Korg PX5D Pandora Guitar and Bass Multi Effects Processor

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List Price: $330.00
Sale Price: $119.90
Today's Bonus: 64% Off

• A compact processor for guitar and bass
• USB Interface capability
• Famous Korg 'REMS' modeling technology. 180 variations of classic and cutting-edge guitar amps, bass amps, cabinets, classic and new effects.

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I've had the Pandora for two weeks now and I've used it extensively. So far, I am pleased that I bit the bullet and shelled out the money for this thing. It's loaded with all sorts of features, and most importantly, it prevents me from being turned off my instrument because of crappy sound (I am on vacation, about 7000 miles away from my beloved amps and mixers and doodads and geegaws).

But take note, if you are listening to this thing through mediocre headphones or earbuds, you will hear a very sub-par and overall tremendously frustrating sound. For example, my Sony earbuds that I would rate 8/10 for iPod listening makes the Pandora sound totally tinnyscoops out all the mids, boosts the uselessly high treble and muddies up the bass. You will sit there trying to dial in a usable tone cursing the paint off your walls.

On the other hand, I have a pair of Audio-Technica M50 studio monitor headphones (no product endorsement, just saying what works for me) that sounds fantastic with the Pandora. So I guess the moral of my story is to pair this headphone amp with headphones that have a flat EQ response.

Because the Pandora is marketed as a headphone amp doesn't mean you are confined to headphones. I plugged the Pandora into a cheap bass amp and my guitar actually sounded pretty good! I can't wait to plug it into a good sound system and let it scream. From what I've heard, people have had a lot of success with going direct into PA or going through guitar or bass amps.

As far as the effects go, they gave me pretty much all I need and much much more. I am overall impressed with the built in reverb and delay effects, and the distortion sounds very good also. Some of the effects work in stereo so you can get that left to right rotary speaker effect. On top of the effects that I use all the time (reverb, distortion, compression, etc.) there are some WACKY stuff in here that I really haven't been able to use except for a few laughs. The intelligent harmonizer holds some potential although the tracking has a tiny, barely noticeable but noticeable hesitation. But since I'm greedy and I like having the option of oodles of stuff even though I might not use them, I would rate the effects on the Pandora 9/10 (where 10 is reserved for OMG EVERYTHING IS SO GOOD)

Korg put a lot of amp/cab/effect combo presets onto the Pandora, and when I started out, I used "Linkin" for my distortion, "Pop" for clean chorusy stuff and "Fab4" for clean tones. I ended up being 10% dissatisfied with them, so I just made my own presets and now I am 99% satisfied. The tweaks weren't big, like dialing down the distortion and adding a touch of reverb to "Linkin" preset and killing the teeny OD on "Fab4" etc. Much like the effects, some of the presets are wacked out. There is a preset on there called "Ill" and I can't for the life of me figure out how to use it in a musical way. Another preset called "Fire" has a really cool fuzzed out sound for single note melodies but goes haywire when you start playing harmonies. It might work really nicely for Muse basslines and such.

One thing I like about this is the AUX input and how it can transcribe recordings to your desire. It has made learning new songs for vocals and guitar much more convenient. The bass canceler function seems to work pretty well, and I imagine it would come in really handy, although I am separated from my bass right now. Korg included a lot of drum loops and an option to add basslines to those drum loops for jamming and practice purposes, but I wouldn't build my career on those drum/bass loops... they can sound kinda cheesy.

The construction of the Pandora looks very solid. I was worried at first that the Pandora would be built like the Korg tuners, which are light plastic without much heft, but I was happy to find that the Pandora feels really rugged. The instruction manual is comprehensive and is multilingual (if you ever get the urge to learn how to talk about flangers in German or something...)! I've been using batteries to power mine since I didn't get a wall adapter, and I burned through a pair of AAs in a week and a half of thorough use.

Other than that, the thing comes with a mini version of Ableton Live, the adapter cable for the footswitches (not included, planning on getting one myself) and the USB cable. Korg even included little rubber pads so the little rectangle doesn't get pulled off the table.

Overall, very happy with the product. Cheers, Korg!

For people who don't want to read all of my drivel,

Pros:

Great sound with good listening devices

Lots of useful effects

Lots of useful amp and cabinet models

Good presets

Very utilitarian (backlight option for the screen, etc.)

Solid construction

Neutral:

Some effects and presets I would never use

Doesn't come with wall adapter

Small learning curve in navigating through the menu

Cons:

Adjusting volume balance between aux and input is finicky.

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I give this unit great marks for the sound quality and features. I also find that the engineers/designers did a good job thinking about how people would use this device and they provided the flexibility to do just about anything. BUT, there are 2 major weaknesses in this product as a whole. Three categories go into making a great product: The Device, The Manual, The Customer Service.

1. In my opinion, Korg is not known for having great manuals. It's so sad to me that a product developer utilizes a really great sound engineering department and then weakens the customer satisfaction equation by utilizing weak technical writers or translators. Here's an example: In the TROUBLESHOOTING section regarding the USB connection to your computer: "Refer to the owners manual of the connected device to insure that it responds to the messages you are transmitting." THIS STATEMENT IS REDICULOUS AND MEANINGLESS AND TOTALLY UNHELPFUL. Why put it into the manual. I am a system developer and I can assure you that 99.9% of consumers have no idea how to "verify that it responds to messages you are transmitting." Other troubleshooting help just says "contact the dealer". Are they kidding? Are you really going to call Amazon for tech help on a USB problem? KORG should have reliable customer services in place for every product.

