POD XT disappointment...

btangel · #1 10-03-2005, 01:35 PM

After reading a bunch of reviews on harmony central praising the POD XT. I decided to one myself hoping to get a good recording unit and a decent tube amp modeler. This is my 3rd week into using the POD xt. (all updates, all model packs) I've been playing for around 5 years and I've owned SS amps only (poor college student here). Here's an HONEST opinion/review of the POD XT.

Clean - the clean recording sounds pretty good for the most part. Noiseless, and versatile range of tones there. I was pretty happy with that. I'm sure a real tube would make it sound richer but I was content.

High Gain/Distortion - Through an amp it sounded "ok" at best, then again my amp is not that great anyway. The recording on the other hand was horrible. Flat, very very grainy, and just...disappointing. I was almost scared to record my own playing with the POD XT after a while. It sounded worse than just putting a PC mic up to my amp cone. Just....disappointed.

Amp models - For clean tones it was fine...but there were maybe 4 amp models usable out of the 72 there was for gain/DS lead tones. Even the ones that I'd use, the JCM800/900, sounded lackluster by itself. Turning the drive knob all the way up gave me goosebumps. TOO grainy and flat. Even the GT-5 which I don't own anymore sounded more natural.

I tried the following setups:

JEM7V -> RK boss DS-1 ultra -> rocktron chameleon -> pod xt

the concept with this one is use the BOSS DS-1 as primary distortion, the chameleon as a lesser distorted tone and also modulation like chorus, reverb...etc., and POD XT as the amp modeler.

JEM7V -> pod xt

with this one the POD xt does everything.

At first I thought it was just my lack of experience in tweaking efx, so I went to customtones.com to grabbed some of custom tones other people made. I wasn't satisfied with the sound of any one of them. For some reason they all sounded very unnatural to my ears.

I love the interface and software. It's very easy to edit and the knobs are great. It's just the sound that's really letting me down. I've been spending more time trying to find a decent lead tone out of this thing than actually playing. I'm beginning to lose patience.

I'm close to putting this in the classified, or evilbay unless I can find some light in this. I really really tried to like this. If anyone that plays their JEMs through the POD xt and has tips on getting it to sound right in a recording please comment.

megadeth · #2 10-03-2005, 01:42 PM

if store has a return policy then just return it. save a little more $$ and get a tube amp. you can come back later and thank me..i will be around.

vaijem777 · #3 10-03-2005, 02:24 PM

I had a Pod XT for a couple of years...bought it right when they came out. It was an ok "toy" and it served the purpose for home recording pretty well. I even used it live a few times at small gigs and it worked relatively well for the most part. I was never blown away by it though.

I decided to take a chance and got one of the new Pod XT Live units and am REALLY glad that I did. It's much more like a Vetta in a pedalboard configuration. Overall, I've been MUCH more impressed with the overall sound and features of the XT Live than I ever was of the XT. I've even used the XT Live for a few medium-sized gigs and haven't been let down at all. Never thought I'd have a soundguy tell me that I had great tone when using a modeler, but...it happened.

Granted, I spent a lot of time learning the ins & outs of the unit and tweaked every single preset (as well as added about 30 of my own). The ability to tweak & save tones via PC is definitely a huge bonus - makes everything a lot easier and quicker. I probably put 6-10 hours in before I was comfortable even taking the thing to a rehearsal, but it was time well spent.

I won't be selling the Bogner or Matchless anytime soon, but the XT Live definitely gets my vote for not completely sucking.

rgr · #4 10-03-2005, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by btangel

JEM7V -> RK boss DS-1 ultra -> rocktron chameleon -> pod xt

You already had a better unit in the Rocktron.

$0.02,
Roger

machinediva · #5 10-03-2005, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgr

You already had a better unit in the Rocktron.

$0.02,
Roger

probably

why didn't you use the renowned modeler section in the chameleon?...

fettouhi · #6 10-03-2005, 06:19 PM

save your money get the V-AMP II

.

