Why I sold my Axe FX... for a Line 6 Pod X3 Live?! 

I have a friend exactly like that! He actually gave me his "bean" after buying a Spider 2 head for about $60. He has it connected to a Mesa oversized cab and (somehow) makes it sound like he's playing a Mark iv/v. Crazy stuff.

yeah, sometimes the best gear its not all, my lead guitarist use a metal zone, a cheap squier bullet with an emg 81 on bridge and a mooer noise gate, he sound so much better than me and i got a "better" gear (mooer ge200, ltd mh350nt) but well, he play guitar since 2006 and i play guitar since 2014, the experience talk

The first Scar Symmetry album was done with a POD xt and so was Devin Townsend's Ziltoid album. I've also seen the old POD 2.0 being used by touring musicians through a power amp and it sounded amazing. There's life in these old units yet.

Your always better knowing how to use a piece of kit really well. Knowing how to get that tone you want. Having a half assed knowledge of this week's fav will never be as good

I wanted to start recording and mixing music recently and I have an old X3 Live around. How good is it for recording purposes? I'm talking about the preamp quality for voice recording, because I know it's cool for guitar and bass at least for what I need at the moment.

I like mine... my foot buttons are starting to die though....

Talk about it.. My first second tone switch was lose, slowly faded. Last night was having a great seshh.. N today it won't turn on.. I'm like wtf happened Any idea(s) what I should /can do! Esp during this lockdown.

OMG, did you just assume his guitar preference?!

Kelvin he was right though...

You the man now, dog.

It's amazing!

nate do you have instagram ??

@Robert Morrow If sometimes people get carried away by the publicity and opinion of famous musicians and end up spending thousands of dollars unnecessarily. They do not take into account that the channels of thousands of followers and famous musicians receive money from companies to promote their products, and say that it is the best of the market. But with much cheaper and older products you can sound the same or better than with Kemper, helix etc.

Leon Todd thank you man! Been drooling over your singlecut for a while now! I'd love to get one of those in the future.

I will agree. Both are amazing products!

Travis Griffin that would be amazing! I would love to see that. I'm excited, fractal emailed me an hour ago saying that there are a few AX8s available. I'm excited to get it.

Ghost in the Machine I love the Axe so much

@alphasxsignal But if you can sound better with the Pod X3 than a Kemper or Axe Fx ll you would not have to wait for the axe lll or after the axe lV etc. Sometimes you do not need to spend thousands of dollars to have a quality tone, with the oldest and cheapest products knowing how to use them, you can have the sound you need.

Robert Haskin I bought one from fractal. I was only on the wait list about a week and a half!

Robert Haskin by the way thank you! And I hope the AX 8 is treating you well!

The Nordling that does suck. I have my AX8 now and have never had an issue like that.

Zak Valkyrie I definetley agree. I was not disappointed with it

I actually used it not too long ago when i didnt have an audio interface. Wrote a couple of demos with it

Hey!I just received my AX8 today. I have been using the Axe FX II for a while and I have some go to items for my personal taste. Not sure how heavy you are looking to go but I have found that the Cab block can affect the tone quite a bit so that may be part of it. I tend to use the 2x12 blue cab, and I like to use the Recto 1 Red or the Freidman HBE model. If you click the "Boost" in the amp block on, you can get some great tones out of it. I also like to put an 808 mod drive block before the amp with drive at about 1.5 to 2 just for a little extra push and brightness. Let me know if that helps at all.

Nate Milstein thanks!

Leandro César Maccan I'm not sure what you mean. I couldn't get it to work with my computer from the start.

The X3/XT/Farm modeling is outdated, but nothing comes close to matching some of it's signature sounds. It truly is an interesting piece of kit. Even though I don't use mine that often, I would never consider getting rid of it because it produces so many unique sounds. The early djent sound, early 2010s metalcore sound, the piezoacoustic, great bass amp modeling, etc etc etc

I dont remember now. I haven't used it in a while. I think I had it set for line out and just recorded direct on to my computer.

Very possible. I believe on the x3 there are also output settings based on what you are playing through. Ie: you can set it for plugging into an amplifier, set for plugging into a PA system, etc. That might help.

@@NateMilstein35 hey , yeah I plug into a JC 60 so it is a combo amp so I set it to combo front. I just need to understand the high cut low cut and focus and see if that can nail things. I honestly want it to react and not feel like I am playing something into the amp, I want it to feel like it is being played on the amp. If that makes sense. Cheers.

Not to mention that the sound of the picking/strumming is quite annoying,and usually gets in the way when you're dialling your tone... But overall it is a great video and you play so good. Thanks for the video!

Rusmana I don't have the line 6 anymore, and I didn't get to save the preset to the computer because I wasn't able to download the software. Sorry!

I use it with the 4 cable method in combination with my Bassbreaker 15 and it kills with a mxr 10 band geq. the effects are pretty good in that unit.

