Line 6 TonePort UX8/Gearbox Software - Now with Conclusions

[Anderton]

Although probably known best for the their effects processors and amplifiers, Line 6 has quietly developed quite a line of interfaces over the years. These have tended to be relatively inexpensive, musician-oriented boxes with the Line 6 "special sauce": GearBox software, which basically takes their effects/amps DSP and puts it in a computer context. The other unique element is what Line 6 calls ToneDirect monitoring, which basically minimizes latency when monitoring processed signals to the point where at worst it's not objectionable and at best, not even noticeable.

 

We'll get into the GearBox software and ToneDirect monitoring later on in more detail, but let's start with an overview. The UX8 is clearly designed to be more upscale than the previous TonePorts; hardware-wise, it offers eight mic/line ins with mic pres, two instrument ins, S/PDIF in and out, eight individual outputs, two footswitch jacks, an expression pedal jack, +48V phantom power (but not for each mic input -- there's one switch for inputs 1-4, and another for inputs 5-8), and two headphone outs that can have different mixes, which is good if you want one to be a main mix and one a cue mix for, say, a vocalist. The UX8 is also rack-mountable.

 

Although as expected the UX8 includes GearBox software, it also includes plug-in versions you can use in VST/AU/RTAS-compatible hosts. I believe this is a first for Line 6; with the other TonePorts, getting plug-in capabilities was an optional-at-extra-cost kinda deal.

 

My take is that this is designed to sit in your studio and serve as a primary interface for those who need considerable I/O, appreciate the sound of Line 6's processing, and want to keep the budget down (the UX8 lists for $699.99, but a quick look at the Musician's Friend page for the UX8 shows a street price of $499.99). Getting the GearBox software in a plug-in compatible form is a big plus, by the way; it's good stuff, and applicable to vocals, bass, drums, etc. as well as guitar.

 

If you want to see Line 6's info on the UX8, click here.

 

The attached photo shows most of the front panel. More pix to follow...

[Anderton]

I hate Pro Reviews about interfaces. I love Pro Reviews about interfaces. Why? I love 'em because they often get a lot of page views and posts. But I hate 'em because I can't test them out with everything, and it seems that interfaces are a finicky bunch. Witness what happened when the Intel Macs came out: In one fell swoop, drivers around the world were rendered useless until updates and patches came along. Yet with an interface I was testing at the time, it worked fine because I was testing it on a PowerPC-based G5 - so of course, I wrote that it worked with my Mac. Windows is a little better in some ways, but worse in others because there are so many permutations and combinations of components...so you end with posts like "I found out that I could get my interface to work if I used a computer with chipset A instead of chipset B, disabled my wireless networking card, hit Control-J while spinning around three times, and wore gray socks...but only on weekdays."

 

Line 6 has stuck with USB for connectivity but unlike the other USB 1.1-compatible TonePorts, this requires USB 2.0 to handle the greater amount of I/O. And I will say that USB 2.0 interfaces seem to be less problematic overall than FireWire. Maybe I'll end up eating my words at some point during this review, but if past experience is any indication, hopefully I'll be spending my time talking about things like GearBox software instead of dealing with compatibility issues. And I don't plan to be merciful, as I'll be trying this with several computers.

 

However, I should mention a USB problem I already solved: Nasty crackling and pops with the TonePort KB37 (a Line 6 interface with built-in MIDI keyboard). It turns out that despite going into a different physical connector than a pair of USB hard drives, all the USB connectors on my computer are controlled by the same controller chip -- and apparently, the USB bus was not designed to be a highway for audio. The folks at PC Audio Labs recommended I try a separate USB card (thanks, guys!), and as soon as I plugged audio devices into it and the hard drives into the motherboard's USB connector, all was well. So, I'll be plugging the UX8 into the card, and recommend that anyone else who has lots of stuff hanging on a USB bus consider getting a separate USB card for audio gear.

 

The attached image shows the part of the rear panel containing the USB 2.0 port, SPDIF I/I, and 1/4" jacks for the footpedals and expression pedals.

[Anderton]

Before going further, I should explain why this is important.

