Aww Fluff, you could have easily found the software to download online. Just cuz line 6 discontinued it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I found the old floor pod software ON the line 6 site, just gotta dig a bit.
If you want to flash the firmware to restore the stock presets too there's somebody on the line6 forum that attached a cfg file you can use that makes it see the pod so you can do an offline update, janky old software lol. The post is "Making Line 6 Monkey Work"
@1:30 - You actually can turn off the cabinet. If you scroll to the amp block, and cycle through the cabs, the very first option if you wind the #2 knob all the way counter-clockwise through the cab selection is "NO CAB." I used the floor model of this for years back in the day, running into the front of a clean amp, and disabled the cabs on all my presets to help give it a fighting chance.
i did the same thing and used the stereo output to send one into the amp and the other into a Two notes Torpedo CAB M+ straight into the FOA Sound great again :)
If you use the preamp settings of the amps in the preset instead of the full amp block, run it through a power amp into a real cab, you have a badass hybrid setup for dirt cheap
I still have mine, i did cut the cab simulation, run the outputs in stereo. Send one to a power amp, send the other to FOA with an IR loader like a Two notes Torpedo CAB M+ and you're done for both live , home and studio. I did shows with this setup in 2022,2023 and early 2024 before going into analog preamp pedals again but still considering to play it again if needed.
Yes. I use it that way. And solid state power amps are the best choice to use this method for me. Or turn off any Amp Sag settings if i use tube power amps
one of two guitar players in my band uses a Line 6 HD 500 pedalboard from 2011 that he bought new that time! I made all the presets he uses and he's running it thru a Rocktron Velocity 300 power amp into a 4x12 with Vintage 30's. It sounds pretty decent. The other guitar goes to a Boss gt10 where i also made the presets and it goes to the Return of a Randall 50W combo (full valve). The Pre amp of that combo is horrible but the power section is very good so i made a few presets with the Vintage rectifier voicing. It then goes to an Engl 4x12 also. Sounds even better than the other actually.
Very true! I used one with a Mesa 2:90 into a Marshall 1960 for a long time. Used to get complimented on my sound all the time and they were usually amazed when I said I was using a Line 6
I begrudgingly bought a Line 6 Flextone II stadium head in 2000 because the industrial metal band I was playing with at the time kinda demanded the wide array of effects and amp modeling capability and I frankly didn’t want to lug around a giant pedalboard . At first I was really hesitant to abandon my beloved tube amps but I started tweaking the tones of the Line 6 and really was happy with the results. I took that rig and the floorboard around the country three times and played hundreds of gigs and countless hours of rehearsal , recording and practice and even though it’s been retired to the house now it’s still one of my favorite amps to this day. The direct XLR outs on the back of the head straight into the PA were deadly when you played live OR recorded in the studio . Absolutely crushing. That rig never failed me, not once. Line 6 stuff is still capable of delivering some sick tones if you’re willing to put the time in to tweak them. Also I think a lot of the haters in the comments would be surprised to learn just how many of their favorite guitar albums were recorded on a Line 6 product back in the day.
Without the POD line, we never would have gotten the helix, which to this day is still my go-to modeler. And honestly, for what this was, it still doesn't sound all that bad!
Fun thing about those older modelers, they actually sounded every bit as good as the modelers we have now, there was just no way to capture the computer power needed to deliver that to consumers in any sort of accessible price range. The Eleven Rack for example, was initially created using what would have been at the time one of the most powerful computers available, but now we have computers with 10x the processing power in our pockets. (the original Eleven Rack is the basis for the Headrush BTW) In order to bring these products to market, manufacturers had to cut A LOT of corners. The biggest and most detrimental is the tone stack. The proper models of the amps' tone stacks had to be taken out, and basically replaced with a capture of the amp's EQ at noon, then the company would put their generic EQ on to control the sound. If you've ever looked at how amp's tone stacks affect the tone, and interact with one another, you know that this is one of the single most important parts of an amp.
I follow what you're saying with them not really modeling the amps eq. Especially with dual rectifier type tones, the stack rarely responds the way the real amp does. On the real amp you turn treble to 10 and suddenly the mids fully disappear like Metallica tone. Inversely Treble 0 boosts the mids and a treble boosting pedal in front makes it super tight. Not seen any modeler capture that nuance.
I remember back when I was touring that the preamp section of my amp fried and I needed a solution quick. Thankfully I had the floor unit that I was using for pedals and was able to use it as a pre through the effects loop! It totally saved the tour (and my wallet) having one of these being how versatile it was. I got a bunch of compliments on the sound too
I still have a HD Pro X, and I decided to grab a Torpedo Live for cabs and disable the internal cab simulation. Sounds *killer*. The 5150 (Panama) model in particular is nuts. Daily driver is an Axe-FX 3 these days, but the HD Pro X is still perfectly usable in 2024 tbh.
I seriously love this unit! Absolute monster that served me for a couple of years. If I wasn't strapped for cash I swear I will still have this with me. Insane piece of kit considering how cheap I got it at the time.
I played one of these for almost 13 years and hundreds of shows. Beat the crap out of it but it never, ever failed me. It takes some dialing, but there were some really solid amp models in there, even by today's standards.
Even though the modelling isn't 'cutting edge' it still sounds great and holds it's own, especially with the effects and reverbs. No one could go wrong for a starter unit at that price excep[t if you wanted to swap out IR's
hey! I just bought the exact same one last week :) I also had it a few years ago, but missed it and bought it again. that thing has killer tones, sounds great - especially with a dual amp setup. there are some limitations regarding DSP when using all effects blocks and a dual amp setup, but either you don't run all effects blocks like I do, or do as I did - find amps that doesn't require the same amount of DSP. but some things are not correct here. POD HD Pro X Edit works fine on my Mac with Sonoma 14.5, used it yesterday with no issues whatsoever. you can also turn off the cabs. just rotate the cab dial all the way to the left and you get "no cab". or use the "PRE" models, which just emulates the preamp. the interface could be a bit clunky, and some of the amps does not sound good in my ears. BUT, when you've found the ones you liked, tweaked them a bit (master, bias, cabs and microphones make a huge difference), and added the effects you like (same there, some does not sound good, but some really do), you have a pretty great sound. there are limitations, but for the price it's hard to beat. also, I don't recognize all of the presets, so that could be from a previous owner :) Line6's is not so good either, though :P would be fun to see you throw it on an "expert" in a different video, maybe someone from Line6 or someone who's still using it :) great vid, cheers!
I bought the Pod HD PRO X in 2013 and began my recording journey with it. I honestly miss selling the gear, but I had a baby on the way and needed the cash.
