POD users WHICH ONE? POD XT or the latest

[Cary Chilton]

Man I heard this clip
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=804652&songID=6264608

AND well..... I F#$$ing FREAKED.... hands down the best POD clip I have heard EVER.... So I am thinking on getting one for more tonal options.

This clip used the basic PODXT with no upgrades.
I now see that the POD XT3 is out.... Does it sound BETTER than this or just other options?

[nibus]

Whatever you do, don't get the XT Live - I couldn't get a good sound out of it.

[qatcat]

I thought the XT live was a good option to hve if your rig broke down. I thought it sounded great through a PA. Didn't do as well through an amp but that's not where they're suppoed to really be used for optimum performance. Haven't seen the new one yet

[bkd_guitarist]

No question you can get some nice tones out of the Pods in a studio recording context, but I have not been able to get a satisfactory tone out of mine in a live setting, either running direct to PA or through an amp. I've been using a Pod XT Live for about three years and have spent tons of time tweaking it. Really cool recorded sounds, but live it just tends to be fizzy and lacking in balls. If you can get your hands on one to try in a live setting before you buy, do it.

[Cary Chilton]

Hey, just to be clear I am 90% sure I am NOT going to use on live. I just want to know which one records the best, most realistic or can compete with that recording I posted a link to above.

[Kyle Ashley]

My old POD v.1.0 was the best at recording. Since then I've had the more recent PODs and both the Tonelab SE and LE as well as a Line6 Spider Valve. I've hated all of them except the POD v.1.0 which I sold last year. I'll probably end up buying another old one, as they're pretty useful for recording.

The newer stuff just has this plastic/phasey sounding midrange and high end that is really one dimensional and can't be tweaked to sound good. Also, on the newer stuff, I found all the models to sound about the same, but the older unit had more character and realism to each modeled amp. YMMV.

[bkd_guitarist]

Hey, just to be clear I am 90% sure I am NOT going to use on live. I just want to know which one records the best, most realistic or can compete with that recording I posted a link to above.

Thanks for clarifiying. I have the XT Live and the Guitarport, and either one will get that sound in a recorded setting.

[Tbone135]

I really like the Pod XT and I've heard good things about the X3. I think the XT was a big jump up from the Pod 2.0. Have you ever heard Lincoln Brewster live? He's a sick player that uses an X3 floor version straight to the PA and it sounds great. I'm pretty pleased with my sound to PA as well.

[bkd_guitarist]

I really like the Pod XT and I've heard good things about the X3. I think the XT was a big jump up from the Pod 2.0. Have you ever heard Lincoln Brewster live? He's a sick player that uses an X3 floor version straight to the PA and it sounds great. I'm pretty pleased with my sound to PA as well.

Lincoln does get insane tone out of the X3 (and formerly the XT Live). How he gets this is beyond me, because mine sounds NOTHING like that, no matter how much I tweak it. I know, it's in the hands.

He recently posted his Pod patches to his website....gotta find some time to download those.

[mattthefiddler]

You can download lincoln's main patches off of hsi website, I know a guy who did, and they sounded quite good on his single coil strat. I am not sure how a humbuckler would sound. I feel that the POD or Boss can be tweaked to make a certian guitar setup soudn good, but are not as resilant to change as a real amp is.

At some point I am going to takea look at lincolns patches and see if it was a creative placment of effects or really careful eq and other things....

In terms of sims I think the Boss line has more potential ... but, the Pod Xt Live and now the X3 are the first pods I have ever thought were usable live with good tone. X3 has very nice stereo routing.

[scott58]

Whatever you do, don't get the XT Live - I couldn't get a good sound out of it.

Nonsense, I can't do without my XTL anymore. It did take awhile, but this thing is outstanding. Sound guys don't grow on trees it takes time to learn the equipment, but once you do it's well worth it. It also depend on what you plug into It doesn't just like anything. I've plugged this thing in to almost 30 amps now and my best results have been with PA's and simple tube amps with not to many extras. It likes cleans, but will take a bit of gain if you don't over do it.

Edit: One thing you shouldn't forget when adjusting this equipment and that's the importance of your guitar controls. Your tone and volume controls can play a huge role in givng you some outstanding tones.