 

First of all, this is not the same as a feature you may have seen in some interfaces called zero-latency monitoring, which is basically a way to bypass the computer altogether, and simply patch the input to the output through hardware. While the concept works and is effective, you won't hear any plug-ins inserted into your computer, because the computer is bypassed entirely.

 

If you do want to hear the plug-ins inserted in a host program like a DAW, and have tried to monitor through the DAW, you've surely noticed the d......e......l......a......y from input to output. ToneDirect monitoring lets you use your host software and hear the results of any processing added by the GearBox software. The TonePort series does not use hardware DSP within the interface to accomplish this (which was my first guess), but instead, dives deep into the Windows and Mac to bypass the layers imposed by Windows and the Mac OS respectively. As a result, latency is low enough that it's pretty much not significant.

 

That's the good news. The bad news -- or maybe not, as we'll soon see -- is that the processing is not done like a standard plug-in, but on the way to your recording program. This is just like the old days of recording, where you got your sound, then recorded it; in today's world, it's common to record your instrument first, then get your sound through plug-ins.

 

While the latter is undeniably more flexible because you can change your mind at any time about what you want your instrument to sound like, I'm not sure that's inherently better. I've found that making a decision about the sound you want and recording it lays a firmer foundation for a tune than laying down tracks that are essentially uncommitted. (As a side note, when I reviewed the Line 6 KB37 interface for EQ magazine, I found that I was actually more productive and songs were recorded more quickly when I had to commit to sounds as I worked on a song.)

 

However, this is also why it's nice that Line 6 includes the GearBox software in plug-in form (VST, AU, RTAS) so you have a choice. For example, if you're singing, you might not trust what you're hearing because you're hearing your own voice at the same time. In that case, you can record the vocals dry, and add plug-ins later. But if you get some kickass guitar sound using the GearBox and doing ToneDirect monitoring, go ahead and record it.

 

Well, we've used up my time for today, particularly because I have a bunch of photos that I need to prep before I can post them. Catch you later...

[Anderton]

There are eight balanced line/mic inputs, as you can see on the first photo. But let's talk a bit about build quality, which is something Line 6 doesn't really trumpet and yet they get a lot of things right (those who followed the Floor POD pro review may remember the various photos of the insides showing some extra touches designed to increase reliabiliy).

 

You'll note that the XLR connectors have two screws holding them in, and the 1/4" jacks have actual nuts holding them to the panel. This is different compared to some budget units, which depend on the soldered connection from jack to circuit board to hold the jack in place. While this works, it is inherently far less reliable than anchoring the jacks to the chassis itself.

 

But what happens if a jack gets corroded, or simply wears out from repeated plugging and unplugging over a period of years? A look at the insides (second photo) reveals that the UX8 is very intelligently designed with respect to servicing. The 1/4" jacks all attach to a circuit board, which connects to the rest of the unit via a ribbon cable. If you were handy with a soldering iron you could unscrew all the jack nuts, unsolder the bad jack, and solder in a new one; or more likely, you'd just swap out the old jack board for a new one. I estimate the total repair time would be about 15 minutes.

[Anderton]

Inputs include two instrument inputs (first photo), S/PDIF, and the eight mic/line inputs. The instrument inputs are on the front, which is appreciated so I don’t have to reach around the back of the rack. I’d give extra credit if the instrument jacks were paralleled on the back as well, but looking at the back panel, there really wouldn’t be room anyway so the point is moot. Note that the instrument inputs have pad switches to accommodate instruments with extra-hot levels.

 

The second photo shows some of the line/mic inputs, which are identical. As mentioned previously, you can enable phantom power for inputs 1-4 and inputs 5-8, but not individual inputs. As the 1/4" jacks don’t get phantom power, you could, for example, enable phantom power for inputs 1-4, plug mics requiring phantom power into inputs 1 and 2, and line sources into inputs 3 and 4.

 

The inputs are basic: A level control, signal present indicator (green LED), clip indicator (red LED), and for the mic in only, a –20dB pad and low-cut filter to help minimize rumble, hum, popping, etc.

