# Line 6 pod HD Pro VS pod X3 Pro



## ozzman619 (Jan 2, 2012)

Pretty much im looking for the differences between the Line 6 Pod HD pro and the X3 Pro, ive seen videos of a few people demoing the X3 pro and it sounds pretty damn good, but then i saw Ola's video of the HD Pro vs the Axe fx 2, and the first time i watched it i didnt really watched i just listened and at points i prefered the pod of the axe fx (please to crucify me for saying that), so that got me thinking that the hd pro might be bettter, but i havnt found a video demoing the the pods back to back so i was looking for some opinions on the two.


I play metal, everything from metallica's kill em all to meshuggahs combustion and that is why im leaning more towards a processor because i like the versitility also it has all the effects built in so i dont need to hook put a ton of pedals or a g major or anything. i would most likely be running it though a rocktron velocity 300 and into a 4x12 cab (either marshall 1960, vader or mesa)


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## Erazoender (Jan 2, 2012)

I agree; half of the sims I preferred the pod over the Axe FX.... maybe Ola signed some sort of secret contract with Line 6 to bring Fractal down.....


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## ozzman619 (Jan 2, 2012)

wouldnt be suprised, cause ola did one hell of a job with the line 6


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## torqueofficial (Jan 2, 2012)

Line HD Pro is a beast for the price!


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## ozzman619 (Jan 2, 2012)

everyone knows for the price they are beasts, im just not sure if they are really stage worthy like they say they are.


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## pathos45 (Jan 3, 2012)

i havent had much time with my hd pro but i gotta say its built pretty tankish lol, onlything im worried about are the plastic nobs but if your useing it in a case you will be fine. And ive also had both the x3pro and now the hdpro and i gotta say the hd pro sounds light years ahead of the x3, dont get me wrong the x3 is awesome but i def prefer the hd now.


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## ozzman619 (Jan 3, 2012)

wow "light years ahead'? i would have never expected to hear that about the two units. what about on the features do they have roughly the same features? 

when i looked at the features online only thing i noticed is the x3pro has 78 amp models and the hd pro only has 22


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## ArrowHead (Jan 3, 2012)

ozzman619 said:


> when i looked at the features online only thing i noticed is the x3pro has 78 amp models and the hd pro only has 22



Search the forum, this thread has happened a couple thousand times. I want to answer your question, but it's been answered many times before better than I can explain.

However, comparing the # of amp models is the wrong idea. It's like picking up a $.50 pack of tic tacs because there's 10 times more mints than in a pack of Andes Candies mints. 

Sure, you get more, but they're smaller, lack chocolate, and don't taste nearly as good.

Line 6 used the same modeling for over a decade. The HD series is the first complete change to this modeling, and it IS a night and day difference. The old modeling has 128 amps (including bass models, etc...) because they milked it for 10+ years and added onto it. Give it more than a year, and I'm sure the selection on the HD series will grow as well. Meanwhile, I find ONE amp model in the HD will get me more tones, versatility, and patches than using a dozen different amps in the X3/XT would have. It really is that much better.

If you want to try one out, try to go to a friend's house or something. I've found the units in most music stores have NOT had their firmware updated, and the majority of the presets won't give you a very good idea of the quality of the tones.


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## ozzman619 (Jan 3, 2012)

nice tic tac reference really a good way to put it. i really wish i could go try them out somewhere but like you said in stores they dont have the updates on them and you cant really judge it on the presets, and since i live in smaller town no one i know actually has either of the units to go try it out.


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## pathos45 (Jan 3, 2012)

it also uses the m9 effects which i think sound great. There may be less amps for the hd but the things you can do to each amp is way more than what you can do with an amp in the x3.


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## ArrowHead (Jan 3, 2012)

ozzman619 said:


> nice tic tac reference really a good way to put it.




No, it really isn't. Because it literally means I'm sitting on my ass eating candy right now.


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## wespaul (Jan 3, 2012)

I agree that there's a night and day difference, but it doesn't make one better than the other, in my opinion. Both are just different. You can get _amazing_ tones out of both. The X3 has had years to compile a bunch of models into it, while the HD is new technology and is growing. You can't go wrong with either.


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## pitbulltodd (Jan 3, 2012)

i have a podx3 and a podhd300 and if i had to choose 1 to keep, it would be the hd. the amp modeling on the hd sounds more realistic to me especially when you start using different cab impulses.


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## ozzman619 (Jan 3, 2012)

wespaul said:


> I agree that there's a night and day difference, but it doesn't make one better than the other, in my opinion. Both are just different. You can get _amazing_ tones out of both. The X3 has had years to compile a bunch of models into it, while the HD is new technology and is growing. You can't go wrong with either.