But, here's the best example of what I call inexcusable. This problem has caused people to return the item for refund or exchanges with Amazon. I know this for a fact. The problem is induced by the KORG manual in the section about performing the KEYLOCK function. It's a great feature to disable the keys during your gig to preclude inadvertently changing modes etc. Again, technically, this is a great feature yet it was essentially rendered inoperative by the Owner's Manual. The Manual states, " Hold

the down the EXIT button and press the TAP/BYPASS button. The LCD will indicate KEYLOCK for approximately one second."

NOT !!!

Like I said, units have been returned and exchanged only to be discovered that the exchanged unit does the same thing. All my attempts to get answers from KORG via the web have gone unanswered. I started trying to figure out what's going on with these units. I checked the German Translation for this function and it reads the same thing. But, in JAPANEESE, the manual says something totally different. I don't read Japaneese but of the few terms of English (button markings and functions), I was able to determine that instead of the TAP/BYPASS button being used, the Japaneese instructions say to use the CURSOR (up) button. BINGO ! HOPSING! That was the solution.

With a unit that has been on the market (well over s/n 15,000 sold), this error should have been highly published. I see forums where people are still fighting this issue and having this problem. I'm sure that KORG is aware but what are they doing about it?(I just got automated messages.) Anyone who buys this unit is going to spend a lot of time pulling their hair out unless they read Japanese.

So, in the final analysis, the product hardware quality is 5 stars but don't expect much help if you need it. Software instruction and functionality is 1 Star (the USB works great on a MAC but we tried 2 different P/Cs with XP Home, SP3 with no success.) And, customer service is a 1 Star.

Product : 5 Stars

USB P/C : 1 Star

Customer Svc: 1 Star

Manual : 0 Stars ( Crucial Errors and Non-sense.)

I hope this helps. Now I can finally get down to enjoying the product itself. I can get by without USB functions but I hate to pay for the feature and never get it to work for me on either of 2 different high-quality P/Cs. Again, it works fine on a MAC.

Best regards.

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Actually this device is much more than a toy. I record weekly with a keyboard player and I no longer need to take my guitar amplifier to this session. I just carry the PX5D along with the necessary cords and attach it directly to his mixer which is hooked directly to his PC. I can change guitar sounds as the music requires. I can also plug the PX5D into my PC via a USB port and quickly edit the user settings for sounds and also program rhythm chains easily. The device seems to be very well made and has performed flawlessly so far .

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Rarely do I take the time to rate a product, but I've been very happy with the PX5 since I got it for Christmas. It's been REALLY fun! It's easy to use, sounds really good, and makes playing a blast. If you're seriously thinking of getting a processor, I highly suggest this product. The ONLY complaint I have is that the power cord is not included. It doesn't seem to be sucking down batteries, but I'd rather run in with an AC adapter. I'll have to purchase that soon..... Overall, 5 stars!

This device is just too much fun. I thought there was actually 700 rythms, but it does not really. It has 128 rhythms, which is composed of drums (three variations) and bass (three variations). Bass can be set to off, drums don't have that option. The device is very easy to customize/change the sounds using the free software that comes with it. I have to read the instructions to figure out how to set the chains on the device itself, but with the software is a breeze. There twenty chains that can be customized. Each chain has 16 tracks with the option of repeating each rhythm a max of 4 times per track. Creating a rhythm for a song is easy. Like I said before there are three variations of drum and bass and a key (scale) can be set for each individual track. This is useful when you have a key change in the middle of a song. The phraser is awesome and very easy to use. press phraser and start playing. it will automatically stop recording when you stop playing and continue looping automatically. This is fun. You'll be hooked on it for hours.

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Casio CTK-2100 61 Key Personal Keyboard with New Voice Pad Feature

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List Price: $149.99
Sale Price: $97.40
Today's Bonus: 35% Off

• Easy-to-play keyboard 61-key portable keyboard with wide range of tones, rhythms and learning capabilities
• 400 high-quality tones, 150 rhythms and auto accompaniments for Latin music
• Voice Pad allows you to play sampled sounds; connect CD or MP3 player for practicing along with favorite songs
• USB port and General MIDI support allows connection with a computer or another GM-compatible device
• Powered by 6 AA batteries or AC adapter (not included)

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I'm a piano teacher, specializing in teaching very young beginners. I sympathize with parents who ask me if they really have to invest in a traditional piano for a 5or 6-year-old who might not really like the instrument after a few lessons. So I am willing to teach on an electronic keyboard, and for several years, I've recommended the CTK-700, which for around $100 at Target or Walmart offered full-size keys and a reasonable "touch".

I do warn parents that a beginner will NOT advance as quickly on a keyboard as they do on an acoustic piano, and I encourage parents to find even a terrible upright as soon as possible if their children maintains interest in the instrument. However, remember that traditional pianos require tuning twice yearly, and around $200 moving fee when you buy or sell...if you are the average parent struggling to make ends meet, I can understand the reluctance to make this kind of investment on top of weekly piano lessons.

