Undecided about what to buy, please help?

F

Filipe Marquez

New member
Hey guys, i wanted to ask you: - Did some of you already tested both the POD HD, Amplitube 3, the Eleven Rack or a tube amp going direct?

I'm torn between buying a Focusrite Saffire 14 Pro and Amplitube 3, POD HD or ER, or buying a dummy load to the amp i have (Laney LC 30 II) with a direct out that cancels the speaker sound.

So my question is: - have you personally tried them all or at least the HD and ER? How do they sound compared to Amplitube and vice-versa? What's your opinion on them, concrete or hypothetical?

Help is really appreciated!
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

I like alternative products to those you mention:

I like my presonus audiobox 22vsl, my tech 21 character series pedals modelers, and my recabinet IR impulses

I have used line6 but their stuff blew up and was unfixable according to them and they would not let me use the free plugins since my toneport did not work. SO I DO NOT LIKE LINE 6 STUFF!!!
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

Hm, and how low are you able to go in terms of samples with the presonus? Doesn't it sound weird plugging the pedals and then using recabinet since the pedals already have a cab simulation?
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

I turn the cab sim off on the pedals, so no weirdness. I like the pedals best, I have tried line 6, lepoulin free amp sims, and ezmix 2. but I finally heard axefxII fuzz pedal sim so I am saving up for that (at 1 minute):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GzwOuMN99M

I use presonus as an interface only, I use reaper as my daw.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

no. I only care about the quality of recordings, so I do not need to try it.

just as friendly advice, if you want more replies you might want to try a more specific thread title. also, this might be better in the tips and clips room.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

Axe-FX is the clear choice, but if you can't afford it then the Eleven Rack is the best option.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

Hm, thanks Everdrone! Indeed i thought there was something wrong for almost no one replied.

And UberMetalDood, have you tried and compared the POD HD to the Eleven Rack? I had a friend telling me he thinks the HD is better than the Eleven?
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

Filipe Marquez said:
Hm, thanks Everdrone! Indeed i thought there was something wrong for almost no one replied.

And UberMetalDood, have you tried and compared the POD HD to the Eleven Rack? I had a friend telling me he thinks the HD is better than the Eleven?
Click to expand...

I have compared all of them. The HD is pretty good but the Eleven Rack sounds more natural to me and has a more realistic feel. AxeFX slays them all, but they cost as much as a good tube amp. I ran the Eleven Rack and POD HD both through a Mesa 20w power amp. The POD sounded like a POD but the Eleven Rack gave me a more authentic rack preamp sound. The POD HD seemed kind of cheap in comparison. That's my opinion, but I have heard a lot of good audio samples of the HD too. I guess it depends on what your preference is. The HD has more stuff and more features, but the Eleven Rack is more amp-like and does a better job as a preamp through a power amp. Some of the effects alone on the Eleven Rack are better but some of the HD effects are better. I liked the chorus on the HD more than the Eleven Rack.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

I've gotten the best sound out of Peavey's Revalver software coupled with free IRs, and also get really nice sounds out of all the free amp sims like Lepou's and TSE's, and Ignite Amps. I've tried just about *everything* except the Eleven Rack and Axe FX, and Scuffham amp sim plugin. (I've heard how great the Scuffham amp sim was for rock, but not for metal. I'm not a rock guy.)


* Hardware sims - Every POD model from the very first to the HD500. Vox Tonelab LE, ST, and Stomplab. Johnson J-Station. Behringer V-Amp 1 & 2. Zoom 505 and G3. Kemper Profiling Amp. Digitech 2112, GSP1101, RP500. Probably a few others. Sold them all.
* Software sims - Amplitube, Waves GTR, Line 6 POD Farm, Guitar Rig. Still own GTR and POD Farm because it's a huge pain (and costs $$$) to sell stuff that's ilok protected.

I also have a bunch of amp heads that I run via the FX loop into the computer and add power amp sims and cabinet IRs to. (For the tube amps, I have a dummy load.) Oddly enough, the best sounding one was the Peavey Vypyr amp.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

IME, friends don't let friends play PODs.

also, I personally don't much care for Amplitube. Could never get any natural sounding sounds with it. I actually prefer using some free amp sims by LePou plugins over Amplitube. Guitar Rig is also pretty good.

I haven't played the 11 Rack, but from what I've heard, it's a damn good investment.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

I've been using PODs since the 2.0 that I bought in August 2000.

There were some things I preferred in the X3L, but I like the quality of the amp models in the HD500.

>95% of my playing is through a POD. I go direct to the board both with the band and at church. I like it. YMMV.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

Filipe Marquez said:
Nice. But don't you think Axe-FX is too expensive? Have you ever tried it personally?
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I've been an AxeFx user for about four years now: two with an Ultra and nearly two years with the II. For what it does, it's a great deal. It's not cheap but it can replace a lot of stuff.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

Hmm, now i don't know what to do! Lol

One more thing i'd like to ask you guys, what do you use for monitoring?

And Aleclee, do you know of someone wanting to sell an Axe II that would securely ship to Brazil?

Also i was gonna ask you guys: - Do you know what is THE best interface i can buy that would go all the way down to 64 or 32 samples so i could play with amps vsts without noticeable latency?

And another question: - I'm using PODxt now, but when i plug it through Asio4All i get a doubling sound. Do you know how to fix this? Thanks!
 
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Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

Filipe Marquez said:
One more thing i'd like to ask you guys, what do you use for monitoring?

And Aleclee, do you know of someone wanting to sell an Axe II that would securely ship to Brazil?
Click to expand...
I use studio monitors at home (recently upgraded from Mackie MR5s to Equator Q8s) and powered PA cabs (QSC K8s) when playing with other folks.

If you're looking for a used AxeFx, check the Fractal Audio forum.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

Filipe Marquez said:
Also i was gonna ask you guys: - Do you know what is THE best interface i can buy that would go all the way down to 64 or 32 samples so i could play with amps vsts without noticeable latency?
Click to expand...

Anything by RME or Lynx. Not cheap, but they're probably the best in the mid-to-upper level prosumer interfaces.
 
Re: Undecided about what to buy, please help?

Hm, thanks Alec! What about those powered PA's? In your opinion is it really better to plug modelers into PA's than into guitar cabs with power amps?

And Dominus, thanks for the info, and nice quotes! :P
 
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