Line 6 pod x3?? is it worth buying ???

[Brady k]

i haven't really done to much research on it ,, but i have heard many samples on this site of people using the pod xt or pod x3 and the tone sounds amazing. but i don't know if that is all they used or blended the pod guitar with a real amp ..


so i was wondering from anyone who actually has a podxt or podx3 if it is worth buying ,if they like it and why ?, cause its about 700 $ everywhere.
so i want to know if its worth it !

Hope to hear from you guys soon !

Thanks guys !!!

 

[Metaltastic]

Nah, fuck that dude, Line 6 technology is so outdated - just get a decent interface (like the Presonus Audiobox USB), plug your guitar into its inst. input, and use a free ampsim and impulses! Check this out:

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/production-tips/427135-impulse-faq.html

I always use TSS, Wagner Mk II, and Voxengo Boogex for my guitars, FYI

 

[egan.]

I will say that if you go the pod route you may as well get the x3 b/c it already has all of the model packs. I'll also say that having done things both ways it is nice for latency to be a complete non-issue. The other thing w/ the x3 is you can stack amps but what that also means is that you can spit out a DI track and a mono amp sim simultaniously so you can track w/o latency and still use the stuff 'tastic mentions above.

 

[Jesse Z]

Is the sole purpose for recording?

 

[stevehollx]

OR if money isn't an issue, AxeFx for the win! Messhugah and Ty Tabor can't be wrong!

Mine's in the mail. I'm curious to see if I'll be getting rid of some tube amps when I settle in with it.

 

[Metaltastic]

OR if money isn't an issue, AxeFx for the win! Messhugah and Ty Tabor can't be wrong!

Mine's in the mail. I'm curious to see if I'll be getting rid of some tube amps when I settle in with it.

I honestly don't really get the appeal of the AxeFX - assuming it can sound as good (but not better than) tube amps, it's still just a really expensive preamp. I mean, you can get a great tube preamp for around $1k (if not less), and use the money you saved to get a Palmer speaker emulator box (cuz I know someone is gonna mention the Axe FX's "direct out to PA with impulses" functionality). And for recording, why would anyone want to use impulses rather than mic'ing a cab? (and more importantly, there are tons of great free impulse plugins out there to handle it once the preamp signal is recorded, and you don't have to commit to any one impulse)

 

[Uladyne]

The other thing w/ the x3 is you can stack amps but what that also means is that you can spit out a DI track and a mono amp sim simultaniously so you can track w/o latency and still use the stuff 'tastic mentions above.

The rackmount Podxt (I'm sure the X3 does as well) has an "unprocessed output" which works well for DI tracks. I'm not totally sure if it's true bypass or whatever but it works well for me. Even when I get a real amp I'll probably keep using the Podxt for tracking, and reamping the DI with the real amp later. I figure that way I can keep the loud sessions to a minimum. I fuck up a lot when I record, hehe.

 

[Metaltastic]

Hmm, in the prepping your tracks for reamping thread, though, it's mentioned that using the Pod as a DI is noticeably inferior in sound quality to a dedicated high-quality DI...that's why the Redeye rules, it does both awesomely!

 

[egan.]

Hmm, in the prepping your tracks for reamping thread, though, it's mentioned that using the Pod as a DI is noticeably inferior in sound quality to a dedicated high-quality DI.

I haven't a/b'd but I imagine that is probably true. I will say the x3 seems a bit more transparent but I doubt it beats a good di.
My experience having moved from software to an x3 recently is that there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Sometimes it is great to just plug in and go.

 

[Uladyne]

Hmm, in the prepping your tracks for reamping thread, though, it's mentioned that using the Pod as a DI is noticeably inferior in sound quality to a dedicated high-quality DI...that's why the Redeye rules, it does both awesomely!

True, but I imagine it's better than using my Behringer Direct box, heh.

 

[Metaltastic]

I haven't a/b'd but I imagine that is probably true. I will say the x3 seems a bit more transparent but I doubt it beats a good di.
My experience having moved from software to an x3 recently is that there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Sometimes it is great to just plug in and go.

I hear ya, but that's a helluva price premium for the "plug in and play" ability, especially when you're also sacrificing sound quality in the process. I just keep my Roland Cube30 next to my desk when I wanna just plug in and "live inside the RIFFZ," and go direct into my interface with ampsims when I actually wanna record; it works for me!

 

[egan.]

I hear ya, but that's a helluva price premium for the "plug in and play" ability, especially when you're also sacrificing sound quality in the process. I just keep my Roland Cube30 next to my desk when I wanna just plug in and "live inside the RIFFZ," and go direct into my interface with ampsims when I actually wanna record; it works for me!

