BIAS FX 2 - #1 Guitar Tone App Reviews

by B.MIZ311

Maybe I’m overlooking it, but there seems to be no “input 2” anywhere in the options menu. My interface is the very popular Focusrite Scarlett Solo which has two inputs - channel 1 is strictly for microphones & channel 2 is for instruments. So with no option to switch to the 2nd input signal BIASFX2 can’t recognize my guitar (or at least that seems to be the issue as far as I can tell). This is not an issue with AmpliTube or Bias - both of those processors allow the user to chose between Input 1/ Input 1 & 2 / or just Input 2.

Devs, if I’m overlooking something please tell me because I’d love to use BIASFX2. I’m just thankful that I didn’t spring for the paid version right off the bat.

by Desdinova1277

First, their marketing on this product was so unethical. If you buy the cheapest package, you can’t upgrade to neither of the other 2 packages. Wow, really PG? If I remember correctly, I got a “discount” for being a loyal customer and paid $70 for the whole package. With all the initial bad reviews, the price was lowered to I think $40, for everyone. Other major issue. Does it work on this iPad. In BIASFX2 Store it says yes. PG should advise buyers that if if they want to use BIASFX2 to it’s fullest potential, you need an A10 chip or whatever the case may be. I cannot use BIASFX2 to its full potential on my iPad mini 4. They use 3,000 words to describe their product, but can’t add this info. Oh no, then less people would buy it. Again, unethical. No Celestion IRs after what, more than a year? I also cannot transfer packs from Bias FX 1 after many attempts. BIASFX2 IS STILL BETA!!

by Damien Margo

I uninstalled the Positive Grid stuff after being an owner of all the packs. No matter what I did with Felix at Positive Grid Support the program would not let me load presets even though we got all the packs to say Purchased. This problem, along with no AUv3 support, makes this a dead app for me. Having paid money for this I really hope Positive Grid gets their act together. With Nembrini, Overloud TH-U, and GE-LABS in AUM I am in heaven and making my own cabs using convolution reverbs and IR’s. When and if they fix the issues and drop some AUv3 support I hope to re-install Positive Grid’s apps.

by Rrocxxxx

I really hate to say anything bad about Biax FX. I have poured a lot of money into their app over the years. I also have the desktop version and it is good but the iOS platform (or similar) is the future. I think Bias FX for iOS was and still could be one of the best out there but not now. They seem to have gone all in on inter app audio but have ignored audio units and Audiobus, at least for now. They used to work well with Audiobus which was an awesome combination but really, nothing seems to work well now. It’s probably Apple’s fault for not working better with third party apps. I sent a question to Positive Grid a few weeks ago via their forum about audio units but have yet to hear a reply.

by THC12

I recently purchased all of Positive Grid’s products (bias fx2, bias amp2, jam up, spark) along with all of the elite packages respectively. I did this on my iPhone bc at the time of purchasing I didn’t have my iPad around. I assumed by purchasing of ALL of their products and packages on my iPhone that I would have the same access to these paid packages on my iPad. Not the case. I am being asked to repurchase everything again if I want to use it on my iPad. I don’t have much use for all the money I just wasted for the iPhone app as the iPad is obviously more suitable and capable. Hopefully I can have my purchases removed from the iPhone and transferred to my iPad. I will keep updated.

by Studioguy41

Having issue with both Bias Fx versions 1 an 2 crashing on start up. Is Bias not supported on iOS 14 yet ? I’ve done all recommendations given by positive grids site an still get both versions crashing. On a good note Bias Amp 2 seams to be functional as normal. I should mention these crashes are happening on iPhone 11 Pro an iPad 7th gen air both since updating to IOS 14 before update they were working great an never crashed or had any issues. So I’m assuming bias has to be updated now to work. any help would be nice at this point

by Rich Rath

I love the tone available on bias fx 2. I can really dig in and get what I hear in my head between this and bias amp. Unfortunately, I had to remove it from my live iPad rig because it crashes a lot, and loudly, with a gig-ruining full blast buzzsaw sound. With Nembrini and overloud making great sounding amps in AU format, PG really need to get an AU version out, and not charge again for it, since it should have been in v 2 from the start. Who releases a new version on a deprecated platform!? Wish I had saved my money on iOS version and stuck just with the desktop version which is stable and sounds great. I wanted to work with a platform I know and love on iOS and capitalize on the amps I've put together on desktop version for a mobile rig on my iPad. That doesn't work cuz of the crashing unfortunately. 5 stars for tone, one star for stability, features, and support. I get the feeling the PG guys are overextended.

