Members Soeru Posted October 4, 2007 Members Share Posted October 4, 2007 The amp I have to use at my band's jam space is pretty horrible and doesn't cut through at all with the volume on max with the rest of the band playing, and taking my amp to the place isn't an option, so I need a cheap but effective solution that I can hook up straight into the PA. In my price range I've narrowed it down to the Line 6 pod 2.0 and the Tech 21 Sansamp GT-2. No need for an XT or x3, just too much stuff I don't need. The KEELEY modded MT-2 is also an option if anyone has used it straight into a mixer with success. It's also worth mentioning that I play in BEADF#B. I only need a decent high gain sound(I play extreme metal) with a lot of presence(not fizz) and mids that will cut. All the high gain rhythm sounds I've heard from a 2.0 sound muddy to me, they don't sound like they'd work well in a band situation. Which sounds better straight into a PA? Please answer if you've used them in the same situation, it doesn't matter to me how they sound for recording as it obviously needs to sound way different in a band situation. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BrainChild Posted October 4, 2007 Members Share Posted October 4, 2007 While I love the GT-2 into certain SS amps I have, it never sounds good going straight into the mixing board. I use the POD often at practice and it sounds decent but you need to tweak it a bit. First you need to play with the output as it has different settings for recording and live use and then the cabinet settings to find the one that sounds best. The PA eq also is very important and will require some experimentation along with the eq on the model itself. A bit of delay or other effect is also something the GT-2 will not provide as well as a tuner. Have you tried just putting a mic on the amp you use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Soeru Posted October 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 4, 2007 We did try mic'ing but all we had was a cheap condenser mic and the drums would bleed into it(very small room) and ended up with some horrendous sounding feedback so that didn't really work out. That's ok I don't need any effects with my band, just running my guitar bone dry, but I have some boss pedals should I ever need them in our music. What don't you like about running the gt-2 into a board? Is it just fizziness because it's more of a distortion pedal than a preamp? Or is it muddy? What about running the GT-2 with a DI box with cab simulation, like my Palmer PDI-09? It makes my amp sound great DI'd and supposedly works very well for pedals and preamps too. It's just that all the 2.0 samples(seen probably all the videos of people playing 2.0's on youtube) I've heard sound waaaay too dark, granted most people were probably using presets only for DI recording not band practice though. Do you use it in a full blown band practice with an extremely loud drummer, other guitar, bass and vocals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nik Posted October 4, 2007 Members Share Posted October 4, 2007 Pod, even a Pod2.0, out shines a Sansamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OverDriven Posted October 4, 2007 Members Share Posted October 4, 2007 Pod 2.0 You'll need a pedal board though. A better choice would be a used PodXT Live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ssslayer Posted October 4, 2007 Members Share Posted October 4, 2007 LOL Sansamp is way ahead of POD. But then for the br00talz gain, POD might be more easy to coax. However, for cutting thru, Sansamp rules. And please respect the name it has - Sansamp = Without amp. So no guitar amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Soeru Posted October 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 4, 2007 Have you ever tried the GT-2 in a band situation straight into a mixing board instead of an amp? How did that work out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rich4Once Posted October 5, 2007 Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 I've used the SansAmp Tri-A.C. direct into the PA for rehearsals, and I thought it was fine. I don't play BREWTAL music(?) though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blackba1 Posted October 5, 2007 Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 The problem was the type of mic you used. The condensor was probably pretty omnidirectional. Why not just get a Shure SM57, they are $80 or so new and less than your other options of getting something to go direct. You shouldn't have feedback trouble either. IMO going direct should be a last resort. I was going to get a Sansamp GT-2 for the few songs I play on guitar with my band. The problem is its pretty dry, so you really need some delay or reverb with it.... I am still confused in general why you can't change amps unless you just don't want to haul one back and forth to practice all the time. The mic is a good investment since you can use it when you do get a 2nd amp at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Soeru Posted October 5, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 Well the amp we have there is an MG50 ss marshall, which on its own no matter how I eq sounds like a wall of mush(speaker could be damaged but the amps are supposedly new) and I assume mic'ed up to a PA it would be the same. I just want a simpler solution, as well as something I could plug into anything anywhere which is why the idea of a portable preamp/pedal is so appealing to me, as my amp rarely leaves the house for anything. I can't fit my amp head and cab in my mate's car, and it's a relatively long drive and costs us more time to set it up right at the jam space(we don't rent the place we just pay hourly). Like I said I don't need effects for my