[TheGearWarehouse]

the pod x3. its hands down the best. with the parametric eq, and xlr outs it sounds great. i don't own one, but almost everyone i know is buying them for smaller gigs, and i'll be joining them soon. you need to take some time to dial it in right, but they sound really good.

[Tbone135]

I dialed in one really good JTM45 patch on my XT, and it's been great. I run my regular pedalboard in front of it. The Deluxe Reverb is collecting dust, and I never thought that would happen.

[Gtrman100]

It's politically incorrect around here, but I've had a Pod XTL and now an X3L and they're great to gig with--- if you spend the time to tweak them properly! I've got a large pedal board with some nice stompboxes, but for many gigs it's too easy to plug the X3L into my Lonestar, HRDx, or Blues Jr, depending on the size room. For my cover band, it's great.

It's definitely not plug and play, which eliminates many guitar players who don't want to spend the time. That's why modelers get very little respect. But since there are so many tone tweaking possibilities- amp, cab, mic, output setting, gain staging, EQ, etc, it can be tough to find the tone you're looking for if you don't know how to approach it.

The X3L is a level up in improvement on the XT- 24 bit converters, 13X the processing power, more amp and effects. For recording, and or live, it think they're a viable alternative if you need many different tones

[gtr777]

You can download lincoln's main patches off of hsi website, I know a guy who did, and they sounded quite good on his single coil strat. I am not sure how a humbuckler would sound. I feel that the POD or Boss can be tweaked to make a certian guitar setup soudn good, but are not as resilant to change as a real amp is.

At some point I am going to takea look at lincolns patches and see if it was a creative placment of effects or really careful eq and other things....

In terms of sims I think the Boss line has more potential ... but, the Pod Xt Live and now the X3 are the first pods I have ever thought were usable live with good tone. X3 has very nice stereo routing.

Do you have a link to his site? I would like to check out his patches myself.

[Flying Panda]

Lincoln does get insane tone out of the X3 (and formerly the XT Live). How he gets this is beyond me, because mine sounds NOTHING like that, no matter how much I tweak it. I know, it's in the hands.

He recently posted his Pod patches to his website....gotta find some time to download those.

Lincoln is also a studio engineer (in addition to monster player and all-around good guy), so he knows a little something about twisting knobs to get good sounds.

[Darkburst]

The Pod XT live and X3 live are both cool. The X3 comes with modeling for guitars, bass and vocals. I never found it hard to dial in good sounds with my XTL for recording or headphone jamming. I still use my Splawn halfstack for band duty, but the POD is a great tool for the home and studio.

[Gtrman100]

Do you have a link to his site? I would like to check out his patches myself.

http://www.lincolnbrewster.com/extras.php

Also check out these patches from Spirit Guitar- he's the guy who did the great guitar work on Norman Greenbaums's "Spirit in the Sky".

http://dualtones.spiritguitar.com/

Both have great patches for the X3, but will probably need a bit of tweaking for your particular amp or monitor.

[glenecho]

Personally, I have gotten more long term and wide ranging use out of my PodXT than any other piece of gear I have and that includes some pretty heavy boutique crap. I've recorded three CDs with it and continue to get compliments on the tones I used on all three. I used it for 3 years straight through a Roland VGA-7 which is a full range amp (thus perfect for the Pod). In addition, at Line 6's recommendation, I've used it through my Mesa Mark IV Widebody combo on the "Combo Amp" output setting which they told me was designed around you guessed it, a Mesa Mark IV Widebody combo and it sounds fantastic that way.

That said, the X3 is a bit of an enigma. I brought one home for a week and basically found it to be the same as the XT with added feature of having the dual amp-dual signal feature, which basically means that it is two XT's in one unit. It also has all of the model packs, which I purchased separately for my XT. A Pod with the correct settings into a very nice clean tube amp can yield incredible results. If you don't believe me ask Doug Roccaforte (who last time I spoke with him on another message board was using a Pod 2.0 through one of his own custom amps as his main rig).

