Line6 POD HD vs. Axe-Fx metal shootout

[Muris_Varajic]

What is going on with the pumping compression (like a limiter kicking in) in the youtube clips?
There is some real strangeness going on there. It is on the pod clips but most apparent on the first axe-fx clip.

Java, I'm with you. I listened multiple times, including not looking at my computer screen and the axefx versions have something weird going on. I can't think of a proper technical term, but all the axefx versions sound "scratchy" and not like a clean, focused high gain metal tone. The Pod HD sounds more digtal, but cleaner. Why is the Axefx having this problem?

Does anybody understand what I taking about here?

I got similar impression, AxeFx can sound far better than that.

 

[Ringleader]

Ola, I gotta admit you made some serious progress in your patch sound quality from your first video compared to the second (axe comparison video). Did you find a magic cab/mic combo in the HD or is it the result of EQ'ing?

 

[Feared]

Ola, I gotta admit you made some serious progress in your patch sound quality from your first video compared to the second (axe comparison video). Did you find a magic cab/mic combo in the HD or is it the result of EQ'ing?

No I just had more time with it.

 

[Feared]

And NO I haven't done anything to the Axe sounds to make it sound scratchy. Believe me I have done better patches than this on my Axe for example: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3423189/AxeFXmix.mp3

It's all for the game of setting up an axe vs a pod hd from scratch. Give me a few weeks and I probably will do better clips with the Pod.

And while some of you think the Pod sounds better I favour the Axe FX in this video. I find the Axe tones to be more fitting with my music.

 

[ML SOUND LAB]

Feared, since you own both the Axe and HD how do they compare in your opinion? Are the HD cabs good? Like compared to Axe stock cabs and Redwirez? Would you consider using the HD on a gig?

 

[ruvann]

Cool comparison!

@Feared. your tones in your recording that I checked on youtube, with the Axe-FX are absolutely KILLER!
the video's name is "Axe Fx : Mesa Dual Rectifier + Peavey 5150 sim, Ibanez MTM2 White"
I think the songs' name is The Lord's Resistance Army" or something.
I would even pay to get that patch you did it with hehe :mrgreen:

I'm not bashing the pods or anything and i really do think it's not bad tone for the price, but it proves that there is a reason people pay $2000 for valve amps or an Axe-FX.
This is merely my honest & personal opinion.

To my ears, the samples from the PODs almost has a similar "character" or "behaviour" throughout the different amp models.
It sounded that way to me since I got my first POD and that's always the problem I had with the PODs. The different amps don't have a very unique character that distinguishes them from each other.
They feel the same, and in some aspects sound too much alike.
I always thought to myself from the day I got my first PODxt in 2006, and my PODx3 in 2008, that it almost sounds like hectic EQ changes rather than total AMP change. Some have more distortion and others have less, and there is in fact a difference between amp models but it doesn't sound like the "character" & behaviour changes too much.

The Axe-FX sounds like the "character" changes with every model.
The first time I went through the Amps on my Axe-FX, ALL of them sound good. I honestly did not know which amp model to start with!
I was so stoked cause the different models such as the Mesa models, Diezel, 5150, Bogner, ENGL, Soldano, etc all sounded like something to work with. They all had some special to each of them.

Each model felt different, each had a different character, like you can actually hear different styles of music that you would use each model for, not based on the sound but just on the character and behaviour and "timbre" of the amp.

Apart from all that, it sounded that good and it was simply an Amp+cab!
With my PODs I was never able to get that kind of !awesome! tone even when processing like CRAZY in Pro Tools.

That, to me, is why people choose different valve amps. and why i was willing to pay all that money for an Axe-FX.

Cheers!

 

[Feared]

Feared, since you own both the Axe and HD how do they compare in your opinion? Are the HD cabs good? Like compared to Axe stock cabs and Redwirez? Would you consider using the HD on a gig?

By far I feel so much more at home with the Axe Fx. It just sound so much more realistic. The Pod sounds good AND I will probably use it live on those occasions where I need to travel by air. Like in late october when I'm going to germany to do a gig. If I need to bring my axe I also need a Midi foot controller, pedal tuner, external volume pedals etc. With the HD300 I have a great little live unit with volume pedal, tuner in the unit and almost all functions from the axe that I use live. With it I bring my Crate Powerblock and there I have a rig that fits in my gigbag.

