For all the giant steps in amp-modelling over the last few years, many of us still prefer the living, breathing sound of our own guitar amplifier pushing air with a couple of choice microphones capturing the results.

Often though, it's just impractical; perhaps you are in a small studio with live drums and want to avoid any tub-thumping bleeding on to the guitar track.

The Behringer Ultra-G GI100 is a robust aluminium unit with stackable rubber corners that looks more than up to the job.

Around the back, an XLR output is joined by a pair of switches that engage 4 x 12 cabinet simulation and ground lift. If you use a valve amplifier, you'll still need to connect the direct link output to a speaker cabinet of the right impedance to provide your amp with a load.

We sent the XLR out to a mixer and then a Mac running Garageband. The voicing of the speaker simulation is essentially a preset EQ curve that mimics a mic'd 4 x 12 cabinet.

It's not the most detailed or three-dimensional virtual cabinet sound we've heard, but it does the business with largely noiseless, fuss-free performance.