New Line 6 Pro HD Rack?

[RockerAlex]

So I'm pretty much a rack effects noob, I'll probably never own the likes of an Axe FX II but recently I saw the new Line 6 rack which seems to be a poor mans equivalent.

My question is: is it dumb to buy one of these if you already have a good amp? I'm sitting here with a 2 channel Triple Rectifier, which in my opinion, is an amazing amp ... so does it make sense for me to buy a Line 6 Pro HD if I only need it as an effects unit? Can you even use it as a stand in for a bunch of pedals? Enlighten me!

 

[MaxOfMetal]

What kind of effects are you looking for?

If it's stuff like Delays, Reverbs, Harmonizing, etc. take a look at the T.C. Electronic G-Force. It's pretty pricey (and well worth it) new, but I've seen them go for pretty fair prices on the used market. In my opinion the effects are much better than those of most of the Line 6 stuff I've tried.

On the other hand, the POD will be more flexible, and you may even come to love the amp models. It'll certainly make recording easier.

 

[RockerAlex]

What kind of effects are you looking for?

If it's stuff like Delays, Reverbs, Harmonizing, etc. take a look at the T.C. Electronic G-Force. It's pretty pricey (and well worth it) new, but I've seen them go for pretty fair prices on the used market. In my opinion the effects are much better than those of most of the Line 6 stuff I've tried.

On the other hand, the POD will be more flexible, and you may even come to love the amp models. It'll certainly make recording easier.

I've looked at one of those too ... Personally, I prefer the sound of a real amp, I've had amp modelling amps my whole life until now and haven't enjoyed them at all. (Also, the Triple Rec wasn't cheap ...)

I assume by your answer you can use racks through an fx loop of an amp? That'd be what I want it for, instead of buying an assortment of pedals. But then there's always the multi effects vs single pedals argument ...

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Yes you can use rack effects in the loop of your amp, in addition to the front, and even both via the four cable setup.

 

[RockerAlex]

Yes you can use rack effects in the loop of your amp, in addition to the front, and even both via the four cable setup.

Do you personally recommend buying a rack over an assortment of pedals? E.g. noise gate, reverb, chorus, delay etc.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Do you personally recommend buying a rack over an assortment of pedals? E.g. noise gate, reverb, chorus, delay etc.

Once again, it's really going to come down to the types of effects you want and need.

Going with an all-in-one rack unit is going to be cheaper and easier to setup in the long run, but the trade off is if you want a very specific effect you'll need to either add a whole other unit, or replace your existing one.

As for pedals, they get very expensive, not just to buy, but to get all the stuff that goes with them. Then you need to invest in a somewhat elaborate switching system if you need to turn certain ones on and off at different times. Though, the modular setup is much more conducive to changes and tweaks.

 

[Shask]

The POD HD makes a good FX unit. I used my HD500 in 4CM sometimes, and it mostly works pretty well. I would only caution on which Recto you have. 2-Channel Triples have a parallel loop (I have one as well). The parallel loop doesn't agree with 4CM. You would probably want to do the series loop mod if you want to do this. (I have thought about it).

Otherwise, you will want to look into units that have a Killdry function, like the TC Electronics Gmajor units.