Members Zyngath Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 I've been playing my PodXT with headphones most of the time, because i live in an apartment and cant really play that loud anyway. A few days ago i tried something different for the first time: I hooked my Engl Standard 112 cab to the Laney VC15 combo that i have (thereby bypassing the combo's speaker) and plugged the Pod into the combo's FX return. I'm actually surprised how good this setup sounds even at really low volume levels. It sounds much more "real" and alive than the Pod through headphones or through my little mixer + speakers. It loses a lot of the "digital" fizz and comes pretty close to a "real" amp (at least at bedroom levels). So i may go ahead and buy me a small poweramp for the Pod and maybe even sell the combo and the PodXT to get a Pod Pro....i'm not sure yet. Do you guys have any suggestions for a good, cheap poweramp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members troublehead Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 I bought the POD 2.3 yesterday and think its pretty cool. Here are a few short clips done on just a couple hours tweaking. Metal Chug Stoner Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jem7vwh Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 I can never get mine to sound anywhere near passible with an amp for some reason... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members troublehead Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by jem7vwh I can never get mine to sound anywhere near passible with an amp for some reason... I do agree with that. I had the XT once and only tried it with a power amp/cab setup. I returned it the next day. I do think they are a cool direct recording tool however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zyngath Posted February 27, 2006 Author Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 I dont know if you did that, but you have to make sure that you change the Pod's output setting when you connect it to an amp. I have mine set to Stack/Poweramp atm but i still use the Pods cab sim...seems to sound fuller to me that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shask Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 It used to sound horrible into an amp, but the latest update made a lot of improvements in that area. Yeah, I find many good sounds with it plugged through my amps. Sometimes it does make me wonder about building a rack with the XTPRO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AtillaTheHungry Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 I use my XT Live almost exclusively plugged into the clean channel of my Kustom SS combo, even for recording. It sounds absolutely awful in the loop for some reason, and there's nothing I can seem to do about it, but I am quite pleased with the sound I get on the clean channel. I personally hate how it sounds with headphones. I bought it to use with my amp, since I was looking for a floor effects processor, and those happened to come out when I had enough money, so I used it with my amp a lot before I even tried it with headphones, and I was shocked at the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soc_monki Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 ive been playing with my buddy's Pod XT all weekend...coming up with patches and stuff, and finding some really cool tones IMO. the other day at band practice i tried it through my 5150's FX loop (someone said the 5150 wouldnt work if something were just plugged into the FX return, but i did it and with no problems either!) i didnt use it that way long, because i didnt have time to mess around and find some good settings. but at home, im loving this thing. theres a little bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to all the controls and how to save stuff and all that, its a piece of cake. the semi-parametric EQ really does wonders for tone-shaping. ive gotten some nice old Metallica tones (from Kill Em All and Ride the Lightning), Children of Bodom tones (from Hatebreeder) and Randy Rhoads type tones. i was going to get the Pod XT Live model, but decided that i dont need it, at least right now. im just gonna go with the XT bean. i dont use that many effects, but having the XT for direct recording is going to be sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AtillaTheHungry Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 The EQ pisses me off. The low shelving band is very weak, which sucks consindering how flabby the Pod's low end is. I really don't get why they haven't just made it fully parametric. Whatever Q setting it is stuck with does not seem very ideal to me. And it makes no sense that you can't change the first and last band to not shelve. With those things, it would be infinitely more useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zyngath Posted February 27, 2006 Author Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by soc_monki but at home, im loving this thing. theres a little bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to all the controls and how to save stuff and all that, its a piece of cake. the semi-parametric EQ really does wonders for tone-shaping. ive gotten some nice old Metallica tones (from Kill Em All and Ride the Lightning), Children of Bodom tones (from Hatebreeder) and Randy Rhoads type tones. Yes, all the options can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning. I also have the 3 model packs installed, which adss to the confusion lol There are only a few amp models that i regularly use tho. It helps a lot to grab some good patches off the net (some guys here at HCAF made some great patches) and then start from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soc_monki Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by OneArmedScissors The EQ pisses me off. The