Line 6 AMPLIFi TT Guitar Effects Processor Review

Founded in 1996, Line 6 has steamrolled their way to being a top contender and trend setter in the pro-audio equipment world.  Each year, I marvel at the new product releases they introduce in which there are features that have yet to be dreamt of by their competitors.  The AMPLIFi TT is yet another shining example of Line 6 taking pro-audio to another level with a small, compact table top pre-amplifier and processor that is controlled via Bluetooth and can be easily integrated to your home theater system, powered speakers, headphones and/or your computer.  But if that’s not enough to raise your interest, the AMPLIFi TT is loaded with virtual models of 70 classic guitar amplifiers, 20+ speaker cabinets and 100+ stellar effects allowing a musician to dial in nearly any feasible tone.  Perhaps the most incredible feature is that this amazing compact lightweight box can also connect with your Bluetooth phone or tablet, which then allows you to access countless features and to program the AMPLIFi TT all via Line 6’s free app called “AMPLIFi Remote.”  AMPLIFi Remote can also play your music library and the dual volume capability allows you to match the song’s volume to your guitar volume, making for a seamless practice to your favorite music.  But it doesn’t stop there.  Along with the ability to play through your music library, the app allows you to access Line 6’s on-line user database where literally thousands of tones have been created that simulate those of your favorite guitarists.  As for the icing on the cake, the AMPLIFi TT also works with Line 6’s FBV Shortboard MKII pedal, making it the perfect foot control interface for taking all of your favorite tones out for gigging.  Though the performance and features of the AMPLIFi TT are near perfection, there are some features that can be found in other Line 6 products that would greatly improve this compact powerhouse.  For more details, check out our full review.

Small Package, Amazing Features

Ergonomics

The Amplify TT dimensions are 8.8” x 17.6” x 5” and weighs in at a mere 5.2 lbs.  There are no visible screws or hardware; instead, the box is accented with deep red side panels and a metallic boarder along with black front, back, sides and top.  From a size and weight perspective, the AMPLIFi TT stands in stark contrast to the top-of-the-line DT50 212 with a weight of 63 lbs.  I mention the comparison because in many ways, the Amplify TT is nearly as feature packed as the DT50, easier to use, and only has a few key features missing, aside from the built in speakers and power amp.  The AMPLIFi TT pre-amp is sleek, attractive and ergonomically designed.  The front panel has a standard backlit Bluetooth logo along with red and white LEDs that identify the volume settings.  The volume knob can be pushed in to change from guitar volume to music play back volume.  LEDs switch between red and white to help you distinguish between the two volume settings.  Having the two separate volumes allows you to easily blend the music and guitar to your preferred settings.

There are separate knobs for Drive, Bass, Midrange, Treble and Reverb along with push buttons to access a four bank tone library that you create.  There’s also a “Tap” button for setting delay rates.  Holding down the “Tap” button engages a built in tuner.  The LEDs behind the volume knob are lit red and to the left when flat, and to the right when sharp.  The closer in tune the more upward to the top they light and when in tune, three of them at the very top turn white.  Inputs include a ¼” jack for plugging in the guitar and another for headphones.

The back panel has a ¼” jack “Amp Output” allowing you to plug the pre-amp directly into your favorite guitar amp.  There are also left/right RCA outputs for connecting in analog to your home theater/stereo system, ¼” jack outputs for connecting to power monitors or a PA system, an Optical TOSLINK output for digitally connecting to your home theater/stereo system, a USB connection for plugging directly into your laptop or a Direct Box, and an FBV RJ-45 connection, which can be used to connect the box to a Line 6 Shortboard MKII Pedal.  Warning:  Never plug the RJ-45 input into an internet modem.  As Line 6’s Public Relations guru points out.  “It will be like kicking the unit in the balls.”