by The Pikeys

Simply put BIASFX2 is the best option you’re going to have at the current time. Once you try this out my recommendation is to not be discouraged by the presets they have been supplied by the company , but instead to go to the Pedalboard section where other users have created their own settings and uploaded them for others to use. Here’s where you will find a shortcut through the hours of labor intensive work that has been done for you to surpass the awfulness that can be had with the presets. Unfortunately you will still find some god-awful sounds in here as well, but the quality and quantity is greater than the trolling and toned deaf offerings combined.

by Trancemuter

a bit pricey but sounds great although still a little buggy, sometimes crashes randomly and if you scroll in the songs section it crashes my iPad Pro every time… my other iOS devices work fine, go figure! lol but it is the best sounding from all of them except for the fee AmpOne, but that is limited to the best amp modeling in the industry and bare-bone effects.

by D8th

Great app. Superb tones. Love the looper. That being said, pay close attention to what you are buying. Make sure you will be satisfied with the presets, effects and amps in the package you agree to. Yes, you can always upgrade, but there’s still the initial shock of “this is all I get with the standard package?” And there are separate packages for mobile devices and desktop/laptop units. They do not migrate. I’m probably looking like an idiot for not realizing these things, but I was a disappointed idiot for sure.

by Winyu777

yeahhh at last i bought and upgrade to Elite on my PC & Mac it work very well, like to play it all. and i already paid for standard bias fx on my ipad now.
play with it it work great and love it. connect with my irig hd2 and good to go! high recommend this.
and i design to upgrade it more after this when it has special offer for a royalty customer like me.

so sad I paid for elite on my Mac but can’t transfer to mobile version,that mean I have to pay separate.

by Macarov2752

I haven't any complain about the sound quality, but one thing that bothers me, is that once you've imported Impulses Responses, you can't delete them. I love to try new ones and I have a lot of them and I need a way to manage so many archives. In fact, I think there should be a way to manage Bias Amp 2 imported amps too (delete them, reorder the way they show in the menu, maybe filter by name).

by 10101110101.

I love BIASFX2,i use it everyday,it is well worth the money,i used the free trial and was so amazed with the sound and all the effects that i had to purchase the elite pakage(again,it is well worth it IMO) also with the bias amp app brings it to a whole other level of creativity and sound,i can bring my ipad,irig hd2 ,guitar and a bluetooth/portable speaker and litteraly jam heavy face smashing tones anywhere “is that kerry king i hear outside”? Nope just me at the park on the bias fx2 app ..i love how i can jam with out needing an amp/pedals or electrical outlets(as long as ipad and speaker are charged of course) but its truly a remarkable app and only thing id do different is id of gotten it earlier,im not a company rep nor do i get anything for this review im a regular dude who loves to whale on his axe and with 20 yrs exp and at 37 yrs old , BIASFX2 saves me time money energy and space, glad i can worry only about “headphones or speaker?” TLDR: GET BIASFX2!

by @patrickbear

I want a battery powered speaker (Bluetooth) rig to play while traveling. I have a Line6 Sonic Port and iPhone 12 Pro Max that I am using this on. I have the input buffer set at the lowest (best—lowest latency) setting and it works perfectly. The sounds are really good, the interface is nice looking, reasonably easy to learn and very powerful. Very glad that I got the maxed out version—so many amps and effects to play around with. I have been playing for years and this setup should keep me happy for a long time.

by Vaguenickname

First and foremost: I’m very a very novice guitar player and currently only interested in blues tones so my review has it’s limits. With that being said, Bias FX has been my “go to” effects app for all my electric playing. Having such an incredible tool for my mobile set up is almost magical at times and has given me inspiration and motivation to continue practicing. The elite IAP was probably one of my most influential purchases of 2020 and the associated extended time at home. I’ve been so impressed with Bias, I pulled the trigger on the Spark amp last week.

by Caretaker1978

I came from a very low income family growing up. Loved the guitar since I was two years old. At the time when I didn’t think it was going to be possible to play guitar with all the gear costing as much as it did. Bias closes that economic gap for those that want to but just can’t justify putting out the money. Because there are just more important things to consider, family, bills, you know life.
Because of Bias Fx I am able to come back to the fold. The technology today is so awesome what was not possible yesterday is a reality today. Thank you!

by Vkhhy

I’ve been using BIASFX2 for years But I’ve noticed some issues recently. For instance the metal pack with loomis and merrow overdrive pedals do not work correctly. If you turn the gain down they shut off. Also the bias pedal feature isn’t working correctly. When I import a drive pedal it completely ruins the sound of the amp. For instance if it’s a high gain amp tone and you place a bias pedal overdrive in front of the amp it makes the high gain amp into a clean guitar tone. The settings on the pedal will not change this. Hope this helps improve the product. Other then this it’s awesome and the best iOS has to offer.

