Guitarix
Guitarix is a free virtual guitar amplifier that processes audio through JACK Audio Connection Kit.
What Guitarix is
Guitarix is a free virtual guitar amplifier that processes audio through JACK Audio Connection Kit. It takes mono input from a sound card and runs it through a main amp and rack section, which can be routed separately for stereo output. The rack offers more than 25 built-in effect modules, including a noise gate, flanger, phaser and auto-wah. Users can add LADSPA and LV2 plugins, or load Guitarix’s LV2 plugin suite in a DAW. The project names Ardour and says it can connect to Rackarrack or another JACK-aware host. It can also process sound from a synth or another sound generator. The maker says a properly configured Linux system can process the signal in no more than 10 ms. Guitarix is a standalone app with an IR loader, licensed under GNU GPL version 2. It is listed for Linux and macOS; Linux users can usually install it through a software center or package manager. The source can also be built for BSD and MacOSX.
Good
- Free software under GNU GPL version 2
- More than 25 built-in effect modules
- Accepts LADSPA and LV2 plugins
- Can route sections separately for stereo output
- Includes a standalone app and IR loader
Watch out
- Development-repository builds are not recommended for productive systems
- Listed platforms are Linux and macOS
Who it suits
Guitarix suits Linux users seeking a free standalone amplifier and effects setup, including those working with guitar or other sound generators. It may also suit DAW users who want to load its LV2 plugin suite.
Verdict
Guitarix combines an amplifier, effects rack and plugin support, with audio routed through JACK. Its development build is not recommended for productive systems, so Linux users should prefer a regular distribution package when available.
Plans and prices
From Guitarix's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Guitarix | Free | Free software · GNU GPL version 2 |
The facts
Each one read from Guitarix's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Development build limit
- The maker says installation from the development repository is not recommended for productive systems because it contains code currently under development.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Effects
- The rack includes more than 25 built-in effect modules, including noise gate, flanger, phaser and auto-wah.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Integrations
- The site names Ardour and says Guitarix can connect to Rackarrack or another JACK-aware host.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Latency
- The maker says a properly set-up Linux system processes the signal in no more than 10 ms.checked 4 Oct 2001
- License
- Guitarix is free software licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Other audio sources
- The maker says Guitarix can process a synth or another sound generator as well as guitar signals.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Plugin support
- Users can add LADSPA and LV2 plugins, and Guitarix is also available as an LV2 plugin suite for loading amps and plugins in a DAW.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Purpose
- Guitarix is a virtual guitar amplifier for Linux that runs on the JACK Audio Connection Kit.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Signal processing
- It processes mono input from a sound card through a main amp and rack section, which can be routed separately to produce stereo output via JACK.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Support
- The site directs users to GitHub to report bugs and submit pull requests, and links to project documentation on SourceForge.checked 4 Oct 2001
Where it runs
- Linux installation
- Guitarix is available in most current Linux distributions and can usually be installed through a software center or package manager.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Other platforms
- The maker says the source code can be built for other UNIX-like systems, specifically BSD and MacOSX.checked 4 Oct 2001
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