Line 6 Pod XT Live

Maybe there is a difference in quality coming off the line but I find it REALLY difficult to get anymore than one note playing to sound good. If I hit two or more notes they clash and provide a mushy output. I have tweaked and twonked the full range of the unit and tried several different guitars (6 or 7). When I use ANY of my other pedals I get great clear clean sound and beautiful separation when using effects like distortion. I have spent WAY too many hours trying to make this thing sound even ok to use. Maybe I got the lemon out of many good ones. I hate it.

Can't really use it due to poor output, even worse than a broken clock.

Not as easy to use as (say) a Fender Twin...but this has a hell of a lot more flexibility than any non-modeling amp. Quite easy to use if you invest a little time in learning how it works and experimenting with it.

I've been gigging and recording with amps from Fender, Marshall, Peavey, Mesa/Boogie, you name it since the 70s. I've been gigging and recording with Line 6 since 2002. According to sound engineers, audience members, and fellow musicians, I get a great sound out of it. I had one musician--a guy who is a total tone snob, analog/tube all the way--express shock when he came up to the stage after the gig and saw my Line 6 setup. "I had no idea that Line 6 gear could sound so good."

But at the same time, I've heard lots of guys get horrible tones out of Line 6 gear. What's the difference? Here's how to dial this sucker in:

1. Listen. Turn off all the effects and just listen to the raw guitar tone. Play some simple stuff, hold notes, don't just rip scales. Get a friend to listen with you.

It's best to listen in the setting where you will be playing. Best: while you're rehearsing with your band. Second best: play along with your iPod or the radio. See how that ******** high-gain tone with scooped midrange disappears? The bass takes your low end--the hi hat and cymbals take your high end--you're left with...nothing.
Record yourself rehearsing and gigging. Ask people how it sounds. Get a wireless and walk out front while you're soundchecking.
Then, go back and tweak. Lather, rinse, repeat. Keep tweaking.

2. Tweak carefully. This thing has very powerful controls. Make small changes and listen again. This is especially true for the gain control. Unless you want to turn your guitar into an unrecognizable mess, never crank the gain to full on the high-gain models. Start out around noon, or better yet, 10:00. Go with about 20 percent less gain than you think you need, and you'll hear your tone start to come out. This is a good guideline for normal amps too. About 75 percent of crappy tone comes from using too much gain.

3. Tweak everything, Make sure you tweak the cabinet models, mike models and placement. These make a huge difference in the sound. I've settled in on 2 or 3 mike and cab combinations that work for me.

4. If you have a decent PA and sound guy, run direct for live work. This thing is made to be played that way. If you don't have a decent PA and sound guy, nothing will make your guitar sound good out front. It may sound great on stage, but that doesn't really cut it.
If you really want an "amp" on stage, get an Atomic Reactor amp. I have the 50 watt 1x12 and it's great. Great for that amp feel, feedback, etc and for filling out the first row or two in small clubs. Loud as hell. If you really need to be louder than that, you'd better be wearing earplugs, in which case, you can't hear the amp anyway so why are you worried about the tone? But still, better to run direct than mike the Atomic. Fewer variables--is the mic broken? Is it the right kind of mic? Is it placed correctly? Will it get knocked out of place during the show? etc etc.

5. Be objective. There is a certain religious fervor among musicians about tube amps. I've heard people rave about my "tube tone" only to be told that the tube amp (the Atomic) is just for monitoring and I run direct from-oh my GOD--a digital amp simulator.

Let me tell you from over three decades of experience. I've played through every legendary amp there is. I've gigged actively with an original blackface Deluxe, a plexi Marshall, a Boogie Mark III, and God knows how many other amps. I've had a basement full of vintage gear. And I've concluded: there is really nothing special about tube amps. Don't buy the hype--you don't need to use 1950s radio technology to get good tone.

People ask, does this sound like the real (say) Marshall? What does that mean? I used to have two JCM800s in my basement. They sounded radically different. Same models, made around the same time...read interviews with major players, they'll search and search for a "good" JCM800. All I can say is--the JCM800 patch sounds very, very good when dialed in.

Never had a problem with Line 6 gear in 7 years of gigging. I've had lots of problems with tube gear though, blowing up, smoldering, loose tubes, shorts, etc.

Never had a problem, so never had to deal with them.

Installed several model packs, downloaded patches without a hitch though.

I play everything from country to blues to metal to reggae to industrial noise. Whatever they're paying for.

Been playing since 1973. For money since 1976.

If it were stolen, I'd probably get the X3 Live, but I'd be very happy with another XT Live.

What I most love about this is walking into a gig with this, two guitars, and a bag over my shoulder. Load-in: 45 seconds. Setup: 3 minutes.

I had messed around with similar units, so it wasn't that hard to get into. Reading the manual is essential if you're editing patches on the unit itself; there are button combos for certain features that you just wouldn't figure out on your own, and things are all buried in menus, and you only have two knobs to navigate them with, so it can get tedious. But it isn't really difficult to understand, aside from a few menus that are a little cluttered.

Editing patches using the software interface, however, is a snap. Plug the thing in via USB after installing GearBox or Line 6 Edit, and you'll be tweaking up patches within a couple minutes. The GUI mimics the front panels of the amps and effects, so there's literally no learning curve if you already know how to dial in an amp.

I play an Ernie Ball Music Man JP6 with the stock DiMarzio pickups (modified Air Norton and Steve's Special in the neck and bridge, respectively). My rig goes guitar > PODxt Live > BBE Sonic Stomp > Tech 21 Power Engine 60 212. I've been able to get some amazing tones with this setup.

I find that the POD really excels at everything from sparkling cleans to crunchy high gain, but its shortcomings start to stand out a bit more when you're after a brutal, saturated metal distortion ?? la a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. These sounds are possible with the POD, they just take a bit more work to dial in. You'll have to figure out how to EQ around the pronounced hiss you'll hear with most of the stock high-gain settings.

All the amp models are very usable, but I gravitated toward just a handful. I bought all of Line 6's extra model packs (they had a special, $99 for every single model they make), and most of the amp models I really like are part of the Metal Shop pack. For cleans, I use the Blackface (Fender Twin model), and for most of my distortions I use the variac'd '68 Marshall (Plexi Variac on the POD). For high gain, I love the Mississippi Criminal (Peavey 5150 model) and their ENGL and Diezel models (from the Metal Shop pack).

I use a stomp box model on just about every patch, usually the Tubescreamer and Pro Co RAT models. They're all pretty dead-on, so whatever you like in real life, you'll probably like on the POD. They have all the classics, like the Tubescreamer, RAT, Fuzz Face, Chandler Tube Driver, and lots more. Some of them are part of the FX Junkie model pack, which is included with the PODxt Live.

The other stuff I use sparingly, but what I do use always sounds great. I only use reverb on my clean patches, and I mostly just leave the knobs at their default settings except for the mix knob, and then scroll through the different flavors until I like the sound of one. The digital delay is the only delay I use, and it's fantastic. In addition to adjusting the time, number of repeats, and volume, you can also adjust the bass and treble for the repeats, which is an option I never knew I'd love until I got this unit. I also like their model of the MXR Phase 90, but that's about the extent of the effects I use. Less is more, if you ask me.

There are a couple settings that mimic rack pieces: a compressor, a noise gate, and a semi-parametric EQ. They all work well and allow for a little more flexibility in shaping your tone, but I can't really compare them to the real deal because I never used them. They've come in handy, though, and their absence would've meant a much lower rating for this category. You simply can't be without the noise gate (the POD would be too noisy on high-gain settings), and the EQ is great for punching up your tone or knocking back annoying hiss or boom.

The most important factor in getting a good sound of this (or any modeling unit, really) is running it through the right amp. Remember, this is not just an effects box; it's a modeler. It's emulating the sound of a mic'd amp, the same as you'd hear on a recording or through a PA system. If you run it in front of a regular guitar amp, you're hearing the fully modeled amp and effects chain through another amp, which might sound good, but probably not. The POD has a few different settings to tell it what you're running it through, so be sure to pick the one that matches your setup.

The best solution is to run it straight into a PA system (the equivalent of a mic'd amp through a PA), or into a keyboard amp or studio monitor. I use a Tech 21 Power Engine, which is just a power amp and speaker combo, no preamp. The POD acts as a preamp, and the amp itself doesn't color the tone from the POD. Something like this is the only way to hear your POD or other modeling unit as it was meant to sound -- and the PODxt Live sounds absolutely killer with my setup.

The casing is all steel and feels pretty sturdy. The expression pedal is squeaky, and I haven't taken the thing apart to adjust it (I don't think this should be necessary, but I hear it can be done easily). The tone control knobs are plastic, but there's a metal bar in front of them to keep you from accidentally kicking them.

The unit I got was used but in really good shape. I take it to practice and gigs with no backup, though I guess it's always smart to have a backup no matter how reliable you think your equipment is. I've experienced no issues with it after about a month of heavy use. In fact, I bought the XT version instead of the X3 precisely because it's built sturdier (the X3 is all plastic, and I heard horror stories about faulty switches and dying units).

Haven't had to deal with them, but Line 6 has a good web site with an extensive knowledge base and support forum. Reading through the discussions you'll see lots of posts by Line 6 employees, so I assume they're pretty on the ball.

I've been playing about 17 years, mostly rock. I play in various cover bands, plus I like to jam with friends or just play by myself whenever I can. For me, the PODxt Live is a perfect match. I always liked the idea of an amp with everything built in, which is why I usually bought amps with onboard effects (never had any interest in a giant rack-based rig, or a huge pedal board). They were never quite as tweakable as I'd have liked, and they were always missing a few things that I really didn't want to do without. I've owned mostly small practice amps, a couple of tube combos, but I was never as happy with any of them as I am with the POD. This thing is a tweaker's dream -- there are far more options than most people would ever use -- and the amp and effects models are mostly spot-on. If you use it correctly, you can get pretty much any sound you want with a rig that costs hundreds instead of thousands of dollars.

