AmpliTube CS 4+

Ironic that the app crashes when I try to browse "add gear" - Especially since there's a LOT of gouging with IK. IK COULD become my go-to for all my original music needs, BUT:
I bought Vocalive but there doesn't seem to be a way to incorporate the effects with other IK apps, and now they want me to buy the effects I already have via in-app to use them here. No AudioCopy/Audiopaste is a HUGE disappointment and an easy fix to the problem. I have iRig, iRig mic, and I'm registered with both Amplitube Free apps as well as having a couple of the percussion apps. I see no reason to buy the full Ampliutube versions since I'm only interested in a few effects, which I can buy separately and which are not included in the full versions anyway. The hardware is good quality and fair value, although iRig is proprietary (iRig works great with Amplitube and with a couple other apps but feeds back with many competitors. Peavey Link is not proprietary - it works on any modeling app - but it's a cheaper build, more bulky, and requires batteries). The software needs to be intra-compatible to be really useful.
For now I'll use Amps&Cabs and Riot FX for practice, FourTrack and MultiTrack DAW for recording, and Vocalive as a toy. Make IK work universally with other IK and I'll throw another hundred bucks their way tweaking my gear - but I'm not sinking another dollar into IK until they start showing repeat customers some love.
~D!

Although it lets you jam along with your existing songs, it doesn't work with songs in mp4 format, which is what iTunes uses by default for importing CDs. So none of my 5,000 songs works.

I was hoping to use Amplitube to jam along with the songs I have on iTunes. Unfortunately, it doesn't do that, what it lets you do instead is download up to 20 songs to play within Amplitube.

I went through the messy process it requires of getting on a computer that's on the same wifi network as my iPod Touch, going to a special Amplitube website, uploading a song file from my computer, downloading it into Amplitube, and "expanding" it within Amplitube, 20 times. The problem is, Amplitube doesn't seem able to handle Apple's default format, m4a. Instead of playing the song, each time I pressed the play button it just "expanded" it again. I believe it prefers mp3 files. Considering this app is designed for the Apple iPod/iPhone, this seems like a rather large oversight and renders the app unusable for me.

So, I was thinking about getting the full version, thought I'd try the trial. They cleverly gate the distortion effect (sort of a big part of a guitar app) behind having to register for an account. I did. I went and checked their privacy settings and so on, made sure I wasn't signed up for any lists, and got my pedal. Then I got a promotional mailing from them. Sure, technically spam since I didn't sign up for it, but whatever, I'll just unsubscribe. Then I got another one a bit later. So... No, I'm not buying the full version, or buying any pedals from them. I am not okay with the "we will put you on a mailing list and not honor your unsubscribe" thing. Mailing lists need to be opt-in.

Sound's okay, I guess. The big win of the app is the tuner. I guess if you wanted all the specialized pedals and stuff, this would be pretty nice, but also quite expensive. (Not, mind you, compared to actual music hardware, but compared to competing apps.)

But yes, I really would rate a product lower because I don't enjoy dealing with the company. Their model is that you have to have an account with them to get pedals, and pedals cost money, so if you want to use this app, you're committing to a relationship with the company, and at that point, their bad mailing list management and support issues become a downside for the app as a whole.