Line 6 AMPLIFi TT Guitar Effects Processor Remote App

In its most simple form, a musician can plug a guitar into the front panel along with a pair of headphones, and operate the AMPLIFi TT with nothing more than the onboard knobs and buttons.  But with a simple and free download, you can have access to what really makes this pre-amp a trend setter.  Line 6 has developed an app that is compatible with IOS and Android, which in my opinion has revolutionized the way a musician can configure guitar tones.  Without any prior training, I watched one brief but helpful video, downloaded the AMPLIFi Remote app onto my iPhone 5 and was able to intuitively weave through the amazing armament of features.  I was unsure how the app would work on a phone, considering most of Line 6’s marketing photos show a tablet with a much larger screen.  But I felt no disadvantage with the small screen size of the phone.  Easy-to-read and identify icons made it easy to quickly select any of the features available with a simple touch.  Amplifier models were categorized into Clean, American, British and High Gain.  Cabinets were identified by the speaker size, number of speakers, and type of speaker/cabinet.

     Amp Types                                   British Amp Types
                                                    (Partial List)

               

       Cabinet Types                            Adrian Belew Settings
                                 (Partial List)                                                                                                 

I really wanted to give the AMPLIFi Remote app a test spin with my music library, so I selected what I believed to be music that was a bit obscure from mainstream.  King Crimson’s Elephant Talk seemed to do the trick.  When loading the song into the app, there’s a section near the bottom called “Similar Tones.”  This part of the app searches the Line 6 database for user configurations that closely match the guitarist’s tone.  In this case, there were four such settings titled Red Main, Belew Tone, Fracture and Red Bridge.  Highlighting one of these tones with your finger automatically reprograms the model of the guitar tone including the amp head, cabinet, tone controls, gain, volume and effects.  I first selected the Belew Tone and was stunned to find how quickly and accurately it simulated Adrian Belew’s famous chorus with delay sound.  I then went on to another somewhat obscure blues musician named Joe Bonamassa and within seconds was able to pull up four users suggested settings including Bonamassa Plexi Clean, Zap’s Bonamassa, Blues Lead and Ballad of John Henry – Lead.  In all instances, the settings display a user star rating/ranking.  But perhaps the best part of this feature is the fact that you can create your own settings, name them and upload them into the ever growing Line 6 database.  This is something that I would never have imagined existed for a guitar player and without a doubt, it’s a quantum leap forward in technology that every musician at some level will enjoy. 

But what if you don’t have songs in your music library and you still want to match the guitar?  Not a problem.  The app has a search feature that allows you to type in a musician’s name, song name, band name or music genre.  My searches included Journey, Boston, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Pat Metheny, Jazz and tons of others.  In all cases, the results were amazing as so many options were available to choose from.  I also did a search for Porcupine Dream, found a match, fired up Anesthetize from my music library and started playing.  Not only was I floored at how closely it matched, but my wife commented that she had no idea I was playing along with the song.

      Stevie Ray Vaughn                             Boston            

 

                 

          Journey                                                  Robert Fripp         

But this app is not without issue because with great power comes great responsibility.  Likely the most troubling issue with this app comes from the first time you select a new tone, either out of the user library or from settings within the software.  It is far too easy to have the physical volume of the pre-amp and home theater receiver adjusted to a pleasing setting and then select a new amp model from a library where the gain is pinned.  In doing so, within an instant the AMPLIFi TT creates the loudest and harshest feedback you’ve ever heard in your life.  There is no protection within the software to keep the volume from suddenly slamming to deafening decibels.  This sudden volume change can easily overload and blow a perfectly good home theater receiver and/or speakers, so be very mindful of the volume and gain settings when switching tones.  My suggestion would be to turn the volume knob of your home theater receiver down to nearly the bottom when selecting new amps and models until you can determine where the volume and gain are set within the newly selected tone.  Please note: turning the volume knob on the AMPLIFi TT down is not the solution as that knob is also controlled by the software settings for the amp model you select.  Once a new selection is made, the amp model settings will raise or lower that volume.