To my knowledge, Casio doesn't make the CTK-700 anymore. Apparently the 2100 is the replacement. I find that the touch is not quite as good as the 700, the keys are a little too "springy" for my taste; when you pressed a key on the 700 there was a slight resistance that was better for my students.

However, for the price, this is a good keyboard. It's relatively durable (I've seen it fall from a stand all the way to the floor--some keys were pushed out of place, but could be pushed back and the keyboard functioned as before with no lasting problems). There is a headphone jack, which might be helpful in a family with small children. The default grand piano sound is acceptable and kids have fun playing with the other sounds.

In addition to price, another advantage to keyboards for young beginners is that the keyboard (with an "X" type stand) can be adjusted to the proper height for the child. You get a headstart on good technique by making the piano fit the child: in fact this is a prime tenet of Suzuki piano instruction, where instructors use an adjustable chair (retail: $600) and adjustable stool (minimum of $60 retail). (The concept is to make the height of the keys so that the forearm is parallel to the ground and the wrist straight with the body relaxed.) With a keyboard, as the child grows, you can adjust the stand and the chair you use to keep the forearm at the right height and the feet flat on the floor or on some type of footstool (for instance, those risers that people use for kids to reach the sink, or a couple phonebooks). A little care in setting up the keyboard at the proper height will lead the beginning student to good technique automatically.

Still, remember that the tactile feedback from a true piano along with the physical sensation of piano strings vibrating has an impact on the performer's enjoyment. You won't get that from a beginner keyboard from any manufacturer. But I believe that this is a decent product for a reasonable price.

I don't recommend the higher priced "touch-sensitive" keyboards such as the Privia. What I've experienced is that something about the ways those keys work leads to disastrous technique in my students--very bad habits that have proved difficult to correct. And professional keyboards contain features (MIDI input, sampled sounds etc.) that are not necessary for beginning students--don't waste your money on these items. If money is an issue, try this keyboard or an equivalent from Yamaha, and then upgrade to a used upright when the child has demonstrated a lasting interest.

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I bought this item to teach my kids how to play the piano. Since we live in a fairly small space, I thought it would be a great alternative to a regular upright piano. I love the touch, much better than the CTk 700 which my kids had before. This one is so much better! I love this piano and I love using it to teach my kids how to play.

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The keyboard is pretty much what I expected. It's a fun instrument with enough keys for 2-handed playing, and the 400 "voices" and other features provide a lot of varied entertainment. I got this to use in an RV and to take to social gatherings. The sound quality is satisfactory, and is better than some other small keyboards. However, it is not comparable to a real piano, either in touch or sound. My only disappointment is the absence of an AC adapter, which is supposed to be included, according to the product description. I have ordered an adapter and a sustain pedal. The former is cheaper than replacing 6 AA batteries every 4 playing hours, and the latter produces a significant improvement in the sound quality. PS: If you plan to walk into Radio Shack for an adapter, take the keyboard with you. They have many choices, and it would be easy to make a mistake.

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This is a really nice keyboard for the money. My kids love it, and the quality is what you would normally expect from Casio. Good product, just don't expect it to be a professional grade keyboard. It is what it is.

I bought this keyboard for my 4-year old to use for piano practice. It is exactly what I was looking for at a very reasonable price. He really enjoys playing with the extra features (stored songs, changing tempo and instrument sounds). The piano feels solid and of good quality (except a little bend in my battery cover on bottom so easily overlooked and probably not on all). The piano sound is more realistic than others I've heard. No plug was included although in the product description it says one is included. Amazon immediately fixed the problem for me by having me order the plug and refunding me the price. Very pleased with this purchase & would recommend to anyone in need of a keyboard.

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Samson G Track USB Microphone and Audio Interface

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List Price: $149.00
Sale Price: $119.99
Today's Bonus: 19% Off

• Revolutionary USB Recording Microphone^Large Diaphragm Studio Condenser Microphone with gain control^Stereo input jack for instrument and line level signal with gain control^Stereo Headphone Output for no latency monitoring with level control^3 position headphone switch for stereo, mono, computer monitoring
• Revolutionary USB Recording Microphone, Large Diaphragm Studio Condenser Microphone with gain control, Stereo input jack for instrument
• Line level signal with gain control^Stereo Headphone Output for no latency monitoring with level control
• 3 position headphone switch for stereo, mono, computer monitoring

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This will be a nice semi-quick review with a little more technical perspective than a lot of the previous ones. I'm a big home recording nut, who's been on the road a lot the last year, mostly recording with my laptop, this mic, and a full version of Sonar.

First off, the audio quality:

Pretty decent. No noticeable glitches while using. Does sound a little tinny at times, but it's definitely on par with most of my other $100+ mikes (my most expensive one is a $200 Rode). Very usable for recording vocals (singing), but I haven't tried it with an acoustic guitar or other acoustic instruments. VERY-usable-plus for recording spoken words. Frequency range seems decent, but again, I haven't really ran the thing through a full range of applications.

Build quality:

Nice and solid. Almost too heavy though for easy lugging on small trips...but I keep it in the manufacturer's box and slide it in my suitcase, and so far it has made every trip just fine.

