Waves iGTR Personal Guitar Processor
Unleash the power of cool clean sounds to scorching distortion - at your fingertip reach.
Overall User Ratings (based on 13 ratings)
Submitted March 30, 2009 by a customer from econophone.ch
"good sound, but..."
When running on power supply delivers good sound, but it is supposed to be a portable device. i'd give it an 8 without those issues
Sound
Crunch is the best . Distortion is emulated from the amp dist. so if you are after some heavy metal distortion sound, you'll be disappointed, Hovewer, works it very well for blues.
Features
A lot of effects for such small device. Chorus is very good.
Gain (Drive) control works also very well
If MP3 player/recorder would be integrated it would make it a perfect device for practising
Chorus and reverb cannot be used together but this is very common in cheaper devices (one dsp)
Ease of Use
my 10 years old son is using it
Quality
There are two serious issues with this device:
1) When battery voltage drops (it actually happens very fast, since this thingy eats batteries), the sound gets noisy and distorted. Later on, a very unpleasant and loud feedback occurs (probably form noise). When connected to an external power supply, the sound is brilliant. This makes me think that this device actually needs higher voltage to operate properly e.g. 6 batteries instead of 4.
2) This is even more serious - if the battery is slightly bigger (they are never absolutely the same in size, but even < 1mm bigger makes the difference) the plastic case is slightly distorted and when the battery cover is closed, the device wont switch on. If you remove the cover - it works!
If someone from waves reads this - these are serious issues that are not acceptable not even in this price class. Probably the device was tested mainly by using a power supply but not enough with batteries. (I'm an electronic engineer)
Manufacturer Support
never dealt with them
The Wow Factor
It is 3 times cheaper than KORG Pandora...
Musical Background:
hobbyist
Musical Style:
blues
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Submitted March 11, 2008 by a customer from mac.com
""Close, but no cigar""
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The concept was good, the execution poor. If the word got out on this product, it would be dead in the water.
Sound
The clean sounds are good, the effects ok, the distortion all the way up is good, but there is a range where it is just harsh and muddy.
Features
The features are simple, which is nice, but limited as compared to similar portable guitar processors.
Ease of Use
Extremely easy to use.
Quality
I got one from the first batch, kind of liked it, while it worked. The sound kept clipping and then cutting out. Had to send it back. Got a new one in a few weeks, worked fine for about two weeks, now this one is also cutting out. Quality control seems to be virtually non-existent.
Value
Nothing is worth the price if it fails so reliably.
Manufacturer Support
I have yet to send the second unit back, but they did respond to calls, emails, and did replace the unit, though they seemed surprised that the unit had failed.
The Wow Factor
I did want it, but I was hoping for a simple, reliable product that produced usable guitar sounds. If it worked, it wouldn't be half bad.
Musical Background:
former musician
Musical Style:
funk, r & b, classic rock
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Submitted February 21, 2008 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Best Learning Tool Ever"
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
This is a must addition for a beginner that can't afford the expensive guitar and amplifier to sound good or not sure if they really want to play guitar seriously. Plug a good, great or el cheapo guitar into this unit and hear how you can sound with a stage amp; play with the effects and it may help you make up your mind. Let's face it, if you have the talent, you won't need it in a few years; if you down right suck at it, you won't end up selling all of that expensive gear that you bought to learn with, for a song and a dance. I see it as a win-win situation...and it's fun to play with!
Sound
I am just re-learning to play a guitar. Was a rocker in the 60's and quit when I went to war and never played again until now at age 63. The sounds and effects when playing "clean" are great and the reverb coupled with the tremelo allows for some creative repeat timing. For a beginner, just learning, plug in and practice anywhere, any time without disturbing the neighbors. The fuzz-distortion is nothing fancy and falls short on sound, but for a student learner...clean is the ticket.
Features
The unit comes with a patch cord that allows one to plug and play a portable device into it, like a cd player, radio or mp3 player, so you can practice to real songs. However, It looks to be the size of a hair and I've already lost track of it before even using it.
Ease of Use
Easy to use right out of the box and I found all effects easy to use and mix. The distortion leaves much to be deired, but back in the 60's I started with a Kay guitar and Silvertone amp; if I had this little gadget, I would have sounded a lot better playing through the eqivalent of the cheapest guitar being played through dads' tape recorder. What was distortion in 1961 was 10% as good as this one's effect. Be creative with what you have to work with. Given that, it sounds great for the price!
Quality
I've read a few reviews and in my opinion the unit is made well, designed for ease of use and the belt clip is solid and holds the unit solidly, "it ain't going to jar out of the holder...it falls when you fall". It's not a professional amplifier that's made for the stage, it is not meant to be a knock-around toy and more on the line of the old Rockman/walkman and when treated accordingly should last accordingly. Caution...not made to play while snorkeling!
