Line 6 Pod XT Live

this is very easy to use. if you need to use it with your computer though, you'll need a mac. i have a pc and a mac and it works on the pc, but it's pretty shotty. they make you download line6 monkey to auto update everything and i never got that working with the pc correctly. on my mac, it works great.

but if you plan to use it as a pedal, and you don't want to use it with your computer, this is very easy to use.

i think that the sound quality is great. a lot of people have beef with the quality of the amps, but they need to understand something. they say "this amp does not sound exactly like mine" but they don't realize that even between amps that are the same model, no two sound exactly alike. so as far as i can tell, the sound it great in all the amps.

i also really like the tube screamer pedal effect. they nailed it. i don't really use the rest of the effects as much as this one, but i have tested them all and they all sound good. i like to know that they are there is i ever actually use them.

my variax jack broke, but that's cause i stepped on it with the cable plugged in. it still works, but i have to get it just right and it often stops while i am playing. i called around and i found out that to fix it would cost me between 100-130 dollars, so i was a little pissed about that.

i had to work with their customer support a great deal. i bought this unit from guitar center and when i took it home, someone had already registered it. they sold me a returned item. so to register the item (i needed to do this because line6 wold not let me use it with my computer until i did) i needed to call guitar center and get the original receipt. it was a huge pain. and after all that, it tool line6 3 days to finally get around to unregistering. i was a little annoyed. so i ended up calling them 3 or 4 times. one guy was very rude to me, basically accusing me of stealing the pod, but the rest of the people were very nice and actually helped me. so i would give them like an 8 or 9 but i knocked a few points off since that one guy was a butt-hole.

i love this thing. i use it with my variax 300 and now i can basically have any guitar sound i want. i have only been playing guitar for a few years, but i have been a drummer for a long time and i have been a recording engineer for a while as well. as far as i can tell, this thing rocks. it saves me a lot of time. is it better than the real thing? no. but who wants to spend all that money on all these amps and effects? it's a very cool tool for any guitarist. should you buy it? hell yeah. it'll change you life. and go buy a variax to go along with it. you'll never be the same. i did not give it a ten because i think that they could use a few more distortion pedals and a way to turn off the reverb from the floorboard. other than those two things, i think that this pedal is money in the bank.

The way to get results and quickly learn everything this unit can do is by connecting to your computer via USB and delving into the editing software. It is especially convenient to see everything going on all at once. If you build your set list patches this way, then it will make more sense when you need to make adjustments or create new patches when you are away form a computer.

If it wasn't for the software, I would probably rate ease-of-use at a 6.

The manual is great and really explains everything. The Line6 Monkey software makes it effortless to update the Pod's software.

A huge plus is quick access to the tuner by holding the tweak pedal for a few seconds. Other units like Vox Tonelab require pressing a button, which is exactly what you want to avoid having to do in a live situation.

I've hesitated to get a multi-effect unit for a long time because I enjoy my collection of old analog pedals so much, that I've never wanted to sacrifice their unique personalities in my music. I waited far too long.

I A/B's this unit with several vintage effect pedals...a script logo MXR phaser, Rockman Wha, vintage MXR Distortion+, to name a few, and it was spot on. (There is no direct model of the MXR Distortion but I achieved good results with a combination of the tube screamer and some of the amp models). The choruses sound spectacular, delays do everything that you would ever need a delay to do, and I was surprised to find that the wha models sounded brilliant.

It is essential to be aware of the output mode...best way to use it is to plug into the power amp of your guitar amp, bypassing your preamp. You will have an advantage if you program sounds using your rig, or run it through your computer using an amp emulation similar to what you use live or in rehearsals.

I've only had it a few weeks so I can't say. I purchased an enhanced warranty -- it is digital, after all, and a soldering gun won't save you if the CPU or RAM fails on a gig.

No need for support so far.

I play progressive rock, so there is a need for many different sounds within the same song. This unit is perfect for this scenario.

I've been playing for twenty years. In the past I have used an assortment of great pedals...TC, MXR, Boss, and the Line6 Modulation and delay pedals. My main guitar is hot-rodded Fender Strat with Seymour Duncans.

I've sold nearly all of my pedals already since I got it, and programmed many banks of sounds for my set list. If lost or stolen, I would replace it instantly, and in a few seconds restore all of the sounds to it because they are backed up to my computer.

I love the fact that I can match the variety of sounds live that I can achieve on recordings...no longer do I have to short-change the palette of sounds at my disposal live.

It would be nice to have more of my favorite models...I love phasers, and while they nail the MXR nicely, I'd love to see a Small Stone model. An intelligent harmonizer, even if at extra cost in a model-pack, would be a handy thing.

Before I got this, I came home with a Vox Tonelab. It was nice, and easier to program from the unit itself, but it had one sad limitation for me -- you can only use the MXR Phaser model before the distortion...but that famous phase sound can only be achieved after distortion ( to get that Eddie Van Halen or Jimmy Page sound). This is an important sound in many songs I play, so I had to bring back the Tonelab. I was pleasantly surprised that the PodXT surpassed the Tonelab in a number of ways...the number of models, the quality of sound (I know many argue the Tonelab sounds better, but after many hours with both, I just can't see how this could be the case). I also found that the Tonelab's tuner is not activated via pedal, as mentioned above.

