Line 6 Bass POD xt Live User Manual

BA

POD

PRO BASS TONE ON THE FLOOR

Pilot’s Handbook

An in-depth exploration of the revolutionary technologies and

pulsing tonal pleasures that lurk within Bass POD

SS

XT

LIVE

Live.

XT

Electrophonic Limited Edition. Also available at www.line6.com. Revision B.

The serial number can be found on the left side of the rear panel of your Bass POD
Live. It’s the number that begins with “(21)”. Please note it here for future reference:

SERIAL NO:

XT

WARNING:

electric shock, do not expose this appliance to
rain or moisture.

CAUTION:

pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.

Before using Bass PODXT Live, carefully read the applicable items of these operating instructions and safety
suggestions:

1. Obey all warnings on Bass POD

2. Do not place near heat sources, such as radiators, heat registers, or appliances which produce heat.

3. Guard against objects or liquids entering the enclosure.

4. Connect only to AC power outlets rated 100-120V or 230V 47-63Hz (depending on the voltage range of the

5. Do not step on power cords. Do not place items on top of power cords so that they are pinched or leaned on.

6. Unplug your Bass PODXT Live when not in use for extended periods of time.

7. Do not perform service operations beyond those described in the Bass POD

8. Prolonged listening at high volume levels, especially with headphones, may cause irreparable hearing loss

To reduce the risk of fire or

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device

The lightning symbol within a triangle means
“electrical caution!” It indicates the presence
of information about operating voltage and
potential risks of electrical shock.

YOU

SHOULD READ THESE IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

K

EEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS IN A SAFE PLACE

XT

included power supply).

Pay particular attention to the cord at the plug end and the point where it connects to Bass POD

following circumstances, repairs should be performed only by qualified service personnel:

• liquid is spilled into the unit

• an object falls into the unit

• the unit does not operate normally or changes in performance in a significant way

• the unit is dropped or the enclosure is damaged

and/or damage. Always be sure to practice “safe listening.”

CAUTION:

do not remove screws. No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer
servicing to qualified service personnel.

Live and in this Pilot’s Handbook.

To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock,

The exclamation point within a
triangle means “caution!” Please
read the information next to all
caution signs.

Live Pilot’s Handbook. In the

XT

XT

Live.

Bass PODXT Pilot’s Handbook © 2005, Line 6, Inc.

Please Note:

Line 6, POD, PODXT, PODXT Live, Bass PODXT Live, POD

XT

Pro, FBV, FBV Shortboard, FBV4, FBV2, Amp Farm,
Line 6 Monkey and Variax are trademarks of Line 6,
Inc. All other product names, trademarks, and artists’
names are the property of their respective owners,
which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line

6. Product names, images, and artists’ names are used
solely to identify the products whose tones and sounds
were studied during Line 6’s sound model development
for this product. The use of these products,
trademarks, images, and artists’ names does not imply
any cooperation or endorsement.

Quick Start Guide ................................................................................1•1

Register Now! ......................................................................................................................................1•2

Go on-line and get more stuff!....................................................................................................1•2

Introduction............................................................................................................................................1•3

Welcome to Bass POD

XT

Live ............................................................................................1•3

Who is Line 6? ................................................................................................................................1•3

Modeling .............................................................................................................................................1•4

Amp, Cab and Effect Models .................................................................................................1•5

There’s Magic in the A.I.R. .......................................................................................................1•5

D.I. ..........................................................................................................................................................1•7

And Away We Go........................................................................................................................1•8

Controls and Connections...................................................................2•1

Getting Set Up...................................................................................... 3•1

All Purpose Basics...............................................................................................................................3•1

Variax..........................................................................................................................................................3•2

On Stage ..................................................................................................................................................3•3

Keeping Your Options Open..................................................................................................3•3

What are you connecting to? .................................................................................................3•3

Bi-Amp Mode...................................................................................................................................3•4

Getting The Right Tone With An Amp............................................................................3•6

External Stomp Boxes and Bass POD

XT

Live ...............................................................3•7

In The Studio .........................................................................................................................................3•8

What are you connecting to?..................................................................................................3•8

The Ins and Outs of Great Tone ..........................................................................................3•8

Setting Levels ...................................................................................................................................3•9

Radiation Alert .................................................................................................................................3•9

MIDI Mania.........................................................................................................................................3•10

Creating & Storing Sounds.................................................................. 4•1

Recalling Channel Memories ......................................................................................................4•1

Editing Basics .........................................................................................................................................4•1

Inside the Edit Menu ........................................................................................................................4•2

Amp Knob settings........................................................................................................................4•2

Amp Bypass Channel Volume ................................................................................................4•3

Cabinet and Mic settings (There’s magic in the A.I.R.!)............................................4•3

Comp/Gate settings......................................................................................................................4•4

EQ settings.........................................................................................................................................4•4

Stomp settings..................................................................................................................................4•5

Mod and Delay/Reverb settings.............................................................................................4•6

Config....................................................................................................................................................4•6

Setting your Tone to Tempo ......................................................................................................4•7

Mod and Delay/Reverb X-Overs .............................................................................................4•8

Reverb Settings.....................................................................................................................................4•8

Wah and Volume Settings.............................................................................................................4•9

Assigning the Pedal and Tweak Knob and Dialing in Tempo....................................4•10

Variax..........................................................................................................................................................4•11

D.I. Settings .............................................................................................................................................4•13

Saving Yourself......................................................................................................................................4•14

Saving a Channel Memory.........................................................................................................4•14

Custom Saving Amp Models...................................................................................................4•15

Single Channel Recall ...................................................................................................................4•16

Complete Factory Recall............................................................................................................4•16

MIDI Dumps......................................................................................................................................4•17

Modeled Amps & Cabs.........................................................................5•1

Which Amps and Cabs Are Modeled? .................................................................................5•1