However, I didn't appreciate the upselling on the model packs. Purchased separately, all the additional model packs would run you another couple hundred bucks, and even if you take advantage of one of their bundles, you're still paying extra to get the most out of the unit. This just seems a little dishonest to me, kind of like selling a razor for five bucks and then charging 20 bucks a pack for blade refills. Yeah, it's several dozen amps and dozens more effects and stomp boxes in one unit for under $400 (and as low as $200 or so if you buy used), but at $399 I'd expect to get more than what comes with it.

And even after ponying up for the extra model packs, you're extremely limited in how you can use them if you own other Line 6 products. I also own a POD Studio UX2 (formerly TonePort), which comes with the POD Farm software. I love using that as a plug-in when recording, but I can only use it with the UX2. My model packs are installed on my XT Live, so unless I want to buy them again (I don't), I have to go to the trouble of transferring them from one device to the other. It's not a huge deal -- it only takes a couple minutes -- but it's pointless. I can use the model packs on both products anyway, so why put customers through that hassle? Just let us buy the packs once and use them on whatever devices we want.

But that's a beef with Line 6 and not really the PODxt Live in particular. This unit does exactly what I want it to do, it sounds great, and I'm extremely happy with it. If it were lost or stolen, I'd probably buy it again. I might be tempted to try out another modeler -- maybe the Vox ToneLab, or the units made by DigiTech, BOSS, Zoom, etc., which I hear are all good -- but I'd probably end up sticking with the POD because I already know how to use it.

I have had a Boss GT6 before and found the POD xt live seriously easy to use in comparisson. Tones are easy to dial in from scratch especially in conjuction with the "gearbox" software and editing presets is also a breeze. The manual is easy to understand - it has not been translated into english from japanese by a french student with a speech impediment, unlike most "multi-language" instruction manuals. All together a fine experience.

I play a USA 60th anniversary Srat and a PRS single cut SE, both of which sound fine through the POD. I send the POD output to the effects return on my Laney LC 30 (valve) and set the output to "combo pwramp" to get the best tone. I have also put the POD through my Fender Deluxe 90 (tranny) amp on the power amp input and got good results also with the same set-up.
I cannot pretend to have played my modest selection of guitars through any of the real Amps that are modelled on the POD, only the Laney comes close to being a representation of true valve performance and the POD seems to replicate the character of valve tone and dynamic response quite accurately.
As far as effects are concerned, I can only rate the ProCo RAT simulation as I have the real thing to test against. After setting the POD to a similar amp as my Laney and A-B-ing between the model and the real thing, there seems to be no discernable differance in tone, even the virtual RAT controls respond in a very similar fashion to the real thing apart from the fact that they do not have "crackly" pots as my original does!
There are certain effects I doubt I would ever use, my set-up before the POD was just guitar, Dunlop Wah, RAT, Laney and that was all, but to have all those Amps on tap is the whole point of this purchase and I have not been disapointed so far.

I cannot offer a response as it has not been tested in the field as yet, but it seems to be well manufactured and robust.

Website seems OK and the updates via Line 6 Monkey should keep everything in order

From what I have found so far, the POD appears to cover any base I would like to throw at it. I do not expect to use all of the features of the POD, but the features I have encountered tick all of the boxes I require. I can only compare with the Boss GT6 and find the POD so much easier to use and a far better tonal experience. The Boss sounded either thin or over the top, without too much middle ground, whereas the POD is much more subtle and controllable. I have recorded with the POD onto a digital 8 track, as well as played "live" and have found, if the POD is set up correctly some very useable and pleasant tones on offer. The on-line tone library and "guitar port" also offer some exceptional presets well worth experimenting with.
In all, an enjoyable piece of kit, with much to offer.

The XT live is pretty easy to use for the most part, and I've found the manual helpful - the biggest problem is that it doesn't really explain everything and misses out some of the XT Live's shortcomings.

I'm really happy with the sound quality, I bought this to use as a silent recording device - basically so me and a drummer(with an electric kit) could jam witout annoying the neighbours. The worst sound that comes out of it is the loud squeak the volume/wah pedal makes! That said I've had to make my own presets to get a sound I like, the presets seem pretty tacky for the most part.

Never had a problem with it (other than the squeeky pedal)

Never had to deal with them.

I really like the xt live though I have some reservations. The things I don't like are: All the effects are divided into five groups and you can only use one effect from each group. This means you can't use a two distortions in the same patch or you cant use a synth and a fuzz together or a chorus and a phaser. I would have liked each pedal to be able to have controlled any effect. I also like it to have an effects loop. You also don't seem to be able to turn the reverbs on and off. I could be wrong about these thing (I hope I am!) but because of them I've been a bit disappointed in the xt live.

Once you get into it, it's not bad at as far as set up goes, but on the fly tweeking is nearly impossible. Once you have a preset saved I would recommend using the remaining B-D banks to save various tweeks on the A. Live it kills me not to be able to reach down and take my delay, phaser, or______ (insert effect) down a bit in the mix from a lead to a rhythm section. It's all or nothing pretty much.

HUGE DEAL-- You can't use more than one effect at time!! for instance on the mod pedal, you have various settings from chorus to flange, phaser, and various (to be honest nearly useless) other fx, and you can only set one at a time, with no potential of mixing and matching at all. This was very disappointing to me, it takes the creativity out of creating, for lack of a better phrase, as far as sounds are concerned.

I play professionally, and have a guitar in hand about 40-50 hours a week. 2-5 gigs a week, plus teaching and studio session work. Guitar is literally all I do for a living. So my tone is my life, and I trust that when writing this review, there has been literally hundreds of hours over the past few months that I have put in with this pedal. I put it to the test the 2nd day I had it. I got it on a Thursday, went home, dialed it in, and played it live Friday, Sat and Sunday, with a recording session on Wednesday. I play jazz, funk, rock, soul, R&B; so I need a lot of versatility from Grant Green to Journey, to James Brown, and everywhere in between. I play through a Fender Hot Rod Deville, and have a Gretch Falcon hollowbody, American Tele, and a JV strat. All of them have the same issue through the pedal. The distortion just doesn't cut it.

I have a Variax 600 on order for the past 2 months, and I am trying to hold out for that to see if it makes a difference, but if a real strat and a real tele don't get it done, I'm not sure what will.


When practicing at the studio, things sound great. But live, I just can't get the tones I need. My boss is always telling me that my leads just aren't "cutting through" as he explains it. We use in ear monitors with a personal 16 channel mix (13 piece band) and when I solo, I can't even hear myself cutting through my own mix. And the delay and other effects seem to really muddy up the distortion instead of adding color to it.

In STUDIO-
I have used it in about 20 hour so of album recording for various projects in the past month, and again, I end up using amp farm in portools to get the sound to cut through (which is also ironically made by Line 6)

If you are a freak about tones, be advised, this is advertised to be more than it's cracked up to be.

I've had mine for 3 months, played close to 30 gigs with it, and never had a problem.

I play professionally, and have a guitar in hand about 40-50 hours a week. 2-5 gigs a week, plus teaching and studio session work. Guitar is literally all I do for a living. So my tone is my life, so please trust that when writing this review, there has been literally hundreds of hours over the past few months that I have put in with this pedal. I put it to the test the 2nd day I had it. I got it on a Thursday, went home, dialed it in (generally), and played it live Friday, Sat and Sunday, with a recording session on Wednesday. At first I was kind of blinded by the fact that I didn't have to carry my pedal in a 88-key keyboard case, and the sound seemed to be pretty cool.

I originally bought this unit, because my 4ft pedal board of hand selected effects just didn't fit on stage anymore, so I needed to downsize. From what I read this seemed to be it for me but...
-No flexibility live
-The sounds (through a tube amp at least) don't translate well on stage. I can tell that they are there, but they just don't come out of the damn box!! In a studio setting when you can sit there with protools plug ins and eqs to get what you want, I guess ti works fine.

This week I finally had to break out my Keely Modified RAT distortion pedal, and my old Lexicon MPX 110 rack unit effects processor and ahhh... I finally sounded like me again. I put it in front of the pod and had it go straight to the amp, using only the modelling, phaser and delay from the pod, but if you put the pod last in the chain, pretty much everything is going to compress from it (yes even with the compressors off).

Basically I feel like I took a really big gamble with this piece of eqiupment and kind of got burned. I had only read one review before I bought this that said the same thing I am, and thought that he was probably the one that didn't know what he was talking about, but what he said is true at least for me.

My sound is everything, and I feel like I am very shortly going to sell it and buy organic (actual stomp boxes). If you only need delay chorus, flange, phaser, and distortion, you're better off researching your fav guitarist, finding out what they use, and buy the stomps. That's my opinion at least. It's a great idea, but it just doesn't make the grade in my book. Definitely not a piece for the hardcore pros.

Read the manual!!! Easy after that.

Have to turn down the treble on almost all amp models, but I am running it into the power amp input of a m-80 combo. I love that it has given me the chance to try "amps" that I never would have plugged into. Love the Citrus-30 program. I know that the programs are probably idealized reproductions and not exact copies, but who cares as long as you get really good sounds. Even the feedback has a musical quality like a tube amp.
I use a Heritage LP copy w/PearlyGates pups;Gibson LPjr;Fernandes LP;
Fernandes Strat;Squier Strat; Fernandes Tele; Fender m-8o combo amp;
Marshall combo amp; and numerous stompboxes.

Had it less than two months with no problem.

Never used, but I really like the sound library they have.I

I play rock, blues, and some country. Been playing for about 20 years, but have never had a lot of money to put into equipment. This thing has really opened my options as far as diversity of sounds. Also my LesPaul w/Pearly Gates sounds different than my Strat, which sounds different than my Tele. The quality of each guitar comes through.
If stolen or lost I would definitly replace or upgrade to X3live.
Wish it had a bigger screen.

There's a lot of technology here, and a lot of options in terms of getting the right set-up for your circumstances. Assuming you're smart enough to get thing configured right then getting some decent tones out from the off is pretty straightforward.

