bmusic - Product News and Reviews

JOHNSON J-STATION, THE DREAM IS OVER!

Much has been said about the new phenomenon of digital amp modelling. The Line 6 POD has been credited with beginning this new era in guitar technology and many companies have followed suit with their own interpretations. Johnson Amplification followed the release of the POD very closely with it's own J-Station. So close were the release dates that Johnson must have been well down the track in developing their own desktop amp modeller before the POD was released. Both Line 6 and Johnson also have a large range of digital amps further utilising the amazing technology employed in their desktop units.
Many comparisons have been made between the Line 6 POD and the Johnson J-Station as both are widely regarded as the leaders in this field. Personally, this author prefers the J-Station quite a bit more than the POD, but I have been a LONG time Digitech user and appreciate all that Digitech has ever had to offer. Johnson are, for all intents and purposes, the development arm for the Digitech company. So much so that much of the technology developed by Johnson has been used in the Digitech GenetX range of processors. Sentimental thoughts of Digitech and co. aside, there are several, more rational points that determine my preference of the J-Station over the POD. The most important of these reasons is, predictably, tone. The J-Station has a far less nasal sound than that of the POD, something I attribute to the 24-bit rate of the J-Station versus the inferior 16-bit rate of the POD. The J-Station Black Face sound is simply incredible, and many authors have commented on it's remarkable reproduction of the original.
We at bmusic once had occasion to sell a J-Station to an Bouzouki player who was attempting to emulate the sound of a Greek virtuoso Bouzouki player who used a Fender Black Face in years gone by. Needless to say, he has 'that' sound, and at a fraction of the cost. So it ain't just for guitars!
Other factors that I believe make the J-Station superior are it's 44.1 kHz sampling rate (POD at 33 kHz), the S/PDIF Digital Out, the wide variety of User Patches available in user groups and at the official Johnson website, and it's construction. As with all Digitech products, the J-Station is made in the U.S., the POD is assembled in Malaysia. Just as a point of interest concerning country of manufacturer. Where would you think the Fender CyberTwin amp (pushing $5000 retail price) would be made? Fender, the great American company, ask you to shell out nearly $5K for an amp assembled in Mexico.
Back to the point. In this review we will take a look at the features, amp models, presets, and extras of the Johnson J-Station. We've also grabbed a few reviews and user comments from around the 'net from players who've had experience with both the POD and J-Station. As you read these comparisons and have a look at the J-Station keep this in mind. As of the date of writing this review, the Johnson J-Station has a RRP of $699 ($599 at bmusic.com.au during the week that coincides with this review's release). The Line 6 POD has a retail price of $1399, and the POD Pro (which has a few more features that brings it closer to the J-Station) has a list price of $1999!
So let's get started!

Breaking the Project Studio Boundaries... These days, the bedroom recording engineers are beginning to rival the professional producers. The home project studio is replacing the large production houses almost as quickly as the independent record label is replacing the major labels. One advantage that the large production houses still have over the project studio is the assortment of amplifiers to choose from, as well as the space to accommodate several amps. Johnson Amplification is about to break the boundary by adding a room full of amplifiers to the project studio. The additional equipment will actually take up less space than an average drum machine. Introducing the Johnson J-Station.

Not only does the J-Station provide 24 choices of amp models, bass amp models, and acoustic guitar models, but it does so with the kind of accuracy you've come to expect from Johnson Amplification. The J-Station also includes a multitude of completely programmable, studio quality effects and 18 speaker cabinet models. The direct interface will greatly improve your signal to noise ratio by eliminating the need to mic speaker cabinets, and the S/PDIF digital output make it ready to record in the digital domain.

The J-Station can easily be controlled remotely via MIDI, the J8 Foot Controller, or the J3 Footswitch. A Windows based editor/librarian software is included allowing your computer to open a virtually endless array of tones from the J-Staiton. So, increase the quality of your home recordings and double the size of your project studio by adding several of the most popular amps ever used.

Use Your Computer!
The Johnson J-Edit™ software is a powerful computer editing interface for the J-Station. Using J-Edit™ gives you instant access to all of the J-Station’s parameters. Getting the perfect sound is just a point and click away.
Software Upgrades
Never worry about your J-Station becoming obsolete. The latest software version can easily be download from our website and installed via the MIDI ports.

It's Digital Ready!
The only desktop amp recording device with a S/PDIF digital out. The J-Station is ready to plug directly into your digital recording platform.

J-Station Digital Ready

Guitar & Bass Amp Models
The most popular guitar amps throughout musical history, acoustic guitar simultors, and monster bass amp models are all at your disposal. Also download patches from user groups and www.johnson-amp.com. Patches developed by users include such awesome modern amps as the Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier.
Marshall® is a registered trademark of Marshall Amplification Plc. Vox® is a registered trademark of Korg UK. Fender, Matchless, Mesa Boogie, HiWatt, SWR, Acoustic, Ampeg, and Trace Elliot, are trademarks of their respective companies and are in no way associated with Johnson Amplification.

