Vox Tonelab VS. Line 6 PodXT

[Xeromus]

I'm considering selling my Pod XT and getting a Tonelab. I've never used the tonelab before but I hear good things about it. None of the local stores near me have one. It's main use would be for direct recording and silent practice through headphones.

My main complaints with the Pod XT are:

Way too many parameters. Nice to have all those effects and ways to tweak them, but hell I never use them. It's hard to get to them all through the interface too. I like just turning knobs til it sounds good.

Cleans are very good, but, the overdriven and distortion amps and settings are freakin HORRIBLE. And by horrible I mean really freakin' BAD. I've tried a lot of stuff, given it months of time. Every once in a while you can get a decent distorted overdriven tone out of it, and the JCM800 model isn't bad either, I like that one a lot. But on the whole the heavy tones are unusable fart mud sounds. A palm mute under the mesa model sounds like someone stuck a mic on a hippo and recorded it farting while under a mud pit. It's ridiculous.

anyway,

Anyone use the tonelab? anyone A/B them? What do you guys think? I can't afford to keep both, and I need a direct record tool as well as something I can use with headphones that sounds good.

 

[Mkf411]

Re: Vox Tonelab VS. Line 6 PodXT

I tried the Tonelab briefly but didn't really have time to dig into it. I would also consider the Tonelab SE. It's the same as the ToneLab, but it has foot pedals and stomp buttons. It's desiged to be used as a footpedal. That way you could just stomp on button to change setting and not have to take your hands off the guitar to change up your sound. I think it even has a volume pedal. Anyway the pedals are assignable. I think it's $100 more that the regular Tonelab. I've seen it at Guitar Center. If you can get there, buy one and try it for 30 days and return it if you don't like it.

I'm very happy with my Valvetronix AD-60 1x12 combo and the tonelab is the same technology.

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Vox Tonelab VS. Line 6 PodXT

bumps

 

[MattPete]

Re: Vox Tonelab VS. Line 6 PodXT

I used a Pod 2.0 for a while. Try as I might, I couldn't get a descent direct sound -- it all sounded like mud to me (actually, it sounded pretty good through my JC120).

I bought a Tonelab earlier this spring, and it is just *so* much better than the POD. No mud at all! And the tone sounds great. About the only thing I'd like to change would be to add a parametric EQ and an effects send/return for outboard effects (many of the effects aren't that great, but the tone is).

This is played through a Powerbook into a set of MAudio BX5 monitors.

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Vox Tonelab VS. Line 6 PodXT

I used a Pod 2.0 for a while. Try as I might, I couldn't get a descent direct sound -- it all sounded like mud to me (actually, it sounded pretty good through my JC120).

I bought a Tonelab earlier this spring, and it is just *so* much better than the POD. No mud at all! And the tone sounds great. About the only thing I'd like to change would be to add a parametric EQ and an effects send/return for outboard effects (many of the effects aren't that great, but the tone is).

This is played through a Powerbook into a set of MAudio BX5 monitors.

nice, as long as the tone is good that's all that matters. I can always use my effects pedals, and even with my pod, or anything, it goes through my rackmount EQ and Mixing board before my recording interface anyway. I just ordered one, I'm really looking forward to it.