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1163 Views 30 Replies Latest reply: Jul 6, 2010 2:38 PM by rhhicks RSS
rhhicks Just Startin'
rhhicks
16 posts since
May 26, 2008
Currently Being Moderated

Nov 21, 2009 8:18 AM

Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

I'm borrowing from a semi-off-topic post from a Bass Pod poster's thread here: http://line6.com/community/message/95307#95307. I have a guitar Pod XT Live with psycho gain management symptoms.  While playing, the unit will spontaneously leap huge increments in volume, either upwards or downwards.  I'll readjust my amp gain to compensate and then eventually, wham... off it goes to a radically different new volume setting.  I'm not 100% on this, but I think I'm seeing this phenomenon more often when the unit is cold then after it has been powered on for some time.

 

Took it to an authorized repair shop in Wheaton, MD and after $100 and several round trips, it now seems to be a little worse.

 

No active electronics, just a passive Tom Anderson hollow drop-top directly into the unit.  Cables are fine.

 

One thing I've noticed just by diddling with the thing, sometimes, immediately after one of these spontaneous gain changes, if I either (1) whack the volume pedal with my foot or (2) wiggle and reposition the "Drive" knob, the unit gain will restore to what it was just prior to the madness, but sometimes not.  Last night I updated all of the unit software, reflashed the unit and calibrated the volume pedal.  If I knew of any other possible remedies, I'd try them as well.

 

Is anyone aware of a calibration or reset procedure for all of the rotary encoders on the unit?

 

Because the unit is so flaky now (despite being well taken care of - no drops, etc.), I can't trust it in a live performance situation.  The changes in gain are so prominent that it's disruptive to any performance.  Also, like one of the other posters earlier in this thread, it's also becoming too much of a pain in the butt to practice or rehearse with.  It's a shame because I am really fond of some of my home brew user patches, but I'm now afraid to use the thing.

 

Any deep knowledge Pod XT Live medicine men out there?

  • Mcgill Just Startin'
    Mcgill
    338 posts since
    Jan 25, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Nov 21, 2009 9:07 AM (in response to rhhicks)
    Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

    Try this:

     

    No guarantees though!

     

    With your Pod Powered Down (off) rotate all your knobs about 20 times each.  Just to clear posible dust around the poles! Then place all your Knobs at the "Zero" mark!

     

    Now Power up your Pod!  Without touching the Knobs, and only using your Footswitches and Wah/volume pedal, try to make your pod behave the way that you discribed?

    • rhhicks Just Startin'
      rhhicks
      16 posts since
      May 26, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Nov 21, 2009 9:08 AM (in response to Mcgill)
      Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

      Sweet!  Not worried about the guarantee; that expired already!  I'll give it a go!

    • rhhicks Just Startin'
      rhhicks
      16 posts since
      May 26, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Nov 22, 2009 6:50 PM (in response to Mcgill)
      Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

      OK.  Tried the 20 turn encoder rotation trick.  Thought maybe that was the ticket, but alas, no.  Played for about 30 minutes one session after the tweak fix, no problems.  Played again tonight for a bit.  I was hoping all was well, but after about 15 minutes, the pod output level dropped instantaneously and significantly (like 20 dB), with no body parts anywhere near the unit.  Sitting on the floor, I reached over and whacked the volume pedal with the palm of my hand.  The level restored to normal for just a moment, then went right back to the attenuated level.

       

      This really sucks.  Does anybody have any other ideas?  Is there something that can or should be done internally with the volume pedal to mechanically calibrate it?  I've already tried all of the other normal calibration / reflashing / software reload maintenance options.  Line 6 authorized repair was unable to fix it.  Is it ready for the dumpster?

      • greghfd Just Startin'
        greghfd
        7 posts since
        Oct 4, 2007
        Currently Being Moderated
        Nov 23, 2009 1:33 AM (in response to rhhicks)
        Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

        Good one rricks, now we have a name "Psyco Gain Management Syndrome".