Effects Control
The J-Station is capable of adding up to 6 studio quality effects to any Amp Model. Each effect is fully programmable to suit your personal taste or application.

Cabinet Imaging Technology
Our Cabinet Imaging Technology (CIT™) is the most advanced of any amp recording processor. You can mix and match any of the 12 different cabinets with any amplifier type!

00 - No Cabinet
01 - Brit 4x12 (Marshall 1960A w/ 75W Celestions)
02 - Johnson 412V (loaded w/ Vintage 30 Celestions)
03 - Fane 4x12 (a Hiwatt SE4123 w/Fanes)
04 - Johnson 2x12 (Open back w/Vintage 30 Celestions)
05 - American 2x12 (a Fender Twin 2x12)
06 - Jennings Blue 2x12 (a '63 Vox AC30)
07 - Tweed 1x12 (a Fender Deluxe 1x12)
08 - Blonde 2x12 (a Bassman 2x12)
09 - Bass 4x10 w/ Tweeter (an SWR 4x10 w/tweeter)
10 - Bass 360 1x18 (an Acoustic 360)
11 - Flex Bass 1x15 (a Ampeg Portaflex)
12 - Green Back 4x12 (a Marshall 1960B w/ 25W Celestion Greenbacks)
13 - Mega 1516 (a Peavey 1x15 and 2x8)
14 - Boutique 4x12(Va HT 4x12 w/Celestion V30s)
15 - '65 Tweed 1x12(a Fender '65 Deluxe)
16 - Goliath 4x10 (an SWR Goliath)
17 - Ivy League 1x10 (a Fender Harvard)
18 - Bass Man 4x10 (a Fender Bassman)

Guitar & Bass Amp Models
The most popular guitar amps throughout musical history plus the ability to add your own amps, or download patches from the internet. Patches developed by users include such awesome modern amps as the Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier.

00 - J Crunch (based on JM150 Millennium Crunch)
01 - J Solo (based on JM150 Millennium Solo)
02 - J Clean (based on JM150 Millennium Clean)
03 - Boutique (based on a Matchless DC30)
04 - Rectified (based on a MesaBoogie Dual Rectifier)
05 - Brit Stack (based on a Marshall JCM900)
06 - Brit Class A (based on a '63 Vox AC30 top boost)
07 - BlackFace (based on a '65 Fender Twin Reverb)
08 - Boat Back (a piezo acoustic guitar)
09 - Flat Top (a dreadnaught acoustic guitar)
10 - Hot Rod (based on a Mesa Boogie Mark II C)
11 - Tweed (based on a '57 Fender Tweed Deluxe)
12 - Blues (a dynamic blues tube combo)
13 - Fuzz (a 60's fuzz tone)
14 - Modern (based on an SWR bass)
15 - British (based on a Trace Elliot bass amp)
16 - Rock (based on an Ampeg SVT bass amp)
17 - More A1 (based on a Hiwatt Custom 50)
18 - More A2 (based on a '78 Marshall Master Volume)
19 - More A3 (based on a '81 Marshall JCM800 w/EL34s)
20 - More A4 (based on a '72 Fender Bandmaster)
21 - More A5 (based on a '65 Fender Bassman)
22 - More A6 (based on a SWR Interstellar Odrive)
23 - More A7 (based on a '83 Fender Concert Head)
24 - More A8 (Direct - no modelling)

Optional Johnson Foot Controllers

Preset List
Amp sounds have never been so convincing. Select from the 30 user presets or create 30 of your very own.

JCM900 w/Hall
Mr. J's Crunch
Rotary Tweed
Rockabilly
Modern Bass
Mike’s Tone
Bluesy Delay
Boogie MKII
Boutique Blues
Grindy SVT
Classic Blackface
Wide Acoustic
Voxy
Hiwatt w/Delay
Envelope Bass
Octa Slam
'78 Brit Stack
Wide Solo
Funky Envelope
Fuzzy Face
Boutique Delay
Rectifier March
Thick Stack Solo
Jazzy Twin
Rock Bass Delay
Johnson Tremolo
Synth Guitar Swell
Acoustic w/Delay
Gilmourish
Slide Blues

Effects Control
The J-Station is capable of adding up to 6 studio quality effects to any Amp Model. Each effect is fully programmable to suit your personal taste or application.

Mod/Pitch Effects:
Compressor
Wah
Noise Gate
Chrous
Flanger
Phaser
Tremolo
Rotary speaker
AutoWah
Pitch Shift/Detuning

Delays:
Mono Delay
Analog Delay
Pong Delay
Analog Pong Delay

Reverbs:
Club
Studio
Bathroom
Plate
Soundstage
Garage
Hall
Church
Arena
Two 7" Springs
Two 14" Springs
Three 14" Springs
Rattle & Boing

Now to what people are saying about the Johnson J-Station vs. the Line 6 POD:

Australian Guitar, Issue 28, Editor Comment:
There are certainly plenty of amp modelling devices on the market at the moment. Another one to consider around the V-amp's price point is the Johnson J-Station. The POD might have been the first, but it is starting to look a little long in the tooth these days, not to mention expensive.

