Community: Message List

Re: Playing MIDI keyboard through X3L

support@line6.com — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 15:40:34 GMT

That is soo annoying! I play keys and electric guitar, and sing. I've just spent ages working on a setup that uses syncs patch changes between the x3l and the computer that I use for the synth... However, for simplicity, I was going to plug the keyboard through the X3L (I also only currently have 1 midi-in on my computer)... but it seems this won't work...

Why on earth doesn't the X3L pass midi-notes... It just needs to ignore them and pass them on - not do anything with them. This is another example of poor forethought from line6.

Very dissappointed.

Re: Will soon be...

support@line6.com — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:53:12 GMT

My problems have been various; and can be split into two categories - those that cost me money to have fixed, and those that can't be fixed (or are just how the pedal's designed).

Those that had/have to be fixed have been:

Breaking foot switches. I've been left mid-gig with an inability to switch between banks and tones. Having had those fixed about a year ago, I'm starting to have the same problem again. £50
The Mic input crackling. Took a while to diagnose as (for reasons I'll explain later) I use a pre-amp before the mic input - meaning 3 xlrs and said preamp to check before realising it was the X3 all along. £50
Now something at the power socket has gone awry. Turned up to a gig - plugged it in, and poof! The smell of burning circuit board, and a no show. It's a good job I had a backup to get me through that weekend's gigs. Who knows what it'll cost to have this fixed - and to be frank, I don't think I want to pay out again, or indeed, go back to relying on this live. (oh, and I've bought the plugin for cubase, which is now basically useless too... Another however much down the drain.)

And the reason's I'm not so tempted to get it fixed/buy a new one (otherwise known as 'design features')

The trim knob is basically useless. When using a mic directly into the pod, this is all you have to set the input level. Not at all useful live as it's a) tiny b) crazy sensitive. Neither does it supply phantom. I'd been tempted to go for a dynamic mic, and go straight in, but setting a level that wouldn't distort (when I didn't want it to), but gave suitable level to the signal chain (so it did distort when I wanted it to) was nigh on impossible. Hence using a mic preamp, which gave a much more sensitive input control - and the phantom power I needed.
There's basic functionality, in which, if anyone had tried to use this live, they'd have spotted the flaws. The above, for example, or equally the lack of delay trails (there's a work around, but this uses both sides of the pod... not much use, and it's a feature available on the most basic £50 line6 delay). Or the ability to mix back in a dry signal - imperitive when putting together vocal distortions (unless you choose the off the shelf, liable to feedback variety).
The lack of true independance between patches. You can select different inputs for different patches. Why not different outputs for different patches? I use the pod for my vocal, and my guitar (or, as advertised). Direct outs take my vocal, live outs for my guitar; so the engineer can do the mixing. Now, it occurred to me that it would be great if when I go to a guitar solo, it would be great to switch to a patch that has both tones on the guitar (that thick double amp sound)... Or indeed, if I'm not playing gutar on a song, use both sides for vocal effects (the mix between dry and distorted vocals, or anything else you can imagine - again, read the ads). However, you can't, on a patch by patch basis select the outputs. You can modify the 'live' ones, but that's it. So I have guitar on my vocal channel. Clever.
Oh, and I've had a bug for a while which looses my guitar amps. At random, it seems, I'll switch between banks, and suddenly my amp simulations dissappear - so I'm left with a horrible, straight from stomp, distorted guitar. Switch the unit off and on again, and it's fine, until I switch bank, and it happens again. Limiting me to 1 bank per set... great. I've tried firmware updates, reconfiguring my patches on the edit software. No joy. It stops doing it after a while... but who knows when it'll reappear.

So these are the problems I've been having.

Any clues?

Will soon be...

support@line6.com — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:49:12 GMT

... without my X3 Live.

Honestly, I could hardly be more dissappointed with it.

When it's been working it's been alright - good even, sometimes. The sounds are good.

However, when it's not working, it's bad... and that just wont do if you're on the road much. I play every weekend, and was sold this on the basis it was a piece of pro kit. It's been in a hard case the whole time, and this is now the 3rd time in a year it's let me down - that'll be coming up to £150 a year just to keep it working.

I'm glad that some people get good use, but I feel thoroughly let down by this device.

Mike

If you're gigging much...

support@line6.com — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:44:43 GMT

... don't buy an X3 Live!

I'm sorry to say this, but after little over 12 months of using the X3 Live, I've felt only occassional pleasure using it... and it's now broken... again.

I was so excited by the possibilities, with a multitude of effects I could apply to both vocals and guitars - it seemed a dream come true... it's turned into a nightmare.

I was in the alps for 2 weeks earlier this year, when the mic input started to crackle, forcing me to use the aux for vocals, limiting me to one guitar (no acoustic). Fortunately, the lack of a sensible trim knob on the mic input means that you have to use a mic preamp to have any control; as such I had a preamp on hand to run into the aux in with my vocal.

The foot switches have broken, meaning I was forced to use the rotary knob to change up banks... not great mid-gig.

Now, something's happened with the power. I don't yet know what, but that'll be another £50 at least to get it fixed. That's adding another £150 per year just to keep it running. I wish someone could declare it a right off, and I could stop throwing good money after bad...

Sorry to do this Line6 - I just feel let down.

Mike