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1578 Views 7 Replies Latest reply: Jun 28, 2011 4:33 AM by Armage RSS
Armage Just Startin'
Armage
7 posts since
Oct 11, 2006
Currently Being Moderated

Jun 26, 2011 6:12 AM

POD HD Desktop: what is it?

Hi there. New pod hd bean shaped is out. As soon as I saw it, I started to wonder: does line 6 people finally released a pod hd with nice practicing features like metronome and audio playback just like the ones gearbox provided with older PODs? Answer: No. Even this new POD lacks the features I loved in my PODxt. So the question comes on its own. This new POD costs far more than a pod hd 300, and it lacks the expression pedal and other foot controls that usually comes with a pedalboard. So.... what's its purpose? What am I missing?

I'm just curious, given that I won't ever buy something that lacks metronome and audio playback since I still need to practice and I always will (I could keep on using my PODxt for decades). But it has to have some feature that I missed.

thanks

Tags: pod, gearbox, recording, home, bean, practice, pod_hd, pod_hd_bean
  • phil_m Expert Line 6 User
    phil_m
    4,243 posts since
    Jan 25, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 26, 2011 7:06 AM (in response to Armage)
    Re: POD HD Desktop: what is it?

    Well, none of the PODs ever had a metronome built in. I guess they did have one in Gearbox. They didn't put one in POD Farm, though.

     

    The Bean offers roughly the same type of signal flow flexibility as the HD500 (except it doesn't have an effects loop). It's meant, I would say, primarily for home recording. I guess Line 6 figures that most people will be recording with some third party DAW, so having things like a metronome and audio playback aren't really necessary in the POD itself. The Bean is a hardware guitar amp and effect modeler. It's not meant to be an all-in-one recording solution.

  • silverhead Expert Line 6 User
    silverhead
    9,592 posts since
    Apr 1, 2009
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 26, 2011 7:49 AM (in response to Armage)
    Re: POD HD Desktop: what is it?

    Well, you're right - if a built-in metronome and an input to accept playback from an external audio device are critical features for you, then none of the Line 6 Pods (including the XT) meet your needs.

    Armage wrote:

     

    ... given that I won't ever buy something that lacks metronome and audio playback since I still need to practice and I always will (I could keep on using my PODxt for decades). But it has to have some feature that I missed.

    thanks

     

    Then why did you buy the Pod XT?  It relies on a computer running  appropriate software (Gearbox) to support the features you want. And all PODs, including the  HD, will do that if you have a computer running appropriate software.  You can set the POD (including the HD) to be your computer soundcard to  support jamming along with iTunes or any other media player software.  And a metronome is a standard feature of any DAW; I expect there's also freeware to provide a standalone metronome. In fact, the free T4 edition of Riffworks provides a built-in drummer that gives you much more than a metronome. And you can easily lay down your own backing tracks to jam along with if you prefer not to use the built-in looper of the Pod HD.

     

    So I  really don't see what the difference is between your Pod XT and the Pod  HD with respect to the features you mention, except for the software you choose to run with it.

     

    The  real advantage of the POD HD is its superior amp and FX modelling. It  blows your XT out of the water. And it has an expression pedal input.

    • Armage Just Startin'
      Armage
      7 posts since
      Oct 11, 2006
      Currently Being Moderated
      Jun 26, 2011 3:46 PM (in response to silverhead)
      Re: POD HD Desktop: what is it?

      Thank you both for your answers. Just to be clear: the tools I was talking about are only for practicing purposes, not for home recording. If you record your PODxt signal with a computer via USB, metronome and backing track from gearbox player are not recorded.

       

      You're right, I need a computer to get those features. There are workarounds, I know, but it will not be the same thing. There are always workarounds if you have a computer.

      Gearbox has nice playback features like half speed, loop, different volumes for different tracks, loops savings, recently played tracks... and so on, something that windows media player or itunes have not (or it will be much more complicated). They just are not build for that. Small difference you may say, but not for me. That's what I was talking about. When I saw POD HDs series I was very disappointed when I saw that they have a software that controls them that runs on a pc but STILL no practicing tools whatsoever.

       

      PODxt is meant for home recording, often connected to a pc. That's why the above mentioned features fits so well in a software like gearbox and that's why I got stunned when I saw that POD HDs lack it and I was even more surprised when I saw that even POD HD desktop, that should have the same purpose as old PODs, still lacks it. So simple yet useful tools... Why remove them? that's far beyond my understanding.

       

      So... back to topic... still don't see why somebody should buy POD HD desktop instead of say... POD HD 300 or HD 400. You basicly lose the expression pedal and get... what?


      Yet... if any of you can suggest me a software that does EXACTLY the same playback work as gearbox, I could consider to upgrade my PODxt... until then I will love the way my POD sounds, even in a decade of amp modeling research. Maybe it's because I suck at guitar, but those features are just priceless.

      • TheRealZap Expert Line 6 User
        TheRealZap
        11,829 posts since
        Dec 22, 2006
        Currently Being Moderated
        Jun 27, 2011 11:27 AM (in response to Armage)
        Re: POD HD Desktop: what is it?

        couple of other points... if they have one of the previous beans... they may already have a foot controller...

        and as was pointed out... the bean has nearly all of the capability of the HD500, with the price of an HD400 (if you already have the footboard or don't need one)

        the home recorder may not need an expression pedal and many things can be done after the fact in software.

        • TheRealZap Expert Line 6 User
          TheRealZap
          11,829 posts since
          Dec 22, 2006
          Currently Being Moderated
          Jun 27, 2011 11:30 AM (in response to TheRealZap)
          Re: POD HD Desktop: what is it?

          if i had to guess... i think that the guitar port online portion of gearbox will be spun into its own application with the features you are missing....

           

          just seems that they are seperating things a bit, with the new edit tools for each of the HD models...

          who knowns though...?

          • Armage Just Startin'
            Armage
            7 posts since
            Oct 11, 2006
            Currently Being Moderated
            Jun 28, 2011 4:33 AM (in response to TheRealZap)
            Re: POD HD Desktop: what is it?

            That's a reasonable point, but as of yet I still don't have an  expression pedal. I was thinking of buying one but as new POD HDs went  out I started to consider to just buy one of them and avoid the expense  of an external expression pedal.

             

            Anyway... I would be very interested in an application with those features... the guitar port online portion of gearbox you said. But still... as long as things don't change, I will keep my PODxt and be happy with it

  • Line6david Line 6 Support
    Line6david
    5,196 posts since
    Jan 27, 2010
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 27, 2011 11:01 AM (in response to Armage)
    RE: POD HD Desktop: what is it?

    Hi,

       

      The POD HD has nearly all of the features of the HD500 in a desktop format that is more affordable for people who mainly create music on their computer.

       

      It's basically following in the footsteps of out previous generations of PODs.

       

      I'm sure their will be more software updates for the entire HD product line as to whether they will have pitch/time shifting and looping capabilities like gearbox remains to be seen.

       

      I would suggest putting in a feature request:

       

      http://line6.com/company/contact/productfeedback/ 

       

      Thanks,

      David

      Line 6 Customer Support

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