All amp, cab and effect product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names and descriptions are provided for the
sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
# AMP MODELMODEL BASED ON
8 ......1X12 CLASS A.................VOX AC-15 W/ GRAYBELLS
9 ......2X2 MINI T.....................FENDER MINI TWIN
10 ....2X12 LINE 6 ...................LINE 6 ORIGINAL
SHOCK HAZARD – DO NOT OPEN. RISQUE DE CHOC ÉLECTRIQUE – NE PAS
OUVRIR. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT
EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. TO REDUCE THE RISK
OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER SERVICEABLE
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
BUTTON
2930
22
24
1318
3
POWER
27
SIGNAL
16
17
14
28
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AMP MODELS
15
9
THIS DEVICE COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE 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.
IN
OUT
12
11
010010010
CHAN VOLREVERBOUTPUT
010
MIDDLETREBLEBASSDRIVEPRESENCE
10
N222
MIDI
OUT/THRUIN
POWER REQUIREMENTS
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
100 - 120V ~
100 W Max.
CAUTION
50 - 60Hz
DO NOT OPEN
4
2
25
NORMAL PAD
INPUT LEVEL
Guitar inPHONES
SELECT
POD
ULTIMATE TONE FOR GUITAR
+
PRO
DIG I/O
XT
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I/O & DIG
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ULTIMATE TONE FOR GUITAR
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AMP MODELS
NAVIGATION REFERENCE
• When EDIT, SAVE or TUNER is lit, “SELECT”
SELECT
selects pages
• Otherwise, “SELECT” chooses Channel
Memories
E
D
T
I
EDIT PAGESSAVE PAGES
• Amp Settings
• A.I.R. Settings
• Compressor and Gate Settings
• Stomp Select and Settings
• Modulation Select and Settings
• Modulation Settings (page 2)
• Delay Select and Settings
• Delay Settings (page 2)
• Reverb Select and Settings
• Wah and Volume Settings
• FX Tweak and Tempo Settings
S
P
M
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TUNER PAGES
D
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A
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T
A
P
24
010
REVERB
EFFECTS
• For Comp, Stomp, Mod, and Delay, the effect is on
when lit.
C
A
• CAB/A.I.R. is lit when you are using a cab simulation.
B
/
A
.
I
.
R
.
• Double press an effect button to go straight to its
EDIT page.
• Save Sound to Channel Memory
• Custom Save Amp Model
• Custom Save Effects Setup
• Single Factory Channel recall
• Factory Recall
• MIDI Dump
• Tuner
• Input/Digital Out (PODxt Pro Only)
• What are you connecting to?
• Display contrast
• MIDI
• PODXT Software Version
12
T
U
P
N
I
2
FBV SERIES REFERENCE
13
3
1
FX LOOP
4
STOMPMODULATION
CHANNEL BCHANNEL ACHANNEL DCHANNEL C
2
3
FX LOOPSTOMP BOX 1STOMP BOX 2STOMP BOX 3
4
5
6
FBV SHORTBOARD
8
9
DELAY
7
4
REVERB
TAP
HOLD FOR TUNER
10
CUSTOM FOOT CONTROLLER
11
VOLUMEWAH
12
11
WAHPEDAL 1PEDAL 2VOLUME
FACTORY/USER
1
7
AMP 2AMP 1
8
9
DELAYMODULATIONTREMOLOREVERB
10
TAP TEMPO
12
HOLD FOR TUNER
CHANNEL ACHANNEL BCHANNEL CCHANNEL DFAVORITE CHANNELBANK DOWNBANK UP
2
SIGNAL FLOW & EFFECTS ROUTING OPTIONS
GATE
VOLUME
WAHSTOMPDELAYMODULATION
COMP
VOLUME
THE "WHAT ARE YOU CONNECTED TO?" EDIT PAGE
Be sure to use TRS cables when
you want to get +4dBu levels to
the balanced inputs of a recorder,
mixer or power amp.
Use your A.I.R. settings to get the right mic sound
you’re looking for! Choose from:
MIC 1.........................................................57 ON AXIS
MIC 2 .......................................................57 OFF AXIS
MIC 3 .....................................................421 DYNAMIC
MIC 4 ...................................................67 CONDENSER
MODULATIONDELAY
(
see text pages for PODXT Pro details
LIVE : 4x12LIVE : 2x12STUDIO : DIRECT
AMP/CAB + A.I.R. II
REVERB
)
Use the VIBE parameter to adjust the sound for your particular
Live setup. Experiment with all the options, since different
amp/cab combinations can give very different results, and you
may get the best sound with an unusual combination of settings.
LOOP
(PODXT Pro only)
LEFT OUTPUT
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names and descriptions are provided for the sole purpose of identifying
the specific products that were studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
The serial number can be found on the underside of your PODXT, or back panel of your
PODXT Pro. It’s the number that begins with “(21)”. Please note it here for future reference:
SERIAL NO:
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 your PODXT, carefully read the applicable items of these operating instructions and safety suggestions:
1.Obey all warnings on the PODXT and in this Pilot’s Handbook.
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.
4a. POD
4b. PODXT Pro: Connect only to AC power outlets rated 100-120V or 220-240V 47-63Hz (depending on 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 PODXT when not in use for extended periods of time.
7.Do not perform service operations beyond those described in the POD
8.Prolonged listening at high volume levels may cause irreparable hearing loss and/or damage. Always be sure
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
: Connect only to AC power outlets rated 100-120V or 230V 47-63Hz (depending on the voltage
range of the included power supply).
voltage range of the unit).
Pay particular attention to the cord at the plug end and the point where it connects to the PODXT.
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
to practice “safe listening.”
CAUTION:
do not remove screws. No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer
servicing to qualified service personnel.
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.
Line 6, POD, PODXT, PODXT Pro, Vetta, FBV, FBV
Shortboard, FBV4, Amp Farm, Line 6 Edit and
ToneTransfer 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.
Register Now .......................................................................................................................................1•2
Get On-Line...........................................................................................................................................1•2
Line 6 Tone Transfer and Discussion Forums .............................................................1•2
– Playing Live.......................................................................................................................3•5
Mount Up............................................................................................................................................3•5
Keeping Your Options Open..................................................................................................3•5
What are you connecting to? .................................................................................................3•5
Getting The Right Tone With An Amp............................................................................3•6
External Stomp Boxes and POD
POD
XT
Pro – Configurations & Connections..................................................................3•8
Selecting An Input..........................................................................................................................3•8
Input & digital Out Options......................................................................................................3•9
FORMAT: Sample rate, word length (bit depth), and clock source.................3•9
MODE: Normal or Dry Guitar...............................................................................................3•10
GAIN: Extra gain on the digital outs....................................................................................3•10
What are you connecting to?..................................................................................................3•11
FX Loop...............................................................................................................................................3•12
continued on next page
Getting Set Up
continued
AES/ÉBU or S/PDIF Data Fromat?............................................................................................3•13
Putting Your Feet to Work ................................................................8•1
FBV Series Foot Controllers ........................................................................................................8•1
Hooking Up ...........................................................................................................................................8•1
Meet the FBV Shortboard ............................................................................................................8•1
Hooking up the Shortboard.....................................................................................................8•1
Pushing Your Buttons........................................................................................................................8•1
Saving and Naming with the FBV Shortboard....................................................................8•3
Using an EX-1........................................................................................................................................8•4
Line 6 Contact ......................................................................................................................................9•8
PODXT Pro owners, if you’re going to use anything beyond the standard guitar input and
analog outputs, we can’t cover all your options on this brief page. See Chapter 2 to learn
about controls, and then get deep with the inputs and outputs in the
Configurations & Connections
1.
Turn the
2.
Connect the
inputs, or plug the left output into your guitar amp’s input. Or connect
headphones to the
3.
Connect the included power pack or power cable to your PODXT, and
plug the other end into a power jack.
4.
Connect your guitar to PODXT’s
5.
Flip the
6.POD
7.Select an Amp Model using the A
8.Turn the E
9.Browse pre-programmed tones using the S
10.Now before you run off, please give the page a quick flip and....
XT comes ready to rock for direct connection to your recording
setup. If you’re connecting to a guitar amp, it’s essential to let your
PODXT know so it gives you the best tone. Do this by pressing TUNE/
SYSTEM, then turning the SELECT knob one step clockwise. Press the
button below DEST (Destination) and then turn the EFFECT TWEAK
knob to tell your PODxt what type of amp you’re connecting to. PODxt
will automatically override this setting when you plug in headphones, so
you don’t have to do anything to get great headphone sound.
to max and the DRIVE, BASS, MID, TREBLE and PRESENCE to your
heart’s desire. OUTPUT sets the, uh, output level.
R
EVERB and EFFECT TWEAK knobs so you’re happy with the sound. Tap
the TAPtempo button to set the speed of the selected effect.
of the four buttons below the display. You can press any one of those
buttons twice for a “Manual Override” that gives you where-the-knobsare-is-how-it-sounds operation.
DON’T NEED NO STINKING MANUAL
? I
PODxt Pro —
section that starts on page
O
UTPUT
OWERswitch to fire up.
P
FFECTS knob to load an Effects Setup, then twist the
L
EFT
L
control all the way down to zero.
EVEL
IGHT OUTPUTS
and
R
HONES
P
to your recorder or mixer’s
jack on your PODXT for silent jamming.
I
(PODXT’s Pro
NPUT
MP MODEL knob. Set the CHAN VOL
ELECT knob or by pressing any
3•8
G
UITAR IN
.
).
!”
QUICK START GUIDE • Register now!
1 • 2
Register now!
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 and drop it in the mail or jump on the Internet and register at the Line 6
very important that you fill that registration card out
Support Center — 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.
Get on-line and get good free 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
POD
XT ever more powerful.
Connect to www.line6.com to check out ToneTransfer—an extensive, free online
tone library. It integrates with the free Line 6 Edit software that lets you edit your
PODxt’s sounds, and save copies of them on your computer. Our web site is also the
place to download our GuitarPort software and USB driver software, all free for your
POD
XT. Visit the discussion boards, and you can learn tips & tricks, trade advice, and
generally hang out and get POD-a-licious with the whole extended family of PODxt
users. Use the FAQTRAQ system to get answers to your technical questions and
contact our product support 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 the time to make the big jump, and thereby
ensure that you will get all the great resources we can offer for you and your POD
XT.
QUICK START GUIDE • Introduction
Introduction
Welcome To PODXT...
Thank you for inviting PODXTinto your life. Whether you use your PODXTas a direct
recording miracle, a powerhouse preamp, a practice partner, or as a creative digital
signal processing tool (and heck, why should it be just one of these?) — we think you’ll
agree that POD
since, well, since the guitar amplifier itself! POD
acclaimed Line 6 Point-to-Point Interactive modeling technology (as featured in our
Vetta series amps) and fuses it with the wonderfully portable and easy to use POD,
which has been the guitar recording world standard for years. So you’ve got the tonal
heritage of the past century of guitar amplifier and stomp box design, plus nocompromise 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.
XT is about the most amazing thing to happen to the electric guitar
XT delivers the incredible tones of the
1 • 3
Once we’d gotten this whole modeling amp and POD 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 newlysupercharged modeling technology we dubbed Point-to-Point modeling. It first hit the
streets in the award-winning Vetta amp, whose superb tone and unparalleled selection
of dream amps, cabinets and effects make it a pretty good contender for the world
heavyweight amp title. After that, we poured the same magic elixir into the classic
POD and—ta-dah!—POD
How does POD
XT help you create a guitar tone that is out of this world, and then get
XT was born.
that tone wherever you need it? Easy! It’s…
QUICK START GUIDE • Introduction
1 • 4
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 are key to the warm, harmonic-rich tone
quality of those amps. 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-guitarists 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
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 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 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 guitar speaker
cabinets and the important part they play in communicating great guitar tone. And
the great variety of stomp box and rack effects that guitarists 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 POD
XT.
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 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
QUICK START GUIDE • Introduction
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 POD
XT.
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, pickup, or cabling is needed.
There’s Magic in the A.I.R.
PODXT 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.
1 • 5
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
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
QUICK START GUIDE • Introduction
1 • 6
guitar sound, and destroy the proper feel in the process. It is as if your guitar 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.
POD
XT’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 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 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 guitar
tone, as does the construction and resulting tone of the wood box itself. A Marshall
head driving a single 12-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 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 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 guitar sound, as well as the effects of
different mic placement techniques, and gave you control of these details in your
POD
XT.
•The guitar 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 sound is in
QUICK START GUIDE • And Away We Go....
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
POD
XT. Turn the Amp Model knob to call up the amplifier emulation you want.
POD
XT 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. Turn the reverb knob to taste, and start recording 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 the key to POD
XT’s phenomenally
satisfying direct recording sound.
And Away We Go....
So, now that you know what’s in store, it’s time to experience PODXT 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 POD
XT Grand Tour....
1 • 7
Controls & Connections
CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS
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 POD
that pop up throughout this manual correspond to the numbers on the foldout’s
illustrations. The back side of the cover’s got handy pictures for the FBV and FBV
Shortboard foot controllers, plus signal flow and connection guides.
1
Power Switch - Flip this to bring your PODXTto life. PODXT Pro includes a
standard IEC grounded power cable. For POD
pack.