Perhaps so. I get artist pricing which factors in for me as well. What I found was that often when writing I would spend more time fucking around with the computer than playing. So for me it actually streamlines my work flow. We've used pod stuff for various things on all of our records so I've been happy with it's capabilities but acknowledge the limitations. For my purposes it is fantastic for any situation that falls short of justifying micing an amp. The kazrog stuff may make me reevaluate that opinion.

 

[Machinated]

I haven't noticed a massive difference in loss from using the PodXT Pro's DI. Obviously its not amazing, but there will be a lot more things that will impact the tone more.

I think for the purposes of most on this forum, the Pod's DI will be fine - it really depends on the stuff egan mentioned.

 

[seditz740novaprospect]

i love my pod's, i couldn't track drums without them anymore, we rarely ever use them for actual tone but every once in a while they come through very nicely and fit the project... they are very nice to have around if someone is having prob playing a part give them some headphones and let them go... and your uninterrupted to work on other things... pods are more of a convenience to have around than a amp sim ....imo

 

[stevehollx]

I honestly don't really get the appeal of the AxeFX - assuming it can sound as good (but not better than) tube amps, it's still just a really expensive preamp. I mean, you can get a great tube preamp for around $1k (if not less), and use the money you saved to get a Palmer speaker emulator box (cuz I know someone is gonna mention the Axe FX's "direct out to PA with impulses" functionality). And for recording, why would anyone want to use impulses rather than mic'ing a cab? (and more importantly, there are tons of great free impulse plugins out there to handle it once the preamp signal is recorded, and you don't have to commit to any one impulse)

To be honest, I picked it up as a potential replacement for my current live/gigging amp. I have a Boogie Mark IV, SLO, and Fuchs ODS50, and I build tube amps (the SLO I built myself). So I'm as big a fan of the technology as anyone. The clean channel on the MIV has always been super inconsistent from day to day, enough to the point where I started to look at other options.

It all started when I heard some HUGE high gain tube fanatics ditching tube amps recently for this thing, so I wanted to check it out. Ideally, it lets me get cleaner cleans than my Mark IV, and a variety of dirty rhythm guitars instead of a single dirty tone I have to coax for both rhythm and lead. My band is heavily effects driven too, so having a competent FX unit is a bug plus too.

It's a big plus for not having to deal with the headache of mic positioning for micing guitars too, but that's not really why I got it.

I've had it for a day now and the tweakability in this is crazy. If anything the effects alone are killer and enough to replace Eventide in studio racks. We used it tonight on the SVT bass amp setting and got a better bass tone than we were getting with our bass amp mic'd & DI'd. It's earned it's keep already.

I haven't fooled around the the guitar preamps in it too much yet. The plan it to throw it in front of a VHT tube power amp, so I still get that power amp sag, but can unlock the flexibility of tones/effects in the preamp. My amps are getting A/B'd with it before they go anywhere (although the SLO clone is never going to be sold).

 

[Sean in Silence]

I own a Pod X3 Live and it has been nothing but amazing for me!
Every song on my band's profile was recorded with my Pod X3 and nothing else

http://www.myspace.com/sanctityinsilence

It sounds amazing and has a ton of amps to choose from so you can get just about any tone you want
Now
If you can afford it, there is nothing better then micing up an old Mesa Boogie Dual Rec or a Peavey 5150
you just can't beat it
but
For what it does do the Pod does amazingly well
and that is model other really expensive amps
hahaha

 

[slashvanyoung]

I honestly don't really get the appeal of the AxeFX - assuming it can sound as good (but not better than) tube amps, it's still just a really expensive preamp. I mean, you can get a great tube preamp for around $1k (if not less)

But that's just one preamp. Buying the Axe-Fx is like buying a shitload of the creme-de-la-creme (pre)amps out there (alongside the great fx and shizzle).

If they'd offer a version with an integrated power-amp, I'd be all over this thing...

 

[Metaltastic]

Yes, but they're still digital simulations of all those preamps, and besides which, I'd much rather have one good tone rather than endless tweakability

 

[Erkan]

But that's just one preamp. Buying the Axe-Fx is like buying a shitload of the creme-de-la-creme (pre)amps out there (alongside the great fx and shizzle).

Remember though, the more stuff they cream into a package/price, the less quality. Something HAS to suffer when they stuff so many things into something. I haven't even seen an AxeFX, but I'm pretty sure it's not the SAME as owning every one of those amp models in the AxeFX

But I've heard good things about AxeFX, I'm not trying to make it look bad. Just saying...

 

[Metaltastic]

While I agree with your view that there's always something that's sacrificed, Gojira, I think you're forgetting that there is a sacrifice in the Axe FX for it to have all that stuff: the price