Ease of use:

Big plus here, despite a stable Windows OS possibly being as much responsible for the super simple use of the thing as the mic itself. Plug it in via USB, and you're ready to go. No special driver install or software required to get it working.

Extras:

Line in and headphone out are constructed directly on the mic...this lets you use the mic as a line-in for recording an electronic keyboard or electric guitar directly into your recording software. And then you can use the microphone part of it to record vocals or any acoustic instruments. Nice double-feature to have in the same piece of hardware

Comes with a very usable desk mic stand

Comes with all the necessary cables to use right away

Comes with some scaled-down Cakewalk recording software for your computer

I expected the sound quality would be usable and it is, but I admit the all-in-one extras and the acceptable price were what ultimately snagged me and prompted the one-click order.

Final thoughts:

If you're only doing podcasting (no music or instrument input required), you might consider a lower priced USB mic without the extras. BUT, if you're doing music with the thing, the line-in and line-out features and easy direct monitoring are way nice and worth the price.

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I've worked for for radio stations doing classical music recording & live 'casts. My expectations for any mike at this price are pretty modest.

Boy, was I surprised!!! I can only address voice recording, as that's all I've used it for so far, but WOW! It sounds good enough that I was wondering if I'd gotten a "freak?" Seeing the number of 5 star reviews, I think it's simply a great product for the price. Do consider getting the shock mount, for best results. For voice-overs, I use it on a floor stand and read standing up. Better diaphragmatic breath control I need all the help I can get. Makes me sound like I'm using an AKG 414 (just not quite as good s/n). A real keeper!

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Before buying this I was mainly concerned with quality (best value for the money). I had initially considered the AKG Perception 100, but it needs XLR inputs. Buying an input device for my pc or a usb mixer, would have put me over budget.

The Samson G Track exceeded my expectations. I use it for Podcasting and film post production. I do not hear any background noise. The sound is solid. You can't go wrong with this mic.

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Just a quick recording using my D7000 for video and the Samson G-Track mic for audio. I used Audacity to record the audio, and DualEyes to sync it to the video.

i am very impressed. i've been playing around with line in and mics for recording using Garageband with mixed results. I plugged in this mic and 1) it worked the first time, 2) the sound quality is adequate (although a bit volume sensitive) , 3) i love the multi track recording, 4) no noticeable latency. I am very pleased for the price.

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American Dj Dura Clamp Clamp For Light Bridge One System

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List Price: $2.95
Sale Price: $1.99
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

• Lighting clamp designed for the Dura Truss system
• Maximum load: 20 lbs.

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Got these but they don't fit on my light bar I got from GC. So I had to send them back

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Does the job at an affordable price! Defiantly a must have to keep around the house for a DJ like me. I have several!

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I picked these clamps over many others because they fit the application better than most for a light duty application on a 3/4 inch truss frame plus the price is reasonable for the quality of the clamp. I have used them now for a few years and they have never failed or created a problem and have taken all the abuse I have put them through.

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great clamp to hang up my laser lighting equipment to my truss. holds tight and don't have to worry of it falling

Good Clamp. And very good priced. Would not trust on a light 20 pounds or more if you have a light 15 pounds or more I would get a safety cable on the light/truss or what ever you are using for a light fixture.

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Behringer UCG102 Guitar-to-USB Interface

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List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $39.99
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

• Plug in your favorite guitar and turn your PC or Mac computer into a guitar amp and recording system without the need for any other hardware
• Package also includes link to download Kristal 16-track music production and Audacity editing software
• Works directly with your PC or Mac computer - ultra-low latency ASIO driver for PC included
• Stereo Headphone output lets you jam with your computer and can also be used for monitoring with active monitor speakers
• Variable-speed file playback function for MP3, WAV, AIFF audio files - perfect for easy learning and practicing

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I Just received this yesterday and immediately tried to hook up my guitar to Garageband through my Mac (OS 10.6.7, GB11 V6.02). I spent a frustrating hour and a half trying to play my guitar through my computer and speakers and finally gave up. Part of the problem is that I am just getting to know the Garageband program. The lack of manufacturer documentation for using the UCG102 for use with Garageband is also surprising given it appears that Behring appears to be a major supplier to the music industry. Of course this amateur part of the biz is probably new to them. That said, after some fiddling I got it to work. I figured I would write the instructions that don't appear to exist. This is just if you are using a Mac and the latest version of Garageband, not sure if this will be helpful if you have another setup.

1) Start Garageband with the UCG102 unplugged.

2) Select new project and click on the electric guitar icon. A dialog box will pop up that will allow you to name and create a new project. When you click create you will see a image that has a guitar under the heading "Tracks" on the left side of the garage band window. On the right side there should be an image of a Guitar amp. Using the menu selection above the picture of the amp you can select different amps. Pick an amp.

3) Plug the UCG102 into your computer USB port. A few seconds later a dialog box will pop up that says "Garageband is scanning your system for audio devices, and has detected a device named "USB Audio Codec"." Select "Yes" you want to use the device.

4) Now this step is the one I originally missed. Go to Garageband Preferences and select "Audio/Midi". For "Audio Output" select whatever speakers you computer uses to provide audio (not doing this is where I originally messed up). Even if you were previously playing audio using Garageband you have to do this step. For Audio input select "USB Audio Codec" and close the preferences window.

