Motu ZBox for guitar

[casswebb]

I love Motu products and I record heaps of guitar, so when I heard about the ZBox I had to have it. ZBox claims to "bring back the natural sound of the guitar, when used with plugins on your DAW", or something to that effect. Sometimes when recording guitar using plugins, things can get a bit "fuzzy".

Anyway I really don't hear the difference. Actually, there is no difference as far as I can tell. I've tried using all my guitars (PRS, Gibson, KH, Fender, Schecter)with it, I use Amplitube and some other plugins, a Lexicon Alpha audio interface, with Windows 7 64bit, Sony Acid Pro. i7 Q-core, 6Gigs ram etc.

Anyone else tried this product?

[KEVORKIAN]

Doesn't look like you need the ZBox. I took a look at the specs on the Lexicon Alpha interface that you have and can see that it has an instrument input with the appropriate specs for a guitar:

Instrument Input (1) 1/4" mono jack
Input Impedance 1 MOhm unbalanced
Maximum Input Level +8.5 dBu

The impedance on your Alpha is identical to what the ZBox offers so I would think it unlikely that you would hear an improvement.

Lexicon is actually a very guitar-savvy company and has made a number of excellent sounding guitar processors in the past so it's no surprise that they got the instrument input correct on your interface.

[KEVORKIAN]

Here is a simple test you can run:

Your interface has both an instrument input and some line level inputs.

Try your guitar through the instrument input and then through the line level input and note the sound difference. (The line inputs should sound darker with less defined highs).

Then plug the ZBox into the line level input and compare the sound of your guitar between this and the instrument input. (The sound should now be almost identical).

However if you prefer the sound of the ZBox running into your line input then go that route. If you don't hear a difference though, then you don't need the ZBox.

[casswebb]

Thanks Kevorkian. Guess I should have checked that out before purchasing the ZBox. I now have a spare ZBox! I'm sure it will come in use one day.

Thanks again for your response.

[KEVORKIAN]

Thanks Kevorkian. Guess I should have checked that out before purchasing the ZBox. I now have a spare ZBox! I'm sure it will come in use one day.

Thanks again for your response.

No problem mang. Glad to be of help!