They've managed to make the editing interface very intuitive considering just how much "tweakability" is on offer. Essentially, you've got standard pots for the amp controls, then a simple "select and spin" edit system for all the extras (stomps, mods, reverbs etc etc)

As many have commented the manual is a little cheesy, but that's Line 6 for you. I've used their stuff on and off for years (mainly off, as I've never been a fan before), and the general tone of the guide is just like my first ever POD 1.0 pilots handbook all those years ago.

I'm running a Variax 500 into the XTL, then direct out to a powered monitor (sadly not using the Variax digital link as the guitar's connector is stuffed).

Sound quality is where I'm frankly amazed. Like I said, I've used a range of Line 6 stuff in the past, from the very first incarnation of POD, to various stomp boxes, and the FloorPOD. The sounds have always been lacklustre. The XTL uses the newer Vetta modelling and the difference is amazing. I've been a died in the wool Vox Tonelab user for the last 4-5 years, and really didn't think I'd ever be swayed, but I fancied a change and wanted to see how the Variax and XTL married up.

I'm a blues/rootsy player (unlike, it seems 90% of XTL users who are into the heavier side that Line 6 is famous for). I've got a great set of fairly simply Fender and Marshall tones on tap that sound terrific and while they're not quite as "organic" feeling as the Vox tones, aren't far enough away to worry.

The great thing with the XTL is the sheer flexibility. Within a single patch I can set up a basic amp tone, a compressor for a clean boost, an overdrive pedal for a lead sound, some modulation, some delay, and a wah, and it's ALL controllable from the footswitches. One of the big limitations with the Vox was that you had to select compression/od/wah from the same "bank" so you could only use one in any given patch - no such probs here!

And if you want to get wacky, the pre-loaded FX Junkie package gives you access to a range of filthy synth sounds and mental delays to make your guitar sound like... well, not a guitar! They're fun to mess around with, but for me, I've got 2 banks of 4 presets each that give me a complete cross section from Fender Twin to full tilt Marshall, plus an acoustic option.

Still a relatively new user. There's some reliability issues on other reviews here, but at the end of the day, this is basically a hi-tech computer. If you treat it like a laptop, instead of like a brick, it should last.

Line 6 have a great website with a busy and useful user forum. I've had a couple of questions that needed a direct answer and the Customer Support Team came back within 24 hours both times.

I'm a simple player that likes simple music. The biggest thing I have to contend with is remembering that just because I can have a gazillion different sounds doesn't mean I should!

After an initial muck about with the unit I'm gradually settling on some nice, organic, amp sounds that sit well and offer me a variety of tones for different settings. The great thing is that I know if I need more, it's always there.

I've played guitar since I was 8, I'm now 36. I've gigged, recorded, and sat up late playing at home. I've used decent valve amps (still miss my Fender Hotrod Deville), and modelling options from Line 6, Vox, Korg, Digitech and Zoom.

This is the first offering from Line 6 that's really got me smiling (apart from my Variax, which I love!).

lost or stolen? Yes, I'd get another.
Anything I wish it had? To be honest, not really.
Does it help make music? Absolutely.

It has almost everything you need except combining two amp models simultaneiously.. Get the X3 for that.. This pedal is very easy to tweak, dont go by the presets, their all screwed up.. Get your EQ's and cab's sims to your liking and you'll get the sound you want

OK here's the deal, if your comparing each simulated amp model to the real amp, for example a dual treadplate (AKA dual rectifier) to a real Mesa dual rectifier its not go to sound as good.. or a Soldano SLO model model to are real Soldano SLO, its a no contest, the tube amps have more dynamics and are just better period. However, the true measure of this Pedal is the variety of tones it provides.. Suppose you have a Soldano SLO or a Bogner, Engl or what ever type of High Priced amp out there and have the urge to play metallica Master of puppets, neither of those amps are going to get you that tone since only a dual rectifier will nail that and thats where this pedal comes into play. It provides that variety and flexibility.. Try playing along to an MP3/CD of one of your favorite bands and hear how similar the tones coming out of the PODXT sound.. It nails it.. For home practice or if your a musician covering a wide range of bands, the XT is ideal.. If your a serious musician who writes originals and plays live, then you would get yourself a high priced amp head with a 4x12.. The key to the XT's sound is to turn off the cab simulations, it sounds to compressed.. Run everything direct and EQ everything to your liking..

I like to play along to Metal and I've had everysingle tube amp from a triple rectifier, Engl, 5150, Marshall Mode 4 and what I found is that I needed a pedal chain to go along with those amps in order to sound like Metallica, Killswitch, Lamb of GOD, Etc.. In addition those amps only sound great when cranked so if your practicing, the POD XT is what you want, it will dial up the exact tone your trying to emulate.. If your gigging get your self a high priced tube amp

yes its easy

it sucks the life out of your tube amp

dont know or care

??

shop around.

Easy enough to use. Good manual even if it's cutesy. Becomes a real doddle when connected by USB to Line 6 Edit on your PC. Could hardly be simpler.

I'm only writing this review because of all the cloth-eared wombats who seem to think the Boss GT-8 sounds better. I can't speak for the GT-10 but if it's in the Boss tradition then it'll be flawed in a similar way.

The XT Live is better. Much better. It's somewhat different in character from Native Instruments' Guitar Rig (which is top-notch too) but both of those make the Boss amp sims sound silly. Which they are. I'm a Roland fan in many ways but, alas, the company hasn't cracked the art of digital modelling. Not yet.

I've spent close to 30 years on a personal tone quest and I've been through everything from vintage Marshalls and Fenders to the latest Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 (a great amp, btw). I've had boutique and vintage pedals and just about every company's stab at a multieffects unit since the old Ibanez analogue ones.

I've had my second-hand XT Live for more than a year now and I must say, now that the honeymoon is over, that it's surprisingly good. The modelling is quite something. Obviously any simulation must fall short of the real thing, at least in theory, but the point is that the sims are every bit as usable as the modelled gear for most practical purposes. Not identical necessarily, but imbued with the same sonic character.

I disagree with those who say that the XT Live lacks playing feel or sounds fizzy/lifeless/synthetic. Many of the presets have problems, yes, but if you spend the time rolling your own (and simplicity is a virtue in creating patches) then you should be pleasantly surprised.

I might add that it's pointless trying to put this thing in front of a tube amp, even into the effects return jack. Sure, you can use it as a stomp/delay/mod kind of effects unit with reasonable success, but I've had only unsatisfactory experiences trying to get the amp sims to sound decent through a guitar amp.

No, this unit shines when you run it through a full-range system. I'm having good luck with a Yamaha/EV PA system and a Roland KC keyboard amp. For a snobby old tone hound like me, what I'm about to say is shocking: I'm more than idly considering getting rid of my tube amps. They're finicky to use, they have maintenance needs and they don't always sound quite the same from one month to the next. Sure, they have a certain subtle something about them that the Pod lacks; but is it worth all the hassle and inflexibility? I'm starting to think maybe not.

Does the XT Live sound as good as a real cranked tube amp? Er, yes, actually. Certainly in a noisy live situation where the tube amp is miked through the PA. In such a case, you'd be crazy to think that anybody could hear any difference worth mentioning. Even you, if your stage monitor is good enough.

Well, I dunno. Mine's been fine and it's had a fair share of abusive outings.

Never contacted Line 6 but I do think their helpful website is something that others should aspire to.

I play what is laughably called "classic rock", power pop and retro funk and soul. I've been at it for just over 30 years. My guitars include a nice Gibson LP and Fender Tele, plus oddities like the Danelectro reissue and a tasty Strat copy by Tokai.

I must say that I'm glad I picked up this used XT Live on a whim a year ago. I'd got fed up with multi units after a string of Boss disappointments and an experience with the original kidney-bean Pod that was tantalising but ultimately not quite satisfying.

This thing answers almost all of my objections to digital fakery. You, of course, may have higher standards.

When tweaking sounds, it's not overly hard to use. If you have anything with this many features, tweaking does take time, so I wouldn't worry about it. Let's say an 8.

Playing live - real easy, and flexible! I love the Pod's control layout, it feels really intuitive to me. To break it down, you have dedicated buttons for switching between banks of 4 presets each. Then, for each bank, you have a button for each of the presets (A to D.) In addition to that, you have 4 separate buttons for switching on/off the following effects within the preset: amp (the actual simulation), stomp (various stompbox simulations), mod (chorus, tremolo etc) and delay (duh). The only thing missing is a separate button for reverb, basically. In addition to these, you have the tap tempo switch which, when pressed down, activates the tuner. The expression pedal controls different things, such as the wah or the bender.

As a testament to the flexibility of having separate switches for the presets and then the effects, here's how I use the Pod: I play in a cover band with stuff ranging from tango to 50s rock to hard rock, so I need a ton of flexibility. But still, I basically only have like 4 presets that I use regularly, all in the same bank. Each of the presets gives me a basic sound, such as "Clean with reverb". Then, for each of the presets, I activate or deactivate effects based on the kind of sound I need at that moment. For the basic clean patch, for example, I can add some tremolo by pressing "Mod", analog delay by pressing "Delay" and a touch of grind by pressing "stompbox". This really gives me a lot of possibilities and combinations without having to have a separate patch for every sound!

I do still have some special single-purpose presets (think a Muse patch, and a U2 one) but mostly I get along with the aforementioned setup.

So, for playing live, ease of use gets a 10! Call it a 9 overall.

I have the Metal Pack installed. Honestly, I mostly use the stock amp sims. If you take the time to tweak, you can get some very decent sounds out of the Pod. Then again, I find it hard to re-create some sounds I need, such as a really kick-ass heavy rhythm with many layers of harmonic content, or a truly searing lead sound. But, the sounds get you 80% there compared to real tube amps etc, IMHO!

For my metal band, I use an Engl Invader head, the Pod's no match for it for brutal heavy sounds, really. But for flexibility (cover band stuff), it's basically one of the best options out there!

As for the effects, some of them are excellent, some useless (such as the bender, I think it sounds like crap.)

So, a strong 8 for the sounds, most things are definitely usable.

