er... HELP! podxt troubles

[AmirH]

Ok so here's the dealie. I've been using the pod with 0 issues straight into the computer and into my little peavey bandit. It sounds about how I'd like it to through both and I honestly think it sounds best straight into the high input of the bandit with cab simulation left ON. Almost identical to direct into the computer but with more character and slightly looser. The problem is this wednesday I'm going to a pretty good sized jam and both other guitarists run half stacks. I honestly can't imagine my 1x12 bandit keeping up. So I decided to haul along my PA, and run the pod into that. I figured it would keep up easily and everyone says the pod is best with full range speakers. I just tried it and holy mother of god it sounds AWFUL. It's so harsh it's just unbelievable- literally like a swarm of bees and almost no lowend. Even the patches that have so much low end they're sometimes muddy just sound thin and piercing. I messed with it for over an hour- attentuated the horns to -90db, used the mixer eq to roll off everything over 2k and boosted the bass some, did the same thing with the podxt eq, I mean- it helped, but definitely not enough. Nothing sounds even close to as good as before. what gives?

My only idea at this point shy of sitting with the PA cranked for a few hours and tweaking is to mic up the bandit with it. What would you do? What the crap is wrong with all my patches to make them sound so bad. For the record- it's not just me either. This band Avid played a few weeks ago using an xt live into the front of a fender and his tone was pretty close to the same. Buzzy harsh and super trebly.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: er... HELP! podxt troubles

Ok so here's the dealie. I've been using the pod with 0 issues straight into the computer and into my little peavey bandit. It sounds about how I'd like it to through both and I honestly think it sounds best straight into the high input of the bandit with cab simulation left ON. Almost identical to direct into the computer but with more character and slightly looser. The problem is this wednesday I'm going to a pretty good sized jam and both other guitarists run half stacks. I honestly can't imagine my 1x12 bandit keeping up. So I decided to haul along my PA, and run the pod into that. I figured it would keep up easily and everyone says the pod is best with full range speakers. I just tried it and holy mother of god it sounds AWFUL. It's so harsh it's just unbelievable- literally like a swarm of bees and almost no lowend. Even the patches that have so much low end they're sometimes muddy just sound thin and piercing. I messed with it for over an hour- attentuated the horns to -90db, used the mixer eq to roll off everything over 2k and boosted the bass some, did the same thing with the podxt eq, I mean- it helped, but definitely not enough. Nothing sounds even close to as good as before. what gives? My only idea at this point shy of sitting with the PA cranked for a few hours and tweaking is to mic up the bandit with it. What would you do? What the crap is wrong with all my patches to make them sound so bad. For the record- it's not just me either. This band Avid played a few weeks ago using an xt live into the front of a fender and his tone was pretty close to the same. Buzzy harsh and super trebly.

Pod XT? Ok:
Inputs

And I quote:

Phones - When you want to listen with headphones, plug them in here. PODXT Live automatically switches to Studio Mode whenever headphones are connected. Learn more about studio mode here.

Output To Amp/Line - The unbalanced 1/4-inch connectors get your PODXT Live’s sound to a guitar amplifier, recorder, mixer or PA system. Flick the rear panel switch to AMP when you’ve got your PODXT Live feeding into the front of a guitar amp, or choose LINE to send you signal to a mixer or PA. The rear panel LEVEL knob sets the - you guessed it! - output level. Changing the OUTPUT level does not change your tone, so you can get the tone you want at any volume level.

So I would try the output to PA and adjust LINE signal. If that sounds like krap, plug PA into headphones jack. Me, I had issues with a keyboard amp (thinking it was a normal amp) until I realized it was one and plugged it into LINE OUT.

Hope that helps!

 

[Jeff Dunne]

Re: er... HELP! podxt troubles

Sounds to me like you had the cabinet modeling off when running to the PA somehow - the patches without cabinet modeling immediately sound harsh and fizzy, with no balls.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: er... HELP! podxt troubles

Perluss Whun.

Also, did you switch to "direct" instead of "amp?"

BTW, a certain amount of tweaking is necessary every time you use different gear or play in a different venue. But it shouldn't be THAT much.

 

[larry_emder]

Re: er... HELP! podxt troubles

Use what sounds best to you.

But realise that many many people prefer the sound of the pod through a full range thingy. Ya just gotta turn lots of knobs.

 

[AmirH]

Re: er... HELP! podxt troubles

Yeah, it sounded like it had no cab emulation actually, but it was switched to line level in studio direct. I think anyway... I gotta check again tomorrow maybe. For the record, I never use the amp switch anyway cuz I overall prefer the way it sounds when switched to line. Fuller... I'll update tomorrow if I don't make any progress.

 

[AmirH]

Re: er... HELP! podxt troubles

Well, I feel like an idiot. I noticed today that the 1/4 inputs for my mixer are hi-z, which means I was overdriving the living crap out of it. I flipped the little switch in the back to "amp" and TADA!!! no more excessive buzzy earpiercing solid state distortion! Not only does it sound better, it sounds freakin GOOD. I had to adjust my presets a bit of course, but nothing major and now I'm totally stoked for the jam this wednesday. Sounds better than it did through the bandit or direct in, although I have to admit there's more "feel" to it when you run it through an amp- I had to lower my gate settings something drastic to get rid of the stiff feeling it has when playing leads.

Anyway, thought I'd let ya'll know it's working now. And holy crap- I turned the master volume up a bit and I'm gonna have NO problem keeping up with those half stacks. Earth shattering volume... my ears feel all muffled.

 

[iekobrid]

Re: er... HELP! podxt troubles

Does the Bandit have an effect loop or a line out? Just for comparison's sake, you might try hooking the POD up to it like normal, then running from the Bandit into a line-in on the PA. Just to see if there's some magic in that old silk hat, so to speak.