low shelving band is very weak, which sucks consindering how flabby the Pod's low end is. I really don't get why they haven't just made it fully parametric. Whatever Q setting it is stuck with does not seem very ideal to me. And it makes no sense that you can't change the first and last band to not shelve. With those things, it would be infinitely more useful. i agree...it SHOULD have been fully parametric, but eh...im still getting some really good tones out of it. and i dont find the low end on the Pod THAT flabby...comparing it and the V Amp 2, the V Amp, while not a flabby low end, at least not on all settings, sure has TOO MUCH low end...you have to nearly dial it to zero to keep it from booming...the Pod is a little less bass-heavy, although it still does have quite a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soc_monki Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by Zyngath Yes, all the options can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning. I also have the 3 model packs installed, which adss to the confusion lol There are only a few amp models that i regularly use tho. It helps a lot to grab some good patches off the net (some guys here at HCAF made some great patches) and then start from there. im maybe planning on getting the Metal Shop model pack, but probably not much after that. i dont have a need for all the effects stuff they have in the FX Junkie pack...but if they had a distortion pedal pack maybe i would get that, for different boosts and stuff for the older Marshall amps in the thing...like maybe an MXR Dist+ for the REAL Randy Rhoads tone, or the Boss SD-1, which is so popular i really dont know why they didnt model it!!! ill look up some patches and see what the guys around here have come up with...should be interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cochise Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by troublehead I do agree with that. I had the XT once and only tried it with a power amp/cab setup. I returned it the next day. I do think they are a cool direct recording tool however. What all do you need to record with a PODxt? Just the POD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zyngath Posted February 27, 2006 Author Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by Cochise What all do you need to record with a PODxt? Just the POD? The POD and a PC. The POD cant record on its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cochise Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by Zyngath The POD and a PC. The POD cant record on its own. I should have been more specific.So, with a guitar, cords, podxt, and a pc I should be able to record. ? Right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AtillaTheHungry Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Yes, it can connect with USB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aldog1330 Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by Zyngath The POD and a PC. The POD cant record on its own. And a USB cable! Works pretty well too I might add, especially for late night programming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DirtyChains Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Put a ToneBone Dragster in front of the POD and an EQ (GE-7) after it and it sounds decent in front of an amp. The Dragster really adds some tube warmth for $50. My experience was with the Live though. I got frustrated with the damn thing and sold it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AtillaTheHungry Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 I use a Fish & Chips imbetween my guitar and the Pod. I cut 100 Hz to reduce the flubby low end, and boost 800 Hz, and sometimes 1.6 kHz, to increase the attack and thickness, and mid cut. I can use my Bad Monkey to accomplish about the same thing, but the Fish & Chips pulls it off better. I have tried the Fish & Chips imbetween the Pod and the amp, but I didn't care for it much. It's possible that using both together could be beneficial, but I don't have the cables to experiment, and I don't want to have to turn off the OD to get to a clean setting. That's what I love about the Pod. ONE press of a button, and you can get everything you want at once. If anything, I think it would work better with the OD, but the EQ in the loop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DirtyChains Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 I turned off the eq on the XT Live. When I left it on I did put the eq in the loop like normal. I also sometimes ran it just in the loop for effect to and the eq being there made it quite handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shask Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by soc_monki im maybe planning on getting the Metal Shop model pack, but probably not much after that. i dont have a need for all the effects stuff they have in the FX Junkie pack...but if they had a distortion pedal pack maybe i would get that, for different boosts and stuff for the older Marshall amps in the thing...like maybe an MXR Dist+ for the REAL Randy Rhoads tone, or the Boss SD-1, which is so popular i really dont know why they didnt model it!!! ill look up some patches and see what the guys around here have come up with...should be interesting The FX pack does have several boosters. I have all 3, but dont really use the CC pack much... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shask Posted February 27, 2006 Members Share Posted February 27, 2006 Originally posted by Shask The FX pack does have several boosters. I have all 3, but dont really use the CC pack much... Oh, and the SD-1 is a copy of the Tubescreamer in many ways, and they did model it, so thats why theres not a dedicated SD-1 model Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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