Hi everyone,
 
I'd like to share a video that I've just finished uploading to demo the Line 6 POD HD500X modeller. I've had the unit now for about a month and have a bit of time to spend to get the best out of it.
 
I put together this video of 6 of the amps from the POD, recorded directly into the desk to try and give an idea of what it sounds like. It was taken straight out of the POD via XLR into my mixing desk (no eq) into my Delta1010 soundcard , into SONAR X3.
 
I didn't use any eqs, etc in SONAR as I wanted to give the listener an accurate impression of what the POD can achieve on it's own.
 
The link is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWrRLPRh1A0&list=UUd3a6AaFNSa9j3XgbMBB6Mg
 
Cheers,
 
Peter.

I record my Pedal Steel direct through a POD X3.  I have one preamp program that I developed (a clean program - no overdrive) for recording. 
 
Live I use my POD X3, but for effects only, no amp sims.  (e.g. my main is digital delay and spring reverb).

fireberd
I record my Pedal Steel direct through a POD X3.  I have one preamp program that I developed (a clean program - no overdrive) for recording. 
 
Live I use my POD X3, but for effects only, no amp sims.  (e.g. my main is digital delay and spring reverb).

I would imagine that overdrive would be a no no for pedal steel recording. I take it then for live you are going DI into the PA?

Live I use the POD X3 for effects only, no amp modeling.  e.g. my main "Tone" is digital delay and spring reverb.  I run from my steel guitar to a Hilton Volume Pedal to the POD X3 to the input on my amp.   I have a couple of other effects only tones, such as a Chorus, Leslie Simulator, Phase and a Fuzz Tone. 
 
My amp setup is a Carvin BX500 (bass amp head) and an Eminence EPS-15C neodymium steel guitar speaker (the Eminence EPS-15C is designed to be a direct replacement for a Peavey 1501-4 Black Widow speaker that they use in their steel guitar amps).

I being using Flying Haggis for a few years now whenever going direct to the computer.
http://www.db-audioware.com/flying-haggis
It's a rather decent amp simulator and comes with standalone and VST.
Decent price as well.

I've never been a fan of Line 6 or amp modeling. I always thought the POD sounded cheap, especially for anything with overdrive or distortion. You can hear one a mile away, crappy tone off the stage, oh the guy's using a Line 6. I had one once and gave it to a jazz guitar player friend of mine. Unless you go for the high end stuff like the KPA, it's never going to sound quite right. Real amps with real tubes are the only way to get that sound.

Distortion has been used on Pedal Steel, Christine's Tune ( Devil in Disguise) the Byrds and Sneeky Pete K.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BITiY8M_oDo
He played most of the song clean but used overdrive ( Fuzztone? ) on the solos. 
 
I have played with a few amp sims including a Line 6 Amp a friend has. I agree the tone just ain't there if your used to using a real tube amp. I think what is missing is the way a tube amps pre amp is actually involved with your guitars PU's. There's voltage!  this organic feedback loop or some sort of voodoo. My acid test is to play some chunky power chords with palm muting. A tube amp it will be very percussive. With some stomp boxes, Solid State amps or digital sims distortion it will be wet noodle.  It's not a bad thing if that's the sound your after, but it's just once you've found that tube overdrive tone, nothing else seems correct. 
 

Cactus Music
My acid test is to play some chunky power chords with palm muting. A tube amp it will be very percussive. With some stomp boxes, Solid State amps or digital sims distortion it will be wet noodle.  It's not a bad thing if that's the sound your after, but it's just once you've found that tube overdrive tone, nothing else seems correct. 

I agree...
A nice heavy crunch type tone is super easy with a nice tube amp.
The only "Sim" I've played thru that offers similar expression is the KPA.

i use a Palmer PDI-09 right off the speaker out of a Mesa Boogie MarkIIb.
 
i also have a WEBER Mass Lite attenuator at my disposal,
so if i want to record quietly,
i can simply put the weber AFTER the palmer, 
the palmer sees the full output of the amp,
the speaker cab sees the attenuated level from the WEBER,
and i have total control of volume, tone, and character of drive from the tube amp.
 
 
after trying many systems (but not the kemper!), this has been the easiest and best sounding set up for me,
to date.
 
you can hear this setup in action,
over in the songs forum,
"Walked Away".
 
 

And there you go folks, the proof is in the pudding. Bats tone is unmistakably the best I've heard on the song forum!! 
I use a  Modified Fender Princeton so it's not overly loud. The tech added a pre amp gain stage so I can crank that up to 11 and turn the Master down.
I get 2 types of overdrive by manipulating the Pre amp or the Master. If I turn down the Pre amp and max out the Master it's more bluesy. Turning down the master and Maxing the pre amp is almost Marshall overdrive.
I now have a Mooer Green MIle overdrive that is a perfect match to the amp ao I can kick it in to overdrive without turning knobs. What I really need is Neil Young's Whizzer