Avid Eleven Rack Guitar Processor/Computer Interface - Now with Conclusions

[nabeel]

My Eleven Rack should hopefully be arriving tomorrow, definitely looking forward to it. I'm upgrading from a Zoom G9.2tt which I wasn't very happy with (despite it having tubes in it).

I'm really looking forward to the M2 amp sim, since that's my all-time favorite amp (a buddy of mine has one, that thing simply rocks).

I'll probably be going into my G-Major for effects with a Ground Control Pro, but haven't decided yet. The GM may not be necessary. As with all modelers (and amps) I've used, I always put two things in front - my Crybaby with red fasel, and my TubeScreamer. Those just have to be standalone

Thanks for the detailed review!

[Anderton]

Coming up with audio examples for this is a daunting task, because there are 16 amps, 7 cabinets, and 8 mics, each of which can be on or off axis. And of course, each amp has a wealth of controls that alter the basic sound further. That's a LOT of sonic possibilities, so I'm just going to give a few representative examples. If anyone wants to hear examples from specific amps, let me know.

The available amps are:

 

• Digidesign Custom Vintage

 

Digidesign Custom Modern

 

92 Tread Vintage

 

92 Tread Modern

 

89 SL100 Clean

 

89 SL100 Crunch

 

89 SL100 Drive

 

85 M-2 Lead

 

82 Lead 800

 

69 Plexi

 

67 Black Duo (as in "Twin")

 

66 AC Hi Boost

 

64 Lux Normal

 

64 Lux Vibrato

 

59 Tweed Bass

 

59 Tweed Lux

 

Here are the cabinets:

 

• 4x10 Tweed Bass

 

2x12 Black Duo

 

2x12 AC Blue

 

1x12 Tweed Lux

 

1x12 Black Lux

 

4x12 Green 25W

 

4x12 Classic 30

 

And the mics:

 

• Ribbon 121

 

Condenser 414

 

Condenser 87

 

Condenser 67

 

Dynamic 421

 

Dynamic 409

 

Dynamic 57

 

Dynamic 7

 

Calling up an amp calls up a matching cabinet, but you can switch to a different cabinet. The mic choice and placement persists regardless of which amp or cabinet you choose.

This is a situation where experimentation is everything. A particular mic might sound terrible with one cabinet and great with another, but then if you change the amp, the mic that sounded terrible might sound great. Or not!

Of the various amps, they all have value but I find the Digidesign Custom ones to be the most versatile in some ways, and the first ones I try. This supports my suspicion that some amp sims are at their best when not trying to sound like something else - I think McDSP's Chrome Tone is another example of that kind of thinking.

The first audio example is the Digi Vintage Custom amp.

The second audio example is the same amp, but I switched through all the different mics during the course of playing through the clip.

The third audio example starts with the Digi Custom Modern amp, then switches over to the 92 Treadplate Vintage halfway through.

The fourth audio example is the SL100 switching through Clean, Crunch, and Drive.

[Anderton]

While we're at it...here are a couple lead guitar examples.

The first audio example uses the Lead 800 amp, while the second audio example uses the Twin emulation. You can definitely hear the "Marshall vs. Fender" difference in the simulation, even though I didn't really optimize them by messing with the mics and such.

Again, this is just a tiny sampling of sounds, but you're welcome to request additional examples using particular amps or cabinets.

[Anderton]

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...and if you haven't, after you hear these examples, you'll understand why you should have!

All amp sims that I've used exhibit, to one degree or another, what I've dubbed "the annoying frequency." This seems to be inherent in modeling somehow, and adds a sort of "fizzy," whistling sound that I find objectionable, and which detracts from the potential richness of the amp sound.

Now, I'm not picking on Avid or the Eleven Rack for this; in fact, it took some effort to find an amp, cabinet, and mic setting that produced "the annoying frequency" (for the record, it was the Digidesign Custom Modern, 2x12 Black Duo Cab, and on-axis Dyn 421 mic). Normally, if you found this sound, you'd probably just say "I don't like that" and try a different cabinet, amp, or mic (or change the amp settings). But, you don't have to if you know the secret of fizz removal. (By the way, I'm also going to write this up as an article for the Articles section of the site for those who use amp sims but missed this review.)

Note that this is not something you can do live, because Eleven Rack doesn't have a parametric EQ - an essential component for this technique. I used the DigiRack EQ III with Pro Tools LE to handle the parametric chores. So Hiro, listen to these examples and see if you don't agree that the next update should have a parametric at the output!!