[Anderton]

I got a little ahead of myself and forgot to mention what you get with the UX8 package, so check out the first photo. You of course get the unit itself (in the photo, I took the top off for a "bonus look" at what's inside). On top of that, from left to right, is a 6' USB cable (it's somewhat upscale in that it also includes an EMI/RFI suppressor, presumably something ferrite covered by a plastic cylinder), the CD containing software (which is probably more or less useless, as there always seem to be newer versions of software on the Line 6 web site), and to the right, the IEC-compatible line cord. For good measure, I took a shot of the internal power supply -- no wall wart!

[Anderton]

The first photo shows the right side of the front panel, with the output section to the extreme right. The second photo shows a closeup of the output section. There’s a main level control for outs 1+2, along with a Mute button. This is much appreciated, as you can have your monitor speakers ready to go, but when you’re recording vocals, you can mute the speakers and just listen on headphones. Or you can do a quick mute/unmute when you’re plugging and inplugging from the inputs. To the right of that is the power switch.

 

Note the two headphone jacks on the bottom, each with its own volume control. One is tied to outs 1+2 and the other to outs 3+4.

 

The third photo shows the outputs on the back. You’ll note the two main outs, and six individual outs. One thing that’s very useful in terms of extra outs is if you’re using the UX8 with software that allows inserting external gear as if it was a plug-in (such as Cubase 4, Sonar 7, and Live 7), because you need an extra set of ins and outs for each piece of gear you want to use. I consider multiple outs increasingly important as more programs offer this option, and as more people realize that some of their favorite hardware gear will likely never be implemented as a plug-in.

 

You’ll also notice the S/PDIF in/out, but also look at the power requirements: The power supply accommodates voltages from 100-240V, at 50 or 60Hz. Therefore, if you want to use the unit overseas, all you need to do is buy a suitable line cord that matches the physical power connector you intend to use. For someone who’s carried a heavy, stupid transformer all over Europe to deal with my 115V gear, I’m all in favor of this type of power supply!

[Anderton]

I couldn’t resist…here’s a shot of the analog meters. Some people think the analog meters look kind of cheap or weird, but I don’t agree: My DAW software has plenty of peak metering, so the averaging function provided by an analog meter adds an extra signal monitoring aspect. But hey, I also just plain like illuminated meters and moving needles! Maybe it’s just old habits dying hard, but it takes me back to the days of watching the meters on my old reel-to-reel recorders. A little nostalgia amid all the high-tech stuff is my studio is kinda nice.

 

Also note that these meters have actual calibrations, unlike the meters in the TonePort KB37 interface.

[Anderton]

Before installing the software tomorrow and getting further into the interface, I always like to include some inside shots so here we go.

 

The first photo shows the heart of the electronics: An Analog Devices SHARC processor, which is used in a ton of audio gear (I first encountered the SHARC in the Creamware DSP cards). But check out the second photo, which shows pads for two more big chips. What is Line 6 planning for the future? Is this going to be the start of a line of big interfaces? I doubt they’ll comment, but still…I don’t think the circuit board designer put those pads in just for grins.

 

Next up: An overall photo of the insides. It’s fairly standard stuff: Several circuit boards connected by ribbon cables. The next photo shows the back of a channel strip; note the two level controls toward the bottom. They don’t appear to be hermetically sealed, so I presume that if the unit is in a dusty environment, you might need to pop the top every couple of years and squirt some contact cleaner into the pots. Maybe someone from Line 6 can comment if I’m off-base here.

 

The final inside shot shows how the circuit board mounts to the front panel, using standoffs and screws with (yes!) lockwashers. I think lockwashers are essential for reliability, but a lot of gear simply throws a nut on the screw and leaves it at that. This is probably okay if you don’t expect to move the unit around, but again, I appreciate that Line 6 has paid attention to these kind of details, particularly because they aren’t obvious to the end user, and I doubt that any salesperson at your local GC is going to say “Let’s take the unit apart…check out those lockwashers!” But that’s the beauty of pro reviews: We get to uncover all these little details.