        I'm wondering if other pod xt's with PgMS are close in date or serial number.

        Mine was new in December 2005.

        They may all have the same faulty component.

        Last week it came back from the line 6 doctor who reported that it was tested for 2

        hours with no fault aparent. Before I sent it ( 200 Km +) for repair I explained

        that it can take 3 or more hours to play up if it feels like it, so you can guess how

        happy that made me.

        Anyway, I won't winge any more (for now) but I'd like to know how old yours is & if

        their close check serial numbers. What do you think ?

        • rhhicks Just Startin'
          rhhicks
          16 posts since
          May 26, 2008
          Currently Being Moderated
          Nov 23, 2009 7:20 PM (in response to greghfd)
          Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

          greghfd,

           

          I don't mind if you winge a bit; I've done plenty of that myself over this aggravating problem.  I'll send along my serial in an email so you can compare.  My unit is of about the same era.

           

          By the way, I'm feeling rather chuffed you've proposed a quasi-official Pod XT Live ailment acronym, PGMS, for the Psycho Gain Management Syndrome, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone...

           

          Cheers

  • ricksox UberGuru
    ricksox
    11,641 posts since
    Mar 28, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Nov 23, 2009 10:09 AM (in response to rhhicks)
    RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

    Hello,

       

      What you are describing sounds like a failing potentiometer. It's most likely the channel volume pot that is failing. I'd suggest taking the unit back to the service center and letting them know that they did not fix your issue. Tell them you think you have a pot that is failing. They can test it and verify.

       

      http://line6.com/support/serviceCenters/

       

       

      If you'd like, you can also arrange a repair directly with us.

       

      (818)575-3600

       

      Please let me know if this answer has been helpful. Thanks.

       

      Line6Miller

    • rhhicks Just Startin'
      rhhicks
      16 posts since
      May 26, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Nov 23, 2009 7:29 PM (in response to ricksox)
      Re: RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

      Line6Miller,

       

      I may take you up on your offer.  Although I'm already down $100 with no fix, I'm hesitant to return the unit to the authorized repair facility, even though they're still on the hook to fix it for my repair fee.  Each time it has come back it has been a little worse - not a good trend - I'm hoping to go the other direction.

       

      Maybe I'd make out better if Line6 had a look?  I'll be in touch.  Thanks.

  • ricksox UberGuru
    ricksox
    11,641 posts since
    Mar 28, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Nov 24, 2009 8:53 AM (in response to rhhicks)
    RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

    If you'd like to contact us about a repair that is perfectly fine. We'll do whatever we can to help.

       

      If all of your questions have been answered please be sure to award Helpful and/or Correct points to community members who respond with helpful or correct answers, and close out the ticket as “answered” if your situation has been resolved. Thanks!

       

       

      Line6Miller

    • rhhicks Just Startin'
      rhhicks
      16 posts since
      May 26, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Nov 24, 2009 6:27 PM (in response to ricksox)
      Re: RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

      Line6Miller,

       

      My issue hasn't been resolved, of course, and won't be until the unit is functioning properly, so we don't really know if the question has been answered.  I hope your suspicion is correct and it's something as simple as a flakey pot, although that would be rather disappointing performance from a pot - very little wear and usage.  I'll call to organize a Line6 service action in the next few days.  Thank you.

  • rhhicks Just Startin'
    rhhicks
    16 posts since
    May 26, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    Nov 24, 2009 8:39 PM (in response to rhhicks)
    Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

    Just a point of clarification in the original post.  I said it was the Drive knob I tweaked that *sometimes* restored the voulme to what it was prior to the spontaneous gain change.  That was not correct.  It is actually the Channel Volume pot which, when tweaked post-PGMS (Psycho Gain Management Syndrome) incident, may or may not restore the original unit volume.  Clear as mud?

