The Line 6 POD Pro is a rack-mountable amp modeling and effects unit from Line 6, the rack-format sibling of the company's POD family. Instead of putting a string of amps and effects on your pedalboard, it puts them in a single 19-inch chassis: 32 customizable amp models and 16 digital effects, selectable from 36 factory/user presets1. Like the rest of the POD Pro rack line, it is a legacy product, and Line 6 states plainly that POD Pro is no longer made1.
The Pro line ran through several generations. After the original POD Pro and its bass counterpart came the POD X3 Pro signal processor, then the POD HD Pro, and finally the POD HD Pro X, all of them now discontinued1234. Each step added models, effects and I/O, and the sections below lay out what each unit offers.
What the POD Pro does
The POD Pro puts amp modeling and effects in one rack unit. Line 6 describes its amp models as emulating "an all-star collection of legendary amplifiers"1, and each of the 32 models can be customized and stored in one of the 36 factory/user presets1. The 16 digital effects sit alongside the amp models, so a single preset can carry a complete tone1.
A headphone output is provided for silent practice and monitoring1, and Line 6 publishes a MIDI Continuous Controller Reference for the unit, so its parameters can be controlled over MIDI from a footcontroller or other hardware1.
The Amp/Direct switch
The POD Pro's Cabinet Tuning Mode is set by an Amp/Direct switch, which Line 6 says "allows POD to be optimized for different applications"1:
- Direct: tuned for running the POD Pro straight into a mixer or recorder.
- Amp: the POD Pro acts as a tone-shaping front end for another amp, with several Amp-position tuning modes selectable at power-up1.
This is the same basic problem every amp modeler solves: a speaker-modeled output sounds right through a PA but wrong through a real guitar cab, and vice versa. The switch, and the power-up tuning modes behind it, let one rack unit serve both jobs1.
The Bass POD Pro
The Bass POD Pro is the bass counterpart: a bass amp modeling and effects unit with 16 customizable bass amp models, 16 cabinet models and 16 digital effects, stored across 36 user programmable channels6. It is also no longer made6.
Where the guitar POD Pro has 32 amp models, the Bass POD Pro's 16 are bass-specific, and the unit adds features a bass player needs16:
- A full-time, studio quality compressor modeled from the studio standard LA-2A6.
- Dual mode XLR balanced direct outs and dual 1/4-inch unbalanced outs6.
- Two output roles: Out 1 carries the modeled sound, Out 2 is an unprocessed direct out (DI)6.
- Headphone out and MIDI6.
The separate unprocessed DI output is the practical difference for many players: you can send the modeled sound to the PA while keeping a clean DI feed for the engineer6.
The POD X3 Pro
The POD X3 Pro is a rack signal processor from Line 6, now discontinued3. It sits in the company's POD rack line, which began with the POD Pro, documented in Line 6's MIDI Continuous Controller Reference for that unit17, and later included the POD HD Pro, a 2RU rack unit7.
Preset storage grew with the model count: MusicRadar's review reports 128 user presets and 250 factory-preset patches arranged in categories, which the review says "will instantly guide you to the ty"pe of sound you are after8. Editing stays knob-based, in the POD tradition: six knobs (Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence and Reverb) can instantly adjust the sound of the amp model, with the Drive knob adjusting the model's Drive8.
The POD HD Pro
The POD HD Pro, announced in September 2011, is a 2RU rack-mountable multi-effect processor27. It is loaded with 22 HD guitar amp models and 22 HD guitar preamp-only models7, and its effects count jumped to over 100 M-class effects, including 19 delays, 23 modulations, 17 distortions, 12 compressors and EQs, 26 filters and 12 reverbs7. Preset storage expanded to 512 user-writable preset locations7.
Its connectivity reflects its era: MIDI In and Out/Thru, S/PDIF I/O, and a guitar input with a switchable pad7. Like the rest of the line, it is no longer made2, and Line 6's legacy page links a Quick Start Guide for it2. A later variant, the POD HD Pro X, is also a discontinued legacy product4.
The Pro line at a glance
| Unit | Amp models | Effects | Presets | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POD Pro | 32, customizable | 16 digital | 36 factory/user | No longer made1 |
| Bass POD Pro | 16 bass amps, customizable; 16 cabinets | 16 digital | 36 user programmable channels | No longer made6 |
| POD X3 Pro | 78 guitar amps, 28 bass amps, 6 vocal preamps | 98 stompbox and studio effects | 128 user, 250 factory | No longer made38 |
| POD HD Pro | 22 HD amp models, 22 HD preamp-only models | 100+ M-class effects | 512 user-writable | No longer made27 |
Videos
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Plague Scythe Studios
Tone Def Guitar Lab
Questions
Is the Line 6 POD Pro still made?
No. Line 6 lists the POD Pro on its legacy pages and states plainly that POD Pro is no longer made. The same is true of the whole Pro rack line: the Bass POD Pro, POD X3 Pro, POD HD Pro and POD HD Pro X are all discontinued legacy products.
How many amp models does the Line 6 POD Pro have?
The POD Pro carries 32 customizable amp models, plus 16 digital effects. The Bass POD Pro instead has 16 customizable bass amp models and 16 cabinet models. Later rack units went much further: the POD HD Pro holds 22 HD guitar amp models plus 22 HD preamp-only models.
What does the Amp/Direct switch do on the POD Pro?
It sets the Cabinet Tuning Mode so the POD Pro is optimized for different applications. In Direct position it is tuned for running into a mixer or recorder; in Amp position it works as a tone-shaping front end for another amp, with several Amp-position tuning modes selectable at power-up.
How many presets does the Line 6 POD Pro have?
The POD Pro has 36 factory/user presets, and the Bass POD Pro has 36 user programmable channels. The later rack units expanded this considerably: the POD X3 Pro offers 128 user presets plus 250 factory patches, and the POD HD Pro provides 512 user-writable preset locations.
What is the difference between the POD Pro and the Bass POD Pro?
The POD Pro is a guitar unit with 32 customizable amp models; the Bass POD Pro is a bass amp modeling and effects unit with 16 customizable bass amp models and 16 cabinet models. The Bass POD Pro also adds a full-time studio quality compressor modeled from the LA-2A, plus dual XLR balanced and 1/4-inch unbalanced outputs with a separate unprocessed DI output.
Does the POD HD Pro have MIDI?
Yes. The POD HD Pro has MIDI In and Out/Thru, along with S/PDIF I/O and a guitar input with a switchable pad. MIDI is also present on the Bass POD Pro and among the POD X3 Pro's inputs and outputs, which include 1/4-inch, XLR, USB, MIDI and S/PDIF.
Sources (8)
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
- Line 6 Launches POD HD Pro Rack Multi-Effect Unit, Premier Guitar, 2011-09-13
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
- Line 6 Launches New POD HD Pro, Guitar World, 2011-09-13
- Line 6 POD X3 Pro review, MusicRadar, 2009-01-30
