<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by larry.R</i>
<br />are line 6 good or bad amps? It seems to me that they are in too many fields to be the master of any one thing. Is that how it is?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Well, this is just my opinion, and you'll get lots of different oninions on them I guess.
Actually I'd say that Line 6 pretty much created their own field - digital modelling of classic analogue devices, especially valve amps and effects pedals. (They maybe weren't the very first - I'm not saying that, but the POD was certainly an industry leader when it came out - still is!)
What they are effectively trying to do is recreate the sounds and feel of umpteen different amps / effects in one package, be it a POD variant, effects unit, or a combo. And I think that even the first POD was outstandingly useful at creating a <i>decent close approximation to the sounds</i> of many of the amps they chose to model. The feel wasn't quite there, but the sounds were pretty much good enough to use for serious recording. Was it a real amp mic'd up, or a POD. Used properly that was by no means clear.
They have got better since then. The newer xT range was designed with more processing power allowing them to more closely 'model' the analogue circuitry. Rather then modelling 'chunks' of circuitry they are now capable of modelling some individual components within the circuits. So as you alter the controls they should react pretty much as on the real amps (FX) they are based on.
However they are still some way off being 'as good as the real thing' ampwise. For a start some owl eared listners complain of a definite 'digital edge' to the sounds. Also while they can do very good clean sounds, very good higher gain sounds, and for most models also have pretty good characteristics around the 'just breaking up' zone, they definitely don't yet have the real dynamics of the best valve amp designs. Not that they aren't trying - see the first post on this page:
http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.p ... hichpage=4
I liked that answer! - Oranges old and new certainly do have the most incredible dynamic range of any amps I have spent any time with - and I've played many types over the years...
So I personally like the Line 6 gear - within its limitations it sounds great and is sturdy too. The designs are really well thought out and once you are familiar with them via the excellent manuals they are very tweakable. With a computer you can make and store endless personalised sounds. I have a (1st generation) POD Pro, and bass POD, and use them a lot. I haven't sold any of my valve amps as a result though...
Andy.
I THINK IM JUST GOING TO HAVE TO ORDER IT...BIG DEAL GUYS ITS MY CHRISTMAS AND MY 18TH BIRTHDAY PRESENT...AND I HAVE TO SELL MY LINE SIX AND MY GRAND AUDITORIUM TO GET IT TOO...AND IM SO FREAKING EXCITED...ALL CAPS!