Line 6 TonePort KB37 Audio Interface and MIDI Controller Review

   One of the finest pieces of equipment I have ever owned is the Line 6 TonePort KB37 Audio Interface and MIDI Controller.This little device has the power to be your sole interface into your digital audio software workstation. I use this controller with my laptop and Sony Acid Pro 6. Sony Acid works perfectly with the KB37. The KB37  provides MIDI keyboard control as well as 2 mic inputs with built in 48v phantom power, a guitar/bass input and stereo line inputs. It also has an S/PDIF out, TRS line outputs, TRS monitor input and an independent headphone jack. With that many inputs and outputs it’s your total audio interface solution when multi-tracking your projects on your computer.

   The keyboard section features 37 full-sized synth-action keys, pitch/mod wheels, assignable transport controls and expression pedal input. The KB37 also has dual footswitch jacks to control effect on/off, tone select, tap tempo, sustain, start/stop and punchin in for your music recording software. This makes it easy for guitarists to to punch in and out with the footswitches while they play. As I said before, Sony Acid Pro 6 loves this audio interface.

   The software that comes with the Line 6 TonePort KB37 includes 18 guitar and five bass amp/cab models. It includes 30 stompbox and studio effects as well as six high-end studio microphone preamp models. Last but not least it has two assignable VU meters and selectable 16-bit or 24-bit recording at 44.1, 48 or 96kHz.

   You truly get a ton of features for a device that is priced so low. One thing that truly blows me away about the device is the ability to monitor your effect laden signal with zero latency. I don’t know how they pulled that off but it’s truly amazing. It also interfaces perfectly with Propellerhead Reason 4.0 which of course funtions seamlessly with Sony Acid Pro 6 as a plugin.

   I really like how light and compact the TonePort-KB37 is. It’s extremely easy to take with me when I’m travelling.  I honestly can’t recommend the Line 6 TonePort KB37 enough. It’s truly a fantastic device and you can’t go wrong owning one. I have written an update to this review that can be found here: Line 6 POD Studio KB37 USB Audio Interface Review Update

Line 6 POD Studio KB37 USB Audio Interface with POD Farm Plug-inThe Line 6 POD Studio KB37 is a USB audio interface and MIDI controller keyboard with Pod Farm Plug-in. The KB37 boasts incredibly low noise for recording guitar, and 12dB more dynamic range than similar USB audio interfaces for clear and dynamic recordings. Plus, the POD Studio KB37 interface’s exclusive Line 6 ToneDirect monitoring virtually eliminates latency, so you record amp and effect modeling without sacrificing tone or feel. Half rock-solid guitar interface, half feature-packed MIDI controller, the Line 6 KB37 is as versatile as it is powerful. It features 37 full-sized velocity-sensitive keys, a pitch bend wheel, octave up/down buttons, and a set of software-assignable controls including a mod wheel, sound select next/previous buttons, five transport buttons, 4 knobs, and more. Its comprehensive I/O boasts a 1/4-inch guitar input (normal or pad), two balanced XLR inputs with high-quality mic preamps, phantom power and trim knobs, a 1/4-inch stereo monitor input, two 1/4-inch line inputs, two balanced 1/4-inch line outputs, S/PDIF digital output, a 1/4-inch stereo headphone output with level control, and a pair of assignable VU meters for a truly pro recording experience.Public Service Announcement: Latency Kills Recording with latency is like driving with your eyes closed. Line 6’s ToneDirect monitoring allows you to record and monitor a fully processed tone while virtually eliminating latency and taking all the guesswork out of recording great-sounding tracks.What’s latency? Latency is the delay caused by the time it takes your guitar signal to travel all the way through your hardware interface, through your computer’s processor, through your plug-in software, back through your hardware interface, and out of your speakers or headphones. This delay is heard in your monitoring signal and makes recording almost impossible. With a POD Studio KB37 interface, latency is something you won’t have to worry about. Start Recording Right Out of the Box POD Studio KB37 includes POD Farm plug-in, Ableton Live Lite Line 6 Studio Edition 16-track recording software (ideal for guitarists), and award-winning Reason Adapted production software featuring a sought-after sequencer and tons of stunningly lifelike instruments. This sample collection of studio-standard hardware and software provides instant pro recording, right out of the box.

Author: Live Musician Central

My name is Matt Rushton. I have been playing in bands for 27 years. I've been playing professionally for 21 years. I have opened for Sheryl Crow, Barenaked Ladies, Joan Jett, Little River Band, and Quiet Riot. View all posts by Live Musician Central