XT, use only the included PX-2 power
XT. The boxed numbers
2• 1
2
Input/Guitar In - Plug your guitar in here. (You techies will want to know
this is a mono, un-balanced connection).
Phones - Plug your headphones in here for silent concertos. The volume is set
3
by the O
not set for ridiculous volume before your slap them on your ears. Try an O
setting of about 10 o’clock when first putting the headphones on, them turn up from
there if you need more volume.
So that you hear appropriate sound through the headphones, POD
switches to Studio Mode whenever headphones are connected (for more on Studio
Mode, see “What are you connecting to?” on page 3•2).
UTPUT knob. Any time you use headphones, it important to be sure they’re
UTPUT knob
XT automatically
Controls & Connections
4
Output - This controls the overall output level of PODXT and also sets the
headphone level. Changing the O
get the tone you want at any volume level. This setting is not saved when you store
2• 2
settings into one of the POD
POD
XT Pro users, note that this does not affect the level of the XLR Outputs in Live Mode
(for more on Live Mode, see “What are you connecting to?” on page 3•5).
POD
XT will give the best signal-to-noise performance when you have the OUTPUT
control at max. With the O
which obviously ain’t what you want—if you turn up your mixer or recorder’s output to
compensate. In order to allow you to set the O
connecting to recording, mixing, and other studio gear, be sure you are plugging
POD
XT’s outputs into line level, not microphone or guitar level inputs. Line level
inputs should allow you to turn POD
thereby get the 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 POD
O
UTPUT to maximum, when setting levels.
5
Left & Right Output - (See numbers 33 and 34 for PODxt Pro’s outputs.)
These balanced 1/4-inch TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) connectors are ready to rock with pro
+4dBu balanced equipment. They will also work happily with unbalanced –10dBV
equipment and standard guitar cables. If you need mono output, you can use either one.
UTPUT level does not change your tone, so you can
XT’s memory locations.
UTPUT control turned down low, you may get extra hiss—
UTPUT as high as possible when
XT’s OUTPUT up all the way (or close to it) and
XT’s
6
Pedal - Looks like a telephone connector on steroids. Connect optional Line 6
FBV or FBV Shortboard foot controllers here. POD
XT’s do not work with the Line 6
Floor Board and FB4.
7
USB - PODXT’s USB jack lets you connect it directly to most computers, and
record your POD
XT directly to a wide variety of popular recording software. We’ve
included a USB cable for use with our GuitarPort Windows software, Line 6 Edit
software for Mac OS X and Windows, our ToneTransfer online tone library, and
POD
XT driver software. All this software—along with directions for using it—is free for
you to download at www.line6.com.
Controls & Connections
8
MIDI In & Out - Connect PODXT to your MIDI equipment to select
Channel Memories (via Program Change messages), or automate POD
XT settings (via
controllers and/or SySex). You can also use MIDI (or USB) to communicate with the
free Line 6 Edit software downloadable from www.line6.com. The POD
XTMIDI
OUT connects to another device’s MIDI IN; its MIDI IN goes to another device’s
MIDI OUT. Please also see Chapter 7, Deep Editing and MIDI Control, to setup
your MIDI gear with POD
Drive - This knob controls how hard you’re driving the input of the chosen
9
XT and find out what MIDI can do for PODXT and you.
Amp Model. Like the input volume control on a non-master volume guitar amp, higher
settings give you more “dirt.”
Tone Controls - BASS, MIDDLE, TREBLE, PRESENCE. Just like any guitar
10
amp, only when you change Amp Models, the response and interactivity of the
controls changes, too — so they act like the tone controls of the original amp that
inspired the Amp Model you’ve selected.
11
Chan Vol - This knob controls the relative volume level of the “channel” you
are playing through — thus, C
the sounds you store in two different POD
rhythm and lead tones). In general, you want to set the C
HANNEL VOLUME. Use this to balance levels between
XT Channel Memories (say between your
HAN VOL as high as possible
to insure you’re getting the best signal-to-noise ratio performance — but back off on
this control if you’re seeing CLIP in POD
XT’s display.
2• 3
TIP: You probably want to have all of your favorite sounds as loud as
possible, while also having the right difference in volume between your
lead and rhythm 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
PODxt’s display when you strum hard. and save 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 lead tones, comparing them to the clean sounds and saving
them with lower Chan Vol settings to match well with those clean sounds.
Controls & Connections
Now, each time you use your PODxt, you just have to set an Output
volume level you like, and you can switch amongst your various sounds
without unhappy volume differences.
2• 4
12
Reverb - How much reverb do you want today? Spin this knob to set the
Reverb level. Several flavors of reverb live inside POD
chambers, halls and plate reverbs.
13
Effects - This knob selects from PODXT’s Effect Setups — which set up a
combination of effects for you (all the details on effects are in Chapter 6, Stompboxes
& Effects). Think of each Effect Setup as a virtual pedal board or outboard gear rack
that you can match with any Amp Model. When you turn the E
shows the name of the Effect Setup that is loaded and you’ll hear the effects change
instantly. The effect buttons light to show which effects are on. There are 64 of these
effect “rigs” pre-programmed and ready for you to use.
Effect Tweak - This knob varies some aspect of the effect you’ve chosen.
14
Turn it up and the 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 POD
display to show you. The delay time is usually set by the T
scoop, including how you can customize the ECreating & Storing Sounds. If the effect that E
then, big surprise, E
S
YSTEM button is lit, the EFFECT TWEAK knob adjusts parameter values instead.
XT, including springs, rooms,
FFECTS knob, PODXT
XT’s
AP button. For the inside
FFECT TWEAK knob see Chapter 4,
FFECT TWEAK is “targeting” is off,
FFECT TWEAK won’t change anything. While the EDIT or TUNE/
15
Amp Models - When you spin this knob, it’s essentially like changing what
electronic “circuitry” is running inside POD
XT to make your amp sound. (See the
groovy details in Chapter 5, Modeled Amps and Cabs.) You’ll see the Amp Model
names change in POD
XT’s display. When you choose an Amp Model, Cabinet and
Microphone Models are also loaded automatically. For instance, when you choose the
Brit Hi Gain model (based on the classic Marshall JCM 800 head), a Cabinet Model
based on a Marshall 4x12 will be loaded with it. You can also choose a different
cabinet/mic setup by pressing the CAB/A.I.R. button (below).
Controls & Connections
In fact, Amp Models automatically load with all the amp-related settings pre-set for a
ready to go tone. Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence, Cab/A.I.R., etc. will all be
determined by the Amp Model you choose — giving you a ready-to-rock sound with
the turn of just this one knob. Once you get familiar with POD
XT, you can change
these amp-associated defaults to customize the settings of each of the Amp Models to fit
your tastes. Note that when you’re in Manual Mode, Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence,
Channel Volume and Reverb are set by the physical knob positions instead of being
automatically set with the amp selection. Complete details are in Chapter 5.
16
Select - The PODXT has 64 Channel Memories that store a huge variety of
complete amp-and-effect selections pre-programmed by the tone mavens at Line 6.
They are arranged in 16 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 guitar amp — and
you’ll find that the same layout is used on the optional Line 6 foot controllers for
POD
XT (the FBV and FBV Shortboard) which are discussed later in Chapter 8.
2• 5
You load POD
XT channels by turning the SELECT knob. You can press one of the four
“soft buttons” under the display to load one of the other channels of the current bank.
When recalling a channel, you may have left the physical B
whereas the just-recalled channel has this control set to max. To change B
ASS knob at minimum,
ASS (or
anything else), just grab the knob you want and tweak. To leave the Channel Memory
world and enter Manual operation, press any of the buttons under POD
XT’s display
twice. The display will read Manual Mode to let you know you’ve got WYSIWYG
(what-you-see-is-what-you-get) operation, and all the physical knob positions are being
used to determine your sound. More on all this later.
When the E
the available display pages. When you press E
parameters; when you press T
system-wide settings; when S
DIT, SAVE or TUNE/SYSTEM button is lit, the SELECT knob selects from
DIT, it selects pages of effect and channel
UNE/SYSTEM, it takes you through all of the Tuner and
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.
17
Display - PODXT’s LCD (liquid crystal display) is your window into every
parameter and setting available. Here’s how to get around:
Controls & Connections
2• 6
1. When the S
of POD
AVE, EDIT or TUNE/SYSTEM button is lit, a scroll bar on the left side
XT’s display shows you where you are in the available 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!
2. 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
18
Soft Buttons - These four buttons operate differently depending on what
FFECT TWEAK knob to do your adjusting.
you’re doing. Generally, these allow you to instantly load one of 4 channels in a bank,
or get you in and out of Manual mode when you double-press (see S
the E
DIT, SAVE, or TUNE/SYSTEM button is lit, you can press a Soft Button to select
the item displayed above it so it can be adjusted with the E
19
Effect On/Off Buttons - These four buttons allow you to quickly turn
FFECT TWEAKknob.
ELECT above). If
any of the four effects on or off (the effects are on when the buttons are lit).
•TheC
•TheS
•TheM
•TheD
OMP (Gate) button turns on/off the loaded Compressor effect
TOMP button turns on/off the loaded Stomp-Box effect
OD button turns on/off the loaded Modulation effect
ELAY button turns on/off the loaded Delay effect.
Double-press one of these buttons to adjust the loaded effect or load a different one. For
example, just press the C
the Compressor and Gate E
take you to the first Stomp Box E
press the E
DIT button) to leave Edit Mode.
To turn off the built-in Noise Gate, double press the C
OMP button two times quickly and you’re instantly taken to
DIT page. Double-pressing the STOMP button will quickly
DIT page. Double-press the same button again (or
OMP button, then turn the
Threshold parameter all the way down.
Controls & Connections
20
CAB/A.I.R. - Press the CAB/A.I.R. button once to pick a Cab Model to pair
with your amplifier, select the microphone used on the cabinet and even set the
amount of “room” that the mic captures. Unlike the E
FFECT ON/OFF buttons, this
button is not an on/off type control. A single press of this button simply lets you change
cabs and mics quickly. When the Cabinets are off, this button’s light will be off as well.
21
Save - When you want to store your own tweaked-up sounds in your PODXT
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:
2• 7
When using a pre-programmed sound, POD
XT will display the bank number, channel
letter and channel name at the top of the display. If you turn one of the knobs or
change a parameter in the E
DIT mode pages, you’ll notice an asterisk appears to the left
of the bank number. This is a reminder to you that you have tweaked the memorized
channel, and that you should save it if you want your POD
To save the changes you’ve made to a Channel Memory, press the S
button will start to flash. Just press S
AVE again if you want to overwrite the currently
XT to remember the tweak.
AVE button. The
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 TWEAKknob to change the character. Press the soft button under
through memory locations A, B, C, and D in each of the sixteen 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 shown on the display, and the
sound is 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. (See Chapter 8 to learn
how to do all this with your feet on the optional foot controllers).
If you aren’t using one of the POD
XT Channel Memories — you’re in 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
T
WEAK to choose a place to save to, and press SAVE again.
AVE, then DEST, then use EFFECT
Controls & Connections
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
2• 8
sound you liked, the S
version of a Channel Memory any time. See Chapter 4 for details on this feature.
The S
AVE button also lets you customize any of the Amp Models and Effect Setups to
your own taste, so your favorite version of the amp or effect comes up instantly when
you turn A
MP MODELS or EFFECTS. See Chapter 4 for the details on that.
AVE.) If you accidentally save over a factory
AVE button’s additional pages let you recall the factory preset
Controls & Connections
22
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
FFECT TWEAK knob. To learn more
about deep editing, please see Chapter 4.
23
Tune/System - Press that puppy and — shazam! Instant digital chromatic
tuner. All Amp Model and effects processing are bypassed so you can hear those
questionably-tuned strings clearly, should you choose to do so.
2• 9
Play a note on your guitar and POD
XT 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 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 POD
S
YSTEM button a push and the tuner disappears just as swiftly as it came, taking you
XT’s TUNE/
right back to normal operation.
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.
FFECT
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
POD
XT while watching the display. This control lets you set the reference frequency
FFECT TWEAK knob on
anywhere from 430-450 Hz. This setting is stored so you don’t have to reset it every
time you turn on POD
XT if you decide you want to be different (or if that piano in
your rehearsal room has decided to be different).
24
Tap - PODXT allows you to 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’ll 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.
Controls & Connections PODxt Pro
PODxt Pro
The following controls and connections are found on the PODXT Pro only.
2• 10
25
Input Level - The Normal setting of this switch is appropriate for most
guitars. If you see the Clip light coming on, that means you’re overloading POD
Pro’s input. If that happens frequently, try the Pad setting here. This switches in input
circuitry that’s appropriate for hotter signals output by some guitars with active pickups,
or from keyboards and other sources. For those non-guitar sources you may also want to
try the rear panel Line Level Input , which is a balanced TRS connection. A
separate CLIP indicator shows in the display if you are clipping in the internal DSP.
26
I/O & Dig Select - Press this to tell your PODXT Pro what it’s connected to
so it can give you the best sound, and to choose digital audio and other options.
• Press it once to select where you’re going to connect your input source to the
PODxt Pro, and exactly what you want to come out of the digital outputs.
28
XT
29
• Press it a second time to tell POD
live, how you have connected your effects loop and what kind of digital gear you
have connected to POD
XT Pro.
