Line 6 (“believe”) have launched the TonePort range of USB audio interfaces. Well, there are two — does that make a range? Anyway, The TonePort is an interface between your guitar, bass and microphone on one hand, and your computer on the other. The included software works with the hardware to emulate a half-dozen different mic preamps, more than 20 guitar and bass preamps and more than 20 guitar and bass effects. Great for those who can actually play real instruments instead of just program computers.

Full details are on the website. Here is the high-level blurb: TonePort is like a rack full of premium tube recording equipment, plus a perfectly engineered recording room for guitar and bass, thanks to our acclaimed guitar/bass direct tone with mic and cab modeling.

TonePort hardware features studio-grade microphone preamps that make getting a truly professional-grade vocal tone easy. The exclusive GearBox tone software gives you models of the most sought after preamps in the recording world. GearBox even lets you run a completely different signal path for your microphone input with models of vintage preamps, compressors, and reverbs while still giving you the ultimate direct recording sound for your guitar or bass. In minutes, you’ll be creating sounds that typically take an entire studio, an expert engineer, and a huge hourly rate to pull off!

The included GearBox software controls TonePort and gives you a premium tone front end for all your recordings. Includes meticulously crafted models of premium tube studio preamps, vintage guitar and bass rigs, and sought after, personality-rich effects. This is the tone that pros rely on and only Line 6 provides. Now it comes to your desktop with TonePort.

GearBox’s meticulously crafted recreations of a dream collection of 16 classic and modern guitar amplifiers, 5 must-have bass amp models, and 24 stompbox and studio effects capture the range of tone found on the best tracks ever recorded. You can mix and match PODXT-based amp and cab models based on Marshall, Fender, Mesa/Boogie, Vox, Roland, Soldano and more, with realistic looking controls that make any guitarist feel right at home

TonePort also comes with a “lite” edition of Ableton Live so you can start playing straight away.