be a choice in the computer. I compared this to M-Audios Fast Track USB. They were pretty similiar, but I had experience with other Line 6 products in the past so I spend the extra money for this. // 9

Comments

[OttovanZanten]

you cannot connect this to your normal amp?
only to your computer (and then to your amp)?

[TheGuitarWizard]

Has this got an instant drummer program like the rifftracker?

[SacVille]

hey what's diffrent between this and his big brother UX2?

[miggse]

doesnt ux2 have 2inputs?

[miggse]

make sure you dont turn on your amp at high volume and connect it to the ux1. i have blown 2 up now.

[[Creative Name]]

2? you didn't learn the first time?

[mi2tom]

Toneport rulez!!!

[rewiredll]

I´m going to buy one of those and I´d love to know how to download new patches!? and you can´t download from guitarport.com unless you got a... guitarport. Help appreciated.

[PaperStSoapCo]

can you record drums, and if so, how?

[mfergel]

Why would you guys connect this too your amp? Seriously.....if you want to record your amp, get a mic and use the mic input. No one serious about tone would run straight out of the preamp (effects send) and I hope to god you guys aren't running from a speaker out on an amp head.....and, if your goal was to record your regular amp, then why even buy this? There are plenty of other interfaces designed strictly as line/mic inputs for your computer.

[Duality666]

Any one know if its compatible with Guitar Rig 2??

[f1sk]

mfergel wrote:

Why would you guys connect this too your amp? Seriously.....if you want to record your amp, get a mic and use the mic input. No one serious about tone would run straight out of the preamp (effects send) and I hope to god you guys aren't running from a speaker out on an amp head.....and, if your goal was to record your regular amp, then why even buy this? There are plenty of other interfaces designed strictly as line/mic inputs for your computer.

you're missing the point, first off you can mic your amp with this if you want, it has a regular mic input, so if nothing else it can serve as hardware, second its like owning a million effects, also you can use it for the mac programs like garage band, or logic studio(express also)

and finally, I own a mesa boogie, im not going to haul the head around as well as a cabinet every time i want to record, when i can just hook this up to my laptop

[Guitar Sletten]

Can someone tell me how this actually works?
Do you just plug it in to the amp through a cable, and play with the amp sound or a stompbox?
I wanna get one of these, but i dont know how it works..

[Goldengitar]

I'm planning on buying this wonderful piece of equipment.. Anyone who knows if it works with Windows Vista? Doesn't say on the line6 website!

[daryle_goh]

Guitar Sletten wrote:

Can someone tell me how this actually works?
Do you just plug it in to the amp through a cable, and play with the amp sound or a stompbox?
I wanna get one of these, but i dont know how it works..

http://line6.com/toneportux1/

[Goblumich07]

Goldengitar wrote:

I'm planning on buying this wonderful piece of equipment.. Anyone who knows if it works with Windows Vista? Doesn't say on the line6 website!

yea it does, running it now

also, this thing is WELL worth any money it may be

[jonas83]

Something above about Ableton not being the best software around:

For absolute beginers, what's the best music editing/recording software to use with the UX1? (Preferably something with a straight forward, easy to use drum machine/tracker.)

[tomisfatt01]

Can someone tell me if it's only compatible with Windows XP SP2?
I have SP1 and it wont let me download 2...

[Daemaas]

I just picked of one of these myself. It IS only compatible with SP2.

[Romeospades]

I'm using this rightnow, and its been great, it has the clean sound, the heavy distortion and everything you would need, hell I wouldnt be surprised if I landed A few gigs with this thing all I would need is my laptop and and some big speakers for the room, and bam! I'm set. It rocks!

[mickmos]

do you need a good soundcard to make this work or doesn't it make a difference

[Bling Dogg]

you don't need a soundcard, it is a soundcard

[daryle_goh]

OttovanZanten wrote:

you cannot connect this to your normal amp?
only to your computer (and then to your amp)?

yes you can. there is a port on the front of it that has a "headphone" sign.

all you need to do is use a patch cable, or an ordinary 15ft cable (up to you) and connect the toneport's "headphone" port in to the amp's "input port".

you can also use the computer speakers as output devices but i guess no one here is interested in hearing that eh? shan't waste my effort

[daryle_goh]

OttovanZanten wrote:

you cannot connect this to your normal amp?
only to your computer (and then to your amp)?

oh shit.... sorry. i misunderstood. yes you have to connect your computer to the tone port.

the toneport is completely run by the software on the computer. that's the only way to operate it.

[darksideoftom]

OttovanZanten wrote:

you cannot connect this to your normal amp?
only to your computer (and then to your amp)?

thats right because it isnt really a pre amp its a device for effects "on your computer" or recording "on your computer".

[The JesterHead]

This little "light as a feather" thing is one of the most useful little recording utilities you can get... For a reasonable amount of cash, you get studio quality recording; and combined with the ToonTrack EZ Drummer (if you don't have what is needed to record real drums) - this little masterpiece will make you wanna record an entire album. I'm actually borrowing it from my friend so we can finish our album, but once I return it - I'm definetly getting one!

[ESP Axes Man]

Could I run the software. i don't know much about computers but i have 512 ram and my computer is just ok. I can't play modern games at all if that gives you an idea


thanks

[Musicman_91]

Daemaas wrote:

I just picked of one of these myself. It IS only compatible with SP2.

Not SP3? Anyone?