Who here can't stand PODs?

[Pecan]

Maybe its just me, but I can't stand pods. maybe its because I can't be bothered tweaking them like I would a new amp I find at a store. I've tried a couple differant ones and they sound... bad? fake i suppose. What am I missing so many of you guys love them I think. Any tips on how to use the things properly, knowing me I'm probably not tweaking the thing right. I hate my classic 30 until I get it just right. Screwed it up for a week when i changed my eq settings and forgot what the old ones were. So what do I need to look out for on pods next time the guitar store guy decides to plug me into one instead of an amp:yell:

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I am not a fan of them either, really aside from the big Line 6 FX units I don't care for Line 6 stuff at all...that said, I do have a POD and I do use it...it's much easier, quicker and quiter to track guitars for demos in an apartment with a POD...

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

Can't stand 'em for the most part, but when you need to lay down tracks quickly and quietly, nothing beats them besides a head DI'd into a cab impulse, but that's a pain in the ass to work with, and really expensive.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

What am I missing so many of you guys love them I think.

maybe its because I can't be bothered tweaking them like I would a new amp I find at a store.

Yep...that would about cover it.

For the record...I never could make any of the PODs or digital gear in general sound good in the store.

But I'm willing to admit that there's a learning curve to it and I need to put in the time to get the results.

I've owned a PODxt for a few months now and feel like I've barely scratched the surface with it. I typically use the thing via USB and a PowerBook so I have all the options in front of me right there, and even then I have to learn what unit is capable of and how to get it to do what I want it to do.

Evaluating a digital amp device on the basis of tweaking it in the store is like saying you don't like a certain canned food because you don't like the color of the label when you see it in the supermarket.

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I think definitely the pods can sound good...I've got a buddy of mine that plays live through a J station into a tube power amp and that thing sounds GREAT. I think it's a matter of learning how to tweak them and the individual player...I can't make them sound good, I like having no menus personally.

For my bass rig on the other hand, I've really been considering getting a Line 6 Pod XT Pro bass rig and a power amp and playing it through my 4x10...I played on in guitar center with a stingray like mine and man, I could get some great tones out of that rig ....I just am a little more easily pleased as far as bass tone goes than I am with guitar tone

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

It's really easy to dis the Pod. It's an easy target, because it boasts of what it can't possibly do. It's marketing is such that it is just begging to be de-bunked. Almost like Mythbusters could do a comparison, and the myth that a Pod could fool the trained ear (or player) would be busted. Can't fool me, pod boys, no more than the Rockman was one of Tom Scholz's miked Marshall stacks. The Sansamp produts actually do a better job IMHO of "fooling" both the player and listener. I realize Line 6 needs to be boastful and self confident in their marketing, or no one would try them. But it generates a lot of controversy. Although they sell a TON of gear through "big box" retail outlets and catalogs, few people have a Pod as their ultimate choice for tone. Most of the owners say "I wish I could have xyz, etc. But since I can't I have to use the Pod"

So yeah, I don't like them, but they're merely a tool. And they are an extremely useful tool, too. And very cost effective. I have accumulated thousands of dollars in tube preamps over 15-20 years, and other outboard gear that gets me all the different sounds I want. If it was all stolen (and I didn't have insurance) perhaps I too would have to get a Pod to replace it.

The safest way to audition a Pod is to leave your preconceived notions of what it's supposed to sound like behind. Don't try to audition the AC30 model as if it were really an AC30, or Recto, JCM, Soldano, whatever. Just see if you like how it sounds. If you do, then forget about how it's not the "real thing" and buy one. But if, like me, you think it sounds flat and lame, stay away.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

well, i think it is a pretty old debate- some guitarists like to get great sounds quickly, some will spend hours crafting a tone. i like to do both, actually. I'll use amps, pods, software, i don't care- whatever gets me there. i am one of those strange people that *likes* figuring out menus and reading manuals (Line6 writes pretty good ones, actually). I bet most people, after hearing a recording, would be hard-pressed to guess how it was recorded though. When I record, I use whatever I have, either a mike in front of an amp or digital s/pdif'd into the computer- there are lots of ways to get sounds. I owned a SansAmp, but I didn't like the way it sounded- there was a particular character to the sound present in all models. I actually sold my pod because it wasn't tweakable enough- I use a Boss GT-Pro direct into the PA.

 

[brisk]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I think thier patches are excellent. I got POD Xt and I didn't edit plexi, Ac30, Deluxe, twin, rectifer and JCM800 patches at all.

 

[krankguitarist]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I've said this before, but to me, they're a GREAT recording tool, but not an end-all-be-all solution. You got a load of different amp models and effects at your fingertips, and those can be really great to add flavor to a recording. However, using them as the primary source for your tone seems to inject a bit of artificial-ness into a recording.

As for a live/effects processor...sure, if you need a lot of versatility, its a lot easier than luggin around a whole bunch of amps. I'd rather just have my one amp and have it do its job very well though .