Regards

André

btangel · #7 10-03-2005, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by machinediva

probably

why didn't you use the renowned modeler section in the chameleon?...

hmm I guess I could. One of the reasons I got the POD was to record my guitar tracks, but so far I haven't been too impressed with the quality of lead recordings... I'm thinking of selling the POD Xt for a set of condenser mics and a preamp for them.

nightfiend14 · #8 10-03-2005, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by btangel

hmm I guess I could. One of the reasons I got the POD was to record my guitar tracks, but so far I haven't been too impressed with the quality of lead recordings... I'm thinking of selling the POD Xt for a set of condenser mics and a preamp for them.

sounds like the route to go with.

SuperJemBoy · #9 10-04-2005, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fettouhi

save your money get the V-AMP II

.

Regards

André

I've heard ridiculously good things about these. I think when I start my new job soon I'm gonna buy one then if I don't like it, sell it on. I need tweaking time!

Joe

King Knall · #10 10-04-2005, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperJemBoy

I've heard ridiculously good things about these. I think when I start my new job soon I'm gonna buy one then if I don't like it, sell it on. I need tweaking time!

Joe

My overall experience with my X V-Amp hasn't been pleasant. But who knows? Maybe an X V-Amp II is a major improvement.

Polaris20 · #11 10-04-2005, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by btangel

High Gain/Distortion - Through an amp it sounded "ok" at best, then again my amp is not that great anyway. The recording on the other hand was horrible. Flat, very very grainy, and just...disappointing. I was almost scared to record my own playing with the POD XT after a while. It sounded worse than just putting a PC mic up to my amp cone. Just....disappointed.

Come on now, that's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?

Quote:

Originally Posted by vaijem777

I had a Pod XT for a couple of years...bought it right when they came out. It was an ok "toy" and it served the purpose for home recording pretty well. I even used it live a few times at small gigs and it worked relatively well for the most part. I was never blown away by it though.

I decided to take a chance and got one of the new Pod XT Live units and am REALLY glad that I did. It's much more like a Vetta in a pedalboard configuration. Overall, I've been MUCH more impressed with the overall sound and features of the XT Live than I ever was of the XT.

You do know that the XT and XT Live are the same thing, right? Same firmware.

fettouhi · #12 10-04-2005, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamikaze_1

My overall experience with my X V-Amp hasn't been pleasant. But who knows? Maybe an X V-Amp II is a major improvement.

I just know I like mine

.

Regards

André

megadeth · #13 10-04-2005, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vaijem777

I had a Pod XT for a couple of years...bought it right when they came out. It was an ok "toy" and it served the purpose for home recording pretty well. I even used it live a few times at small gigs and it worked relatively well for the most part. I was never blown away by it though.

I decided to take a chance and got one of the new Pod XT Live units and am REALLY glad that I did. It's much more like a Vetta in a pedalboard configuration. Overall, I've been MUCH more impressed with the overall sound and features of the XT Live than I ever was of the XT. I've even used the XT Live for a few medium-sized gigs and haven't been let down at all. Never thought I'd have a soundguy tell me that I had great tone when using a modeler, but...it happened.

Granted, I spent a lot of time learning the ins & outs of the unit and tweaked every single preset (as well as added about 30 of my own). The ability to tweak & save tones via PC is definitely a huge bonus - makes everything a lot easier and quicker. I probably put 6-10 hours in before I was comfortable even taking the thing to a rehearsal, but it was time well spent.

I won't be selling the Bogner or Matchless anytime soon, but the XT Live definitely gets my vote for not completely sucking.

eh? they both are SAME.

megadeth · #14 10-04-2005, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fettouhi

save your money get the V-AMP II

.

Regards

André

stop blowing your stipend money on modelers. get a tube amp dude.

vaijem777 · #15 10-04-2005, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polaris20

You do know that the XT and XT Live are the same thing, right? Same firmware.

Oh, I'm very aware that they're basically the same internally. The XT Live is a bit of a different beast in terms of overall funtionality though. Ease-of-use is better in just about every way. The way that Line 6 has developed their software interface makes things a lot easier to tweak as well.

The XT Live has simply been a better experience in every way when compared to the XT.