XT Pro whether you’re using it in the studio or
FEATURE FOCUS
• Press it a third time and it will dismiss the pages and take you back to whatever was
in the display before you pressed the button.
27
Signal Light - This lights to say, “Yep, I’m hearing some input.” If you’ve got
something feeding audio to your POD
press the I/O & DIG SELECT button and be sure you’ve got the right input
selected. (This light doesn’t show input from USB, by the way.)
28
Clip Light - This lights to say, “Whoa, Nelly! That’s too much input!” (And,
again, it doesn’t show the status of USB audio.) Reduce the output level of the device
that’s feeding your POD
switch. For non-guitar sources, you may instead want to use the...
XT Pro, or try the Pad setting of the handy Input Level
XT Pro but you can’t hear it and don’t see it here,
26
25
Controls & Connections PODxt Pro
29
Line Level Input - Here’s a balanced connector for non-guitar sources (or
the line level output of a wireless guitar system). It’s also perfect for “re-amping”—
feeding an already-recorded guitar into POD
you’ll also need to press the I/O & DIG SELECT button and select the Line
Input. The front panel’s Signal light shows you when you’ve got some signal
coming, and the Clip light shows you when you’re overdoing it and need to
28
reduce the level you’re feeding to POD
30
Unprocessed Guitar Out - This connector actually has at least a
XT Pro for further processing. To use it,
26
27
XT Pro.
couple of potential uses. If you’ve got a separate rack-mount tuner, you can feed it with
this signal for instance. But the real reason it’s here is to let you do the kind of after the
fact adjustments to your guitar tone that Pro Tools users with our Amp Farm plug-in
software have come to rely on.
The idea is this: you record this unprocessed guitar out signal to your recording system.
Then, you play it back through the Line Level Input of your POD
29
XT Pro when
you’re mixing, and you can change amps, effects and every other aspect of your guitar
tone with complete flexibility.
’Course, it would be pretty hard to record a good guitar take without hearing the amp
and effects sound that you were planning to use, right? I mean, who can solo with a dry
guitar signal? The answer is that you don’t listen to this unprocessed signal while
recording—instead, you monitor your POD
XT Pro’s left/right processed outputs during
the recording process. You can even record both the unprocessed guitar out and the
processed left/right outputs at the same time, so you’re ready for complete flexibility in
later tone adjustments, or you can just stick with what you had. Page 3•14 has details.
2• 11
FEATURE FOCUS
POD
XT Pro’s digital outputs can also send unprocessed signal, if you prefer to capture
this signal digitally. You can set them to do this from the display pages of the I/O & DIG SELECT button .
31 32
Effect Send & Return - The effects loop is designed for line level
26
devices, like rackmount effect processors, not for stomp boxes (which you can run
happily in front of your POD
XT Pro). Use the left jacks if you want to run the send or
return mono. You can choose to run the loop series or parallel from the display pages of
the I/O & DIG SELECT button . If you have the loop set to series, but nothing
26
Controls & Connections PODxt Pro
2• 12
plugged into the loop return, POD
XT Pro is smart enough to see this and disable the
loop so you still get sound. See page 3•12 for more details.
33
Unbalanced Analog Out - The display pages of the I/O & DIG
SELECT button configure these outputs for Studio or Live Use. In Studio Mode,
26
they’re ready to plug into a recorder with unbalanced –10 dBV inputs. In Live Mode,
they don’t have speaker simulation, and are ready for connection to an onstage power
amp. Whichever you choose, the front panel Output knob determines how much
4
signal you’ll get at these jacks. You can use either jack as a mono output, by the way.
34
Balanced Analog Out - The I/O & DIG SELECT button display
“pages” configure these outputs for Studio or Live Use. In Studio Mode, they’re ready to
plug into a recorder with balanced +4 dBu inputs. In Live Mode, they’re ready to send
great sounding –10dBV signals to the house sound system or P.A. The front panel
Output knob does not affect the volume at these jacks in Live Mode. This lets you
4
make onstage adjustments to your volume without affecting the P.A.’s levels.
35
Ground - This switch lets you lift the grounds of PODXT Pro’s XLR Balanced
Analog Outs. This can be handy if you get an audible hum caused by a ground loop
when connecting to other grounded equipment.
FEATURE FOCUS
26
36
AES/EBU & S/PDIF Inputs & Outputs - These jacks send and
receive digital audio signals. The display “pages” of the I/O & DIG SELECT button
26
choose which of these connections to use, along with sample rate, word length
(“bits”) and other details. You can use digital input at the same time as analog output,
or analog output as the same time as digital input, or any combination. You can even
send digital audio into POD
XT Pro with one rate and word length, and choose a
different rate and word length for output.
POD
XT Pro does not include a separate clock connector, but it can clock to the digital
audio being received at either of its digital inputs, even if you are using an analog input
to get audio into your POD
your digital mixer POD
26
, set the
FORMAT to MATCHSPDIF , and PODxt Pro will clock to your mixer.
XT Pro. You can, for instance, connect a digital output from
PODxt Pro will also format the digital audio it outputs to match the incoming format.
GETTING SET UP • All Purpose Basics
GETTING SET UP
The numbers in black boxes below and throughout the chapter refer to the back cover
foldout’s illustrations
POD
XT is ready to give you world-class tone, no matter what you’re plugging into.
It’s as happy to live on stage, plugged into 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 three sections:
PODxt - In the Studio
PODxt - Playing Live
PODxt Pro - Connection & Configuration
But first, it’s the...
3 • 1
All Purpose Basics
1. Plug the power supply or cable into the wall, and connect it to the power connector
on your POD
2. Connect your guitar to POD
3. POD
XT: Connect PODXT to whatever you’re going to be playing it into. The
O
UTPUTconnectors are balanced 1/4-inch TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) connectors,
ready to rock with pro +4dBu balanced equipment. They will also work quite
happily with unbalanced -10dBV equipment and standard guitar cables. To run
POD
XT mono, you can use either the LEFT or RIGHToutput.
POD
XT Pro: Use either pair of rear panel outputs, and see the details in the third
section of this chapter. Press the I/O & DIG SELECT button to select Guitar
(or whatever else you want) as your input.
XT.
XT’s INPUT (PODXT Pro’s GUITAR IN) .
5
2
26
GETTING SET UP • PODxt — In The Studio
PODXT — In The Studio
PODxt Pro users, fast forward to the PODXT Pro – Configurations & Connections
section at the end of this chapter.
3 • 2
To use the USB connector, visit www.line6.com to download PODxt USB Driver Software,
as well as Line 6 Edit Mac/Windows software or GuitarPort (Windows only) software.
What are you connecting to?
Your PODXTneeds to adjust itself to deliver the best possible sound depending on what
you’re connecting to. Press the T
UNE/SYSTEM button and turn the SELECT
23
knob clockwise until the display asks, “What are you connecting to?”
Press the Soft Button below
STUDIO: DIRECT mode. In this mode, Line 6’s exclusive A.I.R. II DSP is active, and
DEST and turn the EFFECT TWEAK knob to select
14
you are treated to a virtual speaker-cabinet-air-microphone experience that’s so good
you may never use a regular guitar amplifier and microphone set up again.
The
DEST setting you select will be remembered by your PODXT, so you don’t have to
re-set it every time you power up. If you change it to a different setting for a special
situation you come across, don’t forget to change it back again to the setting you
normally use once you get back to your standard setup. When you plug your
headphones into POD
XT, DEST will be automatically set to STUDIO: DIRECT, giving
you the best tone for private jamming.
16
The Ins and Outs of Great Tone
If you’re hooking your PODXTup to a recorder, mixer, or other equipment, be sure you
are plugging its outputs into line level inputs on your other gear, as opposed to
microphone level or guitar level inputs. This will insure that you get the best signal-tonoise ratio (lots of juicy guitar tone, not too much hiss) with POD
only gives you a single input for both mic & line level sources, allowing you to trim low
level signals (like mics) up to a high level at the inputs. If you are plugging your POD
XT. Some equipment
XT
GETTING SET UP • PODxt — In The Studio
into one of these inputs, try setting the trim to minimum, and twisting POD
O
UTPUT and CHANNEL VOLUME knobs up to maximum. If your equipment
4
11
XT’s
has a couple of open line-level only inputs, you’ll probably get better performance by
plugging into these, rather than the wide-ranging mic-to-line level trimmed inputs.
Setting Levels
Start by setting PODXT to the sound you intend to use, strum hard, and set CHANNEL
V
OLUME as close to max as you can without getting the CLIP indicator in
POD
control on your system so you can get the maximum sound level out of your POD
without going so far that you overdrive the input on your system and cause unwanted
distortion.
TIP: You probably want to have all of your favorite sounds as loud as
possible, while also having the right difference in volume between your
lead and rhythm 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
PODxt’s display when you strum hard. and save 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 lead 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 PODxt, you just have to set an Output
volume level you like, and you can switch amongst your various sounds
without unhappy volume differences.
11
XT’s display. Now play with the PODXTOUTPUTknob and any input volume
XT
3 • 3
Radiation Alert
You’re also likely to find, especially if you are using a guitar with single coil pickups,
that it is quite easy to pick up some serious noise from any computer CRT (which
stands for cathode ray tube) display you might have in your studio. CRT displays are,
after all, just special purpose ray guns that shoot photons at you all day long. Your guitar
pickups receive and amplify the electro-magnetic fields that your display radiates, and
you hear this in your audio signal as buzz and hum. Moving farther from the CRT, and
turning your guitar so it does not directly face the computer’s display, will minimize this
problem. But if you find yourself in a tight studio setup, needing to lay down some quick
tracks, and being pestered by CRT-induced buzz, you may find it helpful to do as we
have sometimes done: set up your track to record and start your pre-roll; reach up and
GETTING SET UP • PODxt — In The Studio
flick your computer monitor’s power switch off; record your guitar part; stop your
recording, flick the monitor back on, and check out the buzz-free playback. Flatscreen
LCD monitors generally don’t cause hum and buzz. And just in case you’re looking for
an excuse to buy one... Line 6 Variax guitars are immune to this sort of radiationinduced hum also, since it does not use traditional magnetic pickups.
3 • 4
Pedal Power
PODXT has a couple of foot control options that make getting great guitar tracks even
easier: the L
later chapter, it’s good to know that both allow you to select POD
INE 6 FBV and FBV Shortboard. While we’ll go into all the details in a
XT channels, tap in
your effect speeds/times/tempos, and kick in the tuner, plus both give you Wah and
Volume pedal control. Whichever of these two Line 6 foot controllers you choose, it
will plug into the POD
and FB4 pedals will not work with your POD
6
XT Pedal jack. Remember that the older Line 6 Floor Board
XT.
MIDI Mania
Those of you with MIDI-capable studios will find that your PODXT lets you control
everything via MIDI. Using MIDI, you can select any POD
any POD
XT parameter. You are truly lord of your domain. Pretty neat, huh? Read the
Deep Editing & MIDI Control chapter if you plan to venture into this realm.
XT Channel and automate
GETTING SET UP • PODxt — Playing Live
PODXT — Playing Live
PODXT Pro users, fast forward to the PODXT Pro – Configurations &
Connections section at the end of this chapter.
Mount Up
If you perform live, you’ll probably want to have the PODXT in a handy spot on stage.
One of the easiest ways to get it there is with the optional POD
XT mic stand/amp top
adaptor you can get from Line 6 — it’s described on the Line 6 web site (where it can
also be purchased). We know this is another shameless plug to get you to buy more
gear, but what the heck — this really is a handy little item to get the POD
XT’s
righteous red aluminum chassis wherever you need it for mid-show tweaking. And that
custom POD
XT carry case is simply smashing.... But let’s get back to educational stuff:
Keeping Your Options Open
When you’re playing live with PODXT, you’ve got a choice of setups. You can plug
straight out of the POD
XT’s outputs into the house system for awesome tone without
the hassle of mics and cabinets and all that other stage setup. You can also choose to
run POD
you can plug your POD
XT into a power amp and speaker cabinets, using it as the ultimate preamp. Or,
XT in between your guitar and a guitar amplifier so PODXT acts
as a tone shaping front end for the amp. Whichever setup you choose, you’re gonna
have to tell your POD
XT about it first. Read along and we’ll get’cha dialed in like a pro.
What are you connecting to?
You can supply your PODXT with one of three answers to this question, and thereby
insure that your little red pal gives you the best possible tones in any setup. To start the
dialogue, press the T
until the display asks, “What are you connecting to?”
UNE/SYSTEM button and then turn the SELECT knob
24
16
3 • 5
STUDIODIRECT—When plugging PODXT straight into a P.A., or using in-ear
monitoring systems, press the Soft Button below
knob to select
14
STUDIODIRECT for amazing tone, night after night. Line 6
DEST and turn the EFFECT TWEAK
GETTING SET UP • PODxt — Playing Live
14
exclusive A.I.R. processing serves up a virtual speaker-cabinet-air-microphone
experience so good you may never use a regular guitar amplifier and microphone on
stage again. You’re as powerful as the entire P.A.—and guaranteed to be in the mix!
LIVE2X12 & LIVE 4X12—Choose one of these when plugging into a combo amp, head
and guitar cabinets, or power amp and guitar cabinets. The Mic and Room
3 • 6
components of A.I.R. are turned off, and the Cabinet Models are revoiced to sound
their best coming through the kind of speaker you choose. Plus you’ve got...