The X3 Live has some known issues, and the X3 Bean doesn't have midi in which is a deal breaker for me. I do plan on getting an X3 Pro when they come out mainly because I like the idea of using the loop. I can run some effects before the input of my amp, and others in it's effects loop.

Sorry guys...I'm a fan of the Pod. The number of outstanding clips I've heard using a Pod greatly outnumber any other modeller out there. As far as which one to get...if you don't need an effects loop and the dual amp-dual signal thing doesn't matter to you...get a PodXT.

[Tbone135]

I'm with Glenn; the Podxt has worked just about flawlessly for my situation and what I do. There definitely is a learning curve with them, however.

[stump]

I really dig my XT Live and find myself going to it more for practice, recording and some live playing. Like others have said you've got to tweak to get your tones. I've run it through PA with monitor back at me as well as monitoring through the effects return on good and not so good tube and SS amps with fine results. Not once has anyone said that my tone was less than good and actually I get more positive responses and questions from other players as to what I'm using. Soundmen actually like me now and my rig is consistent and much more portable. Don't get me wrong, I still love my tube amps but really weigh out the necessity of the extra work involved especially in small clubs with small stages with small pay to match. My three piece rock/metal band actually rehearses and gigs with me on Pod XT Live, Bass on Bass Pod XT Live and Drummer using V Drums. Everything is easier and we've actually found that some of the die hard Marshall Stack, SVT with 8x10 cab, monster double bass drum kit using guys that we play with are adopting this type of setup for the same reason. We've also gotten some real good recordings right out of the mixing board too. The only thing that I feel is slightly sacrificed is adjusting to the difference in feel and less response from my guitars volume knob, not a big deal to me. As a recording tool it's indispensible. Oh yeah, the Toneport works great too for recording guitar, bass and vocals to PC and takes very little real estate on my desk. Sorry to get long winded. Rock on!

[Steve Foley]

I've had the Pod 2.0, Pod XT and the Pod XT Live. They all sound great, although I haven't used them a ton live (mainly because I don't trust the sound-techs :( :tapedshut). I prefer the XT Live, simply for ease of switching patches on the fly, with the pedals. I have not tried the X3, but have heard of a lot of bad switch issues, so I've steered clear of it; other than that I can't really say - I have heard of a lot of X3 users going back to the XT Lives, for whatever reason.
When staying only in the studio, I liked having Pod XT kidney bean, simply because it didn't take up much desktop space, and with the angle-mount plate, it was handy to use in the desktop studio.
FWIW, I expect I'll be selling my XT Live soon, as I've got an AXE-FX Ultra on the way - if you're interested, PM me (shameless spam :o). It's a long story, but I've got an extra motherboard, and all the Add-In Model Patches, if you're needing one.
If you're going strictly studio, it's hard to beat the Line 6 stuff, for bang for the buck; in performance applications, my feelings are mixed, but I honestly haven't put the hours in to make that a really viable option. I got burned so badly in the few times that I did it, by sound-techs, that I decided to just lug the gear, and put up with the hauling needed to be sure I get good tone. What I "could" hear sounded great, live - it's what I couldn't hear that made me no rely on sound techs anymore...
If you don't need the foot switching convenience, the kidney beans are great - I prefer the Pod XT, myself, and this can be footswitched with a midi pedal, like the Behringer FCB1010, but it's a MAJOR pain to set up. The XT Live takes up about three times the room as a kidney bean, but is more user friendly, I think - foot switchable, easily adjusted on the fly, without major software digging, and great software is available for it. I can only speak for internet reviews I've read, when I was considering the X3, and have to say I decided to steer clear of that one with a ten-foot pole because of a ll the mechanical issues everyone was having. Whatever you decide on, theirs tons of user and L6 patches online - some good, some not so..... There's also a monthly subscription service you can get from L6 - I forget the name, but they offer recognizable tones patches and lessons for recognizable top-40 stuff. Not bad, but a little pricey, and may be a little elementary for some here.
El Steve-0

[raz]

All the original Pods ever needed was a powerful EQ processor, all you needed to do was add an external 32 band rack EQ to the Pod and you've got better tone than their latest X3.