The first audio example has the sound of the amp/cab/mic combination with no processing. Listen carefully, and you'll hear a high, sort of "whistling" quality that doesn't sound at all organic or warm, but "digital."

In the second audio example, I've created a sharp, narrow peak to localize where the whistle is. You'll hear me sweep across the spectrum, and while the sharp peak is sort of unpleasant on its own, toward the end you'll note that it's settled on that whistling sound that's obvious in the first example.

In the third audio example, you'll hear the whistle and then hear it disappear magically as the peak turns into a notch (you can see the filter response in the attached image). Note how the amp sounds richer, warmer, more organic, and just plain more freakin'*wonderful A little past the halfway point through the clip, I switched the filter out of the circuit so the response was flat (no peak or dip). You'll definitely hear the whistle come back.

Impressive, eh? This is the key to getting good amp sim sounds. Further refinements on this technique are:

• Experiment with the notch bandwidth. You want the narrowest notch possible that nonetheless gets rid of the whistle, otherwise you'll diminish the highs...although that may be what you want. As I said, experiment!
• Some amp sims exhibit more than one annoying frequency. On occasion I need to use two narrow notches, and very rarely, three. Generally, the more notches you need to use, the narrow you need to make them

.

[Anderton]

Oh...I probably should have mentioned that the frequency in question is happening around 7.5kHz, so you need to listen over something other than the speakers in, say, a laptop.

And, I just listened to the audio examples. The one to demonstrate finding the fizzy frequency didn't upload correctly - it's only about 1/5 as long as it's supposed to be. I'll check this out next time my music computer is booted up, and fix it. Sorry!! This kind of defeats the whole purpose of showing how this works...

[Edit: Okay, it's fixed now]

[Anderton]

Another thing I should probably mention is that although the fizz frequency here is a bit over 7.5kHz, I've heard it as low as about 4.5kHz. It can be an upper midrange as well as high-frequency phenomenon.

[travisswan]

Can we make it our mantra? Parametric at the output! Parametric at the output! Parametric at the output!

I've got a few patches I've been playing with live that I'll upload sometime soon. Still loving the Eleven Rack . . .

[GordonB]

Thanks for this. I have allways kept well away from parametric eq, never got my head round it. But the results are just brilliant, so I agree with Craig, parametric at the output is a must.

I've been using my Eleven Rack live now for about two months, Its the best sound I have had, ever! and I've been gigging for 36 years. This is the first time i've posted anywhere, so it must be good. . .

[Anderton]

First off, as pro review readers probably know, at some point I feel I know enough about a unit to offer some conclusions. But, this doesn't mean the review is over. Personally, I'd like to see this become a sort of clearinghouse for Eleven Rack-based participation, with people contributing additional insights and patches, and with Avid filling us in on new developments. I plan to continue using Eleven, and when I have more patches and such - or discover any new techniques - I'll certainly post them here.

We've pretty much covered the important elements, although there are a few loose ends. Yes, there's a mic input (and it sounds just fine, and has phantom power). And yes, you can control parameters via MIDI, either live or via Pro Tools automation. But these are the kinds of things we expect in today's gear, and don't make Eleven the unique critter it is. So, let's get to the conclusions.

Obviously, I like Eleven Rack a lot. But first, let's talk about limitations.

• Eleven Rack is not a tweaker's delight. Don't expect Guitar Rig, AmpliTube, Revalver, POD Farm, etc. Eleven picks a particular set of tasks, and implements them extremely well; but you can't do things like run chains in parallel (you'd need two Elevens for that).
• Eleven Rack doesn't reach its potential as an interface with PT M-Powered or TDM. You can still edit it, and feed in audio as digital audio; but Eleven is basically married to Pro Tools LE.
• For live use, output EQ is limited. You have a graphic EQ with not enough stages, and that's it. I demonstrated earlier why I think a parametric is essential.
• Re-amping is limited to mono tracks. This makes sense for guitar, but Eleven has effects that would be really useful on drums and other stereo sound sources (distortion on B3 emulators, for example). Oh well.

Overall, though, there are so many things that Eleven Rack gets right. Bear in mind that when I started this review, I wasn't really all that thrilled about using Pro Tools, and I had a "seems okay, but I need to be convinced" attitude about Eleven Rack itself. Over the past few months, I've come to enjoy using Pro Tools (more a function of the 8.0 update than Eleven Rack, but Eleven Rack does integrate extremely well), and more importantly, come to appreciate that a lot of thought must have gone into Eleven Rack - this does not feel like a product that was slapped together. Here are what I consider Eleven Rack's strongest points.