VIBE—When one of the LIVE modes is selected, press the Soft Button below
VIBE and turn the EFFECT TWEAK knob to choose from a set of tuning options
26
to further shape your sound to work best for your setup.
Note: When running PODxt through a guitar amp (as opposed to studio
monitors or headphones) remember that different speaker/amp
combinations sound wildly different. Consider the name of each LIVE and
VIBE setting as a recommendation only, and experiment with all the
options to see which sounds best for your particular setup.
POD
XT remembers the DEST and VIBE settings you choose, so you don’t have to re-set
them every time you power up. If you change to a different setting when using a
different setup, don’t forget to change back to your standard setting once you get back
to your regular setup.
Getting The Right Tone With An Amp
When you’re playing PODXT into the front of a combo amplifier, it’s a good idea to
start off with your combo amp in neutral. What is “neutral,” you ask? Well, if you only
have one volume control on your amp, set it low enough to get a “clean” tone; that
ensures POD
volume in addition to a volume control on the input, set them both so that the first
volume doesn’t overdrive the master volume (so you’re getting a clean tone). This will
vary from amp to amp, but usually the input volume is going to be less than the master
volume to get a clean, non-distorted sound. If you have passive tone controls, try
setting your mid control at max, and your treble and bass controls at zero (this is
actually “flat” equalization-wise on most amps). Active tone controls may vary, but just
be sure you’re not overdriving the amp so the POD
extra coloration. Once you get going, you can tweak the amplifier settings to suit your
tastes. Try to set the POD
XT’s sounds come through as purely as possible. If you have a master
XT tone comes through without
XT’s OUTPUTso you’re not overdriving the input of the amp.
GETTING SET UP • PODxt — Playing Live
If you have a guitar amp with an effect return or a jack that lets you connect directly to
the input to the power amp, you can plug POD
XT’s output right into that connection
and that will generally bypass the tone controls of the amp and avoid their coloring of
POD
XT’s tones. When plugging into the effect return or amp directly this way, you
want to choose
LIVE2X12or LIVE4X12on the What Are You Connecting To? page.
External Stomp Boxes and PODXT
If you’ve been playing guitar for a while, you probably have some favorite pedals that
you dig. And even though POD
box and rack effects models, you probably still want to have the option of keeping those
old pedals in your arsenal. No problem! Just remember that if you’re going to use
POD
XT with those other effects boxes in front, they’re going to act differently based on
the Amp Model you’ve selected on your POD
combinations will produce a veritable feast of tone! Some distortion boxes may sound
overly harsh if you max their output volume into your PODxt. Try lowering the
distortion box’s volume, and you can always add more gain with POD
or its own S
TOMP effects.
XT has now graced your life with some pretty hip stomp
XT. It’s just like you’d expect — different
XT’s DRIVE knob
3 • 7
GETTING SET UP • PODxt Pro — Configurations & Connections
29
PODXT Pro — Configurations & Connections
To use the USB connector, visit www.line6.com to download PODxt USB Driver Software,
as well as Line 6 Edit Mac/Windows software or GuitarPort (Windows only) software.
3 • 8
Selecting An Input
Press the I/O & DIG SELECT button once to see this page where you select from
POD
XT Pro’s many inputs and digital options:
Press the far-left Soft Button below
GUITARIN—Pick this when plugging your guitar straight into the front panel INPUT
2
jack. When this is selected, audio from the rear panel’s line level input and digital
inputs is ignored.
LINEIN—Select this option when whatever you want to run through PODXT Pro is
FEATURE FOCUS
plugged into the rear panel Line Level Input . When this is selected, audio from
the front panel input and the digital inputs is ignored.
AESLEFT, AESRIGHT, AESL+R—Select one of these to use the rear panel AES/EBU
36
digital inputs. The
since POD
XT Pro only allows a mono input. When this is selected, the front and rear
AESL+R option merges the left and right AES inputs to mono,
panel analog inputs are ignored.
26
INPUT and select from these options:
SPDIFLEFT, SPDIFRIGHT, SPDIFL+R—Select one of these for the rear panel S/PDIF
36
digital inputs. The
mono, since POD
SPDIFL+R option merges the left and right SPDIF inputs to
XT Pro only allows a mono input. When this is selected, the front and
rear panel analog inputs are ignored.
GETTING SET UP • PODxt Pro — Configurations & Connections
Input & Digital Out Options
Press the I/O & DIG SELECT button once to see this page and select from PODXT
Pro’s many inputs and several digital options:
FORMAT: Sample rate, word length (bit depth), and clock source
26
3 • 9
Press the Soft Button below FORMAT and spin the EFFECT TWEAK knob to
14
choose to output any combination of 16, 20 or 24 bits along with 44.1, 48, 88.2 or
96 KHz. POD
XT Pro will use its internal clock to generate the sample rate you
choose.
Or choose
POD
MATCHAESIN or MATCHSPDIFIN from the FORMAT options, to have
XT Pro clock to the sample rate being received, and output data in the same
rate/bit format.
Clocking to external gear: Whatever you’ve selected as your input (including
analog Guitar In or Line In), you can still pick
for
FORMAT to have PODXT Pro slave to the clock of your other digital equipment.
For instance, feed POD
mixer, choose that source for
XT Pro’s digital input with an output from your digital
FORMAT, and PODXT Pro slaves to your digital
MATCHAESINor MATCHSPDIFIN
mixer’s clock and matches its digital audio format. Sweet.
FEATURE FOCUS
GETTING SET UP • PODxt Pro — Configurations & Connections
MODE: Normal or Dry Guitar
3 • 10
Press the Soft Button below
choose
digital outs) or
NORMAL (delicious amp-cab-fx-mic-room processed sound comes out of the
DRYGTR(unprocessed guitar comes out of the digital outs). See
MODE and spin the EFFECT TWEAK knob to
14
page 3•14 for more info on why this can be cool.
GAIN: Extra gain on the digital outs
Press the Soft Button below
to 12 db of gain on the digital outs only. This can be used to increase the digital output
FEATURE FOCUS
GAIN and spin the EFFECT TWEAK knob to add up
14
level of sounds that don’t have a lot of distortion or other settings that are driving their
levels up.
“Danger, Will Robinson!” Well, not danger, really, but important to know: If you are
recording the dry guitar signal via the digital output and intend to re-amp the signal by
digitally feeding it back to POD
+0db—and play the signal back from your recorder to POD
XT Pro later, DO NOT add gain—leave the signal at
XT Pro’s digital input
without an increase or decrease in level. If you dash madly forward and don’t follow this
advice, you’ll be feeding the re-amp signal to PODxt Pro at a different level than the
signal that was used while you were tracking the guitar in the first place, and the
change in input gain to PODxt Pro will make it impossible to get a clean sound, or will
give you a less gainy sound than you expect. Of course, if you’re a danger-lover looking
for unpredictable versatility during re-amping, this may be just your thing.... See
page 3•14 for more on that.
GETTING SET UP • PODxt Pro — Configurations & Connections
What are you connecting to?
You can supply your PODXT Pro with one of three answers to this question, and
thereby insure that your trusty tone partner gives you the best possible sound in any
setup. To start the dialogue, press the I/O & D
IG SELECT button twice to see the
display ask, “What are you connecting to?”
STUDIO: DIRECT—When plugging PODXT Pro straight into a P.A., or using in-ear
monitoring systems, press the Soft Button below
knob to select
14
STUDIO: DIRECT for amazing tone, night after night. Line 6
DEST and turn the EFFECT TWEAK
exclusive A.I.R. processing serves up a virtual speaker-cabinet-air-microphone
experience so good you may never use a regular guitar amplifier and microphone on
stage again. You’re as powerful as the entire P.A.—and guaranteed to be in the mix!
LIVE: 2X12 & LIVE: 4X12—These modes are best when you are running into a power
amp that is driving guitar cabinets. The Mic and Room components of A.I.R. are
turned off, and the Cabinet Models are revoiced to sound their best coming through
the kind of speaker you choose.
POD
XT Pro remembers the DEST setting you choose, so you don’t have to re-set
every time you power up. If you change to a different setting when using a different
setup, don’t forget to change back to your standard setting once you’re back to your
regular setup.
26
3 • 11
FEATURE FOCUS
GETTING SET UP • PODxt Pro — Configurations & Connections
FX Loop
Press the Soft Button below FXLOOPand spin the EFFECT TWEAK knob to
choose
3 • 12
SERIES or PARALLELoperation for the loop.
14
Setting
LOOP to SERIES means that PODXT Pro will send its full signal out to the
effect, and then output the signal that returns from the effect. If you turn the effect off,
or turn its output level all the way down, you won’t hear anything. Use the mix control
on the effect unit that’s connected to the loop to determine how much effect you hear
versus how much of the uneffected POD
If you set
LOOP to PARALLEL, PODxt Pro will send a parallel copy of its signal to the
XT Pro sound.
loop, while simultaneously sending its signal to its own outputs as usual. Some people
prefer this type of setup, because only a small portion of their tone is run through the
effect, preventing some effect units from degrading their overall tone. When running
parallel, you should set the mix control on the effect unit that’s connected to the loop
to 100% wet. Then adjust the balance of effect versus uneffected POD
XT Pro sound by
adjusting the output volume control of the connected effect unit.
PLEASE NOTE: Many effects can result in compromised sound when run in
parallel, because the signal coming back from the effect unit is out of phase with the
signal that has stayed in the POD
XT Pro. This is generally not a problem for delay
or reverb, as long as the external effect is running 100% wet. It is often a problem
with modulation effects (chorus, phase, flange, etc.), compression, or any other
effect that includes some unprocessed sound mixed with processed sound. For these
effects, series is generally the way to go with the effects loop.
You can turn the loop on/off from a connected FBV foot controller or the loop on/off
parameter in the last E
DIT displays. This on/off state is stored with Channels that you
save, so you can have some with the loop on, and some with the loop off.
GETTING SET UP • PODxt Pro — Configurations & Connections
AES/EBU or S/PDIF Data Format?
PODXT’s AES/EBU and S/PDIF digital outputs are both active at the same time, and
each have the electrical properties appropriate to their respective digital standards. The
ones-and-zeroes digital data that is transmitted in the AES/EBU and S/PDIF standard is
almost—but not exactly—the same.
Since both of POD
given you the
according to the AES/EBU standard, or the S/PDIF standard. In practice, many pieces
of equipment will accept either data format from either connector, but if you want to be
sure you are sending exactly the right format that you prefer, this parameter is for you:
XT Pro’s physical digital outputs always sends the same data, we’ve
DIGOUT parameter to decide whether this data should be formatted
Radiation Alert
You’ll probably find, especially if you are using a guitar with single coil pickups, that it
is quite easy to pick up some serious noise from any computer CRT (which stands for
cathode ray tube) display you might have in your studio. CRT displays are, after all, just
special purpose ray guns that shoot photons at you all day long. Your guitar pickups
receive and amplify the electro-magnetic fields that your display radiates, and you hear
this in your audio signal as buzz and hum. Moving farther from the CRT, and turning
your guitar so it does not directly face the computer’s display, will minimize this
problem. But if you find yourself in a tight studio setup, needing to lay down some quick
tracks, and being pestered by CRT-induced buzz, you may find it helpful to do as we
have sometimes done: set up your track to record and start your pre-roll; reach up and
flick your computer monitor’s power switch off; record your guitar part; stop your
recording, flick the monitor back on, and check out the buzz-free playback. Flatscreen
LCD monitors generally don’t cause hum and buzz. And just in case you’re looking for
an excuse to buy one... Line 6 Variax guitars are immune to this sort of radiationinduced hum also, since it does not use traditional magnetic pickups.
3 • 13
FEATURE FOCUSFEATURE FOCUS
GETTING SET UP • Re-Amping with PODxt Pro
Pedal Power
PODXT Pro has a couple of foot control options that make getting great guitar tracks
even easier: the L
INE 6 FBV and FBV Shortboard. While we’ll go into all the details
in a later chapter, it’s good to know that both allow you to select POD
tap in your effect speeds/times/tempos, and kick in the tuner, plus both give you Wah
and Volume pedal control. Whichever of these two Line 6 foot controllers you choose,
3 • 14
it will plug into the POD
Board and FB4 pedals will not work with your POD
XT Pro Pedal jack. Remember that the older Line 6 Floor
MIDI Mania
Those of you with MIDI-capable studios will find that your PODXTPro lets you control
everything via MIDI. Using MIDI, you can select any POD
automate any POD
XT Pro parameter. You are truly lord of your domain. Pretty neat,
huh? Read the Deep Editing & MIDI Control chapter if you plan to venture into
this realm.
Re-Amping with PODXT Pro
Having issues with commitment? PODXT Pro address your needs with its support for
re-amping—the process of recording “dry,” unprocessed guitar and then processing it
FEATURE FOCUS
“live” during mixing so that you have totally flexibility to adjust your tone. This is
similar to the way most people record vocals without reverb—they may “audition”
some reverb while tracking, but the vocal signal sent to their recorder is generally sent
without the reverb, so they can make the final choice of reverb tone and amount during
mixdown. Even if you don’t plan to rely on re-amping all the time, you may find it
handy to record a re-amp-ready dry guitar at the same time as your standard processed
guitar signal, so the dry guitar is standing by if you need to salvage what might
otherwise turn out to be an unusable take of a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
XT Pro channels,
6
XT Pro.