Cabinet Models ...................................................................................................................................5•18

Effect Model Details ............................................................................. 6•1

Effect Junkies Welcome...................................................................................................................6•1

Comp.........................................................................................................................................................6•1

Gate ............................................................................................................................................................6•2

Stomp Models: Distortions, Overdrives & Fuzzes............................................................6•3

Stomp Models: Stompbox Compressors..............................................................................6•8

Stomp Models: Auto Wah.............................................................................................................6•9

The Modulation Models..................................................................................................................6•10

Synth and Filter Effects: Basic Editing........................................................................................6•16

Synth Models .........................................................................................................................................6•18

Filter Models...........................................................................................................................................6•20

Delay Models.........................................................................................................................................6•22

Reverb Models......................................................................................................................................6•25

MIDI ....................................................................................................... 7•1

MIDI Basics ............................................................................................................................................7•1

What’s MIDI?.....................................................................................................................................7•1

In/Out....................................................................................................................................................7•1

MIDI Channel....................................................................................................................................7•1

MIDI Messages .....................................................................................................................................7•3

Backing Up Bass POD

XT

Live Programs to Other Devices .....................................7•4

Other Things You Can Do with MIDI ..................................................................................7•6

Changing sounds with MIDI Program Changes............................................................7•6

Tweaking Bass POD

Full MIDI Automation of Bass POD

XT

Live Tones with MIDI Controllers ...................................7•6

XT

Live....................................................................7•6

MIDI Setup Trouble-shooting .....................................................................................................7•8

Appendices............................................................................................ 8•1

A: Amp Models ...................................................................................................................................8•1

B: MIDI Program Changes..............................................................................................................8•3

C: POD
D: Variax Data in Bass POD

XT

MIDI Controls..............................................................................................................8•4

XT

Live.........................................................................................8•10

E: Line 6 Contact.................................................................................................................................8•11

Warranty Info........................................................................................................................................8•12

UICK

Q

TART

S

Q

UICK START GUIDE

UIDE

G

or:

•

“Manual? I don’t need no stinking manual!”

1 •

1

“M

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

ANUAL

On the rear panel, turn the small
down to zero, flip the switch to the amp position if you’re plugging into
an amp, or the line position if you’re plugging into line level equipment
such as a recorder or mixer, or using only headphones.

Connect the
inputs, or plug just the
connect headphones to the

Connect the included power pack to your Bass PODXT Live, and plug
the other end into a power jack.

Connect your bass to Bass PODXT Live’s rear
there to

Got a Variax guitar? Connect it to Bass PODXT Live’s rear panel Variax
jack, using only Line 6-supplied Variax cables. See

Flip the rear panel
Press the

D

Bass PODXT Live what you’re connecting to. This setting will be
overridden when you plug in headphones, so you don’t have to do
anything to get great headphone sound.

Turn up the rear panel
PODXT Live’s output, but don’t turn up so high that you’re overdriving
the input of whatever you’re plugging into.

Turn the
Banks of 4 Channels, with Channels labeled A, B, C, D. Banks 1-6 are
great for headphones, mixers and recorders. Banks 7-12 are best in front
of an amp. Banks 13-16 include complete Variax Bass settings. With the

E

“
Step on the

parts of your sound on/off. Turn the knobs to further adjust.
adjusts the volume of this Channel Memory relative to the others.

Now before you run off, please give the page a quick flip and....

? I

DON’T NEED NO STINKING MANUAL

UTPUT

O

M

ORM

N

UTPUT MODE/SYSTEM

O

EST

(Destination), then turn the

S

ELECT

button NOT lit, press the left button under the display for

DIT

Manual

Override,” where-the-knobs-are-is-how-it-sounds operation.

AMP,

and

ODEL

for most basses, or

P

knob to choose from preset sounds, organized in 16

S

D.I. O

M

ODEL

OWER

UTPUT LEVEL

O

TOMP

,

MOD, or

UTPUTS

output into your bass amp’s input. Or

P

HONES

switch to fire up.

jack on your Bass PODXT Live.

PAD for extra-hot-output pickups.

button. Press the button below

FFECT TWEAK

E

DLY/VRB switches to turn those

EVEL

L

knob all the way

to your recorder or mixer’s

NPUT

I

. Flip the switch

Variax

knob to tell your

knob so you can hear Bass

on page

C

3•2

HAN VOL

!”

.

Q

UICK START GUIDE

Register now!

2

1 •

Included in this manual is a handy, postage-paid card for you to send back to us to
register your purchase. It’s

right now

www.line6.com. Registering insures that you’re dialed in for warranty service
(warranty info is at the end of this manual) and insures we can contact you if new
software versions or other cool enhancements are offered — cutting edge technology
and such.

Go on-line and get more stuff!

Here at Line 6, our mission is to help you be more creative by bringing you powerful
new technologies. As part of that mission, we focus great effort on making the
Internet a valuable resource for every one of our customers. The Line 6 web site is one
of the most effective ways for us to deliver you what you need to make you and your
PODXT Live ever more powerful.

•

Register now!

very important

that you fill that registration card out

and drop it in the mail, or jump on the Internet and register at

Our web site is the place to download the free
check for and install the latest versions of our
easy access to any future firmware updates for your Bass POD

www.line6.com/monkey

to get started. You’ll also want to visit the

Line 6 Monkey

USB driver

software, and give you

XT

utility, which will

Live! Go to

line6.com

discussion boards to learn tips & tricks, trade advice, and generally hang out and get
POD-a-licious with the whole extended family of POD

XT users. Use the Support

pages to get answers to your technical questions and contact our customer service
experts. Or grab electronic versions of this book and other documentation, learn
what your favorite artists are doing with Line 6 gear, and see the latest products we’re
introducing for you.

