Line 6 POD HD

[Trevoire520]

I must say, thats a very nice list.
I wanna hear this thing already

It is, but it'll never look like that.

It'll probably be the usual:

Marshall Plexi
Marshall Plexi Jump Lead
Marshall Plexi Variac
Marshall JTM
Marshall JCM800
Mesa Dual Rectifier
Fender Twin
Fender Bassman
Vox AC15
Vox AC30
Roland JC120
etc
etc
etc

Want teh metulz? Buy a add on. Want a clean clean sound instead of a crunchy vintage clean? Buy an add on. Want some decent effects? Buy an add on.

 

[drew_drummer]

It is, but it'll never look like that.

It'll probably be the usual:

Marshall Plexi
Marshall Plexi Jump Lead
Marshall Plexi Variac
Marshall JTM
Marshall JCM800
Mesa Dual Rectifier
Fender Twin
Fender Bassman
Vox AC15
Vox AC30
Roland JC120
etc
etc
etc

Want teh metulz? Buy a add on. Want a clean clean sound instead of a crunchy vintage clean? Buy an add on. Want some decent effects? Buy an add on.

Wuht?

 

[Seth Munson]

 

[superfreak]

It is, but it'll never look like that.

It'll probably be the usual:

Marshall Plexi
Marshall Plexi Jump Lead
Marshall Plexi Variac
Marshall JTM
Marshall JCM800
Mesa Dual Rectifier
Fender Twin
Fender Bassman
Vox AC15
Vox AC30
Roland JC120
etc
etc
etc

Want teh metulz? Buy a add on. Want a clean clean sound instead of a crunchy vintage clean? Buy an add on. Want some decent effects? Buy an add on.

I think it's pretty clear that there will be 16 amps/cabs and ALL M13 FX. Even if it is wishful thinking that they would include Bogner, Peavey, Engl and Diezel models... give me the rest of the amps in uber high quality modeling and I'll still be very satisfied!

 

[Harry Hughes]

Only 16 amps? Boo.
No rack version? Boo.

The rack versions always came out after the floorboard versions.
I don't expect it will be any different this time.
The floorboard comes out, and within a few months, a rack mount version is announced and then eventually gets released.
The X3 POD Pro didn't come out until 2008, whereas the floorboard and bean were available in 2007.

 

[Blacklight_Studio]

And I have just ordered 11R... ))
No info on cab modeling, is it IR?

 

[TheDude]

I sure as hell hope that this will be THE best modeling thing to hit the streets. If it's better than the axe-fx then I'll buy one instantly. I also hope that they'll have custom IR's (I don't hold my breath though).

Only time will tell. Interested.

 

[drew_drummer]

Tbh... even if it's miles better than their current stuff, but not quite as good as an Axe-FX... I'll still be interested... for the price, if they deliver everything they say they deliver, it will be hard to beat.

 

[slashvanyoung]

This might be a cool step up from the antiquated POD technology but I don't expect it to come close to the Axe-FX, as far as realism goes.

The Axe is that far ahead of the competition (hardware modellers, plug-ins aside) for a reason. Good algorithms only get you so far if you don't have the hardware power to execute them. Oversampling capabilities etc., all of this relies on hardware power. Considering the price segment, the POD line products were aimed at in the past, I'm a bit sceptical towards the plain hardware specs of these units.

But even if these end up to sound subjectively "half as good" as the Axe for a fraction of the price, they'll be very interesting products.

 

[dani]

the xilinx fpgas inside the axe-fx aren't groundbreakingly fast, esp if line6 are making their own chips - ie doing signal processing in hardware.

besides, these pods have "HD" written on them, they're bound to be over-priced.

HD500? 500 is the price.. IN KILOGRAMS OF GOLD.

 

[slashvanyoung]

the xilinx fpgas inside the axe-fx aren't groundbreakingly fast, esp if line6 are making their own chips - ie doing signal processing in hardware.

Not "groundbreakingly fast" in the bigger picture and now a bit dated even, but as far as hardware modellers go, there just isn't anything remotely close available at the moment. The converters on the Axe are on another level too.

besides, these pods have "HD" written on them, they're bound to be over-priced.

HD500? 500 is the price.. IN KILOGRAMS OF GOLD.

It'll be interesting to see if these new PODs will be marketed as a replacement of the current lines or an upper line extension.

 

[DeclanWhite]

i read somewhere that hd is replacing x3

 

[Kazrog]

I wonder how this will affect Pod Farm? Would be cool if they updated the plugin to the new models.

 

[006]

I wonder how this will affect Pod Farm? Would be cool if they updated the plugin to the new models.

I'm waiting to hear about it as well. PodFarmHD would be cool to have, not super interested in any hardware unit really. A plug-in with the updated technology (if it is better than the status quo) would be more up my alley.

 

[deLuther]

The converters on the Axe are on another level too.

Some sources says:
POD X3 Processing Power

* X3 CPU: NXP ARM7-Controller LPC2220FBD144
* X3 Converters: 3pcs of the CS4272 - 24-Bit, 192 kHz, 114 dB Stereo CODEC
* X3 DSP: SHARC ADSP-21369 at 266MHz, 1.6 GFLOPS (real, not max)

Taking into account specification of Axe FX (http://www.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-specifications.html), we have only 105 db of dynamic range, when X3 converters seems to be on par with modern external audio-interfaces built around ak4620 CODEC (like Profire 2626 and similar).
So it seems that Axe FX not superior than POD`s if we are comparing converters, and only 48kHz operation...

