Axe-FxII vs. Line6 POD HD (Ola content)

[Shask]

I also agree I would like to hear the GSP1101 in there as well. I am still thinking about picking up one of these cheap because they sound like a pretty cool unit also.

 

[glassjaw7]

Cool! The Pod holds its own, for sure. I'm still very happy with my HD500. (wish they'd add a few models though, like XTC and SLO)

I get great tones running mine into a tube power amp, and it's so versatile and simple at gigs and practice. When I open up my Mark IV, there is a difference. The Mark just has that extra vibe and it breathes like only an all-tube amp can, but the pod is really nice sounding. Man, those things sure have come far in the past 10 years!

 

[thiswaythatway]

Wow, for the money the PODHD really holds it's own doesn't it.

 

[cliffc8488]

Funny enough, that is the exact same thing I notice when I play my 5150 and my Recto. It is almost like the 5150 is a frequency limited version of the Recto

Good ears. The 5150 evolved from the Recto (which evolved from an SLO 100).

 

[Shark Diver]

Funny enough, that is the exact same thing I notice when I play my 5150 and my Recto. It is almost like the 5150 is a frequency limited version of the Recto

Good ears. The 5150 evolved from the Recto (which evolved from an SLO 100).

Not sure the 5150 and Recto are a step up the evolutionary ladder, but point taken.

 

[jcj]

Wow, I liked the Axe Fx much better. Not really that close to my ears.

Yep....totally agree.

 

[jcj]

and let's just add that Ola is a RIPPING good player....he could make ANYTHING sound great

 

[Soundguy213]

im glad this vid was made, i just got a Pod HD for xmas and have been loving it. the Fireball model is seriously awesome. In the Vid the Axe fx seemed to have more.....dimension maybe? not sure how to put it. put mostly i though the Axe sounded a bit harsher than the Pod. I did like the Axe recto better than the treadplate though.

 

[leib10]

I liked the Line 6's ENGL modeling better and the Axe-FX's Mesa modeling better.

 

[tonechasers]

hahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahgahahahahahahahahahahahah pod wins for sure now we can all afford an amp and this unit.....what will axe fx do? jk but seriously pod wins thanx again to ola...

 

[BYTOR]

If any of you had both the Axe 2 and the Pod500 like I do you would laugh at how crazy this talk is!!

I respect Line6 as a company and they give great bang for the buck but the Axe Fx(standard,ultra,or axe2) is in a completely different league.

Ola would make a pod2.0 from 12 years ago sound like a $3000 tube amp. Whatever he plays in his clips always has that Ola sound!!

 

[Ola Englund]

thanks guys!

If anyone cares about my opinion(without putting fire on the war flame to much) I quote myself:

"these vs. vids will always stir shit all over the place, probably getting a lot of hate for doing it but it needs to be done. I for one love the Axe Fx 2 over the Pod all day long BUT to be honest, if I today would have to buy one of the two I would probably end up with the Pod due to it's price. It's just hard to justify the price difference today."

 

[kasperjensen]

thanks guys!

If anyone cares about my opinion(without putting fire on the war flame to much) I quote myself:

"these vs. vids will always stir shit all over the place, probably getting a lot of hate for doing it but it needs to be done. I for one love the Axe Fx 2 over the Pod all day long BUT to be honest, if I today would have to buy one of the two I would probably end up with the Pod due to it's price. It's just hard to justify the price difference today."

Damn... I thought you were going to come on here and tell us that you had accidentally gotten the clip titles wrong, and that it's the Axe when it says POD and vice versa.

 

[Spaceboy]

I thought the POD HD sounded better is his old comparison video, and it prompted me to get the HD500 when they came out. I tried my damnedest to make usable sounds out of that thing. It was almost there, but turned into mud whenever it got into anything more technical. I have an Axe FX II now, and IMO, the POD HD doesn't even compare. Anyways, it's very easy to get passable high-gain sounds from amp modelers, TBH.

If you're on a budget and only need limited functionality and sound, then the POD is a great value.

 

[university81]

I thought the POD HD sounded better is his old comparison video, and it prompted me to get the HD500 when they came out. I tried my damnedest to make usable sounds out of that thing. It was almost there, but turned into mud whenever it got into anything more technical. I have an Axe FX II now, and IMO, the POD HD doesn't even compare. Anyways, it's very easy to get passable high-gain sounds from amp modelers, TBH.

i'd agree on this, i had a pod hd500 for a while, the cleans were great + effects were nice (i'm an avid M9 user) , most things with gain I couldn't seem to dial out a certain digital fizz that i kept hearing and once you hear it there's no going back lol, i preferred using the gains on the amp and the cleans/effects from the pod, i'll add this was playing alone with no band/backing track etc.. probably not quite as noticeable in a mix

the axe fx standard i had for a few months was leaps and bounds ahead in that respect, but for a price, you still had to dial it in, but the feel/responsiveness was way better with none of that digital fizz i was hearing, the slo sim on it had me playing for days

and for me at least a/b with an amp just made me want to stay plugged into the tube amp =) i could never really get a good convincing mild breakup/low/med gain tones from either the axe or the pod, great units in any case

 

[Anonymous]

both clips sound good, but if money was no object the Axe II takes it... it seems to have more depth and a smoother top end..

that said I really like my pd hd500..with the last software update it is really easy to dial in a great sounding patch..

I couldn't justify the axe II price as I still prefer a real amp over any modeller..

EDIT :actually in a full mix with bass guitar, this pod hd pro holds it's own with anything...

 

[Shask]

thanks guys!

If anyone cares about my opinion(without putting fire on the war flame to much) I quote myself:

"these vs. vids will always stir shit all over the place, probably getting a lot of hate for doing it but it needs to be done. I for one love the Axe Fx 2 over the Pod all day long BUT to be honest, if I today would have to buy one of the two I would probably end up with the Pod due to it's price. It's just hard to justify the price difference today."

Cool, you showed up

I was just going to ask you how your opinion changed since you did those early videos of the HD300. How have things changed with the HDPRO and AFII....

 

[dfrattaroli]

The vid shows,IMO, that in the right hands, the POD is as good as the Axe. Period. Certainly a better value. Yes, the Axe has way more under the hood. But when it comes to recording a guitar track, in a blind test, you can't tell one from the other.

BTW, I've owned the standard and ultra and now have the POD HD300. While neither feels completely like a tube amp to me, I find it easier to get good recorded tones from the POD than the Axe.

 

[dfrattaroli]

Ola, can you connect the pod via USB and still monitor through the speakers connected to the mac? Or do you have to attach the monitors to the pod?

 

[somata]

They both sound great, though I prefer the Axe slightly, the L6 does seem to have a bit of fizz/grit in it in both the Engl and Mesa patches, which shows up in the soloed clips...in the mix, they're damn close. I'd absolutely have gotten the Line 6 if they'd just do spillover, its a dealbreaker for me...

Anywho, sweet clips!