My setup with the Pod XT live is simple: I have a basic Washburn guitar (BT-8) that I've equipped with an LR Baggs tune-o-matic Piezo bridge, so I get a stereo output from the guitar. The magnetic pups go to the Pod and from there straight to the P.A. The piezo signal (passive) goes to a LR Baggs DI first, and from there straight to the P.A. So, the guitar, Pod and DI are all the junk I carry around. With the Piezo, I can get quite a good acoustic sound that's also easy to mix with the Pod signal. Recommended!

Had it for 3 years now. Played some 60-70 gigs in that time, mostly cover gigs where the set is usually 3 hours long, with a bunch of drunken people partying around the stage area, drinks spilling and all that... And I haven't had a single problem with the thing! It's gotten a generous pint of lager all over the controls more than once, and this has never caused problems. All the switches still work as good as they did when I first got it. The construction is rock solid. And I'm carrying it around in a really stuffed soft bag, so it's taken its share of bumps during the years!

Haven't dealt with them (see above, haven't had problems!) other than using their website for updates and buying the metal pack. Seems fine!

Been playing for something like 12 years now (I'm 27.) I'm really happy with the Pod. Nothing to add here to the previous answers really. If you're looking for flexibility and portability with good sounds, the Pod does the trick! For my cover band, the Pod's great. For the metal band, it stays on the shelf while the Engl takes the stage. If it were stolen, I'd probably buy a newer version of the Pod.

once you sit down with the pedal and figure out
how to program it ..you can get great sounds out of this pedal
manual is big but it will help
it was a little overwhelming at first

I have all the expansion packs installed

the stock settings aren't the best - don't give up though
after some tweaking you'll wish you bought one a long time ago

I use this with a Fender M80 head and Fender 412 (not the M80 one)
sometimes with my Fender Bullet or Sidekick practice amps

93 Gibson Les Paul Studio or 07 Les Paul Supreme Goldtop
1967 Gibson Les Paul SG

when I play bass I use it with a GK 400RB head
or a Ampeg svt 3 pro head or a GK 700 rb head
Ampeg 410 HLF cab or Hartke 15 cabs re loaded with Carvin 15's

2 Fender P Bass Deluxe's or a Fender Highway one Jazz bass

I can get exactly the sounds I want for guitar or bass

love the Soladano , AC 30 , Marshall , Orange , Mesa sounds

for bass I use the one that sounds like my GK

I have all the expansion packs installed
not all these come stock with the pedal

software works great - line 6 monkey - amp farm is cool so is gear box
I've used it usb and plugged into a
Presonus Firepod to record into Sonar 8pe

I've had mine for 2+ years never a problem with it
I use it for recording or practice
sometimes for shows - mostly I use my amp maybe a pedal or two
and leave this at home - I don't want someone walking off with it

I think its very dependable - I'd gig without a backup

never dealt with them
other than to get my extra expansion packs
via the line 6 monkey software - easy

I play punk rock in my bands
and I don't use it for bass live - my main instrument
the band I play guitar in rarley plays out
so its more a recording toy for me

I have the POD X3 on the way too
the kidney bean not the pedal

I love this pedal it really helps me make music
new sounds inspire me - especially good ones

this is in response the the absolutely glowing report on the POD XT live i made back in November last year.

loads of you have been checking out my youtube videos and leaving nice comments asking me if that was the POD XT LIVE i was using on them.. IT WASNT.. shortly after these videos were made and posted up on there i got one.. and it was the biggest mistake ever..


Ive since SOLD the unit, as after spending MANY MANY months trying to tweak it.. it is BASICALLY a piece of crap folks and i sold it on eBay.

They sound great for studio use, but in a live setting, forget it.. unless you have really forgiving ears, youll simply never be happy with the sound.

not bad sound quality, if youre going to record with it. for live use 0/10. no matter what i tried, my JMP-1 and even DRP-1 came MUCH closer to giving me a good direct overdrive tone.

i liked the van halen emulation, i actually thought it was quite close.. but when i used it live, it sounded crap.

i know youre supposed to "tweak" these patches for live use, so i tried that too.. AFTER two months of tweaking, one day i plugged my JMP-1 back into the mixing desk, and BANG! a good sound was back !.. i was totally DESTROYED.. lol ..

Ive used it on 3 gigs, and at first thought, yeah its ok-ish.. but throughout the evening it felt like i was playing through a 15-20 ms latencied computer.. plus there was "something" in the way of the sound. no matter what i did.. Eq, tweak settings, patch downloads, NOTHING got rid of this "hidden" frequency..

the POD XT LIVE ( and ALL PODS ) have 10,000,000 sounds in them.. but i was only after TWO. a good clean sound and a good warm overdrive sound. It disappointed.

useless.. after about 20 phone calls to the company ( on my mobile ! ) trying to get some person to person help on what the heck i was doing wrong.. forget it..

in the words of Alan Sugar .. " these products arent for looking at.. theyre for selling.. "

The Pod's are ok for studio, but please dont believe the hype.. after many hours of forum asking and searching and trying i bought one.. it is very well made, looks the business, and i am now totally gutted that it simply DOESNT cut it for live use..

it seems that businesses today spin and market almost ANYTHING to make YOU think that its what you need.. as i was playing through the POD..

more and more i was reminded of when i was a kid at those london music shows..

filled with loads of middle-aged men aimlessly walking round with their day-jobber faces on, their credit cards burning a hole in their pockets just WANTING to BUY ANYTHING that a market seller type guy says .." THIS IS IT>.... THIS IS THE ULTIMATE MULTI-EFFECT ".. the guys eyes light up at the thought of getting pure tone at wife-friendly levels...

anyways, thats my 10pence worth....

im sure theres like millions of you out there that dont believe me, its just my opinion, i think the unit looks great, but it really DOESNT deliver LIVE folks.. my 90's Marshall DRP-1 sounds better.. MILES better.. and theres no delay..

do yourself a favour, if you are going to buy a POD of any description, try one out on a gig/rehearsal FIRST.. most gear sounds great in a music shop or recording at home.. but live its a whole different ball game.


so i went from being a genuine convert to absolutely no faith in pod gear.. and it appears that im not the only one..


i think the only reason id go back to one, was if LINE 6 phoned me up and said.. " ok, heres our live room.. here is a POD Live unit.. here is a drummer, and bass player, tell us WHY you CANT get a good sound out of it.. " ..

.. id love to be proved wrong as the POD XT LIVE had it all, an onboard tuner, great idea, neat features... but just COULDNT get the sounds..

.. oh and i also googled to the ends of the earth, and quite a few people made it work for them.. Lincoln Brewster.. and a great guy on youtube called extremevideopro.. hes a great guy and he tried to help me loads...


Peace.

I traded my vox tonelab le for the pod xt live a few days ago.
I am VERY glad I made the trade. Long story short - vox = classic rock, and pod = heavy rock. I found the pod to be a lot easier to program, while still having lots of cool effects and things that will never leave you bored. This thing has some great sounds. (and a couple ****** ones, but nothing is perfect)

I am using an ibanez RG prestige guitar with the pod through a PA.
I sometimes run it just for effects through my fx loop on my mesa boogie dual rectifier. Either way, the pod sounds very clear and has little noise. I like using the jcm 800 setting for rhytm and soldano with a little bit of delay for leads.

This is my backup for my dual rectifier. The pod seems to be built like a tank, and I have had no issues with it so far.

All my line 6 products have been working great and never needed customer support.

I play mostly prog. rock/ metal and this thing does exactly what I want it to do, and I can achieve great tonez out of it. It is amazing for direct recording, and totally beats micing up a 100 watt tube amp and pissing off your neighbors all of the time. If this were lost or stolen I would probably save up for either the pod X3 or the m13.
This is a great product, and I didn't know what I was missing until I got one. It was deffinetly worth trading my vox tonelab le for. I give the pod xt live a 9 / 10. It is a great pedal board for the money, but not many products quite deserve a 10/10.. while this one comes close.

I have had this board for almost three years. I have spent hours tweaking. The manual is mandatory to understand what is in there and how to operate it. Depending on what type of rig you have, you have to tweak as this thing reacts fifferently, rig to rig.

If you are looking for straight plug and play, this type of thing is not for you.

If you want to eliminate purchasing more gear and don't mind taking the time to find what is in there, this unit will save you thousands.

Since purchasing this unit and a line 6 variax I have stopped buying gear

I play this with a line 6 variax and either a mesa 5:25 express or a peavey prowler, both tube amps.

I use it as an effects board only. The board through the effects loop and the variax straight into the amp. I find the signal gets pre amped too high (noisy) if the board goes into the front of the amp.

I have a very simple set up, I only use one bank and have each patch set up for the same gain boost (Whichever stomp box is currently in fashion for me) and delay (digital) and then have a patch each for slow tremolo, fast tremolo, chorus and flange.

I use the pedal for volume and wah as necessary

Again, give yourself time to find settings that work for you.

One caveat, a little goes a long ways. Try your pedal settings at gig level before suggesting it's crap. The pre amp gain stages take a small signal and transfer it into something else at volume so give yourself time to tweak at practice.

Never had any problems

Never had any problems

I play classic rock/blues in a four piece cover band

Been playing for 40 years and own a telecaster, wah and two boss DS 1's

If lost or stolen I would buy another one.

Through months of tweaking, I have finally figured out how to find the tone I hear in my head and have allowed it to replace years of buying and selling gear

Once you go through the manual with the XT next to you, the entire setup is very simple. Getting a perfect sound is fairly strenuous but that is because there are so many things that you can edit. It is easy to get junk sounds if you aren't careful.

The manual was helpful although a little bit unclear at times. Once you are familiar with the product you won't have a problem.

I use this for recording and live through either a fendor amp or straight into the PA system. This is great for recording because there are infinite possibilities for sounds and feels. You can edit everything from amp/cabinet to mic placement and a million other presence/filter/compression/etc... sounds. You really have to work with the specifics or you will get a really fake sounding tone.

The presets stink. They really do. Only buy this if you are willing to make the sounds you want or else you will be stuck with a bunch of sounds that you will never use. (Bohemian Rhapsody Solo effect is cool, but you can really only use it if you are playing that solo....)