 

i think you might be right, and i think what ill do is which ever i find a better deal on ill buy, cause at this point in time it looks like the pod hd pro might be a bit better but if the x3 pro isnt that far off but i can pick one up for cheap i wouldnt mind


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## Explorer (Jan 4, 2012)

I bought my X3 a bit after the HD came out, and what decided me was those members of TalkBass who couldn't get the HD to sound so great with the tones basses make (not surprising, given that it doesn't have the bass amps/cabs of the X3). 

I can see if one were only using guitar amps/cabs that the HD would rule, but since I play an ERG and am therefore using a hybrid approach which addresses the full range of my instrument(s) (down to Bb0 in some cases), a solution which only covers amps/cabs which are typically used only down to E2 is more than an octave short for me.

This isn't a criticism of those whose playing doesn't need that full frequency range, just a reminder that others do. It's not that the new models aren't amazing, it's that they are all guitar models.


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## BaylorPRSer (Jan 4, 2012)

What's the point of getting a rack mount if the tone will be identical in the hd 500 and that way you get a footswitch and a loop station built in?


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## Larrikin666 (Jan 4, 2012)

BaylorPRSer said:


> What's the point of getting a rack mount if the tone will be identical in the hd 500 and that way you get a footswitch and a loop station built in?



Some people don't like having the brain of their rig on the floor.


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## ozzman619 (Jan 4, 2012)

Larrikin666 said:


> Some people don't like having the brain of their rig on the floor.


 
yup im and one of those people, in my opinion its just not the great idea cause i mean shit gets thrown, drinks get spilled, ashes get ashed, its just not a safe place for the brain of the rig to be right in the line of fire, i would rather just have a foot controller there cause if something happens to it i can still play. 

and also i think i be running it through a power amp (i have heard some good things about running these things through ts100's, velocity 300's, and mesa 2:90's) so i already have rack why not just get one thats a bit bigger to hold the pod and im done.


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## ozzman619 (Jan 4, 2012)

does anyone know if the pod hd pro can run just the amp models without cab/mic sims? 

also can it be used just as an effects processor if i run it through a head?


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## cyril v (Jan 4, 2012)

^^yes and yes.


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## TMM (Jan 4, 2012)

You know, the argument of 'quality vs quantity' sounds good on paper (or computer page), but after having owned multiple PODxt-Pros, a few PODx3-Pros, and a POD HD Pro, through external cab IRs, I actually liked the PODxt-Pro the best. Standalone, through a poweramp, the POD HD was 'light years' ahead of the other 2, but take away it's better cab modeling (which it does have), and it's hi-gain models are just uninteresting compared with some of the stuff in the xt/x3 IMO. In the xt vs x3 debate, the x3 sounds just as good, but is 1U larger without any other really large benefits over the xt (from a guitar / bass standpoint... I could see you liking it better if you're using it for vocals too).

As for the POD vs Axe... I've only played an Axe for about 5-10 min, but if that short time span was indicative of it's capabilities, I'd say yes, it sounds better than a POD, but not 6-8 times the cost better. Again, IMO.

All that said, I still greatly prefer tube amps over either.


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## meambobbo (Jan 5, 2012)

I've had the XT live, X3 live, and now HD 500. The HD wins hands down for me. The difference when running through a real power amp and cab is not as big as when going direct, using the cab modeling. I think the Xt/X3 was basically unusable going direct other than making rough demo's. With enough tweaking you can get a near pro-quality album tone from the HD direct.

As for the quality difference when running "live" through a power amp/cab, I was pretty wow'ed when I first got the HD. The response is just better. The highs are more crisp and the overall tone is less noisy. As far as variety of amp tones, there's much less variety out the box, but if you tweak a lot you can get the amp models to sound a lot of different ways. The key is to try different EQ'ing or distortion effects (usually with drive turned all the way down) in front the amp. Changing the EQ can bring out more djent, or bite, or warmth, or fuzz, or whatever you really want.

Keep in mind, the HD only has technically 5 high gain models. Of those, I don't consider the JCM-800 really a high gain amp, and the Line 6 Elektrik sounds kind of like a fake amp to me. So there's only 3 amp models - Bogner Uberschall, Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, ENGL Fireball. The Uberschall sounds really muddy "out the box", but it's my favorite once you suck out bass and add mids/upper mids before the amp distortion. The Rectifier sounds really good - very close to the real thing. The Fireball also sounds great. Noticeably missing are Peavey 5150/6505 and Soldano SLO models. Also no Mesa Mark models, although I think the Uber sounds close once you tweak it to djent.

