POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

[JeffB]

Anyone used something besides a POD into a Atomic Reactor?

Got the Reactor yesterday and it has FRIGGIN INCREDIBLE low end...talk about a "stack in a box", and the feel of the PODXTL is def more tube-like, but I wouldn't say it *sounds* that much more "tubey". It's actually kinda dull sounding cos ya have to run the mic sims with it (mics are always "on" in studio direct mode, which is how you are supposed to run it). It did help get rid of the wierd overtones I was getting with the XTL through the Rivera though.

Was thinking of trying a different modeller, before I give up on the Reactor though cos the low end thump is incredible, as well as giving that tube "feel" under your fingers.

[zionstrat]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

Jeff- I'm a Rolloand COSM nut- Still playing a GP-100 and the new stuff doesnt have some of the fetaures I have- But COSM chip has been closest to real tube sounds I have found-

One cheap side opportunity is the yamaha magic stomp-
It's entirely non-user friendly, you have to do all of your editing in a bad PC interface and in performance mode you really have practically no control-

But the modles are actually very good and these things are cheep- I picked one up for $100 and use it mainly for accoustic effects- But if my old GEEP ever dies mid gig, I know that i've got a nicely tweaked blacface and a well driven marshall patch sitting in my gig bag-

Good luck and intereated in hearing which way you go!

[JeffB]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

Thank you for the advice, ZS I've been eyeing up the GT8.

If I could just pull off the stupid MIC simulation in direct mode, I think it would sound great and like a "real" amp. I tried using the same method as I was using going through the Rivera (using the XTL's "combo amp" EQ, and no mic sims, just cab sims), and it sounds like @$$ through the Reacto..very harsh and buzzy...through the Rivera it sounds excellent! (barring the overtones)

The Vox doesn't have mic sims...just amp and cab, so that may really help...unfortunately it doesn't offer the greenback 20 or 25 speakers in it's cab simulations...which is what I prefer for a real marshall and on the line 6. Not a fan of the 30 watt Celestions much....

[zionstrat]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

Very cool-I haven't really dug into the GT8 yet, but expect that's the direction I will go when the old geep kicks the bucket-

But I assumed that they had one basic function in common since the geep is 10 years old- On the geep I can bypass mic emulation per output- So I have cabinet emulation on for the house mix output, but it's off to my stage amp (vox pathfinder)-
Doesn't the GT give you this flexibility, or am I missing something regarding what you are trying to accomplish?

[JeffB]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

Very cool-I haven't really dug into the GT8 yet, but expect that's the direction I will go when the old geep kicks the bucket-

But I assumed that they had one basic function in common since the geep is 10 years old- On the geep I can bypass mic emulation per output- So I have cabinet emulation on for the house mix output, but it's off to my stage amp (vox pathfinder)-
Doesn't the GT give you this flexibility, or am I missing something regarding what you are trying to accomplish?

On the POD XTL (which is what I have), whenever you use the "Studio direct" mode, mics are automatically turned on. I've yet to find a way to turn them off (if there is even a way to do so..nothing in the manual I can find). Studio direct mode is the only recommended way to use the POD with the Reactor (designed that way, I guess). So it sounds muffled..like a recording...not like a "live" in your face amp.

If you are using the XTL however through a "regular" combo amp or a head or what have you (whether through the front of the amp or into the loop and using the amp as a slave), you can choose a "combo front input", "combo loop", "stack front input", or "stack loop" EQ (each with some tweakability via parametric). In these modes you can use the cab simulation WITHOUT it being mic'ed. I ran the XTL through the front of my Rivera using the "combo front" EQ with the cab sims on and the mics off and was able to get some great "real amp" sounds. Unfortunately when I try to do this with the Reactor using any of the combo or stack EQ settings, it sounds like crap...very harsh , trebly, etc.

[Benjy_26]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

Get the GT-8 folks. You can turn mic and cab sims on and off independantly and it sounds fantastic thru a tube power section. I use a Mesa 50:50 power amp, an open back Vox cab, and a sealed Marshall box (both 2x12).

