NAMM Spotlight. StompIO: Not Your Ordinary Pedal

There’s no need to lug around 20 effects pedals or even build your own 10-ft pedalboard anymore. Thanks to one of the latest creations from IK Multimedia, guitarists are able to find the sound they need - whether that be a FuzzFace or a Tube Screamer - with the click of a button. The StompIO is a USB foot controller that delivers thousands of effects options through an interface with the popular software effects program AmpliTube. The product has been a few years in the making, but the word at this year’s NAMM was that StompIO is now ready for widespread shipping.

Computers are a staple in recording studios these days, but transferring that entire setup to the stage doesn’t make for the best aesthetics. The StompIO eliminates the need to access effects software via the usual keyboard, mouse, and monitor, and instead replaces them with a hardware system that allows you to change your amp, stomp box, or cabinet on the fly. The StompIO can be connected to a laptop, but to get that traditional rock feel, the company recommends opting for a mobile mini-computer.

IK Multimedia territory manager Paul Hudson said that the purpose behind the StompIO was to focus upon the needs of the professional musician, who doesn’t have time to take his or her hands off of their guitar to click a mouse. “Say like you’re playing and you get the feel of it, and then you have to come in and try to redraw that with your mouse,” Hudson said. “The feeling is going to be gone. It’s all about getting that natural feel into your hands and in your feet and the same time.”

The StompIO is apparently one of the only software-based guitar amps (if not the only one) that can be used in a live environment. And to make your life even easier, the product boots up in just about 45 seconds and is compatible with both PCs and Macs.

The system has gone through an evolution during its developmental period, and Hudson said that the Play mode has been the feature that has seen the biggest changes. “There are 5 different Play modes depending on your style,” Hudson said. “You might want more of a freestyle approach or you may know exactly the song order you want. You can configure it anyway you want, and there are over 4,000 preset options.”

The StompIO features 16 switches to control the presets, 2 LED displays, several unbalanced outs that can be connected to an outside PA or amp, as well as a MIDI in/out. Should you come upon the perfect riff while playing through the StompIO, the hardware also has an advanced automation system that can record your performance.

One of the biggest plusses in the StompIO package is the massive amount of software you receive. In the AmpliTube modeling program bundle, you get AmpliTube 2, Ampeg SVX, AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix, AmpliTube Metal, and AmpliTube X-GEAR. What exactly does that give you access to? Combined they offer over 180,000 effects/sound combinations, and it’s the only software package of its kind to feature Ampeg or Hendrix. According to Hudson, the end result is limitless creative freedom. “You can actually mix and match components of each one, which you couldn’t do before. Instead of having to load up AmpliTube Hendrix, you can pull just bits from it.”

If you’ve been burned in the past from amps or pedals that were obviously shipped straight from the assembly line, you’ll likely welcome the handle-with-care attitude that you get with IK Multimedia’s latest product. “These are not mass produced,” Hudson said. “We only made 200 or so units in the initial run, and we’re already sold out of those.”

The StompIO will be available at some Guitar Center locations (check with your local store just to be safe), and you can expect to pay anywhere from $899 to $1,049 for the product. And considering the software alone carries an estimated cost of $1,200, that’s a pretty sweet deal.

For more information on the StompIO, please visit ikmultimedia.com.

Comments

[rocabilly]

If i took a laptop on stage with me

I would get mugged

[Shard Heilia]

1st lawl. Pretty nifty. No way I have the money for it, but it looks great.

[Shard Heilia]

... -_- =P

[Ramco]

How is this any better than the multitude of multi-effects amp modeling guitar processors already on the market? It seems ridiculous to carry around that huge board and a laptop, as well as your guitar and most likely an amp, since you'd be hard pressed to find a stage with a good enough sound system and sound guy that can warrant just going DI. Save the $899 or more than it costs and buy yourself a DigiTech GNX4, which is just $499 and has nearly everything you could ask for in a pedal.

