Line 6 PODxt Review

Line 6 - PODxt

General Information

Original Author: Matt23

Weapon: Line 6 PODxt

Make: Line 6

Model: PODxt

Price: £190

Features

The POD has an impressive array of features. There are 42 amp models, and 24 cab models, along with 60 effects (14 stompboxes, 11 modulation effects, 9 delays, 15 reverbs, and 8 wahs, a noise gate, a compressor, a tuner and an EQ). There are output, drive, bass, middle, treble, presence, channel volume, amp models, effects and reverb dials. There is also an edit button, a save button, a tap button to set tempos, 4 buttons to operate the pod, and a button for the tuner. On the front there is an input and a phones socket, and on the back there are power, left input, right input, pedal, USB, midi out, and midi sockets.

This sounds impressive, but there are a few catches. Firstly and most important, you will use no where near the amount of features that provided. The stuff provided is good, but if you are buying the POD for its huge list of features, don't. Secondly if you want to use the 8 wahs and whammy effect, you have to shell out another £80 (at the least) to buy a Line 6 foot controller.

Sound

The POD definitely sounds good, but in my opinion, the POD does as much to sound good as the person using it. What I mean by this, is that you have to put in quite a lot of effort to get good tones out the POD. There are good tones, but you have to work hard to find them, so if you want something that will instantaeously make you sound awesome, then this isn't right for you. Also something you should look out for about the sound, is that POD is very rock orientated. It can do other styles (well), but you can tell it is aimed at rock guitarists, as it has a lot more rock presets and amps etc than other styles. Overall though you can get some monster tones out of this, so if you want a lot of great tones at a small price, this could be a good idea for you.

Pros

• It sounds good at a relatively small price.
• It is very versatile.
• Pretty small.
• Has a good, easy to use tuner.
• Has USB connectivity (very useful).
• Can download and share patches from the computer and internet.
• Can edit patches on the computer.
• Is upgradable with more amps, cabs and effects.
• Is made of metal and seems pretty strong. I haven't dropped it yet though and I don't plan to.
• Pretty easy to understand once you get used to it.

Cons

• More features than you actually need.
• Don't expect to be able to download someone's patch or use a preset and sound awesome as those patches aren't designed for your guitar. The patches that are designed for your guitar by you will sound better.
• Effort is required to get good tones out (though they are very good when you get them).
• Extra purchase is required to use the wahs and whammy effect.

Overall Impression

The PODxt is a very versatile, good sounding little modelling unit. It has some great tones in it at a great price. While you may not get as much as you thought from looking at it's features, it is still a very useful piece of gear to have. If you have the money though, I would advise getting the better, but expensiver PODX3. It has even more amps, cabs and effects, and has the ability to create combinations of two patches with one patch panned to the right and one to the left. If that seems a bit expensive though, the PODxt is still a very good modelling unit.