Line 6 HX Stomp vs. Line 6 POD 2.0 - Audio Comparison (no talking)

[@GuitarBonedo]

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[@alexgreychuck7605]

amazing! 20 yrs between the 2 technologies and still the 2.0 holds up pretty good.

[@AntoineDuez]

Wtf pod 2.0 sound amazingly good 😳 Sort of vintage vibe

[@RodrigoBreckenfeld]

Impressed by the fact POD still doing well

[@michelmoe]

Loved this video! Finally an honest comparison!!!! I still have my 2.0 and an X3 as well and I love them and use them all the time. Mind you, a have some nice tube heads (that I also love and use) too but the PODs are awesome. When some snob sob tries to talk shit about them to me, I just dare them to listen to my recordings and if they can pinpoint which is which, I give them all my stuff and never touch any guitar again. I'm still here. Playing. And staring at both my PODs at this very moment. =D Thanks for the video, amazing job!

[@Metalfreak327]

I have a X3 too and love playing it but I've always struggled with the output settings. Is it enough to just set it to combo amp when connecting to a combo amp ?

[@michelmoe]

@@Metalfreak327 I always thought the best way to use them is going straight to a power amp. If your combo has an Fx loop, try plugging it to the return. But most of all I'd say don't be afraid to try different connections, just watch your levels, start with a lower volume so you don't damage any input. If you don't have a loop, start with a flat EQ on the combo, set the pod to combo, and tweak the amp from there. Maybe compare a bit with the sound of the headphones output minding the obvious differences like room etc and try to match the amp settings to sound like the phones. Let me know how that goes :) which combo are you using it into?

[@Metalfreak327]

@@michelmoe Thanks for the info. My combo doesn't have an fx loop. The thing is, I've actually done most of what you said except as soon as you change the patch, everything goes out of whack and you re back to square one. Then you spend time adjusting low cut high cut in output and eq on amp ; frankly a collosal waste of time. Everytime. You end up spending more time tweaking than playing.

[@michelmoe]

@@Metalfreak327 oh my, sorry to hear that! The X3 has some output functions stored by preset so it may be related...I would try building presets using one as baseline but of course every amp sim will react somewhat different from one another. I would start with one preset you really love on headphones, then adjust the outputs trying different combinations...combo, line level, etc The volume thing is very important because the POD is a preamp and you're connecting it to the input of another preamp which expects guitar-level signal or a little more, like pedals - but not a preamp. So you need to be aware of that...not only volume but also impedance and that's why I prefer to plug it into a poweramp.

[@jefflaliberte6911]

For me, the single biggest advancement Line 6 has made over the years was capturing an authentic "feel". They really nailed it with the HX modeling whereas their early stuff felt disconnected and a bit distant. No video can demonstrate that

[@dracul74]

I own a helix and all the beans. I really don’t feel that way at all. I still pull out the 2.0 and xt and use them happily. I also owned a Kemper and ax fx 3 and still own a fm3. For me the bean format is still the simplest to dial in a great original tone in under 2min.

[@StratsRUs]

Even after buying a Helix, I was underwhelmed UNTIL a host of updates. Line 6 still updated recently and the Helix is magnificent now.I was expecting them to leave it and Legacy the Helix. They can do that now and I will still know what I have is the tops !

[@Aaronius_Maximus]

You're absolutely right on that one, this isn't something that can be articulated through a video. The best advancements L6 has made is no doubt giving the amp models and effects more of an "alive" feeling that you would expect from a decent tube amp.

[@SD_UK]

HX sounds 'better'. But what is 'better'? The folks dancing in the front or listening at the back wont give a .... Also, the early PODs can still be made to sound as goood or better than so many 'classic' recordings. Use what you have / like / can afford.

[@charleslivingston803]

Takes me back to the 90’s! Great demo - short passages with 1:1 comparisons. I had a POD and loved it. But it definitely had a signature flaw in the tone - that smeary, harsh upper midrange that you hear on every single model. Eventually it drove me insane and I had to end the affair. You captured it well here! The new POD definitely sounds better - but probably not 20 years better.

