X3Live? Axe FX? GT10? Thoughts/Opinions? (Don't kill me please..)

[PetrucciVai]

Okay, First off, I am aware of the many other threads about this comparison. I've done lots of googling and youtube-ing (sp?) about this, and I just can't find a side of the fence to jump down to...

I have heard many times that the Pod X3L is much easier to use and dial in tone changes and what not, but the GT-10 seems a bit nicer? Maybe its just the all metal ruggedness of it but it seems more professional to me? If that is the right word to use

Basically I am just looking for good metal tone. Straight forward and simple. Both my guitars have blackouts installed and I really love metalcore tone in bands like as I lay dying/Unearth/Parkway Drive, etc. I also love Petrucci's tone, I'd definitely kill a man for his rig. But I don't have near enough money for a mesa tube amp, or else I'd buy one in a heart beat.

I just want something that will get a close as possible to that sound. I've heard various youtube guitarists who use the X3L for metal-type guitar covers and they sound great, I just haven't heard much about the GT-10 at all.

I'm not like gigging or anything big with my gear, mostly just jamming myself/recording covers direct into my Macbook Pro/jamming with friends. I play a GNX4 through stereo monitors as well, not an amp. So I would prefer something that can work through my M-Audio monitors


I'll be testing them both out at GC within next week or so when I'm back home so ANY feedback to me is good feedback. Soundclips, Reviews, ideas, or just your 2¢, anything and everything works! Thanks to anyone/everyone who can help me out..


ALSO, I've heard good things about this Axe-FX thing? I haven't ever even heard of it before or seen it or anything, but I think its way above the price range of the X3L/GT-10? Anyone with info about this mysterious thing will be greatly appreciated too I don't have a rack or anything to hold it, just FYI.

 

[Rick]

I also love Petrucci's tone, I'd definitely kill a man for his rig.

You shouldn't do that, who's gonna help you carry his rig to your house?

 

[RiffRaff]

If you're not looking to spend a lot of money then the Axe-fx is out of the question as they are pretty expensive. But the general consensus is that they crap all over anything else in it's category and hence, all over the X3 Live and GT10.


That being said, it doesn't mean you can't good guitar tones out of the X3 Live or GT10. Most people here prefer the X3 live because of the ease of use and that you can good metal tones out of them, although it takes a bit of time to tweak the tones. There doesn't seem to be a lot of people on this board with the GT-10 so I can't really help you with any info there. The looper in it does seem like a mighty cool feature, I have heard complaints that for High gain metal it seems a bit too "sterile".

If you want my opinion I'd say go for the X3 Live as it's great bang for the buck and is better at modeling preamps compared to the GT-10.

Hopefully someone else can give you some more insight to these products but I hope that helped

 

[mnemonic]

ALSO, I've heard good things about this Axe-FX thing? I haven't ever even heard of it before or seen it or anything, but I think its way above the price range of the X3L/GT-10? Anyone with info about this mysterious thing will be greatly appreciated too I don't have a rack or anything to hold it, just FYI.

well above the price point of the gt10 and x3, its $1500 for the standard version, and $2000 for the ultra, which has more processor power (good if you want to run dual amp setups, or want to run lots of effects).

if you have the cash to get an axe fx, thats probably your best bet, as from the clips i've heard, its definitely the most realistic and more professional sounding right out of the box. hell, tons of people have ditched their professional tube rigs in favor of axe fx's.


as for pod vs boss gt10, i suppose i'm biased in this category. i've only spent maybe 10 minutes at guitar center tweaking a gt10, and i've owned a podxt and currently own a line6 toneport (with all the same models and dual tone like the x3), so i know how to tweak line6 stuff and how to get the best sound out of it, where i dont know the first thing about the boss GT units, so obviously i prefer the pods. doesn't help that great pod clips aren't hard to find, but just metal clips of the boss GT's are hard to find (they seem alot less popular). from what i've read and heard though, the GT's are supposed to have better effects, but the line6 stuff is better for metal.

 

[PetrucciVai]

You shouldn't do that, who's gonna help you carry his rig to your house?

Definitely LOL'd at that one!