The effects are great. It would be nice to have a reverb stomp and another Mod stomp in addition to what they have but that doesn't bother me.

I haven't had it for too long but it has performed perfectly in every situation I've come across.

-I play technical metal/jazz fusion but I also play Christian worship music at my church. It is perfect for both of them.

-I've used many other pedals, effects, processors, amps... this beats them all.

-It would be nice if it had more stompbox options in addition to the Amp, Stomp, Mod, and Delay. It just means you have to play with the the abcd channel presets to get more options on the same sound.

-One of the only bad things i have to say about the XT live is that all of the options can get in the way. Too many times I have found myself playing a song and thinking to myself, "this minor setting should be tweaked" 20 minutes later i'm more unhappy with the sound that before and wish that i had just left it.

Ive been playing for over 10 years now in loads of bands.. I have always been a proud JMP_1 user.. check out my videos . www.steveforward.com thats all the JMP-1 going direct to the mixing desk ..

since ive been solo everyone has been raving about how fanstastic line6 gear is..


well, to be honest i thought it was a crock of **** and never thought in a million years that they would be able to get real amp sounds in a solid-state unit..

how wrong was I ..

ive had the thing for like 4 days now, and this morning tried it out against my regular JMP-1 .. i honestly cant tell the difference and to be frank ( if you can be shirley ! ) it even sounds a little tighter and less fizzy.

when ive played in bands ive always used 1 or 2 Marshall 1978 Master Volumes with Marshalls POWER AMP INPUT mod which goes straight into the PHASE SPLITTER of the EL34's .. this then went to one cab that had Vintage 30's in and the other that had Greenback 25's in.. SUPERB tone.. AND THIS POD has beaten it .. HANDS DOWN..

Ive backed up all my patches ( all 2 of them !!! ) using gearbox no problem.. so if the unit went wrong id just get it repaired or replaced and them dump the patches straight back on..

looks well built, but will be making a case for it with plexi front to protect the dials etc.. not that it would need it..

never had to use them, im sure you could just pick up the phone and get things sorted though..

what more can i say..

ive been reading these comments on here for like 3 years and whenever im after a new piece of gear i always google review and use Harmony Central..

I really do believe that the sound is largely coming from what you, as a player, are generating.. i see so many guitarists slate new equipment when theyve only been playing a few years..

more often than not its your settings on the amp that are to blame..

the POD XT LIVE has literally saved my a*s from a lifetime of using out-dated and un-supported gear.. PERIOD..

I play almost every week, and for a living, and i cannot wait to get this out in front of people to hear..

to all the VALVE AMP enthusiasts.. i still Rave about valve amps, but .. really.. COME ON.. can you REALLY tell a difference ??

the original pods were horrendous to me.. but this thing is in a different league..

to quote a famous musician friend of mine..

" Steve has been playing through my POD XT LIVE all day and ive never heard anything quite like it.. hes now got exactly the same sound as my Vintage Marshall has but going through the PA !! "

im not a wonder-genius or world famous musician, just someone that makes their living writing and performing music on a regular basis..

my conclusion :

you are absolutely NUTS if you dont give this thing a FAIR SHAKE !! as for me, its BYE-BYE valve amps and hello direct sound leaving me to concentrate on the most important part of being a musician.. making music.

Well done Line 6.. youve cracked it.. now i have to get the X3 as well !!!

www.steveforward.com
www.youtube.com/steveforwarduk
www.myspace.com/steveforwardguitarist

well, you need to learn how to handle it... but you do the same with a guitar, its not only the hardware, its the fingers... and using the usb connect on the computer, makes it very easy.
the manual is quite simple and explains a lot how to get sounds and how the sound is working inside, so it is usefull.
I had a flash memory upgrade...

great sounding with all of my guitars.

IF I HAD TO USE ANALOGIC PEDALBOARD I WOULD NOT GET THE SOUND I GOT WITH THIS UNIT!!! I've tried!!! I would need 10 great single pedals with a good valve amp and good speakers, to get a better tone!

allways working... anytime, anywhere...

on the website, also the forum is very helpfull and there are lots of users allways helping each other

i play rock covers, jazz standards, fusion, and a lill bit of shred...
I play only from 6years, but I cant live without the PODxt Live...
PODxt live and PODx3 live are the best pedalboards I ever heard...
any boss pedalboard sounds like plastic... oh, and zoom too... and digitech... behringer isnt for music, only for crap...
only expensive rack units would give me a better sound...
this unit has tons of effects and its very stimulating to create new sounds / music... and to just get 'that tone' I was searching for...

well, you need to learn how to handle it... but you do the same with a guitar, its not only the hardware, its the fingers... and using the usb connect on the computer, makes it very easy.
the manual is quite simple and explains a lot how to get sounds and how the sound is working inside, so it is usefull.
I had a flash memory upgrade...

great sounding with all of my guitars.

IF I HAD TO USE ANALOGIC PEDALBOARD I WOULD NOT GET THE SOUND I GOT WITH THIS UNIT!!! I've tried!!! I would need 10 great single pedals with a good valve amp and good speakers, to get a better tone!

allways working... anytime, anywhere...

on the website, also the forum is very helpfull and there are lots of users allways helping each other

i play rock covers, jazz standards, fusion, and a lill bit of shred...
I play only from 6years, but I cant live without the PODxt Live...
PODxt live and PODx3 live are the best pedalboards I ever heard...
any boss pedalboard sounds like plastic... oh, and zoom too... and digitech... behringer isnt for music, only for crap...
only expensive rack units would give me a better sound...
this unit has tons of effects and its very stimulating to create new sounds / music... and to just get 'that tone' I was searching for...

When I first got it, I was a little confused on how to adjust the settings. The software that was available for the computer made it easy to start off but after a while it was easy to figure out on the fly. There was a lot of reviews on here about the pod not being user friendly, well they just need some time to figure it out. I could change just about anything in seconds.

I play in a band with some good friends of mine. When I heard my lead guitarists well tuned spider amp compared to my Marshall with no effects, Mine sounded really thin. I got this pedal, worked out a few clean channels and a few different crunch channels and our rigs sounded much better together.

The sound quality of this pedal is all in how much time you have to tweak it. There is so many settings for each effect. You will have to spend some time setting it up prior to playing a gig, and probably some more on the first couple.

Well as for reliablility, I gigged with mine for well over a year, and played in my own house almost on a daily basis with no issues other than the noisy expression pedal. Well a week ago I shut it off working fine, and just the other day turned it on to jam out and nothing. the display was blank and only three lights came on.

I checked out all of the tech and forum info on line 6 about resetting the board or getting into the safe mode. Still nothing. One forum listed a way to hold down the second botton in from the left while turning it on and well there you have it. SRAM falure. contacted a Line6 repair shop, Closest one 200 miles away, they said that they could fix it for 70 dollars an hour plus parts and shipping both ways. make me wonder if I should get the new pod3 or just get it fixed. who knows. Oh yeah there is only a one year warranty...too bad I have had it for about 2 years.

I havent tried them yet since my warranty expired. I might give them a chance since one forum said that the issue that Im having may still be under warranty. Doubt it though

This is one of the most versitle pedals that I have ever owned. If I would have had a variax I might have seen every thing that this pedal could do. I think that I will still buy another line6 product, even if I dont fix this one. The only thing that I wish it had was a second built in expression pedal similar to the long board for the spider series, not the cheap plastic expansion pedal that is offered.

This thing has so many sounds, I doubt any player will ever use them all to their sonic potential. This will provide a studio rig or live fx board to suit the tastes of any guitarist.
So simple to use, okay it may take a few weeks to get totally familiar with what's available, but once you get going, you can't stop.
The pilot's handbook is a great asset, easy to read and the images are cool. I often flick through the manual as a bed time read.lol

In the studio, the business.
I am a pro recording artist and I have used this unit constantly on the road and in the studio.
I am a strat player exclusively, and all of my axes have really come to life with this thing. Whether I'm playing vintage single coils, custom shop 69's or lace sensors with the mid boost, I have always been able to create great sounds when using the Pod XTLive.
It's only noisy owing to my vintage style guitars, I live with it because I want that vintage strat sound and noise is a part of it quite often. The unit itself is silent, no trouble. Perfect when used as a pre amp for microphones.
All of the FX are good quality sounding. They are varied and not all are to my taste, some are just for fun in my practice time.
I even use it in the studio with my Taylor 412ce. Awesome.
The amp models are what make it for me, some truly awesome options in this department.

When used live, I don't bother with the amp models (except if needing a dual amp tone) I just put it in front of the clean channel on my Fender Deville 212. The fx are great, I am a real fan of the wah pedal and much prefer it to my CryBaby.

Rock solid, I have never ever had an issue.
IMO Line6 is very good quality.

The best, their website is just surreal, no other manufacturer offers so much to download.

I am a pro and I have been releasing albums for many years now.

This machine is great. I was thinking of upgrading to the Pod X3Live but I am happy where I'm at. If it works, don't fix it.

First of all, if you can't get a pretty broad palette of usable tones out of this thing, here are a few of the possible reasons.
You're not trying.
You didn't read the manual.
You're not sure what tone you're going for.
Your ear is broken.
You're too hung up on that tube vs. digital debate.

Seriously, with all the resources available for Line6 gear, there's no excuse for not being able to get some great tones.

Editing patches couldn't be more intuitive. If you can work an amp, you're in there. That said, there are a lot of routing options available here, depending on your guitar, amp, or application. It can be complicated to really take advantage of everything if you don't read the manual.

Speaking of the manual, it's corny. It's also really clear and straightforward. I normally just dive into whatever piece of gear I'm playing with and go. With the PODxt, I had been told that it was a good idea to read the manual FIRST, otherwise I would never get it's full potential. Do yourself a favor, READ IT.

My signal path is;
Ibanez RG's - Korg DTR 1000 - Alesis 3630 - Weeping Demon wah - Boss OS2 Overdrive/Distortion - PODxt Live - BBE Sonic Stomp - Crate FXT120 (2x12 combo also feeding a 4x12 cab. Bring earplugs).