[@susancorgi]

For some reasons, i prefer the old pod sound. It's a bit thicker and warmer.

[@felipeboca]

I LOVE 2.0 POD.

[@AmbroseLiu]

I've used Line 6 since the XT Live. I've generally found for cleans and certain distortion sounds, they've generally been pretty good. The main area of weakness was in between, especially with overdrive pedals. This is where the jump to Helix/HX was really clear to me.

[@lorenmorgan1931]

Yeah I busted out my XT Live and about 10 minutes of patch skipping or less I was completely done. I don't play with sounds as heavy anymore, go more for tone, and the only tone to be found was ice cold brittle distortion and painfully sterile cleans. Even the chorus and other modulations clipped on it with little headroom. I honestly think the code in these POD 2.0 is better, and certainly sounds like it has more headroom and dynamics than the XT or the Helix.

[@zoeyf3471]

I've recorded some songs with the M13 classic distortion plugged into the PODXT Plexi lead set to a clean tone. It gave a nice creamy lead tone I couldn't get with PODXT alone.

[@tylerstooksbury3050]

The HX pedal definitely sounds better on the hi gain stuff but the Pod is holding its own with the cleaner tones!

[@MeTuLHeD]

You should hear the old POD with the internal cab disabled running into some external IR's. Killer!

[@andreil1234]

Same for boss gt100

[@jbognap]

@@andreil1234 If you're using a hardware IR device with the GT-100, which one?

[@TiagoEliasu]

haha ,,,, ola is a virus

[@tanvir1113]

Radar or sonic ir ?

[@MeTuLHeD]

@@tanvir1113 Doesn't really matter. You can load the IRs in an external device like a Radar. Or you can load them in a plug-in of your choice. But it makes a HUGE difference in the sound of the good old POD 2.0.

[@davelouis4004]

The pod is much warmer , forgot how good this sounds !

[@RobertMurphy-wm3ge]

Wow... I was seriously considering a Helix but that 2.0 sounded KILLER

[@rednebb]

Thank you for a great comparison video, showing that the old Pod is not so bad at all; in several examples I actually liked it better :-)

[@SpartanLaserCanon]

This shows how much Line 6 has improved in the Amp/Multi Effects game. Great video.

[@64north20west]

If you forget the interfaces and the apparent higher bit rate with possibly better stereo separation, the Pod holds up well and may even take the crown. The distortions are the Achilles heel here so I wonder how they compare with Zoom and Boss. Great/excellent comparison.

[@KenKellySWFL]

I used the POD 2.0 with an Ibanez Tube Screamer for all live gigs with a rock band I used to be in, ran it through a shitty solid state head and 4x12 cabinet. I was shocked at how many people complemented the sound, other guitar players thought I was using a hot-rodded tube head. On more than one occasion, guitar players from other bands on the bill would walk up trying to figure out what I was using! The average person in the audience doesn’t have a clue, it’s generally guitar snobs that go crazy over this. A good guitar player should be able to play through anything and sound good!

[@tanvir1113]

Pod 2.0 + Tube screamer padel only?

[@KenKellySWFL]

@@tanvir1113 Yep, ran it through a solid state head! 😁 Was actually able to run it through any head really!

[@DanzelMcChang]

HX Stomp has more high and clearity, but I must say the Pod wasn't too bad on the clean tones if you want some warmer tones. What I didn't like about the pod back then was the feeling when you play with it. It didn't feel so responsive.

[@DenisAhmet]

There are quite a few comparisons similar to this featuring the POD V2, and the pod has always sounded nicer, more fuller, rounder and more real. I have the pod V2, if remember correctly you get even a better sound going through the digital presets. This demo was used only using the modelling amp dial , EQ, drive, output and the remaining dials. The other thing that changes the sound is the cabinets, these were not selected in this demo. I generally play clean and select the Fender Bassman preset with a single 12” cab, drive at around 1 o’clock (just before it breaks up), the EQ is subtle has little change, but it’s absolutely fine. I don’t like the built-in reverb and use my favourite reverb plug-in. I’m not really into effects and don’t really like them, so I can’t really comment on how good they are. Sorry if this sounds vague, I stopped recording around 2013, I used the pod for about three years, produced over 150 compositions with it - I highly recommend it. You can pick them up on eBay for a few pounds, so if you are on a tight budget, it’s a no brainier. There is a new pod coming out the pod go, but I’m gonna stick with what I have for now, I’m only playing at home these days to backing tracks via a Boss Katana 50, it’s awesome. Thanks for posting, I love listening to comparisons like this, well done!