I recently bought one and it's sad there's often so many points skimmed over on these types of videos which i ended up discovering and that is you can have great control over the cab simulation settings on these units via the pages in the amp editor, and not just the mic type. You can control the early reflections amount, thump, resonance levels and EQ to really make them pop or shine and sound more defined. This really helped me create consistency for my patches. You can also put an IR loader in the loop of the unit, turn off the cab entirely in the chain and then just add an fx loop block in after your amp and boom, you have access to your own IR's for consistency. The editor software still exists and works ok-ish.. it's old and is what is expected. The floorboard midi control is excellent with assigning and mapping too. It can also be used generically via USB on plugins. All in all though a seriously powerful unit still and probably underutilized to a fraction of its potential by many. I have mine sounding great and global EQ works a treat for band level volumes, I hope it lasts for another 13 years lol EDIT: I forgot to mention that i still enjoyed this video and it's well made. I like when people touch on breathing new life into old hardware that doesn't need to be wasted. We don't always need to be so hung up on the latest and greatest when you can get bargains like this.
I loved mine, the Heavy Chords patch was my go to and gives me a huge wave of nostalgia. These were very very popular back in the day for those who couldn’t afford an axe fx.
For me, the HD series was absolutely great. The big problem I found with these units is how the EQ section was presented, indicated by percentage parameters rather than real frequencies. Back in the day I was completely ignorant about these topics and, thefore frustrated because I could not get the sound I wanted from my HD. With the Helix I was kind of forced to learn about frequencies and equalisation and later I gave myself the chance of getting back to the HD (I have them all) and I could dial the EQ with much more knowledge. The same with the cab section and its parameters. These two elemets made me get great tones and I have a HD500X as a backup waiting for a chance...
Oh but you can turn off the cabinets! :D Cycle through the cab menu until ya get to the "no cab" at the end of the options! Then get a cabinet loader pedal that you can download IR's to and slap that in the FX loop and you have your thrifty man's Helix! Bonus, if you scroll far enough in the "amps" menu, you get to all the same amps you have, but with "pre" labeled, and it only emulates the preamps! Then if you have a good external poweramp you can send it to that simulates or actually is tube driven, you can use it more accurately with the POD!
@@techno_vato I've been using the Flamma IR found on amazon for like $90... I've had it for a few years at this point and no complaints, easyish to use (will take a bit of figuring to find out exactly how the features work but not bad at all), has option for stereo in/outs, and knobs that control level and high and low pass.
A lot of people dump on line 6 about they’re “ tone” what they all forget is that they paved the way for the tech we have today. It’s like comparing a fort model t to an f250, too much has changed to make that comparison fair.
If you’re willing to spend the hours it takes you could dial in some seriously good tones with it. The problem is the newer generation wants instant gratification.
If you have the patience or are familiar with line 6 stuff you can get some crazy sounds out of it. Even now I've upgraded everything in my rig but still can't justify buying a Kemper or axe fx. But I just love like 6 stuff. I have an hd500 running thru a synergy 50/50 power amp.
This is a weird thing for me, the POD HD Pro holds a special place in my heart because FamilyJules used this unit from October 2013 to sometime around June 2015, and those tones were my part of my introduction to his music. Ultimately, Jules became my biggest influence of all time, and to this day I want to figure out how to make his lead tone from back then, which given it's a $300 unit nowadays, I might be able to do. If only I didn't have an Axe-FX and would feel weird owning two modelling units for the same purpose...
I used one of these live on tour for years and years. Ran it into a Carvin solid state 1u rack 200w power amp into a Marshall Mode 4 cab. It was ungodly loud and awesome. Also the HD Pro Edit software still exists! The shortcut is sitting on my desktop right now.
Used one of these for years in a live band. Utilized the 4 cable method so it went through the effects loop and didn’t mess with the preamp on my 6505. Only used it for overdrives and effects. Since then I’ve went to an axe fx and man, the difference is astounding.
@justinturner653 yeah but Line 6 messed up by not including that option in thelese unita. The technology existed and it would have made these units sound great.
Line 6 stuff could sound really really good as long as you were willing to put in the time to tweak it up front. It took hours sometimes but I was rarely disappointed in the end.
I have owned A LOT of Line 6 products but my favorites were always the Vetta, hd pro x and pod go. Adding an IR just changes the game for these and makes it just as relevant as newer modelers. Right now I have the 500x and plan on running an ir loader in the mix to make it sound great again.
I recently bought a Line 6 HD400 Live for $120 AUD. Amazing price. I have owned a POD X3 Live for years so when I saw HD400 for sale it was a no brainer. To accompany the HD400 I also bought a Line 6 JM looper pedal as well. All of these units and my Zoom 9.2t are now used in my setup. I also have a Donner Arena 2000, a few different looper pedals, some of my vintage Arion pedals and a few other pedals as well. All of that goes into my Blackstar ID Core 100. Has everything I need and more. Best thing of all is that they were all purchased on a budget. The most I think I paid was for the Zoom 9.2 t which was $320 AUD.
I still have the HD500; was thinking of finding a power supply and getting back into it. I recall there were at least 4 banks of presets. Fluff was in the one with song presets, which is honestly probably the better one for demos because the others are from the “let’s show the craziest, most exciting settings” school of thought. I found the HD500 useful for going direct onstage. It got less love in recording situations, but I snuck it in a few times and it served a purpose. Stuff like this is great for people who want a quiet practice rig and don’t want to mess with downloads. Now that it’s much cheaper, it’s something I recommend for just that purpose sometimes.
I own two and use them weekly; you can turn off the cabinet. Other guitarists couldn't believe that my sound came from this unit every time we played. I pair it with a GT 1000FX power amplifier. Line 6 HD Pro rules, and you can't beat the price.
Hey! Awesome video. I've been using this unit since '15/'16 and have and continue finding awesome uses for it in both practice and live settings! FYI the HD Tone Edit IS available online but unfortunately the POD Monkey program's server connectivity is no longer available. This means that we can still use our desktop to edit software but unfortunately no more updates are being offered for the unit. Regardless, it's an awesome piece of gear! I play in metal bands and love using it for my bass or my guitar while doing vocals.
The greatest, and least appreciated, thing Helix and Quad Cortex have done with modellers is massively improved the UI experience. Aside from no IRs, the effects and amps were basically all there. Using a Helix is way easier than any previous Pod and using a Quad Cortex in a live situation is a god send if you have to change anything quickly. The Axe FX/FM3 sounds incredible, as do the others, but the UI is an absolute disaster. I noped out of that very quickly. Captures are also not to be underestimated if you have a live rig you want to capture, and give you flexibility.
There was a defect in the unit that outputs harsh frequencies. Turning off the power amp (cabs) removes it, but you have to use your amp cab or external cab sim.
That first roof sounded like my favorite sci-fi movie from the 50s or early 60s when they were dialing in the oscilloscopes getting ready to take off in the spaceship and they were going to travel to Mars yeah this is bringing it back some good old memories
I actually still use the POD 2.0,the Bass POD, and the Floorboard, and have an old Windows XP machine with the editor software. For all the POD haters, I have created Tonex amp captures from both and uploaded to Tonex. A couple have been the most liked/most downloaded... LOL
It, and even it's rackmount predecessors, are actually worth it these days for all the I/O alone. Reamping is so nice with one of these. I mainly use plugins and the HX Stomp and other modelers, but the L6 rackmount units are very useful tanks.
I remember this HD Pod series had bass freq heavy sounds compared to previous ones. I would call them muddy and dark. I had it always connected to computer & Behringer monitors.