Sez you. I say the second generation and later sound far superior, and I've used the hell out of all of them up to and including the XT Live.

Lincoln Brewster does get spectacular sound, but not with any trickiness in his patches if those patches from his site are to be believed. For his alleged main sounds (18b, 18c, 18d), looks like he uses the Variac'd Plexi model, seems to always tweak the EQ a little, uses compression on one (18c).

But there are a boatload of tweaked patches in that set beyond those three. Most are stil built on the Variac'd Plexi model. Some use the Tube Driver model with varying amounts of delay. Kind of an Eric Johnson approach.

But he always tweaks the EQ about the same way.

The rest is in his fingers, yes, his guitars, sure...but also in his FOH sound person. Run his patches through headphones or flat studio monitors and they aren't going to sound like Lincoln. Run them at concert volume with a band and and a good engineer at the knobs it's a whole nuther trip.

[mattthefiddler]

I have to say, lincolns tones from the site into the XT do sound very nice.. even at 70- 80 dB the best I have heard out of the Pod from my circle of friends.

That said, I am a Boss person :) even that. I never play with it direct unless i clean up the fizz.

[Joses]

I gigged with an XT Live driect to PA for over 3 yrs - it was absolutely fantastic. I remember a set I did once where the drummer (who was actually a real good guitarist but filling in on drums) came up to me raving about my tone.

It has since died, and I've gone on to an analog setup. But it served its time and purpose, and I hafta say it was a phenomenal tool!

It does take a fair bit of tweaking - no doubt about that. Like someone else said, it ain't no plug and play tool...but spend some quality time with it and you won't be disappointed.

2 thumbs up for XT Live at least (I can't comment on any other of their products) :AOK :AOK

[Miles]

Yes, the PODxt is one amazing tool to have. I use it to record EVERYTHING. From there, I have a tube amp and a Flextone III 2x12 w/ FBV shortboard to translate it live, and it also sounds absolutely fabulous and cuts through anything.

[GuitarKidd]

If you want a POD, get the X3. It has better features and connectivity options like XLR's and Mic inputs... The XTL does not have that. Also with the X3 has all the amp models as the XTL did not.

And technically, the X3 really doesn't have anything different than the XTL when it comes to hardware and software, from what I understand. The X3 is just a different body with some added features. I think Line6 did do some tweaking to some models... But for the most part the X3 is the XTL with better features... Here is a nice 3rd party review on the unit..

http://forum.thestompbox.net/showthread.php?t=6074

Also the X3, older units, have had some build problems, which you can read about in the above thread towards the end, so get a new one because Line6 fixed it in new builds. Older builds, Line6 fixed by changing the programming via a firmware update. Very strange but you will have to read to understand it..

[gdomeier]

I have owned all pod versions from 2.0 up until the x3. I prefer the x3, but have gotten good results with all versions.

I really enjoy the dual amp feature.

[Lt_Core]

I had a PODxt years ago which I used with an Atomic Amp. Sounded great! My XT took an unfortunate fall from a table and died. Since then I've moved to tube amps and pedals. With some patience and time, I had some killer patches that sounded great live. I just picked up a mint, barely used PODxt Live for $140. As a backup and practice tool it's not worth spending $500 on the X3 Live.

[raz]

Well then, prove it, supply your XT soundclips, and then listen to the Pod 2 soundclips on my Soundclick page....lets hear which "generation" sounds better?

But wait, you said:

Talk about going backward when it comes to "tone"...yeah sure their technology has gone forward in leaps and bounds, processing power and software has advanced in a big way, but their tones have gone backwards since the Pod 1.

So which is it? If you're going to go with Pod 2, we have nothing to contest. My position is that Pod 2 and later were better than Pod 1.

[Alter]

i 've had the pod 2, podxt and pocket pod. i 've used the pod xt quite a lot for gigs and studio recording, and the convenience is more than appreciated by studio engineers. however i always felt the sounds and feel to be a compromise compared to the real thing (obviously worth it though, otherwise i wouldn't use them). so i'd rather compromise paying the price of a pod 2 (or better a podxt), than paying for an x3

[nibus]

Nonsense, I can't do without my XTL anymore. It did take awhile, but this thing is outstanding. Sound guys don't grow on trees it takes time to learn the equipment, but once you do it's well worth it. It also depend on what you plug into It doesn't just like anything. I've plugged this thing in to almost 30 amps now and my best results have been with PA's and simple tube amps with not to many extras. It likes cleans, but will take a bit of gain if you don't over do it.