Not on the Internet yet? This may be your time to make the jump, and thereby ensure
that you will get all the great resources we can offer for you and your Bass POD

XT

Live.

QUICK START GUIDE • Introduction

Introduction

Welcome To Bass PODXT Live...

Thank you for inviting Bass PODXT Live into your life. Whether you use it as the
ultimate multi-effect pedal, a direct recording miracle, a powerhouse preamp, a practice
partner, or a creative digital signal processing tool (and heck, why should it be just
one?) — we think you’ll agree that Bass POD
to happen to the electric bass since, well, since the bass amplifier itself! Bass POD
Live delivers the incredible tones of the acclaimed Line 6 Point-to-Point Interactive
modeling technology (as featured in our other POD
guitar amps), fuses it with the wonderfully portable and easy to use POD which has
been the bass recording world standard for years, and smacks it all down on the floor for
rugged professional use. So you’ve got the tonal heritage of the past century of stomp
box and bass amplifier design, plus no-compromise recording and direct sound
excellence — all ready to roll when you are.

Who is Line 6?

As you may know, Line 6 first came on the scene several years back with a new kind of
guitar amplifier — the first to put digital software modeling technology to work in a
combo amp for guitarists. We also knew then that guitarists need great amp tone when
recording, but generally don’t have the room to crank up that classic stack, or the
money to hire a team of ace engineers to get it to tape. So we squished our patented
modeling technology down into a small, kidney-bean-shaped wonder called POD, and
forever changed the world of guitar recording. Then we churned out a Bass POD, and
welcomed bass players into the Line 6 world.

XT Live is about the most amazing thing

XT products and Vetta II series

1 • 3

XT

Once we’d gotten this whole thing started, it was time to see what we could do if we
really cranked up the horsepower and took our modeling to the next level. I mean,
once you’ve climbed to the top of the mountain, it’s on to the next mountain, right?
So, eyes glowing like power tubes, we stocked up on the Pepsi, gathered our genius
engineers into a secret lab, fired up our extensive collection of amplifiers and stomp
boxes... and spirited their treasured tones into a newly-supercharged modeling
technology we dubbed Point-to-Point modeling. It first hit the streets in the award­winning Vetta guitar amp, whose superb tone and unparalleled selection of dream
amps, cabinets and effects make it a pretty good contender for the world heavyweight

QUICK START GUIDE • Introduction

1 • 4

guitar amp title. After that, we poured the same magic elixir into the classic POD
and—ta-dah!—POD

XT and Bass PODXT were born. It’s now available in the original

bean shape, a rack mount, and the floor unit that you are enjoying.

So, how does Bass POD

XT Live help you create a bass tone that is out of this world,

and then get that tone wherever you need it? Easy! It’s…

Modeling

Modeling: just what is it, and why is it so important?
To answer that question, we’ll start with tubes (better know as “valves” to our friends

in England and elsewhere). Tubes, we can all agree, are the heart and soul of pretty
much every legendary guitar amp and many treasured bass tone rigs, and are key to
the warm, harmonic-rich tone quality of that gear. Solid state devices (transistors) are
simply unable to duplicate tube warmth and performance. And “hybrids” — a tube in
a circuit along with a bunch of transistors — are really a vain attempt at warming up
a transistor-based tone. They fall short in any comparison to a 100% tube circuit. So

that’s it — tubes or nothin’, right? Well, not any more....

You see, Line 6’s team of crack engineer-musicians has spent years understanding
pretty much everything there is to know about tube-powered gear, including exactly
how different types of tubes respond under various conditions typical of guitar and
bass amplifier design. How tubes process an input signal, how the signal is colored and
shaped, at what point it begins to distort, the quality and characteristic of the
distortion, what happens when the signal gets to other parts of the system —
complicated stuff, but all analyzable as electronic data. A guitar or bass pickup output,
after all, is an electronic signal, and tubes and all the rest are really just a complex
form of signal processing.

Having sussed it all out, the Line 6 engineers translated all this arcane knowledge
into software that simulates the signal processing of guitar and bass amps’ tubes and
other electronics, entirely within the digital domain. Cool, huh? The Line 6 crew also
directed their caffeine-enhanced modeling attention to a study of speaker cabinets
and the important part they play in communicating great tone. And the great variety
of stomp box and rack effects that guitarists and basses use to juice things up. They
translated it all into yet more powerful software, and it’s this revolutionary DSP
(Digital Signal Processing) software-based modeling technology that gives Line 6 the
power to create super silicon-based life forms like Bass POD

XT Live.

QUICK START GUIDE • Introduction

Amp, Cab and Effect Models

The tone and technology know-how of Line 6 thus comes to you as Amp, Cab and
Effect Models based on a collection of gear recognized by guitarists and bassists the

world over as true “tone classics.” These models were tweaked through careful,
scientific A/B comparisons to the gear that inspired them, with an ear open for the
effects of different volume levels and settings of the originals’ tone and gain
controls. The gain and equalization characteristics of the modeled gear were
carefully measured so that changes to knobs on the models would mirror the effects
of these changes on the originals as closely as possible. We’re talkin’ major
attention to detail here. Tone control center frequencies, slopes, and cut/boost
range were painstakingly analyzed, in addition to a whole host of factors unique to
each piece of gear. Not only that, but since many classic amps and effects have
highly interactive circuits, we paid careful attention to the way that the setting of
one knob changes the way that another knob may behave. All in an effort to make
our Models as much like the amps, cabs and effects in our collection as possible.
The resulting Amp, Cab and Effect Models are the foundation of Bass POD

Now, then — here are a couple of things we want to be completely crystal clear on:

1. The Line 6 modeling process is a patented, 100% digital software­based technology exclusive to Line 6.

2. Line 6 Modeling is not sampling, nor is it solid state; no special
guitar, bass, pickup, or cabling is needed.

XT Live.

1 • 5

There’s Magic in the A.I.R.