 

[slashvanyoung]

Some sources says:
POD X3 Processing Power

* X3 CPU: NXP ARM7-Controller LPC2220FBD144
* X3 Converters: 3pcs of the CS4272 - 24-Bit, 192 kHz, 114 dB Stereo CODEC
* X3 DSP: SHARC ADSP-21369 at 266MHz, 1.6 GFLOPS (real, not max)

Taking into account specification of Axe FX (http://www.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-specifications.html), we have only 105 db of dynamic range, when X3 converters seems to be on par with modern external audio-interfaces built around ak4620 CODEC (like Profire 2626 and similar).
So it seems that Axe FX not superior than POD`s if we are comparing converters, and only 48kHz operation...

Dynamic range is by far not the only or most important factor when it comes to conversion quality and the Axe has specified a minimum of 105 dB.

The converters of the latest POD incarnation might be on par with mid-level prosumer interfaces, but those on the Axe are to be found in many high-end interfaces/conversion units. Jocke posted the name of the manufacturer once, but it escapes me now...

Anyway, noise floor, crosstalk etc. all of these issues are handled really good with the converters and general lay-out of the Axe. Other components like OP-Amps are top-notch too.

I'm not saying that the hardware on the X3 sucks, but it's just not the same level.

 

[deLuther]

And what converters if not Cirrus Logic or AKM, Texas Instruments?
Specifications of CS4272 are comparable to ak4620 and both are top of theirs lines of CODECs (i.e. not as good as theirs top ADCs and DACs).
TI also has similar CODECs. OP-Amps can be better, as input buffer, that`s true and bad input buffer can ruin good converters (for example E-Mu USB interfaces, good converters, bad preamps). But converters can be the same level, or even lower. IMHO.
I just don`t very trust such words as "The converters are of the highest quality offering low-noise, high linearity and uncolored performance.", it can be true for CS4272 alone as well.

http://www.fractalaudio.com.au/about.php
"Studio Quality Components

Top-of-the-line, 24-bit Cirrus Logic© converters assure signal purity. Your Axe-Fx's proprietary analog front end features no electrolytic capacitors in the signal path, only high-quality film types. The output signal path likewise has no electrolytic capacitors. High-performance Analog Devices© op-amps are used in all signal paths. All this adds up to an extremely low noise floor (better than -105 dB). Your analogue amp and stomp box collection was never this quiet."

So, to be honest, it seems that converters is not top-of-the-line of Cirrus, because there is CS5381 (ADC) and CS4398 (DAC) with 120 db and CODECs (mentioned CS4272).

 

[slashvanyoung]

The CS4272 in the X3 aren't bad converters at all and quite a step up compared to the AKMs of the XT, but it was my understanding that the Axe features discrete ADC and DAC. The thing is, you can't directly transfer the specs on the Fractal Audio site to the Cirrus Logic product specs as Fractal lists the minimum in dynamic range as opposed to the maximum stated on Cirrus Logic's site.

A comment of the Axe's creator that the actual noisefloor of the unit is quite a bit lower than what the specs state, indicates that it's quite possible that there are CS5381s and CS4398s to be found in the units.

Edit: Good discussion, btw!

 

[Skinny Viking]

And what converters if not Cirrus Logic or AKM, Texas Instruments?
Specifications of CS4272 are comparable to ak4620 and both are top of theirs lines of CODECs (i.e. not as good as theirs top ADCs and DACs).
TI also has similar CODECs. OP-Amps can be better, as input buffer, that`s true and bad input buffer can ruin good converters (for example E-Mu USB interfaces, good converters, bad preamps). But converters can be the same level, or even lower. IMHO.
I just don`t very trust such words as "The converters are of the highest quality offering low-noise, high linearity and uncolored performance.", it can be true for CS4272 alone as well.

http://www.fractalaudio.com.au/about.php
"Studio Quality Components

Top-of-the-line, 24-bit Cirrus Logic© converters assure signal purity. Your Axe-Fx's proprietary analog front end features no electrolytic capacitors in the signal path, only high-quality film types. The output signal path likewise has no electrolytic capacitors. High-performance Analog Devices© op-amps are used in all signal paths. All this adds up to an extremely low noise floor (better than -105 dB). Your analogue amp and stomp box collection was never this quiet."

So, to be honest, it seems that converters is not top-of-the-line of Cirrus, because there is CS5381 (ADC) and CS4398 (DAC) with 120 db and CODECs (mentioned CS4272).

The CS4272 in the X3 aren't bad converters at all and quite a step up compared to the AKMs of the XT, but it was my understanding that the Axe features discrete ADC and DAC. The thing is, you can't directly transfer the specs on the Fractal Audio site to the Cirrus Logic product specs as Fractal lists the minimum in dynamic range as opposed to the maximum stated on Cirrus Logic's site.

A comment of the Axe's creator that the actual noisefloor of the unit is quite a bit lower than what the specs state, indicates that it's quite possible that there are CS5381s and CS4398s to be found in the units.

Edit: Good discussion, btw!

My EYES!!!!!

 

[TheDude]

My EYES!!!!!

Hahahahha awesome!