The X3/Xt had variety, but I honestly only liked a couple amps in the unit, which came in the Metal Pack - the 5150 (Mississippi Criminal), ENGL Powerball, Uberschall, and Triple Rectifier. Of those, 3/4 are in the HD and sound better in the HD. But if you like the Diezels, Line 6 originals, or Soldano, you're not going to find them (at least not yet) in the HD. Fingers crossed there's room for them in the future.

I've wanted to make a comparison video for a while, but I have no means to record a "live" comparison of the Xt/X3 vs. HD. Making a comparison of their direct tones simply would be unfair. The HD's cab modeling obviously has a much higher resolution - it sounds undeniably better.


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## book_of_lies777 (Jan 5, 2012)

meambobbo said:


> ...I think the Xt/X3 was basically unusable going direct other than making rough demo's. ...





I lol'd


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## TMM (Jan 6, 2012)

meambobbo said:


> I think the Xt/X3 was basically unusable going direct other than making rough demo's



I invite you to listen to Animals As Leaders' self-titled album from 2009.


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## Explorer (Jan 6, 2012)

meambobbo said:


> ...(I)f you like the Diezels, Line 6 originals, or Soldano, you're not going to find them (at least not yet) in the HD. Fingers crossed there's room for them in the future.



If they added the bass stuff, I'd buy one tomorrow. Fingers crossed indeed.


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## Shask (Jan 6, 2012)

TMM said:


> I invite you to listen to Animals As Leaders' self-titled album from 2009.


I thought that was Axe-FX?


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## maucke (Jan 6, 2012)

When i saw Olas Axe-fx vs Line 6 hd i liked the axe fx much better, it sounds less digital than the Line 6 ... 

but maybe the Line 6 HD pro sounds better, or is it just a rackversion ?


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## Sepultorture (Jan 6, 2012)

maucke said:


> When i saw Olas Axe-fx vs Line 6 hd i liked the axe fx much better, it sounds less digital than the Line 6 ...
> 
> but maybe the Line 6 HD pro sounds better, or is it just a rackversion ?



THE PRO is just a rack version of the 500 with no pedal optiosn and extra input options. also he did a rrack version comparison with his axe fx, and i still like the AFX better


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## meambobbo (Jan 6, 2012)

Animals as Leaders' high gain self-title tone is pretty bad IMO. The cleans are good, and the leads work, but the distorted rhythm sounds horrid. If Tosin wasn't so amazing and the playing was as good as say an average Megadeth album, you'd think the tone was crap too. It's all a bunch of noisy fizz. And that's likely with a crap-load of post processing in a DAW.

But if y'all are so adamant about the unit sounding good, I'll make you a deal. I'll run any patch you want on the X3 live direct to my computer, and we'll do a shoot-out with my Pod HD500. You can give me a link to the patch, or just tell me some settings. I'll compare any amp/cab/mic, etc. To me the only cab/mic combination that sounded remotely "real" on the X3 was the Treadplate cab + SM57 on axis mic.


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## ozzman619 (Jan 6, 2012)

from what ive been hearing from people ive talked to about the x3 pro, it seems like the cab/mic sims are its weak spots compaired to the pod hd pro, but if i get either ill be running it through a power amp and a vader 4x12 so i dont really have to worry about the cab/mic sims, im just more worried about the quality of the amps/effects and how realistic it sounds


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## meambobbo (Jan 6, 2012)

I'll do two tests - one using an external IR and one using the onboard cab/mic sims. I'll even try to use the same source audio of raw guitar for them, so there's no differences in playing. Hopefully I can get this done today.


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## ozzman619 (Jan 6, 2012)

if you could do that, well that would just be the bee's knees


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## meambobbo (Jan 6, 2012)

I've got the shootout halfway done - two things to point out. The cab modeling on the X3 isn't as bad as I remember it being, but I still think it's obviously not as good as the HD. Also, the HD has twice as many mic options.

I'm using a 5150 (Mississippi Criminal) patch on the X3, which I think is head and shoulders above the other amp models. But it's not as EQ'ed in as the HD's patch, so I want to re-record before uploading the results. Does anyone think it's preferable to use a different amp model on the X3, like the dual or triple recto model, so it's more apples-to-apples? Or should I just try to compare the best tone I can get from each unit (my current approach)?

Also, I've found the best tone from the Pods is to mix two cab/mic combinations for the same amp. The HD and X3 can do this. The XT cannot. For going direct to an amp it doesn't matter that much (for the X3 it does make a little difference because you have more EQ parameters). Just something to keep in mind.


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## ozzman619 (Jan 6, 2012)

have you tried using the rectifier and the 5150 at the same time on the X3 i heard thats a really great combo beast the recto gives you the great low end and mids and the 5150 just is pure highgain madness


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## meambobbo (Jan 7, 2012)

X3vsHD by meambobbo on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Compared a dual Treaplate patch on the HD to a 5150/Triple Recto patch and dual 5150 patch on the X3. The first three clips use onboard Pod cab/mic sims - I combine a bright cab with a darker cab on all these patches. The last 3 use the same IR.

