Line6 HD POD anyone?

[Moby1]

I don't want to be interested but I've started to be sucked in! (axefx too)

Anyone used one of these pedals yet?

 

[zappazapper]

i have yet to try out the HDs or an axe fx (i really want an axe fx), but i'm a long time POD X3 user... as far as i can tell, the HD has improved in some areas, and kinda fell back in others...

the main advantage i can see is that the HD has anything-to-anything routing (somewhat... not as good as what the axe-fx does), whereas the X3 has few effect placement options...

also, they've seperated the preamp models from the poweramp models, which is a good thing for anybody using it with a real tube amp... on the other hand, there are far less amp models... the X3 has over 70 and i think the HD only has 16, but that might change as updates/model packs start to become available...

the thing the axe-fx has over just about any processor is that it's not a "modelling" processor (although some of the amp sounds are based on actual amps)... like with the POD, you have 3 or 4 different choruses that are modelled on real chorus pedals... with the axe-fx, there is only one chorus, but it has so many parameters to tweak that you could get the sound of those same 3 or 4 choruses that the POD has, plus just about any other chorus, or invent your own sound... plus i suspect the converters and other internal electronics are better than anything out there... they're charging an arm and a leg so it better have better converters...

 

[Chris McKinley]

It's not the HD, but I'm currently playing around with my POD XTLive to get some presets for certain covers that have identifiable production/sound to the listener. I'm letting my Recto be the engine for the sound and using some of the POD's parameters to shape it accordingly in the loop. I've done the series mod so I no longer get the air raid siren when running the POD in the loop.

Having looked at the HD series, my guess as to the reduction of the amp models is that it was probably a very smart move for two reasons:

1) Most POD users tend to gravitate around a small handful of their favorite models anyway, so most of the models go unused most of the time. Many of the models were also simply variations on the theme and not really very different from one another. Same goes with the effects. They simply had too many for all of them to be equally and practically useable.

2) When Line6 was still using the Shark chip to power the whole thing, they were starting to run into hard limitations of processing capability. Assuming they haven't replaced the Shark, the added dynamics and real-time compression/harmonics differential they've added to the new HD series would certainly have overtaxed the Shark chip's limits, so something had to give. My guess is that they went with a reduced number of total models, but at the tradeoff of a higher quality of those that remain in the roster.

 

[elpingua]

I bought one and then returned it. The pedal itself is real nice and sturdy I'm sure its a very roadworthy device. The problem is that it sounded too digital to my ears. I liked the sound of the ENGL but I didn't care for the Mesa Rectifier sound I don't think that it truly sounded like the amp. I loved the software that came with it to tweak the settings, but I hated how you tweaked sounds on the device it self. The interface is especially messy when you start adding in multiple effects (when using the controls on the unit).

Its a good unit for the price imo, alot of technology at a reasonable price. At the end of the day I just am sucker for true tube tone and the simplicity of pedals -> amp.