MOTU ZBox Amplify guitar tone

Take back your guitar tone!

Today’s guitar amp modeling plug-ins are simply amazing in their ability to faithfully model real guitar amplifiers. From IK Multimedia’s Amplitube, to Waves, to Native Instruments, to Line 6, to Digital Performer’s included Custom ’59, you can plug your guitar directly into your audio interface, dial up a guitar tone in your plug-in software, and play. The sound is simply stunning.

But wait. They’re ALL MISSING SOMETHING. In fact, they’re missing a crucial element of the signal path that simply cannot be modeled in software: the proper input impedance of a real guitar amplifier. When you plug your guitar into your audio interface, the interface’s impedance does not match the typical levels found on a real guitar amplifier.

The result?

No matter how hard you try, you’ll never quite be able to replicate the true sound and “feel” of playing into a real guitar amp. The sound will be just a little more thin and unresponsive than the real thing.

The solution? ZBox!

ZBox matches the output impedance (”Z”) of your guitar to the impedance of a non-amp input, such as the mic/instrument preamp inputs on your audio interface. Without proper impedance matching, your guitar wonʼt sound natural or “feel right”.

ZBoxʼs unique advantage? Authentic matching circuits that emulate the two-jack switching network found on many classic amplifiers, complete with analog simulation of the input tube grid. Only ZBox delivers the most authentic amplifier impedance matching available for the absolute truest sound and “feel” from your guitar.

ZBox is the “missing link” for digital guitar processing, providing the hardware-driven input characteristics required to truly emulate a real guitar amp.

If you use Digital Performer’s Custom 59 amp model plug-in, or a third-party guitar plug-in product like IK Multimedia Amplitube, Waves GTR, Native Instruments Guitar Rig, or similar guitar modeling software, use ZBox to further enhance the authenticity of the tones you play from these products!

Just plug your guitar into ZBoxʼs Lo-Z or Hi-Z input (whichever sounds better), and plug the ZBox into the guitar input on the destination device (audio interface, wireless box, mixer, recorder, PA, etc.) as shown.

Guitar inputs on audio interfaces, mixers, PAs, wireless transmitters and other similar devices (often labeled “instrument”) usually have impedances that differ significantly from most guitar amps. This mismatch can make your guitar sound too bright, thin and brittle.

ZBox provides the proper input impedance levels to match your guitarʼs output signal. The result? Your guitar sounds like it is connected to a real guitar amp and has a much warmer tone and authentic “response.”

This is especially true when using digitally modeled guitar processing software (plug-ins) on your computer, audio interface, digital mixer, etc.

To support a wide range of guitars, ZBOX provides authentic “Hi-Z” and “Lo-Z” inputs, just like the ones found on many classic guitar amps, complete with analog simulation of the input tube grid.