5) Once you select the amp you want on the right hand side of the screen, double click on the amp image. You should see an image showing the back of the amp. Below it you will now see two pull down menus. The input source should will either be "Mono 1 (Audio CODEC)" or "Mono 2 (Audio CODEC)". Now go to the second menu called Monitor and select "ON". Also make sure you computer sound volume is on.

6) You should be good to go.

Hope this helps. Time to make music.

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Simple, easy

Plugged it into a Mac, plugged the guitar into it, plugged in headphones, worked fine with Garageband. Sound is clear and no latency on my setup. Can't comment on the windows side since I don't have a windows pc to test against.

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I have not had the problems other posters have had. The ASIO driver that comes with the ucg102 works well with the guitar combo filters. (yes the website does exist to get one of the guitar combos to unlock forever). If you have problems with the device first read this section of the readme file of the driver:

3. IMPORTANT NOTES:

-------------------

-> Driver will be installed ONLY on USB port where your hardware is connected while installation!

-> After installation ALL other audio drivers are blocked on this USB port!

-> For using different drivers: Connect your USB audio hardware to a different USB port.

-> Alternative drivers which work fine with the named hardware products:

Win XP only: ASIO2KS (from the BEHRINGER U-CONTROL Download page)

Win XP + Vista: ASIO4ALL (see providers homepage)

This being said I am able to get this device to work with Audacity(one of the programs that comes with the device) just by plugging into another USB port. Also I have used the ASIO4ALL driver which eliminates the need to unplug the devices when switch between Audacity and the guitar combo application.

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Initially, I wasn't sure which PC-Guitar interface to get and I avoided these things for a few years until the companies started producing 64 bit drivers to allow users to run their products on Windows x64. For this device, I am running it through Guitar Rig 5 and Mixcraft with impressive results. I have absolutely NO crackling, noise or latency issues. I have an above average desktop computer with a motherboard sound card and Windows 7 x64.

If you install Behringer's 64 bit drivers and ASIO4All, configure everything properly, you shouldn't have any problems. For those who've had to run an audio chord from the unit's headphone jack directly to their speakers; this step is not required to get results. If you use ASIO4All and Behringer's USB driver together, you can select your audio output to go directly through your sound card after the signal's been processed through your recording software. This is why I purchased the device in the first place. Because I wanted to work with a digital signal within my recording and Guitar Rig software. The Behringer UCG102 allows you to do just that.

Here are some steps to get you going in the right direction. By the way, I went through some frustrating trial and error getting this device to work the way I wanted in Windows 7 x64. It would be nice if Behringer would update their manual and website to provide better setup instruction. This, in my opinion, is the only negative against the product.

Basic Windows 7 setup...

1. Download Behringer's Windows x64 driver from their web page...

2. Run the Behringer driver setup and when it asks you to reboot; Go ahead and do that.

3. Download and install the ASIO4All drivers from their web page...

4. If the Behringer UCG102 isn't plugged into to the USB port, do that now. If it's already plugged in, remove it and plug it back in again. This step ensures that the driver is properly loaded and the device is up and running in Windows.

5. Go to Windows 7 Control Panel or do a menu search for 'Sound' to configure your Windows Playback and Recording settings.

6. The Behringer still needs to be plugged in to configure these settings. In your Windows 'Sound' settings, make sure your 'Playback' device is set to your default speakers. If using headphones, set them as the "Default" Playback device.

7. Under the 'Recording' tab, select 'Line In' and if the Behringer USB driver is loaded and running properly, you should see an option to select "Behringer USB WDM Audio 2.8.40' as the Line-in device. The '2.8.40' is the driver version you downloaded from their web page and that number may change as drivers are updated.

8. Now you can start up your Guitar Rig or effects processor software. In Guitar Rig, you have to go into 'Audio and Midi Settings' and ensure that you are using 'Asio' as your driver and "Asio4All V2' as your device. Under the 'Routing' tab you have to make sure your 'Outputs' are set to either speakers or headphones. Under 'Inputs', make sure you have 'Behringer USB Audio 1' under just the 'L' or left channel only. The settings under the 'MIDI' tab don't affect this type of setup so there's nothing you need to do there.

*** Step 8 is where you will normally run into problems and to fix this, you have to configure your ASIO4All settings. In the far right corner of your Windows taskbar, you should see a green icon, which if clicked will bring up your ASIO4All configuration window. You can also select 'ASIO Config' in Guitar Rig within the 'Audio and Midi Settings' and get into the same window. To get everything working, you have to click on the wrench to open the ASIO configuration.

This is where you'll have to do some trial and error by clicking on the input and output device icons. What you're looking for is a green On/Off button with green arrows next to them for your input and output devices. For example, under my settings, I have the following ASIO devices showing green buttons and arrows...

Top selection = Output: 'High Definition Audio Device"

Bottom Selection = Input: 'Behringer USB WDM Audio 2.8.40' = (In: 2x 44.1-48kHz, 32 bits; Out: 2x 44.1-48kHz, 32 bits)

A blacked out On/Off button icon with no green arrow, or a red 'X' next to these settings means something's wrong or you haven't clicked on the On/Off button icon so that device is actually turned on.