• Live/studio application, with solid construction. Eleven Rack does not feel at all "cheap," and I have no doubt it would survive the rigors of the road. The lettering is readable, the display is big, the jacks are solid, the knobs don't wobble, and I get the feeling that actual people used this in real-world situations before it was released to production.
• Flexible signal routing. Although it's serial, you can pretty much put anything before or after anything else. Having an FX loop you can move anywhere in the chain gets a major thumbs up, as Eleven doesn't come with a QuadraFuzz

• It produces the sounds you don't have. Well okay, maybe you do have a bunch of vintage signal processors sitting around...but probably not. Eleven Rack is very faithful to some of the classic effects of all time, and puts them in an easy-to-use format where the batteries never run down or leak. Having the studio reverb is a nice touch, too.
• Using Eleven Rack with Pro Tools really multiplies your options. Given the kind of studio processing PTLE offers, combining Eleven with PT gives you the best of vintage and modern processors. Okay, maybe I'm bummed that Eleven Rack doesn't have a parametric for live use...but that's not an issue in the studio, where you can slap on something from the DigiRack into the track.
• It's fun, and feels right. Some civilizations believe that inanimate objects acquire some of the personality of the people using them, and if so, then Eleven Rack was designed by some people who were having fun. This is all subjective and intangible, but the bottom line is even after months of doing this Pro Review, I still get a kick when I turn it on and know that I'm going to be using Eleven Rack on a session. Maybe it's the ease of use; you don't have to strain your brain to move effects around, or do re-amping. Maybe it's the way it looks, or the sounds that it makes. Or maybe it's all of the above. But there's something special about Eleven Rack, like it's a friendly dog that can't wait for you to play fetch. Although in this case, it seemingly wants you to fetch a sound that will put a smile on your face...
• You can work with the amp models. I'm not totally thrilled with all the models, but when put in the context of a signal chain, they can come alive. Again, I think a parametric would help a lot (both before an amp to condition the signal, and after to tweak the modeling), but if you mess around with the controls and processors, you can get very satisfying sounds - which is what matters, right?

I also have to, in the spirit of full disclosure, mention something that might have influenced my attitude about Eleven Rack: Avid has been great to deal with. They came into this with few expectations and no pressure, having enough confidence in the product to put it out there and see how people would react. The manufacturer representatives didn't intrude at all, and offered helpful comments devoid of marketing-speak. (In fact, I feel they could have participated more, but better to err on the side of not being overbearing, I guess.) It became obvious early on that they really dig the product, and I suspect a lot of the features came about because someone on the design team wanted them.

Granted, this isn't unusual in Pro Reviews; most manufacturers understand the concept, and make useful contributions without trying to influence the results. But the basically sunny attitude of those involved in creating Eleven Rack seems reflected in the attitude of the unit itself.

So, I have to admit to being surprised: I didn't expect to like Eleven Rack this much, I didn't expect to have this much fun with it, and I didn't expect to warm up to Pro Tools 8 so much in the process. But, that's what Pro Reviews are all about - the opportunity to live with a piece of gear for an extended period of time, and get to know it. In this case, the format served Eleven Rack well. The more I play with it, the more I like it - even now, several months into the review.

Thanks to Avid for wanting to do this, to all of you for your great comments and questions, and to Hiro and others for sharing their expertise. But again, let me emphasize that just because I've come to some conclusions doesn't mean this review is over. I will definitely continue to contribute in the weeks and months ahead, because I suspect I still haven't found out everything there is to know about this deep, but friendly, guitar processor.

[avidgtrpm]

Eleven Rack has received a lot of high marks from a variety of publications world wide but this Pro Review has turned out to be the most positive product review experience I've been a part of. I would like to thank Craig and the team at HC for setting the new standard of excellence. In addition to reviewing gear, I wish you guy would cover cars, TV's, movies, etc.

It only makes sense in this age of information access and interaction that a product review be an evolving conversation rather than a static report. It's more in line with our nature as humans and provides real answers as we try to make sense of how a new piece of gear can change our lives. I've trolled the forums for days and have rarely ever found this level of detail and quality of insight in one place. Don't get me started with what I think of print press. HC is providing a fantastic service here and I really hope others appreciate it as much as I do.