If you need to perform live and have quick access to a huge variety of quality sounds, you really can't go wrong. I recommend immediately jumping into the software and creating your patches from scratch, and download some of the patches from the Line6 CustomTone site as a reference, and you'll be on your way to guitar tone paradise.

no big deal

the overall effects and amp models are ok except the distortions but the sound quality itself
i mean the output level is very bad!!!
like others said before me you cant get to a level of decibels which be descent and wont clip its annoying, i recorded with my old zoom 505
and got much higher volume with no clipping!
when i called the company which provides the pod in my country, they told me that in order to get to this volumes and puffed sound i must tweak the sound after i recorded in my cubase, worst answer i ever got!
now the distortion is a diffrent story all togather, it really suck ***, the dist is very thin and dry with no "meat" on it.

built like a tank

see above

real crap

I should preface this by saying it is geared towards current Boss GT-x users thinking of crossing over to the Line 6 Pod XT Live. That's where I was coming from when I bought an XT Live board. I was a GT6 owner looking to change things up and I wished I was aware of a few things prior to switching over.

That said, back to the XT Live. It's one of the most incredibly easy to use processors I've dealt with, and I've been a multi effects junkie since the late 80s when Digitech put out the GSP5 (remember that thing?) You plug it in, dial up the sound you're looking for, and play. Just like my POD 2.0 - it doesn't take much to get a great sound.

Manual has the usual Line 6 "Hey bud, let's party!" vibe to it. Keeps it entertaining, and very comprehensive.

As far as sound quality goes, when playing direct I'd have to say Line 6 products are the cat's meow. The amp modeling is second to none.

I use pedalboards mainly on the front end of my Tech 21 Trademark 60 as a stompbox more than an amp modeler. The Line 6's stomp boxes, mods, and delays sound killer. Reverse delay with dry mix dialed to zero is awesome. The wahs are great. The reverbs are very nice, but attn. spring reverb junkies: don't go thinking you'll get that awesome sweet tinny wet Dick Dale spring reverb sound out of this thing. Not gonna happen - It's a computer, fer cryin' out loud.

And don't waste your time messing with the "Bender" (the Whammy effect added to the latest firmware update). I noticed some irritating latency, not to mention it sounds like watery diarrhea, and that's an understatement. Two thumbs down, way down.

Although I sold it before even taking it to band practice or using at a gig, this thing felt pretty solid. I would definitely not be too worried kicking this around at a gig. Kudos to Line 6 for putting the silver guard below the "amp" knobs to keep them from being inadvertently kicked. 1) it protects them and 2) it looks cool.

N/A but I've heard they're pretty nice peeps there.

Okay. Now for the gripes (here's where you current Boss GT-x users or those on the fence as far as what to buy should pay close attention):

1) I found it extremely limiting in the tweaking department. With my GT6 I was used to being able to assign numerous effects parameters to numerous footswitches on the board with no need for external pedals/crap. With Line 6, you get Wah, Volume, 1 "tweak", end of story.

2) Don't be fooled by "UP TO 9 EFFECTS AT ONCE!" Amp Sim, Compressor, Reverb, "Stomp", Delay, Mod, Wah, Volume, EQ. There's your 9 effects - so you can't really pick and choose all that much.

You can only use ONE effect from the "stomp" category at a time which I found to be extremely limiting. For example, if I dialed in a nice brutal distortion under the "stomp" category and wanted to try putting a synth effect over that? No can do, because the synth effects are in the pedal's "stomp" category and you can only use 1 stomp effect per patch, so that kinda sucks the big fat one for those who want to try and push this box above and beyond. Dare I say it doesn't give you enough tweaking?

That said, I've already sold my XT Live and am getting a GT8 which is what I should have done from the get-go. It's only $45 more. I've read a lot of great things about the XT Live and would have to agree with many of them. This would be a wonderful pedal for someone just getting into the awesome world of multi-effects and modeling, or for someone who just needs it for a few sounds. After living with the flexability of the GT pedals for so many years, trying to incorporate this pedal into my rig made me feel very claustrophobic in a creative sense.

It takes some time reading through the manual, however, once you get the hang of it, it's straight forward and easy to change and store your customised tones.

So far it is the best unit I've ever owned. I do not have an extensive experience with different amps but the ones simulated do sound pretty good to me. The default effects, chorus, delay, reverb etc. are very good, may not convince the true tone "connossieurs" but, honestly, who can tell the difference in a live gig situation?
I'm a disciple of Steve Morse and I can emulate his tone very closely to my satisfaction.

Very reliable and sturdy.