Thanks for the input guys. I had no idea the Axe FX was so expensive, it is DEFINITELY out of my price range

I was leaning more towards the pod x3 and all of your input just furthered my decision haha I'm pretty sure I'll get one on the bay sometime next week after my GNX4 is done bidding and I get another paycheck.

On a different note, does anyone know if a place like GC or Sam Ash will let me come and test a pod out with my own guitar, even if I don't buy it? Cause I go there all the time and jam on big amps I can't afford and stuff, and I don't think they have a problem with me bringing my guitar up there to test out tone, but I think they might get pretty ticked off if I set up an X3L into some monitors with my guitar and tweak it for 30 minutes only to tell them I don't want to buy it there

I just don't want to pay the 500 or 450 that they cost new, when I can get one for 350-375 on eBay...

 

[krsp]

Recently, I picked up a Digitech GSP1101. Little more $ than a POD, but I like it a lot. The recording aspect is definitely more flexible with the POD units, so if that is your sticking point, then the decision is an easy one If you decide to go the GSP1101 way, make sure to check out Beta versions for DigiTech and grab that firmware! See if your local music store has a decent return policy. Maybe you can try them out and take back the one(s) you don't like!

 

[maccayoung]

Definitely LOL'd at that one!

On a different note, does anyone know if a place like GC or Sam Ash will let me come and test a pod out with my own guitar, even if I don't buy it? Cause I go there all the time and jam on big amps I can't afford and stuff, and I don't think they have a problem with me bringing my guitar up there to test out tone, but I think they might get pretty ticked off if I set up an X3L into some monitors with my guitar and tweak it for 30 minutes only to tell them I don't want to buy it there

I just don't want to pay the 500 or 450 that they cost new, when I can get one for 350-375 on eBay...

You should be able to try them out in the shop and leave without buying anything. You wouldn't be the first tyre kicker in there and you won't be the last, trust me

Personally I prefer the line6 products for heavier tones but people have different preferences. That's why using your own ear is always best because you're the one that has to live with it in the end.

 

[Thin_Ice_77]

FWIW, I don't like the POD. Never really got a high-gain sound out of it that it was satisfied with. I didn't own one but I had my synth players in my possession for the best part of 2 months. I fucked around with it for about 3 hours then never played it again because I wasn't happy with the tone.

I have a Boss GT6 and I think it slays. I'm after the same tone as you and my GT6 does it. The patch 'Rectifier Metal' is perfect for me, I play through an Ashdown SS head and V30 speakers at band practice and believe me, it sounds fucking awesome. We do a cover of 'My Curse' by Killswitch Engage and it gets pretty damn close.

Just my opinions of course.

 

[Bevo]

I had the GT-10 for a while but took it back, way to confusing and hard to get the tone I was after. The other thing was that I was constantly tweaking and taking away from my play time.

The X3L has better metal tones right off the bat and are super easy to dial in. The downloads are also pretty decent and easy to upgrade your POD with.

I do the same, not playing out other than jams and find it works perfect for my needs. The recording feature is great although I have only played around with it, some love it.
Also love the fact I can get great tones out of it a lower volume. Note that the tone changes slightly at Jam volume..took me by surprise..keep the mids up.

Try it at the shop but do some homework first and get the manual from them so you know what your doing.

Bev

 

[Harry]

You only have to read the manual on the Axe FX wiki page to decide the Axe FX pwns the rest
The effects routing and tweakability is just fucking insane.

That said, I am a POD X3 Live owner and I'm quite happy with it. No, it doesn't beat the pants off a real tube amp, but neither does it cost as much as buying that many tube preamps either.
It's a great recording tool and it's super versatile.

 

[Dylan7620]

Ok, so it's what... like 500 bucks for those things(excluding the axe-fx)? If you are patient enough you could score yourself a nice used mesa head. Try looking for some of the more underrated mesa, like an f series, mark III or a dual caliber. Any of those will produce a solid metal tone for sure, something IMHO the line6 or boss can't touch. Even if you have to save up a little bit more like 600 or 650 i think you'll be a lot happier in the long run.

