Boss GT-8 -vs- POD XT Live

[ttimothyy]

Hi guys,

I have finally saved enough money for a new effects pedal.

Basically, I need some help from you effect gurus here.

I am deciding which pedal to get. Either a Boss GT-8 or a POD XT Live.

I am new to using all these effects thingy hence not getting single pedals.

The music influence I have are from bands like:
- Greenday
- Switchfoot
- Nickelback
- Maroon 5
- Lostprophets
- U2
- Bon Jovi

So that's what I hope the effect pedal can help me with. As in getting close to the sounds these bands use for their music. I do most of the solos in my bands. Other than that, I just play chords, etc. So would these 2 effects be advisable?

I am using an epiphone les paul.

Hope you guys could help me out with the "pros and cons" of these 2 pedals. Thanks so much guys!

Really appreciate it.

 

[eugen3]

you might wanna try the SEARCH function? haha maybe can find some answers from there...

 

[audio]

include GNX3000 in your options also..u wont regret

try all 3 and compare..

last but not least, try to search online where ppl share patches..
if its important to u.

 

[gizh]

i think you should get POD Xt live....i have not used it yet, but my friend is using for playing live..it is so cool...with multy function in choosing the effect..you can make it as a tube pre amp for your analog effect....the pedal is deep enough for your volume and wah..hehehehe...GT-8 is quite complicated and not comforttable...hahaha

 

[hydrogencynide]

use none... go for single pedals...

all 3 works best WITHOUT an amp... take note

 

[dunplayplay]

hey i have used xt live for more den a year..playing at least twice a week in
studios with mashall amps and weekly for church service live..and the tones are very good..trust me..if u can tweak it to ur liking...it will sound realie good..

best thing is..sometimes if i cannot get the tone i wan on xt live, i just use
it as a pre-amp modeler, and link up analog pedals with it..and thus, i tell u
the amp modelers are realie good...

since ure a starter, starting out on xt live will be a very good choice.. =)

 

[eugen3]

tink the zoom g9.2tt is a good choice. retails at luther for $555 which is really reasonable.

 

[BrokenWingz]

Hope tis helps and not confuses!

use none... go for single pedals...

I agree with hydrogencynide,

Most pros, well even if u aint a pro or a money making factory, would like/prefer/want to create their own Signature tone/sound!

u can only do that using single effects/stompboxes! (though some mite disagree) or u can mix singles wif multi's

besides, using precessors/multi-efx's are proly too digitalised! although its more compact and covenient to carry arnd, single effects/stompboxes gifs u the chance and choice to customise ur tone/sound to what u want or like, and also not forgetting, u only get what u need/require/want to use in ur style of song or playing stlye! thus eleminating the extra efx's like
phaser la, phlanger la, tis la or dat la .... u knw wat i mean .... the ones u wont use!

and as for singles, different brands gif different performances and sound, can be a headache choosing la but den again, there wont be any fun if there was only 1 or 2 brands or models to choose from rite? haha!

they may be more costly to multi-efx's no doubt ...

there's always + and - to both sides!

Ultimately, the final decision is urs, cos its ur $$$!
juz make sure u get the correct info u need, and don regret too much!

Another alternative .... go arnd shops, try it out!
Got frens who are pedal junkies, try it out!
try try try ... if not you'l waste $$$ blindly and end up cry cry cry!

Juz my 2cents worth!

Generaly, when it comes to Qs on Single pedals or Multi-efx's,
ppl who advise usualy hv initially used Multi-efx's and/or Single pedals and hv had some kinda bad experience with one of them and switched to the other one! so its all a matter of personal preference!

u gotta find urs and do a further research!

Cheers!

 

[theblueark]

This one looks like an interesting alternative to the bulky XT Live.

If you like the POD sounds anyway.