Line 6 AMPLIFi TT Guitar Effects Processor FBV Shortboard MKII Pedal

The AMPLIFi TT is more than just a very powerful home theater interface for your guitar.  When adding the FBV Shortboard MKII foot controller and powered speakers, the AMPLIFi TT is gig worthy too.  This simple-to-use Shortboard MKII pedal has 16 well-conceived foot switches and a Volume/Wah pedal.   It is also very compact when compared to the Line 6 POD HD500.  Four of the bottom switches allow you to instantly access your pre-programmed tones.  There are also separate switches for a Stomp Box, Modulation, Delay and Reverb, so you can turn on and off the effects with the tap of a button.  The Volume/Wah pedal is dual function and the compact size is comfortable on the foot without being overly bulky as some Volume/Wah pedals can be.  With a slight downward tap to click, you can switch between a volume pedal or access a library full of well-known Wah-Wah pedals.  The best part about this FBV Shortboard MKII pedal is that it is connected with nothing more than an RJ-45 cable, which is the same as an Ethernet cable.  The RJ-45 is for connectivity and power so there is only one cable coming from the pedal to the AMPLIFi TT, making connecting it clean and simple.  And, there’s one less power supply to worry about too.

My only issue with this pedal at first was the built in Chromatic Tuner.  The tuner has four brackets that go down to three, to two, to one and then to two stars when in tune.  I noticed that it seemed jittery when doing the slightest amount of tuning on my guitar.   The Chromatic Tuner went from four brackets to one bracket or two stars too quickly to be accurate.   I brought this to the attention of Line 6 and after their investigation and agreement they put out a firmware upgrade to correct the issue, though I didn’t have an opportunity to validate it. 

Flat                                                      In-tune                                               Sharp    

The Soundstage

AMPLIFi TT and Yamaha RX-V2600 Home Theater Receiver

My home theater system includes the Yamaha RX-V2600 along with custom RBH Sound T-2 Towers combined with custom modified Signature SE/R center and surround speakers.  My first listening experience with the AMPLIFi-TT was through this system set to 7-channel stereo.  At first, the volume settings on the AMPLIFi TT and home theater receiver can be confusing.  When selecting a clean amp setting, some people may be inclined to turn the AMPLIFi TT volume to nearly maximum, and adjusting the receiver volume high as well in order to compensate for the low gain.   But because of the sudden volume issue described earlier, it is better to keep the physical volume knob of your home theater system low at first and use the settings in the software to help boost the overall volume with gain.  Once that is set, then turn up the home theater volume and use caution when switching models again.

It was incredible to hear my guitar play through seven channels of three-way speakers.  The clarity and brilliance of the soundstage was stunning.  I marveled that Line-6 even included simulated tube buzzing on certain models with high gain.  The tube buzz changed in pitch and volume to match the actual tone of the amplifier it was simulating.  Feedback at high gain settings also seemed to come natural and was controllable by palm muting the guitar strings, just as you would when crunching on a mega British stack.  Switching to a Clean Jazz setting and hitting the neck pickup allowed me to emulate the tones of some of my favorite Jazz artists at the touch of a finger on the phone app.  Volume matching the guitar to the song playback was a piece of cake and could be done either by the App or manually on the front panel dial knob.  Pushing the button inward turns the LEDs from white to red and allows you to change the music or guitar volume to match.  When the volumes were matched and the right tones were selected, it was a seamless sound of the playback music and my actual guitar playing.  I pulled up John Mayer’s Born and Raised, selected a user library tone that matched his guitar, and started doing amazing fills between the vocals.  My wife from another room asked if I was playing the fills or if it was a new version of the song.  The sound between instrument and playback was seamless.

AMPLIFi TT and Line 6 StageSource L2m Powered Speaker

I do quite a bit of open mic nights around town.  Being an owner of the Line 6 DT50 212 has proven difficult on my aging body and bad back as moving a near 70-lb amp from house, to car, to bar, to car, to house always proves to be a struggle.  If you’re like me, I think it becomes more important to have equipment that is lightweight, easy to move and simple to set up.  This is especially true during an open mic night where time and sometimes space on the stage is limited.  I took the AMPLIFi TT, MKII foot controller and Line 6 StageSource L2m powered speaker to an open mic night to see if I could finally leave my hefty guitar amp and pedals at home.  I am now convinced that we are in a time where it is no longer necessary to connect tons of analog pedals with various power supplies to a heavy guitar amp that is then in turn re-amplified via a microphone to the house PA system.  Instead, with one ¼” cable from your guitar to the MKII, one RJ-45 cable from the MKII foot controller to the AMPLIFi TT and two RCA cables from the AMPLIFi TT to the StageSource powered speaker, you are done!  The StageSource series of powered speakers offer several groundbreaking features.  A powerful Sharc DSP is used to give the user options for the speaker setting that include Reference/PA, Playback, Floor Monitor, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar and Keyboard.  These speakers also include an accelerometer that allows them to identify if it is horizontal or vertical and to automatically reconfigure the speaker mode setting accordingly.  Some models also include a digital mixer.  My preference was to test drive the L2m simply because it was the smallest and lightest weight speaker in the Line 6 line-up.  I was very impressed with the tightness of the 10” driver and the clarity of the horn speaker.  Although I missed some of the liveliness of my big DT50 212 amp, the combination of the AMPLIFi TT, MKII foot controller and StageSource L2m proved to be gig worthy with a substantial weight decrease and a considerably easier method of connecting.  I was able to ease through my four pre-sets and turn on and off effects pedals at will.  The sound was great for the open mic night and setting up has never been easier.

