Nothing sounding good......

[TheArchitect]

One of the perks of home ownership is that I can finally hang anything I damn well please on the walls. I finally found the time to acoustically treat the studio room. After much research, trial and error etc I have a magnificant sounding room and discovered what a real mess the previous room had been sonically. My studio reference albums (Steely Dan and Mutt Lange stuff mostly) are sounding just phenomenal.

Unfortunately, the POD2 and PODxt tones I found acceptable in the old room have been exposed and sound like complete crap. I've spent 2 days tweaking with nothing to my liking insight. So I fired up the amps downstairs only to discover that I didn't really care for what I was hearing from them either unless I played them at just outragous volume. I Tried some pedals in front, several different instruments, and found a few things that are OK. I am left with trying to string mic cables up throught the basement to the studio room for something that is just OK?. Not an appealling option for something that was just OK

Just not sure which direction to go. I've tried several modellers and found the PODs to be the best but they arent getting it done. The old marshalls are just too damn loud. Is there a small combo that can do a decent mid gain tone? Everything seems to be designed for Fender clean or mega gain. What to do, what to do..............

 

[some_dude]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

I've found that too much damping material absorbs alot of sound. It's good for accurate monitoring, but not so good for sound production. I actually prefer the sound of a somewhat reflective room.

I'm no recording buff by any stretch, but that's what I've figured out so far.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

Its bass trapped fairly heavily due to the smallish size of the room but a lot of what I did is actually diffusion instead of absorbtion. I would call the room neutral leaning toward dry. It needs to be a mixing room first and formost.

I agree that the reflections from the old room definitely made the POD's sound better. But, I need something that sounds good on its own to begin with. even with a little delay and 'verb they were just stinking up the place. Kind of disappointing too as I have always spoke highly of them but they just didn't hold up to the scrutiny of a well tuned listening environment.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

I think you need to continue tweaking the PODs, IMHO.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

but they just didn't hold up to the scrutiny of a well tuned listening environment.

I find that true of most digital media (CDs, MP3s, DVD, ect). They can sound good in a normal environment through average audio equipment, but when listening in a nice room with hi-fi gear, digital starts to show it's weaknesses.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

Yeah hurry up stop playing...nothing works

 

[Tony_H]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

Yeah hurry up stop playing...nothing works

Reminds me of a Dan Erlewine quote from the Guitar Player Repair Guide:"Don't forget to enjoy playing!"
But seriously, if you can find a small all-tube amp you should be able to crank it up enough to give you some mid-gain sound and power tube grind at a level that won't kill. I have a Laney LC-15 - a pretty good and affordable Marshall-alike in a 1x10" package.
Just my 2 cents...

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

Steely Dan and Mutt Lange stuff mostly

Try a Flexi, and get some other speakers as well, just to mix up stuff, some speakers sounds great at low/mid volumes, but why not just record loud??
Or get hold of an AC-15 or a clone of it..if you like the sound of EL-84's, or an old Mesa boogie 22 watts combo.
Anyways I always record with either insane loud amps or use the smaller ones I have, hmm how about getting an old Selmer T & B and stuck it to a greenback equipped cab??
Those amps record very well.
What are you using by the way?

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

I find that true of most digital media (CDs, MP3s, DVD, ect). They can sound good in a normal environment through average audio equipment, but when listening in a nice room with hi-fi gear, digital starts to show it's weaknesses.

I have to disagree with you on this point. CD's and what have you sound excellent both in general and in this space. The very early digital stuff had its shortcomings but the current crop of digital is top shelf. MP3's and other compressed formats certainly lose something but CD's are fine.

Give Steely Dan's Gaucho or Aja a listen and tell me whats wrong with them. CD's sound bad these days because of the stupid things they do to them to basically "make them louder" in the mastering process. The idea being that the loudest song in the play list will get the most attention. Its crap and entire records are being laid to waste because of it. Vapor Trails by Rush is a perfect example of an album being trashed by this.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

Yeah hurry up stop playing...nothing works

Stopping was never an option. If I need the record loud I will find a way. Just can't help but think it isn't necessary. Their has to be other alternatives.

Les.Strat,

Any POD tones you can email me? I have a 2.0 and an XT. Glad to give them a shot.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

sorry, I never got around to mastering the art of computer connectivity :smack: :chairfall:

I use the POD live, but I KNOW they're used for some cool recordings by some pretty discriminate producers.

Have you tried the line6 website? They have downloadable patches/settings.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

Tweak the POD. I hated my Boss GT-6 for a while, until I started tweaking it again. Also, try a BBE Sonic Maximizer after the POD. It really brought my GT-6 back to life. :burnout:

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

I had trouble with getting tone from the Pod until I downloaded the editing software from the Line 6 site. I run midi into the Pod and I can adjust the parametrs from the mouse/screen. It sounds a lot better now.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Nothing sounding good......

I have to disagree with you on this point. CD's and what have you sound excellent both in general and in this space. The very early digital stuff had its shortcomings but the current crop of digital is top shelf. MP3's and other compressed formats certainly lose something but CD's are fine.

Well most cd's are still just 16bit....which leaves alot to be desired, it would take some heavy numbercrunching to get anywhere near old vinyls.
I have a highquality Phillips recording with a Mozart piano concert, and I have the exact the same record on a highquality vinyl.....well no contest whatsoever.
It helps abit on DVD's...but not all that much, it is all done by boosting stuff, it does not compete with a serious turntable...how could it?