I run from the processor chain straight into the FX loop return, bypassing the amp's preamp section, and making the POD the preamp.

I don't have any issues with noise, at least not due to the POD. Any pickup hum or noise is easily filtered out either by the gate in the POD, or the Alesis.

The effects for the most part are really top shelf. Anyone who's used a multi effects unit before will know that says a LOT. There are so many models and tones available that, like I said earlier, if you can't find something, you're not trying. If anything, there's a few too many. If you're in a cover band playing vastly different styles over the course of a gig, this thing could very well cause a religious experience.

The best way I can think of to explain the tone quality is that I can take a model of a high gain amp, and get a chunky distorted to pieces tone. I can go from that to a slightly overdriven cleaner tone for chords, just by lower the guitar's volume control.

Absolutely dependable. It's built like a tank.
I gig with it regularly. Never needed a backup yet. I HAVE had to run it straight into a PA when my amp had a few issues.

Never had an issue.

I play a variety of things. I have a cover band that I play out with for fun, but my primary project is a heavy, progressive thing. Think TooL, Pink Floyd, Filter, Alice in Chains, and Dream Theater in a blender on whip. I not only manage to get all the tones I need for covers, but I've been able to get tones with this that I've been trying for YEARS to get.

If it got stolen, I'm going hunting. Then I'm going to buy a new one with the money out of the thief's wallet.

I compared it to a number of other units from Digitech, Korg, ZOOM, and the others. The only real competition was the PODx3. Since I already use a TonePort UX2 for recording, I couldn't just to have XLR inputs on my pedalboard. There just wasn't enough of an improvement over the xtLive to justify the "upgrade". Not to mention, the x3 feels like a cheap toy.

One of my favorite things about this is that I can erase EVERY preset and replace it. I can save the factory tones, download more, create new ones, and do it all without having to sit on the floor staring at a tiny screen that only shows single digits. The only thing I can think of that I would REALLY love to have in there is a talk box.

it is so easy to use that i barely had to try when i was setting up all the patches this is amazing

there are lots of pre-set artists it was awesome and very many pre-sets

ive used this without a back up in my gigs and it hasnt worn out.... amazing

never had to call!! thank god

i play metal/ hard rock ive bveen using this for about 3 months and its been great to me i would get this produst over and over again i love all the pre-sets my favorite feture is the Computer download

I must admit it was allot easier using the Pod XT than my old Digitech RP 12. But to solve the problem of getting a perfect amp tone through my amp did take awhile of thinking. I am using ESP LTD guitars with EMG pickups.

This is how I run it and I have A/B switched to compare with actual amp and it is dead on. The first thing I did was start running diffrent inputs to my amps effects loop. The amp is a ENGL Fireball halfstack. The one that had the most power was running from the "phones" jack to the "receive" jack on effects loop. Then I used the "pad" switch to cut some high noise, nothing major. Then I set the effects loop to 75%. When I started with the tone I knew one thing do not go by any know knob position, use your ears, this is most likely what people have a problem with and I am also guilty. Note: I like to run The tube screamer with every amp model that is high gain. Note: make sure to use the compression - the pod I do not think automatlly add this in the model - around 3 is good. People complain of fizziness, what I noticed is I do not run high volume, around 1.5 to 2 on volume, so when I heard what I would consider very little fizziness I unplugged everything and ran my guitar strait in the amp, it was still there. What I figured out is I am using Vintage 30 speakers and if I do not run the volume to at least 2 or 2.5 the fizziness will be there. Just need to overdrive those speakers and it went away. Note: when you run this from phones jack to one input of effects loop you cannot channel select, you just made your amp into only a power amp.

Very reliable. No problems

Never had to use them.

I am not putting anyone down for saying "hey this thing sucks and has bad tone. It took me about a year to figure this out. I do not play often and try new things allot. I hope this can help some people when running this into a amp. I am sure you are wondering if I have an Engl Fireball why would I use this? I bought it for the effects, I am very pleased they work fine in effects loop and staight into amp front panel. Before someone says "You know when I run the POD XT LIve like this I cannot channel switch my amp, I didn't worry since I got the ENGL model perfect, anyways I just goof around at home.

Really easy after a bit of trial and error. But like anything with so many features you need a few months before you are fluent with the features and how to make the most of them.

I use the POD XTLive for recording at home and as an fx unit on stage.
When recording I hook it up direct into my Yamaha AW16G 16 track machine.
The resulting sound quality is awesome. I play Fender strats exclusively and use Fender Valve amps live. The Blackface Lux amp simulator is my favourite of the 36 amp models on board. The sound is not far off the real thing IMO. When tweaked enough you can dial in some really awesome tones.

Live I put it straight into my amps front panel and turn the amp mode off. I actually love the Wah pedal function, it is chosen over my cry baby pedal. All I use live is the SINE CHORUS effect. For lead tone I use the amps overdrive channel.

This unit's tube preamp setting is fabulous for recording vocals.

No problems and I have had this unit since 2004.

Great, the website answers any questions and if you call Line6 they are really cool.

The Pod XTLive is a very horny piece of kit.
For recording direct it is wonderful. No messing about setting up pedals (which always drains your sound when several are connected with patch leads) and mics. The mic settings on the unit are good.
The amp models are good but they are not as good as the real thing.
It is a plus when you can record and get great tone at sensible volume levels and the results are consistent owing to the A.I.R settings.

Some folk have knocked the build quality. The right output socket outer ring has snapped off, luckily the socket holds jack leads tightly without it and it has not impaired the sound quality.

I find the unit sounds equally as good when you use mono by only plugging into the left output.

Many of the FX will not be to everybody's liking, I am a blues/rock and originals player. I am a Fender devotee and therefore many of the amp models and effects will never be required in my sound. The beauty of this unit is that it has something for every occasion.

The POD X3live is a very tempting idea, however I will wait for a while and see how the reviews rate it against the XTLive before I make a purchase.

Once you learn what parameters you have control over with this unit It is a fairly simple unit

Fun to see that some people like the way the amps simulations sound cause actually i don't use them I only use the Modulations/Delays/Reverbs in the FX Loop of my Peavey JSX Tube Head and it sounds fairly good for me
I don't dig at all the 'Digital' sounding amp/cab simulations
I prefer to use real Tube amp with the speakers working hard
Modulations rating: Chorus 8/Flanger 6/Phaser 7/Rotary 8
Delays rating: 8 only using Digital Delay/Tape Delay/Tube Echo
Reverbs rating:Let's forget them There not very good sounding and normally i would record without reverb and add it afterward with reverb from Cakewalk Sonar 4.0 PE
P.S. Sometimes i use the cabs simulations to change the quality of the Head/Speakers Basic tone and it does the job for me

Nver had a problem with the unit so far
So i'm crossing my fingers

Never had to contact them (good for me)

Good unit but i'm pretty sure that for Modulations-oriented effects i could find something that would still sound better Still looking I mainly play Jazz/Rock/Pop music and my influences are Pink Floyd,Led Zep,Yes,The Police,Sting,Pat Metheny,Joe Satriani
and my gear is Ibanez JS1000/Fender Strat Custom Shop/Gibson Les Paul Standard Peavey JSX Tube Head/Peavey Classic 30 Dunlop Wah 535

Very easy to use once you understand the logic of the pedal. It is as easy to use as it can be given how complex it is.

Sound is OK. I placed in between my Epiphone Elitist Les Paul and the Marshall TSL602. The sound was good coming through the amp and all effects responded well. Somehow digital on the chorus and flangers. To me, the best of it is the modeling of distortions and other effect pedals such as the filters.

Well... first it came dead on arrival. After replacing a part at the shop the pedal worked fine for 3 months, then it presented two other problems with 2 different cards. What can I say? The shop has had it more time than I had. I know electronics are set to fail eventually but not like this. This is evidence of poor quality testing. I am purchasing a Boss GT-10 because I am done with it.

Acceptable. Answered quickly and were nice.

I play rock and metal. Been playing for good 15 years now (in bands, recorded albums). I like all the options it has... I hate its quality. I wish it was well built and would not die on me, now I am traumatized. All its good characteristics are no longer relevant once the "appliance" stops working...

Unless you download the software it a not user friendly at all.. Editing patches is ok with software.. Manual wasn't that great either... I had to reset everything then had a heck of a time installing software just to upgrade to the lates firmware...

I'd rate it a 3 on ease of use... unless you download the software.. I play gigs and need to change on the fly... Line 6 really fails you there..

Fender strat into a Vox ac50

Everything sounded like you were playing through your nose... the cleans were not bad but wouldn't be my first choice

I had too many problems with it so returned it...Just didn't trust it...

The store I got it from was really good ... don't know about line 6 themselves...

I wouldn't replace it because I no longer have it...

Sounds pretty good through headphones not so great through a PA. Editing patches is very easy with the computer software they give you.

I liked this OK until I heard the Fractal Audio AXE-FX. I think Fractal Audio is more than a few steps ahead of Line 6 in the quality and tone departments. I had a feeling that Line 6 was not keeping up with the rapid changes in technology. I believe there are much better A/D converters out there and much more computing power than anything Line 6 puts into their gear which translates into MUCH, MUCH better tone. Better components are what would get these modeling rigs into the real tube amp world and get rid of the fizzyness and harshness that has kept them from being accepted by tone freaks. If Fractal Audio can do it, why can't Line 6 do it? Why would they let another company beat them at the very thing that they do best? Could it be profit margin? If you have the market cornered using cheaper parts that give you a bigger profit, why upgrade even if you could sound better? That would be a big plus for musicians but a bad business/money decision for anyone cutting corners to increase profit. Ultimately it is always a bad business decision to cut corners on quality because you start loosing market share to other companies with better products. In this day and age would you rather have a Toyota or a Ford?

It hasn't broken so far but I wouldn't use this on a gig without a backup. I have had other Line 6 equipment fail on me before. This unit isn't "built like a tank."

Used them several times and they seem pretty good to me.