XT Pro Channel and
Analog Re-amping
Just like you would for normal recording, connect your guitar to the Guitar In jack on
the front of the POD
your audio system to you can hear what’s coming out of them. Play a little guitar just to
make sure you’re hearing it. OK so far.
XT Pro. And connect PODXT Pro’s left and right Analog Outs to
GETTING SET UP • Re-Amping with PODxt Pro
Now, connect the rear panel Unprocessed Guitar Out to an analog input of your
recording device, and route it to a record track. This is the signal you will be recording
so that it can be used for re-amping during mixdown. You may also, if you wish, track
PODXT Pro’s left and right outputs to your recorder at the same time.
Connect the monitor output from this record track that’s receiving the unprocessed
guitar signal to the rear panel Line In jack of POD
S
ELECTbutton once to see this page:
26
XT Pro. Press the I/O & DIG
3 • 15
Press the Soft Button below
LINEIN. PODXT Pro is now ready to process the signal that’s received at the Line In,
INPUT and spin the EFFECT TWEAK knob to choose
14
while simultaneously sending your unprocessed guitar signal to the Unprocessed
Guitar Out, so you can record it.
Dial up your tone as you normally would, and record. The dry signal will be recorded,
and all the while you will hear the full Amp, Cab and Effects processing of your POD
XT
Pro at the same time. Like listening to reverb on your vocal while recording, without
committing it to the recorded track. Pretty cool, huh?
Now, as you mix, you can adjust the guitar tone to your heart’s content. Turn up the
Drive a little, back off on the Chorus—heck, change the Amp Model and use a
different modeled microphone selection. When you are ready to commit a processed
sound to a track, you can record the left and right analog or digital outputs of the
POD
XT Pro to your recording system.
FEATURE FOCUS
GETTING SET UP • Re-Amping with PODxt Pro
Digital Re-amping
In this scenario, we’re going to track PODXTPro’s analog outputs, while also recording
a “safety” track of dry guitar digitally, so the dry guitar can be used later if you need to
make a tone change.
3 • 16
Connect your guitar to the Guitar In jack on the front of the POD
POD
XT Pro’s left and right Analog Outs to your audio system so you can record them
XT Pro. Connect
while you are also listening to what’s coming out of them. Play a little guitar. Hear it?
OK so far.
Press the I/O & D
IG SELECT button once to see this page if it’s not already
26
shown:
Press the Soft Button below
GUITARIN. Select DRYGTRfor the MODE option. Connect PODXT Pro’s AES/EBU or
INPUT and spin the EFFECT TWEAK knob to choose
14
S/PDIF digital outputs to your recorder. Do not monitor this signal while recording—
you’re simply “saving it for a rainy day” so that you can “fix it in the mix.”
FEATURE FOCUS
Also, be sure
won’t improve signal to noise ratio or any other aspect of audio quality, and will cause
problems when you actually attempt to use this signal later for re-amping, so take our
advice: don’t do it!
Now, the idea is to record the main analog outputs to your recorder, while the dry
guitar is also being recorded on a separate track. Monitoring the processed guitar signal
and punching in/out works exactly as you would expect it to if you were recording any
other analog signal into your recording app/device. The bonus here is that you also
have a digitally recorded unprocessed guitar signal that can be used to create a new (or
additional) sound that you can use later. Speaking of which...
GAIN is set to +0dB; adding gain to get a hotter signal to your record track
GETTING SET UP • Re-Amping with PODxt Pro
When you want to make use of that digitally recorded dry guitar signal, send it out of
your recorder to one of POD
XT Pro’s digital inputs, and select that INPUT as AESLEFT
has been selected here:
Don’t change (increase or decrease) the playback level of the dry guitar track; send it
out to POD
XT Pro at exactly the same level it was recorded at. Then connect PODxt
Pro’s analog or digital outputs to your recorder, and you record processed guitar sound
while making whatever tone changes best fit the needs of your final production.
This chapter gives you the inside scoop on editing your new PODXT. Here, we’ll take
you through everything from loading and changing sounds to full customization of
POD
XT’s Amp and Effect Models. Even you power users will want to read on and learn
the tips and tricks to the quickest way around for instant tonal satisfaction. You can
also use Line 6 Edit software, downloadable from www.line6.com, to edit your
PODxt, backup your memory, and save a library of sounds on your computer.
Recalling Channel Memories
When you first turn your PODXT on, the display will look something like this:
4 • 1
Use the S
Banks, where each Bank has four Channel Memories: A, B, C, D. (Chapter 8 tells
how to do this and more with your feet to make your guitar-playing hands happy!)
Try spinning that S
perhaps lots more drive? No problem! Simply reach up, grab a knob and twiddle away,
my friend. In addition to the tone, volume and R
on/off buttons for the effects, plus the smart E
to change the most important effects parameter.
ELECT knob to spin through the channels, which are organized into 16
ELECT knob to find something you like. Need a bit more bass, or
EVERB knobs, you’ve got those handy
FFECT TWEAK knob that is always ready
Recalling Effect Setups
One of the handier functions of your new PODXT is the ability to create and save
custom Effect Setups. Think of them like pre-wired pedal-boards, or pre programmed
rack gear. Your POD
E
FFECTS knob. Give that knob a spin to see the names and hear the sounds of all those
Effect Setups as you turn. Later in this chapter we’ll show you how to save your own
custom Effect Setups for use anytime, anywhere!
XT sports 64 of these setups, and they are accessed by turning the
Creating & Storing Sounds • Stompbox-style Control
Stompbox-style Control
The PODXT lets you turn four PODXT effects on or off just as you would any other
stompbox in your arsenal. The buttons above the POD
Comp (Gate)—This button turns our model based on the studio-standard LA-2A
compressor on or off. Double press for the E
compressor settings along with the full-time N
4 • 2
and turned on or off from the E
Stomp—This is where the distortion boxes, some stomp box compressors and Auto
Wah and Auto Swell live. Like all the other effect buttons, press to turn on or off,
double-press to E
DIT.
DIT page.
XT display are the key:
DIT page that’s got the settings for the
OISE GATE, which can be tweaked
Mod—POD
turn the loaded one on or off, double-press to E
XT comes with several flavors of modulation effects. Use this button to
DIT.
Delay—The delay models are found here. Press on, press off, double press to E
Editing Basics
In this section we’ll take a trip into tweak. A Deep Dive into the way your PODXT
works, and how to make it best work for you. POD
you direct access to absolutely every detail. No need to connect to a computer for
detailed editing as is required for the original POD.
To begin your editing adventure, all you have to do is press the E
up. Now turn the S
on your POD
display, simply press the S
ELECT knob. Well lookey here, everything you’d ever want to tweak
XT is right there in front of you. To change something shown on the
OFT BUTTON directly below it and spin EFFECT TWEAK.
Everything you tweak here, by the way, is remembered when you press S
choose a Channel Memory to save to.
XT’s knobs, buttons and display give
DITbutton to light it
AVE and
DIT.
Creating & Storing Sounds • Inside the Edit Menu
Double Press for Easy Access
Want to change the Mod effect, or pick a different Delay model? No worries! Press
twice quickly on the C
the first page of parameters for the associated effect. Another double-press will pop you
right back out of E
takes a single press to select its page, or leave E
OMP, STOMP, MOD or DELAY button any time to go straight to
DIT, so you can surf for more tone. (The CAB/A.I.R. button just
DIT.)
Inside the Edit Menu
When the EDIT button is lit, you’ll see that there is a graphic representation of the
E
DIT “menu” on the left side of the PODxt’s display. Turn the select knob, and notice
that the box in the graphic slides up and down the menu, with each dot in the graphic
representing one of the available E
your place in the great circle of life, er, E
Amp knob settings
With the EDIT button lit, spin the SELECT knob counterclockwise to select the first
page from the E
It looks like this:
At the top of the display you’ll also see the Amp Model name. Now, spin the A
M
ODELS knob. See how the tone controls change? This shows you the settings that the
helpful elves at Line 6 have programmed for each Amp Model. Read on to find out how
to customize them for your taste.
Look carefully now... do you see the little ‘dots’ by the knobs? These tell you where the
knobs were last saved. Reach up and spin the Drive knob. Notice that the knob moves
on the display. Cool, huh? And notice that the little dots are still where they were. This
allows you to compare your edit with the saved settings for this Channel Memory.
Now, that’s handy!
DIT menu. This page shows the knob settings for the current channel.
DIT pages. This “scroll bar” is there to help you keep
DIT pages.
4 • 3
MP
Creating & Storing Sounds • Inside the Edit Menu
Cabinet and Mic settings (There’s magic in the A.I.R.!)
From the Amp Knob display, turn Select one click to the right (you can also get here
4 • 4
directly by pressing the C
These are the advanced A.I.R. settings where you can mix and match any cabinet
model with any amp, as well as dial in the perfect microphone setup.
AB/A.I.R. button). You’re now looking at something like this:
Press the button under the displayed word
CAB, then use the EFFECT TWEAK knob to
spin through the available Cabinet models.
You can change the microphone selection or spread of the room the same way. Press
the button under the displayed word
the Mic options, or press the button under
MIC, then use EFFECT TWEAKto spin through
ROOMand dial in more or less room.
These settings allow you to completely customize the sound of the virtual recording
environment we call A.I.R. — all without leaving the privacy of your own mind!
Remember, you can get to this page at anytime from anywhere with a single press of the
C
AB/A.I.R. button.
Effects Editing
You edit all of PODXT’s Effects the same way. Simply double-press any effect on/off
button to jump directly to the first page for that effect, press a button beneath the
display to select a parameter, and twiddle the E
selected. To get to any other page, whether for Reverb or whatever, turn the S
knob while the E
DIT button is lit. And your handy “scrollbar” on the left of the display
lets you know where you are. See? We knew you were a power user, deep down inside.
In general, most effects only have two pages worth of parameters to keep it simple, and
the most common parameters are on the first page. So if you can’t find what you’re
looking for on the first page, turn S
ELECT one click clockwise and you’ll probably see
what you need there.
FFECT TWEAKknob to tweak what’s
ELECT
Creating & Storing Sounds • Inside the Edit Menu
Here’s an example. Double-press the S
E
DITpage that looks something like this:
TOMP button. The Stompboxes only have one
As with all of the effects, the first button from the left below the display allows you to
choose the effect model. You can also see that the Vetta Comp has ‘knobs’ for
Sensitivity, and Level. Pressing the button under
E
FFECT TWEAK knob.
Other effects, such as D
ELAY and MOD, have 2 pages of parameters:
Delay Edit Page 1
Delay Edit Page 2
SENS selects it for tweaking via the
4 • 5
CONFIG, on page 2, is available for PODXT’s volume pedal, Delay, and Mod. It lets you
position each one either:
PRE – in front of the amp, where you’d place a stompbox, or
POST – after the amp, where you’d put a rack type effect.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Turn the page for a few good ones that illustrate
this pre/post stuff.
Creating & Storing Sounds • Inside the Edit Menu
4 • 6
Here’s a typical routing with a M
Here’s another routing with both M
OD effect PRE and a DELAY running POST:
AMP/CAB – A.I.R. IIDELAYMODULATION
OD and DELAY effects in the PREposition:
AMP/CABMODULATIONDELAY
This is what the full signal flow looks like inside your POD
post options for Mod, Delay and the Volume pedal:
XT, including the pre and
VOLUME
GATE
WAHSTOMPDELAYMODULATION
COMP
VOLUME
MODULATIONDELAY
AMP/CAB + A.I.R. II
REVERB
LOOP
(PODXT Pro only)
Creating & Storing Sounds • Inside the Edit Menu
Setting your Tone to Tempo
You’re probably wondering when we were going to let you in on the secret to giving
your effects some groove. Well the secret is Note Values. Note values take the current
tempo and apply a common set of calculations to derive delay times or modulation
speeds that are perfectly in time with your music. Let’s put it this way: Ever wanted to
have a 16th note Tremolo feeding into a dotted-eighth note Delay? Now you can.
Whenever you want to set a Mod Speed or Delay Time to be groov-a-licious:
1. Select theDelay
2. Spin E
FFECT TWEAK counter-clockwise until you start seeing little notes in the
TIME or Mod SPEEDby pressing the button below it.
place where milliseconds or Hertz used to be.
3. Tap twice on the T
AP button to set your tempo, and your Delay and/or Mod now
match the tempo you tapped.
When you set your Delay time to match dotted-eighth notes, for instance, the
TIME
control will look like this:
Reverb
Our next stop on our little trip through the EDITwonderland is the Reverb page. After
all, what self-respecting twangmaster wouldn’t want some reverb now and then? Here
you’ll find the ability to change the reverb model (POD
as the associated parameters necessary to get that really groovy ’verb going on. The only
thing you won’t find is reverb Mix — that’s because the mix is controlled by the
dedicated R
EVERB knob.
