The Line 6 Bass POD Pro is a rack-mountable bass amp modeling and effects unit from Line 6. Instead of miking a bass rig, a player plugs into it and gets 16 customizable bass amp models, 16 cabinet models and 16 digital effects in one chassis, with a full-time studio quality compressor modeled from the studio standard LA-2A running all the while1. Line 6 describes its amp models as emulating "an all-star collection of legendary amplifiers"1.
It is a discontinued product: Line 6 states plainly that "Bass POD Pro is no longer made"1. It remains relevant as the bass counterpart to the guitar-oriented Line 6 POD Pro, which is also no longer made2, and as an early example of the rack modeler format that Line 6 later carried through the POD HD Pro and today's Helix Rack.
The Bass POD Pro is discontinued. It appears on the secondhand market rather than new from retailers.
What it does for a bass player
The unit replaces a bass amp and speaker cab in the signal chain with digital models. A player dials in one of the 16 amp models, pairs it with one of the 16 cabinet models, adds effects from the 16 on board, and stores the result in one of 36 user programmable channels1. The LA-2A-modeled compressor is always in the circuit rather than being an optional block, so every preset carries some level of studio-style dynamics control1.
The guitar version of the same idea, the POD Pro, offered 32 customizable amp models and the same 16 digital effects2, so the Bass POD Pro is the same architecture voiced and scaled for bass: half the amp models, all of them bass amplifiers, with the same effects count.
Modes and cabinet tuning
The Bass POD Pro has two output modes, Studio and Live, and four cabinet tuning modes that shape how its output sits against whatever speaker system it feeds1.
Studio Mode sends both the XLR and 1/4 inch outputs to the recording console, carrying the DI and modeled signal with A.I.R., Line 6's speaker and mic simulation. The 1/4 inch output runs at -10dBV and the XLR at +4dBu, matching consumer and professional console levels respectively1.
Live Mode sets up simultaneous feeds for an on-stage amp and the PA mixer. The 1/4 inch model output carries both DI and modeled signal without A.I.R. to the stage amp, so the player's backline gets a tone shaped for a real speaker, while the XLR output carries the mic level DI and modeled signals with speaker simulation to the PA1.
The four cabinet tuning modes optimize the output for different speaker and cab configurations1:
| Mode | Setting | Line 6's guidance |
|---|---|---|
| A | Standard Tuning | Ideal for full-range systems; the default setting1 |
| B | Bass Boost | Try this setting with small diameter speakers1 |
| C | Mid Boost | Try this setting to enhance mid presence1 |
| D | Treble Boost | Use this setting when driving bass-heavy cabs1 |
The guitar POD Pro handled the same problem differently, with an Amp/Direct switch: Direct for running into a mixer or recorder, Amp for use as a tone-shaping front end for another amp, with several Amp-position tuning modes selectable at power-up2.
Outputs and connections
The rear panel divides its outputs by role. Out 1 is the model sound out, and Out 2 is an unprocessed direct out, giving a clean DI feed alongside the processed tone1. For digital routing there is a D.I. output with 24-bit digital outputs in AES/EBU and S/PDIF formats, with sync to an external word clock1. There is also a headphone output for silent monitoring, and MIDI for remote control1.
For comparison, later rack PODs expanded on this pattern. The POD X3 Pro added MIDI In and Out/Thru sockets plus a connection for Line 6's Variax guitar3, and the POD HD Pro carried MIDI In and Out/Thru, a guitar input with switchable pad and a 1/4 inch dry output4.
Where it sits in the Line 6 rack line
The Bass POD Pro is the bass-specific entry in a line of rack PODs that Line 6 has since retired. The POD Pro, POD X3 Pro and POD HD Pro are all listed by Line 6 as no longer made24. The POD X3 Pro broadened the model count to 78 guitar amps, 24 guitar cabs, 98 stompbox and studio effects, 28 bass amps and 22 bass cabs3, and the POD HD Pro moved to 22 HD guitar amp models and 22 HD guitar preamp-only models4. Players looking for a current Line 6 rack unit are served by the Helix Rack, and bass players wanting a portable Line 6 modeler can look at the POD Express Bass.
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Questions
Does the Bass POD Pro have a DI output?
Yes. Out 2 is an unprocessed direct out, and the unit also has a D.I. output with 24-bit digital outputs in AES/EBU and S/PDIF formats, with sync to an external word clock. In Live Mode the XLR output carries the mic level DI and modeled signals with speaker simulation to the PA.
How many amp models does the Bass POD Pro have?
It has 16 customizable bass amp models, which Line 6 describes as emulating an all-star collection of legendary amplifiers. It also carries 16 cabinet models and 16 digital effects, plus a full-time studio quality compressor modeled from the LA-2A.
Does the Bass POD Pro have a headphone output?
Yes. Line 6's product page lists a headphone out on the Bass POD Pro, alongside MIDI. That makes it usable for silent practice straight from the rack without a separate amp or monitor.
Does the Bass POD Pro have MIDI?
Yes. The Bass POD Pro has MIDI, which allows it to be controlled remotely, for example from a MIDI footcontroller when switching between its 36 user programmable channels on stage.
Sources (4)
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
- Line 6 POD X3 Pro review, MusicRadar, 2009-01-30
- Line 6 Launches New POD HD Pro, Guitar World, 2011-09-13