Fluff, I just bought one a couple months ago from my local L&M. I got it for $420CAD with tax. The desktop software is still available on the L6 website. I'm on a 10+ year old PC with Windows 10, though. I'd really love to see you revisit this with software, as knobs and screen only are ruff. It's a really cool unit! I like mine a lot. Hope to see a follow up soon!
A few months back I was able to pick up a positive grid bias head for $250, it has a 600w power amplifier built in and it doesn't sound half bad. I remember looking at them on Sweetwater back in like 2018 and they were going for $1300. I realise it's not the latest and greatest out there but it doesn't sound bad and it's one hell of a practice rig anyway lol. comes in handy when I'm trying to find a tone that one of my tube amps will not do. or if you're a beginner and you just want something a little better than a cheap practice amp it's not a bad choice either. everyone is always after the latest and greatest equipment and so you can find stuff like this out there cheap that will actually sound pretty decent.
Back, when the Eleven Rack came out, i wanted it so badly.I thought it sounded superior to everything that has been out there at that time. Looking back i don't regret not buying it. But it looked awesome 😀
@TinoSchulz1990 your right! It looks awesome. It is really outdated with limited fx compared to the newer modelers. I just really like the rack format lol
@@mattfire83 Yeah. I've been touring with a Helix LT (prior to my Boss GT-10 setup) for years. It worked. But when i got my Kemper Rack i was so happy to have my main unit working in a rack for me and not have to fear about beer-spills (or whatever liquid 😀) onto my board. Having a rack unit also means shorter cable runs and therefore a cleaner input + output signal. I barely touched a noise gate since then. I could have gone with a Helix Rack but i got a used Kemper Rack for very cheap in great condition. Programmed it in my studio, took it out on tour and got very positive feedback from my band members and our FOH engineer.
@TinoSchulz1990 congrats on a great rig, and living the dream of touring! I'm with you on beer spilling, I've lost some pedals too. I agree with what you said about less cables! I hated running 80 feet of cables just to use the fx loop of my amp. It is all nice and tidy inside the rack case!
My music journey started with line 6 and I used line 6 gear for the first 8 years of writing and recording demos, I would love to get my hands on one of these some day
I had one for a few years, and I thought it was overly difficult to use. There were good sounds in there, but there were thousands of bad ones. Upgraded to an HX Stomp and have had much better luck. Don’t even sort of miss the HD Pro.
Yes i agree i have the POD HD Desk top and do not use it that much anymore because like you said it is difficult to use and i just lose interest in using it and the amp models are all over the place some good some not so good!
Cool demo, fluff 😎🤘🏻🎸 some of these tones sounded pretty cool. I use to have an original line 6 bass pod a long time ago and at the time, I’ve explored some great tones. I no longer have it, but I had great memories exploring tones with it. Other than that, this line 6 rack mount has some great tones. My brother and my friend has a line 6 hx stomp and it has some killer tones.
You can turn off the cabinent emulation and then use an IR loader on the back end. You will be surprised how good it sounds with modern IR's instead of the internal cabs.
I still love my hd500x (it has 10 years working no issues), i only add the mooer radar and improve the cabs, the day it dies, then i will see a helix, fractal or whatever, i dont need more :D cheers man!
I was a faithful Line 6 user with Variax even. I went back to analog and tube amps. However, recently,I purchased an old POD XT Live. IMHO, it was the most reliable, easiest user interface and great sounding unit. Still gig with a pedalboard though.
I dug my pod HD500. Was pretty neat - especially when I found out how to turn off cab sims and run it into an IR loader. Sounded pretty okay! Kinda wanted to revisit it now that I have better setups/better ears/better knowledge of tone, but I've long since sold it.
Yeah there seems to be a defect in the unit that outputs harsh frequencies. Turning off the power amp (cabs) removes it, but you have to use your amp cab or external cab sim.
I still have my Johnson J Station. I just can't seem to part ways with it. When most people bought the Kidney Pod I went with the J Station. I discovered if I run the output into my IR pedal I can get some pretty decent tones out of it. Kids these days have no idea how good the multi-fx pedals and modelers available right now are compared to what we had available to us twenty five years ago.
bought one about a year ago for 200 bucks with foot controller, use it mostly in the loop for my 5150iii for effects, and a backup unit in case something goes wrong, or its a smaller gig. but its a badass unit, had the floor model years ago. dont sleep on this unit they go for like 300 bucks now and still sound great. theres a lil bit of a learning curve for the interface but theyre rock solid. also, I still can currently use the PC software, so I dont know what fluff is talking about
This is more of a reaction video to an old unit and vaguely mocking it than evaluating whether it's still useful for today's purposes. Some research getting reacquainted with it might have helped. I don't consider this old. I used the kidney bean as a GIT student in 1999. I later used the POD XT Pro and POD X3. Prior to that I used an ART SGX 2000 Express from 1996. Old is an Alesis MIDIVerb, an Echoplex, or some of the Sansamp pedals and rack units (which still sound amazing, especially for bass). Most rack units of the 90s and 00s up to 2006 or so sounded fine for cleans, time based effects, and solo tones but the rhythms could sound a bit thin and fizzy. Most rhythm stuff sounded like a boosted Valvestate. It was hard to get something like a believable Plexi sound from one of these units. Most of this stuff, along with the Rocktron Prophesy, Digi Eleven Rack, etc., is now laughed at by modern guitarists who only started playing once the Axe FX (2006) and Kemper Profiler (2011) were a thing. New players tend to see impulse responses as the solution to all tone problems. I see these intermediate age rack units as good deals because you're getting so many sounds and options for the same price of one to a few high priced pedals. It's all about knowing how to dial them in. I would collect them while they're cheap as they give a unique, colored, yet vaguely retro tone all their own. I can't tell one Axe FX or Kemper player from another, especially since the same group of amps are widely emulated by various companies. As cheap as these units are now used, they're a steal for a rig starting out. Putting such power into a rack unit also makes such tweakability more portable than a floor unit offering many of the same features since they have to cram so much stuff onto a small chassis. Even the interface and look on this unit is superior to the Axe FX 3 with all of the POD's knobs, even if the POD's LCD UI is inferior. The downside is the software not working/being updated and if they die you have no solution to fix them short of replacing them. They would probably cost more to repair than to buy new outright. And you don't know what stuff or firmware the previous users have put into the unit. There is a planned obsolescence involved in these things because they are software driven, just like there will be with the Axe FX 3. That's the downside with modern, software driven, cloud connected units. On the upside, you have analog alternatives like an old Mesa Triaxis, ADA MP1/2, or Marshall JMP-1, but good luck if the analog parts fail. About the only upside I see to expensive new modern units is the presets sound better out of the box. This only makes everyone sound like everyone else, though, especially since people can now swap presets digitally. I still get great tones out of Pod Farm Platinum 2.5 from 2011. There are also more tutorials for older units than newer ones. Piracy and ever plummeting prices for new software and gear mean there's no real need to buy anything new anymore. The price to tone improvement ratio is not sufficient to be a good value, and most of today's complex models are best for studio use. For those who only need a rhythm sound, a clean sound, and a solo sound--the vast majority of metal players--the simpler the interface, the better. However, if a unit is less powerful because it is a floor unit and chops the features down to hit a certain size and price point, I consider that unacceptable since it limits the amount of tweaking you can do to reach your ideal three tones (clean, rhythm, and solo). Racks for me all the way, especially if you're going to need to pair a power amp with them anyway to run to a cabinet and are not going direct to FOH.