 

[Zehailiu]

Mesa F-30/50, DC-5/10, Mark 3s, can all be had for less than $700 for sure, I've seen prices on some of these plumet since the downturn, if you're tried mesa tube amps and are sure about owning one, then hold out for one.

 

[TomAwesome]

The Axe-FX would be ideal as far as modeling units go, but between the other two, the POD X3 is better IMO if you're going to be using amp modeling. If all you want is one or two good straight-forward tones, though, I'd consider trying to get something like a used 5150 or Rectoverb.

 

[hide]

..it's so sad you can score a mkIII for 700usd, here it's more likely to go for no less than 1800 used..
If those are the prices for a mesa head, it's a no brainer, IMHO.
I never found myself digging the feel of my x3, but I have to admit the tone was there, if you're into overcompressed tones. Also, it was really quick to hook up to cubase and write down anything I was jamming on. I tried a gt-10 extensively, I found it lacking bite, so to speak, compared to the pod, no matter what, as a preamp, but I liked its effect best.
Also, if I were to go with line6 gear, I'd rather pay 50$ more and get a new one, many users have lots of reliability issues (my pod worked flawlessly though), a warranty could come in handy.
Maybe you could check out sansamp gear, if you aren't looking into effects: some of its tones are really great, a friend of mine uses it for recording and gets awesome results.

 

[loktide]

the axe-fx will be the best modelling unit in terms of realistic feel and dynamics, but if you're just looking for a decent metal tone i'd save the coins and get a podXT with modelpacks or a podX3 (which is basically just two pod XT's with model pacls in one unit).

as for petrucci's tone, you could get 'close' with either unit, though with the pod's is mostly a matter of post-processing

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

IMO if you're a tweaker and want to learn how to use it, the GT series will net you better over all tone in the long run. If you want plug and play, get the Pod.

 

[mnemonic]

On a different note, does anyone know if a place like GC or Sam Ash will let me come and test a pod out with my own guitar, even if I don't buy it? Cause I go there all the time and jam on big amps I can't afford and stuff, and I don't think they have a problem with me bringing my guitar up there to test out tone, but I think they might get pretty ticked off if I set up an X3L into some monitors with my guitar and tweak it for 30 minutes only to tell them I don't want to buy it there

i dont know about sam ash, but GC usually has podx3's, boss and digitech units hooked up to a pair of headphones or an amp's poweramp or whatever so you can demo them there.

also, as i'm left handed, i always bring my guitar with me when i go into a guitar center, as all they ever have is a crappy mexican strat and the occasional epiphone les paul. they write down the serial number when i walk in, then they cross it off their list when I leave.

Recently, I picked up a Digitech GSP1101. Little more $ than a POD, but I like it a lot. The recording aspect is definitely more flexible with the POD units, so if that is your sticking point, then the decision is an easy one If you decide to go the GSP1101 way, make sure to check out Beta versions for DigiTech and grab that firmware! See if your local music store has a decent return policy. Maybe you can try them out and take back the one(s) you don't like!

do you happen to have any clips of it, or know where to find decent metal clips of it? i've heard good things about the gsp1101's, and when i saw one in GC hooked up to some headphones i was like "score!" but i was having the hardest time even getting distortion out of the thing, those controls are confusing

also all the clips i've heard have been like classic rock, or just plain bad, so i've really never heard how capable it can be.

 

[Harry]

Shannon has a GSP 1101 and he says it sounds pretty amazing for what it is. I'd be inclined to believe the dude as well since he's pretty much a top notch player with endorsement deals and all.

 

[Zehailiu]

@OP, sorry to hear that the prices for mesa are so freakin high where you are. @_@

If you're using cubase, have you tried loading up a poweramp sim and cab impulse with something like revalver? I found that my preamp tone becomes much fuller and punchier with some good Poweramp and Cab sims.

 

[sevenstringj]

While you're at it, check out the new Character Series from Tech21. I tried a "Blonde" model (shut up! ) and I found a wide variety of tones in that one little box, even some surprisingly solid metal tones. Their Tri-AC is more flexible in terms of switching between different sounds, but I do think the Character Series pedals sound better (mainly because each can achieve such a wide variety of great tones). They got video demos on their site.