Edit: One thing you shouldn't forget when adjusting this equipment and that's the importance of your guitar controls. Your tone and volume controls can play a huge role in givng you some outstanding tones.

Say what you will, but the XT Live compared to a decent OD, Wah, and Delay is quite digital and sterile.

For recording it's okay - i've used it for some projects for it's stereo imaging. But it's a REALLY far cry from some decent pedals and a tube amp.

[Cary Chilton]

My old POD v.1.0 was the best at recording. Since then I've had the more recent PODs and both the Tonelab SE and LE as well as a Line6 Spider Valve. I've hated all of them except the POD v.1.0 which I sold last year. I'll probably end up buying another old one, as they're pretty useful for recording.

The newer stuff just has this plastic/phasey sounding midrange and high end that is really one dimensional and can't be tweaked to sound good. Also, on the newer stuff, I found all the models to sound about the same, but the older unit had more character and realism to each modeled amp. YMMV.


POD 1 best for recording?
Pocket POD sounding better than everything?
POD 2 used by Rocceforte..
POD XT generally accepted
X3 conflicting reviews


Hot topic! Still unclear.......

[Lt_Core]

Say what you will, but the XT Live compared to a decent OD, Wah, and Delay is quite digital and sterile.


Agreed BUT if my Rivera amp ever goes down during a gig I can quickly toss the PODxt Live into the PA and get through the rest of the show. Yeah, it's not a tube amp but it works great for emergency situations.

[nibus]

Agreed BUT if my Rivera amp ever goes down during a gig I can quickly toss the PODxt Live into the PA and get through the rest of the show. Yeah, it's not a tube amp but it works great for emergency situations.

Absolutely - and that's where it shines, is in those situations when you have to go direct into a PA or you need a backup rig.

[Gtrman100]

Absolutely - and that's where it shines, is in those situations when you have to go direct into a PA or you need a backup rig.

Or in this situation- my cover band plays the ballad-"Breathe". Here's what I cover:
-Intro - Acoustic with reverb
-1st verse- Tele Neck pickup into Bassman with trem/reverb
-Chorus- Strat lead into Deluxe with Rat/ delay
-2nd verse- Tele Neck pickup into Bassman with trem/reverb
-Chorus- Strat lead into Deluxe with Rat/ delay
- Ending- Acoustic with reverb

How is possible?- Pod X3L into amp/split acoustic sounds to PA.

[Lt_Core]

Or in this situation- my cover band plays the ballad-"Breathe". Here's what I cover:
-Intro - Acoustic with reverb
-1st verse- Tele Neck pickup into Bassman with trem/reverb
-Chorus- Strat lead into Deluxe with Rat/ delay
-2nd verse- Tele Neck pickup into Bassman with trem/reverb
-Chorus- Strat lead into Deluxe with Rat/ delay
- Ending- Acoustic with reverb

How is possible?- Pod X3L into amp/split acoustic sounds to PA.

Are you using a Variax guitar for the different guitar sounds? Great use for a POD, IMHO. Massive guitar/amp/pedal changes inside of a song.

[Gtrman100]

Are you using a Variax guitar for the different guitar sounds? Great use for a POD, IMHO. Massive guitar/amp/pedal changes inside of a song.
How'd you guess?! Yeah, it's a great setup for gigging. The sounds are really good, and I don't have to do the crazy tap dance or hire a guitar tech to switch effects. For recording I usually use the real thing(I've got a load of other guitars and amps) but club gigs, parties, corporate events, do you think the audience cares or even knows?(the X3 surprises me sometimes how good it sounds recorded D-D recently).

[Cary Chilton]

so WHICH pod sounds the best?