One must keep in mind that in most cases you get what you pay for. That said, this is an inexpensive unit with a lot of features for the money. It doesn't sound as good as the higher end stuff from Fractal Audio but it is only around $325 street price. So if that is what you want to spend, then this is a good deal for the price. I think the problem for Line 6 from here will be that their flagship Vetta II which does cost a lot of money, IMHO is not in the same league as the Fractal Audio AXE-FX either. I think Line 6 can do better. Maybe the competion will be good for them.

Pretty easy to use if you're using the computer editing system. If you're not, its a bit tedious with the tiny screen and being a floor unit, but that said, it does well with its small screen, and even when you're editing on the unit directly its not so bad at all, particularly compared to many other units. The Line 6 edit software really does make things a breeze though and given the nature of this particular device, it really only makes the most sense to use it with a computer, though its intended for live use as well.

I'm using this with a Washburn and Yamaha guitar, both with different varieties of Seymour Duncan pickups. I'm giving this kind of a mixed review based on the different applications I've used it in. When recording direct, its pretty damn good. The amp and cabinet models are all pretty decent and some are pretty convincing. The amp models when overdriven sound great direct and are pretty tweakable overall. They probably won't make you think it was recorded on a particular piece of gear, but when the guitar gets mixed with the other instruments, its hard to tell it wasn't recorded direct, well, most of the time. Some of the models are less impressive but its subjective and a matter of taste as with anything. The distorted tube sounds are generally pretty good and the clean tube sounds are sort of flat and weak, lack punch. The sparkly clean sounds are pretty good.

The effects are generally crap, though I think that has more to do with the fact that everything is modeled on old effect stomp boxes and great care was taken to model their muddiness and general crapitude. Again, this is a question of taste and really I don't want my guitar sound to be complete indistinct just so it can sound like "insert name of classic guitarist here". Again it really depends on what you're after. Thats not to say all the effects are bad, a couple of the stomp distortions are pretty decent as are the wah effects. In fact the wah effects are really fantastic and very surprising when I first heard them. It adds a whole dimension of versatility. The mod effects are generally crap, with the exceptions being the sine chorus (which is merely OK) and the rotary effects which are infinitely usable. The tremelos are good too, but its probably hard to mess that up. Whammy effect is pretty good too. Delays, nothing remarkable though there are some real oddities included, but really I just use one or two of them and the rest I ignore. The reverbs are average at best, with the spring reverb being the best if thats really what you want. The rest are pretty basic and not inspiring. The EQ is very useful for dialing in your sound.

Keep in mind, that stuff is all decent when recording direct. As an effects unit in front of a real amp... Hmmm, not so good. The poor quality of the stomp effects become pretty apparent in front of an amp and the amp models really sound lifeless and puny. That said, I feel like the general gist of the POD stuff is for going direct either for recording or direct to the board, but the POD Live XT really implies its meant to be used in a live setting with amplifiers and in that regard, it just kind of sucks. I use an ADA MP1 and a Digitech Valve FX with my amp set up (late 60's Fender Bassman with cab) and really the POD doesn't come close to getting such a usable clear tone as that 14 year old gear.

One universally annoying thing is the fact that it makes this annoying buzzy sound even on clean sounds but apparently it can be eq'd out. Still irritating.

The thing is hands down the toughest piece of gear I've ever seen. The only reason for the score not being perfect is because the volume/wah pedal gets uncalibrated VERY easily and of all the things on the board it feels the cheapest and squeaks badly sometimes (plastic washers). Otherwise its a tank.

These days, you can almost judge a company's support based on their web presence and frankly theirs is outstanding. I found out how to calibrate the volume pedal quickly and easily through their site and the one question I had was answered quickly.

Overall its an oddity of a unit. Using it for recording direct, its outstanding, and for that alone its worth having. Using it in front of an amp? No thanks. When my GSP 21 does a better job thats bad news. Then again, it cost half what the GSP 21 cost originally, so there is that. There is also that adage that you get what you pay for, and in this case its pretty true. It won't replace a ton of amps or effects, but it does what it does ok and if you keep in mind that it won't be that end all be all replacement, then you're fine.

I did compare it to a Digitech GNX 4000 or whatever it is, and I picked this one because it was built SO much better and seemed to have a better interface. This was a shame, because I miss Digitech's good pro level equipment and the GNX 4000 seemed more like hobbyist gear at best. Then again, the POD XT Live feels the same way, just well built.

Final thought, the rack version might have suited me better, but its not as feature packed out of the box as the new POD Live 3s so its kind of a why bother. If you're just using it for recording, its outstanding, but it really doesn't replace good effects gear or even stomp boxes for live performance.

My main complaint is that tiny LCD screen which is basically the only way you can edit stuff and you have two knobs for selecting/tweaking your amps,cabs,stompbox,modulation and delay. It very inconvenient when you have to make quick setting changes while playing in a live situation.

It was wise of them to put the amp controls up front though so i'll give them points for that. You never know when you need to make a few tweaks on your sound while on stage. I don't think anyone else came up with that kind of easy access to tone controls.

This thing requires some light reading to use properly it's gig ready out of the box but if you want to maximize it's potential then do your homework.

I was using a whole bunch of older digitech models before. The main difference i noticed once i final got the settings right on this thing it had a whole lot of kick and dimension than what i expected from a modeling unit. I admit it may not sound 100% completely like the original but considering i'm playing through a solidstate combo amp i think they did a pretty good job modeling.

Here is where i wont be so kind. The stomps and modulation effects were not up to my standards. I found a few useful stuff but it seems i have to download and pay extra for more effects i can see why people might have a problem with this.

So bare in mind this is an amp-modeling unit with effects on it, not a multi-effects unit with amp modeling. Modeling wise though i think this thing is the best out there.

Never had any major problems with it. I think its very cool to be able to back up your settings on your computer just in case.

Never really needed to contact them.

Like i said this is an amp-modeling unit, i don't use effects that much but eventually i'll probably pay for the effects packages. Right out of the box i'm not completely satisfied but not completely disappointed either.

Some people may argue that amp-modeling will never sound exactly like the original but it will bring you damn close. If you want the real deal then get the real deal it'll cost a whole lot more and thats just one amp.

I'm a working musician sometimes i need a whole bunch of different sounds in one gig whether in the studio or live. So you can imagine how convenient this thing is for me.

Bottom line it could be better but what were you expecting? Everything you ever needed and ever will need in a $400 price tag, get real.

If it's effects you're looking for go for the BOSS but if it's amp modeling this thing gets the job done for now.

As far as ease of use goes, if you want instant gratification its, well, just fine. If you want to tweak sounds (which is paramount to use it to its potential) it is not so "user friendly". At least not from the front panel. If you use the software however, it makes a huge difference. You really need to use the software to use this box effectively. The stock sounds are not good at all. This however does not mean that this box is unusable, quite the opposite.

As I spoke before, the stock sounds are barely usable. The all start to sound the same after a while. Similar to the original POD. You really need to be a tweakhead to get usable sounds. Once you learn how to work with this box, I personally have found that the only downfall is the digital edge on some of the distortion sounds. Now, that said...its subjective. I have used many many pedals, the BK Butler is the only one that I really swear by that is an external box. I find the XT OD/Distortions sounds.....just barely on the really good side. Once again, this is subjective. As far as i am concerned, when in the studio, you can tweak away with the sounds. When you are live, you need to preset things to taste. This is where your ears come in. Compare and listen carefully and dont be afraid to dig in. This is the ONLY way you get this box to scream back at you, and believe me...it will.

Very solid, very reliable. Pedals are build like trucks. Quite nice.

I have had no reason to contact them at all. I would not know.

Overall, for tweakheads, this is a fantastic all in one box if thats what you are alooking for. I have heard zero from any other company over the years that can even compete with this box. Some have better sounds out of the box, but this thing screams when you learn how to dig in.

I like knobs, and i'm not fond of fighting with stuff to get the sound I have in my head. I just don't have that kind of patience. I found this unit to be a real pain in the @ss to customize my sounds until I hooked it up to the computer, and man o man what a difference! Screw trying to tweek this thing right at the unit! Hook it up to your computer, and it's just as easy as turning 'real' knobs on all the amps and effects. Piece of cake. So ease of use using the PC is a big fat 10.. but ease of use using the unit itself is more like a 4.. so i'll give it a 5 overall.

I have to admit when I first plugged this thing in, I was pretty disappointed. The stock sounds, you'd think would be great ones to really show off what this thing can do. Well, the stock sounds sucked and they sucked hard. I hooked it up to the PC using the Gearbox software and found a bunch of 'default' tones that just plain out rocked.. awesome sounds. Using the software, just pick the amp you want to use, pick the cabinet, pick your effects and there you have it. Sure, if you were to A/B the 'virtual' rig with the 'real' thing you might only be 98% of the way there.. but that's way closer than I was getting with just one amp and a dozen effects boxes.

Built like a rock.. not had any problems. Another reviewer said something about the plastic power input jack breaking off.. that's what that little plastic loop thing is for by the power input jack.. it's designed to act like a strain relief, so if the power cord gets yanked (like if you trip over the cord) it doesn't yank on the jack itself.

I haven't had to deal with 'em, and I bought this used, so I don't know.

Again.. I wasn't really impressed with this thing at first.. but once I hooked it up to the computer using the Gearbox software, I really unlocked the potential of this thing. I play in a cover tune bar band, and between my strat, my les paul, and this box, I can handle whatever kind of tones I need. I don't even bring my amp to gigs anymore.. just run this baby right into the board. Provided your board doesn't suck and you've got a real PA (a Fender Passport isn't a real PA, by the way) you should have no problem. Quite honestly, this gadget is the best gear investment i've made to date.

Review of this unit after 2 years of use and having just sold it on, fairly easy to use once you've got to grips with the manual and what does what.....simple one box solution for just about everything you need. Well built and mine was 100% reliable.

