What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

I got one pretty recently. You can get a HUGE variety of tones out the thing, and I keep getting surprised at how good it can sound. The AC30 top boost model for instance has an unbelievably sweet "pushed" breakup that I thought was impossible to get with a modeller and through my amp with the speaker moving it's like heaven- best bedroom tone evar.

BUT, do not expect it to replace a tube amp. Someone(Scott F I think) said they don't have that 3d quality that a good tube amp has and I definitely agree. Granted, I've played some tube amps that did a lot less for me than the podxt- but nothing replaces a sweet sounding fender or a classic marshall, or even a 5150 for that matter. What you get with the xt is a jack of all trades master of none, and honestly one phenomenal tone is better than 100 good ones. That said, I like it a lot- and I don't regret getting it over a halfstack(would have sold my pa) because I'm mostly a bedroom player who can't use the volume of a tube amp and because the a pa takes care of vocals and even bass if the need arises. It's a good sounding versatile rig, but it'll never sound phenomenal. For the price though- everyone should own one.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Great tool for demo work, scratch tracks, re-amp referencing, jamming along with the drummer, but you need some speaker movement for the final product.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

I enjoy mine alot....the most fun I have is just tweaking and making new sounds. It's a great tool for someone like myself who can't really crank over an amp due to my living situation.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

I use mine constantly for demo recording. It's an awesome tool for that use - plug and play, with no interruption to disrupt your inspired moments. That is, once you get some good patches dialed in.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Jeff Dunne said:
Great tool for demo work, scratch tracks, re-amp referencing, jamming along with the drummer, but you need some speaker movement for the final product.
Click to expand...

I think this is an over-generalization. In some cases, I think the XT sounds much, much better than a mic'd cab.

I use mine constantly. Most of the amp models are great, the effects are excellent, and it sounds better at low and headphone volume than anything else. You need to do some tweaking though.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

There's one thing I prefer the POD over a mic'd cab on - cleans.

That said, I'll probably be using a DI for cleans once I get my Firepod, as I have all the amp modelling turned off for the POD cleans.

I really have found only one amp model I can live with for recording, but I'm extremely pigeonholed into the metal genre, so YMMV.

That said, the one thing that makes the biggest difference in the POD, I feel, is the converters.

Plugged into a Digi002R, and it sounds 10x better than via USB.

Andy Sneap did some demo clips of it through his Digi192... my god. Sounded beautiful.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Jeff Dunne said:
That said, the one thing that makes the biggest difference in the POD, I feel, is the converters.

Plugged into a Digi002R, and it sounds 10x better than via USB.

Andy Sneap did some demo clips of it through his Digi192... my god. Sounded beautiful.
Click to expand...

Can you tell me more about this? I've been using USB this whole time.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

sosomething said:
Can you tell me more about this? I've been using USB this whole time.
Click to expand...

....what he said.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Well when you use it via USB, the POD becomes your soundcard. Given that this device wasnt made to be a pro-audio recording tool, it's converters aren't the best.

Plug the L/R outputs into an interface like a Digi002 or MOTU type interface, or hell... some Apogee converters, if you want to get really high end, and it'll sound that much better on tape, just like anything else you'd run through the converters.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Yep, that's exactly why I record through my soundcard and not usb. The emu-converters aren't high end at all really but they're WAAAAY better than the built in pod one.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

I'm not sure I agree with the sound quality argument re. USB versus another module. Look at it this way:

Guitar -> Pod XT AD converter -> Pod XT signal processing -> USB out -> recording software

OR

Guitar -> Pod XT AD converter -> Pod XT signal processing -> Pod XT DA converter -> external AD converter -> recording software

Either way, your bottleneck is the XT's AD converter, and on the second one you're dealing with the DA converter as well.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Well yes, but with the first, the USB applies it's own AD converter, of a much lower caliber.

Regardless of theory, it still sounds way better with some good converters. Hell, it could just be the clock in the external converters doing it - All I know is that it sounds better.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Somethings seriously dying along the way...

http://www.tesseractband.co.uk/sounds.php

Concealing Fate is all PODxt into Digi002R.

http://www.audiostreet.net/artist.aspx?artistid=783

PODxt Sample is all PODxt run into a Digi192.


The I use a slightly less-gained version of Sneaps patch, as can be heard on the latest song on the myspace link from my sig, and it doesn't sound nearly as good.

You could say it's editing, but the only thing he used on the clip was a small bit of Waves C4 to tame the low mids, which I did as well.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Jeff Dunne said:
Plug the L/R outputs into an interface like a Digi002 or MOTU type interface
Click to expand...


Okay... this is what i was curious about. All the responses have helped me clarify how to use the POD. But with all this talk and review about using the USB in other Forum threads, I was unsure of how it records in Stereo with an Mbox.

It's just a matter of plugging the L/R outputs into MboX's 1/2 inputs.

Anyonw have any direct experience with how the PODxt works with Pro Tools software? Jeff Dunne, maybe?

Cheers.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

The PODxt will record just like any other input source into ProTools - it'll work fine!

That said, with an Mbox, Why not just pick up and SM57 and mic a real amp?
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

Jeff Dunne said:
The PODxt will record just like any other input source into ProTools - it'll work fine!

That said, with an Mbox, Why not just pick up and SM57 and mic a real amp?
Click to expand...

cause i don't have access to my real amp, it's back in Canada. I'm in Korea for a couple years and want to invest in something other than an amp. The POD seems up my alley for many reasons re: various sound capabilities for the price.

I gotta be honest, I've never been a huge fan of the PODS, or any other digital amp emulating devices.

But alas, I must indulge.
 
Re: What do you think of the LINE 6 PODxt?

For what it does for the price, the POD is amazing.

I liked the 2.0. No, it didn't have the best amp models. Then again, I didn't care if the "Marshall" patch sounded authentic. I cared whether the POD would give me a sound I liked. The xt came out, with "much improved" amp models. So what. I liked what I had.

Then along came the xt Live. "Hm. This could greatly simplify my setup."

I bought one. The amp models were REMARKABLY better.

For a wide variety of sounds at a reasonable cost, and a MUCH more reasonable weight than a typical tube amp, the POD can't be beat, IMHO.

If you are seeking "your" sound for "your" music, get an amp that fits you. Otherwise, the POD is a reasonable selection.
 
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