[@fredmachine]

What's more, you can disable the cab sim entirely and use external IRs instead, vastly improving the sound to where it really doesn't have to hide from any modern modeller.

[@ShardMan]

6:31 This is probably the tone that Jun Senoue used throughout Sonic Adventure 2. Honestly, this has now become my favorite guitar tone because of how nasty it sounds. (5:55 Or this one)

[@biboKralle]

FINALLY I can describe what always bugged me about the POD2.0 back in the day - especially as PC nerd. It sounds like very-hard-compressed MP3 of the original! :D

[@massimilianopierini1597]

I know i can be unpopular, but i think the stomp box sounds much better expecially on clean sounds. It seems more natural. I have the pod 2.0

[@the4thway51]

Never ending new amp sims flood the market but the pod sounds great, and has tweak knobs.

[@coldwar1977]

Pod all the way! I still use mine every day for practicing and recording.

[@chrisdriverband9404]

That Matchless sound around 2:45 is killer.

[@carlosliras3460]

Me abre los ojos, tengo todos los pod, helix, eleven rack, roctron, axe, kemper , hotone ampero y esto me demuestra q es verdad q suenan igual. Con algun pequeño matiz q no creo valga la pena el dineral q imbertimos en cacharros nuevos

[@akinyael1196]

Acabo de encontrar uno en segunda mano por unos 75 dólares crees que valga la pena?

[@carlosliras3460]

@@akinyael1196 a mí me gusta, y desde luego funcionar funciona genial

[@cgmg88]

Me suena mucho mejor el pod! Lo voy a comprar! Se oye más orgánico y más análogo el sonido!

[@MasterArpeggioSystem]

I can't believe how well the POD 2.0 holds up after all these years. I still have mine and won't be getting rid of it anytime soon. I like the fuller, rounder, warmer sound of the 2.0, but the effects might be the big improvement in the HX, especially if they have more control over the fx parameters. I always used my POD for the amps and would use the reverb, but generally used outboard pedals in front of it like pre-fx loop amps. That always worked for me. Great comparison!

[@crisrose521]

The Stomp is clearer with a more realistic sound . . Like there’s a real good mic next to the cab in the studio . That being said , the Pod is AWESOME considering it’s 30 years old ! I recommend having both 🤘🏻

[@maxsalasr]

Wow, i wasnt expecting this, to my ears POD wins, thanks!

[@Dan-gn2xo]

What a great video. I have been using pods for a long time for direct into the recorder. I have also used miking up tube amps. I've been considering buying a helix for going Direct but after listening to this video I'm not sure that the Helix is that much better for my personal use. It does sound a little warmer but only a little. I'm basically just a blues player and neither one really gets a better tone over a mic'd up tube amp. So I think you save me a little money thank you.

[@tomaspavelka6469]

The old Pod sounds great! Better than new one for me...

[@YosbelOropeza]

i still having and using my pod xt pro in every single song i´ve recorded.... such a nice piece of gear!

[@martinopinto6323]

Goddammit, that chorus on the HX sounded like heaven!

[@austin4669]

The pods cleans still hold up. The high gain stuff not so much

[@ModLifeCrisis]

Nice video. Thanks. Lovely guitar playing by the way. I have a Pod 2.0 somewhere. You’ve inspired me to dig it out and dust it off.

[@sergefilippov4173]

pod 2 winner! exilent vintage sound ) my favorite d.i recording

[@favorit01]

pod is living legend!

[@josefrancisco6969]

Great video. More tones on the pod 2.0 would be great, like the second layer of amps from 16 to 32 and other functions like the drive boost.

[@Tmidiman]

josefrancisco there are 32 I believe, but he didn’t show them.