I still have the floor version of this, which I recently replaced with the Helix. Before the HD500X , I had the XT Live before that, which also had a rack version. So there have been three rack versions of the Pod.
I remember a decade ago I used a line 6 POD Pro Rack. That thing sounded amazing for what it was. I now use the Avid Eleven rack with the Soldano SLO100 clean patch with the black face distortion. The older amp sims actually hold a lot more weight than the more modern in terms of affordability.
I still use a Pod HD 500 as my main live rig. It still holds up. I usually run an eq in the front of the chain in the preset, or after the cab to clean up some of the harsh frequencies.
Yeah there seems to be a defect in the unit that outputs harsh frequencies. Turning off the power amp (cabs) removes it, but you have to use your amp cab or external cab sim.
The pre's ot that Line & era are pretty decent even to today's standarts! If you run that into a power amp, valves or not, or even into a return of any amo, it will sound very nice! Both guitar players in my band use Boss GT10 and Line 6 HD500 from 2011 and it sounds very nice! The line 6 goes to a Rocktron Velocity 300 and into an Harley Benton 412 cab with Vintage 30's. The Boss gt10 Goes to the return of a 50watt valve Randall combo and into an Engl 4x12 with Vintage 60's! They both sound nice even comparing to more modern stuff!
i had the same. it wasnt bad, but there was always a bit of fizz that was a pain to dial out. I upgraded to an axe fx 2 and it is much better (although obviously more expensive/ modern so not a very fair comparison)
I still own my hd300 and pod 2.0 lol. I love them. I am having issues with my drivers and I can’t manipulate the tone with the software anymore but I can still modifying with my fingers and the knobs. I think still sounds great.
I remember always wanting one of these and never being able to afford it. When I finally could afford it, the Helix was released so o got one of them instead. Now I’m looking at a Helix Rack with the foot controller.
I have the floor model version of that. Think i am gonna sell it now after getting Tonex to be honest. It was great for what it did, but the Tonex is just insane now especially with the new effects!
I'm planning on running the Tonex in the FX Loop of the HD500X to give more accurate amp & cab sounds - there are way more effects to enjoy in the HD500X with those base tones than in the new Tonex firmware.
I miss mine. I sold it to the bassist in my previous band because he had no way to record because I had a helix. The Helix has more horsepower, but I liked the tones I got out of my HD Pro X better.
I grabbed one of these off Reverb very cheap, the HD Pro X version, and its been fun to use. I recall these were in Dinos rig(Fear Factory) for a while.
I'd love to hear some of the modellers from that era (POD HD, Vetta, Axe FX Standard etc) paired up with modern IR files. I bet they'd hold up surprisingly well.
@@tonykay6020 I'd well believe it. Im sure the modelling isnt quite up to the same standards as the newer platform/plugins but a good IR file goes a long way.
I have this unit and I use it with a Mooer Radar on the FX loop to compensate the shitty IR's it has by default and it sounds massive, anyway I think its best thing are the FX
I just picked one of these up a few weeks ago. The drivers allegedly support Windows 10 & 11, but they cause constant blue screens even when only using the editor app. This computer has never had a BSOD in the 2 years since I built it. The IO on the unit also sucks for use in a studio. If the USB drivers worked, it only has a 2x2 interface that can only record wet or dry signals (not a split wet/dry feed) and can't re-amp over USB. The SPDIF connection has the same wet or dry limitation and CANNOT sync to an external clock if you have a real interface. But SPDIF can be used for re-amping. I need to unload it and pick up a Pod Go. I already snagged Helix Native on the early Black Friday sale.
Aww Fluff, you could have easily found the software to download online. Just cuz line 6 discontinued it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I found the old floor pod software ON the line 6 site, just gotta dig a bit.
@ now that’s a valid question right there
@sergeenriquez no
@sergeenriquezwith no proper research done, in theory you should be able to run it through a virtual machine, but idk
@zumo9440 a virtual machine running Win7 might work.
If you want to flash the firmware to restore the stock presets too there's somebody on the line6 forum that attached a cfg file you can use that makes it see the pod so you can do an offline update, janky old software lol. The post is "Making Line 6 Monkey Work"
@1:30 - You actually can turn off the cabinet. If you scroll to the amp block, and cycle through the cabs, the very first option if you wind the #2 knob all the way counter-clockwise through the cab selection is "NO CAB." I used the floor model of this for years back in the day, running into the front of a clean amp, and disabled the cabs on all my presets to help give it a fighting chance.
i did the same thing and used the stereo output to send one into the amp and the other into a Two notes Torpedo CAB M+ straight into the FOA
Sound great again :)
Yup. You could do this with several generations of Pods before this too
I had an earlier POD Xt Pro, and I could turn off the cab section when I ran it into a power amp and cabinet live.
Yea I had the pod xtl (?) big floor model version of the bean, was able to turn the cabs off
The cabinet simulation on these units is NEVER good haha. I expect them not to be good.
If you use the preamp settings of the amps in the preset instead of the full amp block, run it through a power amp into a real cab, you have a badass hybrid setup for dirt cheap
That's what I do with the helix stuff today. It gets the best results then, and now
I like to run it infront of a clean amp for more color and eq control
I still have mine, i did cut the cab simulation, run the outputs in stereo.
Send one to a power amp, send the other to FOA with an IR loader like a Two notes Torpedo CAB M+ and you're done for both live , home and studio.
I did shows with this setup in 2022,2023 and early 2024 before going into analog preamp pedals again but still considering to play it again if needed.
Yes. I use it that way. And solid state power amps are the best choice to use this method for me.
Or turn off any Amp Sag settings if i use tube power amps
one of two guitar players in my band uses a Line 6 HD 500 pedalboard from 2011 that he bought new that time! I made all the presets he uses and he's running it thru a Rocktron Velocity 300 power amp into a 4x12 with Vintage 30's. It sounds pretty decent.
The other guitar goes to a Boss gt10 where i also made the presets and it goes to the Return of a Randall 50W combo (full valve). The Pre amp of that combo is horrible but the power section is very good so i made a few presets with the Vintage rectifier voicing.
It then goes to an Engl 4x12 also. Sounds even better than the other actually.
Running that thing straight into a power amp and cab was great. The line 6 amp sims weren't bad, it was the cab sims.