For recording and direct feed to a mixer, PA system, or headphones, Bass PODXT
Live delivers its modeling tones through another innovation: Line 6’s A.I.R. direct
recording output. The A.I.R. (acoustically integrated recording) technology is the
result of intensive research and careful study of the tonal characteristics produced
by the interaction of amplifiers, cabinets, speakers, microphones and the recording
room during the recording process.

The direct output of many preamps, amplifiers and direct box-style amp
replacements available today offer some limited form of cabinet simulation or
speaker emulation. Those that happen to be more than simple high end roll-offs
have little or no control options. Generic cabinet simulations cannot reproduce the

QUICK START GUIDE • Introduction

1 • 6

markedly different tones resulting from the choice of speakers, wood, and other
details of a great real-life speaker cabinet. Other equipment also fails to reproduce the
significant tonal contribution of microphone selection and placement, and do
nothing to reproduce the subtle ambience of the recording space.

The result is the familiar dissatisfaction with direct recording products — even those
that deliver a reasonably usable basic tone fail to reproduce the “life” of the guitar and
bass sound, and destroy the proper feel in the process. It is as if your guitar or bass
strings became heavier and less responsive, like they just went up a couple of gauges
when you plugged into your direct box. And your sound lost its life.

Bass POD

XT Live’s combination of Amp Models and A.I.R. technology provides

superior direct tones by recreating all the elements contributing to a great recorded
guitar sound, and giving you that tone with the same feel as playing through a real
amp and speaker cabinet:

•The effect of the guitar or bass amplifier circuit is emulated by the Amp Model you
choose. Each model was developed from extensive study of a classic amplifier
treasured as a tone classic.

•In a guitar or bass amp, once the guitar signal passes through the electronics, it is
output to one or more speakers in a speaker cabinet. The specific design of the
speakers, how many there are, and how they are arranged contributes significantly
to your tone, as does the construction and resulting tone of the wood box itself. A
Marshall head driving a single 15-inch speaker in an open-back cabinet, for
instance, will sound dramatically different from the same head driving a 4x12
closed-back cabinet. Line 6 has carefully constructed virtual software speaker
cabinets that emulate the contribution made by real speaker cabinets to get great
guitar and bass sound.

•Once the sound makes it out of the speaker cabinet, the next important link in the
recording system is the microphone that receives that sound. Guitar and bass
recordists select different microphones, and arrange them in different placements,
to get particular sounds. A microphone pointing directly into the cone of a speaker
will hear something different than one positioned off-axis. Line 6 carefully analyzed
the coloring that various microphones add to the bass and guitar sound, as well as
the effects of different mic placement techniques, and gave you control of these
details in your Bass POD

XT Live.

QUICK START GUIDE • Introduction

•The guitar or bass amp, cabinet, and microphone don’t just sit in empty space.
The room that they are in contributes importantly to the guitar sound you will
record. Reverb can be used to capture the basic character of the space, simulating
the effect of the sound reflecting off the room’s walls, floors and ceiling. But there
are other subtle details that have more to do with the “spread” of the sound as it
passes through the air between the speaker and microphone. This final
component is the key to the sense that the listener is in one position in the room,
and the guitar or bass sound is in another position, and that the two are separated
by a mass of air that sound spreads through to reach the listener.

All of these important sound-shaping components are accounted for in your Bass
POD

XT Live. Stomp on the AMP foot switch to enable an amplifier emulation. You

can then press the second button under the Bass POD

E

DIT button is NOT lit, select the Amp Model of your choice, and Bass PODXT

XT Live display while the

Live automatically matches that amplifier with an appropriate cabinet and
microphone setup, and gives you the sound of that setup coming through the air of
a recording space. So you’re ready to start playing or recording with incredible
mic’d up sound! Press a button and twiddle a knob or two, and you can switch
cabinets, change out mics and their placement, and adjust the “spread” of the
sound in your virtual room as well.

The A.I.R. direct recording output is exclusive to Line 6. In combination with the
Line 6 Amp, Cab and Effect Models, it is an indispensable part of Bass POD

XT

Live’s phenomenally satisfying sound.

1 • 7

D.I.

Of course, we also realize that many great recorded bass tracks and live bass sounds
are achieved by going direct with a D.I., or using a blend of amped and D.I.
together. And that’s why your Bass POD
output, a D.I. output that gives you an unprocessed direct bass signal line level
output that is exactly time- and phase-aligned with the amp+cab+mic+effects
sound pumping out of the Model output.

XT Live includes, along with its Model

QUICK START GUIDE • And Away We Go....

1 • 8

And Away We Go....

So, now that you know what’s in store, it’s time to experience Bass PODXT Live for
yourself. Grab your favorite axe, plug in, and flip back to the handy Quick Start
Guide on the first page of this chapter if you haven’t already been through that.
Then fold out the back cover and follow me, my friend, for the Bass POD

Grand Tour....

XT Live

Controls & Connections

ONTROLS

C

Now would be a good time to turn to the nifty back cover of this manual and notice
that it folds out. Ooh, pretty pictures! The idea is to have this essential pictorial
reference always opened out while you’re thumbing through the manual. It’s also got all
the essential details for quickly getting around on your Bass POD
numbers that pop up throughout this manual correspond to the numbers on the
foldout’s illustrations. The back side of the cover’s also got signal flow and connection
guides plus lists of all Amp, Cab and Effect Models.

1

Power Switch -

the included PX-2

2

USB -

computers, and record your Bass POD
recording software. We’ve included a USB cable to make the needed connection. You
can get the required driver software — and easily get it installed along with any other
Bass POD
which you can download at

Bass PODXT Live’s USB jack lets you connect it directly to most

XT

Live-related computer stuff — by using the free

& C

Flip this to bring your Bass PODXT Live to life.

power pack to supply power to your Bass POD

www.line6.com/monkey

ONNECTIONS

XT

Live. The boxed

XT

Live directly to a wide variety of popular

XT

Line 6 Monkey

.