[dafrimpster]

pod XTLIve FTW!

[Aziraphale]

Hm, maybe I'm old fashioned... I currently play through a PODxt Live into PA, and I'm actually yearning for a real, personally customized pedal board that I can shop around for and fiddle with and paint little flowers on and that shit. I don't think I'd want a product like this, but maybe that's just me.

[rocabilly]

Ramco wrote:

How is this any better than the multitude of multi-effects amp modeling guitar processors already on the market? It seems ridiculous to carry around that huge board and a laptop, as well as your guitar and most likely an amp, since you'd be hard pressed to find a stage with a good enough sound system and sound guy that can warrant just going DI. Save the $899 or more than it costs and buy yourself a DigiTech GNX4, which is just $499 and has nearly everything you could ask for in a pedal.

You look cooler and richer carrying round shit loads pedals anyway

[fts666]

wow that sounds crazy!

[SL!!!]

This whole multi-effects stuff seems really daunting to me. There's a lot to know about amps, and tubes and pedals and all of that good stuff, and these things just make me go, forget about it, i don't want to learn about it. Haha.

[Jackolas]

"How is this any better than the multitude of multi-effects amp modeling guitar processors already on the market?"

Exactly. The digitech RP350 has the same "brain" as the GNX4 - and the boss GT8 (and soon to be 12 or 16) are good!

[tubab0y]

I'd much rather spring for guitar rig 3 than this. GR2 sounds amazing, can't imagine what 3 sounds like.

[silvershredder]

I think this could possibly get more efficient in years to come.
I say wait 5 or so years until this pedal board has become more streamline and efficient, then as us to get seriously interested in swapping out our pedals and pedal boards for this new electronic gizmo.

[ChazBcWarlock]

pedal boards pown all, can never beat a seperate pedal designed for a specific reason

[phenom1991]

Meh...im not a pedal junkie anyway. All i run is a Randall Tube head with a overdrive pedal in front and MXR 10 band equalizer in FX loop.

[OneEyedMan]

Article states a falsity. Rig Kontrol does exactly what this does but for Guitar Rig 2. Although I think this might be a lot better :P

[~Funky monk~]

Ramco wrote:

How is this any better than the multitude of multi-effects amp modeling guitar processors already on the market? It seems ridiculous to carry around that huge board and a laptop, as well as your guitar and most likely an amp, since you'd be hard pressed to find a stage with a good enough sound system and sound guy that can warrant just going DI. Save the $899 or more than it costs and buy yourself a DigiTech GNX4, which is just $499 and has nearly everything you could ask for in a pedal.

for about £1 you can buy 2 jack to PC audio cable adapters set the cound in of you guitar into the mike slot on the laptop and a line coming out the headphone socket into the other adapter which comes out in a jack line... which will fit into any PA system i'd say :p

[Cafas]

I love my PODXT Live, but I'm also waiting til I get an Orange Thunderverb so I can ditch it and go analog.

[CJRocker]

Oh, for ****s sake people, its for recording, not gigging. No need to get all worked up.

[ginotech]

It specifically states that it was designed to be used live as well as in the studio, read the article please. Also, how much hype can you possibly put in one article?
"The StompIO is apparently one of the only software-based guitar amps (if not the only one) that can be used in a live environment."

[muff diver]

Will anyone ever use the 234 billion effects that pedal offers???? I hope no one will muck up the tone of a good Marshall with one of those.

[ginotech]

Guitar Rig 2/Rig Kontrol is like the same thing. This isn't anything new. The only difference is that this software is probably a lot better than GR2. Wowee, they finally built a pedalboard for it. What took so long?

[BluesLP1990]

CJRocker wrote:

Oh, for ****s sake people, its for recording, not gigging. No need to get all worked up.

uh...it pretty clearly says that it is for live environments

[VLVTRVOLVR13]

ill stick to my home-made pedal box and seven or so pedals that i use instead of having an endless library of effects that i dont

[Leonheart]

This article seems like an advertisement.