It's been a real privilege to participate and will continue to do so on a regular basis. Like this review, Eleven Rack will continue to evolve and I look forward to sharing developments with you as they come to fruition.

Hiro

[TieDyedDevil]

Thanks for the review, Craig. I've enjoyed following this one.

When you started writing this review, I had no intention of investigating the 11R. Not because of anything you (or anyone else here) wrote, but because I didn't need or want another processor.

A comment on another board eventually alerted me to the notion that the 11R has a distinct "vintage" bias: old-school Fender, Marshall and Vox sims, the tape and "Memory Man" echoes, the Univibe, the Leslie, ... That's my sonic meat-and-potatoes! So I walked down the street and gave the demo unit a workout.

The `59 Tweed Deluxe alone was enough to sell me on the 11R. That model in particular has *amazing* touch response.

From the start I knew full well that I wouldn't use Pro Tools despite the fact that I'd be giving up the ability to back up my patches. (I'm still scratching my head over the lack of either a sysex dump/load function or some standalone program to manage patches *outside of Pro Tools*.)

I did try to use the 11R drivers on my brand-new MacBook Pro, without success. It would've been nice to be able to use the 11R with Garage Band, for example. I won't go into details, but the attempt cost me a few hours of troubleshooting and damage control and left me with a strong resolve to never run another Pro Tools installer on any computer that I own.

One thing that I'd like to emphasize about the 11R is the sense of immediate gratification it provides, thanks not only to good sounds but also to a simple and easily-learned UI. I skimmed the manual before auditioning the 11R; within 15 minutes I had created a patch that I would have been happy to use in performance. By way of contrast, it took me about five hours to fully grok all of the options on a Boss GT-8. Of the modelers I've used, only the Digitech has a more intuitive UI.

Fortunately the 11R's simple UI doesn't preclude flexibility. As you noted, the ability to arbitrarily reorder the signal chain is very useful. I like that I can go "old school" and put my reverb and echo in front of the amp, rather than being forced to use the "correct" modern placement (after the amp).

The ability to assign an expression pedal to up to four controls opens up many creative possibilities. I frequently use this to morph between two sounds.

I understand your position regarding the lack of a parametric EQ. As a player who almost never uses high-gain sounds, being able to filter the "fizz frequency" is not a priority for me. On a related note, the choice of frequency bands (100, 370, 800, 2,000 and 3,250 Hz) in the 11R's graphic EQ seems to work well with guitar. These frequencies approximate the most common EQ inflection points and speaker resonances in a real guitar amp.

The reverbs are outstanding. The Leslie and tape echo sims are among the best I've heard.

There are a few things I think could have been done better.

On the hardware side, it would have been nice to have an additional Amp 1 output on the rear panel. Clearly the folks at Digidesign were so sold on Pro Tools integration that they couldn't imagine someone (like me) running the Main outputs to a PA and the Amp outputs to a recorder. Yes I *can* (and do) set up a stereo feed through the Amp outputs, but the right channel goes to a front-panel jack while the left channel goes to a rear-panel jack. But that's a nit; it's absolutely the worst thing I can think of to say about the hardware.

I have a few more complaints on the firmware side. These are all - I think - simple improvements to the 11Rs existing functionality. Had I wanted or expected more (or different) models or radically different behaviors, I would have found a product that more closely met my needs. In no particular order, here's my list of opportunities for improving the 11R firmware:

 

• Provide a MIDI sysex load/dump capability, as noted above. I don't want to use Pro Tools, and won't install it only to back up 11R patches.

 

Allow the expression pedal to control switched parameters (e.g. bright, bypass). As currently implemented only continuous parameters may be controlled using the expression pedal. But the MIDI implementation assigns a contiguous range of values - covering the entire range of possible controller values - to the "on" and "off" states of switched controls; it should be trivial to support mapping the controller onto these switched controls.

 

Provide a "shape" control for the expression pedal. Centered, the shape control would map the expression pedal linearly. CW rotation would introduce an upward bow to the curve, giving a faster onset to the pedal's change near the heel and a slower change near the toe. CCW would introduce a downward bow to the curve, giving a more gradual onset to the pedal's change near the heel and a faster change near the toe.

 

Eliminate the random noise that's emitted upon completion of 11R initialization. I'm guessing that this might be as simple as zeroing out some buffers before enabling the DACs.

 

Eliminate occasional clicks when quickly changing certain parameters (in particular: amp volume, EQ and output level) with the expression pedal.