by Wjmic

I’ve been into guitars for three decades as an amateur player. I want to get the best sound possible out of each of my guitars. I’ve owned many solid-state amps and tube amps. But I just wasn’t satisfied with my tone. I’ve tried various modeling amps but I just couldn’t find one that worked for me. Then I came across BIAS FX 2 and BIAS AMP 2 for iPad and I was blown away with the quality of the tones I was able to get out of the same guitars that I’ve previously tried with modeling amps. At the suggestion of others, I run Bias fx 2 through an iRig HD 2 guitar interface and into a Headrush frfr 108 speaker. It works great for me. Also look into the Spark amp by positive grid. These people know tone.

by Random Nickname545

I’ve been using FX on my iPad for years and for the last couple it’s been my go to when I’m playing at home. That said, IMHO FX2 is a big improvement. It sounds great and I really like the interface. The looper was also a nice add. This is enough of an improvement over FX that I don’t mind the $50 price tag. As at least one other reviewer mentioned, that’s about what I paid for the cheapest pedal on my board. My only complaint is, no MIDI. I like using my stomp box to switch things. This is an easy 5 once you get that patch out. Cheers
2 Aug 2020 update. Ok, you guys came through on the MIDI. Just spent a couple of hours playing all kinds of setups. Nice job on the interface, very intuitive. Upped my rating to a well deserved 5. Very nice work!

by JimFrederick

Bias FX 2 is the tool I needed to find all the sounds, effects and tones for live shows. It has so many options for amps, pedal effects and guitar match sounds, virtually and endless selection of combinations, plus Bias FX 2 has ToneCloud for designed pedal boards with my favorite songs and artist sounds. I integrated a midi controller with Bias FX 2 Mobile on an iPad Pro so I am able to seamlessly switch effects while keeping my hands on my instrument and my focus on the crowd. Quality product and sound. Thank you Positive Grid.

by SingingWillie

I am deeply saddened with this atrocious release. “Transfer” your Bias FX license is a joke. No auv3 support. BIASFX2 is totally useless even with a transfer of a previous “elite” package. It’s another$50 if you want to actually use BIASFX2 for anything at all. Gotta pony up more jack if you want to play through anything except a few barebones rigs. I bought the ultimate package for bias amp 2.....why can’t I use them directly inside bias fix 2? Up sell at every turn. Get it together Positive Grid. Elite License is a scam. Your business model preys upon your loyal customers. If you would have just said, hey we have all these great new features and it’s going to be $50 for xyz etc then that’s fine. I would buy it because no doubt you guys make great softwares. But the whole bait and switch is so sickening. For real, your business model is garbage.

by Xx50YB01xX

Never went out of my way to write a review before until now in hopes this will reach the devs. I was very excited about the new engine and features and watched a number of sponsored videos from various influencers I look up in the scene. This morning my excitement was met with utter disappointment. BIASFX2 cannot bring itself to load without crashing and only a handful of my fx I purchased previously with the ultimate license are accessible. I exhausted all attempts at troubleshooting. This is not a good start and it’s demoralizing to say the least. I wanted this to live up to its desktop counterpart terribly. I hope an update or a patch comes out soon. Until further notice I’ll keep it at a 1/5 for now.

by Brooklodyte

I had already paid to fully unlock BIAS FX (1), so having to shell out $50 to unlock version 2 was a little annoying. But considering some of the improvements and the amount that I use it, it seemed worthwhile to stay up-to-date. BUT, as far as I can tell, there’s no way to import presets from version 1! If you use BIAS FX, I’m sure you have spent countless hours tweaking your custom presets, as I have. Not only can they not be migrated on the device, but presets I uploaded to Tone Cloud from BIAS FX do not appear in Tone Cloud in BIAS FX 2! So, I will have to try to rebuild my presets from scratch?!! So frustrating. Also, there’s currently no midi support. My midi foot-switcher is essential for my live performance. I’ll be using BIAS FX (1) for now. I’d really like my money back for this one. I’ll consider buying it again when it’s ready.

by Fuser-Invent

I thought when I was installing it said I could use my license and expansion packs from the desktop version but no, you have to buy everything again. Even the Looper is locked unless you pay more money. This would be super convenient to just practice on the couch without having to grab my laptop but there's no way I'm shelling out a bunch more money for that. I just want to use the signal chains I already made and payed for in the desktop app on my phone once in a while. Guess I'm still going to be using my laptop.