I play Rock and Metal and this unit delivers all I need.
I've been playing for 20 years, the "perfect distortion" had been my holy grail for years and the Pod XT Live is my final stop.
I love the flexibility of placing the volume pedal before or after the other effects.
One thing I'd like to share, especially to people who don't like the sound of it - have patience and spend time tweaking the different combinations and parameters; there is a setting to please everyone.
Also, what sounds good alone doesn't sound good with the band and vice versa. Those who think the lead tones are mushy or way too dirty, it's a matter of re-educating the ears - listen to the master players such as Steve Morse, his lead tone is very "raw" but this is the tone that cuts through in a live situation and that's what made Marshall a legend. That nice distortion with lots of compression you get from pedals is more than likely to disappear or to be drowned by other instruments in a live gig.

Easy to Use

Sound Quality is good

Solid Cunstruction, except Volume / Wah pedal squeaked. I needed to dissasemble it to install a few metal washers and grease it.

Line 6 has overlooked simple things such as the availablity of a seperate expression pedal. If you are using the wah, sometimes you need to adjust the volume, and this can't be done after you switch over to Wah. Also, there is NO ACOUSTIC SIMULATOR PEDAL. Line 6 wants to sell Variax guitars, so they leave this effect off the unit. This sucks badly for those who now need to have an occasional Acoustic sound. Roland and Zoom products take care of this need with their pedal boards, why not LINE 6?????

I have a question for anyone that might know. I lost one of the screw in jacks on the rear panel of my xt live. It looks like a hollow threaded bolt that receives the 1/4" guitar input jack. It's not actually part of the electrical connection, just support for the cable that is inserted. Does anyone know what this piece is called, or where I might get one? (besides the floor model at guitar center, lol)I have my e-mail below if anyone knows, thanks...

good product, great sound

very dependable, but input jack loosened up and fell off.

good product

This is a follow up to a previous post. I've found that while the XTL is easy to use in performance, as far as changing presets & whatnot, it is kinda difficult to get a good sound out of it. I've had to spend a lot of hours tweaking and re-tweaking sounds that I've initially programmed, because it sounds totally different on stage than it does in a controlled environment. This may seem like a "duh", and that's how I've felt as well. When I've programmed a sound using the software through headphones, it sounded and felt completely different no matter which amp/power amp/combo that I used, no matter which "A.I.R." settting I'd used. That said, it's still a good processor for live use; I've just had to find a reasonable medium between the unit itself and whichever amplification I was using at any given point.

This category depends on what you use. No doubt, there is a stellar sound through headphones, even with the factory overload presets. Once you get into the post amp EQ settings, and the cab/mic/A.I.R. settings, it sounds even better. But, when you try to use these tweaks in a live environment, don't find out the hard way like I did. Set up separate presets for studio, amp, power cab & studio settings before you take this thing anywhere. Granted, you can only do this when you have these various means at your disposal, and I am lucky enough to have this, but beware. Everything in every setting and every room sounds different. So, it can sound good, if you put the time and effort into making it sound good.

One gripe I do have is with the audio input. It is kinda flimsy, and the jack needed to be replaced. It's covered under warranty repair, but I have to act fast, because since I use it so much, I have to get it done for home recording and practicing purposes. Other than that minor point, it will last as long as it is taken care of properly. I regularly use it with a backup, which is my amp. I feel confident that as long as I have my amp, I can do without it.

Without a doubt, Line 6 is doing what they are supposed to do with the upgrade situation. Just with the free software interface, there are enough upgrades to keep me happy, particularly with the "Bender" effect; I've been waiting for a pitch bender for a long time ...

I play a mixture of blues, fusion, jazz and progressive. I throw all of these textures into whatever genre I'm playing. It has enough sounds to cover all of these different fields, and allows me to experiment live on the gig through the expression pedal tweaks. It's a good sounding unit, which allows me to more or less nail the sounds that I'm looking for, and except for the cab/power amp settings, it's relatively easy to dial in a good sound on the gig.

I've just learned that Line 6 has come up with a Vetta-style version of this, which would allow for two completely separate signal chains; separate amp, effect and cab/mic paths. That's gonna be really cool, and I'll probably spring for it. I like this Line 6 stuff, and I'll probably keep using it until I can afford what I really want; a TC Electronic G System with two vintage class A combo amps. After all, all the Line 6 stuff is just a substitution till you can get the real deal, right?

Last version I used was 3.0.

I used it with tube amps and direct and it was great. If you mess with the cab models you can find the tone for any of the amp models.

Never failed on me once.

I dealt with them for some Varix issues before and they were great.

I play metal and hard rock... nothing to complain about.

I checked the Line 6 website to hear their new stuff,they follow the same route as boss and their GT models:they pack more and more features in those all-in-one boxes but the basic amp model are still as crappy as ever,just listen!
Those guys at Line6 and Boss seem to be stuck as far as digital amp modelling is concerned and we've heard the same sounds for nearly 10 years now.For proof,Line6 have even started putting real valves in their new range of amps...that's hilarious!
Sorry line6 but you won't impress me by putting 400 amp and cab models and as many pedal fx in a box!I'd rather have 3 or 4 amp models that sound alive instead!
It's a real shame because the idea of amp modelling just great.

These toys are bloody expensive!
Get a valve amp or a tubeman plus a few real pedals instead and start making music with it.