 

On the software side, the only thing I can say is: Avid, get your house in order w.r.t. installers for Mac OS X. First of all, if your software is so critically dependent upon OS version (and it *is*), don't let the installer attempt an installation on an OS version for which your software has not been qualified. Secondly, it should be possible to install a standalone 11R driver without all the other cruft that comes along for the ride (preference panes for other Digi products and that PACE anti-piracy tool. Anti-piracy for a *driver*? Really...!?)

[Anderton]

I finished the article that goes into more detail on the "fizz removal" process.

It includes the examples from this Pro Review, but also gives some additional tips about trimming high and low-frequency, as well as "dual notch" techniques illustrated with Native Instruments' Guitar Rig 4. If you found the fizz removal technique intriguing, I strongly suggest you read the article...it takes the concept to the next level, and has a ton of audio examples.

[Anderton]

TieDyedDevil - thanks for the thoughtful post, and your reactions...they're a fine complement to the conclusions. And as we still have Avid's ear, your suggestions will definitely be noted. Whether they can/will act on them is another matter altogether, but I'm sure they find the kind of feedback you're providing very valuable.

It's also interesting that so many people picked up on the same positive attributes.

[nabeel]

So I've spent maybe three days with the ER and I must say... I've never been this happy with my guitar tone.. EVER. I've gone through a few amps and many modelers, including the Line6's, Tonelabs, Zooms... but I literally took 15 minutes to dial in a tone that I just fell in love with (AC30, with some distortion), and I lost track of how long I was playing for. Before I'd always be tweaking.. eh I don't like this... don't like that.

Pro Tools integration is great, I haven't messed with it much except for editing presets (seemless!). But I recorded a few things, and it was quick and pretty painless. I'll be spending more time with it soon.

But this definitely has feel, mojo, whatever you wanna call it. I plugged in my ESP with EMGs and put the M2 model on all the knobs in the middle and tweaked from there... in 5 minutes I had an awesome metal tone which shook the walls and it sounded like thunder with every palm-muted power chord. Rolled back the volume and it cleaned up a bit, but it had that punch and thick snarl that I have been looking for. With my G9, I'd dial in a tone, come back to it and it would just sound off to me; with the ER, it isn't happening.

I'm playing out of my PC speakers and my Atomic Amp combined. Some of the high are missing from the Atomic (it's the original without tweeters), so I guess I can do something about that, but it still sounds great. Both combined, I can't even describe how great it sounds.

Going to have to look into a Ground Control Pro or something, but I have no gigs anytime soon. For my own writing and recording, the knobs on the front are so convenient. I don't feel overwhelmed like I did with other modelers.

TieDyedDevil - can't you run your recorder into the headphone out? Right now I have my Atomic in the amp out (rear), and the PC speakers goto a mixer, but I have a line in to the mixer plugged into the headphone out. Maybe that will solve your amp front/back problem?

I'm gonna go play some more... just too happy right now

[TieDyedDevil]

 

Originally Posted by nabeel

TieDyedDevil - can't you run your recorder into the headphone out? Right now I have my Atomic in the amp out (rear), and the PC speakers goto a mixer, but I have a line in to the mixer plugged into the headphone out. Maybe that will solve your amp front/back problem?

 

It's really not that much of a problem, nabeel. More of a minor annoyance. It would have been *convenient* to have stereo jacks side-by-side.

[nabeel]

 

Originally Posted by TieDyedDevil

It's really not that much of a problem, nabeel. More of a minor annoyance. It would have been *convenient* to have stereo jacks side-by-side.

 

Yeah, I hear ya. I have a small Tascam recorder too, which I'll be using when I run to the board, I'll probably just put it into the headphone out

[Anderton]

Here's something I just figured out

When using Eleven Rack as an interface, it's important to realize there are two MIDI ports. The Eleven Rack port is for MIDI control over USB of the Eleven Rack parameters, but using the physical 5-pin DIN connectors for, say, an external MIDI keyboard or control surface requires using the External MIDI port.

I found this out the hard way while using the 11R with Sonar - I couldn't get my keyboard to show up as playing MIDI notes. I had Eleven Rack selected, right? Wrong. As soon as I enabled the External port, everything worked as it was supposed.

BTW - I'm writing an article for issue #84 of the Harmony Central Confidential newsletter on how to use the 11R with non-Pro Tools programs, including Cubase, Sonar, Live, Record, and Mixcraft. Stay tuned! 11R makes a pretty cool general-purpose interface. When the article gets posted in the library, I'll include a link here.