Line 6 Pod Pro & Johnson J-Station digital modeling/direct recording units.
By Tom Beaujour Guitar World
As a challenger to the Pod Dynasty, Johnson’s J-Station is a worthy contender. Outfitted in basic black, and made in the U.S.A., it boasts construction somewhat sturdier than the Line 6’s Malaysian assembly. Although slightly less intuitive to master than the Pod, the J-Station provides a host of features not available on other devices of its size. These include three bass amp models, a built-in pitch-shifter effect and an S/PDIF digital output that can either output a stereo effected signal or a dry signal that can be processed at a later stage in the recording process.
The unit’s effects (delay, tremolo, rotary, chorus, flange, pitch/detune, phaser, reverb and auto-wah) have a depth of tweakability not found on other units. For starters, the noise gate’s sensitivity is adjustable (a godsend for players who don’t play full bore all the time), as are the diffusion and density parameters of the 12 reverb settings. The four delays are also adjustable to within an inch of their lives.
In addition to having enhanced features worthy of a rack unit twice its size, the J-Station delivers exemplary amplifier tones that have none of the low-end looseness or overbearing midrange of other amp modelers. The 10 cabinet emulations are absolutely on-point, and the BlackFace setting (based on a 1965 Fender Twin Reverb) takes the prize as the most dynamic and lifelike amp re-creation we’ve heard yet.
The Bottom Line
Both the Pod Pro and J-Station delivered unparalleled tones with a host of perks. In terms of routing flexibility and intuitive design, the Pod Pro can’t be beat, while the J-Station will appeal to those who need total control over the character of their effects or for whom portability is a must.

UK On-Line Recording mag http://www.sospubs.co.uk/
summary If you record guitar and the sound of the Pod just doesn't quite do it for you, maybe this is what you are looking for. Not as 'cute' as the Pod, not as well built, but currently the only DI recording unit that comes anywhere near 'that sound'. For some players, the J Station will be worth the asking price for the Blackface model alone!

User comments

"Extremely Versatile."
I play music that ranges from the avant garde throught o jazz and rock. i regularly use it for session work and have been totally impressed by its versatility and the amazing quality of sounds available. This thing beats pod hands down. I have recorded with both. The pod has a more nasal sound. Get a j station now!!

"better than line 6 pod"
digital in and out and software edit capable on windows and soon on the mac. (ASS KICKEN) and at this price its a steel.

"Unparalleled modeling solution, Ease of use 10"
Beyond my expectations. What a great indispensable guitar tool. 24 bit s/pdif recording is cool and the POD is only 16 bit, noticeably different. Suitable for live use with cab emulation turned off into a slave amp. This is ideal for recording quitely but obtaining a great life like sound. Did I say it fits in my case? The software is great and a must when tweeking. As for cons... non yet!

"This thing is excellent, it blows my POD away"

"For recording the J Station is much more versatile than the POD"

"What's a POD when you can have a j-station better sounds at cheaper price!!"

"A truly remarkable value -- get lost Line 6 (overpriced) POD!"
I can't say enough about this little box. The other day while my wife was watching TV I recorded a super heavy guitar tune using the J with the digital output, monitoring with my headphones. When I played it back to her she was astounded I could have done such a thing without blasting my Marshall. This thing has been in incredible asset to my music making.

"Killer."
I'm selling my Rocktron Piranha, what can I say. This thing blows it away easily. It can't beat Mesa/Boogie combo (which I also own), but it's awesomely versatile. I've also tried POD, but man, POD with its 16 bit signal path (Line 6's well kept secret, BTW) is a thing of the past. There's simply not enough dynamics in 16 bit resolution. And it sounded a bit nasal too. This thingie sounds great, has 24 bit AD/DA converters (they alone worth the price) and excellent effects. And its amp and cabinet models sound just like real amps and cabs.

"way better than the line6 pod at half the price"

"Beats the POD all day long"

"Better than the POD"
I owned the POD for a year and like the Johnson much better. It has a much nicer variety of clean sounds (even a "surf-approved" slappin' spring reverb). The Johnson is for players and the POD is for engineers.

"sssswwweeeetttt!!!!"
I get all these sweet amps and cabinets in my cramped apartment. My wife and neighbors appreciate me not cranking my amp up to 10 and miking for good tones. Pod is good, but I think J-Station is better. Check out the Rectifier and Black Face. Ooohhhh yeah!!

Sadly the Johnson J-Station is no longer available in Australia. But it's not all bad news; DigiTech®, Johnson's parent company, have continued the technology in their Genesis range. Click HERE to see the DigiTech® range.