LINE 6 X3 LIVE/X3 Officially Released

When you play though any amp, your tone is coloured already. That's why I think having a pure source straight from pedals to the amp is the best sound I can hear. But at home, when you record with the POD, you don't need amps. Just connect it via USB, and use the built-in amps, which you can still tailor your sound to. That's why I don't like to use it LIVE.

Hehe, that's why your suggestion of using direct to PA might've been a solution mah..

anyway, I'm also not able to get a good live sound with my GT-8. Like I said I can't seem to cut thru the mix, would love any tips from multi efx units users. I have yet to try the XT Live in a band setting, will do so soon. =)

I will most def get a X3 for home use though. Shiokanathan toy.
 
i run my pod xtl through the return effects loop of the amp so i juz use the amp as a PA bypassing the eq on the amp.but the speaker still affects the tone so gota do a lil tweaking to compensate for diff types of amps. the pod xtl has a specific function for this so its pretty easy.

i think if u have problems cutting through the mix you could increase the mids and highs as much as u can without changing the tone too much or making it too sharp.might work.

never really had this problem.....
 
i use my pod xt thru a pair of wharfdales at home and using the PA output function. with this, the sounds i am able to get out of the pod is very very gd. and that is how i find my sounds and store them for my gigs.
Problem comes in when you are jamming outside or performing. Chances are you will not be able to play thru pa and have to go direct to amp. Usually you will have to adjust the mids and highs from the amp to balance things out. i try not to readjust my patches.
Another thing i will do is to play through the 'cleanest amp' available. Fender frontman works fine, but pushing the pod into a marshall amp is no go for me...my patches sounds totally out from what i stored them for.
 
wah, this new pedal seems so promising

its got an effects loop in it too, meaning unlike the pod xt/pod xt live, you can run your other individual stompboxes through the signal chain

another plus point that seems promising in the video, is since there are 2 rigs, means mi bassist and i can share this pedal, or i could use 1 rig for vocals, the other for guitar, or best, blend 2 different rigs and and do those really nice distortion swells
 
soyzabean:

"i run my pod xtl through the return effects loop of the amp so i juz use the amp as a PA bypassing the eq on the amp."


hey, I'm wondering if you use the efx loop of an amp, will it really prevent the preamp from colouring your tone? i always had the impression that no matter where u plug ur efx, the amp's preamp stage would colour the tone... skipping the parametric EQ is just like making the EQ knobs at 12 o'clock? no?

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jeremyrozario:

"its got an effects loop in it too, meaning unlike the pod xt/pod xt live, you can run your other individual stompboxes through the signal chain"

hey Jeremy! yeah if u compare the x3 with the xt, this is 1 new great feature feature. but if u compare it with the gt8, the gt8 would not already have had this feature, the gt8 also allows u to place your external stomp box loop between any efx in any sequence u want as if the loop was one of the inbuilt efx.

i don't have much experience with pod nor the gt8, but from what I'm reading on the line6 website, it seems to me that the pod would only allow you to place a fixed sequence of efx before OR after the amp modelling effect, which would behave much like the effect loop on real amps. but it doesn't allow you to organise your efx the way you want them to be... anyone can clarify this point?

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"another plus point that seems promising in the video, is since there are 2 rigs, means mi bassist and i can share this pedal, or i could use 1 rig for vocals, the other for guitar, or best, blend 2 different rigs and and do those really nice distortion swells"

Yep that's what they claim on the line6 site... an advantage over the gt8's variation where only one instrument can be plugged in at one time... but both has 2 channels and 2 outputs in which u can make 2 different rigs with and plug into 2 different amps.. the vocals and bass efx on the x3 seems enticing... imagine a lead singer who plays guitar too, spend the $ on 1 pedal which can handle vocal efx (esp the impt compressor which is so darn important for mics) and his guitar at the same time...
 
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mad were wolf boy. haha well kinda la, but the 12 oclock gives it a slight eq boost so it changes the sound slightly more.so better to juz run it through the effects loop. this is what works best for me.

yeap, youre right, even though u bypass the eq it still colours the tone cos of the diff speakers. thats why gota compensate by tweaking the general eq of the pod. :D
 
Should be the same as all the previous PODs with the added capacity for 2 guitar rigs as well as an inclusion of bass preamps (though the bass preamps can also be seen in other Line 6 hardware like Toneport).

Considering all my options now and I am starting to consider going for the XT 3 myself, simply cos it's packed laden with features. Arggh! Decisions decisions... :?

