PocketAmp Lite is another of the amplifier simulators for the iPhone that doesn’t give you the option to save your recordings. I wanted to mention that up front for three reasons. One, It’s probably the element of the app that brings me the greatest sadness. Two, this app has some seriously wicked sounds that warrant sharing. Three, I really like lists.
Point two from the list is perhaps the most important one. Although PocketAmp Lite doesn’t give you effect pedals to play with or some other bells and whistles that some other simulator apps provide, the sounds that are generated through the amp settings are seriously good. Seriously good. I should point out at this stage that PocketAmp lite is free. No gimmicks free.
I’m really tempted to buy the full version for $5.49 (AUD) to see what the other amps sound like. If I do make that purchase I’ll also get access to some echo and effects. For the money, you get extra features. Makes sense. I just wish I could record with either version.
Oh, my regular warning. This website
is developed with all colour removed from it. The screenshots below are
black and white, but the app is in full living colour when you buy it.
Check out the developer’s website for proof of colour.
So what does PocketAmp Lite look like? Well I’m glad you read that question. It looks like the screenshots that can be found below this article. Scroll down, look and scroll back up to read.
And you’re back … As you can see, there are two amp channels to choose from. Clean and Rock. Both sound exceptionally good. You’re free to manipulate your sound using the sliders you see in the screenshots. Another way to change your sound in either channel is to change the amp you’re playing through. You get two of those to choose from.
If you go from one channel to another or from one amp to another the sliders remain where they are. This is not going to get you the sounds you’re after as you go from Clean to Rock in most cases, but luckily you have the ability to save your own presets.
I created my own presets for Clean and Rock. And I’ve got to say the Rock sound is very close to Metal. I would love to hear the actual Metal amp in the full version of this app. I imagine it’s killer.
Going from one preset to another is quick and easy. When you’ve selected the preset, the sliders are where you left them and the amp is the one you’d saved. Exactly as it should work.
Another feature of PocketAmp Lite is the ability to play along with any track in your iPhone/iPod/iPad music collection. Sadly, I’m on an iPhone 3S so I don’t get to use all of the features that PocketAmp Lite has to offer. But I can play along—to the best of my ability at least—with a sound quality that I like.
As I was once again playing the guitar into my iPhone with headphones I was glad to see PocketAmp Lite offers the ability to cut out unwanted feedback with its Feedback Control feature. In various apps over time I have experienced unwanted feedback and I did not experience anything like that at all with the Feedback Control turned on.
During my testing I did manage to successfully connect to PocketAmp Lite with GuitarJack, GuitarConnect Cable and AmpKit Link. Just as I experienced with RiotFX though, GuitarJack seemed to be providing lower levels of output. I do wonder if this app sounds any better with the iRiff Port that is also made by PocketLabWorks. I don’t own it and only just became aware of it. It appears to plug into the 30-pin dock connector of the iPhone like GuitarJack does (not the 3.5mm headphone socket).
I really should get myself an iPad. And PocketAmp should allow you to export your recordings somehow. Because the amps sound amazing.