[scooterguitar]

Bring this up!

I'm running the 11R into Garageband, it records just fine, but the ability to adjust recording level in garageband is not selectable.

Can anyone help with suggestions or workarounds perhaps?

[avidgtrpm]

Hi Scootergtr,

If you're recording the output of your Rig (guitar signal through all the amp and FX emulation), you can set your signal level by adjusting the "Rig Volume" control.

Press EDIT

Turn the SCROLL knob until you highlight the block labelled "OUTPUT"

Turn the illuminated knob on the far left labelled "RIG VOL"

Hope this helps.

Hiro

[Ehosteda]

Thanks for the great review. I do have a couple of questions.

Compared to the tones of Pod Farm, how do you feel this compares? I am really interested in getting one, I do not gig, but I live in an apartment, thus making it hard to justify purchasing a tube amp. However, these clips sounded great, and I'm just curious about your opinion.

Also, does the Eleven Rack take pedals well? I have a couple of pedals that I bought a while ago that I was going to use with a tube amp, but I decided against getting a tube amp due to my apartment situation. Its a boost and a big muff clone, and I was wondering if you had any experience with any real pedals through this product.

THanks for the great review, it looks like I may have to start saving up for one of these.

[Anderton]

 

Originally Posted by Ehosteda

Thanks for the great review. I do have a couple of questions.

 

That's why we're here

 

Compared to the tones of Pod Farm, how do you feel this compares?

 

I really feel that like amps, amp sims have their own character. You get more amps and effects with POD Farm 2, and the ability to do dual signal paths. Those are very strong points. As to the sound, a lot of that is how you program the various modules. I guarantee I can find people who can make either Eleven Rack or POD Farm sound terrible, and others who can make either one sound great. If you have an iLok, you can download a 15-day free POD Farm 2 trial.

 

I am really interested in getting one, I do not gig, but I live in an apartment, thus making it hard to justify purchasing a tube amp. However, these clips sounded great, and I'm just curious about your opinion.

 

If you don't gig and already have an interface, then you don't need two of Eleven's most compelling features and you could save a lot of bucks by getting POD Farm 2 and all the model packs...and have enough left over to buy some other amp sims. Also remember that you won't be able to do the cool on-screen Eleven Rack editing with programs other than Pro Tools.

 

Also, does the Eleven Rack take pedals well? I have a couple of pedals that I bought a while ago that I was going to use with a tube amp, but I decided against getting a tube amp due to my apartment situation. Its a boost and a big muff clone, and I was wondering if you had any experience with any real pedals through this product.

 

You can of course put pedals before Eleven Rack, but one of Eleven Rack's really excellent features is the effects loop. That's much more tedious to pull off in a DAW context with a plug-in; for example if you were using POD Farm, you'd need a DAW with an external insert option for plug-ins, then put an instance of POD Farm before the hardware insert, and another instance afterward.

Hope this helps! Eleven Rack is a fine unit, but I'd say it's biggest strengths are the ability to pick it up and take it to a gig, integration with Pro Tools, and overall quality of the audio interface.

THanks for the great review, it looks like I may have to start saving up for one of these.

[travisswan]

Check it out! Looks like everything I was wanting is going to be added . . . parametric eq, stereo delay, etc! http://www.avid.com/US/products/Elev...-Pack/features

[travisswan]

 

Originally Posted by travisswan

Check it out! Looks like everything I was wanting is going to be added . . . parametric eq, stereo delay, etc! http://www.avid.com/US/products/Elev...-Pack/features

 

Hiro, do you have any idea what the expansion pack will cost?

[bruddahb]

$99 - Available in March

[avidgtrpm]

Hi Travisswan - $99 in March is correct. What we showed at the show was an alpha build but we're on the home stretch to complete our development. I've got to admit, it's one of these things that looks mildly impressive on paper but when you hear it, it's awesome. We can't wait to get this out to you guys.

@Alvasin - Using Eleven Rack as your sole interface depends on what type of recording you're doing on a regular basis. If you are recording more than just guitar, particularly a lot of multiple mic setups like drums of acoustic ensembles, then you could use a interface with more inputs like a 003 or ProFire 2626. If it's pretty much a single instrument at a time like guitars, bass, some vocals or a keyboard, the Eleven Rack will do great with inputs for guitar, mic and line level sources. The new parametric EQ and Dynamics processing in the forthcoming upgrade is going give you the ability to track with that kind of processing which is something those other interface products can not do.