On a side note, I have just purchased a recent copy of Computer Music Magazine Special Issue. This month it talks about GUITAR RECORDING: how does digital amp emulators compare with traditional analog amp to mic, techniques of mic'ing and amp, hardwares, softwares, mics etc etc. It really gave an in depth look at how it is done by the pros.

It also reinforces the point that mic'ing an amp and cab is not as easy as it seems. I highly recommend this issue to anyone who is looking to record their guitars 8)
 
oh from that site, another diff between gt8 and x3 is that the gt8 allow a max of 13 effect blocks while the x3 allows a max of 9 effects at once...

not sure if the x3 and x3 live would both cap out at 9 though...
 
Got it from Borders today.

It's pretty in depth. It started of with an article where they invited three traditional-minded guitar players, Lee Russell, Ecki and Mick taylor (some of you probably know them) and basically put them through recording a track with guitars in it through 3 different methods:

1) by traditinal mic-ing which cost ungodly and so much more complicated than you think.

2) by hardware and software ie a DI to POD XT chain which some of us will be familiar with.

3) by software alone. They used IK Mutimedia Amplitube 2 which is sorta like Guitar Rig.

They were then asked to put their thoughts about the three processes, and the consensus is that even though they love the real mic to amp beat, it is just unrealistic for home recording to have such a set up.

I quote:

"I think it's worth pointing out that once that sound hit the SM 57 on a real amp, it then travelled through over 7k (British Pounds) of outboard gear before hitting the computer. The fact we had all the stuff making the Vox (AC 15) as good as it can possibly be, and we're still even talking about the POD and Amplitube in the same breath, is an amazing achievement for digital sound. In a home studio, that makes digital option an absolute no-brainer."

Another quote:

When asked by his assistant if the software's power devalues the sound, Lee replied, "I don't think it matters. This music we spend months recording - it gets wrecked into MP3s and People steal it anyway. How much more devalued can it be? If AmpliTube can be good enough for people to make a record, that also gets wrecked into MP3 and stolen: great! Anyway, enough of that - let's record. Do we like this?"

*plays a chord*

"Yep."

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It also teaches about mic positioning:

Single close mic - 1 mic pointing to teh speaker at zero distance to 8 inches. Nearer to the center cone, the brighter the sound. Moving the mic to the outer edge gives more bottom end.

2 close mics - 1 mic at a perpendicular position, another at a 45 degree angle. Best done with identical mics. Thinner sound can be ashieved if teh mic is out of phase with each other.

Close and Distant Mic combo - 1 or 2 close mics as described above and another one (prefereably condensor) at a raised height pointing towards he amp, anywhere from 6 inches to a few feet away. Record each mic separately for more flexbility in the mixing stage.

Front and Back Mic'ing - Ah... this was I had mentioned earlier. This is best for an open backed combo amp.

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There's also a section on recommended virtual amps and fx, software guitarrs, audio interfaces and mics, as well as a section tone design and EQ tricks, and how to recreate the sound of power metal

And that is just half of its content... :twisted:
 
The fact we had all the stuff making the Vox (AC 15) as good as it can possibly be, and we're still even talking about the POD and Amplitube in the same breath, is an amazing achievement for digital sound.

So err... anyone selling a Vox AC 15? :twisted:
 
I think the coolest thing about the X3 is that you can run through 2 amps, which is what some people do...

I can only imagine the tonal possiblities... Running a High Gain amp, and a Clean Matchless Chieftain on the other.... Thick overdrive with great articulation of the attack and notes.
 
It's kinda interesting that the next gen multi efx such as the Vox Tonelab LE and Zoom G9.2u utilizes a preamp tube while Line6 has chosen to stick strictly to digital logarithms. I still feel the xt3 to be somewhat a repackaged ala tweaked xtl. Given their recent innovation in their spider valve amps combining tube and digital technology, I was expecting the same for their new flagship multiefx. Oh well.
 
2 separate signal chain is good, BUT... ...2 instruments is where the x3 has an edge over the gt8... 2 into 1 pedal... can share with bandmates haha
 
I've just pre-ordered a PoD X3 Live from City Music because at their sale price of $660, Its cheaper than a Boss GT8 which I was also eyeing mainly for the effects loop. Going to make full use of its guitar effects, external loop, computer recording functionalities and also, the vocal effects since I do some vox for my band.

It'll be quite interesting as my first multi-effects pedal. I'll compare it with my friends' multi effects when the shipment comes in!
 
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