FWIW, check around to see if there is any place that repairs Line 6, where I worked, Music Technologies (Bill Thalmann), dropped Line 6, as has most service shops in the DC metro area, because of poor service...
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Whats with Line 6?
- Thread starter dbase
- Start date
that's the case with any modeling or amp sim. they cop the tones but not the feel. however, i'm finding that when you mix the two, you can have your cake and eat it, too. get a good tube amp and use it as a platform for modeling, and while it may not be 100% of the real thing, it's way more satisfying.
A few manufacturer's have implemented tubes into modelling amps/units. Trouble is, they tend to stick tubes in the pre-amp section. The bite and 'feel' comes from the power amp section, especially in guitar amps. This is where it needs tubes.
and an output transformer. but then you'd have a tube amp and it would put the modeling amp makers back to square one. it would be like admitting defeat, and those guys never would and who could blame them?
and an output transformer. but then you'd have a tube amp and it would put the modeling amp makers back to square one. it would be like admitting defeat, and those guys never would and who could blame them?
Actually I think it would be the next step instead of defeat.
Tube poweramp section... with in front of it a digital modelling preamp.
That's how some guitarists I played with used the PODs when they came out. (And I think the majority of [DEL]POT[/DEL] POD using guitarists.)
POD as preamp/toneshaper into a tube guitaramp.
And this is my experience with bass too.
I don't care for modelling the powersection and speakers (speaker modelling seems just like reverb to me).
It's not all about the poweramps for everyone.
Maybe for you tubers... but not for me.
For me it's just about preamp/toneshaping... or as I like to call it from playing with my X3: textures of sound. (Like using the lo-fi vocal preamp on bass.)
Now if Line 6 just made a dedicated digital preamp... just preamp modelling (not power section behavior and speaker cabs), and combined with decent EQs and compressors.
I'd want that.
Then you can use that with a poweramp of your choice, either tube or SS.
That would maybe be the next generation. For people like me who like the Line 6 possibilities in sound/tone shaping, but still like a real rig with real poweramp and real speaker cabs.
It would be a different market than what they are aiming for now... direct to the board/PA solutions.
I've developed a hatred of line 6. Mainly from having to put up with hearing their crap guitar combos.
+1.
Additionally, though, i would prefer my amplifiers to do just that - amplify - instead of everything and the kitchen sink. I use line 6 effects (M13) but after having a chance to A/B the Line6 Studio 110 against my Peavey Microbass, i'd prefer the indestructible simplicity of the Peavey.
And i think many people would think the same way as well.
I guess different strokes for different folks then. I know a lot of people who would want that, but (as an example) my usual setup is my bass connected directly to the mixer via DI.
Yeah, I hate DI. My amp is part of my sound, which has been sculpted to work in my band.
I always view it as irritating that the soundperson never makes the guitarists use a DI.
I always view it as irritating that the soundperson never makes the guitarists use a DI.
my only experience is playing with a line 6 guitar amp for like 2 hours... and it sounded a bit digital... and cold.
but it could be an early model... or it could be my ear tricking me...
on the other side im looking forward to buy a m9 stompbox modeler...
but it could be an early model... or it could be my ear tricking me...
on the other side im looking forward to buy a m9 stompbox modeler...
I'm going to gig my Bass Floor POD for the first time on Saturday. I've had it a while but my wife and daughter were on vacation last week so I could finally set up my rig and woodshed without getting any interruptions - BTW it also helped that they were trapped in Egypt for 5 days due to the volcano!!.
Anyway, I find it a wonderful piece of kit that I only wish was around when I needed it in 1982 - kick a pedal and select the tone you want while the drummer is counting in the next song? - wonderful!!
I've set up 25 different patches that give me USEFUL sounds, plus the wah/volume pedal AND the muting stage tuner, all for less than GBP120.00, you can't go wrong!!.
The only downside(s) for me are the fact there's no way to back up my patches and the stupid "floor wart" power supply - 10 feet of power cord, trip hazard, then ten feet of 2 core wire to the connection plug - why not have the wart at one end or the other (or better still, make the unit mains powered?).
To the orignal poster, I recommend keeping your current amp and get a floor POD - I did!!.
BTW - reserve the right to withdraw this post on Sunday morning if it all goes horribly wrong ;-)
Anyway, I find it a wonderful piece of kit that I only wish was around when I needed it in 1982 - kick a pedal and select the tone you want while the drummer is counting in the next song? - wonderful!!
I've set up 25 different patches that give me USEFUL sounds, plus the wah/volume pedal AND the muting stage tuner, all for less than GBP120.00, you can't go wrong!!.
The only downside(s) for me are the fact there's no way to back up my patches and the stupid "floor wart" power supply - 10 feet of power cord, trip hazard, then ten feet of 2 core wire to the connection plug - why not have the wart at one end or the other (or better still, make the unit mains powered?).
To the orignal poster, I recommend keeping your current amp and get a floor POD - I did!!.