[@Gummmibaer]

Wow, the POD does a great job for such an old device. Actually I prefer most of the PODs sounds here. The HX Stomp sounds like theres an acoustic guitar and not an electric guitar in front of it. I guess you could tweak it to sound a bit better when diving into the menus but then again: The POD sounds great without having to tweak it a lot. Admittedly, both still sound quite "digital".

[@mattofthemountain]

Seems not really a question of "better" or "worse", just which you prefer. All the tones from either are usable.

[@waltjames407]

I gave up on modelers for a while after I got rid of my Fender Mustang modeler which I eventually couldn't take any more, then I recently broke out my old POD XTLive, which is pretty much an old bean POD in a floorboard, as I understand it. Was pleasantly surprised at how good it sounded, and it blows a modern Fender Mustang out of the water, even after 20 or so years.

[@antoniozaccardi6582]

To my ears the pod sounds amazing 👍

[@paulometal99]

I know that POD sounds pretty much similar to things we heard in our favorite bands albums, but it doesn't mean that sounds precisely better. In my opinion, HX sounds more like I would like to sound nowadays

[@richardpress9551]

Tool

[@Spark-xu1mu]

The Cleans are very similar sounding but the noticable difference are in the crunch amd distorted tones. The HX wins when it comes to heavy tones

[@otter5555]

the pod kills the stomp with the rectifier and soldano....i knew it would. i own almost all modelers and those 2 amps in the pod are STILL really hard to beat even with my kemper-tonex-etc. line 6 got those 2 right the first time :)

[@adrianiacob1991]

To my ear, if something evolved is the cab simulation and included microphone placement&option. If you can disable to any older gear cab simulation and run it through 2Torpedo Cab simulator, you would get a better tone. That was the hardware limitation of 20 years ago ampsim's

[@lertrush]

POd 2.0 com certeza. Soa mais natural, mais verdadeiro, mais quente.....limpo ou sujo

[@sacredgeometry]

It sounds passable/ usable but it is not better. Every step with the pod and line 6 has gotten better ... I know because I have owned pretty much all of them and used all of them. I jumped ship over to fractal but pods have always been able to get good sounds. Fidelity, dynamics, lack of artefacts and accuracy were just what has been needed and they are what we have got over the last 20 odd years. The pod was 90% of the way and now were are 99.5% of the way there. 90% is still a passing grade and is perfectly workable in live performances or recordings. It always was, so it always will be.

[@andyvozzamusic]

Yes, the pod 2.0 still sounds good after 20 years. However, what some seem to forget, is how it feels under the fingers. When you play with the hx stomps, it feels almost like you are playing through a real amp

[@tomb8430]

Which cab sim did you use for this demo on the POD, or did you use external IR?

[@MrHoracedebussyjones]

You know,these are really helpful..you helped me figure out whether or not to switch from bluguitar amp1 to mercury( kept the amp1). Please keep doing these.thanks.

[@NotNeighbor]

Cool test! Thank you

[@AntonStratocaster]

Hi, are you using the cabin simulation for each unit or are you using an external IR for both units?

[@mauricedibert2635]

It's like buying a suit of a rack vs a tailored suit. They both fit, one fits better.

[@Tmidiman]

This and the ears of others confirmed what I’ve always heard. The original Pod and 2.0 had a great sound. HX, while hella better than the HD failure, is ok at best.

[@chucksaeger7500]

Great comparison!

[@shorerocks]

Depending on the sound I prefer one over the other. But I am not a fan of the HX Stomps crispness, or modelling (contraty to profiling = sampling like in the Kemper) in general. Having said that - for a business trip and a quick available sound I am more than happy with my POD 2.0.

[@avroman100]

KZbinrs today say "most hated amp multi effect ever" and they don't know how to play guitar. This is very nice device and my childhood dream. So, what I can say, it's not about effects, it's about how you play. Actually, nobody cares about how your tones are, but care how and what you play. If you are bad guitarist, nothing will help you, if you are good one, you can amaze people with amp for $200 . For example Joe Satriani album "Cristal planet" is awful from sound perspective, but it's a very good music that I still listen to it for more than 20 years.