I know they're not EQ'ed in as close as I could have gotten, and I'm sorry for that, but they're not that far off. Try to look past those EQ differences and listen for the subtleties in the tone.


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## meambobbo (Jan 7, 2012)

I'd also like to point out the numerous features and capabilities the HD has over the X3.

- adjustable power amp modeling
- models of just pre-amps
- looper
- variable input impedance

As for making patches, on the XT/X3 certain effects let you specify whether they are pre/post amp, but you don't have full control over the effect order. You also only have one of each type of effect. On the HD (Desktop/500/Pro models, not the 300/400), you can route your effects however you like. You can use multiple of the same effect - how you use each open block is completely up to you. This comes with a trade-off - if you try to use too many processing-intensive effects (like reverbs, smart harmony, whammy) you run out of DSP and get an error. But other than the reverb, such effects don't even exist in the XT/X3. Running multiple delays is a nice touch. Or multiple EQ's. Or noise gates or compressors. You can also put the FX loop wherever you want in the chain and toggle it on/off.

(The 300/400 only have 4 FX blocks, and each block is predefined to a type like reverbs, distortion/compression, delay, modulation - you only get to choose the specific effect for each type/block and whether it is pre/post amp. The 300/400 also cannot run dual amp tones. For these reasons, I can't recommend those units.)

In general the effects are higher quality. I believe there are also more of them. I also think the midi implementation is better. The footswitch options are definitely better - you can assign each footswitch to toggle on/off 1 or more effects (again, I don't think this is true on the 300/400), and you can assign the pedal to control any effect/amp parameter, like volume, gain, pitch, wah, tone, etc. and you can also set the min/max values. On the And the unit is a rugged metal chassis, instead of plastic, although I have heard of issues with the USB connectors.

I think the only thing definitely worse about the HD than the X3/XT is that there is no on/off switch on the HD (except the HD Pro) - you have to plug/unplug to turn it on or off.

I've got no stake in the matter, but I think you'd be happiest with the HD500. If you don't feel the differences are worth the price difference, I'd go with the X3 because I feel like the HD300/400 are too limited with the effects, although the HD amp models are better IMO than the X3/XT.

Also, I think the X3 sounds better than the XT. It's a subtle difference - same algorithms, but they're run on a stronger processor in the X3 with a bit more resolution. Only real differences otherwise are that the X3 can run dual patches. I also think the XT can re-amp via USB but the X3 cannot, but I'm not sure about that.


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## 357mag (Apr 5, 2013)

ArrowHead said:


> Search the forum, this thread has happened a couple thousand times. I want to answer your question, but it's been answered many times before better than I can explain.
> 
> However, comparing the # of amp models is the wrong idea. It's like picking up a $.50 pack of tic tacs because there's 10 times more mints than in a pack of Andes Candies mints.
> 
> ...



Shit...allow me to clear up this matter. I've used both the X3 Pro and the HD Pro. The X3 Pro is the clear winner. It sounds better with more richness and warmth. The HD Pro has a sterile sound to it. The X3 Pro sounds more realistic. Oh sure, the HD Pro gives you these cute little knobs all over the place...Bias, Thump, Bias X, Resonance, Sag...etc.

But guess what folks? Those cute black knobs don't do shit. They're practically useless. I would much rather have a good solid Parametric EQ, which the X3 Pro has. The EQ's in the HD Pro are horrible and they have no effect on your sound.

Also, what did line 6 do with the Greenbacks? In the X3 they sound great, in the HD Pro they sound BUZZY. The Shure 57's also come under suspicion.

Line 6 goofed with the HD Pro. You want a good, smooth, solid POD? Buy the X3 Pro.

Done deal.


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## meambobbo (Apr 5, 2013)

Amazingly I disagree with literally every statement above


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## nothingleft09 (Apr 6, 2013)

Yeah, dude is out of his mind. He must have heard stock presets with no update or something. Cuz those "little black useless knobs" do a whole hell of a lot for tone shaping. I've owned the XT pro used the X3 pro a lot and own the HD500 and the HD500 blows them all away. With enough tweaking it sits right beside my guitar players Axe FX Standard and is very close in sound. Now if you're putting an HD up against the Axe Fx 2 that's a different story but with the Standard it is extremely close. There is no way an XT or an X3 even tweaked to the gills will do that. I threw pics in to show I'm not out of my mind and have had the units sitting side by side. The thing here is... GO OUT AND PLAY ONE. Tweak it. Dial in a preset in the store if you have to. But get past the stock presets at least.

Old setup:






New setup:


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