This is where it gets more difficult....great unit for recording on Sonar and in the studio, interfaces well, has good sounds and nice stereo....but it has proved to be a disappointment when gigging live with the band....doesn't do the job in my opinion....becomes anonymous and disappears into the general sound.....not strong enough to stamp its authority on your sound and make you stand out...tried but gave up and sold it on.....seems to be a problem with a lot of the multi effects units....I've changed to a Carl Martin Quattro...only does about 20% of the Line 6's armourey but way ahead for live use at volume.

Was 100% reliable.

They get back to you eventually.

All singing, all dancing box of tricks that is a bit of a toy if you're into live performances really....pity because it has a feel good factor and is convenient but in the final analysis for me it couldn't cut it after 2 years of trying.

If you've used rack-mounted multi-effects units, it's not difficult to navigate around the XT Live. Editing patches is easy and the manual is excellent. Despite all this, it's rather challenging to get really good sounds out of it, simply because there are SO many parameters to adjust. You choose your amp model, effects, speaker cabinet, even the simulated mic type and position, and every one of those parameters is tweakable and has a major effect on the sound. Whether it's good or bad depends on your point of view. If you're a tweaker, you'll love it. If you like to plug and play, find something else.

I run it straight into the PA. The speaker simulators are good, and it does sound like an amp...just not a very good one. It feels rather cold and distant at all times, and I don't feel "connected" to the unit like I do with an amp. I like the clean tones better than the distorted ones, and can get a nice clean strat tone by using the Hiwatt or Blackface models plus a little compression, chorus, and delay. The distorted tones are pretty harsh and trebly sounding. You can dial this out with the EQ, but then it sounds muddy.

Do NOT expect to plug into this thing and feel like you're playing through a JCM800 or Blackface, or even a decent Mesa. While it does do some reasonable approximations of those tones, it's completely lacking in the feel, the the complexity, the overtones, and more than anything, the dynamics of those amps. Tube amps clean up when you turn down your guitar volume, and get more dynamic and punchy when you turn it up. The XT Live just gets quieter or louder. It's not expressive like a good amp is.

The effects are generally pretty cool and are on par with other effects units in this price range. Don't bother comparing it to an Eventide, but in the Digitech/Boss/Korg league the XT Live compares well.

It's bulletproof, and I gig without a backup all the time. The only issue I've had is that the wah pedal tends to lose about 50% of its sweep range, so that in the fully depressed position it's only halfway through the frequency sweep. There's a fix for this on Line 6's website and it's easy, but I've had to do it several times over a two-year period with this unit.

Never had to deal with them directly, but the website and knowledge base are very helpful, and software updates and model pack installations are easy and painless.

I've been playing for 20 years, 4 years professionally. I play hard rock, blues, U2-influcenced alternative, and worship music. The XT Live is great for what it is - a $300 modeling multi effects unit. To say that it actually gets close to the amps it models - a JCM800, an AC30, a Blackface, etc - is ludicrous. The XT Live's strengths are price, portability, and reliability, not sound. It's great to be able to show up to a gig with just this thing and not have to lug amps back and forth. However, in sonic terms it is not even close to replacing my tube amps and boutique pedals.

Very easy, takes some time to get the perfect mesh with your individual amp. Obviously it will sound like crap if you run it into an amp that isn't moderately clean.

Fender 65 Reverb Reissue. Not noisy at all via the clean channel.

NO. The chassis is very rugged, however the power input jack is made of plastic and snapped off very easily. I don't gig with it, I've moved it across my room once, very gently. I am very gentle on my gear. The plastic jack simply snapped... rendering the device useless.

Haven't dealt with them.

I think ease of use is one of the strong points of this unit. When not playing live, patch editing is very easy using the editing software and the USB interface. In live use, patch editing via controls on the POD is reasonably strightforward, although I think it is best to prepare patches ahead of time. Playing live, I like the fact that the POD has the typical switches for changing patches, but also includes switches to individually turn off the amp, stomp, modulation, or delay models within the curent patch. I give this a 9 instead of a 10 because I think the small text on the orange display can be a little diffcult to read. It would also have been nice if there were a footswitch that would allow the reverb to be turned on an off within a patch.

I use this for playing live. My gear: Diezel VH4 amp,PRS custom 24 and Les Paul Standard guitars. My amp is midi controlled and covers all the gain tones I need, so I only use the POD in the serial loop of the amp for effects and as a midi controler for channel switching.

I use the POD mainly because it is a single box that does many things, and I would otherwise have to replace it with several pedals or a rack setup. It acts as my delay, reverb, chorus, rotary speaker sim, clean boost, eq, volume pedal, and amp channel switcher.


While the box does all of these things and many others, I think it only does a few things acceptably well. Most of the effects models are low quality and are not useful. I find most of the delays harsh and sprinkled with digital artifacts among the repeats... I only use the Analog Delay model, which is passable but not stellar. Similar with the modulation effects, I use the Sine Chorus model, which works pretty well, but many of the other included models are harsh or are just gimmicky sounds I would never use. In the stomp box section, I only use the Boost+EQ model, which I engage when I need a slight volume boost for a patch. This works well. I don't use the fuzz/overdrive/distortion or compressor models. All of the synth models and octaver models are terrible with poor pitch tracking and cannot be used except for fooling around. In the reverb section, many types are offered, but again, all of these have a harsh quality... the echoes do not smoothly blend together, there is an audible, unpleasant metallic breakup in the sound.

I really don't feel that any of the delays, modulations, or reverbs have a very natural sound, although I have managed to find one or two of each that are useable.

I have had this unit nearly two years and I've spent considerable time trying different settings, levels, and configurations (in parallel loop, running stereo into two amps, etc.). In the end, I have found just enough decent sounds to make this unit worth it for the convenience.

If you want professional quality effects, look elsewhere. If you want convenience at a very reasonable cost, try one out.

I also want to include a quick note about the amp models. When I first got this, I had hoped that the amps models might hold up well enough that I could use them through a clean power amp, because that would provide a great arsenal of tones. Unfortunately, as one who has owned a Marshall DSL 100, and now the Diezel, I can tell you that the models of those amps are no match for the real thing. While they're "reminiscent" of the actual amps, they lack the body, warmth, complexity and feel, at least in a live setting. I had to abandon all of the amp modelling.

The unit is in a sturdy metal chassis with all metal parts. When mine was six months old, the numeric display that shows the patch number went bad and the mainboard was replaced (under warranty). Additionally, the built expression pedal began squeaking as if the bearings in it had gone bad, and the tech who did the warranty service on it for the mainboard also said there was a service bulletin on this issue, and repaired that problem as well. Aside from these issue, the unit has fared well during transport to many practices and gigs.

I like the software that Line 6 provides. I also had a reasonably easy time finding an authorized service center when mine needed to be repaired.

In a nutshell, for my application (live use as an effects box), it works ok... I found a few effects that are useable, but honestly if I could find an equally convenient way to get better effects (even if it cost more), I would stop using this unit.

The XT Live is very easy to program, as the amp controls are right there to grab and adjust--very important if you are playing live and need to make quick adjustments. I've used the software editing, which is very cool and a lot of fun... but most of the time I use the controls right on the XT Live to change my effect settings. Line 6 was very smart in how they set up the XT Live interface, it makes it so easy to program. The manual is helpful and a quick read, but it doesn't take long to get the hang of programming. I have connected to Line 6's site using Monkey to get the latest drivers, etc., which all worked perfectly on my Windows XP Pro machine. Nothing to dislike in this category, it is very easy to use.

I read a ton of reviews on the XT Live and the biggest gripe was the "fizz" on high gain amp models, and the "sterile" sounding clean amps. I also found some info in the Line 6 user groups which has made a difference to me... Take the 5.5 to 6k frequency and notch it out, using the EQ parameter... and then bring the treble and presence up to a point where you like it, and it doesn't "fizz". This approach has worked for me. On clean settings, I find that the tube compression helps "warm" things a bit, to get rid of the "sterile" issue, and I set the output to "line" as well as use "Direct/Recording" as my setting. By the way, I run in stereo into two Tech 21 Power Engine 60's. I used a Tech 21 Tri AC, which is also very good, but I was doing the pedal dancing thing with multiple pedals. The POD eliminated 90% of my pedal dance moves, with relatively the same result, sound wise. I have an old ESP strat (400 series) with EMG S's, and this guitar really sounds great with the XT Live. The delays, reverbs, etc. are all good... except I'm still searching for a good chorus patch--which I believe is in there somewhere. I'd give this rating a 10 if it weren't for a better modulation effect offering... so it gets a 9.

I've used it at home and live for the last five months. It hasn't failed me once and the controls, volume/wah seem very sturdy. I don't carry a backup as I'm confident in the XT Live. For as long as I've had it, it has always worked perfectly.

I have never dealt with Line 6, but I am blown away by the website resources. CustomTone.com has free patches that you can download and easily import into the XT Live with a USB cable, which is a good way to get started in programming the XT Live. As well, the user group posting are very helpful.

I read a ton about the XT Live, Vox ToneLab and Boss GT8. From my findings in reading about these units, the Vox has the most tubelike amp models, but is weaker on effects... and the Boss has the best effects, but is weaker on the amp models. In choosing, the XT Live is a mix of both "good to great" amps and "good to great" effects. For me, it has been an excellent choice... easy to program and tweak, works well with my Tech 21 Power Engines, very reliable, and at $400, it is a great value. I highly recommend the XT Live.

I'm offering a respectful comment for all in relation to the observations from 'roy' who is no doubt having a genuine difficulty with his XT live(he Submitted 11/14/2007 at 05:21pm ) I am very surprised at the comments-roy please don't think i'm dissing you at all-quite the reverse-you have a piece of kit which sounds like its letting you down but my experience of the podxt live is very different. Can I carefully suggest you check your 'output mode' settings, as if this is not done the PodXT Live can sound very odd indeed-also the amp/line switch on the rear panel (if you are going into a pa system type config with the switch set to 'amp' it will not sound right. Plus there are some compressor settings that can really suck out volume/gain etc if not checked-it may be that this was not your doing but someone may have played with the unit at the shop/supplier, or wherever. Or your unit may be faulty-I have shaken people's fillings with my PodXT output. I recommend you don't give up.

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.