SOFTWARE
$230
Sit in for Hendrix on "Purple Haze"
In 1998, Line 6 helped bring garage bands into the computer room with the first virtual amplifier worthy of the name. Now with GuitarPort, the company offers up an expandable, all-in-one karaoke system for the ax.
Guitarists need no longer suffer playing to metronomes or with MIDI rigs. GuitarPort replaces them with tracks laid down by studio pros. When bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Greg Bissonette launch into a room-rocking rendition of "Brown Sugar," they leave an inviting guitar-shaped hole between them just for you.
An easy-to-understand software app puts a virtual amplifier onscreen - complete with retro knobs - and mixes your sound with prerecorded backing tracks. Before playing, choose from a variety of classic tube amp emulators, a few special effects, and a smart filter that learns to identify the electronic buzzing from your gear and remove it from the final mix.
The $8-a-month online subscription service offers an ever-growing menu of songs for download, although the repertoire to date leans toward classic rock anthems like "Cocaine," "Purple Haze," and "Back in Black." Ace rhythm sections are matched with singers cast specifically to sound as much as possible like Mick Jagger, David Lee Roth, and other rockers. The Hendrix remixes were produced by Eddie Kramer, who assisted Jimi with the culture-shocking originals 35 years ago.
But be warned: GuitarPort's real magic comes when you realize how good you are with that level of support. A few notes into "Black Magic Woman," the sound of my '57 Stratocaster soaring over a Santana sound-alike band astonished me so much I wanted to send a copy to some old bandmates, who surely wouldn't believe it was me. That's when I realized there's only one thing missing from this wonderful system: a Record button.
Line 6: www.line6.com.
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