    • greghfd Just Startin'
      greghfd
      7 posts since
      Oct 4, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      Nov 25, 2009 3:09 AM (in response to rhhicks)
      Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

      Ok. I've just unpacked & set up my xt again, it took 24 mins to loose it (so much for being tested for 2 hours) but what is happening now and perhaps

      ( he says sheepishly) may have been happening all along is that I can still control its volume via the channel volume pot, so what happens when PgMS strikes is that it ignors the input from the pedal and just goes to the channel pot setting regardless of what you do with the pedal & stays like that until you restart. Yes, I do fell dumb for not realizing this before but, as I said, I set up on PC & dont normally move the nobs from 12 o'clock. So the problem with mine is that the pedal stops talking to the rest of the machine. I'll talk to the techs here again tommorrow and see if this rings a bell.

      Does this still sound the same as yours?

      • rhhicks Just Startin'
        rhhicks
        16 posts since
        May 26, 2008
        Currently Being Moderated
        Nov 26, 2009 6:55 AM (in response to greghfd)
        Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

        greghfd,

         

        I'll have to look into this.  I'm not sure I've ever tried to observe the behavior of the on-board volume pedal post-PGMS (Psycho Gain Management Syndrome).  Frankly, when this started happening a long time ago, I would be in one of my favorite user patches at 31B, and for that patch I would have the on-board pedal assigned to effect tweak for digital delay mix so that I could control the amount of delay in the patch.  I would use an outboard passive volume pedal (not an outboard MIDI controller for the Pod XT Live, but a passive, in-line audio pot) as a volume pedal.  This 31B patch got hammered by a bug in the Line6 Monkey save and restore software that would not properly restore the on-board pedal assignment; pedal assignment just reverted to the factory default on restore.  This bug was confirmed by Line6 but I don't know if the fix has found its way into the most recent Pod backup/restore software; I haven't tested the backup/restore function since then to see if pedal assignment now gets properly backed up and restored with the patch. (For some reason, my posts on here with Line6 about that software bug have vanished - none of my old posts can be found anywhere).

         

        Consequently, in the past, before I reflashed the unit and reinstalled the software, in the early days of this problem, the on-board pedal wasn't assigned to volume so I wouldn't have thought to check the functionality of the volume pedal post-PGMS.  Since those days, I have rebuilt the patch from handwritten notes about the settings and by ear, but I have not yet configured the assignment of the on-board pedal to effect tweak delay mix, so the pedal remains in the factory default assignment - volume.  Before I reconfigure the on-board pedal for effect tweak delay mix, I'll try to see if post-PGMS I see anything like what you describe - that is, the influence of the volume pedal disabled post-PGMS and only the Channel Volume pot influencing unit volume.

         

        Some more germane detail about this - I generally don't use factory presets, only user presets.  When the shop said my unit was fixed, they had only tested factory presets having reflashed the unit, and I don't know for how long it was bench tested.  So my observations only relate to user presets since I don't use the factory presets.  I can't say with any certainty the PGMS problem I'm experiencing lives in the factory patches, only in the user patches.  I would have to find a factory patch that is sufficiently non-objectionable (for me) to play through for long enough for the PGMS to strike (validating PGMS regardles of factory or user patch), and then also try the volume pedal to see if has become functionally irrelevant (validating identical post-PGMS volume pedal behavior as you).

         

        I've got a few days off here so I might get a chance to do some of this experimentation.  I'm just annoyed and frustrated that I have to spend so much time troubleshooting my equipment.  I wish it would just work.  I just wanna play!

         

        FYI, I called Line6 about a return authorization, which they gave me, but I was then informed I was looking at 4 to 6 weeks turnaround for out-of-warranty service - *sigh*

         

        Good luck with your Pod.

        • rhhicks Just Startin'
          rhhicks
          16 posts since
          May 26, 2008
          Currently Being Moderated
          Nov 26, 2009 9:55 AM (in response to rhhicks)
          Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

          Sooooooooo aggravating; I hate intermittent problems.  Just played for about an hour expecting the PGMS to strike any moment.  Nope.  Pod XT Live behaved the entire time.