[Anderton]

Earlier, I commented how while it's good that the UX8 gives you the option to use the GearBox software as standard plug-ins, I often prefer recording the processed track using ToneDirect monitoring and get on with the process of making music.

 

As I was leafing through the March 2008 issue of EQ, I came across an interesting corroborating comment by John Wood in an article on recording Nick Drake. The interviewer, Jeff Touzeau, asked "How do you feel about the changes that have occurred in the recording process since you worked with Drake?" to which Wood replied:

 

"The decision-making process has been compromised. Up until the advent of 24 tracks, you had to make decisions as you recorded. You couldn't say 'Oh, we'll do another one of those. We'll dump it on another track in Pro Tools." You had to get on and go with what you recorded, and just build an album from there. I think this is one of the reasons that, for me, Nick's records have massive vitality...there is no longer the sense of performance in albums that there once was. If you have to start resorting to picking apart things with a computer, then I think you need to ask yourself where your music has gone. People spend most of their time trying to control the environment they are recording in, making decisions that really do not have a lot to do with the music itself."

 

[JJost]

Hi Craig!

 

Jesse Jost here from Line 6. I’m available to answer any questions you and other forum participants may have, or just provide the occasional fun fact. So far you’ve done a great job presenting UX8 out of the box (and under the hood).

[JJost]

 

...the processing is not done like a standard plug-in, but on the way to your recording program. This is just like the old days of recording, where you got your sound, then recorded it; in today's world, it's common to record your instrument first, then get your sound through plug-ins. While the latter is undeniably more flexible because you can change your mind at any time about what you want your instrument to sound like, I'm not sure that's inherently better. I've found that making a decision about the sound you want and recording it lays a firmer foundation for a tune than laying down tracks that are essentially uncommitted.

 

 

I agree, I'm often more satisfied committing to my tone before I record than after (especially for guitar, but less so with synths). ToneDirect Monitoring enables a natural feel, which permits you to play the part so that it matches the tone. Anyway, I've found a happy middle ground. The UX8 can send numerous streams to your DAW simultaneously, including:

 

 

 

So most of the time I record dry and semi-processed simultaneously on to separate tracks. The semi-processed is good since the guitar tracks usually need to “share a room” with other voices in the project. I’ll sometimes use the plug-in on the dry track, using a different amp and cab to create a dual tone effect, or if not, just archive it.

[Anderton]

Good point Jesse, thanks! Sounds like what you're describing is basically an "insurance policy" in case you end up feeling you need to make some changes.

[Cowinacape]

Subscribed, looking forward to reading more of this review.

[Anderton]

My laptop is connected to the net so I can write, and my PC Audio Labs 8-core Intel machine is busily installing the Line 6 software. Line 6 is very specific about "Install the software before plugging in the hardware" and out of deference to the Wide World of Software Updates, I have connected my music computer up to the net -- which I am loathe to do, but...

 

Okay, it says "setup was completed successfully." I guess that means it's ready to accept the interface, and the plug-ins have been installed.

 

Now to hook up the interface...must find USB cable...

[Anderton]

So far so good; Windows XP says there's new hardware, and I told it to install the drivers automatically.

 

While the hard disk rotates, now might be a good time to mention that the UX8 does not include any kind of MIDI interface. That seems a bit strange owing to the otherwise upscale nature of the device, but I guess that means Line 6 is emphasizing the audio aspects. And the good news is that yet another set of MIDI drivers is NOT being installed into Windows, which would bring me closer to the Windows MIDI port limit (a really stupid aspect of the OS, but hey, no one's perfect...).

 

Windows is saying the UX8 is installed. Let's find out.

[Anderton]

I have some actual work I need to do with Sonar, namely, I'm working on a loop library where I need MIDI in and of course, audio. As the UX8 doesn't provide MIDI, I connected up the KB37 to provide MIDI and for whatever reason, it was considered new hardware -- even though I just used it last night.

 

Hmmm...after connecting the KB37 and booting Sonar, now Sonar isn'tn seeing the UX8 under audio options. Time for a restart -- the universal solution to all things perplexing that relate to computers

 

Let's see what happens next.

