well i think HD could mean one of two things, hi-def or heavy duty. i'm going with heavy duty. if ithe technology isn't updated, i will be very disappointed. if it is then it will probably be out of my price range anyway

WOW, great news Rich! Can't wait to hear it, I'm gonna vote HD stands for Hi-Def. Will this be the Axe killer? It's all about price and sound, I wait patiently.....

cgtrox

Such cynicism!  Over one leaked advertisement, nonetheless...  I'll never understand why these things breed such strong feelings and competition.  We're just electric guitarists, people.  It seems to me that Line 6 has perhaps listened to a few of the criticisms that have been leveled against them and actually responded.  It just goes to show that there are a lot of people who simply can't be pleased.

Honestly, I'm pretty much happy with my setup right now, and I don't necessarily use amp modeling that much since I don't go direct anymore, but I would still be willing to look at this product with an open mind.  I just don't understand the negativity.

Yea, it was a leak. Right. Nice toy analogy though.

Hey Mikey, why don't you tell us how you really feel?

According to L6 Renken, I was wrong, so you needn't express surprise. I was off base, and Renken made the tag - I'm out.

Anyway, I don't view your post as cynical at all. I've been through enough of the modelling cycles to know that none of them are perfect, but most of them are good enough for live direct use in a bar, unless you just have to have that feel behind you on stage. Bars just aren't good critical listening environments, so anything reasonable will cut it. Lots of gear from different manufacturers to choose from, and calling one the best is so much a matter of opinion that it's not worth being an early adopter of any of them, IMO.

I suppose you could cite the Axe-FX as a possible contender for "best of show". There are lots of very positive reviews from great players who haven't signed endorsement deals. It's not clear whether any of them use the amp models in live performance though. Petrucci bought one just for FX in his "B rig" http://www.petrucciforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68428 .

Line6Renken wrote:

 

This is an easy question guys. We have dealers and press that have to keep it underwraps. Leaks suck. Just hang in there. All will be revealed. So sorry guys. But it is very very exciting.

 

Here is what I posted at the Gear Page about how I am feeling about it.

 

Let me put it this way. I have been working on the James Tyler Variax  and if these guitars are Iron Man, the gear that is coming that our guitar will  hook up to is War Machine. Back to back destruction.

 

If the POD HD stuff is as good as the new Variax stuff, I think we're all in for a treat. From what I've heard Ed DeGenero do with the JT Variax, it's really quite stunning.

Given the recent disconnect from the X3 series and the POD Farm 2.0, this is a good idea for the company. (no X3 POD Farm 2.0 freebie unless you new X3L buyer!) The X3 is done, hopefully whats next will be functional...I got pretty bent when I realized the POD Farm 2.0 had nothing to do with the X3 anymore, other than it's a dongle, AND, they only throw the freebie bone to the folks who bought or activated the POD Farm 1.1 after a certain date.

If there really are 3 tiers of this new "HD" POD modeler, split decisions like that are not a good sign. 3 Levels of floor board quality?

Who cares. Audio Quality!! What is HD, as in BluRay HD? 24 bit / 192k? OR Higher...?...Better than BluRay audio?

Hope it sounds better than the X3!!!! Which, still sounds just tonally "fun" after all these years, but just not HD or anything near it. However, after 30 seconds listening into a recent clip recorded with an AXE-FX ULTRA, and I get a WOW moment I will never achieve nor experience with the X3, POD Farm, etc.

PERHAPS their new POD=HD line will be smoking hot and awesome - but it has a LOT to compete with. Made in the USA for around $3,000 total package. (2k for the Ultra, 800 bucks for the MIDI foot controller) Yeah, that's a steep curve for the average shopper looking for a $200 to $700 range thing. But, man, it better sound good, no matter what it costs. And not break. And not require 9 months of firmware before it even works properly......

Skeptical? Yes. Why? Because I bought one of the first POD X3 Lives, and had to have the footswitches repaired, and now I have to have the volume/wah pedal repaired. And I would dig having the new POD Farm 2.0 to go with it, but I bought mine too soon. The newer POD buyers who are getting the same thing, with the hardware fixes in place, are rewarded for coming on later in the game, rather than those who supported a deeply flawed product from the start. Sour grapes, I know, I must sound like a wanker.

Will I be spending $50 on the POD Farm 2.0 Plugin? No, because I am so lame my computer doesn't support the minimum requirements. Dang.

How about that POD HD? I'll check it out at the store. I'll probably be tempted to want one. But, honestly, at this point, it's:

"Fool Me Once, Shame On You, Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me"

Until they release the prodcut, and people don't have major issue with things not working, etc. I'm saving every last one of my coin for a Made-In-The-USA Product. $3k, EEK! Yikes!! Worth it?? Yeah, I think so. After my time with the POD X3L from 2007 to now, yup.

Ummm, they've all been leaked. Seriously. I heard about every single new product via a "leak". I think it's to the point where they ought to start saying it with a wink.