Tag: Guitar »

It has been said that music is the universal language.  The strum of a chord is truly understandable in any language, which makes it such a helpful tool in communicating emotion, without ever having to utter a single syllable.  This is why music is so critical to the culture of the world, and why it is even more critical that people have opportunities to learn how to be musical.

A brand new app named On the Music Path looks to agree with this sentiment and help to try to bring a whole new horizon of education within the iOS consumer's grasp.

"... On the Music Path is an iPad app that offers in-depth lessons from world-renowned musicians on how to play the guitar, piano, drums and bass, including:Jackson Browne on fingerstyle guitar, Ravi Shankar on the sitar, Richard Thompson on acoustic rock guitar, Vonda Shepard on piano for singers, Lee Ritenour on jazz guitar, Leland Sklar on the bass, Kenny Sultan on the blues, Scott Tennant on classical guitar, Steve Postell on the fundamentals of how to play the guitar, and many, many others." -- VIA On The Path Developer Blog

With lessons ranging in price from $1.99 to $19.99, you will get the best one-on-one instructional videos available on the market, all shot in glorious high definition.  Each individual lesson will clock in at a length of anywhere from 45 to 85 minutes long and will allow users the chance to get some of the best education that money can buy.

While yes, the pricetag may seem a little steep, know that there are several lessons that are included in the application's base price, just so you can get an idea of what can be expected from each lesson.  If you have ever been curious about where to start learning an instrument, this would be the perfect place to start.  Plus, lets face it, if you are learning from a video, you don't need to worry about embarrassing yourself in front of a classroom full of students!

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Remember how just over a month ago I wrote about AmpliTube, the guitar amplification application for your iPhone and iPad? Well, Peavey Electronics have now joined the scene with their AmpKit software to create a bit more competition and rivalry in the music amplification section of the App Store.

AmpKit turns your iPhone into a highly customizable guitar amp, boasting a myriad of effects and the ability to record your latest music creations. Such effects include the pedals Noise Gate and Elevenizer, and the mics Workhorse 57 dynamic and Germann 87 condenser. As is to be expected, AmpKit contains a number of in-app purchases, including: 12 more amps, 16 effects padls, 13 cabinets and 8 unique mics. Most of these extra purchases are in the range of $2.99-$5.99.

"We're delighted to be working with Peavey to provide AmpKit and AmpKit LiNK to musicians around the world. Peavey's world-class hardware design and manufacturing capabilities complement Agile Partners' unmatched expertise in creating guitar-focused apps for the iOS platform," said Jack Ivers, a principal at Agile Partners. "Peavey's music industry experience and global dealer network will provide musicians around the world with easy access to the AmpKit LiNK guitar adapter."

The aforementioned AmpKit LiNK adapter, required to hook up your guitar, costs $39.99 and is available worldwide. Interestingly, this is exactly the same price as Amplitube's IK Multimedia iRig, AmpKit LiNK's main rival.

The iPhone application comes in two flavours: free and plus. The plus version costs $20, and with that you'll get access to: a Peavey 3120 amp and a matching 4x12 cabinet, a Colonel Vintage amp, a Vintage Brit amp and a number of additional pedals including distortion, fuzz, compressor, chorus, phaser, flanger, reverb and 10-band EQ.

The application is not natively iPad supported, meaning you're stuck to the iPhone if you choose the Peavey solution. Agile Partners, developers of the application, are also the authors of the much-renowned GuitarToolkit and TapToolkit applications.

Images courtesy of Peavey. For more details on the application and where to buy the LiNK hardware, here's where you need to go.

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If you don’t know what a guitar amp or pedal is then the chances are you won’t be particularly interested in the new partnership between music kit giant Peavey and app developer Agile Partners.

If you do, however, this collaboration will truly rock you…

Forget about the novelty iPhone apps that let you strum virtual strings while looking like a banjo-playing buffoon, AmpKit is true innovation brought about by two major players in their respective fields. Peavey, a brand you'll no doubt have seen on the stage at every concert you've ever been to, and Agile Partners that has under its belt popular apps that include GuitarToolkit and TabToolkit.

Combining an iPhone app with a small interface to connect to a guitar (or any other line-based instrument), musicians can now access all the power of a full guitar rig including a variety of amplifiers, effects pedals, mics and speaker cabinets to create unique guitar tones right from their iPhone. The output can then be sent to headphones or pumped out via powered speakers or a PA system.

What once could have filled a guitarist's trunk now fits in the palm of their hand and, according to Peavey as well as the tech editor of Guitar World, sounds just as good. While live performance is an option, AmpKit also allows for recording as you play, storing both the unprocessed guitar sounds as well as those from the amplifier making it an ideal training aid or music creation tool.

"We are excited to collaborate with Agile Partners to launch the amazing combination of AmpKit and AmpKit LiNK," said Hartley Peavey, founder and CEO of Peavey Electronics Corporation. "Peavey is deeply committed to virtual instrumentation innovation".

The AmpKit LiNK interface will cost $39.99 and is available for pre-order from Peavey right now. AmpKit is soon to be available on the App Store and will be compatible with all devices bar the first generation iPod touch. The app will be available for free with In-App Purchases available from the "Gear Store" allowing users to add amps, pedals, cabinets and mics to their setup.

Check out the video below to see just how impressive this app and hardware pairing is and then start guessing which artist will rock AmpKit on stage first.