Line 6 POD X3 Pro

The Line 6 X3 Pro is very easy to use. I hate reading manual's and I try to figure out what I can by experimenting. I really wanted to use this to it's fullest so I did read through the manual. There really isn't much to it once you get the hang of how things are setup. I recomend reading through one quick time then go for it. As you use it, it starts to make sence. Line 6 really did a great job with the navigation. The software it comes with "Gear Box" makes editing tones easy on a visual level. Speaking of software, the X3 Pro also works with Line 6 Monkey, which is a update application for your Line 6 products. This software is great to keep your hardware's firmware up to date. I did update my firmware after setting up my X3 Pro for the first time to Line 6 Monkey via USB 2.0.

I forgot to mention the Inputs and Outputs. This has it all. It has every input and output possible. This is great for the Home Studio Musician. You can connect your guitar in port 1, and your vocals in port two. Set the levels and do your thing.

I choose a 10 because I couldn't imagine it any easier to use, and I've got serious ADD. =)

I own every pedal there is to own. Before the X3PRo I was lost and now I'm found. I own a 65 Deluxe Reverb Amp and a 1981 Fender Princeton Reverb 2. I live in a place where I can't play loud. That being said, no matter what pedal I bought I couldn't turn up loud enough to get the full tone. The only chance I had was direct connecting to a mixing board.

The Pod X3 Pro is a God send for the home studio musician. The X3 Pro has every sound you can possibly imagine. The Amp setting are incredible and real sounding. I can do anything with this X3 Pro. If I want to plug it into my amp I run the two main quarter inch outs to the two inputs on my Fender 65 Deluxe and I can now get the full tone keeping the amp at lower levels. With pedals I had to play it loud to get the full tones of the pedals I was using.

The Amp Models are the realist I have ever heard using Amp Modeling technology. Talk about inspiration, I found myself altering the presets to customize my sound, then I easily save it to an open channel. This X3 has been a jumpstart on my song writing. It's made me use effects I wouldn't have bothered with, such as various Delays.

Anyone can find a tone they will love on this. If not, your access to tones is unlimited using the software. You can download and save any tone configuration using the Gear Box software. From Blues to metal to jazz to The Cure! This X3 Pro is the most important purchase I have made since my first Boss Chourus pedal back in 1991.

I can't say enough about the Dual Tones. This is amazing. I can dial in one amp and effects for tone 1, then dial in another amp and a different room size or reverb on the other, then combine them making a full spectrom of tones. The Dual Tones with the ease of use will enhance your creativity and you will come up with some great licks or songs with this. It's so easy to get locked into a sound. This makes you find new tones you normally wouldn't have been looking for.

If I could rate the Sound Quality higher than 10 I sure would.

The Amp Models: 10
The Delays: 10
The Stomp Boxes: 10
The Verb: 10
The Modulation Effects: 10
Vocal Effects: 10
Bass Effects: 10


The X3 Pro can do it all!

So far so good. I'v eonly owned it for a week. I imagine if I take care of it, it will last a long time.

Line 6 has great Customer support as far as I know. I had called them with quesions and they were helpfull at answering my questions.

I am 35 years old and have been playing guitar since I was 12. Back then I was into Bauhaus, The Cure. Then I got into Industrial. Then I got into Classic Rock in my 20's. Now I still like the old Cure, radiohead sound. I draw influnce from The 60's bands like the Beatles. I even love to play Scotty Moore's style as well

With the X3 Pro I can have my cake and eat it to. I don't normally do reviews but I had to with this peice of hardware. I can use it for Vocals, Bass as well. I can set it up for one port to be my guitar and the other port to be for my vocals. The X3 is the all in one for the recording musician. I now have everything I need. Not only as far as my sound and tone, but the fact that I can connect use the X3 Pro in a live situation in addition to a DAW or a standalone recorder. It's well worth the $699.00 I paid for it. It's the most important purchase I have made since my first guitar.

This is the only effects proccesser I have owned that has helped me move to a new level. I can hear my guitar's like never before. In turn It's defienetly effected my playing.

Here are some of my guitars, I'm now using them to the fullest and getting the most out of their tones with the X3 Pro. That's a fact:
Fender 63 RI American Vintage
Fender Classic Players Jazzmaster
Fender Jaguar Bariton Custom
Epiphone Casino Gibson USA P90s
Epiphone Lucille
Rickenbacker 360-12
Rickenbacker 350V63
Fender Mexi Telecaster with Lindy Fralin Tele Pickups
Schrecter UltraCure, Robert Smith Model

BASS:
Rickenbacker 4003
Rouqe Viola Bass

Finally, I have what I have been looking for. Big thanks to Line 6!!

Due to lack of support for the Mac, it's a paperweight.

WORD OF WARNING: Anyone who is a Mac User, Line6 support is horrible for the Mac.
Current programs and drivers are NOT working for Snow Leopard.
This is typical of Line6. SL has been out for developers for over a year. Line6 has chosen to ignore the Mac user base. I suggest another company, like Native Instruments.

This unit is easy to use. Within minutes I was moving around all the pages and editing patches with the front control knobs. The device also has software (Gearbox) for use with the PC; this makes it even more simple to do things. The POD Farm plug in that comes with it to use in recording software is extremely nice with the ability to use patches from the device directly in it. I give it a nine because the volume control of each amp is not an on the fly feature to get to; Often I was confusingly controlling the volume of one amp when I meant to control the other. I wish there were two independent volume controls.

I am quite familiar with the already existing XT Pro amps, which remain the same (awesome), so I spent more time on the newer Metal Shop and Collector Classics that came with the unit. All the amps I have checked out so far sound great and authentic. The stomp box, modulation and delay effects are top quality like they have always been with the POD line of products; I would have liked to see more of an effects chain program ability like the old Digitech 2120 processors. I am still not impressed with the reverbs. Little to effect but still important is their gate which I have always sworn by as defacto for a guitar noise gate. The the inline compressor is just as great compressing adding no color to the sound at all.
I give this a 9 cause all I am complaining about really is not that big of a deal.

If this unit is anything like any previous Line 6 unit I have owned (POD Pro, Bass POD Pro, POD XT Pro) then the average life expectancy before any problems would be about five years. This number is based on average rough road use.

Line 6 is an awesome company that I believe has communication with aliens on getting their technology. How else do they develop all the powerful products they have? I have talked with them many times over the years since being a LINE 6 customer and I have never had a negative experience with them. They are excellent people and care for helping all they can. Their website is very in depth featuring a knowledge base, faqs and forums for discussing the use of their products. I am convinced there is no question that can not be answered, even those dealing with politics.

This unit continues the technology of the POD XT Pro and Bass XT Pro. I do believe it is the XT units combined with more added on for vocals. Basically its like two independent processors in the device that can be used to run two instruments simultaneously (one through each) or a single instrument either going through one or the other or both. This dual processor design is a powerful method I have only seen in flagship Eventide processors; for it gives the most versatile format for using resources in the device fully.

This unit really is the best toolbox on the planet for serious guitarists. The fact that this comes with the extra amp and model packs and POD farm for a DAW for the price is a steal.