Jake Lavery in the case of the line 6 it depends on the venue. I just got my ax 8 and I have been setting up my patches to split one output to an amp, and one output to the PA for versatility. I couldn't figure out a way to do that with the line 6

+Nate Milstein: Pretty late, but that's a very easy thing to do on the X3! What you can do is use the 1/4' outs to output to the amp, and use the XLR outs and run an XLR cable to the mixer. Press the Outputs button. You'll see the screen to set the 1/4' outs. Set that to one of the following - Combo front, Combo pwramp, Stack front or Stack pwramp - according to whatever you're using. That's it!

extended range techmetal that's pretty interesting.

yes i found it interesting as well... but then again i think axe fx is good but overrated , an line-6 better then it gets credit for really :)

Line 6 has some really awesome gear. Look at the pros. MAD pros are using Line 6 DL4s, the old single rack effects trio and the G-series wireless units. They also have some complete shit....like the always hated dreaded Spider combos solid state, some shitty interfaces, and some more idiot stuff. The DT25/50 with EL-84/34 and Spider Valve with the Bogner 6L6 power sections are brilliant. The SV has a TERRIBLE preamp though IMO, that is based on XT generation tech, and has the digital input. Strymon made the SV Pre mod which changes the input to true analog and adds another 12AX7 in the input so you can slam it with a proper OD pedal like a TS or OCD. Even the Spider Valve cabs....BADASS. Like a poor mans Boogie cab complete with birch plywood and a set of infamous speakers known as Vintage 30s. This is real big boy gear with big boy tones. Which is why I have 100% confidence in the Helix....I KNOW its good, and I havent even been in the same room as one yet. Line 6 rules.

For the song comparison at the end, I definitely agree. It may simply have more mids than the original mix did, though. That would be a good example of how mixing techniques are more important than price of gear.

Definitely not a bad way to go!

I just checked out your Band and subscribed. :-) great songs! Watched a few so far. Look forward to more. Thanks for all your videos and covers you do. Cheers! 🍻

@@michaelmartin5283 thank you so much! I have a lot more coming too!

PatientMental I actually disagree. There a a few amp models that I found were hard to get a good time from, but overall I can get solid tones pretty quickly with just about any amp. There are a ton of tweakavle settings that I tend to stay away from though as it can be a rabbit hole. I never got the chance to use bias. Would love to though cause I have heard so many great things about it

Once you start down the Fractal rabbit hole Nate theres no coming back

PatientMental haha this is true.

I looked at that and have a lot of friends that use them, and I agree, they are great, but I am really used to the Fractal Layouts and what to expect. I think its a comfort thing for me.

Never used an HD 500 so I'm not sure

JOSH CINTRON I got it recently! Love it so much!

Nate Milstein I am glad you did, post a video with the AX8

Just the monitor speakers.

@@NateMilstein35 can I use the pod hd500x as a sound card ? I broken my old interface and I don't have amplifier but I have speakers can I assign as a in and out audio and connect the guitar ánd the keyboard ?!!!

@@vj-nikkolax8008 I dont know, but I dont see why not.

UnixStudios I wonder if they recorded with it too. That was such a good EP

Idan Shahar that is kinda true! You can get great times out of almost anything! I personally prefer the Axe Fx for recording because of the immense amount of options.

Ed Moreno I absolutely love them! They sound great and have only helped my mixes!

They are the Yamahas correct? I been keeping my eye for those but wasn't to set it but seems like they are good from what I can see.

Ed Moreno yea the Yamaha HS 5. For the price I think they are phenomenal. Have you been looking at any other monitors?

Nate Milstein well I got the axe fx but mostly play it at home so was either the Yamaha hs8 pair or try to get a power amp and just use my cabs. Not sure yet. What do you recommend?

I would have love to but I spent about an hour trying to get it to work, and I couldn't get it to recognize the Line 6

Wow. Just checked and it looks like GearBox is no longer available as a download from Line 6! Way to drop that ball Line 6! Just curious. Did you try POD Farm? Their site claims it will work with the X3 Live. I use POD Farm as a standalone on a Windows 10 machine and it works fine.

I did not, but I will shorty here because life would be so much easier

I have a line 6 AMPLIFi and my computer won’t recognize it either. I’m done with line 6.

Kevin White just received my AX 8. I don't know what the cost difference is with that product but I highly recommend the Fractal Audio products. It sucks that it doesn't work.

Darren Turner between the line 6 pod and the helix? I'm pretty sure the helix being newer would have more processing power, updated effects and a nicer interface.

Nate Milstein hmmm, it's a big price gap though :/

Darren Turner yea. The pod is a pretty old, discontinued item at this point though. Are you looking to buy something like this?

Nate Milstein yes, we are moving toward a silent stage setup. I currently have the TC Helicon Play Electric which gets me by at a pinch but I use the vocal processing in it so I need to keep that. I've been looking at the Headrush, it looks pretty cool for the money but I just want to make sure I've explored all my options. Do you have any experience with the Headrush?

Darren Turner I do not. Pete Thorn has a great demo of the Headrush though. The videos I have seen look like it is an awesome peice of gear! Would love to try one eventually though haha

Lenny Kant I'm not sure what that is.