        • greghfd Just Startin'
          greghfd
          7 posts since
          Oct 4, 2007
          Currently Being Moderated
          Nov 27, 2009 4:39 AM (in response to rhhicks)
          Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

          G'day rhhicks, just a quick note this time, after a pgms attack "all" the pots on mine still work it's just that the pedal has no effect on anything,

          it's as if the pedal has become dissconected from the unit. So if I'm playing with the pedal controling volume at 30% and pgms hits the volume goes to 100% with no pedal control but I can still turn it down via the channel pot.

          I got onto my nearest line6 repairer & explained this to them yesterday and was given 2 options, as it's out of warranty I could either (A) send it back to them again & have a new board fitted at aprox $400.00au or (B) upgrade to the new model which they are being told is more reliable. This I thought was an odd thing to tell a customer but there you go.

          I'm actually considering my own option (C) involving the xt being a weighty little bugger & my enjoyment of fishing.

          I have a tech mate who specializes in sound gear, I did'nt want to involve him thinking line6 would sort it out for me but I've lost hope of that.

          I have a buisness myself and certainly don't expect anything for nothing but $400.00 to repair mine when they retail a new one for $599.00 seems a

          bit harsh.

          So I'm a bit dissapointed but happy to be playing with my collection of stomps again, and you know, some are over 25 years old and still sound brand new !

          As always let me know if you get any info, cheers.

  • ricksox UberGuru
    ricksox
    11,641 posts since
    Mar 28, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Nov 30, 2009 10:22 AM (in response to rhhicks)
    RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

    Did you receive an RMA from us or did you opt not to? Are there any service centers in your area that could look at the POD?

       

       

      Line6Miller

    • greghfd Just Startin'
      greghfd
      7 posts since
      Oct 4, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      Nov 30, 2009 6:10 PM (in response to ricksox)
      Re: RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

      G'Day Miller,

           I did'nt get an RMA from you as I assumed your offer was intended for rhhicks.

      My nearest service centre is in Melbourne Australia (as far as I know).

      As you can see from my post on 27-11-09 I have already had it in for repair & it was

      returned to me with no fault found, in reality it's as bad & unusable as ever.

      Concidering what I've been quoted in parts to repair, it's just not worth it.

      Would an RMA make any differance to the repair cost or do I just write it off.

      Thank's anyway for the response.

                                              greghfd.

    • rhhicks Just Startin'
      rhhicks
      16 posts since
      May 26, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Nov 30, 2009 6:30 PM (in response to ricksox)
      Re: RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

      I did get an RMA number, but no quote for repairs.  Since I've already put $100 into it and it was $400 to start, and Line6 repair is quoting 4 to 6 weeks, I'm not that excited about sending it back.  To further complicate things, the ailment that has been plaguing me for a year and a half (the Psycho Gain Management Syndrome (PGMS)) has seemingly vanished over the last several days, for no apparent reason.  I still can't trust it as a serious and reliable piece of kit.  Thanks for your interest.

  • Line6Andy Line 6
    Line6Andy
    4,345 posts since
    Jun 5, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Dec 2, 2009 9:59 AM (in response to rhhicks)
    RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

    It sounds like the there are a couple things that could be happening here.  Here is what we recommend:

       

      1) Calibrate the expression pedal with the following link:

       

      PODxt Live: Troubleshooting and Calibration

      http://line6.com/community/docs/DOC-4747

       

      2) Park your tone/gain knobs at 100%.  This will help guard against changes in the patch due to vibration.

       

      3) One thing to look for - if/when you notice a channel volume drop, look at the LCD to see if the knob has changed position.  If the knob is parked and the position changes it sounds like a bad pot, which can be replaced at your local service center. 

