Am I missing something? My take on the PODHD hype.

[OneStrat]

While watching the PODHD Line 6 videos introducing their new HD modeling POD lineup, you begin to notice a central theme they are hocking as the big slam dunk with the new product ..... "the feel of the experience". One engineer going as far as saying that they had already nailed the sound with previous products, proved in blind listening test, but the feel of the real experience to the player just wasn't there. Now with PODHD it is.

Sounds like a promo for True Z input to me. As in, "oh $h!t, we just spent three years in new product development and got trumped by 11R before we got out of the gate". No problem, we'll just tell everyone our product can do the same thing and we thought of all that too ..... even before Digidesign did.

There's only one problem. The PODHD doesn't have an analog impedance modeling circuit. How do I know? If it did it would be all over the specs, videos, manuals, etc. and it isn't. In fact, it's very weird the way they all talk about the "feel" of the experience, but never explain how that was achieved. Like the elephant in the room, the 11R is being addressed just by saying "we can do it too", but never making a direct reference to how. Why? I'd have to assume because it wasn't.

I guess they hope that if they say it enough, most potential customers will believe it. A placebo effect maybe?

Guess what Line 6? You can't model the physical interaction of a guitar pickup and an analog discrete circuit with an op amp and software. Sorry, nice try though.

Again, am I missing something here?

[Jerry S]

Originally Posted by OneStrat

While watching the PODHD Line 6 videos introducing their new HD modeling POD lineup, you begin to notice a central theme they are hocking as the big slam dunk with the new product ..... "the feel of the experience". One engineer going as far as saying that they had already nailed the sound with previous products, proved in blind listening test, but the feel of the real experience to the player just wasn't there. Now with PODHD it is.

Sounds like a promo for True Z input to me. As in, "oh $h!t, we just spent three years in new product development and got trumped by 11R before we got out of the gate". No problem, we'll just tell everyone our product can do the same thing and we thought of all that too ..... even before Digidesign did.

There's only one problem. The PODHD doesn't have an analog impedance modeling circuit. How do I know? If it did it would be all over the specs, videos, manuals, etc. and it isn't. In fact, it's very weird the way they all talk about the "feel" of the experience, but never explain how that was achieved. Like the elephant in the room, the 11R is being addressed just by saying "we can do it too", but never making a direct reference to how. Why? I'd have to assume because it wasn't.

I guess they hope that if they say it enough, most potential customers will believe it. A placebo effect maybe?

Guess what Line 6? You can't model the physical interaction of a guitar pickup and an analog discrete circuit with an op amp and software. Sorry, nice try though.

Again, am I missing something here?

But maybe, jusssst maybe, it does feel and sound as good as they claim. The only way to know is to dismiss what people say and find out for yourself. It's not as if you have to buy it to try it.

If the product feels good and sounds good, who cares how they got there. I hope it is as good as they claim, it will only push the rest of the competition to take the next big leap to produce something even crazier.

[blewis]

People say the Axe feels good and it doesn't have True-Z.

[hoss33]

Originally Posted by blewis

People say the Axe feels good and it doesn't have True-Z.

The Axe has a 1MOhm analog input with some "secret sauce" circuitry before the A/D converter.
It feels amazingly real.

[OpenDoerr]

i just bought a Radial Dragster for $50. Variable impedance loading on a dial. Now any modeler or audio interface I use can have the pickup/input impedance interaction that a guitar and amp do.

There are other factors besides impedance that affect the feel. Tone stack, power robbing from tube sag, etc. Some of these more subtle responses are what can separate something sounding right from feeling right. Line 6 does talk in their promo videos about how they re-modeled everything from the ground up based on having new DSP headroom to actually incorporate more of these subtle amp characteristics.

I'll definitely check it out. If it makes a difference for me in the way I play, I'll consider it. Their hardware has been reliable enough for me in the past that I don't worry about it crapping out on me in the middle of a show.

Aaron

[Dog BBQ]

OpenDoerr

Does the Radial Dragster Make a huge difference [night and day]

Thanks!!!

[Vercingetorix]

I particularly like the part where the Lead developer says, and I quote, "this is really better, like the kind of thing of where you will throw out everything you have played before, better".

No, there is no hype there at all.

So hoss33 get ready to throw out your Axe FX you don't need it anymore . But instead of letting it become landfill you could always donate it to me .

[hoss33]

Originally Posted by Vercingetorix

So hoss33 get ready to throw out your Axe FX you don't need it anymore . But instead of letting it become landfill you could always donate it to me .

Actually, I sold my Axe FX Standard last week.


I am on the waiting list for an Ultra

[Vercingetorix]

Originally Posted by hoss33

Actually, I sold my Axe FX Standard last week.


I am on the waiting list for an Ultra

Bugger. One week too late

[frantick]

I'll probably get one, and if nothing else, ie the sims don't do it for me, just use the floorboard and additional affects with the 11R. But, generally, I like the demo sounds of the HD500 that I've heard, but know you can't judge it totally off of web demos.

Web demos were what sold me on the 11R, however, since no-one had it in stock where I live, nor do they still, and I'm in a metro area.

-cp