I already started to develop a negative feeling for Positive Grid when I bought Bias FX 1 and then 2 was released a few weeks later. They wouldn't let me transfer my license or return FX 1, so I payed double for the desktop version. Now my dissatisfaction has just grown.

by Orthnation

Both iPad Pro and iPhone 11 Pro produce no audio when running: Guitar > Jam+ > iPad Pro. I can see input signal registering in BIASFX2 , but cannot get audio to come out of the speakers or headphones. Same with iPhone. Same setup works perfectly on OSX standalone.

Supremely frustrating scoured the internet’s and nobody has the answer + everybody has the problem.

Will change too 5 stars if I can get it working. Shouldn’t have to though. This should simply work.

by Flexgomez

Positive grid should take care of their loyal customers that have spent a lot of money on bias fx. It’s a shame, i have spent so much money on bias fx 1 and bias amp and cant even use them on bias fx 2. You guys should let people transfer everything over. Even basic pedals aren’t unlocked. Very very disappointed. Please do your loyal customers right

by Mdwar2005

Ultimate license will not transfer over. Support page states that new license purchase required. Useless. Deleting.

by Hallrobert

I have bought all the licenses for bias fx and bias amp. i thought that these apps and purchases would transfer fully which is not the case. All the stuff that used to come in the free / standard packs, i now have to purchase. I cant even use the celestion cabs that i have purchased in bias amp 2 this is just a shame. I understand that this is a new app and all, but man i shelled out some money for this stuff and for it to be kinda taken away is crappy. Im glad this didn’t replace the original bias fx on my phone so i can still go back and still use what originally cam with bias fx and what i have purchased.

by Mocomain

Positive Grid just released updates to both versions of Bias FX, which resolved the final expansion pack transfer issues, though it took a couple of tries. Their quick response is much appreciated!

by TheRealDutchee

I purchased Elite. The new engine sounds great but BIASFX2 crashes every single time i want to replace a cab with the IR loader when using either one of the 6 amps from the Metal Signature pack. It happens on both my iPad Pro (iOS13), iPad Air (iOS12) and iPhone 6+ (iOS12). It doesn’t crash when using the other amps in combination with the IR loader.

I really hope this is going to get fixed soon. thanx!

It also would be great if we can import multi IRs at once instead of individually. I have hundreds of IRs and this is going to take days and many headaches to individually import them all. Import an entire folder or multiple select i port would be very welcome!

What is missing is a way to edit/delete imported custom user amps and IRs from the libary.

I am also missing the integration with BIAS PEDAL? Or is that only going to be compatible with Bias FX 1 and not 2?

by Tez925

We’re all used to phone apps being free, but if you reframe this in your head as guitar tools, suddenly it’s a bargain. For what you get, it’s worth the $70 for the elite version IMO. The price of guitar and bass hardware is exponentially steeper - consider what you’ve paid in the past for subpar pawnshop distortion pedals and then think of what this system offers. I think for jamming around at home on a phone or iPad, this is a no brained and far more than justifies it’s pricetag.

I do notice quite a bit of crashing, particularly when trying to load ToneCloud presets. Makes that feature unusable. I understand it’s launch day, so I won’t hold that against Positive Grid too much - that’s a part of development.

by NeonsDglow

BIASFX2 is great, tones sound clearer and levels are much easier to set (bias fx volume was hard to regulate). The reverbs and drives actually sound nice now and the guitar match feature makes for great fun with different axes. The online software costs 400+ for elite, you get all your expansions back from by hitting restore purchase but you have to get AT LEAST a license to get access to the STANDARD STUFF, aka BIASFX2 . crazy ppl thought they could just have the best new guitar software on IOS for free smh... I got elite and am happy to support and am pleased with my purchase! Bias amp 2 is integrated too 😉 no bias pedal yet

by TheJunkyardCat

Major upgrade in sound from the previous version. Been dialing in good tones all day. Haven’t had time to play with all of the interesting new features yet but so far everything seems to work as it should. Elite package on sale was 50 bucks. 50 bucks will barely buy a copycat dirt pedal. I can make better music with my iPad now. If the folks at positive grid make another app next year that makes my iPad sound more like a real amp, I will give them another 50 bucks, haha.

by Gibson_SG

I’ll say that this is my first purchase of Bias FX; however, I had one of the lower level Bias Amp packages and am somewhat familiar with Positive Grid’s products.

I was surprised to see all of the one star reviews, but after reading, the majority were about lack of support in Bias FX 2 of previous purchases. I totally get that but will say this product sounds pretty amazing. I’m using another company’s modeling product on my Mac, which I thought was good but now Bias FX 2 mobile may become my go-to modeler.

It really is easy to use (some crashing issues on first version - but that happens sometime with new software). I’m using an IRig HD interface into my iPad Pro and am pretty happy. Simple setup for jamming at home.