Very true! I used one with a Mesa 2:90 into a Marshall 1960 for a long time. Used to get complimented on my sound all the time and they were usually amazed when I said I was using a Line 6
I begrudgingly bought a Line 6 Flextone II stadium head in 2000 because the industrial metal band I was playing with at the time kinda demanded the wide array of effects and amp modeling capability and I frankly didn’t want to lug around a giant pedalboard . At first I was really hesitant to abandon my beloved tube amps but I started tweaking the tones of the Line 6 and really was happy with the results. I took that rig and the floorboard around the country three times and played hundreds of gigs and countless hours of rehearsal , recording and practice and even though it’s been retired to the house now it’s still one of my favorite amps to this day. The direct XLR outs on the back of the head straight into the PA were deadly when you played live OR recorded in the studio . Absolutely crushing. That rig never failed me, not once. Line 6 stuff is still capable of delivering some sick tones if you’re willing to put the time in to tweak them. Also I think a lot of the haters in the comments would be surprised to learn just how many of their favorite guitar albums were recorded on a Line 6 product back in the day.
Without the POD line, we never would have gotten the helix, which to this day is still my go-to modeler. And honestly, for what this was, it still doesn't sound all that bad!
Fun thing about those older modelers, they actually sounded every bit as good as the modelers we have now, there was just no way to capture the computer power needed to deliver that to consumers in any sort of accessible price range. The Eleven Rack for example, was initially created using what would have been at the time one of the most powerful computers available, but now we have computers with 10x the processing power in our pockets. (the original Eleven Rack is the basis for the Headrush BTW) In order to bring these products to market, manufacturers had to cut A LOT of corners. The biggest and most detrimental is the tone stack. The proper models of the amps' tone stacks had to be taken out, and basically replaced with a capture of the amp's EQ at noon, then the company would put their generic EQ on to control the sound. If you've ever looked at how amp's tone stacks affect the tone, and interact with one another, you know that this is one of the single most important parts of an amp.
Still use a headrush to this day. Fantastic sounding unit!
when the new ox stomp came out Warren did a video using an eleven rack but with the Ox supplying the cabinets. Sounded great!
I follow what you're saying with them not really modeling the amps eq. Especially with dual rectifier type tones, the stack rarely responds the way the real amp does. On the real amp you turn treble to 10 and suddenly the mids fully disappear like Metallica tone. Inversely Treble 0 boosts the mids and a treble boosting pedal in front makes it super tight. Not seen any modeler capture that nuance.
Wow, this is the cleanest Fluff clean tone I ever heard.
I remember back when I was touring that the preamp section of my amp fried and I needed a solution quick. Thankfully I had the floor unit that I was using for pedals and was able to use it as a pre through the effects loop! It totally saved the tour (and my wallet) having one of these being how versatile it was. I got a bunch of compliments on the sound too
i love that the original Line6 effects are crazy, that’s what motivated me to buy a Helix, instead of a quad cortex or any other
I still have a HD Pro X, and I decided to grab a Torpedo Live for cabs and disable the internal cab simulation. Sounds *killer*. The 5150 (Panama) model in particular is nuts.
Daily driver is an Axe-FX 3 these days, but the HD Pro X is still perfectly usable in 2024 tbh.
The rackable unit?
I picked up a cheap one for in front of my computer playing and run an IR loader in the fx loop. The expansion packs are nice
same for the xt and x3. big bottom is the best metal amp model from line6.
@@t.t.2977 cue spinal tap
I seriously love this unit! Absolute monster that served me for a couple of years. If I wasn't strapped for cash I swear I will still have this with me. Insane piece of kit considering how cheap I got it at the time.
I played one of these for almost 13 years and hundreds of shows. Beat the crap out of it but it never, ever failed me. It takes some dialing, but there were some really solid amp models in there, even by today's standards.
I had a Flextone II stadium head and floorboard that I toured with for two years and recorded two albums with and it never failed me one single time.
Even though the modelling isn't 'cutting edge' it still sounds great and holds it's own, especially with the effects and reverbs. No one could go wrong for a starter unit at that price excep[t if you wanted to swap out IR's
hey! I just bought the exact same one last week :) I also had it a few years ago, but missed it and bought it again. that thing has killer tones, sounds great - especially with a dual amp setup. there are some limitations regarding DSP when using all effects blocks and a dual amp setup, but either you don't run all effects blocks like I do, or do as I did - find amps that doesn't require the same amount of DSP.
but some things are not correct here. POD HD Pro X Edit works fine on my Mac with Sonoma 14.5, used it yesterday with no issues whatsoever.
you can also turn off the cabs. just rotate the cab dial all the way to the left and you get "no cab". or use the "PRE" models, which just emulates the preamp.
the interface could be a bit clunky, and some of the amps does not sound good in my ears. BUT, when you've found the ones you liked, tweaked them a bit (master, bias, cabs and microphones make a huge difference), and added the effects you like (same there, some does not sound good, but some really do), you have a pretty great sound. there are limitations, but for the price it's hard to beat.
also, I don't recognize all of the presets, so that could be from a previous owner :) Line6's is not so good either, though :P
would be fun to see you throw it on an "expert" in a different video, maybe someone from Line6 or someone who's still using it :)
great vid, cheers!
I bought the Pod HD PRO X in 2013 and began my recording journey with it. I honestly miss selling the gear, but I had a baby on the way and needed the cash.
I recently bought one and it's sad there's often so many points skimmed over on these types of videos which i ended up discovering and that is you can have great control over the cab simulation settings on these units via the pages in the amp editor, and not just the mic type. You can control the early reflections amount, thump, resonance levels and EQ to really make them pop or shine and sound more defined. This really helped me create consistency for my patches. You can also put an IR loader in the loop of the unit, turn off the cab entirely in the chain and then just add an fx loop block in after your amp and boom, you have access to your own IR's for consistency. The editor software still exists and works ok-ish.. it's old and is what is expected. The floorboard midi control is excellent with assigning and mapping too. It can also be used generically via USB on plugins. All in all though a seriously powerful unit still and probably underutilized to a fraction of its potential by many. I have mine sounding great and global EQ works a treat for band level volumes, I hope it lasts for another 13 years lol
EDIT: I forgot to mention that i still enjoyed this video and it's well made. I like when people touch on breathing new life into old hardware that doesn't need to be wasted. We don't always need to be so hung up on the latest and greatest when you can get bargains like this.
I have 500x I hope it will last for more than 10 years. I really love the sound of it. Irreplaceable
The pod hd pro video is the reason I’m subbed to the channel currently. Such a throwback.
Still have mine and love it! Working well. Great piece of gear.
Filming the display takes me back to the old days of gear videos. Oldschool af!
I loved mine, the Heavy Chords patch was my go to and gives me a huge wave of nostalgia. These were very very popular back in the day for those who couldn’t afford an axe fx.
For me, the HD series was absolutely great. The big problem I found with these units is how the EQ section was presented, indicated by percentage parameters rather than real frequencies. Back in the day I was completely ignorant about these topics and, thefore frustrated because I could not get the sound I wanted from my HD. With the Helix I was kind of forced to learn about frequencies and equalisation and later I gave myself the chance of getting back to the HD (I have them all) and I could dial the EQ with much more knowledge. The same with the cab section and its parameters. These two elemets made me get great tones and I have a HD500X as a backup waiting for a chance...
Oh but you can turn off the cabinets! :D Cycle through the cab menu until ya get to the "no cab" at the end of the options!
Then get a cabinet loader pedal that you can download IR's to and slap that in the FX loop and you have your thrifty man's Helix!
