Modeling technology is a blessing and a curse. Blessing - the convenience of having a semi truck full of gear in a floor board you can take anywhere and plug into anything is something I never dreamed of when I first started playing. Curse - modeling technology is an art in itself, and requires a healthy knowledge of EQ, signal chains, and other less often mentioned aspects that many of us older guitar players just aren't used to. Even if you have used a modeling amp like a Vypyr, Mustang, or Spider before, keep in mind that those units have a speaker built in so the sounds are for the most part already EQ’d for that full range guitar speaker. Here you have a blank canvas, so you may have to tailor your EQ and signal chain to fit whatever output device you are using. The best advice I can give anyone interested in this product is do your research! Decide what you area going to be playing the board through first. PA system, Headphones, Studio Monitors, Guitar Amp, FRFR etc Then join some forums, watch YouTube, and to understand how to create usable sounds for your particular set up. I’ve seen too many threads by people who are frustrated because they can’t get a good sound. Once they were steered in the right direction for their particular set up, the majority were quite pleased.

Sound
The sounds out of this box are second to none. Some of the best modeling tech I've ever used. It's the closest to a tube amp I've used. It responds… read more well to pick dynamics and guitar volume control. Again learn about EQ'ing to your particular output device. You can literally dial in any sound you can think of. There are a couple hundred presets. Some can be used out of the box, others are solid foundations for building your own sound around a particular amp. The effects available are all usable and you can get very creative with where you place them in your chain to create totally unique sounds. Whether you are looking for high gain lead, chunky rhythm, or haunting ambient tones, take your time and you can create whatever tone you are looking for.

Features
The input output options are more than enough for the average home or working guitarist. The USB is multi channel and is an amazing USB recording interface for your DAW. The ability to record a dry track along with your modeled sound at the same time is a great tool. Then you can go back and play that track back through the LT and tweak your sound real time to fit your mix. No more spending time getting your guitar sound the way you like it only to realize 2 days later than delay you used isn't quite what you want.

Ease of Use
The onboard editing is intuitive and great for quick on the fly changes. The HX Edit computer software is very easy to use as well, and graphically similar to the onboard editor so you don't need to learn 2 tools to tweak your tones.

Quality
The unit is constructed very well. It's definitely road worthy, and it's not too bulky for your home studio set up either.

Value
The LT is in line with the Headrush and the new Boss GT-1000. It's not inexpensive, but you are getting ALL the sounds of the full Helix. I think it's a good value.

Manufacturer Support
I haven't needed to contact Line 6 for any of my products so I can't really comment. I can say that the Line 6 forums on their website are a great resource for tips and tricks, and links to tutorials all over the web. There's also a user sound library where you can download and try out patches the community has created. A great place to get a starting point for a particular artists sound. Line 6 also has been updating the unit regularly, often adding more features and amps with updates. The 2.5 update is coming soon, and will be bringing a ton of new and legacy Line 6 effects to the box. I can't wait for that one!!

The Wow Factor
I am very impressed with the sounds I can get. But again, it may require some work on your end to get the sound you want out of the speakers you are playing through. Overall I am very very happy.

Musical Background:
Playing for over 40 years

Musical Style:
Rock read less