How Do I Hook Up A Line 6 Pod Pro Xt To My Pc (windows 7)?

[magentaplacenta]

Hello all,

 

I'm new to a Line 6 POD Pro XT and I'm wondering how I can hook it up to my PC (Windows 7) and basically use my PC as an amp and play through my speakers hooked up to my computer.

 

What's really the bare minimum I need to do?  Do I need any sort of USB audio interface?  If so, what advantage would that give me and what would some popular/good/inexpensive ones be?

 

Thanks much!

[silverhead]

Connect your Pod xt Pro to your computer using a standard USB cable. The Pod xt Pro becomes your computer's soundcard. Disconnect your speakers from your computer and connect them to the Pod xt outputs (e.g. headphone).

[magentaplacenta]

What type of USB cable do I need? The unit I bought didn't come with the original USB cable. It looks like it needs one of these:

 

15ft USB 2.0 A Male to B Male 28/24AWG Cable (Gold Plated)

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030301&p_id=5440&seq=1&format=2

 

Can anyone confirm this?  Also, I don't want to disconnect my PC speakers and hook them up to the Pod, I want to run the Pod through my PC where I can play through the PC (use it as an amp) and record through the PC.  Will I be able to do this with the USB cable above?

[silverhead]

If you want to use the speakers connected to your PC then you don't need a USB cable at all. Just connect the XT analog outputs to your computer's mic/sound input(s). I don't recommend this setup because it uses your computer's internal soundcard which is almost certainly a lower quality than the XT, and may not even accept stereo input. You will also be able to record this way. Everything will be of poor sound quality - both input and output. It's like buying a good surround sound system for your home theater, and then choosing to listen to it using the $2.00 earbuds you got during your last airline flight. But you can certainly do it that way if you want.

 

The better method, for both recording and playback, is to use the USB cable and let your XT be your computer's soundcard. A standard USB Printer cable is what you want. The one in your link looks like it.

[magentaplacenta]

OK, to hook my PC speakers up to the Pod, I would need a 3.5mm to 1/4" jack? Something like this?

 

http://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Stereo-Jack-Plug-Adapter/dp/B0002ZPFD0

 

My PC speakers just hook up to the small green plug/port in the back of my PC. I think this is a standard 3.5mm port? The phones jack on the front of the Pod looks like an "old school'ish" headphones jack, which I think were 1/4".

[silverhead]

yes - the 1/4" plug will connect to your Pod headphones output. You would then connect an 1/8" stereo cable to your PC mic input.

 

Good luck.

[magentaplacenta]

I'm confused, why would I connect an 1/8" stereo cable to my PC mic input? I thought I was to disconnect my PC speakers from the back of my PC and connect them to the Pod headphones jack with an adapter plug like this http://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Stereo-Jack-Plug-Adapter/dp/B0002ZPFD0

[Ydnardo]

Your comp speaker out is 1/8th inch, not 1/4 inch.  So you would need a cable that is either 1/8th male at one end and 1/4 male at the other or same diameter at both ends and a corresponding adapter at one of the ends (more like 1/8th to 1/4 adapter to plug into the Line 6 as it's going to be the stronger jack) to handle the weight)

[Tom1965]

I've had a Pod Xt since they first came out years ago and if I could just add a bit to help others with connection issues.  My PC running window 10 does NOT recognise the xt when connected via usb cable, and it never did back in the day.  The only way I got any sound out of it was to plug into the PC's mic socket via the 'headphones out' socket on the pod.