XT’s got plenty of them), as well
4 • 7
Creating & Storing Sounds • Inside the Edit Menu
Wah and Volume
From the Reverb edit page, spin the SELECT knob one click clockwise and you’ll find
4 • 8
the W
Let’s check out the wah first. Over the last few years, many POD users have requested
the ability to save the on/off state of the wah with a Channel Memory. That way when
you recall that channel, the wah comes on automatically. Rejoice! Rejoice! Your wish
has been granted by the all-merciful tone gods. And you didn’t even have to sacrifice
your 60’s Telecaster in a fiery devotional ceremony! (Whew.) In fact, you can even
save the position you want the wah to be set at when it comes on — by pressing the
button below
Moving on to the right side of the Wah/Volume page.... Here you can determine the
behavior of an expression pedal (like the Line 6 EX-1) connected to the optional FBV
Shortboard. When
and the Shortboard’s built-in pedal will be dedicated to Wah. You can also choose the
position of the volume pedal:
set to T
TWEAK assigned parameter from its minimum value to its maximum value.
AH and VOLUME parameters. The display now looks something like this:
POSIand twiddling that EFFECT TWEAK knob.
PEDAL is set to VOLUME, the EX-1 will control PODXT’s Volume
PRE (before the amp model), or POST. When PEDAL is
WEAK, pedaling the expression pedal from heel to toe will move the FX
FX Tweak Knob Assign / Tempo Assign
Imagine this: you’re in the middle of the most inspired gig of your life and you wish to
tweak the one effect parameter that would send you over the top and into sonic
nirvana...
Shazam! Your wish has been granted. Follow me to the next E
the E
FFECT TWEAK knob assignment. It looks like this:
DITpage that controls
Creating & Storing Sounds • Saving Yourself
From this page, you can decide what the E
Channel Memory. Just press the button under the display that’s labeled
use the E
FFECT TWEAK knob to choose the perfect parameter.
FFECT TWEAKknob will be adjusting in this
TWEAK, and
The right side of this display shows you the tempo for this Channel Memory. This
tempo is used to calculate the time/speed of any delay and modulation effects that you
set to follow tempo. You set the tempo by tapping the T
you can press the button beneath
TEMPO and spin the EFFECT TWEAK knob until you
APbutton a couple of times, or
get exactly the tempo that will make your heart beat with passion and joy!
Saving Yourself
PODXT lets you save as many as 64 tones that you create as described earlier in this
chapter. And even though we ship it to you chock full of some of our favorites, go
ahead and save over whatever you want. We recommend spending some time with
each of the factory sounds so you’ll know which you want to keep, and which you’ll
want to save over. And don’t worry, because we’ll soon show you how to recall that
favorite factory sound you just saved over and simply have to get back. You can also
visit www.line6.com to check out the ToneTransfer database, surf around, pull a few
down, and even add your own masterpieces to the lot.
Saving a Channel Memory
One of the simplest things to do with PODXTis call up a Channel Memory, make a few
tweaks, and save that Channel without changing its name. To simply save a Channel
you’ve changed, press S
AVE, then SAVE again. That’s it.
4 • 9
Of course, you might want to stick your sound somewhere else, or at least change the
name so you know which one it is. POD
To save your edit to a new location - Make your edits, then press S
XT lets you do that just as easily.
AVE. This
calls up a screen that looks something like this:
Creating & Storing Sounds • Saving Yourself
4 • 10
Now, press the button under the display that reads
then use the E
S
AVE again will confirm your decision, and save your sound to that Channel
FFECT TWEAK knob to pick a different Channel Memory. Pressing
DEST (short for destination) and
Memory, replacing what was there before.
Give your tone a name - Make your edits, then press S
display like the one above. Now, use the
CURSOR < and > buttons to move the cursor
under the letters you want to change. Press the button under
character) and then use E
you’re done, press S
FFECT TWEAK to change the selected character. When
AVE again to complete the job. See, that wasn’t so bad.
AVE. Again, you’ll see a
CHAR (short for
Custom Saving Amp Models
Using this powerful feature, you can pack your PODXT with all the special amp-
tweaking genius that only you possess. This brilliance will then be available
instantly at the turn of the A
the Amp Model, including your chosen Cab Model, Mic selection and your
personal tweak of the ‘room’. This way, when you turn the A
load the Plexi-45 model, you’ll get your personal Plexi-45, with all the controls set
for your very own version. Here’s how it works:
Choose an Amp Model, change the cab, tweak the room, and even use a different
microphone. Press the SAVEbutton, then use the SELECT knob to show the display
that looks like this:
MP MODELknob, loading your customized version of
MP MODEL knob to
You have entered the land of Custom Save. Now, if you want your current settings
to be recalled with this Amp Model, simply press S
AVE again.
Creating & Storing Sounds • Saving Yourself
XT saves the following controls with an Amp Model, and loads them when you
POD
turn the A
MP MODELS knob:
Controls you can customize
Amp Model
Cabinet Model
Microphone Model and Room amount
Drive, Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence controls
Channel Volume
Custom Saving Effect Setups
As we mentioned earlier, you’ve got easy access to as many as 64 pre-wired pedal-boards
and racks in your POD
for you, but if you always use that tweaked-up fuzz box feeding into your favorite
settings of an analog delay pedal, then phase it all up after the amp, and you use that
over and over with different Amp Models, just make it your own custom Effect Setup.
Then, you can mix it with any of your customized Amp Models any time you want.
It’s easy, just:
XT just by spinning the EFFECTSknob. We’ve setup 64 of these
4 • 11
Press Save and use the Select knob to scroll down to the page that looks like this:
Where to put it — Press the button under the display that’s labeled (destination) and then use the E
FFECT TWEAKknob to select a location to store it.
DEST
You may decide to save these settings in the current location, or you can choose any
of the 64 total spots.
What to name it — If you want to give your new Effect Setup a name, now’s the
time to do it! Use the
CURSOR < and > buttons to move the cursor under the letters
Creating & Storing Sounds • Saving Yourself
4 • 12
you want to change. Press the button under
E
FFECT TWEAK to change the selected character.
Commitment — Pressing S
C
OMP, GATE, STOMP, MOD, DELAY and REVERBsettings, and keep them forever
AVE again will now take a snapshot of your current
CHAR (short for character) and then use
and ever.
Single Channel Recall
Imagine this: you’re in the middle of massive inspiration, moving at the speed of light,
and before you know it... you just saved an edit over one of your favorite factory presets.
Perish the thought! Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. To recall that favorite preset:
Press S
You can now press S
Memory, or turn the E
you’d like to retrieve. Press S
AVE, and then use the SELECT knob to get to the page that looks like this:
AVE to recall the factory version of the chosen Channel
FFECT TWEAK knob to choose another Channel Memory
AVE again, and you’ve safely recovered that lost gem!
Complete
Factory Recall
If for any reason, or just for the sheer mad joy of it, you decide you need to reset your
POD
XT’s entire memory to its factory-programmed state, then boldly do this: Press
S
AVE once, then use the SELECT knob to scroll to the page that looks like this:
Now ask yourself, “Do I really want to do this?” Now, ask it again. How about now? If
this is truly your heart’s desire, then press S
your goal. That’ll wipe your POD
XT’s memory and reset it just like it was when it left
AVE again and you’ll have accomplished
the Line 6 factory.
Creating & Storing Sounds • Saving Yourself
Warning: This erases ALL channels, as well as custom amp and effect settings you might
have created. Everything. If you haven’t backed up your PODxt’s memory (by using the
free Line 6 Edit software downloadable from www.line6.com, for instance) you will
no longer have any of the custom sounds you may have created. So be sure and ask
yourself again, “Do I really want to do this?” If the answer is yes, go on ahead with your
bad self!
MIDI Dumps
If you want to transfer one or more tones directly from one PODXT to another
POD
XT, or between PODXT and a MIDI data recorder, workstation, computer or
sequencer, read on. You’ll need a standard MIDI cable to do the deed. Connect the
MIDI Out of your POD
You can then transfer:
•All Channels
•The Current Channel
•The Effect Setups
•The Amp Setups (including your customizations)
Transferring All Channel Memories - This feature will let you send all of your
XT Channel Memories out via MIDI for a complete back-up of the 64
POD
Channel Memories:
XT to the MIDI In of the receiving device.
4 • 13
Press S
Press the button under
AVE once, and use the SELECT knob to scroll down to this page:
SELECT. Turn the EFFECT TWEAK knob to the left
(counterclockwise) until the display reads:
Creating & Storing Sounds • Saving Yourself
4 • 14
Now, if you press S
will be dumped out of its MIDI jack. If another POD
taken over by this data, making it a virtual clone of your own POD
AVE again, the entire set of 64 Channel Memories of your PODXT
XT is connected, its brain will be
XT channels! Who
knew cloning was so easy?
Transferring Only Some Channels - To transfer only one or more individual
Channel Memories, Effects Setups or Amp Models from one POD
XT to another,
do this:
Press S
Turn the E
AVE once, and turn the SELECT knob to show the page that looks like this:
FFECT TWEAKknob to tell PODXT what to transfer:
Any Channel Memory:
All Channel Memories:
All Amp Models:
All Effects Setups:
Creating & Storing Sounds • Saving Yourself
Now, if you press S
AVE again, the MIDI dump you’ve selected will be transmitted out
the MIDI jack, into the brain of a receiving POD
MIDI device for backup.
XT, or into your computer or other
4 • 15
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Which Amps and Cabs Are Modeled?
MODELED AMPS & CABS
Which Amps and Cabs Are Modeled?
General Notes About the Models
As you may have guessed, we’re tone fanatics here at Line 6. Once we’ve set our sights
on creating a software emulation of a particular kind of amp, we will (and have) scour
the globe in search of just the right specimen—that one, very particular amplifier that
has the magic. We are also intensely mindful of the fact that, although amp model
names may stay the same over the years, the circuit designs sometimes change radically.
Amps from ’57, ’62, ’65, ’67, ’75, and 2001 may all bear the same model name, yet
sometimes have totally different sound and response, and quite often a different look as
well. And as we all know, even two amps with the same circuit design, from the same
era, can sound radically different, just on the basis of variance in component tolerances,
among other things. Plus, there’s the fact that every amp has its own special way of
settling in over the years. And, just like people, some of them only get better with age.
That’s exactly why we went to so much trouble to find the very best examples we could
of every amp that we wanted to model for POD
software amp models that are emulations of other amplifiers, we’ve included photos
here of the actual, individual amps that we lovingly selected, studied and measured—
so that you’ll know exactly which amp we’re talking about.
XT. And it’s why, when describing the
5 • 1
So, now that you know what’s in store, let’s take a tour of the amp models that live
inside your POD
There are 32 Amp Models living within your POD
selections. When you turn the A
combination. You can then mix’n’ match different cabs with the amp by pressing the
CAB/A.I.R. button and choosing any Cab model you like with the E
knob. Chapter 4 tells you how you can customize POD
Amp/Cab combinations.
XT, and the original equipment that helped to make them possible.
XT, plus 22 Cabinet Model
MP MODELSknob, you select an Amp/Cab
FFECT TWEAK
XT to call up your favorite
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Which Amps and Cabs Are Modeled?
Line 6’s Originals
We’ll start the introductions with the original Amp Models that Line 6 created to give
you even more tonal options than you could get from vintage gear alone:
Line 6 Clean
To create this Amp Model, we essentially grafted the preamp and tone stack of a JC120 (Roland’s popular “Jazz Chorus” solid state combo) onto the poweramp and
transformer of a classic Marshall JTM-45 tube head, thereby giving you the crisp and
5 • 2
clear front end typical of a solid state amp, but with a rich, satisfying tube amp-style
bite as you turn it up.
Line 6 JTS-45
Since the design of early Marshalls was based on the Fender Tweed Bassman circuitry,
we wondered what it would be like if we took the preamp and tone stack of our JTM 45
and ran it into the poweramp and transformer of our ‘58 Tweed Bassman. What we got
was way happening, as JTS-45 will attest. Great grind and nice punch. A tone the
whole family can enjoy.
Line 6 Class A
One of the most satisfying tonal experiences as a guitarist is to play through an amp
that’s driven to the point where the poweramp is just starting to distort, but before
it achieves full clipping. For many players, this is the coveted ‘sweet spot’ they look
for on an amp. Because we’re not limited to physical reality when we’re creating
amps in the digital world, our goal for this one was to make an amp model that was
nothing but sweet spot. One of the great side effects is the ease of coaxing feedback
out of this one.
Line 6 Mood
And here we give you a fantasia tone, based on our memories of grunge guitar tones we
have known and loved.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Which Amps and Cabs Are Modeled?
Line 6 Spinal Puppet
You know how, when you’re playing head-bangin’ music, you look out into the
audience and see all those heads bobbing up and down? Those are Spinal Puppets.
Need we say more?
Line 6 Chemical X
Just like those secret ingredients that detergent companies used to crow about
(Now! Contains Ingredient X-27!), the Line 6 sound design guys wouldn’t tell us
anything about what the inspiration for this one was or who it might have belonged
to (no matter what type of bribery we attempted). Suffice to say that it’s a very
punchy hi-gain sound that also cleans up quite nicely when you roll your volume
back.
Line 6 Insane
Our goal here was to provide you with as much input gain distortion as possible
short of complete meltdown. You get ridiculous, rich tube drive to shame the
distortion of pretty much any amp on the planet (sort of like a Dual Rectifier on 10
being used as a preamp for a Soldano), while still retaining tonal definition and
character. As a result, you get way lots of bottom end and cabinet character with
tons of wide-ranging tone shaping. Crank up the Drive control and take no
prisoners!
