I really like this. It's the perfect guitarist's studio interface. They don't give you a lot of room to write here, so I'll just highlight the Pros/Cons.Pros:Z-Tone makes a difference and adds some nice finishing touches to the soundActive/Passive pad switch is a big A+ from meBuild like a tank!! Very sturdy.Reamp/Amp out works great, but requires routing in DAW.Tuner is a nice touch, seems to be as accurate as my VST Tuners.Footswitch inputs are plug and play.Meters are easy to readFootswitch and preset selector are midi assignable and work in any guitar VST that supports midi. I've tested in TH3 and S-Gear so far, and of course Amplitube.Cons:Only con about the box itself is be aware it's large. About the size of 2 Focusrite 2i2 put back to ... MoreI really like this. It's the perfect guitarist's studio interface. They don't give you a lot of room to write here, so I'll just highlight the Pros/Cons.Pros:Z-Tone makes a difference and adds some nice finishing touches to the soundActive/Passive pad switch is a big A+ from meBuild like a tank!! Very sturdy.Reamp/Amp out works great, but requires routing in DAW.Tuner is a nice touch, seems to be as accurate as my VST Tuners.Footswitch inputs are plug and play.Meters are easy to readFootswitch and preset selector are midi assignable and work in any guitar VST that supports midi. I've tested in TH3 and S-Gear so far, and of course Amplitube.Cons:Only con about the box itself is be aware it's large. About the size of 2 Focusrite 2i2 put back to back.Amplitube Deluxe will probably disappoint, so don't buy this for the software alone.Is it worth the asking price? If you are a guitarist with a small studio, absolutely!

Made in Italy, the rugged enclosure is weighty and solid. The features all contribute to bring out the tones possible from Amplitube and give them a more natural feel. The Z-Tone feature and JFET Preamp are worth the price of admission. The built-in tuner is great and switching presets from the unit is great.A couple caveats: make sure to install the latest firmware for the control panel to work in Windows. Also, thus far I am not successfully integrating the IK iRig Stomp IO as a MIDI controller (I'm working on it).This is one of the best purchases I have made in a while and it really livened up the home recording rig. Thanks, AMS!

I bought this as an upgrade from my Toneport. This was the first purchase for my new home studio. I’m using Reaper. And this works flawlessly straight out the box. Works smoothly with all the plug-ins.It has a monitor control that lets you pull off the headphones and hear the mix through the monitors. The inputs for the mic are solid. The the gain control for the guitar has a level meter so it’s super handy to dial in the perfect dB for the input. Comes with a bunch of amplitude software which is a cool deal. I highly recommend this box to someone serious but on a budget for a professional too quality input box

I bought the IK Axe I/O, which came bundled with Amplitube Max. For that package, it definitely gets 5 stars. I bought it at $300, when it dropped another $50 a month later for the same bundle, that was an even better deal. It came also came with a bunch of TRacks plugins, most notably the Black 76 and White 2A.The noise floor of my DI signal is at least 10db lower than my previous interface, a Focusrite Saffire 26. The latency is pretty good for USB2 when I record my DIs at a 64 sample buffer. I like the 1Mohm input impedances of both DI inputs. I don’t need to lower the input impedance in my use, but it is convenient to be able to have that control.The one negative I experienced for my needs was the reamp output. The levels of output 5 is about 20db lower than ... MoreI bought the IK Axe I/O, which came bundled with Amplitube Max. For that package, it definitely gets 5 stars. I bought it at $300, when it dropped another $50 a month later for the same bundle, that was an even better deal. It came also came with a bunch of TRacks plugins, most notably the Black 76 and White 2A.The noise floor of my DI signal is at least 10db lower than my previous interface, a Focusrite Saffire 26. The latency is pretty good for USB2 when I record my DIs at a 64 sample buffer. I like the 1Mohm input impedances of both DI inputs. I don’t need to lower the input impedance in my use, but it is convenient to be able to have that control.The one negative I experienced for my needs was the reamp output. The levels of output 5 is about 20db lower than the line outputs 1-4. A loop back of output 5 into the input without changing gain is below unity. I had to use an external reamp that I already had to fulfill that application.However, the level of output 5 is useful for feeding an amp sim into a solid state power amp like my Seymour Duncan Powerstage 170. I can output amp sums (without the cab sims) into a power amp and guitar cabinet very easily and without noise. This is probably the application the output was designed for.

Great Creative Tool for Artists

Have been using Amplitube for more than a decade, it has always been ok although version 5 has really come of age. Sounds fantastic with Bass (as always) and now also with Guitars. Needs to be tweaked a bit more to get the best out of it but that's a good thing. The AXEIO interface is the perfect solution for any guitar with its versatility and SQ. Overall this package is awesome for writing and recording at home and also final takes, it's that good! Value for money as a package deal is a no brainer. Well done IK Multimedia.

Great sounding and perfect for guitar/bass players at home.

