Line6 Bass Pod XT??

[Jayfaedoom]

Another question from me about what equipment to buy.

I am really needing to get a decent effect unit. I am very tempted to go for the Line6 Pod Xt Live, the floor pedal version as i feel it would be my playing / sound more depth and would enable me to get some cool effects on the go for the clean bits in songs and also get a good overdrive sound. Plus use it live and in the studio. The questiona i have are,

is the Pod XT Live worth the money?

How good is it?

Anyone one got one and use it for gigging etc..?

Am i better spending more money and going for the rack mount Bass XT Pro? and if i go for this can i just plug it striaght into a cab or do i need a preamp or head?

or is there a better unit out there?

so many questions i know but i am new to all of this....

any advice / help would be great.

thanks

[ped]

Hi mate,

I am a MASSIVE fan of the XT. I have the rack version (it is only a pre-amp so if you intend to use it with a set of speakers you will need a power amp or to plug it into the input of a combo) and I love it dearly! It replaced a full tube mesa rig and compliments a nice valve combo at the moment. Don't get hung up on the digital vs tube debate - judged on their own merits they are both fantastic.

I personally wouldn't bother with the LIVE version, because you have to spend a long time editing things and having the interface on the floor can be a pain - unless you are close to a computer/laptop in which case you can use the very good line6 edit programme. The best thing is to get the rack or bean version then get an FBV shortboard for it. i just picked one up from the states for £100.

There is a really interesting thread about the unit here: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=192530"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=192530[/url]

People tend to dislike them from the off because the default settings are truly awful, but tinker with it and you can get fantastic results. I use mine in the studio over anything else that is available because I just know it sounds great and it a doddle to use.

The effects are great - again they need tweaking for your own bass/style but I like to have a touch of reverb plus a good env. filter, chorus and so on ready to punch in if I need.

I have lots of recordings with mine if you are interested. Lukeward2000 popped round to mine a while ago to play some bass and bought an XT straight away because he loved it so much. If they shipped them/demonstrated them in store with decent presets they would surely shift many many more units.

Cheers
ped

P.s any questions just ask! - and in answer to your 'is it worth the money' question - absolutely. As I mentioned I got mine as part of a trade for a massive rig and expected to shift it on but I can't imagine not having it now. For £200 odd you have everything you need in one 2u and now I use it for in-ear monitoring live so it [i]can[/i] replace a rig altogether!

[ped]

Couldn't resist some samples:

[url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WILDNiF6k38"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WILDNiF6k38[/url]

[url="http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishiscocks/Carter%20Hiscox%20Hiscocks/Torrential.mp3"]http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishisc.../Torrential.mp3[/url]

[url="http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishiscocks/Carter%20Hiscox%20Hiscocks/Clown%20Killa.mp3"]http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishisc...own%20Killa.mp3[/url]

[url="http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishiscocks/Years/01%20Track%2001.mp3"]http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishisc...0Track%2001.mp3[/url]

[url="http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishiscocks/Years/04%20Track%2004.mp3"]http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishisc...0Track%2004.mp3[/url]

[url="http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishiscocks/Years/06%20Track%2006.mp3"]http://www.frozencloudmusic.com/~chrishisc...0Track%2006.mp3[/url]


..enough to be going on with?!

Incidentally when you make a patch on the unit you can save it as a .l6t file which can then be swapped and traded with others (they are really small) and I have every now and then helped people get certain sounds, because it can be a bit tricky to begin with. Let me know if you want a hand...

Cheers
ped

[Dood]

The POD XT pro is an awesome fantastic piece of kit.. I agree with what Ped says above.. infact, it was his and Luke's endorsements that helped me choose mine...

but like an idiot, I sold it due to bills n stuff...

[Jayfaedoom]

Thanks for that Ped. I definatly want one now. I think i am better going for the RackMount Version as the band that i am in is going to do a lot of home studio recording in the future. I think you have made up my mind for me.

I just have 1 more question i know nothing about rack units and things like preamps etc.. what is a good preamp to get? from very budget to expensive, if you could help with say a few diff models and prices that would be great.

Or am i being silly, is it better to just plug it into venues P.A. system and not have a bass rig at all? We jam at a rehersal studio so there is usually a bass combo or stack there, depending what room we get so i could just plug it into that, is there anything special you have to do to do this? But live i am a little confused. I am used to plugging into an amp you see and all of this confuses me, sorry to sound like such a dumb ass.

[ped]

No worries mate.

I haven't actually got a power amp because I use mine plugged into my Trace V4 which is a combo so it effectively has a power amp and a pre-amp of its own.