Yeah so I will keep the Pod for those kind of gigs. If I go on tour or do closer gigs I will use my Axe Fx/QSC PLX rig.

If I compared the stock cabs there wouldn't be much of a difference. The axe fx ones are probably just a bit less crappy.

 

[Feared]

Cool comparison!

@Feared. your tones in your recording that I checked on youtube, with the Axe-FX are absolutely KILLER!
the video's name is "Axe Fx : Mesa Dual Rectifier + Peavey 5150 sim, Ibanez MTM2 White"
I think the songs' name is The Lord's Resistance Army" or something.
I would even pay to get that patch you did it with hehe :mrgreen:

No need to pay me man, I just need to get Axe Edit to work

 

[ruvann]

Cool comparison!

@Feared. your tones in your recording that I checked on youtube, with the Axe-FX are absolutely KILLER!
the video's name is "Axe Fx : Mesa Dual Rectifier + Peavey 5150 sim, Ibanez MTM2 White"
I think the songs' name is The Lord's Resistance Army" or something.
I would even pay to get that patch you did it with hehe :mrgreen:

No need to pay me man, I just need to get Axe Edit to work

I'm wishing you ALL THE BEST of luck for getting Axe-Edit to work :mrgreen:
That tone is on my top 5 all time favourite \m/ tones hehe

I tried buying the Feared album, unfortunately I live in South Africa and I'm not allowed to buy stuff from iTunes or Amazon.
I just get a message saying I need a valid billing address cause mine in South Africa isn't permitted.. SUCKS!

 

[skracus]

guys i think you are all missing the point... it's not that expensive, but paired with the tyler variax and the new amp (has the different voicings), this would be a gigging guitarist's dream.

I do think it's a step up from the xt stuff... so while trying to keep a specific price point and then trying to milk the most out of the hardware that they can, i think it's great.

i want one, for grab and go to jams with friends or whatever i cant drag my rack and cabs, and huge midi board.

I would love for Fractal to offer a similiar form factor to the HD500. The i/o, pedal, tuner, switching all in one unit is outstanding. I'm digging it so far. It sounds pretty damned good with the Atomic Wedges. I'll be using it at the OE for the Halloween bash in a couple of weeks. Funny....I told Mike Zedecker not to tell you I bought one and here you are liking them already. Shame on you Dave :lol:

 

[angello120]

A lot of Axe-users seem to want the floor+pedal format unit so PLEEEEZE cliff make us
and bring out a pod-killer unit. I need personally a good clean, a good country,a good o/d and crunchy patch, then wah,chorus,delay, harmony,rev, two pedals and that does my set list .
If I can then create my patches at home on my rack-axe' and load into the Floor-axe' for gigs
:?: :lol: no-brainer . Would order today

 

[Feared]

Cool comparison!

@Feared. your tones in your recording that I checked on youtube, with the Axe-FX are absolutely KILLER!
the video's name is "Axe Fx : Mesa Dual Rectifier + Peavey 5150 sim, Ibanez MTM2 White"
I think the songs' name is The Lord's Resistance Army" or something.
I would even pay to get that patch you did it with hehe :mrgreen:

No need to pay me man, I just need to get Axe Edit to work

I'm wishing you ALL THE BEST of luck for getting Axe-Edit to work :mrgreen:
That tone is on my top 5 all time favourite \m/ tones hehe

I tried buying the Feared album, unfortunately I live in South Africa and I'm not allowed to buy stuff from iTunes or Amazon.
I just get a message saying I need a valid billing address cause mine in South Africa isn't permitted.. SUCKS!

Cool man, I'll get to it. I probably already changed that particular patch(for something better of course).

I played a gig with my Axe this saturday and I now remember why I even bought it in the first place. I'm in love again


To bad about the Feared album. Don't know how to fix it either

 

[Horhay]

In my opinion the Axe sounds way better, it's particularly noticeable on the Rectifier how much better it sounds. Anyway, I've watched most if not all of Fearedse videos and I read his blog; I don't doubt he probably has one of the best ears for heavy guitar sounds given all the things he's tested and how he can make almost anything sound awesome on his recordings....and he used the Axe FX as his live rig (at least he has in some of his videos). I trust his ear, one of the main reasons I bought an Axe FX.

EDIT: Oh shit! He posted right above me! I feel honored.

 

[ML SOUND LAB]

Ola is the next best thing from Sweden. Right after Yngwie. (I h8 Yngwie though)