5 • 3
Line 6 Piezacoustic 2
This one is designed to work with the piezo output of solidbody electrics that have
one of those newfangled bridges with the ‘acoustic’ pickup built in. Since you don’t
have to worry about the body shaking itself to pieces with feedback on that type of
guitar, we’ve cooked up this model with more low-mids and low frequencies.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Zen Master
Zen Master
5 • 4
This model is based on a Budda Twinmaster 2x12 combo. The Budda has a great, warm,
Class A/B, sound. The Budda philosophy is all about power tube distortion. Simplicity
is the key. With relatively low front end gain, highly interactive tone controls, and
tube rectifier “sag,” it’s great at getting a classic cranked sound for small gigs and
recording (it’s all of 18 watts). Since the original Twinmaster has no mid control, we’ve
added a little bonus to our model in the form of some post-Amp Model mid contouring
available via POD
POD
XT’s models, you should set this control to 12 o’clock to get groovy with the
unadorned Budda-style vibe.
XT’s MIDDLE control. As is true for all such “bonus” tone controls on
We used the Twinmaster’s Input 2, which is lower gain, when creating this model.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Small Tweed
Small Tweed
Modeled after a 1953 “wide panel” Fender Tweed Deluxe, this Amp Model will snarl
with the best of them. The original amp had only a single tone control, essentially a
treble roll off. We set up the T
this Amp Model. Which left us with the B
we set up the B
ASS and MIDDLE as post-Amp Model controls, which essentially lets
you EQ up your tone as you would do on a mixing console after recording your amp. Set
the B
ASS and MIDDLE knobs at halfway to put them in ‘neutral’, turn the PRESENCE
to 0, and try the T
REBLE knob somewhere above halfway for a classic Tweed sound.
REBLE knob to give you this treble roll off when using
ASS and MIDDLE knobs just sitting there, so
5 • 5
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Tw eed B-Man
Tweed B-Man
5 • 6
The classic ’58 Fender Bassman 4x10 combo was the amp that started it all—instant
rock and roll tone. Originally a bass guitar amp, the Bassman became a Blues staple for
6-string guitarists. It has the fat bottom end you’d expect from a bass amp, but also has
the Fender twang on the top. Incidentally, when Jim Marshall built his first amps with
Ken Bran they were heavily influenced by the early Bassman. One of the interesting
things about the Bassman is just how interactive the M
The M
almost like a second treble control. The two are additive, so if you’re running POD
M
control might give you more bright than you really want. On the other hand, when you
turn the M
like many of the amps modeled for POD
kind of tone that the Bassman can deliver at higher gain settings, you had to crank it up
loud enough to do some serious damage to anyone who might be standing close by.
With POD
through your headphones! Try a Drive setting of about 4 or 5—it’s guaranteed to
dredge up the best R&B licks you know.
IDDLE control isn’t a bandpass, as in most tone control setups. Instead, it’s
IDDLE knob higher than halfway up with this model, you’ll find that the TREBLE
IDDLE knob down, you’ll probably want to boost the TREBLE. The Bassman,
XT, you can get that kind of tone at a bedroom or studio level — or even
IDDLE and TREBLE controls are.
XT’s
XT, didn’t have a master volume. So to get the
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Tiny Tweed
Tiny Tweed
Modeled after a 1961 Tweed Champ, this model has a great sound when the Drive is
cranked (not bad clean, either). These amps were originally designed to be sold to
beginners, but rock and rollers quickly discovered that you could get a great distorted
sound at fairly low volume levels. Many of the classic guitar solos of the 50’s were
recorded through a Champ. The Champ had no tone control, only volume. With your
POD
XT, it’s easy to get a classic Champ tone. Just leave the BASS, MIDDLE and
T
REBLE controls parked at 12 o’clock, which means they are “flat,” making no
contribution to the tone. Set P
classic Champ tone through. When you’re ready to explore further sonic territory, spin
those and work your magic.
RESENCE to 0, and it will also be letting the unadorned
5 • 7
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Blackface Lux
Blackface Lux
5 • 8
The Holy Grail for many blues, country, and “roots” players has been a blackface
Fender Deluxe Reverb. After listening to quite a few candidates back when we were
seeking the ultimate Deluxe Reverb to model during our development of Flextone and
POD, we stumbled upon an extremely cool ’64 Deluxe. We still haven’t found one
better.
Most players love a Deluxe when it’s turned up to about 7 for a nice gritty sound that
cleans up when you back off your guitar’s volume knob just a little. Notice how the
tone control response changes as this Amp Model’s Drive is changed: clean settings are
crisp and present, while more driven settings will mellow the high end. This is typical
of what you get from a Deluxe and is nicely captured here. The Deluxe itself has only
B
ASS and TREBLE controls, leaving us, once again, with the prospect of a couple knobs
with nothing to say for themselves. But fear not; in this case, we’ve set up POD
M
IDDLE knob so you can add some post-Amp Model Midrange contouring for a little
more flexibility, while P
knob to its “neutral” 12 o’clock position and the P
Deluxe sound. Tweaked up right, this tone will cut through and sing. We jacked into
Input 1 of the Vibrato Channel to get this model cooked up for POD
XT’s
RESENCE adds, well, Presence. Once again, set the MIDDLE
RESENCE knob to 0 for the classic
XT.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Double Verb
Double Verb
The classic blackface Fender Twin (in this case, a 1965 Twin) was a real workhorse.
Everybody used it, from jazz and country players to serious rockers. I myself remember
seeing Johnny Winter at a concert where both he and Rick Derringer—am I dating
myself or what?—were using six Twins stacked in a pyramid. Each. We were in the
second balcony and it was REALLY loud even all the way back there. The Twin has a
lot of tonal flexibility and is at home in a great many different situations. It never gets
extremely overdriven and dirty, mostly just louder—a lot louder. This is the amp for the
classic surf sound. Dial up the spring reverb, switch on the tremolo, crank up the
volume, and look out for bikinis.
5 • 9
Like most everyone who owns one, we plugged into Input 1 of the Normal Channel for
modeling purposes.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Tw o-Tone
Two-Tone
5 • 10
Another amp made by Valco/Supro, this is the Gretsch 6156. One of its curiosities is
that the output transformer is actually mounted on its single 10-inch speaker, rather
than on the amp chassis. It also has a lovely wraparound grill cloth, for a real futuristic
look (or what passed for it in the ’50s).
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Hiway 100
Hiway 100
Based on a Hiwatt DR-103, this model gives a great, punchy sound that will cut
through almost anything and retains great definition even when cranked. That’s
exactly what designer Dave Reeves was looking for when he left the Sound City
division of Dallas Arbiter in 1966 to form HyLight Electronics. Though his first designs
were more reminiscent of the Vox and Selmer amps of the day, it wasn’t long before
Reeves had started producing the amps that ’60s Brit-Rock fans have become familiar
with. Renowned for their ‘tank-like’ construction (due in part to Reeves’ hiring of ‘milspec’ wiring specialist Harry Joyce), it was no small wonder this amp was the choice of
Pete Townshend for so many years. It wasn’t just Townshend using Hiwatt, either.
Many of the then-current crop of British rockers like Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues,
Manfred Mann, and Jethro Tull were also Hiwatt endorsees. Crank this one up and you
can see for miles.
5 • 11
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Plexi 45
Plexi 45
5 • 12
This Amp Model is based on a ’65 ‘block logo’ (predates the “scrolled” Marshall logo)
JTM-45 head, complete with a gold Plexiglas front panel. When the royal agents we
had dispatched to the U.K. found this particular amp, we instantly fell in love. The
amp even has the original KT-66s in it, still in great shape! It’s one of the finest
examples of a JTM-45 we’ve ever heard, and it’s a constant battle at Line 6 to see who
gets to take it home for the weekend.
Those interested in the genealogy of tone will be interested to note that the JTM-45
marked the beginning of Marshall’s transition from a mellower Fender-like tone to the
distinctive, bright “crunchy” sound of the later Marshalls.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Plexi Lead 100
Plexi Lead 100
Modeled after the infamous ‘68 Marshall ‘Plexi’ Super Lead—coveted by tone
connoisseurs the world over. We literally scoured the world for this particular amp,
finally finding a great example of a Super Lead languishing (we like to think fate
preserved it for us) in Holland. By the time this amp was built (ca. 1968), Marshall had
completely changed the circuitry away from the Fender 6L6 power tube heritage and
moved to an EL34 tube. Another major tone difference was due to the necessary output
& power supply transformer changes. All this mucking about added up to create a tone
forever linked with Rock Guitar. Amps of this era didn’t have any sort of master
volume control, so to get
the thing to help you really make friends with the neighbors. Hendrix used Marshalls of
this era; a decade later Van Halen’s first two records owed their “brown sound” to a
100-watt Plexi (Our Super Lead, in fact, has the ‘lay down’ transformer that was unique
to ’68 models, the same as Hendrix and Van Halen’s Marshalls.). To get a crunch sound
out of a Plexi, you would likely crank the input volume and tone controls (to 10!).
You’ll find that, in keeping with our “make-it-sound-a-whole-lot-like-the-original”
concept, POD
XT’s model is set up to do pretty darned near the same thing.
the sound you’d have to crank your Super Lead to max—just
5 • 13
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Plexi Jump Lead
Plexi Jump Lead
5 • 14
Guitar playing is all about experimentation, isn’t it? That, and finding all the possible
ways to get more distortion out of whatever gear you have at hand.
One of the fun things you can do with a Plexi is take a short guitar cable and jumper
channel I and channel II (as they’re frequently numbered) together for a little extra
saturation. Some guys loved this sound so much that they pulled the chassis and
permanently wired a jumper into the amp.
Being the obsessive/compulsive tone freaks we are, we just had to give you a model
of this setup, too.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Plexi Variac
Plexi Variac
Ahhh, the stuff of legend. According to the stories, part of the magic behind Edward
Van Halen’s ‘Brown Sound’ was a Marshall 100 watt Super Lead being purposely run at
higher voltage through the auspices of a Variable AC Transformer (aka a ‘Variac’).
5 • 15
While we don’t generally recommend experiments with high voltage sources, especially
ones that might blow up precious gear, we felt it was our duty to see if the stories were
true. So we cranked the Variac up to 140v AC and gave the ’68 Super Lead a power
workout. (Don’t worry, it survived to rock again.) We’re thinking those stories must
not be too far from wrong.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Brit J-800
Brit J-800
5 • 16
Turn to this Amp Model to conjure up tones of the coveted JCM 800, one of Marshall’s
most universally-acclaimed modern amps. This updated version of the Plexi continued
Marshall’s heritage with added gain and edge for a new generation of rock guitarists.
One of the biggest differences here is that the tone controls are located after the
preamp tubes.
Incidentally, some versions of JCM 800’s get their distortion by clipping a diode. The
amp we modeled uses a tube for distortion.
The JCM 800 is, of course, the metal sound Marshall made famous. And although not
many people play Marshalls clean, it is a great tone, so you should also be sure to check
out this model with a low Drive setting. Of course, you can always pump up the drive
and rage...
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Brit JM Pre
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Brit JM Pre
Marshall’s entry into the rackmount preamp world, the JMP-1, has been a favorite of
‘big-hair’ metal guitarists as well as many others looking for a tight, highly saturated
tone without the compression of poweramp ‘sag.’ It was also one of the first MIDIcontrollable preamps.
The overdrive flavor of the JMP is somewhat “Boogie-esque” and many people saw the
JMP as Marshall’s answer to the ADA MP-1 and Mesa Boogie preamps. First
introduced in the early nineties, the JMP has enjoyed a recent surge of popularity with
new metal bands looking for a really tight, aggressive, well focused tone without being
overly scooped. Your seven string is gonna love our model developed from our careful
study of the JMP-1.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
5 • 17
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Match Chief
Match Chief
5 • 18
We crafted this model from our studies of the Matchless Chieftain. The Matchless has
an EL34-powered “modern class A” design — hence this model’s name — and a
unique tone (largely due to the complicated EQ scheme).
The Chieftain was designed by Mark Sampson at Matchless to blend a Fender/Marshall
type front end with a classic ‘spongy’ and very reactive Class A power section.
With higher gain than the DC-30 (which is next in our hit parade), the Chieftain is a
great roots-music amp. It also features the incredibly sexy feature of a light up front logo
name plate, which may not affect tone, but it sure does look cool.
When, sad to say, Matchless went out of business, both the Chieftain and the DC-30
became highly collectable pieces of gear, with used ones often fetching up to a
thousand dollars more than their original price. We’re happy to do our part to keep the
Matchless legacy alive with the Matchless models in your POD
XT.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Match D-30
Match D-30
This model is based on a Matchless DC-30.
The DC-30 was the amp that really put Matchless on the map. Mark Sampson, the
amp’s designer, who was generous enough to tell us the story of this amp’s creation, set
out to create a road-worthy Class A amp that could cover a wide range of tones.
5 • 19
Built like a tank (and weighing nearly as much), the DC-30 paid tribute to early Vox
amps. So if you like a Vox AC-30 (or POD
check out POD
XT’s model of the DC-30.