Basically with the pod you have three options:

- Plug it into a PA system and play through that - you can use in ear monitors or if it is a decent PA use the monitor wedges etc

- Plug it into a power amp which effectively makes the pod+poweramp like an amplifier 'head' which you can use to power a bass cabinet

- Plug it into a combo which is like plugging it into a pre-amp and power amp together - with this option it is a good idea to make the pre-amp on the combo completely flat and essentially bypass it, using the pod instead.

All these options are explained in the (excellent) manual which I think you can download online. It is a bloody big file so if you can get it in sections, you want to read the 'what are you connecting to?' part. The connections can be made with a standard 1/4" jack lead or an XLR cable. Nothing complicated.

Of course each method calls for a different patch - I have three for each bass - one for PA/desk, one for going through my amp and one for in ear. Only after spending a bit of time using them in the real world will you be able to tweak them perfectly but once you have, it is great having it all in one box, everywhere.

The manual is a really good read and explains a lot. Definitely worth checking out.

Cheers
ped

[BigRedX]

+1 on the Bass Pod.

I have 2. On XT Pro Rack which lives in my Rack and is part of my main rig. I also have the 'pod-shaped' one loaded with exactly the same presets. When I'm doing a gig where I know I'll be using a supplied bass amp I just take this, plug it into the bass amp and switch off the amp EQ. Simply brilliant. As the others have said most of the presets need work to make them really shine (although I do like the "sub-dub" straight out of the box!).

[thedontcarebear]

I have one on the way, hopefully be here on Tuesday, Ped I liked the sound on the first bit you played on the youtube video, what model etc did you use for that?

[ped]

Cheers mate, That is a WT300 with no cab, a touch of reverb and a bit of EQ. I can send you the file if you like. I have tried that patch with other non Vigier basses and it sounds quite different though so would need adjusting according to the instrument.

Cheers
ped

P.s the third sample in the list is the same patch but it is looped to make it a bit more hip-hop ;0)

[thedontcarebear]

Cheers for the info!

Thinking about getting a poweramp to go with it, and hopefully then I should get the versatility I am after in my band (live, and then hopefully be good in the studio too), might look for one of their boards, it can use a normal midi pedal too can't it to change channels?

Edited February 2, 2008 by thedontcarebear

[ped]

It can indeed - I toyed with the idea as they are much cheaper but managed to get a bargain from the states. Difficult to find a Line6 controller in the UK for £150ish which is a pain, but I really wanted the screen and the simplicity. The manual has all of the MIDI numbers for various functions so it would be very easy to use one, but then you would need a wall wart for the pedal etc. which I also found a negative.

The nice thing about the FBV is that you can assign the expression pedal to control anything you like, so reverb mix, chorus depth, overdrive gain, delay crossover, filter sensitivity etc etc. Even volume and wah!

Cheers
ped

[thedontcarebear]

It arrived today, which is awesome, been having a play and it does sound very nice indeed, easy for me to use too as I already have a guitar pod xt, might get my recording setup sorted again sometime.

[ped]

Great! One tip is to go through it and save every amplifier with the eq flat and with no cabinet, it makes comparing and setting up a sound much easier. Let us know how you get on!

[stratty]

[quote name='thedontcarebear' post='132447' date='Feb 2 2008, 10:36 AM']It arrived today, which is awesome, been having a play and it does sound very nice indeed, easy for me to use too as I already have a guitar pod xt, might get my recording setup sorted again sometime.[/quote]hi mate ive got one on the way too!! was wondering ive got a superfly too! how have you got your pod connected or havent you got it connected at all?
cheers

Andy

[WalMan]

[quote name='ped' post='132123' date='Feb 1 2008, 06:41 PM']Incidentally when you make a patch on the unit you can save it as a .l6t file which can then be swapped and traded with others (they are really small) and I have every now and then helped people get certain sounds, because it can be a bit tricky to begin with. Let me know if you want a hand...

Cheers
ped[/quote]
Now there's a thought for a forum Then again I suppose there is Line6 CustomTone and another site (that was set up when Line6 did nothing about tone sharing for bass for ages and has probably shrivelled away now) so probably no real nead for that

I too have a BOD Xt Pro and used that straight into the desk live for quite some time to great effect. I have since relented and now run one of the line outs to the Markbass 121H for some onstage monitoring as it was never quite the same back through monitors & the drummer & guitarist grizzled (a bit of overkill really but I got it for other reasons as well). Now they are moaning because I can't keep the Markbass quiet enough!! You just can't please some people

Hoping to get some recording done with it soon. Live I tend to use just a few patches in the main (1A for the Ampeg, 2C California & 2D SoCal) I also run the FBV shortboard for patches, effects switching & the tuner, which is fine for live

[WalMan]

[quote name='stratty' post='139172' date='Feb 12 2008, 11:22 PM']hi mate ive got one on the way too!! was wondering ive got a superfly too! how have you got your pod connected or havent you got it connected at all?
cheers

Andy[/quote]
You could either [list]
[*]patch it into the effects return - in which case you will just be hitting the power amp and missing the EQ, or
[*]into the front, in which case you will need to watch the input gain and probably use very light EQ on the graphics just to tweak for different rooms, other wise you will be EQing the EQ already set on the BOD
[/list]

Edited February 13, 2008 by WalMan

[stratty]

thanks walman!

