View other reviews for this product:
Audiofanzine FR « Excellent but delicate to program »
Published on 12/16/10 at 05:48Originally written by Koub on Audiofanzine FR.
I guess everybody knows the applications and sound of this product.
UTILIZATION
The manual is not very clear and Line6's humor is still the same: not the best...
However, you'll get on with it but it's clearly a borderline.
Configuring the multi-effects is rather easy but considering the complexity of the settings, especially if you want to use it live with a combo, I think it's suicidal to edit all parameters from the unit. Luckily, a small software (Line6 Edit) allows you to configure, in a few clicks, the whole device from your PC via USB connection. The GI is simple and very clear.
SOUND QUALITY
Most effects sound very good, especially the Tube Screamer emulation which is as good and essential as the real stompbox. You also get very good delay, fuzz and chorus effects.
On the other hand, I don't like the reverbs — they sound a bit dirty. Competitor products offer better sounding reverbs.
I use the product with my Variax and it's nice to be able to change the preset, the guitar and even the tuning with a single footswitch. This feature is amazing (if you play a Variax).
As usual with Line6, the amp simulations are awesome. Compared with the Pod (my old Pod 2.0 just got broken after more 10 years of use), the clean sound has been improved considerably.
While the Pod provided a Rectifier simulation which sounded much better than the other models for heavy metal, I find that on the Pod XT Live it sounds worst than the Marshall and especially the fantastic Soldano Solo 100.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for one year.
Excellent product for home studio applications (I think Line6 is unbeatable in this field). It's much more tricky with an amp. You'll have to spend a lot of time editing the sounds.
I use it with an old Hughes & Kettner combo (Attax 80). I needed time to get an acceptable sound but now it's fine. Personally, to get the best result, I use the "combo power amp" output mode and I connect it to the return of my combo.
I also deactivate the speaker simulation since the mic emulation is automatically deactivated.
My tip to get a killer sound: fine tune the EQ settings. Luckily, the EQ is extremely effective with the Line6 Edit software. It allows you to compensate the response of your speaker and/or your amp. Boosting the high frequencies or the low-mids changes the sound radically. It is THE most essential parameter!
Once you understood this, everything goes fine: the product has a comprehensive set of features, is extremely versatile and sounds good even with my old solid-state amp.
I would buy it again considering that I got it for peanuts, including a flight case. And with a Variax guitar, the product deploys even more power.
Without Variax, the Zoom G9 is perhaps its main competitor. The second guitar player in my band owns one and gets an amazing sound, however not as versatile...
I guess everybody knows the applications and sound of this product.
UTILIZATION
The manual is not very clear and Line6's humor is still the same: not the best...
However, you'll get on with it but it's clearly a borderline.
Configuring the multi-effects is rather easy but considering the complexity of the settings, especially if you want to use it live with a combo, I think it's suicidal to edit all parameters from the unit. Luckily, a small software (Line6 Edit) allows you to configure, in a few clicks, the whole device from your PC via USB connection. The GI is simple and very clear.
SOUND QUALITY
Most effects sound very good, especially the Tube Screamer emulation which is as good and essential as the real stompbox. You also get very good delay, fuzz and chorus effects.
On the other hand, I don't like the reverbs — they sound a bit dirty. Competitor products offer better sounding reverbs.
I use the product with my Variax and it's nice to be able to change the preset, the guitar and even the tuning with a single footswitch. This feature is amazing (if you play a Variax).
As usual with Line6, the amp simulations are awesome. Compared with the Pod (my old Pod 2.0 just got broken after more 10 years of use), the clean sound has been improved considerably.
While the Pod provided a Rectifier simulation which sounded much better than the other models for heavy metal, I find that on the Pod XT Live it sounds worst than the Marshall and especially the fantastic Soldano Solo 100.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for one year.
Excellent product for home studio applications (I think Line6 is unbeatable in this field). It's much more tricky with an amp. You'll have to spend a lot of time editing the sounds.
I use it with an old Hughes & Kettner combo (Attax 80). I needed time to get an acceptable sound but now it's fine. Personally, to get the best result, I use the "combo power amp" output mode and I connect it to the return of my combo.
I also deactivate the speaker simulation since the mic emulation is automatically deactivated.
My tip to get a killer sound: fine tune the EQ settings. Luckily, the EQ is extremely effective with the Line6 Edit software. It allows you to compensate the response of your speaker and/or your amp. Boosting the high frequencies or the low-mids changes the sound radically. It is THE most essential parameter!
Once you understood this, everything goes fine: the product has a comprehensive set of features, is extremely versatile and sounds good even with my old solid-state amp.
I would buy it again considering that I got it for peanuts, including a flight case. And with a Variax guitar, the product deploys even more power.
Without Variax, the Zoom G9 is perhaps its main competitor. The second guitar player in my band owns one and gets an amazing sound, however not as versatile...