Use only

Live.

software,

2•

1

3

Variax -

of possibility and sound-control power. In addition to a direct digital audio connection
between the bass and Bass POD
time you choose a new Channel Memory from your Bass PODXT Live’s footswitches or

S

POD
giving you the sound of an entire guitar collection in one instrument — at the Line 6
website.

it’s not connected to a Variax, so you won’t damage it by mistakenly
inserting a 1/4-inch cable or other connection. When you are ready to
connect a Variax, use only Line 6 supplied Variax-compatible cables — not
standard Ethernet or other cables — to avoid damage to the jack.

knob.

ELECT

Live’s built-in pedal! Learn more about Variax basses and guitars — each one

XT

Be sure to keep the protective plastic cap on this connection when

Connect a Line 6 Variax Bass here, and experience a whole new world

Live, you can have the Variax change sounds each

XT

AND

you can even tweak the sound of your Variax Bass tone with Bass

Controls & Connections

4

MIDI In & Out -

select Channel Memories (via Program Change messages), or automate Bass PODXT
Live settings (via controllers and/or SySex). The Bass POD

2•

2

connects to another device’s

OUT

. Please also see Chapter 7,

MIDI gear with Bass POD

Connect Bass PODXT Live to your MIDI equipment to

XT

Live

MIDI OUT

MIDI IN

XT

Live and find out what MIDI can do for you.

; its

MIDI IN

goes to another device’s

Deep Editing and MIDI Control

MIDI

, to setup your

Phones -

5

volume is set by the

When you want to listen with headphones, plug them in here. The

O

UTPUT LEVEL

knob. Any time you use headphones, it’s

6

important to be sure they’re not set for ridiculous volume before your slap them on your
ears. Use a low setting of the knob when first putting the headphones on, then turn up
from there if you need more volume.

When headphones are connected, Bass POD

XT

Live feeds them the same thing you
would hear at the Model output, and autmatically switches to Studio Mode (for more
on Studio Mode, see “What are you connecting to?” on page

6

Output To Amp/Line -

The unbalanced 1/4-inch connectors here get

3•8

).

your Bass PODXT Live’s sound to a bass amplifier, recorder, mixer or PA system. Flick
the rear panel switch to
front of a bass amp, and otherwise choose
you guessed it! — output level. Changing the
tone, so you can get the tone you want at
when you store settings into one of the Bass POD

MODEL

The

connector gives you the fully processed Amp+Cab+Effects+Mic signal

generated by your Bass POD

when you’ve got your Bass PODXT Live feeding into the

AMP

XT

Live. The D.I.

. The rear panel

LINE

O

UTPUT

any

volume level. This setting is

XT

Live’s memory locations.

connector gives you a time- and phase-

L

EVEL

level does

knob sets the —

not

change your

not

saved

aligned, unprocessed version of your signal.

When running into a bass amp, you’ll want to use the
the

knob so high that you’re overdriving the front end of your amp. Try turning

L

EVEL

MODEL

output, and avoid setting

any drive-type control on your amp low so that it’s not adding more “dirt” to your
sound, and compare the Bass POD

XT

Live sound on headphones to the sound coming

from your amp to be sure the sound from the amp isn’t getting too crunchy because

XT

you’re feeding it too much level from the Bass POD

Live. The tone from the

headphones and from the amp will of course sound different, depending on the “color”

Controls & Connections

that your amp adds. You just want to make sure that you’re not getting extra distortion
degrading your sound and preventing you from achieving the tones you want with your
Bass POD

When running into line level gear (like recorders, mixers and PA’s) Bass POD
will give the best signal-to-noise performance when you have the rear panel
knob at max. With the

XT

-Live-and-amp-setup.

LEVEL

XT

LEVEL

control turned down low, you may get extra hiss —

Live

which obviously ain’t what you want — if you turn up your mixer or recorder’s output

as high as possible when

to compensate. In order to allow you to set the
connecting to recording, mixing, and other studio gear,

Bass POD

Live’s outputs into line level

XT

Line level inputs should allow you to set Bass POD
then turn Bass PODXT’s

knob up all the way (or close to it) and thereby get the

LEVEL

LEVEL

be sure you are plugging

, not microphone or guitar level inputs.

Live’s amp/line switch to

XT

LINE

,

best sound possible. If your gear has inputs that function as mic/line level inputs, try to
set the trim for those inputs to the minimum level, and Bass POD

XT

Live’s

LEVEL

to

maximum, when setting levels.

7

Aux Input -

Connect a CD player, MP3 player, drum machine or other device
here, and you’ll hear it at Bass PODXT Live’s headphone and Amp/Line outputs. Very
handy for jamming along! Use the output volume control on the connected device to
set its level.

This aux input signal will NOT be fed to the USB digital audio output.

2•

3

8

Input -

Plug your bass in here. (You techies will want to know this is a mono,
un-balanced connection.) Set the switch to norm for use with most basses. The pad
position may work better with bass pickups that have particularly high output levels, to

XT

prevent them from overdriving the front end of your Bass POD

Live in an

unpleasant-sounding way.

9

Pedal 2 -

you’ll be able to assign it to control the Volume Pedal or Effect Tweak
See page

4•10

Connect a standard expression pedal, such as the Line 6 EX-1, and

functions.

12

for the detail on that.

Controls & Connections

13

Select - Bass PODXT Live has 64 Channel Memories. They are arranged in 16

10

banks of four channels each. (The four are called A, B, C, and D.) You can think of
each bank as a sort of virtual four-channel bass amp.

