IK Multimedia AXE I/O USB Guitar Audio Interface Reviews

The features on this interface are a great addition for guitarists and other stringed instrument players. They make it easier to get the sound you want before recording. It's quiet and transparent, if you want it to be or it can color your tone in several different ways but subtly not intrusively. The Z tone impedance control section works as advertised and it's very easy to dial in the tone you want to start with. I like to rotate the control to the right some for Telecasters. Takes some of the icepick out of the tone. The onboard tuner comes in very handy, too, as does the re-amp jack and footswitch inputs. All in all, I'm glad I made this purchase.

i had almost given up on recording at home without latency, but I decided to take a shot with the reasonably priced AXE, and I was not disappointed. Easy to set up, and it worked perfectly right out of the box. The guitar-centric features are great for anyone who does a lot of guitar recording, and the included AmpliTube software gives you a wealth of plug-in sound options. Love the dedicated port for re-amping. Works great with MIDI controllers. It's got all the inputs and outputs I need for home recording projects. If you're a guitar player looking for a new I/O box for home recording, give this one a look!

This thing and the accompanied software are awesome. I wish I had this years ago. I can simply run through the AXE I/O using the software and play/record, run through a headset, or through computer monitors. I can also send an XLR from the Torpedo Reload to the AXE I/O and play my PRS Archon in the bedroom without blowing out my windows or earning a divorce. Best piece of guitar equipment I have purchased in a very long time. super satisfied. Thanks Tyler Moore for the hook-up!

I am so amazed at the functionality of this product and how versatile it is. It allows you to choose from many different options and settings, so that your guitar is able to sound and be at its best for any recording sessions you might want to do. The Interface gives you your money's-worth and it is worth every penny. I would recommend this product to anyone, just as I have already recommended it to my Nephew who is a sound technician. Thank you Sweetwater for always putting the musician first!

Finally! I pulled the trigger on this and the Total Studio 2 bundle. This unit is dead quiet with no electrical circuitry shining through the mix. I have only tried one preset on the Amplitube Max and it is incredible with my traveler guitar. Cheers

I finally decided to go digital with my electric guitar practice routine but was pretty clueless about exactly what I needed. Called Sweetwater and told the rep that I wanted to order everything I would need to make it happen. He recommended the AXE after I told him which units I had shopped. Said it came with Amplitube 4 software - which I knew was well-reviewed - and that it would fill my needs perfectly. He also recommended some studio monitors and a couple of speaker cables for them and I was in business. I read reviews on the AXE after the transaction and realized I was almost certainly not going to be disappointed. Sure enough, it was super easy to set up (DO NOT THROW AWAY THE LITERATURE. THERE'S A VITAL SOFTWARE CODE AMONG THE PRINTED MATERIAL!!!) and start playing. I don't think it's a perfect substitute for "real" gear, but it's definitely pretty sweet and waaaayy easier to change rigs and tone when you're searching for the right sound. The only downside is I'm afraid I'll forget how to use a real amp someday...

If you're a guitarist looking to upgrade from a basic interface but you don't need to drop the money on a lot of inputs this is exactly what you need. The included software is great the preamps sound fantastic and the extra outs are very helpful. The added Reamp out is a game changer if you don't already have a reamp box, and the Z-Tone can change the character of your pickups.

This interface is simply amazing. The software it comes with is worth the price alone. Amplitube 4 is awesome. Adam at Sweetwater is the man. If you play guitar you need this.

Swapped out my Focusrite 2i2 for this. Increasing the gain on the 2i2 went from clean to distortion (fuzz) way too quickly for my liking, as I was hoping for crunch in some middle ground. The AXE I/O seems to me (and my wife) to have substantially better clean sound, has significant room for crunch as a function of gain, but will also distort. Couldn't be happier. Interesting is the AmpliTube 4 Deluxe software it comes with sounds really, really good through the AXE I/O, and has had me using this as my new favorite. Couldn't be more impressed with the AXE I/O, and I highly recommend it to all. As a point of reference I'm using a modified Fender strat with EMG active pickups, Mogami Gold cables and Mac OS.

This goes beyond words. A small, portable POWERHOUSE. You can play live with this or it can be your main studio rig. Its got most of it covered. There is NOTHING better for recording any instrument that has a 1/4" jack.. Enjoy fluid recording..
In combination with Amplitube, vst plugins, and your favortite DAW, you will quickly find out that its the poor mans AXE FX or Kemper. This is the stuff dreams are made of. Thank you IK and Sean at Sweetwater.

I would quickly replace it if it were to ever fail. It will leave you speechless. Nuff said.

Upgrading from a Focusrite 2i4, this interface is just... mind-blowing.