Nate Milstein well that serivce manual help to know the problem on pod x3 live circuit and that is not available at my place and i need to get my pod x3 live repaired, but i need serivce manual, any how you may have good contact at youe place with the people who know how to repair processors

Lenny Kant I don't have any kind of contact with someone that would know how to fix that or where to find it

Lenny Kant, if you need tips on fixing your line6 Pod X3 just look on you tube …theres some fully detailed demonstrations with tips and where to buy parts on a few channels.

I sure have. And I love it!

Nate Milstein Love mine too.

Eric Kindel yea when I get home I can

Nate Milstein thanks mate...

J M I got the line 6 for 100 bucks

Nate Milstein Ah, gotcha. Yea the Firehawk FX is $350-450

I would be interested in trying that out. Maybe I will get to sometime.

Nate Milstein I recommend it, you just can’t control it through the computer, it’s all app based.

Thats a pretty neat way to do it

Never used the tone lab so I'm not sure

khryoleoz i chose the x3 over the hd500 because i didnt wanna buy the retarded expansion packs... and boy i have no regrets coupled with the mooer radar i would put it up against any modern modelers

No.....The HD500 shits all over the XT and X3. The ONLY bad thing about the HD is the very difficult learning curve. I made a lead patch right when I got it...and have continued to evolve it for a couple years. Saving it originally in 1b....then 2b, 3b etc. Basically tweak what ya got currently and save it to the next B slot. I am up to 13b and made a 14b with the same settings with a wah pedal turned on. The global options on that thing are everything. I have mine running into the FX loop return of the original Spider Valve head in Studio Direct mode on the HD into a Peavey 412. Gain staging through the signal path, effects placement, messing with the powerful EQs as well as playing with the cab modelling is everything in the HD. I also havent gotten any usable direct tones through the USB. Real cabs and tubes are absolutely required for my presets. This is my last POD though, and I will give it a solid 9/10 for sound quality, but a 6/10 for ease of use. I actually like using the panel better than the editor and have gotten pretty good at that. Just bought a new high end laptop, and feel its time for some new gear to connect it to. Decisions....lol. I really like the Helix, as Line 6 has been good to me. I have never owned any of their low end stuff, which is where all the hate comes from, but I think I am gonna get an AX8 or possibly an Axe II or maybe even a III. Fractal has the best effects, arguably the best amp modelling, and definitely has the most Boogies inside of anything. The Recto model in the HD is the only high gain amp inside that I use.I cant wait to get into some Mark, Triaxis, Lonestar, and .50 Cal love. HD rocks....mine sounds better than my buddies Axe II (Because I can dial tones MUCH better)...lol. I will own something from Fractal by the summer. Oh. BOY.

Say you have a preset with an AC30 or JTM45 model and the signal chain set with their preset default parameters is as follows: amp) gain at 30%, bass at 60%, mid at 50%, treble at 60% pre-amp inserted) noise gate off, compressor on, overdrive off post-amp series) tremolo with 16th note rate and square wave pattern, delay with dotted eighth note rate at 50% wet, spring reverb at 40% wet. On the HD500, try setting up a footswitch as follows: off) turns effects on or off state and amp gain and EQ and effects rate/wetness parameter values in the preset default setting, on) turns off compressor, turns on noise gate and overdrive, boosts amp gain to 100%, cuts amp bass to 30%, cuts amp treble to 50%, boosts amp mid to 70%, swaps tremolo for auto-filter, changes delay to quarter note rate and 30% wet, changes reverb to hall type at 24% wet. You can't do this with the HD500's footswitches. The most you can do is toggle parameters between their minimum and maximum values by assigning them to the built in expression pedal, and the on-off states of effects to the toe-switch. Or the only other alternative is to duplicate the preset with the alternative settings and store it onto an adjacent preset location. Yes it's true that neither can this be done with the footswitches of the X3 Live. But, because the on/off states, the parameters of amps and effects, and toggling between which amp and cab models I wanna use are hard-coded to fixed MIDI CC numbers, I can use either a MIDI footcontroller or a MIDI sequencer to program this toggle. The HD500's MIDI CC facilities are for the toggling of footswitches between on and off states, but parameters cannot be assigned to the footswitches and that's a serious feature omission that in terms of functionality makes the HD500 a downgrade rather than an upgrade. I'm obviously not arguing that the X3 Live sounds better than the HD500 when the opposite is true. But I am saying that the X3 Live is much more able to produce the sound I need or am interested in producing than the HD500.

Im sure they don't sound bad!

@Cristian Guerrero Collao What metal tone do you like and could not have? If you want I can help you get that tone and it would sound the same or very similar to the original.

X3 live for me. But the gt10 isn't bad

@@NateMilstein35 in what aspects x3 live performs better than the boss?

I like the tones from the x3 better. To me, I always felt that the boss digital pedals felt harsh and less natural than line 6

Derek Licon I love the 50 watt 5150. Maybe someday I will get one!

MAGA MAN thank you! And sorry about the title haha

ken masters I did spend money on an AX 8. They were on backorder so I bought this to have in case the AX wasn't in stock before the shows I have coming up. I did get one about a week ago, and I am very happy to have the AX8

Clear this cat didn't pay attention to what you said.