Line 6
Line 6 is a company founded in 1996 and headquartered in Agoura Hills , California , USA. The American company offers a wide range of software products , music effect devices , amplifiers , modeling guitars , recording devices , digital wireless microphones and wireless systems for guitar and bass.
Amp modeling and guitar effects
Line 6's first hardware product came onto the market in 1996: “AxSYS 212” was the name of the company's first “Guitar Modeling Amp”. This type of amplifier reproduces the sound of various classic and modern guitar amplifiers, effects pedals, guitar boxes and microphones, digitally calculated and as close as possible to the analogue model. From this first model a whole family of amplifiers for the electric guitar and the bass developed over time. In addition, effect devices are offered that are also based on analog models. In 2009 the range was expanded to include wireless systems for guitar and bass.
The company's business grew rapidly in the early 2000s, largely due to the success of the red, kidney-shaped "POD" guitar preamps . In 2007 there was a partial abandonment of purely digital sound generation with the introduction of tube amplifiers - certainly due to the expansion of the range .
Some Line 6 devices can simulate several amplifiers at the same time (e.g. Vetta II and the POD-X3 and POD-HD series) and thus enable so-called bi-amping , which e.g. B. was operated by Stevie Ray Vaughan .
The AMPLIFi modeling amplifier series was presented at the beginning of 2014. The central innovation is that the devices are connected to a smartphone or tablet (iOS or Android) via Bluetooth and the sound settings (presets) from an online database can be transferred directly to the amplifier.
Guitar modeling
"Variax" instruments are digital modeling guitars and basses from Line 6. "Variax" instruments can convincingly simulate the sound of a wide variety of instruments. The material of the instruments, the design and the pickups of a guitar can be selected directly on the instrument using the rotary switch. The pitch of each individual string can also be changed digitally: different tunings of the electric guitar can be played within seconds without having to mechanically retune the instrument.
In 2010 the second generation of the "Variax" guitars was introduced (no more bass sales). In addition to modeling (piezo pickups in the bridge of the electric guitar), the second generation also built pickups traditionally used in guitar construction. These take over the sound pick-up from the strings when the battery of the modeling guitar is empty (lasts 12 hours of playing time), or they additionally support the modeling sound (you can mix piezo and normal pickups continuously). A virtual capo transposes the played chords if necessary, while the sound quality of the modeling has continuously developed over time. With the Variax, Line 6 sells a serious alternative to the classic instrument.
What is special is that Line 6 amplifiers and Variax guitars can be regularly updated with software updates and you can download or exchange different sound settings on the Internet. Line 6 provides its users with software (called "Line 6 Monkey") that enables exactly this. In addition, some products offer the option of expanding the functionality of the devices with a chargeable modeling pack or installing a free update of the modeling software (DT amps, Pod HDs, Variax).
Other Line 6 products
In the meantime, wireless microphones, guitar transmitters and PA systems are also part of the product range.
Prominent users
Artists who use Line 6 products include: B. James Hetfield from Metallica , Matthew Bellamy from Muse , Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails , or The Edge from U2 , or the groups Black Sabbath , Scissor Sisters , Esbjörn Svensson Trio and Tears for Fears .
Takeover by Yamaha
In 2014, Line 6 was 100% acquired by Yamaha Corporation .