The I/O is great, especially the specific input for recording direct with your own instrument, it's an experience to tweak the knobs and squeeze that extra bit of juice out of your guitar or bass, and the software suite that comes with it is fantastic. Having never used Ampi-Tube before this, I'm quite blown away by the selection of amps available and the overall sound coming out, but the bigger star is the TS-Rack suite which definitely gives my already large plugin collection both freeware and otherwise a nice and healthy boost. Even when used as just a monitoring device while using a different amplifier (in this case my Fender Mustang GT-100 connected USB via their ASIO driver), there is barely any noticeable latency right out of the box for me, which is quite frankly amazing, albeit I do occasionally have some popping and crackle, but that seems to be more of a DAW and tweaking issue which is of course always something you need to do whenever using a new device with your system. I did have to buy new cables (1/4 to RCA) to interface with my iLoud Micro Monitors, but they almost seem to be made for each other as it's got alot more gain and volume for monitoring than my previous box could ever hope to do, which can be both amazing and bad for your hearing.

I also use this interface as my VOIP device (microphone plugged into the second input from the rear) and it performs beautifully for that purpose for gaming and recording commentary while gaming as driver installation was quick and simple, so that's a plus.

The on board tuner is also a very nice feature along with the ability to re-amp at will, however the only real downside of this box is that it is NOT USB-powered (comes with a power supply that comes with exchangeable plugs for wherever you are in the world) and the power switch is in the back and it's really tiny, but those are very minor issues indeed.

I absolutely remind this box to any guitarist or bassist who wants the best starter-kit for getting that polished professional sound at home while also being extremely flexible for future or other non-music related needs.

This is my first computer usb interface for my guitar and I have no complaints so far. When looking to purchase an interface, I was seeing issues with clipping with many other interfaces, especially ones in the lower price range. The IK Multimedia AXE does not have this issue and is actually quite generous with how much far i can turn the input dial. The fact that there is a switch to select active vs passive plays a big role in this as I have no issues when plugging in a active pickup (Het Set EMGs) guitar.

On top of this it comes with Amplitube Deluxe to get you started. The software is great and anyone complaining about not being able to get a good tone is probably just having an issue with setting up the amps properly within Amplitube.

Love the customer service. I had the pleasure of working with Tim Burgess and he was very helpful with product recommendations.

Absolutely love this interface and everything IK Multimedia makes. Insane tone and functionality, they really know what their customers want and it shows in the details!

As someone who mainly records guitar and bass, this interface couldn't be any more perfect.I love having the ability to adjust the input impedance with the Z tone control. It makes a big difference depending on what pickups I am using.The JFET option adds some nice tube-like warmth and helps reduce that shrillness you often hear when using distortion with amp modelers.The unit has a very low noise floor and a powerful headphone amp as well. Latency and driver integration has been a non-issue on my older AMD 6 core Windows PC. A dedicated reamp out and expression pedal inputs? Are you kidding me? The only thing this unit can't do is restring your guitar for you. In my opinion, IK has set the new bar for guitar and bass production.

I got the Axe I/O because the Solo was yet to release and still only taking pre-orders. Being the impatient person I am I ordered the standard Axe I/O which is more than double the price. However, I liked all the free digital software that came with it. The Amplitube package and all the IK software is great, and the purchase alone will net you enough IK points to get up to $... off another software purchase which i used to buy Amplitube Max when it went on sale. I've had the interface for a little over a month and everything about it works great. I love that it has the option to connect midi controllers and expression pedals as well as programmable footswitches which is a function a lot of interfaces lack. The on board tuner is pretty accurate but gets a little buggy in the low frequencies at around 50-60hz, so my 5 string bass is a little difficult to register on the low B string, but otherwise works great. the ability to shift the mix between direct and DAW is good for checking your clean direct tone, the amp out feature is great in case you wanna connect your DAW to your amp rather than your monitors, and the tracking is accurate. My only complaint is the price point. with all the features it does have, a huge reason for the price point i believe is the software that comes with it. I believe Interfaces like the Scarlett series are on par with the AXE minus the ability to connect expression pedals or midi controllers.

Overall I definitely like the Interface. I'm a beginner musician and i like i have the option to expand so much with a single interface... you would be hard pressed to find another interface that can run 2 instruments and 2 mics at the same time with a Midi controller and 2 expression pedals. Why take separate tracks when a whole band can record at once?