[ped]

If you can, set the output volume on the pod to the same level as your bass would be straight into the amplifier. Either that or set the output to max all the time and make the patch settings quieter with the 'channel volume' knob. I prefer the former though because it does away with the risk of kicking in a 'loud' patch accidentally.

[thedontcarebear]

[quote name='stratty' post='139172' date='Feb 12 2008, 11:22 PM']hi mate ive got one on the way too!! was wondering ive got a superfly too! how have you got your pod connected or havent you got it connected at all?
cheers

Andy[/quote]

I've not actually connected it to the superfly at all, I might get rid of that and get a poweramp.

[jimbartlett]

[quote name='WalMan' post='139192' date='Feb 13 2008, 12:04 AM']You could either [list]
[*]patch it into the effects return - in which case you will just be hitting the power amp and missing the EQ, or
[*]into the front, in which case you will need to watch the input gain and probably use very light EQ on the graphics just to tweak for different rooms, other wise you will be EQing the EQ already set on the BOD
[/list][/quote]

Sorry, bit of a thick question here......when you say "patch it into the effects return" where do you plug the input from you Bass? Does it go into the POD or the Input on your Amp? Is one method better than the other?

Thanks,

Jim.

[thedontcarebear]

[quote name='jimbartlett' post='139281' date='Feb 13 2008, 09:01 AM']Sorry, bit of a thick question here......when you say "patch it into the effects return" where do you plug the input from you Bass? Does it go into the POD or the Input on your Amp? Is one method better than the other?

Thanks,

Jim.[/quote]

Into the POD.

[jimbartlett]

[quote name='thedontcarebear' post='139291' date='Feb 13 2008, 09:17 AM']Into the POD.[/quote]

Great, thanks for the info!

[BOD2]

[quote name='jimbartlett' post='139281' date='Feb 13 2008, 09:01 AM']Sorry, bit of a thick question here......when you say "patch it into the effects return" where do you plug the input from you Bass? Does it go into the POD or the Input on your Amp? Is one method better than the other?

Thanks,

Jim.[/quote]


Bass into POD. Output from POD into RETURN jack of the Send/Return loop on the amp. Make sure you use the correct output from the POD (i.e. the one with the modelled sounds, not the DI one which doesn't have any modelling applied).

The Return jack is effectively an input into the power section of the amp - it usually bypasses the preamp section (and therefore all of the tone controls of the amp).

Whenever you're connection something up like this (that you haven't done before) keep the volume controls set to a low level initially then bring them up slowly while listening for any distortion. Find an "optimum" level and that's it.

[jimbartlett]

[quote name='BOD2' post='139305' date='Feb 13 2008, 09:28 AM']Bass into POD. Output from POD into RETURN jack of the Send/Return loop on the amp. Make sure you use the correct output from the POD (i.e. the one with the modelled sounds, not the DI one which doesn't have any modelling applied).

The Return jack is effectively an input into the power section of the amp - it usually bypasses the preamp section (and therefore all of the tone controls of the amp).

Whenever you're connection something up like this (that you haven't done before) keep the volume controls set to a low level initially then bring them up slowly while listening for any distortion. Find an "optimum" level and that's it.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice! Very helpful, I will try it tonight.

[jimbartlett]

[quote name='BOD2' post='139305' date='Feb 13 2008, 09:28 AM']Bass into POD. Output from POD into RETURN jack of the Send/Return loop on the amp. Make sure you use the correct output from the POD (i.e. the one with the modelled sounds, not the DI one which doesn't have any modelling applied).

The Return jack is effectively an input into the power section of the amp - it usually bypasses the preamp section (and therefore all of the tone controls of the amp).

Whenever you're connection something up like this (that you haven't done before) keep the volume controls set to a low level initially then bring them up slowly while listening for any distortion. Find an "optimum" level and that's it.[/quote]


Sorry, just to clarify something....where you say "keep the volume controls set to a low level initially then bring them up slowly while listening for any distortion"....do you mean the level on the output of the POD or the master volume of the amp? I imagine you are saying it's the level on the output of the POD?

Thanks,

Jim.