Value
It's not quite the Rockman of old, but a few years ago I bought the Rockman of "new" and threw it away after a few weeks, it wasn't worth giving away. This unit is as good as the old Rockman, although once again, the distortion falls short but on the other end of the sound, the clean is clean and excellent.
Manufacturer Support
One only has to deal with the company when there is a problem, I'll let you know when I have a problem. I've used this unit inside with air conditioning and outside at the park and even at the beach, and especially after the beach, if there's going to be a problem down the line, salt air will speed the process. Promise to check back when I have to deal with the company. Hopefully they will experience great success and keep improving the product.
The Wow Factor
For the price and compared to what I ended up wasting my money on in the past, this is a dream come true for me. Looks good, compact size, can plug and play with my cd-unit any time, any where, as loud as I want and without disturbing anyone or anything but my own eardrums. Oh, unless you want your girlfriend or your dog to listen to; just add another set of earphones and share the experience.
Musical Background:
Has been that never was novice
Musical Style:
Blues, Rock, Techno, New Wave
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Submitted August 5, 2008 by a customer from yahoo.com
"A nice balance between features, sound, and price."
Hopefully, I'll own this one for a while. I've still got my old Rockman and it's still kicking.
Sound
The sound is really good. I'm especially enjoying the Wha part. I've put a pedal through it as well and the signal comes through just as expected.
Features
Love the MP3 part. It's a great way to practice a set. Load the mp3 player of choice and start 'a rockin. Dials are sensitive, but not out of control, the buttons, in/outputs and other features were easily found and identified.
Quality
I've read the other reviews. My hasn't cut out or dropped sound yet. So I'm hoping I got a different rev. But just to be sure, I'm filling out the warranty card and sending it in.
Value
Good effects and sound for the price.
Manufacturer Support
5 cause I haven't had to call in to support.
The Wow Factor
The asthetics are great. I normally don't like anything with a lower case 'i' in the name. But a personal amp is supposed to be discrete, so for that reason, it works for me.
Musical Background:
Intermediate - Advanced Guitar, Vocals, Theory/Composition
Musical Style:
Beatles
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Submitted October 11, 2008 by a customer from yahoo.com
"IGTR does not work"
This item is a scam
Sound
Sounds ok when it works
Features
Features are ok when they work
Ease of Use
Easy to use, when it works
Quality
This devise appears to be a scam
Value
There is no value with this devise
Manufacturer Support
I am on my third one. The first one worked the best, the second one was worse, the third one did not even turn on. They would get a 10 if they sent my $$ back.
The Wow Factor
I will never buy anything from this company, I hope no one else does either.
Musical Background:
hobbyist
Musical Style:
rosk
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Submitted September 29, 2010 by a customer from msn.com
"Excellent concept...Poor execution"
Its going back to Best Buy today for a refund.
Sound
Sounds good, when it works.......
Features
Belt clip needs to be a little stronger to attach to a guitar strap.
Ease of Use
pots are a little cheesey. very toy like. not very smooth. Switches are somewhat ambiguous. There is no "click" to tell you weather it is in any particular position.
Quality
Looks great, but made of very low quality plastics. Very toy like.
Value
You get what you paid for. I paid $39.95. Would have paid $100.00 if all the hype was true.
Manufacturer Support
Still waiting...........
The Wow Factor
I really, really want one....but a real one that works and not a toy.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Blues, rock,jazz
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Submitted February 14, 2008 by a customer from robertlillard.com
"Boy, did I get taken on this one! Don't make the same mistake! Save your money!"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Quality:
Awesome marketing and fabulous packaging. Makes you feel like you're getting a top-notch product. However, that was as far as the nice experience went. As soon as you take it out, you see it is made of really thin plastic and weighs almost nothing. When after installing the batteries, I thought the battery cover was going to break when I put it back on. It does have a nice rubbery, non-slip kind of coating on the back but you can still tell it is really delicate. Looks cool but don't drop it.
Reliability:
I don't know how this will hold up over time as I just got mine not a hour ago. Believe me when I say that I have almost never felt compelled to submit a review before this. But I felt that if I could just save ONE person their hard earned money, it would be worth it.
Tone:
The absolute worst distortion sounds I have ever heard. The clean sounds are really quite nice but don't turn the drive up past half way. The overdrive/distortion sounds like a really loud buzzing more than a amp modeled sound. I would rather listen to nails being dragged, painfully slow down a school chalkboard that listen to this. Really hard on your ears!