Bonus, if you scroll far enough in the "amps" menu, you get to all the same amps you have, but with "pre" labeled, and it only emulates the preamps! Then if you have a good external poweramp you can send it to that simulates or actually is tube driven, you can use it more accurately with the POD!
What’s a cheap cab loader pedal that’s decent! Super interested in trying it!
@@techno_vato I've been using the Flamma IR found on amazon for like $90... I've had it for a few years at this point and no complaints, easyish to use (will take a bit of figuring to find out exactly how the features work but not bad at all), has option for stereo in/outs, and knobs that control level and high and low pass.
A lot of people dump on line 6 about they’re “ tone” what they all forget is that they paved the way for the tech we have today. It’s like comparing a fort model t to an f250, too much has changed to make that comparison fair.
If you’re willing to spend the hours it takes you could dial in some seriously good tones with it.
The problem is the newer generation wants instant gratification.
@ agreed
If you have the patience or are familiar with line 6 stuff you can get some crazy sounds out of it. Even now I've upgraded everything in my rig but still can't justify buying a Kemper or axe fx. But I just love like 6 stuff. I have an hd500 running thru a synergy 50/50 power amp.
Facts. Some of these dudes in the comments obviously hate on anything that doesn’t deliver instant gratification.😂😂😂
This is a weird thing for me, the POD HD Pro holds a special place in my heart because FamilyJules used this unit from October 2013 to sometime around June 2015, and those tones were my part of my introduction to his music. Ultimately, Jules became my biggest influence of all time, and to this day I want to figure out how to make his lead tone from back then, which given it's a $300 unit nowadays, I might be able to do. If only I didn't have an Axe-FX and would feel weird owning two modelling units for the same purpose...
Ah, a fellow Jules fan. A man of quality.
I used one of these live on tour for years and years. Ran it into a Carvin solid state 1u rack 200w power amp into a Marshall Mode 4 cab. It was ungodly loud and awesome. Also the HD Pro Edit software still exists! The shortcut is sitting on my desktop right now.
i actually reaally miss those days... your what i binge watched in school, still graduated
Used one of these for years in a live band. Utilized the 4 cable method so it went through the effects loop and didn’t mess with the preamp on my 6505. Only used it for overdrives and effects. Since then I’ve went to an axe fx and man, the difference is astounding.
If only these had the ability to load ir's. I didnt really notice a huge difference when I "upgraded" to the pod hd.
You just need to add a pedal with IR (for example, the Mooer « radar ») and remove the CAB.
Technically you could use these with the preamp patches, and use an ir loader pedal after the output
@justinturner653 yeah but Line 6 messed up by not including that option in thelese unita. The technology existed and it would have made these units sound great.
I got a POD HD Pro X for 4CM on a EVH 50w and it's amazing! 10 Wah's, Whammy, perfect I/O's! $240 w/ shortboard mkII. Best 4CM unit for the money!
that heavy sound was actually rad. LOL There's a lot of current modellers that actually sound worse than this!
Line 6 stuff could sound really really good as long as you were willing to put in the time to tweak it up front. It took hours sometimes but I was rarely disappointed in the end.
I have owned A LOT of Line 6 products but my favorites were always the Vetta, hd pro x and pod go. Adding an IR just changes the game for these and makes it just as relevant as newer modelers. Right now I have the 500x and plan on running an ir loader in the mix to make it sound great again.
I recently bought a Line 6 HD400 Live for $120 AUD. Amazing price. I have owned a POD X3 Live for years so when I saw HD400 for sale it was a no brainer. To accompany the HD400 I also bought a Line 6 JM looper pedal as well. All of these units and my Zoom 9.2t are now used in my setup. I also have a Donner Arena 2000, a few different looper pedals, some of my vintage Arion pedals and a few other pedals as well. All of that goes into my Blackstar ID Core 100. Has everything I need and more. Best thing of all is that they were all purchased on a budget. The most I think I paid was for the Zoom 9.2 t which was $320 AUD.
I still have the HD500; was thinking of finding a power supply and getting back into it.
I recall there were at least 4 banks of presets. Fluff was in the one with song presets, which is honestly probably the better one for demos because the others are from the “let’s show the craziest, most exciting settings” school of thought.
I found the HD500 useful for going direct onstage. It got less love in recording situations, but I snuck it in a few times and it served a purpose.
Stuff like this is great for people who want a quiet practice rig and don’t want to mess with downloads. Now that it’s much cheaper, it’s something I recommend for just that purpose sometimes.
I own two and use them weekly; you can turn off the cabinet. Other guitarists couldn't believe that my sound came from this unit every time we played. I pair it with a GT 1000FX power amplifier. Line 6 HD Pro rules, and you can't beat the price.
Hey! Awesome video. I've been using this unit since '15/'16 and have and continue finding awesome uses for it in both practice and live settings! FYI the HD Tone Edit IS available online but unfortunately the POD Monkey program's server connectivity is no longer available. This means that we can still use our desktop to edit software but unfortunately no more updates are being offered for the unit. Regardless, it's an awesome piece of gear! I play in metal bands and love using it for my bass or my guitar while doing vocals.
The greatest, and least appreciated, thing Helix and Quad Cortex have done with modellers is massively improved the UI experience. Aside from no IRs, the effects and amps were basically all there.
Using a Helix is way easier than any previous Pod and using a Quad Cortex in a live situation is a god send if you have to change anything quickly. The Axe FX/FM3 sounds incredible, as do the others, but the UI is an absolute disaster. I noped out of that very quickly.
Captures are also not to be underestimated if you have a live rig you want to capture, and give you flexibility.
you can add an external ir loader in the loop, so this pod can deliver kinda okayish tones still
There was a defect in the unit that outputs harsh frequencies. Turning off the power amp (cabs) removes it, but you have to use your amp cab or external cab sim.
That first roof sounded like my favorite sci-fi movie from the 50s or early 60s when they were dialing in the oscilloscopes getting ready to take off in the spaceship and they were going to travel to Mars yeah this is bringing it back some good old memories
This unit never got the love it deserved, used to use mine 4CM and also into a power amp. it was very capable
I actually still use the POD 2.0,the Bass POD, and the Floorboard, and have an old Windows XP machine with the editor software. For all the POD haters, I have created Tonex amp captures from both and uploaded to Tonex. A couple have been the most liked/most downloaded... LOL
I still use my line 6 POD HD PRO. Just use a 4 cable method and run it through a cab with some vintage 30’s and greenbacks. Still sounds awesome.
It, and even it's rackmount predecessors, are actually worth it these days for all the I/O alone. Reamping is so nice with one of these. I mainly use plugins and the HX Stomp and other modelers, but the L6 rackmount units are very useful tanks.
I remember this HD Pod series had bass freq heavy sounds compared to previous ones. I would call them muddy and dark. I had it always connected to computer & Behringer monitors.
