POD HD series

Anyone else have a chance to checkout the new POD HD series?
 
I played with one this weekend... and it seems a major improvement in realism/response (over previous units).  I haven't spent hours with the unit, but the Fender sims with tube driver in front sound pretty realistic to my ears.
Some folks are put-off by the smaller number of simulated amps/cabs... but I'd personally rather have a smaller number of models... where each of those models sounds good and is useable.
 
The USB audio features (while certainly not providing low RTL - even at the smallest buffer size) were robust and glitch-free running at the smallest buffer size (attached to a 3GHz i7 DAW).
 
I wish the tuner was more akin to TC's PolyTune.
Aside from the polyphonic tuning, TC has the most stable tuner I've seen.
 
Some of the presets are good... but many are useless 'demonstrations' of just how far you can process your guitar.
Cool to hear... but not that practical.  I would have liked a more general purpose collection of presets... but it's relatively easy to program your own...
 

Just waiting for a bean or a rack version :)        

Havent tried it myself - but have seen/heard a few tests and have the same impression: a lot of the presets are just "show offs". (how far have we taken amp modulation)

Still no clock input of any kind ? Humm... I guess they are still thinking that the POD is your only interface. Too bad.

 
Yeah
I think that cost plays a factor...
You can work around the WC issue (using the USB connection to record or using the HD's clock via S/PDIF).
Not the ideal solution... but it works.
At $499 for the flagship HD500... it's not surprising that L6 cut a corner in not offering WC or S/PDIF inputs.
Lest I sound too negative, the HD500 packs a lot of features into a $500 box.

Jim Roseberry

Still no clock input of any kind ? Humm... I guess they are still thinking that the POD is your only interface. Too bad.

 
Yeah
I think that cost plays a factor...
You can work around the WC issue (using the USB connection to record or using the HD's clock via S/PDIF).
Not the ideal solution... but it works.
At $499 for the flagship HD500... it's not surprising that L6 cut a corner in not offering WC or S/PDIF inputs.
Lest I sound too negative, the HD500 packs a lot of features into a $500 box.

I'm not buying the cost factor thing, it doesn't cost anything to add wordclock or the spdif input.  It's not like they are cheap devices anyway they could do it easy but for some reason they don't want to.  I can't think of anything they make that is clockable.

Jim Roseberry

I'm not buying the cost factor thing, it doesn't cost anything to add wordclock or the spdif input. It's not like they are cheap devices anyway they could do it easy but for some reason they don't want to. I can't think of anything they make that is clockable.

 
Not that I'm arguing with you... (a clock input would be great)
But even if the WC and S/PDIF input cost a dollar to add (parts and manufacturing costs), if the run was 25,000 units that saves Line-6 $25k.
 

I still don't agree. It only cost a dollar if you didn't plan for it and have to add it on a rev. If you design it in to the product from the start (like you should) then it costs nothing.  The manufacturing costs are the same once it's designed. The parts are pennies at wholesale and are simply part of the budget that would be the same if the part was there or not.  It would only take one or two extra sales to pay for the parts even if it did cost a few cents more.  You can't get metrics on sales you lose because a feature is not there but it could be huge.  Line 6 just doesn't want to do that and I can't figure out why.

Jim Roseberry
I'd personally rather have a smaller number of models... where each of those models sounds good and is useable. 
  
 

This is my personal gripe with Line6. I have a max'ed out TonePort UX2 (it's basically a dongle now) and it bothers me that there are a million different amp models and they all more or less have the same basic sound! Say what you will about Guitar Rig, but the amp models sound truly different from each other, know what I mean?
 
Interested in this new POD. Should mean there will be new software models soon, no?

Jim Roseberry

Just waiting for a bean or a rack version :)

 
I just got the HD Edit software installed.
The floor unit is built nice (all metal)... but bending down to program isn't the most comfortable.  
Once it's programmed, the pedal board is nice/convenient.

I dont disagree - but I already have the FBV board and take it out when I need it
(I have a micro studio ) But both computer and my audio interface is 19" rack.
Usually the mic, bass or guitar directly, withour the FBV.
and for Wah/volume I need the FBV.
for live use, or band rehearsal - thats a different story!

Jim....I'm wanting to make up an S/PDIF cable (just under 10ft) for the HD500 and know the specs call for 75ohm. RG-59 is ok but I would rather use RG-174 even though it's 50ohm does it matter? Right now I'm using a composite video cable (the one with the yellow plugs) as a make shift.

 
FWIW, I'd just use 75-ohm coax cable... (to stay in spec)

I've found some f type to rca adapters that will save me the soldering on the rg59/rg6.

 
Yeah... you can get nice gold-plated (screw-on) RCA plugs.
Radio Shack carries them...  

Anyone else have a chance to checkout the new POD HD series?

I just took the HD300 home on loan and gave it a solid 2 day run thru.


I honestly felt nothing but disappointment for the unit.


This was not disappointment for all the bells and whistles ,just the core amp and cab sims.


For recording.......


And at its price point(HD300)............ 


I wouldn't buy it.




 

Could you elaborate a little bit more please?? What are you comparing it to?? what about the amp and cab sims didn't you like?? I'am interested because I'am planning to sell my POD xtlive and get a HD500

I compared this unit to a V-Amp Pro,Tone Lab ST, Genesis3, GSP1101, ART DST 830 Direct Out.


And my comment/comments only apply to recording guitar tracks not live use.


The unit flat out masks your guitars tone more than I like. In a cold nasally way.I played it with a Gibson LP 50's tribute w/P-90's,a Fender Show Master with tapped Humbuckers,a Warmoth Super Strat with EMG 81/85, PRS Soapbar II w/P-90's and a VM Gibson LP Studio w/BB Pro's. 


The V-Amp Pro may not have the most accurate or impressive sims but it does have a few cab sims that will let your guitar come thru. That matters to me.


 I had the best Luck with the Gibsons .When using the EMG's it accented the cold  sterility.


The cab and amp sims were not that impressive without applying several of the other fx. It also seemed little fizzier than I remember my old POD Pro.


To my ears unit hasn't enough natural warmth......The V-Amp Pro and the ToneLab ST both have more natural warmth. Now they may only have it on a few sim combo's but its there.


Also unit did not seem to track naturally against my Beta Monkey Drum Loops.


Now you need to remember I only had a couple days to go thru it. I am pretty good with outboard gear so I was able to get fairly deep into to it tonally, but if a guy owned it and had weeks to work with it you may get 100% better results than i did.


But,Thats the other problem I didnt feel I should have to work that hard or deep.
 Also remember I could just be a" Line6 " idiot as I have never really liked the Line6 guitar modeling that much.


The reason I wouldn't buy it .................


I already own and am familiar with the for-mentioned units and the HD300 didn't have the "WOW" blew me away factor, needed to justify spending that extra money with what I already own.