       

       Please be sure to award Helpful and/or Correct points to community members who respond with helpful or correct answers, and close out the ticket as “answered” if your situation has been resolved.

  • Line6Andy Line 6
    Line6Andy
    4,345 posts since
    Jun 5, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Dec 8, 2009 4:14 PM (in response to rhhicks)
    RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

    Hello,

      It's been a couple of days since we've heard from you. We're going to assume your question has been answered and close this thread. If you still have questions please feel free to open a new question with us and we will answer your questions accordingly. Thanks!

       

    • rhhicks Just Startin'
      rhhicks
      16 posts since
      May 26, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Dec 8, 2009 4:49 PM (in response to Line6Andy)
      Re: RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

      I wouldn't assume that my question has been answered based on the fact that a couple of days have gone by without me posting.  I've had over a year and a half go by with this unit behaving very erratically, so there's no way without the passage of a substantial amount of time, certainly more than a couple of days, for me to feel any level of confidence that the problem has been resolved.  Even then, we don't know with any certainty what may have resolved the problem, if it is indeed resolved.  In recognition of another post in here by the pbassred original poster of this phenomenon, I'd like to acknowledge that I also cycled the pad switch back and forth a few times, but I've tried so many suggested remedies, I have no way of knowing what has caused my XT Live to settle down, again, if it indeed has...

      • greghfd Just Startin'
        greghfd
        7 posts since
        Oct 4, 2007
        Currently Being Moderated
        Dec 9, 2009 5:36 AM (in response to rhhicks)
        Re: RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

        G'day Rhhicks,

                  Well after trying all sugested fixes, I've found the best option is to lick my wounds and NEVER buy another pod.

        Support is'nt there, except to "buy a new one cause we've been told their more reliable".

        Once the warrenty ends, so does the interest.

        Good luck with your playing & buy quality stomp boxes instead.

        • rhhicks Just Startin'
          rhhicks
          16 posts since
          May 26, 2008
          Currently Being Moderated
          Dec 9, 2009 7:05 PM (in response to greghfd)
          Re: RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

          greghfd,

           

          I'm not feeling quite as forsaken as you seem to be.  I certainly do understand your frustration, but I don't feel completely abandoned by Line6; after all, the warranty is indeed up, for some time now, and they're at least being responsive.  I'm just not ready to declare victory over this particular problem so quickly.  I'm sure part of my perspective is based on the fact that my unit is actually functioning properly at the moment.  I bet I'd feel differently if I was still wrestling with my daily Pyscho Gain Management Syndrome (PGMS).  But my box has seemingly settled down.  After a year and a half of misbehavior, it's finally chill for several days in a row.  I still don't trust it...

           

          It really is a fairly complicated piece of kit - all that surface mount technology and ASICs...  I'm looking to see just how stable the unit is now.  I truly have done everything imaginable, short of replacing miscellaneous parts on an Easter egg hunt.  Because I've done every user procedure available, including some hocus pocus ones like twisting the pots and then parking them at min, 12:00, and max, and like cycling the pad switch back and forth many times, not to mention reflashing and reloading software, calibrating the foot pedal numerous times, I have no idea which, if any, of these procedures had a beneficial effect on its behavior, or even if any of them did.

           

          The only thing I can do at this point is watch and wait.  If a significant period of time passes, I'll have to resolve that the unit appears to be stable now and the problems it has suffered from for the last year and a half have finally abated.  I guess I'll also have to assume that something I did, one or more of those procedures I mentioned, may have had something to do with the unit's newfound health.  But it will still be fairly mysterious.

           

          There are some awesome pedals out there.  I hope you find the tone and peace of mind you're after.

  • Line6Andy Line 6
    Line6Andy
    4,345 posts since
    Jun 5, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Dec 11, 2009 4:39 PM (in response to rhhicks)
    RE: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

    If you are not experiencing the situation on a regular basis, you will need to keep an eye on the situation and try the suggested solutions if/when the situation occurs.