Lovely recap of this classic. Old tech I know but still love it, man.. some killer tones really in.. 👌🏻
Hand me a cane. 2011 was 13 years ago? Holy shit. I remember scoring a used Pro X for $300 and it changed my life
This still sounds amazing. I miss mine so much gee thanks
Fluff, I just bought one a couple months ago from my local L&M. I got it for $420CAD with tax. The desktop software is still available on the L6 website. I'm on a 10+ year old PC with Windows 10, though. I'd really love to see you revisit this with software, as knobs and screen only are ruff. It's a really cool unit! I like mine a lot. Hope to see a follow up soon!
A few months back I was able to pick up a positive grid bias head for $250, it has a 600w power amplifier built in and it doesn't sound half bad. I remember looking at them on Sweetwater back in like 2018 and they were going for $1300. I realise it's not the latest and greatest out there but it doesn't sound bad and it's one hell of a practice rig anyway lol. comes in handy when I'm trying to find a tone that one of my tube amps will not do. or if you're a beginner and you just want something a little better than a cheap practice amp it's not a bad choice either. everyone is always after the latest and greatest equipment and so you can find stuff like this out there cheap that will actually sound pretty decent.
I still have this exact model and use it often .It is one of my favorite amp sims , and the software is still useable on windows 👌👌
I still use the software on mac too 🤷🏿♂️
I"m still using my bean - mostly as a quick and easy solution for online jam-a-long stuff. Added a cheap wireless and no cords to roll over.
It's crazy to see how popular the POD units and software are in the community. These products have a cult classic vibe associated with them now!
These old racks units still have some great utility! I paired an ElevenRack with my amp for FX only, using midi to control everything.
Back, when the Eleven Rack came out, i wanted it so badly.I thought it sounded superior to everything that has been out there at that time. Looking back i don't regret not buying it. But it looked awesome 😀
@TinoSchulz1990 your right! It looks awesome. It is really outdated with limited fx compared to the newer modelers. I just really like the rack format lol
@@mattfire83 Yeah. I've been touring with a Helix LT (prior to my Boss GT-10 setup) for years. It worked. But when i got my Kemper Rack i was so happy to have my main unit working in a rack for me and not have to fear about beer-spills (or whatever liquid 😀) onto my board.
Having a rack unit also means shorter cable runs and therefore a cleaner input + output signal. I barely touched a noise gate since then.
I could have gone with a Helix Rack but i got a used Kemper Rack for very cheap in great condition. Programmed it in my studio, took it out on tour and got very positive feedback from my band members and our FOH engineer.
@TinoSchulz1990 congrats on a great rig, and living the dream of touring! I'm with you on beer spilling, I've lost some pedals too. I agree with what you said about less cables! I hated running 80 feet of cables just to use the fx loop of my amp. It is all nice and tidy inside the rack case!
My music journey started with line 6 and I used line 6 gear for the first 8 years of writing and recording demos, I would love to get my hands on one of these some day
I had one for a few years, and I thought it was overly difficult to use. There were good sounds in there, but there were thousands of bad ones. Upgraded to an HX Stomp and have had much better luck. Don’t even sort of miss the HD Pro.
Yes i agree i have the POD HD Desk top and do not use it that much anymore because like you said it is difficult to use and i just lose interest in using it and the amp models are all over the place some good some not so good!
you can still get the hd pro edit software on their site
Cool demo, fluff 😎🤘🏻🎸 some of these tones sounded pretty cool. I use to have an original line 6 bass pod a long time ago and at the time, I’ve explored some great tones. I no longer have it, but I had great memories exploring tones with it. Other than that, this line 6 rack mount has some great tones. My brother and my friend has a line 6 hx stomp and it has some killer tones.
You can turn off the cabinent emulation and then use an IR loader on the back end. You will be surprised how good it sounds with modern IR's instead of the internal cabs.
I still love my hd500x (it has 10 years working no issues), i only add the mooer radar and improve the cabs, the day it dies, then i will see a helix, fractal or whatever, i dont need more :D cheers man!
I was a faithful Line 6 user with Variax even. I went back to analog and tube amps. However, recently,I purchased an old POD XT Live. IMHO, it was the most reliable, easiest user interface and great sounding unit. Still gig with a pedalboard though.
I dug my pod HD500. Was pretty neat - especially when I found out how to turn off cab sims and run it into an IR loader. Sounded pretty okay! Kinda wanted to revisit it now that I have better setups/better ears/better knowledge of tone, but I've long since sold it.
Yeah there seems to be a defect in the unit that outputs harsh frequencies. Turning off the power amp (cabs) removes it, but you have to use your amp cab or external cab sim.
I had the last "Bean" - Pod X3, and that was my primary jamming tool up until I purchased my Fractal Audio FM-9 Turbo almost 2 years ago now...
I still have my Johnson J Station. I just can't seem to part ways with it. When most people bought the Kidney Pod I went with the J Station.
I discovered if I run the output into my IR pedal I can get some pretty decent tones out of it.
Kids these days have no idea how good the multi-fx pedals and modelers available right now are compared to what we had available to us twenty five years ago.
bought one about a year ago for 200 bucks with foot controller, use it mostly in the loop for my 5150iii for effects, and a backup unit in case something goes wrong, or its a smaller gig. but its a badass unit, had the floor model years ago. dont sleep on this unit they go for like 300 bucks now and still sound great. theres a lil bit of a learning curve for the interface but theyre rock solid.
also, I still can currently use the PC software, so I dont know what fluff is talking about
It sounded way better than I thought it would.
This is more of a reaction video to an old unit and vaguely mocking it than evaluating whether it's still useful for today's purposes. Some research getting reacquainted with it might have helped.
I don't consider this old. I used the kidney bean as a GIT student in 1999. I later used the POD XT Pro and POD X3. Prior to that I used an ART SGX 2000 Express from 1996. Old is an Alesis MIDIVerb, an Echoplex, or some of the Sansamp pedals and rack units (which still sound amazing, especially for bass).
Most rack units of the 90s and 00s up to 2006 or so sounded fine for cleans, time based effects, and solo tones but the rhythms could sound a bit thin and fizzy. Most rhythm stuff sounded like a boosted Valvestate. It was hard to get something like a believable Plexi sound from one of these units.
Most of this stuff, along with the Rocktron Prophesy, Digi Eleven Rack, etc., is now laughed at by modern guitarists who only started playing once the Axe FX (2006) and Kemper Profiler (2011) were a thing. New players tend to see impulse responses as the solution to all tone problems.
I see these intermediate age rack units as good deals because you're getting so many sounds and options for the same price of one to a few high priced pedals. It's all about knowing how to dial them in. I would collect them while they're cheap as they give a unique, colored, yet vaguely retro tone all their own. I can't tell one Axe FX or Kemper player from another, especially since the same group of amps are widely emulated by various companies.
As cheap as these units are now used, they're a steal for a rig starting out. Putting such power into a rack unit also makes such tweakability more portable than a floor unit offering many of the same features since they have to cram so much stuff onto a small chassis.
Even the interface and look on this unit is superior to the Axe FX 3 with all of the POD's knobs, even if the POD's LCD UI is inferior.
The downside is the software not working/being updated and if they die you have no solution to fix them short of replacing them. They would probably cost more to repair than to buy new outright. And you don't know what stuff or firmware the previous users have put into the unit.