[@GuitarAge]

That's why i sold stomp, no regrets. But bought orange tiny terror. Tube is always a winner.

[@myuncle2]

no doubt about it. And all the orange lunch box amps are amazing. I like especially the dark terror through a 2x12 cab with WGS Reaper.

[@GuitarAge]

@@myuncle2 i actually sold HX Stomp a bit earlier, after i heard and then bought micro terror, thus small guy showed me very clearly what the real sound is. Then i bought all tube bigger brother orange tiny terror to get all (hybrid and all tubes) orange terror amps...both sounds amazing. The small micro guy will travel to rehearsals and bigger one for gigs after corona quarantine done.

[@ericbelopolsky3851]

Amazing! In this video the Tweed sounded better coming from the POD!

[@delatronics3257]

As a service centre for Boss and Line 6 amongst others and over 35 years in the business; IMO there is nothing I've heard that can match this early pod. I sold mine years ago and bought a Digitech GSP2101 rack with 3 preamp valves, while that was excellent it was also a bit noisy and the POD wiped the floor with it for recordings.

[@davidkastin4240]

The OG Pod 2.0 sounds better on every comparison here to me. Love it. Great video 👍

[@richmanfilms]

I sold my pod 1.0 with the replacement 2.0 chip in it for 125 bucks six months ago. The dude tells me these things sound great. I should’ve kept mine. You get them a lot cheaper but I have the original with the upgrade ship I’m not sure if that made any differences.LOL

[@davidkastin4240]

@@richmanfilms I love this thing. Picked it up cheap at a Book store that sells guitars amps etc, got it for $54 with tax. Now they're $100 + tax since the market has gone haywire. Recently scooped up a great gig bag used $20+ tax, they're at least $50+ new!

[@richmanfilms]

@@davidkastin4240 Yeah… I’ve been looking for guitar/amp multi affects units that my brother could buy. He was looking at the HX stop. It’s too pricey so I started looking around and realize the pod 2.0 is perfect for an introductory system. Pocket POD too!

[@richmanfilms]

@@davidkastin4240 I heard the Pocket PODs have te 2.0 sound engine... gotta double check. They sell in the $50 range.

[@richmanfilms]

@@davidkastin4240 Pocket POD Features Tone Production POD 2.0 Presets 300+; 124 user-programmable, 100 Rock Star, 70 Song Amp Models 32 classic and modern guitar amp models Cabinet Models 16 cab models and A.I.R. Mic/Room Emulation Effects 16, including Delay, Chorus, Tremolo, Flanger, Rotary Speaker, Compressor, Reverb, Tap Tempo, and more Other Effects/Features Noise Gate, Chromatic Tuner (with mute)

[@gypsycat619]

The Stomp seems to have more Presence but The Pod 6 sounds just as good. And I like the tweak ability which is made so simple

[@garycrant4511]

My Pod is version 1, one of the first in the UK. I later bought an ebay 3rd party version 2 chip for it, but never got round to swapping it in... Wish i could remember which boxes they were stored in over a decade ago...

[@echopoint8817]

Both sound good. HX has bit more clarity and definition but both sound great.

[@johnsuggs7828]

That's my take as well. If I was shopping now, I would go with the Pod. They sell for less than 75 dollars where the HX Stomp is 600

[@pietroannunziata1680]

E' proprio il modello presentato in questo video..........Lo tengo nuovissimo con scatola e istruzioni originali davvero un mito....

[@FerdnandFreeholi]

The pod sounds warmer to me. Maybe because it's analog? the new one sounds thinner

[@jorgerst]

Both are digital, but yeah, the pod really sounds warm.

[@cgmg88]

A pesar que tengo un Kemper Stage! El pod 2.0 se queda en lo análogo y suena orgánico en relación a los HX que existen ahora! En vez de mejorar lo hicieron demasiado digital!

[@luigicuccitto2113]

GOD Bless You 🎸🎸🎸

[@Yala-]

Stomp is smooth but Pod has balls

[@Vassago2289]

suena mejor el pod 2.0 que HX muy artificial

[@mtomazinialcantara]

Sem dúvida a POD 2.0.

