Re: Boss GT-8 VS. Line 6 POD XT Live.
If the Boss GT-8 is better than the GT-6, I'd buy that in a heartbeat. I own the GT=6 and couldn't be happier.
For me, the GT's are eaiser to use. They are set up more like conventional stomp boxes and amps. You can adjust the gain, treble, mids, volume...ect of any patch you are on with just the turn of a knob....just like on an amp or pedal. I love the volume pedal, and you can click the toe of the pedal just like a wah, and turn a wah on for any patch. You can also set it up so when you rock the pedal all the way down, it automatically turns the tuner on, so you can tune silenty between songs.
I've used it for all my recording, and the high gain patches are great, especially the Marshall, Mesa Rectifier and Soldano. There are some great stock patches, and you have room for something like 50 user created patches. You also have the option on each patch to have 2 different sounds. There is an "aux" selector stomp switch that selects this patch. For instance, I have my Marshall High Gain patch set up for rythym on the main patch...when I want to go to lead, I click on the "aux" switch, and it kicks in a clean lead boost. I could have selected any of the 15 or so "modeled stomp box's" to boost the main signal as well. It has so many options as to be way over my head.
It models 12-15 different distortion pedals, and 4 or 5 types of wah's. You can assign the toe switch on the pedal to turn on a different wah, or different effect for each patch. It also has all of the other on board effects you could want, and you can use more combinations of effects with the Boss. If I remember correctly, you are somwhat limited on the effects you can use on one patch with the POD, but I could be wrong.
I think it's just set up really well for live use, and for recording it's just as good. I've played the POD's, and I just don't care for the setup. The Boss just "feels" right to me. Not to say that lots of folks don't get great tones with the POD, it just wasn't for me.