Well, my PODxt Pro just cost me another two hundred bucks...

[hippietim]

...because I got it fully loaded and upgraded last night. I had been putting this off for a while and finally got around to it. I updated the firmware to 3.0 and then I bought all three of the guitar Model Packs and the Bass Pack.

Wow! This is kickass! I now have everything I liked about the Vetta and then some. The only significant things the Vetta has that the XT Pro doesn't is better F/X routing and the dual amp thing. With my current rack setup I have better F/X routing anyhow and I have another preamp so I'm not missing out anyhow.

The added amp models are really great. I am really happy to have the Diezels in particular. Most of the added F/X are killer. I haven't hooked a bass up to it yet but I'm expecting good things.

[Grandturk]

I've been loving the XP88 model they put back in it. I always used that model from the Pod 2.0 and missed it in the XT.

[Twisteramps]

When I had an XTL and a Vetta, I kept the XTL and sold the Vetta - mainly because 90% of the 'goodness' of the Vetta was in the XT. Both are great pieces of gear, and I'll probably have another Vetta one of these days.

Pete

[mm2002]

You guys are making my decision easier and easier.

[hippietim]

You guys are making my decision easier and easier.

[Grandturk]

I don't know how this will affect your choice, but here my arguments for and against the POD XT:

For:
- I just like the looks of it - I'm thinking about taking it apart and doing a rattlecan EVH stripe job on it.
- NYC apartment practice/recording - I just can't crank up anything anymore, not without the old ladies complaining.
- Tone - straight to tape, this thing puts out some really good sounds - maybe not the most authentic, but what do I know, I've never played an original '59 Bassman or a '69 Plexi.
- Amp selection - its like going to a JCF gathering with all the metal amps in this - rectos, engls, bogners, soldano's.
- Ease of use - all the controls I need are right there to sculpt the tone. I have a JCM 800 setting for all of my guitars, so I can switch right to the correct patch and it sounds great.
- On the road - I've gone straight into PA's with this thing, and it kills. Why lug around an amp? I'm a lazy american - 80% of real amp tone is 100% rock and roll in my book.

Against
- Headphone practice - you look like a dweeb with headphones on.
- I'm a (Marshall) Man - I like the Marshall sound, or maybe the Marshall on Steriods sound, and that's about it. I've got 100 amps to play with and I use either the 800 or the JCM preamp. Sometimes the Soldano or the Soldano preamp. What the hell do I need a '59 Bassman or a Twin Reverb for? Clean? Blech.
- Effects - again - guitar, cord, amp - that's all I need.
- Expression pedal - apparently you need the whole $400 floorboard to wah and whammy. I suck with the wah, but if we were talking a $50 expression pedal, I'd be in.
- No metronome - I have to hook up my 4-track and my drum machine to practice with a click - see below for solution

Fender G-DEC - drums, midi, amp sims all in one package, not loud enough to offend the neighbors. Doesn't sound nearly as good as the POD, but with the drums in the mix, its pretty dang fun. I use it to jam and to practice with the click. With a tubescreamer in the front, the tweed models sound pretty rippin' but the high gain British and Modern models are a little raspy. Not as easy to twist the knobs as a POD.

[nateb]

- No metronome - I have to hook up my 4-track and my drum machine to practice with a click - see below for solution

Just to give the techie solution. If you do go for the PODXT PRo. Line6 provides ASIO Drivers. If you select it as your primary output device, you can route your MP3, computer controlled metronome, fruity loops, whatever.... through it just like you would a soundcard.

-Nate

[charvelguy]

well.. I have to say, IMO, the best Marshall sounds I've found in any 'modeler' came from the Oberheim Gm, .. it really impressed me, pick nuances, tone.