Click on the wrench to exit out of the ASIO configuration.

If you're not getting all the selection options in the ASIO or audio/midi configuration settings, try the following...

1. Close Guitar Rig and other recording software

2. Unplug the Behringer UCG102 and plug it back in again

3. Repeat steps 6, 7 and 8 and also check your Windows 'Sound' Playback and Recording settings to make sure they haven't changed

If your using recording software like Mixcraft, you also have to use the ASIO device drivers within that software in order to record your guitar. By the way, I am able to run Guitar Rig's VST and real-time record with all Guitar Rig's effects within Mixcraft and achieve impressive results. Latency is not an issue because I'm using the ASIO drivers in combination with Behringer's USB driver. If you're having troubles, don't give up and keep at it. You'll be happy with the results and there's nothing like being able to record in real-time while using awesome guitar effects. I love it!

This thing works, but the devil is in the software (I am writing from a PC). While a number of different programs are included with this product none of them make it simple to record. The amp modeling software is compatible and recognizes the hardware, but isn't suitable for recording. Audacity isn't compatible out of the box and neither is the EnergyXT2. This drove me absolutely crazy. For a couple of weeks the only thing I could do was practice through headphones (which works very well). Plain and simple I bought this to record.

I am sure there are costly software solutions out there that can recognize the USB/ASIO drivers and record via this interface but I didn't want to pay for something I thought I should get out of the box. Fortunately, after much turmoil I discovered that for the computer savvy individual there is a way. Audacity can be built to include native ASIO support! However this requires compiling your own custom (and non-distributable) build. The excellent step by step directions to do so are here:

Once I got Audacity to recognize the USB/ASIO drivers I was much happier with the purchase. I still give the product 3-stars because I assume the average consumer won't want to go through the pain of custom building software to get a recording ability. To me, a out of the box recording is a basic requirement of a "Guitar-to-USB Interface".

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BestDealUSA New 5ft 3.5mm Audio Stereo Headphone Male to Female Extension Cable Fast Ship

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $0.01
Today's Bonus:

Product was well priced and works as expected.

First shipment was lost. When notified they sent a replacement order immediately. Will shop them today for a TV to DVD cable

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Monoprice 105581 25-Feet Premium Stereo Male to Stereo Male 22AWG Audio Cable - Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $17.01
Sale Price: $13.49
Today's Bonus: 21% Off

This is one of the highest quality Male-Male cables of this type that I have seen. If you want a great product for transferring your sound, this might be what you are looking for. I also love the length of if being 25ft. This was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks.

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This is probably the sturdiest, thickest "auxiliary" (3.5mm stereo TRS) cable available at this price.

It has large connectors, so that can be a downside if you are trying to connect it to, say, a phone with a case on it, or an iPod. However, with a 25 foot cable, you are likely going to be stepping on it, tripping over it, setting things on top of it, etc., and this cord seems more than capable of standing up to that sort of abuse.

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Sir Ike "Stylist" Black Bluetooth Wireless Headphones

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $89.99
Today's Bonus:

I got to try these out a few months ago when they were in production and bought a pair the first chance i had. Its clearly obvious these were developed by a NYC DJ bc the sound quality was amazing....I felt like it wasn't muffled or echoed at all.

I was even able to talk on my iPhone with them through Bluetooth. Just to make sure I wasn't crazy, I tried a pair of Beats by DR Dre when I passed the electronics aisle in Target and I PROMISE the quality of Sir Ikes was just as great as the overpriced pair. I love the sleek look, and I always get compliments when I wear them at the gym. GET THESE!!

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Flanger Blue Miniature Portable Headphone Guitar AMP Amplifier

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $17.46
Today's Bonus:

• Small and exquisite appearance, it is convenient to carry.
• No matter you are in the college dorms or travelling, you can enjoy your music at any time without disturbing other people.
• Up to 15 hours of battery life with supplied lithium battery.
• Aux in jack lets you play along with your CD MP3 player.
• True analog circuit faithfully simulates the response of original amps.

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It looks very nice, and the pretty blue LED came on when hooked up to a charger. Unfortunately, nothing happened when I flicked the 'on' switch. No sound, no 'power on' indication. It will _briefly_ flicker on and produce sound if I flex the box slightly. I figure it's a bad solder joint or something like that. Sub-standard manufacturing. I suppose I could give it to a handy friend to take apart and fix, but this should really work straight out of the box. Even at this price. I've filed a claim....let's see what happens.

As a sidenote, I do own a VOX AP-BS (Bass). The Flanger is basically a copy of this. The VOX works perfectly and has survived being tossed repeatly in a backpack. Pricey, but rugged and has great sound. As a comparison, I would give the VOX four stars compared to this.

Update: The very nice folk at Flanger sent me a replacement unit. This unit came with much better packaging than the previous one. This amplifier works very well; switches on readily, sound quality is good and battery holds a charge just fine. When I compare the first unit with the replacement, it seems that the first one was battered in shipment. 'On' switch is rickety, the plug flexes and the amplifier body makes creaking noises on the bad unit. None of these problems evident with the replacement. At this price, it's a very good deal compared to the VOX units. Although the sound might not be quite as good as a VOX, the price value puts it at four stars.

