Line 6/Bogner amp

Voodu Child

So...rumours of this have been circulating for months now, but if you check the Line 6 website, it's pretty much confirmed..
Here's a screen grab, notice that the letters BGNER are capitalised..


Apparantly it's going to be based around the preamp of one of line6's level-entry amps (Spider), with a valve power amp by Bogner. And possibly one or two suprises.

But anyway, more interesting than the amp (because the Atomic reactor was around years ago) is the fact that it's coming from Line6, pretty much the leaders of modelling technology. It's almost contradicting everything they've been doing, and more or less admitting that a vacuum tube power amplifier has a certain je ne sais quoi that is proving difficult for them to put into an algorithm..

wyntyr

If it was a valve HD147 then I would be very excited about this but a valve Spider...meh. Although in saying that there is a rumour that the valve Spider heads will start at around 600 blips so ill prob pick one up regardless.

Karl Hungus

There's also talk of a Pod X III, and Live version. I'd imagine there's a Pro rackmount version aswell.

I don't know how to feel about this, I don't like my gear becoming redundant, especially as I only got my Pod XT Live last year. Ah, who knows? It'll probably last me a good while longer.

Yakult

Well I heard it has the effects of spiders too and bogner are helping as you said! Seems interesting!

thegeek57

Maybe people are reading too much into this. I do see the obvious assumption of BGNER... But what I have trouble believing is how all of the sudden every forum about line 6 has some source who "knows first hand" that Bogner and Line 6 have teamed up.

Now don't get me wrong. I wouldn't be disappointed because I have always been a fan of Bogner amps and too poor to buy one. But why would line 6 put such effort into their bottom line of amps.

Plus, wouldn't designing an amp like that just add fuel to the idea the modeling amps aren't as responsive and "natural" sounding as tube amps? People already give line 6 and other modeling companies enough flack over the "dullness" of their sound.

Voodu Child

thegeek57 wrote:

Maybe people are reading too much into this. I do see the obvious assumption of BGNER...

The rumours of a Line6/Bogner collaboration arent sudden, they have been circulating for months, including hints from Reinhold Bogner himself. The BGNER clue on the Line6 website was only posted the other day, if it's not more or less confirmation, I dont know what is.

Actually, the amp will not be 'bottom of the line'. It involves bottom of the line modelling technology (because it's not going to be a Vetta type amp with millions of options, it will likely just have a few simple models and channels), but it's price point will probably be above the Flextone series.

The point that Line6 are only helping to confirm that valve amps feel and sound better is an interesting one (which was made already), though of course, from a marketing point of view, it makes perfect sense. People already sold on Line6 technology will continue to buy entry and mid level products, and valve die-hards might be convinced at last to use a Line6 product. Bigger share of the market, makes perfect sense.

Karl Hungus

thegeek57 wrote:

Plus, wouldn't designing an amp like that just add fuel to the idea the modeling amps aren't as responsive and "natural" sounding as tube amps? People already give line 6 and other modeling companies enough flack over the "dullness" of their sound.

The way I look at it, Atomic amps made it onto the map by providing a tube power section for digital modellers. That's a market right there, and Line6 want a bite of that.

Patricide

and i might just want a bite of a line 6 amp if this is true, go bogner go!!

Yakult

I would laugh if it was like behringer! lol! We cant cancel it out haha!!

wyntyr

feylya

That's a bit weird...

Voodu Child

Well, they look tidy enough. Can't really say much til i hear one.

As stated originally, it's based off a Spider preamp, with 2 extra 12ax7 gain stages. Seems to have 6 models. So 'high end' it most definitely isnt (spiders use very old/basic modelling technology). But it should have plenty of oomph with a 50watt 6L6 stage (they call it 40 but it might as well be 50).

Anyway, we'll see...

As for the X3 generation of PODs, afaik they're still based off the same technology as the XT's. So pretty boring really, main new feature is running two amps at once, and an effects loop so you can use it with a real amp better.

So all they've really done is catch up with the 3 year old GT8. Would have been nice to see a new generation of modelling.

That amp down the bottom is nothing to do with the Bogner collaboration btw, just a crappy regular Spider.

Yakult

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rSglShqDw44

Patricide

video seems mleh but im gonna wait till i hear proper recordings of it before i make any judgement, camera mics are usually ****e at picking up guitar.

Also did it seem to anyone else that those guys are the worst actors ever at saying WOW, and OHH my GOD.