4

2•

The first 24 Channel Memories (Banks 1-6) store a variety of complete amp-and-effect
selections pre-programmed by the tone mavens at Line 6 to sound great when feeding a
recorder, mixer, PA or headphones. The second 24 (Banks 7-12) are designed to run in
front of a bass amp. The next 16 (Banks 13-16) are ideal for use with Variax Bass, to
give you complete, pre-programmed Bass+Effect+Amp+Cab+Mic tone.

You load Bass POD

B

ANK UP/DOWN and A, B, C, D switches described later in this chapter). When

recalling a channel, you may have left the physical T
the just-recalled channel has this control set to max. To change T

XT Live channels by turning the SELECT knob (or stepping on the

REBLE knob at minimum, whereas

REBLE (or anything

else), just grab the knob you want and tweak.

To leave the Channel Memory world and enter Manual operation, step on the A, B, C
or D foots witch

and hold it for 2 seconds. In this mode, Bass PODXT Live’s

21

display will show “Manual Mode” in place of the Channel Memory name, and the
physical positions of the A

MP TONE CONTROLS and CHANNEL VOLUME

14

knobs will determine your sound.

When the E
selects from the available display pages. When you press E
effect and channel parameters; when you press O
through all of the Tuner and system-wide settings. When S

DIT, SAVE or OUTPUT MODE/SYSTEM button is lit, the SELECT knob

DIT, it selects pages of amp,

UTPUT MODE/SYSTEM, it takes you

AVE is lit, you’ll find amp

and effect customization features as well as MIDI dump operations. The vertical “scroll
bar” on the left side of each display page shows you where you are in that group of
pages.

Controls & Connections

Displays - The left of these displays always shows the bank number and

11

channel letter of the currently selected Channel Memory. The right of these displays,
Bass POD

XT Live’s LCD (liquid crystal display), is your window into every parameter and

setting available. Here’s how to get around that right display:

2• 5

1. When the S

AVE, EDIT and OUTPUT MODE/SYSTEM buttons are NOT lit, the

display shows you the name of the selected Channel Memory, and the Amp Model
that it uses. (And lets you use the Soft Buttons as described in .)

2. When the S
the left side of Bass POD

AVE, EDIT or OUTPUT MODE/SYSTEM button IS lit, a scroll bar on

XT Live’s display shows you where you are in the available

17

display “pages.” Press one of these buttons to see the scroll bar now. For those that
really need to get all the nerdy details, each dot in that bar represents a page. As
you turn the S

ELECT knob, you move through the pages and so does the little

square. When you’re on the first page, the little square is at the top. When you get
to the last page, the square’s at the bottom. Square goes up, square goes down.
Square goes up, square goes down. Fun for the whole family!

3. Each page typically has words that appear in the bottom of the display. These words
label things you can adjust. Press the button below the thing you want to adjust,
then turn the E

Effect Tweak - While the EDIT, OUTPUT MODE/SYSTEM and SAVE

12

FFECT TWEAK knob to do your adjusting. Here’s more detail:

buttons AREN’T lit, this knob varies some effect-related aspect of the sound that your
Bass POD

XT Live is currently running. Turn it up and that effect will generally go

deeper, louder, faster, longer or just plain more. You’ll know what you’re tweakin’
because a window will pop up on Bass POD
looking for the way to set the delay time, note that that’s usually set by the T
button.) To learn how you can customize the E
the effect that E

FFECT TWEAK is “targeting” is off, then, big surprise, EFFECT TWEAK

XT Live’s display to show you. (If you’re

AP

FFECT TWEAK knob, see page 4•10. If

won’t change anything.

While the E

DIT, OUTPUT MODE/SYSTEM or SAVE button IS lit, the EFFECT TWEAK

knob adjusts parameter values instead of tweaking your effect.

Controls & Connections

13

Amp Tone Controls - DRIVE, BASS, LO MID, HI MID, TREBLE. These

control the tone of the Amp Modeling that you have selected. (The A
determines whether the Amp Modeling is on or off; if it’s off, you of course won’t hear

2• 6

any changes as you adjust these knobs.) The D
driving the input of the chosen Amp Model. Like the input volume control on a non­master volume bass amp, higher settings give you more “dirt.” The exact response and
interactivity of this and the rest of the Amp Tone Controls will vary from Amp Model
to Amp Model, to mimic the tone controls of the original amp that inspired the Amp
Model you’ve selected. See C

Chan Vol - This knob controls the relative volume level of the “channel” you

14

are playing through — thus, C
the sounds you store in two different Bass POD
between your more laid back, clean tones and your more aggressive, distorted ones). In
general, you want to set the C
best signal-to-noise ratio performance — but back off on this control if you’re seeing
CLIP in Bass POD
experience with your Channel Volume settings:

You probably want to have all of your favorite sounds as loud as possible, while also
having the right difference in volume between your more laid back and more aggressive
sounds, clean and dirty sounds, etc. Right? OK, then, to get this happy balance, start
with your favorite ‘clean’ sounds. Turn up their Chan Vol as high as you can without
getting the CLIP indicator in Bass POD
them that way. Then switch amongst them to see if some are too loud, and turn them
down a bit to match well with the others. Next, move on to select your ‘dirtier’ crunch
and overdrive tones, comparing them to the clean sounds and saving them with lower
Chan Vol settings to match well with those clean sounds. Now, each time you use your
Bass POD

LEVEL knob, and you can switch amongst your various sounds without unhappy

XT Live, you just have to set an overall volume you like with the rear panel

6

volume differences.

MP footswitch

RIVE knob controls how hard you’re

HAPTER 5 for details on specific Amp Models.