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Liked:

-The construction of the device is pretty solid despite its held together with only 4 tiny screws. (BUT I would recommend not being rough with it)

-Batteries already came with a charge, so I was able to test it right away. (I like the USB charging capability.)

-I know its typically for guitar, but I bought it for bass and it sounds fine plugging in directly. For me it seems to have a natural overdrive sound even with the drive and tone knobs all the way down. (my active pickups could also be contributing to this)

-It sounds FANTASTIC when plugged into the end of my pedal chain. No more overdrive sound like when plugging in directly and the effects work great through it.

-Very handy when I want to be in another room to practice silently without having to lug around my bass amp

Disliked:

-The AUX jack was not flush to the outside of the casing, so the 3.5mm cable provided didn't make a proper connection. So I took it apart and widened the casing surrounding the AUX jack using a larger drill bit just to get the cable plugged in all the way. All fixed!

Now the AUX jack looks funny but it works and sounds great!

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This does a nice job for the price. I use it with headphone and occasionally with the speakers from my pc (don't have an extra amp) Distortion is a little hokey as described before. You can leave this plugged into your strat but it will break if you leave it in your Les Paul. Good value for the money. Pretty cool little device.

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I don't often write reviews about anything, but I like this product so much I just had to! I practice guitar every chance I get, and this device makes it easy to practice quietly.I even bring it to the beach with a cheep Fender Squier and play it there. I sounds great and easy to use. Just get it!

If you don't want to bother your neighbor with the sound of your guitar this is a good option. This device works well altough I don't feel very confortable with the headphones cable. The construction doesn't look very fine but is working so far. The knobs feel rather cheap and sometimes is hard to adjust the Flanger to get good sound. But for the price it offers a good way to play your favorite music in private.

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Yamaha SV-200 Silent Violin Performance Model Ocean Blue

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,799.00
Sale Price: $1,260.99
Today's Bonus: 30% Off

• Oval shaped neck is finished with a thin layer of a specially formulated finish that offers a feel identical to an acoustic violin
• A floating tailpiece enhances tone from the strings Line Out jack is positioned so the cord can be draped over the performer's shoulder
• EQ Mode Switch allows the user to skip the built-in EQ_s default setting so you can take advantage of high-end equalization
• Headphone Out - Line Out - Powered by 1 DC9V battery
• The Yamaha SV-200 Blue Silent Electric 4/4 Violin is a perfect example of Yamaha Quality!
• The frame has been extended further around past the chin rest so as to accommodate nearly any standard chin and/or shoulder rest

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I bought this to take to Afghanistan on deployment so I could practice while I'm here. Its rugged enough that it made the trip with no problems, but I practice it without headphones so I can more easily match the sound with the resonance of the instrument. The headphones sound fine, but I prefer to play without them so I can concentrate on the natural vibration of the instrument.

I used it at a country gig the weekend before I came and plugged directly into a Fender Tube amp sans preamp or equalizer, but wasn't happy with the sound too high. I didn't have time to experiment with tweaking the sound, so thats probably less about the instrument. I enjoyed having the quarter inch jack to plug into instead of having to worry that I was going to scratch the wood on my regular violin with the pickup grip.

While deployed, I've been able to plug the violin into my Bose desktop computer speakers and it sounds much better than through the fender guitar amp. I'm actually considering using that on stage next time, but I plan to expirement with an equalizer first. The best sound I've ever gotten out of an amped violin was at Toby Keith's restaurant gig in Oklahoma where I went into the PA via a direct box and into a powered monitor. So, I think its only a matter of time before I find an acceptable set up for this violin.

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Smokey Mini Amp, Translucent Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $24.95
Today's Bonus:

• Great tube amp tone, Sympathetic overdrive
• Speaker out jack (can be used with headphones that have their own volume control)

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I got my Smokey mini-amp today and it blows my mind, it sounds just like an old 60's Marshall tube amp with warm and gritty distortion and the best cleans I've ever heard. It's very loud and mostly balanced EQ with a lower mid range. it also make a great distortion pedal for a bigger amp! It is perfect for any type of rock type music. I love this amp, no complaints!!!! Buy one, I mean a US made amp that sound awesome, how can you argue!!

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This mini amp is higly recommended for new guitarists! I really thought my amp was going to blow up when I drove it when it was plugged into a 4x12 Peavey. VERY loud for it's size!

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What a fun little amp! It sounds great and puts out a lot of volume for the size.

It makes you want to be like Carlos Santana in Mexico City, and take a walk around town playing guitar...

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I used to buy these back when it was still cool that thte came in cig packs, but these days I buy the plastic version and transplant it into a cigar box for even better sound. Insiders tip: try it with an unpowered acoustic piezoelectric pickup for bell-like clarity I've not heard from any amp before or since. Beautiful.

I buy it to plug my bassguitar, but the speaker has an inevitable fuzz, to clear the sound I have to switch off one microphone and low the volume of the another one,with light tone. But when I want a vintage fuzz in my bass, some like Lemmy's it's very good.

