Behringer iAXE393 USB Guitar Package - Black

Behringer iAXE393 USB Guitar Package - Black | A cautionary tale

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Behringer iAXE393 ...

	Behringer iAXE393 USB Guitar Package - Black Behringer Behringer average customer review:based on 3 reviews view larger image
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You have a great song in mind and want to record it straight to your PC. You want all your amps and effects in your workstation so you can jam like you?re in the studio or on stage. With the BEHRINGER iAXE393 USB-Guitar you?re just a cable away.

The high-quality electric guitar comes with a fantastic maple neck and its screaming tone sings through 3 single-coil pickups with 5-way switching. A built-in connector allows you to connect your headphones straight to your guitar so you can jam with your favorite band. Cool, isn?t it?

The iAXE393 USB-Guitar comes with the great-sounding "Guitar Combos BEHRINGER Edition" software pack from Native Instruments featuring the exclusive Tapedeck and Metronome. Jam along with your MP3, WAV and AIFF songs or backing tracks on your PC or Mac computer. Behringer has even included multi-track recording and editing software so you can record your music on the spot.

Feature List
Plug this USB-guitar straight into your computer and turn your PC or Mac computer into a guitar amp and recording system without the need for any other hardware Features a 22-fret maple neck, solid body, chrome machine heads, 3 single-coil pickups, 5-way switching and vintage vibrato bridge. The guitar can also be used with any traditional guitar amplifier Enjoy immediate access to "Guitar Combos BEHRINGER Edition" from Native Instruments?the leading authentic guitar amp and stomp box modeling software Package also includes Kristal 16-track music production and Audacity editing software Works directly with your PC or Mac computer?ultra-low latency ASIO driver for PC audio optimization (included) Guitar package includes CD, USB cable, adjustable guitar strap and 3 picks Stereo Headphone output lets you jam with your computer, and it can also be used for monitoring with active monitor speakers Variable-speed file playback function for MP3, WAV, AIFF audio files?perfect for easy learning and practicing High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life

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Better than expected

I've been playing guitar on and off for 20 years, and while I usually stick to acoustic guitars, I was pining for an electric to satisfy my "flashback to high school" moments. I was looking for a guitar I could tinker with but did not want to get into getting the full setup and end up having very little time to use it. So this turned out to be the perfect combo - the guitar plugs into your PC and with very little fuss you are off and running, or shredding if that's your cup of tea.

Despite previous reviews saying it does not, the iAxe actually does work with Vista just fine - but you have to get the drivers from the Behringer website; it's not included on the CD. It's not easy to find there either, (in fact I struggled to find the iAxe listed on their site at all!), so I just goggled the driver and linked straight to the download location.

PROS
1. Good price.
2. Decent construction. (Harmonics work so that means its constructed fairly well).
3. Usable sound. (You aren't going to get screaming feedback but it distorts quite nicely).

CONS
1. It does not play sound through the PC speakers. You have to use headphones, amp or rig up to route sound through your PC to speakers.
2. Mine did not include an amp - not sure if it's meant to be in there or not.
3. With the USB and headphones installed you need to be careful setting it down as the ports are positioned on the bottom, right where you'd normally rest it. (Bad design) Suggest getting a guitar stand for it and save yourself damaging either port.
4. The "combo" software included has many preset sounds, most of them pretty bad, but overall the sounds are good enough for what you need to do here. If you are looking for something to record with this might -just- be good enough but it's probably best kept for folks who want to learn or just tinker on the weekends.
5. The software is a bit fiddly, getting the sound you want can take some effort.

Four stars because it meets my needs almost exactly. No amp taking up room and causing noise issues with the wife. Sounds pretty good and works quite well. I won't be making a hit CD with it but I will be able to relive the time spent at Brookborough Hall and the guys from "Nothin' Yet".

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A cautionary tale

This pretty much does everything as advertised. Guitar itself fairly good quality as a "starter" piece. The included amp is basically a toy, though. Sound is barely audible. If you have a VISTA operating system, your PC likely will hedge on installing the needed drivers, so you will need to tell your PC to accept drivers from an unverified source. Advice: This is not for a person with no experience playing a guitar. The trial "amp modeling" software is very complex; you will have 30 days to choose one of three from the Behringer web site. Make sure you register ASAP. Also, mine came shipped in a box that was obviously opened and re-sealed (likely a return). Everything seemed in order and the guitar did not appear damaged. However, the USB cable interface (advertised as INCLUDED) was MISSING. I was forced to purchase a $10 cable from a local Radio Shack since this was a Christmas gift and I did not want to hassle with returning the huge box to Amazon. A little disappointing.

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