[jo3myster]

"...you can expect to pay anywhere from $899 to $1,049 for the product. And considering the software alone carries an estimated cost of $1,200, that’s a pretty sweet deal."

Not really a sweet deal unless your rich or something

[freshtunes]

jo3myster wrote:

"...you can expect to pay anywhere from $899 to $1,049 for the product. And considering the software alone carries an estimated cost of $1,200, that’s a pretty sweet deal."

Not really a sweet deal unless your rich or something

If you are a serious guitar player that gigs ofte, spending a grand on some equipment shouldn't be a big deal. But too rich for my blood.

[Dean-Junkie]

Jackolas wrote:

"How is this any better than the multitude of multi-effects amp modeling guitar processors already on the market?"

Exactly. The digitech RP350 has the same "brain" as the GNX4 - and the boss GT8 (and soon to be 12 or 16) are good!

Theres a Boss GT-10 now... looks pretty rad, you should check it out.

I have a Zoom 3030(yeah, pretty old and never tried any other multieffect but im switching to boss compact pedals soon), and from my experience, those multi pedal things sound kinda good depending on what you aspire to make. Not to mention those parametor editor volume controls on each patch, which sometimes is disturbing. Boss pedals own anyway.

[Dean-Junkie]

jo3myster wrote:

"...you can expect to pay anywhere from $899 to $1,049 for the product. And considering the software alone carries an estimated cost of $1,200, that’s a pretty sweet deal."

Not really a sweet deal unless your rich or something

I agree.

[tands]

analog effects FTW!

[Dr. No]

I still prefer having single pedals. I get too confused with those huge multi-effect ones.

[i_am_metalhead]

BluesLP1990 wrote:

CJRocker wrote:

Oh, for ****s sake people, its for recording, not gigging. No need to get all worked up.

uh...it pretty clearly says that it is for live environments

+1

"Computers are a staple in recording studios these days, but transferring that entire setup to the stage doesn’t make for the best aesthetics. The StompIO eliminates the need to access effects software via the usual keyboard, mouse, and monitor, and instead replaces them with a hardware system that allows you to change your amp, stomp box, or cabinet on the fly."

Apparently you didnt read the article!

This thing seems like it would be the biggest waste of money ever...

[fade_to_black18]

i would use this for recording and recording only, but i can already do that and i have like 15 different effect pedals, so much more fun, and you can make it asthetically pleasing if you use the proper length chords, not 5 feet between each pedal.so basically i wouldn't buy this, but i guess it sounds cool in a way.

[jetfuel495]

if i had the money, then why not? i like computers anyway.

[GuitarHero0715]

I would use this pedal for recording.


But the good thing is, it would give me an idea of what to buy, for onstage.

[SL!!!]

ChazBcWarlock wrote:

pedal boards pown all, can never beat a seperate pedal designed for a specific reason

True. You just can't match the tone. It's physics. Well...maybe in the future..i don't know..it's all modeled after something so it's never going to be quite the same i guess, for now.

[Jaw Knee]

Good Fucking Christ. 1200 for a ****ing pedal? That's bullshit.

[Abandoned67]

aparently nobody is actually interested in this, and personaly I cant see why you would be, like most other people have already said why not own a few pedals that you will use and will actually be worth the money. Sometimes how didgital people want to go these days scares me.

[the boogieman]

sounds neat and definitely has potential


but for that kinda money id be easier and cheaper just to buy the individual effects

plus you could have both a g major and a gt8 for that price

haha

[f1sk]

im pretty sure its not the only one you can use live....
it looks fun to play with, and play guitar with on the road (ie business travel, not touring on the road), but other than that I think i'd rather just do it the old fashioned way
i bet more stuff like this will be comming out and it will just keep getting cheaper and cheaper

[SchitzoJoe]

Fucking WOW.

