As the inventor of guitar amplifier digital modeling, Line 6 is known as a cutting edge manufacturer of music technology. The design and engineering team relies on SolidWorks and 3Dconnexion 3D mice to create their products.
In the world of music technology, Line 6 stands out for its world-class products and devotion to innovation. The Calabasas, California company is renown for its studio- and stage-standard gear. Line 6 invented digital guitar amp modeling technology in 1996. Today it is the number one developer of guitar amps used worldwide by pros and hobbyists alike, and is a leading manufacturer of a wide variety of music creation products.
Line 6’s lead industrial designer, Dale Wagler, and the rest of the engineering team spend an average of five to six hours a day working in SolidWorks, each using a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse to design and test their products.
“When you’re working in a complex application hours on end each day, working as efficiently as possible has a tremendous impact on the design process,” says Wagler, further noting that his 3Dconnexion 3D mouse makes everything quicker. “I move around models in assemblies so much, that not having to stop what I’m doing and click and drag, and scroll the wheel, is the biggest benefit!”
For the past five years, Wagler and his team have been using 3Dconnexion 3D mice to design their products, from guitar and bass amps, to recording interfaces and stompbox pedals. Most recently, the team worked on the design of the Relay G-series digital guitar wireless system used by the likes of Steve Stevens with Billy Idol, Peter Stroud with Sheryl Crow, and Sarah McLaughlin on stages across the world, as well as the next generation of Variax modeling guitars – Variax Designed by James Tyler.
Wagler drives the conceptual stage of products and then works closely with the engineering team to finalize the working design. According to Wagler, 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice have had a positive impact on the quality of their designs and the team’s overall productivity. “You can do these things with a standard mouse, but they’re not as sure-fire. With the SpacePilot PRO, I can move around a model and rotate an assembly with greater ease – as if I’m holding it in my hand.”
Line 6‘s commitment to the development of new technologies has attracted an impressive roster of artists who can’t imagine composing and performing without their products. Akin to Line 6 user devotion is the engineering’s team reliance on 3Dconnexion 3D mice. Wagler notes, “I had to work without a 3D mouse for a couple of weeks and it was like working in quick sand. I didn’t realize just how much I relied on it until I didn’t have it.”