       

       

  • ballnmike Just Startin'
    ballnmike
    8 posts since
    Oct 20, 2009
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 5, 2010 2:46 PM (in response to rhhicks)
    Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

    My POD Xt Live Pedal is broken too. You can easily replace the PCB board that is in the machine under the pedal. I have the same issue with massive fluctuation in volume and wah. It goes back and forth from 40% to 100% like 10 times a second. You can easily replace the "Pedal PCB" (microchip) under the Pedal. I opened my case up and tested all the surface mount solder joints, resisitors, and capaictors. Everything looked and tested good. If something looks burnt, thats probably your problem. I plugged the unit back in and noticed that, When the machine was on, There was a very dim red glow to one of the optics. Now if these optics work like a optical mouse, that light should be way brighter, pretty close to as bright as your mouse. My theory is that it is the transmitter optic that is going out on these boards. I talked to Line 6 parts department and told him that this seems to be a common problem with what I read on the forums. He said they havent been giving out very many of these boards. So I suggested that most people are probably giving up, or doing some kind of work around and just not reporting on the forums, or they are just not doing it themselves. I think Line 6 needs to address this issue because it looks like it is happening to a lot of these Pod's. Well none the less they are sending me a new "Pedal PCB" board. When I get it I will post the step by step replacement procedure and pics as well. It looks like you can buy this from thier authorized repair centers and do it yourself. The 3 that I have locally all gave me the run around so I called Line 6 and told them my story. Only after I said that my last resort would be to ...buy another new Pod and replace the part and return the new one... Did they offer to send me the part for free. Apparently they are not allowed to sell you the part but they can send it to you. They dont just offer up the part, you have to kinda hassle it out of them. Dont be like me and waste countless hours trying to find line 6 parts suppliers online, You just wont find them!!

    • ballnmike Just Startin'
      ballnmike
      8 posts since
      Oct 20, 2009
      Currently Being Moderated
      May 24, 2010 11:06 AM (in response to ballnmike)
      Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

      Problem Solved.

       

      As I said earlier you need to replace your "Pedal PCB" I got the new part and now my POD XT Live works just fine!! This part is $150 from the repair center. Its a simple replacement. If you can play a guitar alright you should be smart enough to replace this part yourself. I hope line 6 sees that this is a common problem and reduces the price a little bit for the rest of you!!

      • rhhicks Just Startin'
        rhhicks
        16 posts since
        May 26, 2008
        Currently Being Moderated
        Jul 5, 2010 10:40 AM (in response to ballnmike)
        Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

        Well... the problem that has been dormant for some months now has returned, exactly as it was before.  Same thing, radical spontaneous jumps in gain between 2 discrete levels with no foot switching going on.  One thing I've noticed is that in trying to troubleshoot the problem I switched the pad switch back and forth and it had *NO EFFECT* on the unit's output level.  That should mean something.  I'm half tempted to buy the entire replacement PC board like the previous poster, but the $150 is a bit dear to pay...

        • d8veh Just Startin'
          d8veh
          102 posts since
          Sep 26, 2007
          Currently Being Moderated
          Jul 6, 2010 2:31 PM (in response to rhhicks)
          Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

          Just in case you havn't already checked it, and to help anybody else reading. When you transport the XT Live in the gig bag or anything similar, it's easy to knock the norm/pad switch into the half-way position. This can give the symptoms you describe, i.e. indecriminate changes to patch volumes.

          • rhhicks Just Startin'
            rhhicks
            16 posts since
            May 26, 2008
            Currently Being Moderated
            Jul 6, 2010 2:38 PM (in response to d8veh)
            Re: Why Does My POD XT Live Go Mental?

            Checked it, and everything else.  As I mentioned in the last post I changed the switch position repeatedly to both physical stops with no discernable difference in output level (I know it's an input pad, but still the overall gain should be influenced by the position of this switch).  Good call though, for anyone who might have accidentally knocked the switch to the middle.

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