[glowskulls]

Aziraphale wrote:

Hm, maybe I'm old fashioned... I currently play through a PODxt Live into PA, and I'm actually yearning for a real, personally customized pedal board that I can shop around for and fiddle with and paint little flowers on and that shit. I don't think I'd want a product like this, but maybe that's just me.

same

[sestemofatowel]

dafrimpster wrote:

pod XTLIve FTW!

Straight up, I love my pod xt live!

checked.

[Jondy]

Jaw Knee wrote:

Good Fucking Christ. 1200 for a ****ing pedal? That's bullshit.

indeed. i'll stick with my evergrowing chain.

[vjferrara]

whats so special about it. everything you can do with that i've been able to do with my podxt live for 2 years now. it only cost me $399 too

[guitarman333]

these days it seems like all most people want is more and more while sacrificing genuine great tone which can only REALLY be done with analog effects and tube amplifiers

[jumpmanhat]

didnt line 6 already have something like this? actually, im pretty sure a crap load of brands have made something like this before

[Bloodshed]

Well, maybe it would be fun to play with, and might even sound killer, but not 1200 dollars fun. U get sufficient tone with my pedals (and now that i'm getting into pedal building, I am in FULL control of my sound)

[Corey Taylor]

i prefer my pedal board...

[MrDURPEEDURP]

I MUCH prefer having 20effects pedals thanks.
To know that you have something you spent time and effort to acquire, and having them present to stomp on making it so much worthwhile than having a simple John Petrucci Pedalboard of Death :rolleyes:

[MrDURPEEDURP]

just a side note,
Wouldn't it be considered copyright infringement or whatever right it is to protect their creation, if they put those pedals into a software, which even if some belong to this thing's creator, aren't ALL created by this person?

I r confuzzled and realizing that I guess it doesn't matter and I stopped caring while i typed this last sentence. lol

[stspider]

I think it's GREAT.

Recording plugins for guitar are something INCREDIBLE and very advanced, I know with my own experience because I've tried some of those. The best recording softwares are very pricey, talking about grands, and if recording studios PAY for those confident enough not to buy that specific piece of gear you bet they agree with their quality.

We're not talking mainstream digital simulation here.

To be able to use the pc to set up 5 or 10 or 20 sounds you need while playing live ready under your stomp is a wonderful opportunity, no doubt about that.

You only need that, a pc and your guitar at that point, and you're ready to go. My and my band we bring with us our own sound system by the way because few pubs have their owns here in Italy.

But I wonder if it handles all audio plugins or only those designed for it..it it's the first on, then it's a wonderful device.

Plus, if you are recording, you can switch from sound to sound without going outof the recording room, without worrying to reshape a new sound, providing you put it up first...just great.

[bucketbots]

omg

[shammyshamsham]

Stop being technophobes, god ppl are old on here.

1200 dollars/600 pounds, that doesn't get you many single pedals, so i guess thats why this thing is so great, and did i mention it gives you Ampeg amp modelling LIVE.
The only important thing is the sound that comes out after all the effects and modelling shit.

Any product that gives you LIVE Ampeg modelling, and a shit load of effects, using the same same thing you check your emails on, for a fraction of what it would cost physically, deserves credit as far as i'm concerned.

[am_all_reet!]

:o ahhhhh :o robots are taking over the world

checked

[face_the_fear]

I've used Amplitube for agers now and is way better than guitar rig and any line 6 modellers. If you now how to use Amplitube you can get some awesome tones. Using it with your own speaker impulses is even better and comes so close to a real amp you would believe. This pedal just makes it usuable in a live situation instead of just recording which is awesome. To be honest though you can't beat a real tube amp with real pedals.

[face_the_fear]

Oh BTW check this site out to understand what I'm talking about.

http://www.guitarampmodeling.com/?sid=fd6cfcdaeb7eaef27a f9f65af357d293

[Donkey Fly]

Hardly a new creation...

[creativeboner]

rocabilly wrote:

If i took a laptop on stage with me

I would get mugged

Agreed.