HANNEL VOLUME. Use this to balance levels between

XT Live Channel Memories (say

HAN VOL as high as possible to ensure you’re getting the

XT Live’s display. Here’s a handy tip to help you get the best

XT Live’s display when you play hard, and save

Another little Channel Volume detail: unlike the A
knob works whether your Amp Model is on or off. POD
separate Channel Volume settings — one for the Amp-on state , and one for Amp-

MP TONE CONTROLS , this

XT Live actually stores two

13

19

off. So you can balance the volume difference between these two if needed, as well as

Controls & Connections

balance the volumes between any two Channel Memories regardless of whether they
happen to use Amp Modeling or not.

15

Save - When you want to store your own tweaked-up sounds in your Bass

POD

XT Live, this button is the key. Exactly how it works is detailed in Chapter 4,

Creating & Storing Sounds. But you’re probably impatient, so here are the basics:

When using a pre-programmed sound, Bass POD
and channel letter in its left display , and the channel name at the top of the right

11

display. If you turn one of the knobs or change a parameter in the E

XT Live will display the bank number

DIT mode pages,

you’ll notice an asterisk appears next to the channel name. This is a reminder to you
that you have tweaked the memorized channel, and that you should save it if you want
your Bass POD

To save the changes you’ve made to a Channel Memory, press the S
button will start to flash. Just press S

XT Live to remember the tweak.

AVE button. The

AVE again if you want to overwrite the currently

loaded Channel, using the same name. Or, if you’d like to change the name first, use
the middle two Soft Buttons to select a character, then press the right soft button and
turn the E

DEST, turn the EFFECT TWEAK knob, and you will see that you are switching

FFECT TWEAK knob to change the character. Press the soft button under

through memory locations A, B, C, and D in each of the 32 numbered banks. Pick one
to store your sound in, and press that S

AVE button a second time. The button’s light

will stop flashing, a progress bar will appear on the display, and the sound will be
stored at the location you chose, replacing the sound that was there before.

After the sound is stored, you can bring it back any old time by simply turning the

S

ELECT knob to call up the location where you stored it, or by dancing around on Bass

POD

XT Live’s footswitches to select the appropriate bank and channel.

2• 7

If you aren’t using one of Bass POD

XT Live’s Channel Memories — you’ve activated

Manual mode, and you’re just getting the sound of where the knobs are set — you can
store that state into a memory location the same way. Press S

E

FFECT TWEAK to choose a place to save to, and press SAVE again.

AVE, then DEST, then use

If you decide you don’t want to store the sound after you’ve started saving, press any
other button to cancel the save. (The save will also be canceled if you don’t touch
anything for 15 seconds after pressing S

AVE.)

Controls & Connections

The S

AVE button also lets you customize any of the Amp Models to your own taste so

your favorite settings for that amp comes up instantly when you load the A
See page 4•15 for the details on that.

2• 8

16

Edit - A deep-dive into tone central is available at the press of the EDIT button.

While E

DIT is lit, the SELECT knob selects pages of everything that makes up a

Channel Memory. From here, you set all the effect parameters, select cabinets and
microphones, and assign a parameter to the E
about deep editing, please see Chapter 4.

17

Soft Buttons - These four buttons operate differently depending on what

you’re doing. Since their function changes to control different software functions at
different times, we call them the “Soft” Buttons.

MP MODEL.

FFECT TWEAK knob. To learn more

If the E

DIT button is NOT lit, Bass PODXT Live’s display will look about like this:

Press any one of the Soft Buttons below the display to turn the item above that button
on or off. In the example above, the Comp, Amp, and Gate processing are off, and
the EQ is on. Double-press any of these Soft Buttons to show the settings for that item,
then press the lit E

If the E

DIT button IS lit, the Soft Buttons will let you select which displayed setting

DIT button to exit that display when you’re done tweaking details.

you’d like to tweak. See Chapter 4 for the detail on that.

18

Output Mode/System - This button takes you to a page where you tell

Bass POD
properly. There are also other pages here (selectable with the S
adjusting the operation of your Bass POD

XT Live what you’re connecting to so that everything will sound and work

ELECT knob) for

XT Live. The settings made in these pages are

10

NOT saved in individual Channel Memories. They affect the overall, general
operation of the Bass POD

XT Live.

Controls & Connections

10

19

Amp, Stomp, Mod, Dly/Vrb - These footswitches show you which of

these “blocks” of sound processing is currently running. Light on means that item is
active. Light off means it’s bypassed. Step on a switch to switch it on/off. Chapter 4
tells you about editing the details of the Amp, Stomp, Mod and Dly/Vrb Models.
Chapter 5 tells you about the individual Amp Models that Bass POD

XT Live gives

you, while Chapter 6 tells you all about the individual effect Models.

20

Bank Up/Down - These foots witches choose amongst Bass PODXT Live’s

32 banks of Channel Memories, similar to the S

ELECT knob. Once you’ve

footswitched your way to a new bank, you’ll then also need to step on the A, B, C or D
foots witch to actually load one of the channels from that bank. (We set things up this
way so your audience won’t hear you switching through channels as you make your
way to your next bank of sounds.)

21

A, B, C, D - The lights on these footswitches show you which of the

Channels in the current Bank is running. You can step on any of them to choose a
different channel — basically the same thing you can do with the S

ELECT knob.

10

You can also step on one of these switches and hold it for two seconds to activate a
Manual Mode. In this mode, Bass POD
place of the Channel Memory name, and the physical positions of the A

C

ONTROLS and CHANNEL VOLUME knobs will determine your sound.

13 14

XT Live’s display will show “Manual Mode” in

MP TONE

2• 9

22

Tap (Hold/Tuner) - Bass PODXT Live lets you control the time and speed

of your effects by simply tapping on this button. To use the T

AP control, just tap the

button at the tempo you want and the effects that are set to “lock” to that tempo will
change to match what you tapped. There’s also a Tempo parameter near the end of the

E

DIT pages, so you can see exactly what Tempo you’ve tapped. This is especially useful

if you are trying to nudge your T

AP setting to just the right value. See Chapter 4 to

learn how to set up effects to follow the tempo that you’ve tapped.