rhythm, but I do have delay, EQ, noise suppressor, a few others. So I just need a "bone dry" distorted rhythm that won't sound like mud or fizz like a bunch of pedals I've been looking at. I used to almost always use the "British" model on my Tech 21 amp(same pre as a sansamp) when I had it and I do play brewtal stuff, I just liked the accentuation of upper mids, always sounded really clear, and I don't dime the gain on anything. I just don't feel to confident about the pod's abilities in a band situation because it always sounds so dark, maybe someone knows of a thread here with samples that will make me change my mind? I've searched a bunch of search result pages but have found no clips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pfindeis Posted October 5, 2007 Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 Forget the pod get a J-Station or a Digitech RP150/250/350 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nik Posted October 5, 2007 Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 Have you ever tried the GT-2 in a band situation straight into a mixing board instead of an amp? How did that work out? I've played a PSA-1 direct to PA in a band situation, and that's why I would take the Pod. I see the amp in question is a Marshall MG. For brewtal metal, the MG would be fine. Maybe put an EQ in the loop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Soeru Posted October 5, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 Wow you didn't like the psa-1? Hmm. Um, the tone of the MG isn't the issue. The problem is I have the volume on max on it and I can't hear anything with the raging steroid-injected octopus of a drummer we have. Tried all sorts of EQ(with my EQ pedal as well, and no I don't scoop mids) and gain settings and it just wont cut. I think I'll look into a pod 2.0 but I really have bad feelings about it, I'll see if I can try it out somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blackba1 Posted October 5, 2007 Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 Wow you didn't like the psa-1? Hmm.Um, the tone of the MG isn't the issue. The problem is I have the volume on max on it and I can't hear anything with the raging steroid-injected octopus of a drummer we have. Tried all sorts of EQ(with my EQ pedal as well, and no I don't scoop mids) and gain settings and it just wont cut.I think I'll look into a pod 2.0 but I really have bad feelings about it, I'll see if I can try it out somewhere. Have you tried getting the amp off the floor and pointing the combo at your head? Also what about an extension cab to spread the sound out more. I still think a mic is your best bet.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Soeru Posted October 6, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 6, 2007 Have you tried getting the amp off the floor and pointing the combo at your head? Also what about an extension cab to spread the sound out more. I still think a mic is your best bet.... Yep I tried that, and no lugging an additional cab/amp isn't possible, room restriction in car and the actual rehearsal space. I'm currently watching after some rare tube preamp that is supposed to sound really good for my purposes, I won't say what it is until I win it/the auction is over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nik Posted October 6, 2007 Members Share Posted October 6, 2007 Wow you didn't like the psa-1? Hmm. No. Loved the user i9nterface - all the knobs and the ethos behind them.But found I could get more realistic amp tone from a Boss GX-700 modeller. The solid state diostortion in the Sansamp GT2 is less sophisticated in design than that in the MG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Soeru Posted October 6, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 6, 2007 I'm having a hard time digesting that, as I had a trademark 30(combo amp with the same pre as a GT-2) and it was woooooorlds better than what the MG50dfx sounds like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nik Posted October 6, 2007 Members Share Posted October 6, 2007 The GT2 gets its "valve sound" simply by overdriving cheap, ubiquitous TL072 op amps. They can claim it uses FETs for overdrive because these op amps are JFET input types. To be fair, TL072s overdrive quite smoothly ...for solid state. But they have good, clean power stages and also go to the expense of good quality speakers. The Marshall MG amps have very cheap, nasty speakers and have been designed to fit a market niche below the Marshall AVT family. I have and MG15 amp, but with decent speakers it can hold its own against a Trademark 15 regarding tone. With the addition of a single resistor it leaves the Trademark standing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daveyboy Posted October 6, 2007 Members Share Posted October 6, 2007 I prefer the GT-2. In fact I always have mine with me as a backup.Sounds more raw, rough, like a real tube amp. Some may consider this dry. I own and have used it, a TM30 anda PSA1. All great stuff. Especially if you dont require fx.Plus if ya dont dig it they keep value fairly well. The Line6 stuff when played live to my ears ALWAYS sounds too processed, tweezed out and sort of too perfect. I just dont dig it. But it does have lots of options, tuner etc. Comes down to what your needs are and what your ears like. -dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EdgeOfDarkness Posted October 6, 2007 Members Share Posted October 6, 2007 I would say POD, but it has more stuff than you would use ,have you checked out the Digitech black 13 pedal by chance ?It has a output to mixer.I like the march of the SOD setting.http://www.digitech.com/products/Black13/main.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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