There is a planned obsolescence involved in these things because they are software driven, just like there will be with the Axe FX 3. That's the downside with modern, software driven, cloud connected units.
On the upside, you have analog alternatives like an old Mesa Triaxis, ADA MP1/2, or Marshall JMP-1, but good luck if the analog parts fail.
About the only upside I see to expensive new modern units is the presets sound better out of the box. This only makes everyone sound like everyone else, though, especially since people can now swap presets digitally.
I still get great tones out of Pod Farm Platinum 2.5 from 2011. There are also more tutorials for older units than newer ones. Piracy and ever plummeting prices for new software and gear mean there's no real need to buy anything new anymore. The price to tone improvement ratio is not sufficient to be a good value, and most of today's complex models are best for studio use.
For those who only need a rhythm sound, a clean sound, and a solo sound--the vast majority of metal players--the simpler the interface, the better.
However, if a unit is less powerful because it is a floor unit and chops the features down to hit a certain size and price point, I consider that unacceptable since it limits the amount of tweaking you can do to reach your ideal three tones (clean, rhythm, and solo). Racks for me all the way, especially if you're going to need to pair a power amp with them anyway to run to a cabinet and are not going direct to FOH.
I still have the floor version of this, which I recently replaced with the Helix. Before the HD500X , I had the XT Live before that, which also had a rack version. So there have been three rack versions of the Pod.
I remember a decade ago I used a line 6 POD Pro Rack. That thing sounded amazing for what it was. I now use the Avid Eleven rack with the Soldano SLO100 clean patch with the black face distortion. The older amp sims actually hold a lot more weight than the more modern in terms of affordability.
I still use a Pod HD 500 as my main live rig. It still holds up. I usually run an eq in the front of the chain in the preset, or after the cab to clean up some of the harsh frequencies.
Yeah there seems to be a defect in the unit that outputs harsh frequencies. Turning off the power amp (cabs) removes it, but you have to use your amp cab or external cab sim.
The pre's ot that Line & era are pretty decent even to today's standarts! If you run that into a power amp, valves or not, or even into a return of any amo, it will sound very nice!
Both guitar players in my band use Boss GT10 and Line 6 HD500 from 2011 and it sounds very nice!
The line 6 goes to a Rocktron Velocity 300 and into an Harley Benton 412 cab with Vintage 30's. The Boss gt10 Goes to the return of a 50watt valve Randall combo and into an Engl 4x12 with Vintage 60's! They both sound nice even comparing to more modern stuff!
Such a good memories of my POD HD500, which was the pedal version. Honestly I also remembered this sounding worse. Not bad!
i had the same. it wasnt bad, but there was always a bit of fizz that was a pain to dial out. I upgraded to an axe fx 2 and it is much better (although obviously more expensive/ modern so not a very fair comparison)
I still have an old HD147 😂
Plays great to this day.
I had one of these. Genuinely a solid unit.
I feel like back in the day and still the companies today make presets that are a kind of extreme setting to show off what it can do
I still own my hd300 and pod 2.0 lol.
I love them.
I am having issues with my drivers and I can’t manipulate the tone with the software anymore but I can still modifying with my fingers and the knobs. I think still sounds great.
I used to have a POD HD500X and you could get some pretty cool tones by sweeping the EQ and taking out whistly frequencies.
The 11R still sounds great. You can disable the cab and put an IR loader in the loop. I bet you can pick up an 11R for less than $250.
I still use my POD X3 Pro everyday and I still enjoy it.
I was messing with mine last year. And I put a Revv 4G red pedal in the FX loop as my amp then used a torpedo M+ on the out and it worked great
5:55 that tripped me out for a second NGL
Can anybody tell me if my thought is wrong on this? When I had the pods I was able to turn the cabs off.
You're able to.
I remember always wanting one of these and never being able to afford it. When I finally could afford it, the Helix was released so o got one of them instead. Now I’m looking at a Helix Rack with the foot controller.
I still use this live. No one can believe the tone that comes out of it even with shitty stock Jackson pickups
I have the floor model version of that. Think i am gonna sell it now after getting Tonex to be honest. It was great for what it did, but the Tonex is just insane now especially with the new effects!
Get the ampero 2
@@jcalzada74 I have been curious about those.
@@ZacharyMoonshine the mew version is bad ass
I'm planning on running the Tonex in the FX Loop of the HD500X to give more accurate amp & cab sounds - there are way more effects to enjoy in the HD500X with those base tones than in the new Tonex firmware.
@@neilthomas8329 yes if you need more than its worth it. I really don't use that much so kind of not needed for me.
I bought one of these Line 6 rackmount models once. I just remember it sounding very thin, lacking low end.
Fact check: some of the later versions of the red POD “bean” had the ability to disable amp and/or cab. I had an XT and was able to do this. 🫘
Works on HD series as well.
The software editor is still on the website
🎉
No Apple Silicone tho
@@RiffsAndBeards Yes, there is :)
The software program is called Pod HD Pro X edit. I have this processor. I got the software from the Line 6 website. It's available now, and free.
I miss mine. I sold it to the bassist in my previous band because he had no way to record because I had a helix. The Helix has more horsepower, but I liked the tones I got out of my HD Pro X better.
Take me back to a simpler time, when I was dialing in Chimp Spanner ambient patches…. My 1101 smoked it so it didn’t stay.
I grabbed one of these off Reverb very cheap, the HD Pro X version, and its been fun to use. I recall these were in Dinos rig(Fear Factory) for a while.
I'd love to hear some of the modellers from that era (POD HD, Vetta, Axe FX Standard etc) paired up with modern IR files. I bet they'd hold up surprisingly well.
I pair mine with ML Sound Labs MIKKO 2 and it sounds sick! I want to get a small IR Loader Pedal and use it as a back up and fly rig
@@tonykay6020 I'd well believe it. Im sure the modelling isnt quite up to the same standards as the newer platform/plugins but a good IR file goes a long way.
it does sound very cool and you can stack amps, which is nice
I remember you shared your presets with me after I message you . 😅 time flies
Its not bad if you add some modern irs. You can disable their cabs. Either per preset or globally
People would be amazed at how many metal albums used pod farm through the years! lol
I bought one in 2019, because I will never have the money to have an Axe FX 3😫. But it's ok, good sounds. Now set in my Studio Desk
I have this unit and I use it with a Mooer Radar on the FX loop to compensate the shitty IR's it has by default and it sounds massive, anyway I think its best thing are the FX
I just picked one of these up a few weeks ago. The drivers allegedly support Windows 10 & 11, but they cause constant blue screens even when only using the editor app. This computer has never had a BSOD in the 2 years since I built it. The IO on the unit also sucks for use in a studio. If the USB drivers worked, it only has a 2x2 interface that can only record wet or dry signals (not a split wet/dry feed) and can't re-amp over USB. The SPDIF connection has the same wet or dry limitation and CANNOT sync to an external clock if you have a real interface. But SPDIF can be used for re-amping.
I need to unload it and pick up a Pod Go. I already snagged Helix Native on the early Black Friday sale.