The clean sounds are cool. The chorus sounded rich and smooth - quite pleasant. The wah, trem, and phaser were not bad either but they lack a mix feature and are often louder than you would like. The reverb was another shortcoming for this unit. It sounds like they were trying to emulate a really fast spring-type reverb but it was too fast. Once you get past 10 o'clock it is really cheesy sounding. The delay is fair at best. It is a stereo Ping-Pong type reverb that is fast and loud. This is also almost unusable over 10 or 11 o'clock on the dial.
Finish:
Nice black faceplate but really cheap plastic. Looks pretty darn cool though. At least they got that part right.
Overall:
I came home today and was excited to see the iGTR that I ordered directly from Waves had arrived. None of my favorite music web sites, like this one, had them in stock yet, so I went directly to Waves and ordered it. I got an email a few days ago that told me that due to extreme demand, they were back ordered 4-6 weeks. I called customer service to cancel my order and the lady I spoke with said "Oh congratulations! You were one of the lucky ones to get one from the first batch!". Wow! I MUST be lucky; I got to be one of the first ones to be DISAPPOINTED! No wonder the disclaimer on their website says "All Sales Final", I'll bet a lot of people are going to want to send theirs back too. But really, I'm only out $99 - no big deal, but in hindsight, I wouldn't have paid $25 for the iGTR. Let's see now, let me end by saying a least one nice thing about it, hummm oh yes, the on/off switch worked really well, especially in the OFF position!
Musical Background:
Advanced recreational player and sound engineer
Musical Style:
Rock, Alternative, Blues
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Submitted February 20, 2008 by a customer from aol.com
"Fragile and Worthless!"
Verified Customer
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Sound
As the first review here he said it all. This is a worthless gadget I also recieved the fist batch and was very disapointed. Dont buy it! You have to play with the headphone plug to get it to work. Cheaply made.
Manufacturer Support
All sales final!
Musical Background:
active musician
Musical Style:
rock and blues
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Submitted June 12, 2009
"iGTR real customer review"
I was dissatisfied the first day it arrived at my door. I liked the fact that it came ready to use but once i plugged it in, it just sucked. Bad sound, too much buzz.
Sound
The sound is very poor quality. If you try to record, it will buzz too much and will cut out if you put too much distortion.
Features
It has great features. I like the fact that it has many different amplifier tones.
Ease of Use
really easy to use.
Quality
It is built tough, i like that.
Value
Too expensive for this.
The Wow Factor
Very appealing, that is why i bought it.
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Submitted March 9, 2009
"Expensive paperweight"
Frankly, I've never been compelled to write a review though I've written some for products I really like and feel deserve a recommendation. In this case, I really feel like I should warn players to check this out first before buying it and insure that it really will suit you. I am very disappointed with it. However, if you play strictly clean or put a decent overdrive pedal in front of it possibly it will sound better but that defeats the whole portability benefit for me.
Sound
The reverb on this sucks. Coming from WAVES, who specialize in DSP and plug-ins/VSTs for recording, this is huge blunder. The overdrive/distortion is equally as bad and renders the device useless in my opinion. It goes from very mildly overdriven to a grainy and very horrible distortion. The other effects are OK but the problem is that is so poorly executes any amp simulation that it doesn't matter. So, you can't get a half-way decent tube emulation for an overdriven sound AND the distortion blows too. You'd think they'd at least get one end of the spectrum right....ok, the cleans are decent...I'll give them that.
Features
Again, thought it seems to boast a number of effects you have to consider that unless you can get a good tone then it doesn't matter if it had 100 fx on board. The tone on this just blows. It lasted a day and I went back to using a small practice amp (VOX DA-5) that I hoped the iGTR would replace and provide the ultimate in portability. Since digital emulation of good amps has come a very long way they should have done away with the DRIVE knob and provided several amp sims for CLEAN, CRUNCH and DISTORTED, for example
Ease of Use
Easy to use. Very intuitive. No issues with layout or design. I think they did a nice job here.
Quality
Clip won't hold onto my guitar strap so that's useless. MP3 cord is very, very light gauge wiring and cheesy. If they invested another 0.20 cents you could have had a decent gauge heavier duty wire that would last more than a week. Came with batteries...good. Unit is decent looking and durable enough for what it is.
Value
Worthless. I should have spend double and then had something of value. Instead, I've got a handsome iGTR paperweight if anyone wants it.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't use them so I can't rate it.
The Wow Factor
Good looking. In fact, my purchase decision was based on the sound clips from the WAVES site. Owning the unit I am convinced that someone tinkered with those clips in a big way. Either that or they spent a hole lot of time finding a few sweet spots on the unit and used some good players to get them to sound really decent. In reality...big disappointment.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
blues
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