BTW - reserve the right to withdraw this post on Sunday morning if it all goes horribly wrong ;-)
Line 6 seems to get particular stigma in heavy rock circles, people who play mellower music don't seem to mind them as much it seems, but for any heavily distorted guitar tones they're rubbish it seems. To be fair I've only had much experience with lower end Line 6 gear, perhaps the high end stuff doesn't sound so lifeless, but everything I've come across like Jimmy mentioned has very little feel to it. Perhaps alot of it is in the speakers, I've never heard Line 6 gear not going through their own speakers/cabs, to me the fact that the speakers don't model anything (not that they easily could) seems to be a big limitation to any modelling capability.
Roland modelling amps seem to be of much higher quality when I've played them if you really want the modelling capacity. Personally I'd rather have an amp that does a certain vibe well then one that does alot of tones that are passable, the only reason I'd ever want one is if I was recording for soundtracks and stuff and needed alot of tones.
As for the valve thing it certainly is admitting defeat, solid state amplification is much more accurate then valve stuff, so if they can't emulate the feel of tubes without tubes that's a mark against their emulation capabilities. Besides if you did go so far to have an all valve modelling amp that would be largely ignoring the differences in the setup of those valves and transformers etc that make the particular amp they're modelling different, you couldn't accurately model a B15 tone with a tube amp that has a 300W power section.
Roland modelling amps seem to be of much higher quality when I've played them if you really want the modelling capacity. Personally I'd rather have an amp that does a certain vibe well then one that does alot of tones that are passable, the only reason I'd ever want one is if I was recording for soundtracks and stuff and needed alot of tones.
As for the valve thing it certainly is admitting defeat, solid state amplification is much more accurate then valve stuff, so if they can't emulate the feel of tubes without tubes that's a mark against their emulation capabilities. Besides if you did go so far to have an all valve modelling amp that would be largely ignoring the differences in the setup of those valves and transformers etc that make the particular amp they're modelling different, you couldn't accurately model a B15 tone with a tube amp that has a 300W power section.
Their guitar amps sound pretty...well...meh.
I've played almost all of them in their variations and they sound sterile, lifeless, digital, [fill in unflattering remarks here].
I can't think of one redeeming quality of Line6 amps other than the decent time-based and modulation effects they sometime bundle on their platforms.
I've played almost all of them in their variations and they sound sterile, lifeless, digital, [fill in unflattering remarks here].
I can't think of one redeeming quality of Line6 amps other than the decent time-based and modulation effects they sometime bundle on their platforms.
actually got mine 'cos I was looking to get some effects pedals: an Envelope Follower, Chorus, Octaver, maybe a distortion and maybe a DI box.
But I remembered what a pain it was in the past trying to tweak a knob or two in the dark (and getting yelled at for p****g about when I should be playing!!) and these days (at fifty too-many) the floor is a loooong way down.
So I looked around and picked the floor POD for the effects alone. Quite frankly I wasn't looking for an Amp Modeller, and I didn't want one - I get a great sound from both of my Ashdowns - but having spent time with it, I'm completely won over. I even bought a boom mike stand so it'd fit on
the stage better.
But I remembered what a pain it was in the past trying to tweak a knob or two in the dark (and getting yelled at for p****g about when I should be playing!!) and these days (at fifty too-many) the floor is a loooong way down.
So I looked around and picked the floor POD for the effects alone. Quite frankly I wasn't looking for an Amp Modeller, and I didn't want one - I get a great sound from both of my Ashdowns - but having spent time with it, I'm completely won over. I even bought a boom mike stand so it'd fit on
the stage better.
Or possibly the profit margins are less on Line 6 because they're available (almost) everywhere.
[RANT]
I've used Line 6 for >6 years and owned 5 different products without any reliability issues, but I do have some dislikes:
1. Their main market is guitarists, so thats (rightly) where the bulk of their energy/time/resources are spent. Bass products are/were produced and then offered little or nothing in the way of upgrades/fixes/etc.
2. With the Pods, emphasis seems to be placed on quanity rather than quality. I'd trade %50 of the bells and whistles for %50 better bells and whistles any day! (>6 different synths? really? c'mon! Theres are least 6 other effects that are basically worthless, my main gripe being lack of a decent Autowah... My 12 year old Zoom pedal seemed to have Autowah down just fine...)
3. When a new model comes out, the one you just dumped good cash on instantly looses a bunch of resale value.
[/RANT]
All I can say is that my teacher ( who is a touring professional ) uses a Line6 floor pod for almost everything he does. He even has the better models but prefers the 100$ thing with in ear monitors.
At local small shows he uses a Line6 combo amp and it seems to work for him. He's extremely talented but has always preferred to stay away from super high end amplification ( though he does show up on the EBS site but I've never seen him use anything by them ).
Outside of learning how to play better he taught me the valuable lesson of judging what you've actually used and that if YOU like it it's good.
At local small shows he uses a Line6 combo amp and it seems to work for him. He's extremely talented but has always preferred to stay away from super high end amplification ( though he does show up on the EBS site but I've never seen him use anything by them ).
Outside of learning how to play better he taught me the valuable lesson of judging what you've actually used and that if YOU like it it's good.