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SX GA1065 / STCAD 10 Watt Guitar Amplifier

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $49.95
Today's Bonus: 44% Off

• A great all around amp!Perfect for beginners and for lugging around to practices.
• Headphone jack allows for quiet practice.Also included is a free guitar cable and strap!
• Free instructional DVD now included with this 10 Watt amp - powered through a specially designed 5.5" speaker.
• Master Volume Control. Two Band EQ with Bass and Treble controls.
• Weight of amp: 6.5 lbs.Overall dimensions: 9 3/4" wide x 10 5/8" high x 5" deep.

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Don't get me wrong, for 30 bux in pawn shop its freakin perfect! But its overdrive only turns nasty with a humbucker HOT!! I use a tiny pandora processor so I keep it clean. All in all its a real bluesy amp that gets louder than necessary but not as loud as my halfstack JSX. So its nice to keep my jammin inside my own house!

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Line 6 M5 StompBox Modeler

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $129.99
Today's Bonus:

• Less is more - compact size is no bigger than one large single effect pedal.
• More is more - over 100 of the most popular pro-quality effects seen on pedal boards around the world, delivered one at a time.
• Stompbox simple - you didn't have to learn a new language for your old favorites, why start now?
• Totally pro - fully stereo, MIDI capable, expression pedal option, tap tempo and much more.
• Rugged - battle-ready construction you'd expect for something you'll be kicking all the time.

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I play exclusively in my home studio. Because my style varies from classic rock to blues and country, I rarely use more than 1 effect at a time (don't want to mash up my sound). Therefore, this works for me. Readers might be interested in this: I ran this box in line with a Tech21 Blonde Fender amp modeling pedal direct into the board and it works like a charm. If you have an amp or modeling pedal, you can use the drive and/or reverb from that source in combo with the effects on this pedal.

All in all, I am very pleased with this product. Another fine Line 6 device. As for the 1 effect at a time it is what it is and, knowing that upfront, didn't take away points. Look, guys,there is always a "work-around". Right?

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I bought the M5 to replace a number of pedals I tended to use one at a time (including a Line 6 FM4 synth unit). I reasoned that if the M5 could dial up these same effects, I could downsize my board and all would be well.

From a sound perspective no problem. As with all Line 6 products, the patches are all excellent. If I had to use just one pedal for studio work, this would be it.

Live performance is another story. It just isn't possible to switch between presets effectively by scrolling up or down. The combination of the oddly reversed "up" and "down" footswitches and the weak LED display makes it impossible to use this pedal onstage unless you only use 2-3 patches per set, which pretty much defeats the purpose of owning it. My bandmates got irritated with the time it took between songs to dial up the requisite patch, which is understandable, since it's unprofessional.

I decided to sell mine on eBay and buy an M9, which gives you six presents at the tap of a button and a variety of "scenes" (i.e. "banks")of effects. It's not just that the M9 is worth the extra money it is it's just that the M5 is unusable for this stage musician.

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I bought this for electric but have ended up using it for my bass guitar in my band absolutely great reverb set ups and overdrive. Sub Octave Fuzz on a bass is just awesome. Easy to use... makes me wanna buy an M9... or an M13 mmmmmmmmmmm. Well done Line 6!

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I'm probably one of the few that are using this unit for a bass guitar, 4 string that is. Took long consideration to buy or not to buy, at the end of the day all I needed was a tuner and a compressor. After doing the math it equalled in price so why not. Not regretting this at all, although 100+ effects even for guitar sound a lot, and mostly is marketing buzz. After dialling through the effect banks it becomes obvious most of it is filler material and essentially of little use practically, you never really need more then a handful of distinct effects, especially in a live setting, and really that's all you get here too. Most of what makes up the set of 100 are variations of the same thing, and it even gets less when you consider using a bottom end instrument with it. Regardless, what's left are a handful of high quality effects, 24 bit sampling takes care of that. So, other then pulling out exotic sounds here's what ended up in my custom setup for daily gigging:

Tube Compressor nice warm compression, works well for a bass guitar

Couple of EQ settings to bring out the bottom end/mid ranges and cut off treble, some EQ type choices here which are very nice

Pitch Shifter half step down, switching instantaneously to Eb blues tunes

Pitch Shifter full step down, for some more tuned down songs

Plus a great tuner, at the end there's no reason to complain, very nice, compact and sturdy unit, even comes with a power supply, which will cost you extra with a pick and choose stomp box setup. So while I think I was gambling a bit here I definitely feel like a winner.

I could never see myself buying a dedicated compressor, reverb pedal, harmonizer, ring modulator, etc. The Line 6 M5 seemed like a good way to have a "jack-of-all-trades" pedal on my board for those times I needed one specialized effect. I have to say that it serves that purpose in spades.

I have an all-analog board and was reluctant to have anything digital on it based on past experience with modelers. I was wrong to worry; digital has come a long way. Almost all of the effects sound great to my ear, especially into a tube amp. True bypass means no tone suck to boot.

High points for the delays, reverbs, and mods. I am not a fan of all of the drives but the Overdrive and Boost Comp sound pretty awesome. The Rat model "Classic Distortion" sounds exactly like my ProCo Rat2. Wish I could say the same for the Big Muff model but I guess they couldn't get them all right.

The only issue is I liked it so much I could not resist the urge to get the M9 so I can run three effects simultaneously. However, if you need a pedal to fill in for those times when you need a certain single effect the M5 is a winner.

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