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And the answer has been right under my nose...
I was gonna go by Sam Ash again today after work to check out some more amps, but my back is bugging me (2 herniated discs), and I didn't want to make the drive. So I figured I'd stop by my local shop and see what they had. 20 minutes of nearly non-stop back spasms cut that trip short too
So anyway, like normal I turn on the Rivera and plug my POD XTL in. Last night I had been fooling with the Rivera by itself and my Powerbrake. I was jerking around a bit and it didn't sound "right".. and realized I had the "mic's on as the last time I played it was through headphones. Through the Rivera I don't use the mics just the cab sims. I've left them on before and know what it sounds like with and without them.
When I clicked the mic off, the sound hit me like a ton of bricks. "damn this thing sounds much better than normal...almost like a REAL amp, WTF?" Well, I spent a good hour playing and tweaking the Soldano model, and I even got the Plexi models sounding much better (and I usually can't stand them).
By far, I was getting the best tones EVAR out of this thing..The whole sound just totally opened up....AND at managable volume. ThenI got a pretty good spasm, and layed down on the edge of the bed and was just kinda staring at the amp, and I realized what was different about today than any other of the countless times I've used this thing....
I was plugged into the high input jack.
Normally, I plug into the LOW input jack, so that the clean channel has more headroom and won't distort and crap out the XTL's simulation. Well apparently thats the WRONG FRIGGING THING TO DO....incredible difference...like night and day...like going from a Marshall MG to 800 series stack difference (that may be an exaggeration, but the diff is very significant). I can't believe how good this thing sounds now. No it's not a voodoo modded marshall...its still has some digital remnants to it, but holy crap...The clarity and punch is so much better...it makes my guitars sound and sustain better to. The firebird and the faded both just seemed to "open up" along with the amp. the Soldano & 800 models just RIPPPP (again considering the volume level)
The kicker is...my roommate, who wouldn't know eddie van halen from eddie cochran, even knocked on my door and said "man, did you get a new amp or something today? cos you sound reallly friggin good! I thought you were playing a CD"..his GF agreed as well.
I just said "no, I'm a technology challenged dumbass"...
I'm gonna try one of those Atomics to see if it warms up a bit, but if that doesn't yield anything better, I'm stickin with what I got, cos it sounds damn good.
woohooooooo
I was gonna go by Sam Ash again today after work to check out some more amps, but my back is bugging me (2 herniated discs), and I didn't want to make the drive. So I figured I'd stop by my local shop and see what they had. 20 minutes of nearly non-stop back spasms cut that trip short too
So anyway, like normal I turn on the Rivera and plug my POD XTL in. Last night I had been fooling with the Rivera by itself and my Powerbrake. I was jerking around a bit and it didn't sound "right".. and realized I had the "mic's on as the last time I played it was through headphones. Through the Rivera I don't use the mics just the cab sims. I've left them on before and know what it sounds like with and without them.
When I clicked the mic off, the sound hit me like a ton of bricks. "damn this thing sounds much better than normal...almost like a REAL amp, WTF?" Well, I spent a good hour playing and tweaking the Soldano model, and I even got the Plexi models sounding much better (and I usually can't stand them).
By far, I was getting the best tones EVAR out of this thing..The whole sound just totally opened up....AND at managable volume. ThenI got a pretty good spasm, and layed down on the edge of the bed and was just kinda staring at the amp, and I realized what was different about today than any other of the countless times I've used this thing....
I was plugged into the high input jack.
Normally, I plug into the LOW input jack, so that the clean channel has more headroom and won't distort and crap out the XTL's simulation. Well apparently thats the WRONG FRIGGING THING TO DO....incredible difference...like night and day...like going from a Marshall MG to 800 series stack difference (that may be an exaggeration, but the diff is very significant). I can't believe how good this thing sounds now. No it's not a voodoo modded marshall...its still has some digital remnants to it, but holy crap...The clarity and punch is so much better...it makes my guitars sound and sustain better to. The firebird and the faded both just seemed to "open up" along with the amp. the Soldano & 800 models just RIPPPP (again considering the volume level)
The kicker is...my roommate, who wouldn't know eddie van halen from eddie cochran, even knocked on my door and said "man, did you get a new amp or something today? cos you sound reallly friggin good! I thought you were playing a CD"..his GF agreed as well.
I just said "no, I'm a technology challenged dumbass"...
I'm gonna try one of those Atomics to see if it warms up a bit, but if that doesn't yield anything better, I'm stickin with what I got, cos it sounds damn good.
woohooooooo
Thanks. 
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