Line 6 Amp Farm

Amp Farm is a pretty good amp simulator from Line 6, who have a great handling on all things digital. There weren't any compatibility issues with my ProTools setup. The manual explains everything pretty well, and makes setting it up very easy. The general functions of Amp Farm are easy to use and the functions are accessible. The interface is set up like an amp head, which makes it easy to control.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

The software works fine for me, and the gear/software configuration has yet to give me any real problems. The amp modeling performs better than most that I've seen, and this is coming from a guy who tends to avoid digital amp modeling like the plague. I've had this for about 2 years and I've slowly but surely found more and more uses for it. I would say that I prefer it to the other amp modeling programs we have at the studio I work at. Most professionals would agree, though they would almost always unanimously agree that it is no substitute for an amp. 

OVERALL OPINION

I like the variety of tones and the different kinds of amp sounds that you can get. Some of them are weak, as is typical with most amp modeling programs, but the ones that are good are really worth using. I tend to use them more to color the sound than define it; I'll use it on a direct signal and mix that with an mic'd amplifier. I think that this combination tends to work well, especially when you find that the guitar sound you are using is good but needs a little bit more texture to round it out the way you want it. The sound is really clear and razor sharp. It simulates tube amps better than any plug-in I've seen. I would say that for the price, it's the best plug-in you can get. It's also possibly the only one you need. However, I'll say it again, don't accept it as a substitute for a real amp! It's not enough on its own. I would recommend it as a coloring tool, and that's it!

Line 6 Amp Farm was quick and easy to install. I had no compatibility issues with my machine the general set up of the plug-in is easy to follow. The interface of the plug-in is set up smart and it is easy to find your way around. I don't have a manual for this plug-in, so I can't speak to how sufficient it is.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I have run Line 6 Amp Farm on both a Pro Tools LE and HD system. I mostly run it on a Pro Tools LE system with a Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM. I run Pro Tools LE 7.4 with a Digi 002R audio interface. In both the HD and LE systems, I never had a problem running this. I have never run more than two or three of these at once, but at this rate I have been able to run it without any problems.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Line 6 Amp Farm for about two years and I have found it to be a great tool for amp modeling of all types. It has modeling for all types of amps - including Vox, Marshall, and Fender amps, in all types of forms. Each amp has its own parameters and all different types of effects. My favorite on this is the vintage Fender interface as it has the look and feel of an old Fender. This plug-in is quite versatile and is easy to get a wide array of amp modeling done with this. The price isn't too expensive and I would compare this to Native Instruments Guitar Rig, because they do similar things, but this is more aimed at amp modeling rather than guitar effects. I would definitley recommend those with DAWs looking into this, as I have found it a great tool when recording and mixing guitars.