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Line 6 POD Studio UX2

Line 6 POD Studio UX2
  • Manufacturer: Line 6 (http://uk.line6.com/)
  • Pros: Lots of authentic sound-modelling options; good looks; robust ports aimed at electric musicians
  • Cons: Not designed for general use; initial setup is complicated and long
  • Min specs: ToneDirect monitoring; Up to 24-bit/96 kHz recording; POD Farm plug-in; 18 guitar amps with 24 cabs; 5 bass amps with 5 cabs; 29 stompboxes and studio effects; 6 mic preamps; 1/4-inch guitar input (normal or pad); Two balanced XLR inputs with mic preamps; Gain knobs; Phantom power; 1/4-inch stereo monitor input; Two 1/4-inch line inputs; Two balanced 1/4-inch line out; S/PDIF digital out; 1/4-inch stereo headphone out with level control; Assignable VU meters; USB bus-powered with LED status indicator; ASIO, WDM and Mac OS X Drivers
  • Price: £159 inc VAT
  • Star rating: 5

The Line 6 UX2 is among our favourites in the round-up, but be warned that it’s a highly targeted interface aimed mainly at guitarists and singers.

Despite yet another plastic case, the UX2 wins the prize for the most stylish box on test. The matt black finish and silver knobs seem designed to fit in with guitar gear rather than your Mac. Twin volume meters on the front panel look like nothing more than old-fashioned radio gauges. However, at 260 x 160mm, it’s by far the largest unit in this group test.

The back panel boasts seven 6.3mm jacks for line in, foot switching, monitor and line through audio. The front panel has two 6.3mm mono inputs labelled Normal and Pad. On the front panel you’ll also find two XLR mic inputs, fed by phantom power driven by your Mac.

Once you load up the drivers and POD Farm 2 software (the application that enables you to model amps and effects), you’ll see plenty of presets for vocals alongside the plethora of ready configured guitar setups. The range and quality of sounds is truly terrific.

As for latency, it sounds almost instant to our ears – from UX2 to Mac and back through the phones. Sampling is at 24-bit and up to 96KHz, with the sample rate chosen in software rather than on the unit.

A final plus for the UX2 is that it comes with the most comprehensive software bundle for the Mac in our round-up. Professional standard DAW Ableton Live is here in a 16-track Lite version. There’s a cut-down version of Propellerhead’s Reason too, alongside Line 6’s own POD Farm 2 and Line 6 Monkey software.

The UX2 takes a while to set up. You’ll need to install Line 6 Monkey and create an online account to activate the device and its add-ons, then download updates to get going.

First time around, it’ll take you a little while to get going. Plug and play the UX2 certainly isn’t. But, if you’re a musician keen to use your Mac for guitar, bass and vocal recording, the UX2 makes a great choice for the price.

This product is part of our USB audio interfaces group test group product review. Other products in this group are:

 

Avid Recording Studio

  • Star rating: 4

 

Behringer U-Control UCA202

  • Star rating: 3

 

Griffin iMic 2

  • Star rating: 3

 

Roland Cakewalk UA-1G

  • Editors ChoiceStar rating: 5

 

Roland Cakewalk UA-4FX

  • Star rating: 4

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