I like the Pod but at the same time I don't. Here are my reasons:

This is a great tool for the tinkering type of guys who love to play and alter all the different sounds you can get with this guy. You can go online and download free profiles that can mimick your favorite artist, or you can purchase additional packages with more goodies to add to you pod. The software is cool because you can even tweak the sounds yourself right there on your computer and save them right to the pod. This is cool!

However, if you are an actively gigging guy, this poor little guy will never satisfy you. I tried to gig with it out of convenience and minimizing my effects pedals, but the POD can't take the beating. For this reason, I have to give it an average rating. When you are running this little guy thru your practice amp or headphones, it sounds so cool, but when you start running it thru the big boys, it just doesn't sound right. Even after spending all day with it trying to dial in the sound, it just doesn't get it. For this I have to give it an average rating.

I think its worth it though for any avid bass player. Its so much fun sitting down on a Sunday, loafing around and tweaking all the different sounds you can get out of it!

As far as flexibility goes, this one owns.

I bought this because I wanted to spice up my rig and it does that fantastically. The amp models and cabinets are great, no doubt I am satisfied with this purchase.

There are too many good things to write about so Ill cut to the things I don't like.

To begin with, the picture thats on Musicians Friends is nto a true description of the rear panel. IT IS NOT A STEREO OUT! It has a dual output but one is of the modeled sound the other is the DI.

The synths and autowahs are crap. I tried tweeking them, their crap. And when you run two amps out from it, it makes them worse.

I play an Eight String extended range Bass tuned to F#, and it does not respond well to those frequencies. (Its fine til you go below A)

And on the one I bought, the expression pedal is too tight and makes an annoying squeeking sound. (Loud enough to be audible over about 1150 watts through an 8x10 and 2x10)

Now I do think it was worth the money for the amp models and effects, just know its not the perfect piece to the sound your missing.

It does help A LOT though

I got this for a christmas present about a year and a half ago, and overall, I'm dissappointed. While it does have a LOT of different features, and many different amp models, most of them are useless or just plain sound bad. Using this thing basically killed my tone, and I found it impossible to cut through while using it. I also put down quality as a 5 because when I first bought it the volume/wah pedal was squeaking and sounded like a goose, but some silicone grease fixed that. Overall, I think it isn't worth it, as most of the effects sound very fake, and the amp models sound NOTHING like the real thing. Anyone want to buy mine from me?

Above all else, this thing gives you awesome tone! Think of it as a pre-amp first and everything else (gates, effects, delays, reverb, amp models)is just icing on the cake. I first saw this about a year ago. I tooled around with it for abt. 1/2 hr and really liked it, but the price was a bit rich for an acessory and I already had a Digitech BP200. After further research on the product (on-line), I decided I had to get it and when the Digitech crapped out (again) I purchased it. I got it home and read the manual and dove into it. Its takes some time to aquaint yourself with the operation of the thing but once you do, it is fairly simple to edit and mold your own presets. At full volume, I now get a crystal clear, piano like tone. From there you can get any other sound you want; dirty, slinky, phased, fuzzed, overdriven tube amp, you name it! I did not award this any tens only in that; Features - there could always be more or different ones. Quality - I have seen alot a postings of guys with deffective units so it is not perfect. Value - It has a hefty price tag (given all the features it is an incredible package), but the Irish in me says it could always be cheaper (I have never seen these go on sale).

I've had my Basspod XT Live for about a month now. I wanted it primarily for live performance. I sometimes use several basses for some larger venues and previously had a problem getting a tone dialed in for each bass through a single chanel amp. So with the pre set capability of the Bass PodXT Live I can set up various banks of presets, and even name them for each bass. I have ended up skipping the need for a pre amp and plug the pod into my poweramp, and bass cab. I haven't tried the bi amp mode yet, but I have gotten as far as to check out how it can be set up. It looks very promising since it has so much control over the crossover point, and how steep a slope you can choose. (6, 12, 18, or 24db per octave) The 6 band semi paramectric EQ is very cool and can be memorized for each pre set. The amp and speaker combinations, with the EQ capabilities, takes tone control to a never before possible level through one amp. This is especially true when you consider the fact that you can custom tailor as many as 64 presets, or 16 banks of 4 pre sets each. Next is the effects. For live use I seldom mess with them, but I could really see using them for recording. It's hard to get much clairity with effects in live sound. One feature is that the effects have a crossover, so you can leave the lower frequencies dry and have the effect selected above the crossover point. I have yet to experiment with that. I am not a "techie" kind of guy at all. I'm 55, but refuse to be the "old dog that won't learn new tricks". It took a few reads through the manual for me because; well, you just don't know what you don't know untill you get into it, re-read it, keep trying things out, and eventually I "got it". I have to admit it was very challenging, but fascinating to discover the capabilities. This thing has taken my ears into new territory, and so it will also do that for my creativity. I have to rate this unit very highly. The quality is solid. The sound is as good as you are at editing, or creating your own. But,even the stock presets are cool. If you never got beyond the first preset you would have a nice SVT sound to enjoy.