[Gary Ladd]

I like my Pod XT Pro, but only with a DEQ2496 to notch the fizz out after I've tweaked the parametric just right ;)

P.S. Only use it for practice & rough tracs, for final stuff I use my Quad-X or Mesa Roadster, but hey that's just me...

[AdamLee]

For some reason the older PODS seem to have a more natural, "organic", amp like feel to them... IMO

[nitefly7]

Or in this situation- my cover band plays the ballad-"Breathe". Here's what I cover:
-Intro - Acoustic with reverb
-1st verse- Tele Neck pickup into Bassman with trem/reverb
-Chorus- Strat lead into Deluxe with Rat/ delay
-2nd verse- Tele Neck pickup into Bassman with trem/reverb
-Chorus- Strat lead into Deluxe with Rat/ delay
- Ending- Acoustic with reverb

How is possible?- Pod X3L into amp/split acoustic sounds to PA.

Is that Mike Landau ft. Michelle Branch's .. 'Breathe' ?

more on-topic; I liked the way the XT responds to playing dynamics more than the 2.0 I had back in the day..
Still, through a nice tube power amp it's ok, anything from 2.0 up to x3..
I generally wasn't impressed with the 'fizz' live, but for recording/practicing/backup, it's great..

though with the introduction of XT and X3, coupled with things like Atomic Reactor's, POD's can give 'real amps' a run for their money..

I liked the Tonelabs as well, I must say..

if you're looking for a desktop modeller, give the M-Audio Black Box a go, it's got nice Bassman, AC30 amps and stunning effects (which can be beat synced to the internal drummachine..) it's also a Mic pre + SP/Dif + USB audio interface, capable of running a Pro Tools M-Powered session...
I think they can be had for cheap nowadays..

[Gtrman100]

Is that Mike Landau ft. Michelle Branch's .. 'Breathe' ?

more on-topic; I liked the way the XT responds to playing dynamics more than the 2.0 I had back in the day..
Still, through a nice tube power amp it's ok, anything from 2.0 up to x3..
I generally wasn't impressed with the 'fizz' live, but for recording/practicing/backup, it's great..

though with the introduction of XT and X3, coupled with things like Atomic Reactor's, POD's can give 'real amps' a run for their money..

I liked the Tonelabs as well, I must say..

if you're looking for a desktop modeller, give the M-Audio Black Box a go, it's got nice Bassman, AC30 amps and stunning effects (which can be beat synced to the internal drummachine..) it's also a Mic pre + SP/Dif + USB audio interface, capable of running a Pro Tools M-Powered session...
I think they can be had for cheap nowadays..

We do "Breathe" by Faith Hill- the pop country ballad.

[Gtrman100]

Ahaa, a man who knows what he's talking about. :)

It's the frequencies round about the 2,5k that need to be notched out, that removes the fizz and the honk...as you can see in the pic...these are settings used with the Pod 2.

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/8845/graphicsettingvm5.jpg

The Pod X3L has a semi-parametric EQ built in so you can tweak the "fizz" or any other frequency as you like. Unfortunately, it has no Q control, but it does a reasonably good job of tailoring the amp models to the amp or monitor.

I guess you've had a bad experience with Pods, every post you make about them is filled with sarcasm. I view all these pieces of equipment as tools- I love my X3L and my Matchless, Fender, Groove Tubes, and Marshall amps. I've heard Pod stuff that sounded terrible, and hi-end boutique cork-sniffing, latte drinking amp users that also sounded really bad. I've heard Pod stuff that sounded great(Neil Gerardo, Lincoln Brewster,(me!)), too.

In the end, it's about the music and how to get the tone you're searching for, with the resources you have available.

[mischultz]

Lincoln does get insane tone out of the X3 (and formerly the XT Live). How he gets this is beyond me, because mine sounds NOTHING like that, no matter how much I tweak it. I know, it's in the hands.

He recently posted his Pod patches to his website....gotta find some time to download those.

Read an interview last week: he took the time, grabbed the amps (old Marshalls in particular) that Line6 used and started tweaking. If you want it to sound real, A/Bing with real is an utterly common-sense approach to the thing.

Michael

[Kyle Ashley]

Read an interview last week: he took the time, grabbed the amps (old Marshalls in particular) that Line6 used and started tweaking. If you want it to sound real, A/Bing with real is an utterly common-sense approach to the thing.

