Pod Hd Users - What Do You Miss About Pod X3?

[mr_slugworth]

So I just took a flyer on a used POD X3 bean which I can return painlessly if I decide I don't want to keep it, but I do need to decide fairly quickliy after it gets here.  I had an X3L from the time they came out until just before the POD HD series came out, and I remember a few things about it that I really miss that sadly haven't ever been replaced by the POD HD500/Bean:

 

- The sine chorus. Possibly my favorite chorus effect ever.

 

- All the bass amps/cabs.  I'm really not crazy about either the bassman or flip-top models in the HD500.

 

- Dual rigs without any concern whatsoever for DSP overload.  I have found it very hard to get a great dual rig sound in the HD500 without hitting the wall.  It was great to be able to do all the fantastic dual rig stuff in the X3 without concern for DSP limitations.

 

I can get great sounds out of the HD, but I remember back in the day I felt like I could dial in absolutely anything on the X3.  My biggest complaint was that it did not respond well to vol/tone rollbacks from the guitar.

 

So my question is, what are the things that YOU miss about the X3, or if there is anyone who keeps both an X3 and HD, why do you keep both around?

[silverhead]

I have kept my X3L around since I got a Pod HD a couple of years ago. At that time I thought I would really miss the studio-related features of the X3, in particular the ability to record dry tones directly via the X3 usb connection and the availability of Pod Farm which was (and still is) directly compatible with the X3. This made it easy to match your recorded tones when playing live. The variety of mic and bass presets/preamps/amps also was initially missed.

 

However, the superiority of the Pod HD tones (especially the vol/tone sensitivity that you mention) proved to be a higher value for me. My X3L has been in storage for more than a year, during which time I have learned to work around (or at least not be bothered by) the studio deficiencies.

 

Re: DSP overload - the X3 has its DSP limitations too, as does any processor. Most processor manufacturers guarantee that you will never observe those limits by constraining your selection and placement of FX. In the X3 you can't use both a distortion and overdrive in the same Tone. You are limited to 3 FX blocks from which you can only select one instance from that group of FX.  The same constraining design applies to the HD300/400 - you will never encounter the DSP limit because it is engineered away. With this design model, in any preset that uses DSP-light selections for the FX slots, there is a LOT of technically available but actually wasted DSP I prefer the HD500/Pro/Desktop design model. The user is in control of all available DSP, and the selection and placement of all FX is entirely at the user's discretion - up to the point that all available DSP is being utilized; that's when the DSP Nanny steps in and prevents you from doing any more.

 

I am planning to sell my X3L very soon.

[TheRealZap]

exactly... in every xp tone... dsp is reserved for each slot whether you use it or not...

with the hd, you can use that typically un-used dsp anyway you like... not using a chorus pedal? great you can use a second delay instead.... (for example)

not to mention the x-series dsp is lower just due to the technology difference...

this is primarily witnessed by the lower quality models etc... and the xt also lacks a harmonizer and looper which were both in high demand when the x3 was current...

anyway... x3 was great.. and sure HD has some trade-offs... but that's what you get when you refuse to sacrifice quality to a large part.

 

I have kept my X3L around since I got a Pod HD a couple of years ago. At that time I thought I would really miss the studio-related features of the X3, in particular the ability to record dry tones directly via the X3 usb connection and the availability of Pod Farm which was (and still is) directly compatible with the X3. This made it easy to match your recorded tones when playing live. The variety of mic and bass presets/preamps/amps also was initially missed.

 

However, the superiority of the Pod HD tones (especially the vol/tone sensitivity that you mention) proved to be a higher value for me. My X3L has been in storage for more than a year, during which time I have learned to work around (or at least not be bothered by) the studio deficiencies.

 

Re: DSP overload - the X3 has its DSP limitations too, as does any processor. Most processor manufacturers guarantee that you will never observe those limits by constraining your selection and placement of FX. In the X3 you can't use both a distortion and overdrive in the same Tone. You are limited to 3 FX blocks from which you can only select one instance from that group of FX.  The same constraining design applies to the HD300/400 - you will never encounter the DSP limit because it is engineered away. With this design model, in any preset that uses DSP-light selections for the FX slots, there is a LOT of technically available but actually wasted DSP I prefer the HD500/Pro/Desktop design model. The user is in control of all available DSP, and the selection and placement of all FX is entirely at the user's discretion - up to the point that all available DSP is being utilized; that's when the DSP Nanny steps in and prevents you from doing any more.

 

I am planning to sell my X3L very soon.

[mr_slugworth]

Heh, now you guys are reminding me about what I didn't like from the X3.  I recently went on a modeler voyage, trying out an Eleven Rack, Zoom G5, and others, only to come back to POD HD.  It really is the best device out there besides the AFX/Kemper duopoly on high-end digital tone.

 

I'll be looking at the X3 as a supplement to the HD.

 

Any more thoughts?

[jstock]

Sine Chorus defo miss that one.

 

When I first got the HD I was very disappointed with the lack of a  Plexi,  Line 6 soon put that right though. But lets face it the modelling on the X3 has little comparison to the HD. Many of the modells sounded too fizzy and lacked balls. The interface was a bit clunky particuarly the duel amps. So much easier to do that now even with the DSP limit.

 

It was good at the time but the technology has moved on....

[phil_m]

I still have my X3L, but, really I haven't used it much at all since getting the HD500. Even when I would have used it for something - like for recording bass - I've had other options. I just used my UX2 with POD Farm for the bass parts. Even if the HD500 dual tones are more limited in some ways, there's still way more flexibility with the HD500's signal chain that there is with the X3L.

[brue58ski]

I miss all the recording options as well.  I also miss the ability to assign the Master volume to either the XLR outputs or the 1/4

" ouputs or both.  A very handy feature if you want to keep the level to your amp the same while being able to adjust the XLR outputs for the sound guy.

[sulkbooth]

Recording options and POD Farm :)

[aaron__aardvark]

I have never owned an X3, but still using the PodXT.  I like that the PodXT (with the expansion packs) has way more amp models.  Does that make me a Luddite?

[mediocrechris]

I really wish the sine chorus would be added to the HD series.

[sulkbooth]

And I dont find a working auto-wah....