"LickLibrary contacted us about creating some software specifically for the OPC to help users learn guitar," Cooper said. "The company's videos are top-notch so I was happy to add it as long as the program didn't interfere with the normal operation of Windows."
Like many players, I've spent my fair share of time working through freely-available guitar tab only to quickly discover that the author's interpretation of the song I've chosen to learn is more than a little off. I find video lessons a much faster and more reliable way to learn than tabs or from software like Guitar Pro, there's something comforting about having a competent player walk you through a difficult piece.
My review unit came supplied with 20 video lessons pre-loaded, plus a few DVD trailers. I've seen many free video lessons on YouTube and while it should be quality of tuition that makes the difference, it's quite obvious from the LickLibrary samples that the quality of the video production is also very important indeed.
More videos can be downloaded from LickLibrary's online archives but with so many quality tips and tricks available, it would be quite easy to get carried away, and while a lot of the content is relatively cheap, filling up the OPC's hard drive with lessons can soon add up.
Before closing this section on the included software, there is a known issue where certain software packages running at the same time will fight for the use of the OPC driver, with only one being the victor. Fortunately, both DAW packages are able to make use of AmpliTube via VST plug-in so there's no real need to have a recording suite and the amp/effects sim open simultaneously.
Superb sonic output and versatility in one package
As I've said before, the OPC combines two of my passions - computers and playing music - and it does so very well indeed. So much so in fact that since taking delivery of the OPC, my Marshall and Vox amps and my modest collection of analog and digital effects units have been completely ignored. The computer is very capable and there's an abundance of connectivity options and expansion/upgrade opportunities. The sonic output is superb and what is there not to like about the design?
As what is generally termed a bedroom musician (with youthful gigging and recording experience), the recording software included with the OPC did not take up as much of my playing time as the AmpliTube package. Were I a hands-on kind of musician who wanted to control all aspects of my creative process then the OPC certainly has the tools for that, including DAWs that include many features used by professional studios. It has other potential, too. The 500 GB HDD has lots of room for games and videos to entertain users when they're not being creative.
That said, I've spent a while discussing the unit with musician friends and have been a little surprised by the rather tepid reception shown by some to the idea of a combined computer and amplifier sporting some serious music production software. Whether this is due to such artists having already found their own distinctive sound or setup and see no need to experiment further, or that they prefer to leave mixing and recording to seasoned specialists, or they're a little hesitant about new technology, I can't really say. Whatever the reason, I suspect that such thinking would benefit from getting to know the OPC a little better.
"The person who probably wouldn't be buying this is the guy who already has a home studio setup that works and he's totally happy with," Cooper told us. "This system is for those who don't want all that drama and want something looking and sounding special on their desk."
There is one more thing I discovered that's worth mentioning - when cranking up the OPC's volume all the way up, some of the chosen amp/effects sims in AmpliTube 3 caused the audio to falter or cut out altogether (although in some instances, this kind of audio break up is desirable - think ZZ Top).
"I know about this but the fix would be simply lowering the overall volume of the OPC," admitted Cooper. "Some audio sources need the amplifier to boost the volume a lot to get a nice sound. Listening to a song could be perfectly fine when you have music from an external source playing via the OPC, but sound too loud when you're playing, say, a cranked up virtual amplifier with overdrive pedals."
"Rather than lowering the volume of the entire unit we added orange marks on the volume dial to let users know when their volume is being amplified at a massively loud level - which is fine for audio sources that have a low audio volume but bad for these that are already cranked. We figured we'd let the user decide what volume they like. Personally, I have my volume at the 12 o'clock level and move it when needed. We didn't want to limit anything where possible - we love speakers that allow users to go to 11."
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