Solid unit with great guitar/bass input options. The software is great and the new tonex capture software adds another level of flexibility. The guitar out is very clean and was one of the main reasons I purchased as I needed a reamp box, this brings that capability with all the other features and for someone that hasn't invested heavily in software this product also came with the option to choose two extra IK product upgrades (as well as Tonex and Amplitube "Max")

I Couldn't be Happier

Overall:I've been looking to upgrade my Focusrite 2i2, Apogee Jam+, and iRig Pro Duo combination (don't ask!) for quite some time because I was never completely happy with the constant tweaking required for guitar tones without high end harshness and sizzle. zZounds had the AXE I/O on sale for $299, so I went for it. One interface to rule them all, LOL. The mic pres are at least as good as the Scarlett. The midi and expression pedal inputs work as expected for keys, drums, wah wah, etc. AXE I/O has plenty of clean volume on the headphone out. The JFET and Z-Tone controls are subtle but make all the difference with my Fenders and Gibsons. Again, harshness, brittleness, high end sizzle...GONE. e. Easy setup and installation of control softwaref. Amp-Out/Re-Amp is a ... MoreOverall:I've been looking to upgrade my Focusrite 2i2, Apogee Jam+, and iRig Pro Duo combination (don't ask!) for quite some time because I was never completely happy with the constant tweaking required for guitar tones without high end harshness and sizzle. zZounds had the AXE I/O on sale for $299, so I went for it. One interface to rule them all, LOL. The mic pres are at least as good as the Scarlett. The midi and expression pedal inputs work as expected for keys, drums, wah wah, etc. AXE I/O has plenty of clean volume on the headphone out. The JFET and Z-Tone controls are subtle but make all the difference with my Fenders and Gibsons. Again, harshness, brittleness, high end sizzle...GONE. e. Easy setup and installation of control softwaref. Amp-Out/Re-Amp is a great feature. Lots of ways to experiment here. Plays nice with Logic Pro. No noticeable latency at 256. Highly recommended for guitar players using amp sims.

IK AXE REVIEW

So I've been recording since I was a 15 and I'm in my 30s now. From my home studio over the last 5 years I've been lucky enough to hear my own dumb recordings played over the radio many times (FM, Internet Stations, Sirius XM.) The genre is very heavy guitar oriented alternative / shoegaze music. Everything I've ever recorded was done on a 2010 1st Gen Scarlett 2i2. I didn't even have a preamp. Only an old Tascam Mic and DI guitars plugged straight into the 2i2. The rest was Amplitube and other plugins. The reason I'm telling you this is because the interface does not matter. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT INTERFACE YOU USE. SO SAVE YOUR MONEY.This year however, I got interested in reamping (which the 2i2 cannot do without unplugging my monitors.) I now had a reason to ... MoreSo I've been recording since I was a 15 and I'm in my 30s now. From my home studio over the last 5 years I've been lucky enough to hear my own dumb recordings played over the radio many times (FM, Internet Stations, Sirius XM.) The genre is very heavy guitar oriented alternative / shoegaze music. Everything I've ever recorded was done on a 2010 1st Gen Scarlett 2i2. I didn't even have a preamp. Only an old Tascam Mic and DI guitars plugged straight into the 2i2. The rest was Amplitube and other plugins. The reason I'm telling you this is because the interface does not matter. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT INTERFACE YOU USE. SO SAVE YOUR MONEY.This year however, I got interested in reamping (which the 2i2 cannot do without unplugging my monitors.) I now had a reason to purchase a new interface after almost 10 years and this is what I got. The IK Axe.For anyone out there caught between the 2 worlds of guitar plugins and guitar pedals, this thing is really all you need. It gives you both right on the front of the interface and sounds amazing. Set it up in 10 minutes. I do recommend setting up a template in your DAW to make life easier when reamping with this. But it couldn't be easier. My guitar pedals and amps are now just an extension of my plugin library. I really love this thing and like I said, DO NOT BUY EXPENSIVE INTERFACES. Just get what you absolutely need and anyone selling you on "sound quality" has no idea what they're talking about and probably hasn't made a single thing worth listening to anyways.I just wish it came with the Amplitube Max bundle because I already have the deluxe.

Solid piece of gear, very well thought out and very useful

Solidly built, quiet, versatile. I love the fact that it has phantom power and MIDI i/o. I like that it is NOT made in China. I was pleasantly surprised that the 'Z-tone' controls are actually useful. The input gain controls are also a nice touch. Feels like a much more expensive piece of equipment. I have not played with the preset feature yet. The tuner dithers a little too much to be useful...seems like their algorithm could be refined a little to settle it down. Other than that, no complaints. The included software is worth the entry ticket.

This interface is amazing

I come from a world of pro recording studios working with nothing but the best gear. I bought this unit to write songs in my home studio. Not looking to release songs, but just to have fun. I have to say, this unit holds up to all of my pro gear. So much so that I have put my high-end DI's away. There is simply no need for them. The JFET DI and Z-Tone are amazing tools that you would have to pay 3 times the price to get in another product.The only drawback of this unit is that even though it has 5 outs (one dedicated reamping DI) only 2 of them are line outs. I have no idea why they would put 2 unbalanced outputs on the unit. Seems kind of pointless, but it's not a deal breaker especially for the money.I am not a huge fan of the version of Amplitude that comes ... MoreI come from a world of pro recording studios working with nothing but the best gear. I bought this unit to write songs in my home studio. Not looking to release songs, but just to have fun. I have to say, this unit holds up to all of my pro gear. So much so that I have put my high-end DI's away. There is simply no need for them. The JFET DI and Z-Tone are amazing tools that you would have to pay 3 times the price to get in another product.The only drawback of this unit is that even though it has 5 outs (one dedicated reamping DI) only 2 of them are line outs. I have no idea why they would put 2 unbalanced outputs on the unit. Seems kind of pointless, but it's not a deal breaker especially for the money.I am not a huge fan of the version of Amplitude that comes with it but I have so many Amp Sims that it does not matter that much.