[@Bobby_Digital37]

With headphones on the winner by a football field length is the HX stomp!!!! Also with the stomp you can setup you cabs/ir’s however you want and with your own imported ones... the reason I don’t already have an HX stomp is the price $599 usd 😳😳😳😳

[@jamdalf4343]

Sounds like you need a Line 6 Pod Go!

[@AcceleratingUniverse]

you can set your cabs/irs however you want on the pod. just run it through an interface or an ir loader pedal

[@xWILZTAx]

I personally think thw pod sounded better in every application. Especially the rotary with stereo output. If you turn off the pods cab sim and use IRs it sounds even better.

[@markjohnson1020]

FYI. Floorpod Plus. Same processor as the 2.0 but with better/more effects!

[@AntonioTENEBRION]

I can definitely hear the subtle differences between HX and the POD its like the HX its more focuses on how you play than actually better sound but when you can hear that modeler actually reacts to your playing makes you focus on what you are doing more hence why is better than the POD at least clean tones that is what I can hear

[@amgamg99]

I started with Line6 at the XT. I currently use a Stomp. I thought the 2.0 held its own and I also thought I could have made some adjustments to both and had even better sounds. Just the same I think people are sometimes just mind F'ing themselves about the previous generations of POD's. To each his or her own....these are just my observations...YMMV.

[@pipocoavas4832]

Las cabinas de el pod estan desactivadas?

[@joshuajuhas2111]

Song at 8:40 min ??? Or is ist just impression ? Repeated ten times for sure !

[@LesVegasMusic]

Wow. Thanks so much for this. I wasn't even thinking of getting an HX but I'm glad I didn't spend any time on it. I preferred the POD in every example. Where'd all the low end go in the HX?!

[@J-Hell]

Is it the amp models that are different or is it the cabinet emulation? IIRC the POD had a single cabinet emulation. Nowadays most modellers let you use impulse responses.

[@Lufimix]

LINE 6 POD very nice!

[@gerrydaly5409]

Fantastic comparison video. Really liked the Fender Black Face clean tone from the old Pod, any chance you can tell me what type of Tele / pickup you used?

Today I bought a pod 2.0 at ebay almost new for $50 bucks

[@Ambience20]

can I have it?

[@ibanezton]

Line6 2000 vs 2018

[@inframundo1919]

In this demo are You using the cabinet sim of the pod?

[@Jkaterchannel]

A fair comparaison would have been to use I.R's for both. They're built in the HX but can be added after the POD. I have the Helix Rack and a POD 2.0. Of course, the HX is better than my POD 2.0. But my POD 2.0 still sits on my desk because it is awesome in its own right. Given the price of a working POD on Ebay, there is absolutely no piece of gear that beats its value for money spent.

[@richmanfilms]

I sold my pod 1.0 with the 2.0 upgrade chip six months ago for $125. I think people are understanding that this kidney bean actually sounds pretty damn good compared to the current technology. You can get them a lot cheaper than what I sold mine for… I don’t know how I got that much money for it. LOL

[@lrblouie]

Great demo!!!

[@gatosoul]

Line 6 is great, all of them are good! and decent price.

[@milowagon]

I just picked a pod for £30 ? Glad i did.

[@sohar146]

as you can see: its the playing !!

[@gabrielalejandroavilaquint8191]

I really think the hx sounds way better, a matter of taste, that said, I got a pod 2.0 for 50 euros and fot that price it does the job amazingly.

[@Ambience20]

you can't fix deaf

[@mrbaiser4133]

Now repeat this with freeware impulse responses for the POD instead of the original cab sims... Then repeat that with the POD XT generation and the amps from the additional model packs.

[@slumdogjoe]

I dunno about the others.. but the sounds of the POD 2.0 far outshine the sounds of the HX Stomp.

[@Vikkk1978]

It's surprising, but the sound of the POD 2.0 is much more similar to the amp sound, while this Helix is also plus post-production.

[@urik]

I'm a simple man. I see demo and no talking, I upvote

[@dingdang3845]

I have the old XT and it sounds fine, but I have a GO on it’s way for fun. The stomp and the XT sound similar after 20 years of technology lol

Excellent video!