XT’s model based on one), you’ll also want to
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Treadplate Dual
Treadplate Dual
5 • 20
This Amp Model is based on a 2001 3-Channel Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head.
The Dual Rectifier was part of Boogie’s more modern, high gain approach for that “big
hair” sound. In contrast to the earlier Boogies, the Dual Rectifier’s tone controls have
more influence at high gain settings, so you can scoop the mids and increase the bottom
end.
We used Channel 3 on the Modern setting for this one with the rear switches set to
Bold and Tube Rectifier, respectively.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Cali Crunch
Cali Crunch
We modeled this from our studies of a Mesa Boogie Mark IIc+.
Mesa Engineering started out with Randall Smith souping up old Fender Princeton
amps for SF Bay area musicians. Over the years, the amps evolved, adding effects loops,
switchable channels, and Randall’s Simul-Class design, in which one pair of output
tubes is run Class AB and the second pair run Class A. Boogies were really the first
modern guitar amplifiers and were quickly adopted by many players looking for more
‘oomph’ in a smaller package.We used the Drive channel to do our modeling.
5 • 21
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Jazz Clean
Jazz Clean
5 • 22
This Amp Model is modeled after the classic Roland JC-120.
This transistor amp was known for a strident clean sound and built-in stereo chorus.
When using the JC-120 model, try cranking up the T
sound that’ll cut through just about any mix. It’s also perfect for that 80’s “new wave”
sound (after all, it was Andy Summers’ favorite amp with The Police).
REBLE for a shimmering clean
You should also try setting all the tone controls at 12 o’clock for a darker jazz tone. It’ll
give you an essentially flat response, providing a balanced tone across the fret board for
jazz chord melodies or single-line phrasing.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Solo 100
This model is based on a Soldano SLO-100 head.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Solo 100
5 • 23
Mike Soldano first came to fame as the guy who could do all the really cool mods to
your Marshall. It wasn’t long before he started building his own ‘hot-rod’ amps—
sporting chromed transformers and chassis, no less. Mike’s amps are also famous for
their bullet-proof construction and military spec wiring and components.
While primarily known for its high gain personality, the SLO-100 has a great clean
tone as well. Eric Clapton put Soldano on the map when he played “Saturday Night
Live” with his Soldano SLO-100.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Super O
Super O
5 • 24
Yet more of the stuff of legend. Jimmy Page has admitted to using his ’58 Tele and a
Supro amp to record most of the first two Led Zeppelin albums. The only problem is,
he’s never really copped to which Supro model he used, since his simply saying the word
‘Supro’ caused a run on pawnshops and music stores everywhere, making it virtually
impossible to find another one of whichever model it was that he used.
We went so far as to impose on our friendship with people we know who were actually
present during the recording of “Led Zeppelin II” to see if they remembered anything
about that particular amp. They didn’t recall the specific model number, only that it
was “a grey and silver tiny little bastard.” Other sources have claimed that it was the
1x12-inch version. So, until Pagey speaks, the mystery remains, but, whatever the truth
of those Zep sessions may be, we’re confident that this Supro S6616 model can be a fine
entrance ticket to the Houses of the Holy.
By the way, that’s a 6x9-inch speaker in this amp, just like in your car stereo. Go figure.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Class A-15
Class A-15
Here’s another Vox-inspired Amp Model. This model is based on Channel 1 of a
wonderful 1960 AC 15. The sound is similar to the Vox AC 30 that was studied for
Vetta, but this is a smaller amp (one, instead of two, 12-inch speakers) with a warmer,
more “woody” sound.
5 • 25
Once again, the original amp had only a single tone control—a treble cut. We
faithfully modeled that and then slipped in some post-Amp Model Bass and Mid
contouring. Set the B
P
RESENCE to 0, and play with the TREBLE control to get yourself some of those classic
ASS and MIDDLE in neutral (12 o’clock, or halfway up),
British invasion sounds.
To model this, we plugged into Input 2, which is slightly darker than Input 1, and gives
you more of that classic warm sound that the AC 15 is famous for.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Class A-30 TB
Class A-30 TB
5 • 26
Music was changing in the early ’60s and guitarists were asking for more brilliance &
twang. So the Jennings Company, makers of Vox amps, decided to add Treble and Bass
controls (and an extra 12AX7 gain stage, incidentally) in addition to the Treble Cut
knob it already had (which in actuality was a sliding bandpass filter that always seemed
like it was working backwards); this additional circuit became known as Top Boost.
The AC 30 with Top Boost was the amp made famous by many British invasion bands.
Much of the unique character of the Vox sound can be attributed to the fact that Class
A amps overdrive in a very different way than Class AB. Brian May of Queen, Mike
Campbell of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, and The Edge of U2 have all used classic AC
30s to make their music. Although usually played fairly clean, a cranked AC 30 has a
great saturated lead tone, a la Brian May on the early Queen albums.
On this Amp Model, POD
XT’s MIDDLE control acts like the original Cut knob on the
AC 30.
For this model, we used the Hi gain input of the Brilliant channel. We also turned the
tone controls around, since original Top Boost amps had the bass and treble turned all
the way down when the knob was all the way up. Go figure.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Class A-30 TB
Tube Preamp
Not even close to being a guitar amp, but once we got started, we just couldn’t stop
ourselves. The thinking went like this: ‘Once people get this POD
wish they could use it for everything — warming up keyboards, crunching up drums,
fuzzing up vocals. We’ve gotta give ’em something to do that!’ So we did. The Tube
Preamp Model lets you warm up any sound source the way producers and engineers
often do in the studio with vintage tube gear. For more “edge” on vocals, try running
your vocal tracks through POD
sending it through POD
XT and cranking up the Drive and EQ controls to suit your
XT. Or punch up (or munch up) a synth bass track by
taste. Although this is not actually a guitar amp model, you can even get some great
guitar tones out of it. Also try using it as a direct box for bass. When you do this stuff,
you want to use the Drive control like a mix knob on a reverb to control how much
processing you want to hear. You generally don’t want to mix the pre-POD
with the post-POD
sound source right into POD
XT sound because of the comb filtering that results. Instead, jack the
XT and then only monitor it through PODXT. With the
tone controls at 12 o’clock, the EQ is “flat.”
XT, they’re gonna
XT sound
5 • 27
Modeled Amps & Cabs • Class A-30 TB
Cabinet Models
The following Cabinet Models are available on PODXT, and are accessed by pressing
the C
AB/A.I.R. button, then turning the EFFECT TWEAK knob:
Cabinet ModelBased On...
1x6 Super O6x9 Supro S6616
1x8 Tweed1961 Fender Tweed Champ
1x10 Gibtone1x10 Gibson
1x10 G-BrandGretsch 6156
1x12 Line 6Line 6 1x12
1x12 Tweed1953 Fender Tweed Deluxe
5 • 28
1x12 Blackface1964 Fender Blackface Deluxe
1x12 Class A1960 Vox AC-15
2x2 Mini T2x2” Fender Mini Twin
2x12 Line 6Line 6 2x12
2x12 Blackface1965 Fender Blackface Twin
2x12 Match1995 Matchless Chieftain
2x12 JazzRoland JC-120
2x12 Class A1967 Vox AC-30
4x10 Line 6Line 6 4x10
4x10 Tweed1959 Fender Bassman
4x12 Line 6Line 6 4x12
4x12 Green 20’s1967 Marshall Basketweave with Greenbacks
4x12 Green 25’s1968 Marshall Basketweave with Greenbacks
4x12 Celest T-751978 Marshall with stock 70s
4x12 Celest V-301996 Marshall with Vintage 30s
4x12 Treadplate4x12 Mesa Boogie
No Cab
You will probably want to use this Cabinet model with the Tube
Preamp model for non-guitar sources. It is selected by default
when you pull up the Tube Preamp Amp Model.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way
associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images
are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were
studied during Line 6’s sound model development.
Stompboxes & Effects • About the Stompboxes
STOMPBOXES & EFFECTS
About the Stompboxes
What guitarist doesn’t like Stomp boxes? PODXT’s got a bunch of great stomp box
models adapted from Line 6’s DM4 Distortion Modeler, MM4 Modulation Modeler,
and DL4 Delay Modeler pedals, and some brand spankin’ new models that come
straight from our flagship combo, Vetta. We’ve also given you a few of the ol’ standby’s
like Ping Pong and Stereo Delay. Who says you can get too much of a good thing?
In this chapter, we’re not only going to take a look at just which stomp box effects are
modeled. We’ll also be talking about how you go about tweaking them. So hold onto
your hats and glasses, and please keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times.
Basic Effect Editing
PODXT features a collection of sought-after stomp boxes and effects that you can
assemble with any Amp Model into small ‘rigs’ with complete channel switching,
stomp box-style on/off and Tap Tempo. Add an FBV or FBV Shortboard foot controller
and you’ve got it all, hands-free. And there’s nothing hidden on this POD
parameter can be adjusted without the need for a computer. Effects can be turned on or
off at any time just by pressing one of the effect on/off buttons above the display.
XT. Any
6 • 1
There are 4 effect on/off buttons:
Comp (Gate)—This is the button to turn our model based on the LA-2A
compressor on or off. Double pressing this button allows you to edit the compressor
settings. It also gives you access to the full-time N
Stomp—This is where POD
Like all the other effect buttons, press to turn on or off, double-press to E
Mod—POD
turn them on or off, double-press to E
Delay—The delay models are here. Press on, press off, double press to E
XT comes with several flavors of modulation effects. Use this button to
XT’s distortion boxes and stomp box compressors live.
DIT.
OISE GATE.
DIT.
DIT.
Stompboxes & Effects • About the Stompboxes
Deep Dive Editing
All of PODXT’s Stomp boxes and Effects share a similar way of editing and the real
details are covered in Chapter 4, Creating & Storing Sounds. We’ll go over the
two basic ways to do it here. To edit any effect’s parameters you can:
6 • 2
A. Press the E
DIT button, then use the SELECT knob to scroll through the pages and
find the parameters you’re looking for, or
B. Double-press an effect on/off button (press it twice quickly) to go straight to the
first page for that effect.
Stomp Effects: Distortions and Overdrives
Back before fuzzes, distortions, and overdrives existed, guitar players used to do stuff like
slice their speakers with a razor blade to get that raunchy, distorted, lovely sound
(check out Link Wray’s ‘Rumble’ for an example). While it sounded great, it did make
it impractical to turn around and play a nice smooth ballad on the same amp.
Enter the ‘fuzz’ box. Legend has it that the first such devices were designed to duplicate
the sound of a faulty mixer input strip. Whether this story is true or not, soon
everybody was getting some ‘Satisfaction’ through the modern miracle of floor-based
distortion.
Stomp Effects: Compressors
A compressor takes quiet sounds and loud sounds coming into it, and makes them have
a more similar volume, so the loudest sounds aren’t so loud versus the quiet sounds, and
the quiet sounds are closer to the level of the loudest sounds. The result is that a
compressor can be set to keep boosting the level of your guitar signal as a note dies
away, giving your guitar a longer note decay. In other words, plop a stomp box
compressor down in front of an amp and you’ve got an instant sustain enhancer! As a
side benefit, the compressor evens out your attacks and enables you to make up some
gain (so you can hit the front end of your amp a bit hotter, but without extra beforethe-amp distortion that a distortion box would create when boosting input level to your
amp). We’ve provided you with a number of stompbox compression options in POD
so you can squash your signal ’til the cows come home.
XT,
Stompboxes & Effects • About the Stompboxes
Comp/Gate Effects
The Compressor effect available from the COMP (GATE) button is just the thing
when you want to smooth out your levels the way that you would typically do in a
recording studio. The
the Compressor to be in smoothing things out. More negative numbers make the
Compressor more active in taming your levels, so -32dB is a more aggressive setting
that -16dB, say. The
level reduction that the Compressor may cause.
The Gate effect helps eliminate unwanted noise when you’re not playing, and can be
especially valuable when using high gain sounds. Like a security gate, it’s supposed to
quickly open to pass the things that you want, and then swing closed to keep out the
things that you don’t want. Turn the
the Gate (
THRESH’s value will then be OFF, as shown above). The THRESH knob
determines how loud your playing has to be to open the gate. More negative numbers
(where the knob is near its fully-counterclockwise setting) mean that the gate will
open and allow sound through even when you are playing quietly, and less negative
numbers (where the knob is near its fully-clockwise setting) mean that the gate will
only allow sound to pass when you are playing pretty hard. The
determines how fast the gate will swing closed. Like a gate in the real world, a fast
decay means the gate might catch your trailing foot as you pass through—in this case,
that means the gate will chop off the decay of your notes. And a slow decay means
that as the gate swings slowly closed behind you, someone might have time to slip
through behind you—in this case, that would be the unwanted noise that you hear as
your notes decay. You’ll have to experiment with the
happy medium for your particular guitar, playing style, and sound settings.
THRES (Threshold) knob determines how aggressive you want
GAIN knob lets you add back level to compensate for the overall
THRESHall the way down to minimum to disable
DECAY knob
DECAY to get just the right
6 • 3
Modulation Effects
Modulation effects are things that swoosh, pulse and warble—from phase shifters to
flangers to choruses. Why are they called modulation effects? Well, if we consult a
dictionary, we discover that ‘modulate,’ in the electronic world means to “alter the
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