This has been really easy to use and setup - it definitely is easy to use for a guitarist and doesn't run into clipping like others do

I got this from WIll Newbill, thanks again Will!
Got it to use with a year old Win 10, i7 laptop with Pro Tools 12.4. The laptop ran 12.4 just fine with an Eleven Rack.
Launching PT with AXE I/O, PT would throw a error message and say "choose another interface" except I had no way to choose another interface. PT would not open so I could manually select the interface. Pressing the N key didn't work either. I tested AXE I/O with Reaper and Studio One 4.5, it worked just fine.
I went back and installed PT 11.3, I got the same error message, but when I closed the message window this time it automatically opened the PT hardware control panel, which let me see and choose another interface.
I chose AXE I/O, still got same error message. Then I selected a different interface, and then re-selected the AXE I/O ---> BAM! It worked! I re-installed 12.4 over 11.3 and it's been working fine. Even if I trash preferences in 12.4, it will again throw the error message, but re-opens the control panel, so I can re-select AXE I/O.
I probably would rate the interface 5 stars. It's sounds great in terms of AD/DA and preamp clarity. Guitar sounds natural.
I was not "blown away" with the stock amp model presets, there ok. The RED PIG is a good one!
Also there are tons of presets loaded that are missing amp or pedal models, so there unusable, until you buy the models. That's a bit annoying. I wish they would have created more and better presets for the models the I got.
Compared to Helix Native presets, I wasn't really blown away by Helix either.
I purchased the IK Fender Collection 2, after tweaking the room and mic placement, I was able to get some great sounding blues and blues rock tones. The Champ and 53 Bassman are awesome, lots of fun! The Super Reverb was my least favorite. Hope this helps!

I've been using this audio interface for roughly 3 years now, and it's quite good. I don't plug directly into it with my guitars, however. My setup utilizes a Fractal Audio Axe-FX II going into this unit because it gives me more flexibility over managing my PC audio alongside the Axe-FX. The build quality is great, and it has a lot of guitar player friendly features, like the tuner in front, and the bundled software.

Here is the one thing I wish this unit had, especially considering the price: SPDIF in/out. This would make the unit more versatile, and allow for another digital connection with other devices (like an Axe-FX, Kemper or Helix).

This unit sounds very good to my ears and built robust. The di and guitar tuner are really nice features, but really needs at least three inputs if you intend to record wet, dry, and a have a vocal mic. And spidf I/o. With everything going kemper axe fx digital realm, would be nice to have these for reamping or getting directly in. the mic pre, di and conversion don't sound cheap which is great. Really needs these other features though to be a full fledged guitar interface. I'de love to see a digital rack mixer w these features built in and enough inputs for a whole band. But main selling point is definitely the nice di and tuner. I'm sure the amp sim software is pretty decent, haven't tried it yet

The one problem i have found is when you hook the amp into the last port on the front it sounds weak . I have enjoyed it so far though

I've had this interface for almost 3 months and here's what I have to say:

What I like - looks great, it's compact, doesn't feel brittle, I haven't had any issues while recording even at 192KHz; latency is barely noticeable; the included version of AmpliTube has some good sounds in it, and the power adapter comes with different plugs to match different types of AC outlets

What I don't like - audio routing is pretty weird and the manual or demo videos don't go into details about that topic. Here's what I've found by trial and error (keep in mind I'm typing this from memory...):

- Outputs 1 & 2 monitor what comes through inputs 1 & 2 and so does the Headphones jack (not useful at all in my opinion)
- Outputs 3 & 4 monitor the processed audio coming from my DAW (Ableton Live) or AmpliTubes
- In order to have audio go through the Headphones and the Amp Out* jacks, you need to route audio to Outputs 5 & 6.

*The Monitor knob for the Amp Out jack only works if you are sending audio to Outputs 1 & 2

This is where it starts to get even more complicated --> since AmpliTubes only allows for the selection of one pair of outputs, it limits my sound considerably; I just left it configured to use Outputs 3 & 4 and I can't use the Amp Out jack
In Ableton Live, I can enable as many outputs as I want, so I can hear the processed audio through my studio speakers + my amp sound (to do that, I enabled outputs 3, 4, 5 and 6).

Hope that helps

I've been using one of these interfaces for a couple of years now and it was a great way to record guitar and bass for me in my little home studio. However, the audio outputs on the thing have just randomly stopped working and now I'm dead in the water. I've tried troubleshooting everything and it looks like it's still processing the input and that signal does make it to my DAW but the signal coming back to the monitor and headphone outputs is no longer being processed. If I play through a whole song I might get a spike of audio once or twice for a second but that's it. If I switch the output on my DAW to my computer's internal speakers I get audio back and I can even play through the AXE and hear it that way so it's definitely the interface that's the problem. For something that's only a couple of years old I'd expect better.

You're locked in to 1 computer on purchase. You need your sign in to a product portal to make the hardware work. Once IK Multimedia decides to discontinue the digital project, there's no public driver. That means you lose access to your hardware.

You can't run the software on linux, the stock power supply is so noisy that it is painful to use amp out, and the actual color knob is bordering on useless. If this weren't powered by an external unit, I would've thrown it away already.

The only thing it does right is an idea. That idea is re-amping. This can be done with an external unit and I will be building my own interface after this so I can skip the clown act.

Worked pretty well for a week or so and then died