But wait, that’s not all. You can instead hold the switch for about 2 seconds and —
Shazam! Instant digital chromatic tuner. Play a note on your bass and Bass POD

XT Live

will show you what it is on that handy display; all notes are displayed as flats, so you’ll
see A instead of G . Play that string you’re trying to tune again, spin its tuning key so
it goes sharp and flat, and the little ball will move to the right if it’s sharp and back

Controls & Connections

12

down to the left when the note’s flat. The little ball will sit right in the middle when
you’ve got it just right. Give Bass POD
tuner disappears just as swiftly as it came, taking you right back to normal operation.

2• 10

Tuner Bypass/Volume - Normally, the audio will be muted while you’re tuning, but
if you prefer to hear yourself tune, press the button labeled Mute, and turn E
T

WEAK counter-clockwise to select Bypass.

Tuner Reference - Want a different reference than A=440Hz? When you’re in the

tuner mode, press the button labeled 440 Hz and turn the E
Bass POD

XT Live while watching the display. This control lets you set the reference

frequency anywhere from 430-450 Hz. This setting is stored so you don’t have to reset
it every time you turn on Bass POD
that piano in your rehearsal room has decided to be different).

23

Onboard Pedal - The lights to the left of this pedal show whether it will

operate the Wah effect, Volume Pedal, or (when both lights are lit) Tweak, which is
the same thing controlled by the E
Wah, you can press hard with your toe at the top of the pedal, and the wah — as well
as the wah light to the left of the pedal — will turn on and off. To learn how to change
what the pedal controls, see page 4•10.

XT Live’s TUNE/SYSTEM button a push and the

FFECT

FFECT TWEAK knob on

XT Live if you decide you want to be different (or if

FFECT TWEAK knob. When operating the

G

ETTING SET UP

•

All Purpose Basics

ETTING

G

The numbers in black boxes below and throughout the chapter refer to the back cover
foldout’s illustrations

XT

Bass POD
plugging into. It’s as happy to live on stage, plugged into the house sound system or
your ol’ standby amp, as it is working alongside the most elite of world-class
recording systems. (And who wouldn’t be?) To tell you what you need for where
you’re going, this chapter’s got two sections,
first, it’s time for the...

Live is ready to give you world-class tone, no matter what you’re

S

ET

U

P

On Stage

and

In the Studio

All Purpose Basics

1.

Plug the power supply or cable into the wall, and connect it to the power connector
on your Bass PODXT

2.

Connect your bass to Bass PODXT Live’s I

3.

Connect Bass PODXT Live to whatever you’re going to be playing it into.

Live

.

NPUT

8

.

. But

3 •

1

G

ETTING SET UP

Variax

The Variax line of guitars and basses is unique, thanks to Line 6 modeling technology
that gives you a whole collection of guitars or basses in one single instrument. (You can
learn more about them at the Line 6 web site.)

•

Variax

3 •

2

If you’re a lucky Variax owner, you’ll want to take advantage of Bass POD
panel

ARIAX

V

Variax cables. Once you’ve done that, press the

3

jack. Connect your Variax to this jack using only Line 6-supplied

O

UTPUT MODE/SYSTEM

XT

Live’s rear

button

18

and give the Effect Tweak knob a spin until you see this page:

Press the Soft Button under the word
choose

ON

or

OFF

to tell Bass PODXT Live whether you’d like it control the Variax.

VARIAX

and turn the Effect Tweak knob to

When control is enabled, Bass PODXT Live can change Variax models as you change
Bass PODXT Live channels, as described on page

Note also that you can have a standard bass and your Variax plugged into Bass POD

4•11

.

XT

Live at the same time, and both will work. Just be sure to roll the volume knob back all
the way on the one you’re not using.

G

ETTING SET UP

On Stage

Keeping Your Options Open

When you’re playing live with Bass PODXT Live, you’ve got a choice of setups. You can
plug your Bass POD
Live acts as a tone-shaping front end for the amp. You can plug straight out of Bass
POD

XT

Live’s outputs into the house system for awesome amp and effect tone without
the hassle of mics and cabinets and all that other stage setup. Or you can choose to run
Bass PODXT Live into a power amp and speaker cabinets, using it as the ultimate
preamp. Whichever setup you choose, you’re gonna have to tell your Bass POD
about it first. Read along and we’ll get’cha dialed in like a pro.

What are you connecting to?

You can supply your Bass PODXT Live with one of five answers to this question, and
thereby ensure that your friend on the floor gives you the best possible tones in any
setup. To start the dialogue, press the
up and you’ll see:

Live in between your bass and a bass amplifier so Bass PODXT

XT

O

UTPUT MODE/SYSTEM

button to light it

18

XT

Live

•

On Stage

3 •

3

STUDIO DIRECT

in-ear monitoring systems, press the Soft Button below

T

knob to select

WEAK

— When plugging Bass PODXT Live straight into a P.A., or using

12

STUDIO DIRECT

and turn the

DEST

for amazing amp and effect tone, night

E

FFECT

after night. Line 6 exclusive A.I.R. processing serves up a virtual speaker-cabinet-air­microphone experience so good you may never use a regular bass amplifier and
microphone on stage again. You’re as powerful as the entire P.A. — and guaranteed to
be in the mix!

LIVE W HORN, LIVE W H EQ, LIVE NO HORN, LIVE NO H EQ

— Choose one of these
settings when plugging into a combo amp, head and bass cabinets, or power amp and
bass cabinets. Choose

LIVE NO HORN

LIVE NO H EQ

or

if your system doesn’t have a
horn or high frequency driver, or you’ve chosen to turn them off on your speaker
cabinet. Choose the

LIVE W HORN

or

LIVE W H EQ

option if your system includes a

horn or other high frequency driver. The Mic component of A.I.R. is turned off, and