[Anderton]

Windows won't start up. I've disconnected the UX8 and the KB37 and am now rebooting...not the first time I've encountered USB problems with new hardware...sometimes it takes a while for Windows to figure out what's going on when you have lots of things hanging on the USB bus.

 

I've plugged in the UX8...plugged in the KB37...okay, all is well now: Both show up as options within Sonar. I've selected the UX8 for audio, and the KB37 for MIDI.

 

Hit playback...hmmm, something's not right. Audio doesn't start until partway through the first measure, and there's some kind of distortion. Think I'll try a different program; Sonar keeps saying the UX8 outputs 1+2 are in use by another program.

 

Let's try Sound Forge...

[Anderton]

So of course, I boot up Sound Forge, and it tells me there's an update available. Guess I'll just sit here and wait for 71MB to download...

 

And wait...

 

I guess this is a perfect opportunity to tidy up the studio a bit

 

Ever notice that nothing goes easy with digital audio and computers?

 

Wait a little bit more...

 

Okay, it's downloaded. Time to run the update..."This may take a few minutes."

 

Sound Forge is now opening proudly at 9.0e. It plays back through the UX8 okay, but I'm getting lots of crackles so remember my own advice about NOT plugging a USB audio device into the motherboard USB bus, I'll plug into the same card as the KB37.

[Anderton]

It sounds perfect, and that clinches it: If you're going to use USB audio, get a separate card for USB audio devices if you have anything hooked up to the motherboard's USB port. Mark my words, this is a tip that's going to help a lot of people

 

Let's try Sonar again...it sounds fine, except that on very rare occasions, it gives a sort of "stutter." When I've experienced this problem in the past, it's been due to multi-core issues...let's go Options > Audio > Advanced and disable multiprocessing.

 

[15 minutes later] That did it, no stuttering. Don't know if it's a Sonar issue or a driver thing or what, but suffice it to say it works.

 

I'm going to work with this for a while and report back on the results. I'll enable multiprocessor operation again, but adjust affinity using the Task Manager to see if the setup is happy with 2 or 4 processors. I'll let you know what happens. Suffice it to say, I have the UX8 working exactly as it's supposed to on Windows XP/Intel. We'll try an Intel Mac next.

[Anderton]

I've worked with the UX8 for over an hour and a half straight, and as long as multiprocessor mode is disabled in Sonar, playback is flawless. I tried enabling multiprocessor mode and setting affinity to two processors (as well as to four processors), but got the same "stuttering" type of sounds.

 

I'll boot up Cubase next, which also has the option to check or uncheck multiprocessing.

[Anderton]

I loaded eight tracks into Cubase and it worked fine with multiprocessing enabled or disabled. I then went back to Sonar, and created the same file with eight tracks and, interestingly, didn't have any issues with multiprocessing, either. I figured that the reason for a problem with Sonar might be that I had a ton of soft synths loaded into the project, as the projects with only digital audio worked fine.

 

Incidentally, I tried changing buffers and such, but ultimately, it seems that Sonar's Multiprocessing mode doesn't agree with the UX8.

 

I suppose for the sake of completeness I should create a project in Cubase with a ton of soft synths too, but it's late...and I think it's probably time to try the UX8 with some other programs, and then some other computers.

[Cowinacape]

Not plugging into the motherboards USB port, but rather a USB add in card, is that Windows-centric advice, or good advice for Macs as well?

[Anderton]

Not plugging into the motherboards USB port, but rather a USB add in card, is that Windows-centric advice, or good advice for Macs as well?

 

I'll find out in the next couple of days I think it may be motherboard-centric instead of OS-centric, but that's speculation.

[keithtoxic]

I've heard that the hardware in a mac is made so you don't need to work with the outside USB and that the motherboard port is fine, but this could just be the usual apple fanboys pretending. Btw, I'm writing this on a mac, nothing against apple or anything, just the user base tends to spread false info.

 

I'm enjoying this review, as I'm currently under the decision between a presonus fire and the UX8.(already own the KB37, and love it, but definately need more channels)