 

[hydrogencynide]

haha... i am a long time user of multi efx... not to say that they sound bad...

but after a while... u will come to a point where u feel that the tone u initially went for no longer satisfy u...
and u look at ur effects list... try all... but like none...
u look at ur own patch... be awed by the no of effects u DONT use..

thats me... thats why i junked off my multi effects... and starting from scratch to collect pedals... cos at this point of time.. i know what are the effects i want

 

[subversion]

i've come full circle- no FX- pedals- multi FX- back to striaght through plug in.

but between the 2, i'll go with the GT8. i've heard it in use & made aware of its features- very useful & the tones produced are above average.

 

[ttimothyy]

thanks a lot guys.. well, i guess i should slowly search right? do u guys know anywhere where they recommend pedals or teach you how to link them all up together?

 

[theblueark]

Here?

I reccommend not reccommending pedals but listening for yourself what you feel is what you would like. Everyone has different tastes and every pedal has it's place from the most flat response to the most compressed, from the most no gain to the most high gain, from the most normal to the most weird. All have uses in the correct context.

As for linking them up there are just a couple of "rules" that can be easily bent or broken, as to where to place which effect, if you want to scratch the surface.

But if you want to learn gain structure and stacking, or even more in detail, impedence matching, that'll take someone who knows more to slowly explain to you.

If you're new to the world of pedals, then your earlier thought was a good one, get a multi effects with a good resale value and experiment experiment experiment. Spend hour upon hour tweaking and tweaking and listening. Also, go and jam with friends and such. Your tones in your bedroom will sound quite different once you're in a band. In time your ears will start to tell you what you like, what sounds good, what works, and what doesn't.

 

[GunToHeart]

hay ttimothyy!

i have experience with xt live and gt8 and both are great for what they do. If you had to choose ONE, id go for the GT8. My rationale being that line 6 multifx are alittle sterile sounding, and the GT8 has a lot more flexibility with what you can do with the sounds i.e. better eq, comp options. Overall, it is built better and will last you longer. pod xt knobs suck ass and the expression pedal isnt all that great.

 

[eugen3]

i read some harmony central reviews on the gt8 and it said that the distortion models were harsh, sharp, unpractical and unusable... is it true?

 

[theblueark]

If you can't be bothered to sit for an hour or more to tweak it perfectly then probably yes.

 

[ttimothyy]

ah wonderful..

thanks so much guys.. appreciate everything!

any kind bros here would be willing to teach me more abt the GT-8 when I get mine? haha!

 

[eljo89]

not at all.. GT8 definitely outdoes the pod xt live. got a guitarist from my church hu uses n xt live n its pretty noisey n doesnt sound too good, even when compared 2 the pod xt. GT8 can work wonders if u spend enuff time on it but i'd still go wif single effects.

 

[penta-tonic]

hey tim, if u ask me id say go for a multi fx if u wanna play around. hey broken wings, i wonder what makes u say u cant get ur signature sound using a multi fx? in fact if u really think that way then id say pple cant use analog stomp boxes to get their signature sound cos all the pros out there r running through their big amps and stuff. tim, my recommendation is the multi effects cos just for a little less real sound or so most pple say (though most cant seem to tell apart) theres better options in it. for whats worth id recommend the vox tonelab SE. and btw most of the pple around use analog pedals but after hearing so many of them live i feel that all that talk of tone has blown to the wind cos they still end up sounding like buzzy and fizzy trash.

or like what subby has recommended. guitar > amp. there is no real substitute for a good tube amp.

 

[bluepowder]

I have had my gt-8 for months now...and yea...it takes time..to dial in the capability of this pedal..it requires knowledge...not anythign technical as such..but of the pedal itself...any demo..at a shop canot possibly show you the potential of this pedal...the pod xtlive is simpler in the sense...what you buy is whatu get...the gt-8 is something like what you buy is more than what you get...

The GT-8 wins hands down in my book....sure you can have endless debates...about how the XT Live has better amp modellers...and how the GT-8 has better modulation and pretty much everything else..

but fact of the matter is...they will not give you an analog sound...so such comparisons are of no use...I do however feel that the GT-8 has gotten as close as it can to being the real thing....if I were you,I would buy a GT-8 and a keyboard amplifier(yep multieffectors like this work best with keyboard amps or speakers)...

pm me if u need more info...


cheers