[JeffB]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

Benjy..which Marshall amps does the GT8 model? or is it just a generic "british" amp sound?

One thing I LOVE about the line 6 is that it models a few specific marshalls I really like...JTM45 and an 2203...I want particular tonal characteristics of those exact amps, and not the generic "british stack" sound, if ya know what I mean.

[ErikH]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

I've messed around with a few modellers, including the POD 2.0 and XT. But my favorite right now is the Roland Cube 15 and Cube 30. I cannot believe how big that little Cube 15 sounds. Amazing. The Cube 30 sounds like a full stack on the Metal setting. What I like about it is the additional EQ control and footswitchable channels. That has to be the best deal out there for a modelling combo. I have to have one. I like it better than the Vox Valvetronix amps.

[JeffB]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

The Cube 30 sounds like a full stack on the Metal setting. .

I tried a 60 and it was kinda buzzy??..

also as I was asking Benjy, WHAT does it sound like...meaning WHAT full stack? A Plexi stack?, 800 stack?, 900 stack? DSL? TSL? I don't want a generic "marshall-like" sound....

[zionstrat]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

now i get it on the XT- weird that they dont give you a work around-

But now you've got me gassing on the GT8- One of my absolute favorite settings uses the cosm chups ability to merge modles and a large number of my patches are controled by my foot controler- For example 1/2 way between full clean blackface and harshly overdriven plexi, is an incredibly articulate but crunched sound- And getting rushlike sounds with clean highs over low crunch has always been easy-

But the trick was, I lost a lot of effects with this dual model mode and I just realized this new puppy has 2 cosm chips for exactly this pupose- Gads I want one!

Anyway, here's link to the manual and i hope you find that you can defeat cab emulation as I would need it as well

http://www.bosscorp.co.jp/products/en/_support/om.cfm?ln=en&dsp=0&iCncd=692&iStcd=4

Cheers

[ErikH]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

I tried a 60 and it was kinda buzzy??..

also as I was asking Benjy, WHAT does it sound like...meaning WHAT full stack? A Plexi stack?, 800 stack?, 900 stack? DSL? TSL? I don't want a generic "marshall-like" sound....

I didn't try the 60 even though one was there. The Metal setting on the 30 sounded like a goosed 800 or even like my 900. It was really nice. Not buzzy at all. And since I had just been playing through mine the previous 2 days, I could definitely hear the Marshall in it.

[zionstrat]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

Just personal opinion, but I havent had as much luck with the Cube 30 that I get with other Roland models-

Have to admit that some of it may be the fact that I've saved so many patches over the years and I've become spoiled switching between them as opposed to dialing in each sound as you do on the 30-

I like some of the sounds on the 30, but is it really using the same cosm chip as the GT8?

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

D@mn, Jeff, you go thru gear like I go thru Guinness!!

[JeffB]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

D@mn, Jeff, you go thru gear like I go thru Guinness!!

wha?

I've had the XTL for awhile...and mentioned getting the reactor a couple weeks ago

I still have the Rivera....for now

And I haven't bought a new guitar in at least 3 weeks or so...yeesh




Seriously, I'm trying to friggin narrow down my gear...one guitar, *maybe* two, and get something that sounds good at low volumes (and the XTL doubles as a recording device) ...I had hoped the Reactor would be better than the Rivera as the power section for the XTL..but so far, no go. I may just have to scrap the Rivera and the XTL/Reactor and get one of those bumbox 1 watt amps or a Fargen bastage, a 2x12 from Avatar, and good goose and chorus ped...I'm getting sick of this complicated modern crap

[SoCalSteve]

Re: POD/ Other Modellers & Atomic Reactors

Hey Jeff, I had the XTL/Atomic setup earlier this year and I found the key is having the right patches that are setup expressly for the Atomic. You should go to www.instituteofnoise.com and get the patches that Andy Z has put together for playing through the Atomic. His hard work really makes it easy to get usable tones. One of my faves is a patch called SexyPlexi among many others. Also, don't be afraid to load them into your XTL. As you probably know, it can be reset to the original presets.