Bought and using a JamVox

Jack-Flash-Jr

Picked up a JamVox recently (integrated software and monitor). The general gist of this is that it's got guitar extraction, so you can 'extract' or minimize guitar parts in any mp3 then play along as the new lead guitarist... anyone about to invest feel free to post questions. It's a great practice tool but does it really extract The Edge out of your average U2 track or Dean Fertita out of The Dead Weather? Er... Not exactly! I'll elaborate if anyone is interested...
http://www.jamvox-online.com/

Sean

Yes, please elaborate ?

Jack-Flash-Jr

OK, so the JamVox software is multipurpose - wide range of amp/pedal and artist emulation (pretty good too!), mp3 looping/recording/play along, backing tracks, drum tracks etc. etc. The software is free but only works when you plug in the monitor, twin speakers, line out, good sound quality for the size. The main selling point for the JamVox is their 'Guitar Xtraction' technology, developed by Korg. What it does is dampen the guitar frequencies in an MP3 so when you listen to the song the guitar is less audible or cancelled out, voila you're the new lead guitarist. Except it takes A LOT of tweaking and doesn't always work. The easiest tracks are the older ones where lead guitar would sometimes be on left channel only for example, canceling is easy and it doesn't affect the other sounds in the MP3. Newer bands mix the guitar all over the place and so when you cancel it you end up with a murky track in general or no effect. To make it easier you can download for free pre-settings for certain tracks. So you download Paranoid GXT and activate it for the MP3. If you're willing to sit for some time you can get fairly good results for most tracks but bottom line... don't buy it for the eXtraction. I've got young kids and can't blast late at night so this gives me a good studio/jam room to practice with headphones. Have yet to run into my amp but I suspect a signal booster might be necessary...