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Fender launches the Slide, a USB musical instrument interface

by Mark Tyson on 5 March 2014, 13:45

Tags: PC

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Fender has launched its own branded and designed USB digital musical instrument interface. The Fender Slide is a compact dongle with a quarter inch guitar jack and a USB and iOS connector on the other side. There are already several similar devices on the market but guitar industry giant Fender has waited until this time to release its own brand version using "premium AD/DA converters for more accurate sound". On the software side of things IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube, amp and FX modelling software, and a full version of the Rock Prodigy guitar tutor app are bundled with the unit at a suggested price of $129.99.

Looking at the Fender Slide hardware first, the grey/black, bus-powered interface has a single quarter inch jack for input and for output to your device it includes a USB-mini type B port with a USB cable and Apple Lightning cable provided. There is also an eighth inch stereo headphone socket on the side for monitoring or headphone purposes.

There are independent hardware controls (knobs) for both volume control and for direct monitoring/mix control - (dry/wet signal). Fender informs us that audio up to 24-bit and 48kHz is supported. Also the dongle utilises "premium AD/DA converters", dynamic range extension circuitry and a sturdy skid-free ergonomic design. It's good to hear there are some premium components in this device as there are rival music instrument digital interfaces around for a lot less than Fender's $129.99 asking price.

On the software side of this solution Fender has bundled "two complimentary versions of IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube, amp and FX modelling software, along with a full version of the Rock Prodigy app, the most complete and effective way to learn guitar".

If you want to play and record your instrument on your computer/iOS device and don't have a dedicated low-latency interface as yet, Fender's branded hardware and software bundle might appeal to you. There are plenty of alternatives though, from around £20 up to £200 and more, depending on what you want/need. Personally I am happy with the USB digital interface built into my Zoom G3 stomp box so retired my dedicated USB dongle which I used previously for recording.

HEXUS Forums :: 6 Comments

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Posted by KrisWragg - Wed 05 Mar 2014 14:34
I assume this works in a similar way to the RockSmith cable? Recently got RockSmith 2014 and quite enjoying it, made me pick up my guitar again after not playing it in a long while.
Posted by wasabi - Wed 05 Mar 2014 14:54
Not bad if it is full Amplitube included, but you can get Behringer ASIO cables for about £35 already. It works very nicely with Amplitube and a load of other software too.
Posted by crossy - Wed 05 Mar 2014 15:47
KrisWragg
I assume this works in a similar way to the RockSmith cable? Recently got RockSmith 2014 and quite enjoying it, made me pick up my guitar again after not playing it in a long while.
+1 on this - I got my cable with the XBox version of Rocksmith 2013.

<off-topic>
When Rocksmith 2014 came out I upgraded to it on a PC, oh, and traded the Epiphone LPJ that came in the RS2013 pack for a Fender Stratocaster Modern Player HSH. :drool:

RS2013 made me want to buy a guitar (I didn't play ANY musical instrument before) but RS2014 made me want to play it better. Shame that Ubi managed to break the “60 day challenge” that would have made it a more useful tool.
</off-topic>

Be years before I'm good enough to need one of these dongles - by which time the market will have moved on I guess. I thought that there were quite a few of the modern “practice” amps that had some capability to hook up to a PC for recording etc. Needless to say the cheapo Digitech effects pedal I got doesn't.
Posted by Odeas - Wed 05 Mar 2014 16:51
Seems like your paying a fair amount for the software.

Having a built in volume control is hardly special as all guitars with a jack output have volume & usually tone controls anyway.

Unless you really wanted the supplied software I think you'd be likely better off buying something else unless the premium components are really something special.

RE: Rocksmith, good software, 2014 is a step up from the original, you can play without the realtone cable but can give some latency/detection issues.
Posted by wasabi - Wed 05 Mar 2014 20:36
KrisWragg
I assume this works in a similar way to the RockSmith cable? Recently got RockSmith 2014 and quite enjoying it, made me pick up my guitar again after not playing it in a long while.

I tried it round on my neighbour's laptop at Xmas. It has some nice touches but found too many annoyances to get on with it or buy. it teaches some songs the wrong way, with crazy positions on the neck that no sane guitarist would use - presumably to make the game harder? Also it struggled to detect string bends very reliably, especially when I tried Alice in Chains stuff that uses lots of bends and wah pedal to get the sound. Oh and the way it picks semi random notes here and there then pieces them together as difficulty progresses just didn't work for me as a way to learn.

Might be good if you come from a guitar hero type background - for someone used to just learning riffs off Youtube, meh. Better off with a cheap ASIO device and something like Amplitube (or a bunch of free VSTs like Camel Crusher) and just learn yourself off Youtube - IMO. Best thing about it was that it proveded good background tracks for playing over.

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