AMPLIFi TT Wish List

The AMPLIFi TT is a formidable pre-amp guitar effects processor with a wide range of uses and groundbreaking features.  But even with that, there are a few areas where the product can be improved.  For starters, there is no loop feature when combined with the MKII pedal.  And as mentioned earlier, there is no volume surge protection.  This is a big issue for me especially when connecting the unit to a home theater receiver.  It is far too easy for someone to go from a clean jazz amp setting with low gain to a library setting with high gain and be slammed to the next room with a sudden volume increase.  This surge can also blow a home theater receiver and/or speakers. 

Line 6 seems to have done a great job in tailoring this product to the electric guitar musician.  But, if they push the envelope a bit further, I believe they can do more with this product to appease both the acoustic guitar and bass guitar players.  For an acoustic guitar, this would mean creating new amp models that have high frequency settings built in to highlight the wood tone subtleties of a high quality acoustic guitar.  It would also be nice to have similar processing capabilities of a Fishman Aurora or Zoom A3, for example.  The same holds true for the bass guitar side with well-known amps and effects. 

Another feature that I’d like to see in a future version of the AMPLIFi TT is a separate channel for a microphone input.  This would make the AMPLIFi TT much more useful when taking out to gigs and open mic nights, or even practicing at home if you are a vocalist and guitarist.

Since Line 6 has now bridged the gap between home theater and pro-audio, it makes me wonder how far this technology can go.  For example, what if a future version of the AMPLIFi TT was set up to do HD Audio?  How amazing would it be to have a compact box like this with an HDMI output that will allow the guitarists to simulate multi-channel effects on their 7-channel home theater system, and play and record in HD Audio?

Line 6 AMPLIFi TT Guitar Effects Processor Conclusion

The Line 6 AMPLIFi TT is a groundbreaking product that allows any musician to connect to their home theater system for practicing, and to take a compact, lightweight and easy to connect system for their gigs.  The ability to use a simple software app via Bluetooth to control, program and customize the AMPLIFi TT to sound like your favorite guitarist, or to create your own signature tone, is revolutionary in the pro-audio arena.  The engine that drives the tones in the AMPLIFi TT is not new to Line 6, but instead based off of their many related products including pedals and modeling amps.  This means that thousands of musicians have used their interface and modeling features to the point where their software is near perfect.  The bugs that I’ve pointed out here are specific to the MK II pedal and the fact that the AMPLIFi TT also connects to a home theater system, which is far different than a PA speaker or guitar amp.  I can’t say enough about this product and how easy it is to use, connect, take on the road, and perform, all while sounding remarkable.  The quality of the amp models and effects pedals will make you consider selling off your dated analog pedal board and taking a quantum leap forward in technology and simplicity.  For an aging musician like myself, smaller and lighter are king.  I am astounded by the soundstage from such a small box.  When coupled with the FBV Shortboard MKII pedal and a Line 6 Soundstage PA speaker; the AMPLIFi TT is ready to leave your home from practicing and take to the stage for performing.  I look forward to what’s next from the most innovative company in pro-audio.  And to them I say, welcome to the world of home theater.  We’ve been waiting for you.

The Score Card

The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:

Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating

Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.

Audioholics Rating Scale

• — Excellent
• — Very Good
• — Good
• — Fair
• — Poor

Metric	Rating
Performance
Value