Michael

One must be very careful when A/Bing any digital modelers against any real amps as depression can set in when the player realizes just how far off the simulations are with respect to dimensionality and depth. Years ago, I had the first Flextone model that was out, and I lined it up against a 1982 JCM800 and a Soldano SLO to try and match them. Not only was it not happening, I became aware of how thin the digital REALLY was and sold the Flextone within the week.

[Grap]

I have one of the original POD 1.6's with the ROM upgrade to 2.1. L6 recently did me a great favour by re-engineering the POD 2 to use a new DSP and by so doing render the old Floorboards obsolete, because that meant I could pick ne up for 1/3 of the old price...

Anyhow, I worked up some patches on the 1.6 when I first got it and used them for recording some demos. After I did the upgrade to 2.1 I could swear that the patches sound quite different, as though the amp sims had lost a lot of their kick and body.

I now use the POD 2 & Floorboard rig a a back-up and practise rig. I'm also running a Toneport UX-1 for home recording. I did an on-line collaboration last year to which I sumbitted several guitar tracks. Some were recorded old style (Mic amp & pedals) and one of them was a quick "WTF" run through
using the UX-1 ans a patch translated from my POD 2.

The guy mixing the track chose the "WTF" track over the ones with the booteek stiuff on 'em. Oh well :D

[mischultz]

One must be very careful when A/Bing any digital modelers against any real amps as depression can set in when the player realizes just how far off the simulations are with respect to dimensionality and depth. Years ago, I had the first Flextone model that was out, and I lined it up against a 1982 JCM800 and a Soldano SLO to try and match them. Not only was it not happening, I became aware of how thin the digital REALLY was and sold the Flextone within the week.

That may be, but it worked pretty well for Lincoln. Of course, he'd also committed much more than part of a week, but different strokes...

Michael

[dognmoon]

One must be very careful when A/Bing any digital modelers against any real amps as depression can set in when the player realizes just how far off the simulations are with respect to dimensionality and depth. Years ago, I had the first Flextone model that was out, and I lined it up against a 1982 JCM800 and a Soldano SLO to try and match them. Not only was it not happening, I became aware of how thin the digital REALLY was and sold the Flextone within the week.

I'd be careful here, though. If you could possibly find a way to set up both rigs in a live situation and then find a way to tweak the POD from the audience perspective (or at least from an In-Ear Monitor feed), you'd be better off. You're right, part of the difference between the two will be the moving air of a real amp/cab combo vs. the 2-dimensional response of a POD going direct to house. BUT, you can even the playing field a bit by trying to put yourself in the audience's perspective. Since I use custom mold IEM's that curb about 26db of stage volume, a POD seems like a really great lazy-day/ fly-date rig.

[mischultz]

I'd be careful here, though. If you could possibly find a way to set up both rigs in a live situation and then find a way to tweak the POD from the audience perspective (or at least from an In-Ear Monitor feed), you'd be better off. You're right, part of the difference between the two will be the moving air of a real amp/cab combo vs. the 2-dimensional response of a POD going direct to house. BUT, you can even the playing field a bit by trying to put yourself in the audience's perspective. Since I use custom mold IEM's that curb about 26db of stage volume, a POD seems like a really great lazy-day/ fly-date rig.

The Flextone adds the disadvantage of a lesser cabinet/speaker combination: the appropriate comparison in a live context - one that recognizes the way Line6 intends the product to be used - is between the direct send of the POD and a mic'd amp at front of house. The Line6 stuff is at its best when it mimics the entire chain and quite possibly at its worst (Flextone being a prime example) when it attempts to replace the parts 1 for 1. Better, cleaner power, better construced cabinet and better speaker choices would be an absolute necessity to compete 1:1.

I'll go back to the Lincoln Brewster example. If you read the article he spent weeks - maybe a month - working out his direct sound in comparison and competition with the individual Marshalls and Voxes the Line6 engineers modelled from. It's doable but it does take a significant sweat investment and *doesn't* offer the immediate gratification of a decent amp.

Michael