 

[Bellski777]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I have heard they are great when you run them through a clean tube amp. A guy who used to play lead at my church used on straight into sound board.....it was ok. He ended up using the worship leaders pedalboard setup in the end, though. Which his setup is SWEET btw.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I know I sound like a broken record, so forgive me......if you want to go the modeling route, there's only ONE way to go, IMO. Buy a modeling head. PODs and Tonelabs can only act as a preamp, and they cost what?.....$350-$700??
Modeling combos come with a POS **** for a speaker and cabinetry that NO tube amp company would ever use. If you buy a head like a Valvetronix, HD147, Vetta, or Flextone II HD XL, you'll have something that can double as a POD and also can be used on top of a high quality cab, which is an ideal home practice setup. Honestly, you level the playing field when you use a modeling head on the same kind of cabinet you'd use with your tube head.

I used to be a tube snob, but I found out that modeling heads actually sound good on a high quality cab. I prove this to myself everytime I go to GC and plug into a modeling combo.....sounds like dogsh!t compared to my modeling rig at home....a Valvetronix AD60 on a Bogner 2-12. And guess what?...modeling heads only cost a few bucks more than a POD!!! especially if you buy a used one. It's a very good idea to own a tube head and matching cabinet. Then, buy a modeling head, and use that with your cab at home.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

My POD is my main amp. I actually play it through a tube amp's effects loop and I prefer the sound. It's great for practice and with the floorboard I have infinite versatility.

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I used to have one. It was great to get ideas down quick with an ok tone. But i tried using it in rehearsal and i was struggling to get a good sound at volume. Since that time i bought my mate's Laney. Even before id starting tweaking the EQ my tone was already better. I dont need many sounds and the Laney does the job very well. Just that, my OD and guitar vol controls. So after buying that i didnt need the pod all that much.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I don't really like them either. They are great for home recording and practice, but other than that, I just really don't like the sound. It just doesn't do it for me personally. I don't mess with the eq too much on my amp usually either, except for today. And that's when I noticed that the 12AX7's were glowing a bit duller than they were a few weeks ago.

POD's are cool ideas, but I don't see them in place of a real amp.

EDIT: My computer hates me...

How can something you don't like the sound of be great for recording?

 

[aleclee]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I know I sound like a broken record, so forgive me......if you want to go the modeling route, there's only ONE way to go, IMO. Buy a modeling head. PODs and Tonelabs can only act as a preamp, and they cost what?.....$350-$700??

Depends on the application. If you're using it with a band, you're spot on but if you're using a modeler primarily for recording, then buying a modeler with a built-in power section might not be a great use of $$$.

As many of you know, I'm a self-proclaimed tube snob but I just finished a film scoring project and I don't know if I could be happier with the results I got with my POD/Variax. I guaranfriggintee that nobody watching the flick will know or care that there were no magnetic pickups, microphones, nor tubes in the signal path.

Modeling gear can be a very useful tool in one's bag of tricks but I'll be the first to admit that it's not good at everything or for everything. I'll be tracking guitar parts for my band's CD and the Two Rock, Rivera, Driskill and PRS will be coming back out. For that project, I want the tone and feel I get having magnetic pickups amplified by tubes and moving air through a good-sized speaker cabinet.

Even if you don't feel like endlessly tweaking (I generally don't), a lot of good patches -- and tons of bad ones -- are available for download. Also, the computer-based tone editor for the POD is waaaay more convenient than dealing with the so-so user interface on the hardware itself. In short, there's a lot more to the POD than most folks get to see in the store.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I like the Pod 2.x just fine and I make it work when I need to. The thing is that I don't expect it to be what it is not. Saying that the Pod is great for recording on the fly or for getting tones at 2am without waking the neighbors but it sucks as a tube amp replacement is just silly. Does the Pod look like a tube amp? If not then how did you get tricked.

A couple of things I have discovered. The Pod sounds ok in the phones direct, it sounds better on a stand alone recorder, better yet on a deceint PC and better yet through a dual processor Mac. The better the thing is that you run it through, the better it sounds.

Get the deep editing software from Line6. Once you can tweak it from the computer it does start to sound better.

I run my Pod dry and add either plug-ins from my recording rig or I run it through my live use processors. The Pod effects are ok but since I don't use the Pod effects live, I don't use them for recording. It helps to have continuity in your verbs and delays so that your tones stay consistent across all the instruments.

The Pod is a great tool but it does have its limitations. Don't be afraid to re-EQ the parts once they are recorded. They attempted to model full range amps and if you don't trim down some of that sonic info your mixes wont hit their full potential.

I would not be happy if I had to take a Pod on stage with me but for recording believable demos they work great. More than once someone from this forum has claimed to hear the tubes "cooking" in one of my recordings. I guess you can fool some of the people some of the time!

BTW, the song "World With A View" that can be found on my soundclick account has several guitar parts recorded, some with the Pod and some were mic'ed off of my Mesa rack. To this date no one has been able to tell me which are live and which are modeled.

Go figure.........

 

[Voxman]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

To me it`s a tool when recording demos at home. i remember those days when the "cab simulators" did`nt exist. hehehe....try do a decent demo without a amp or cab simulating box! not a easy task... As a fx unit i don`t think it offer anything new,it`s all about getting a amp feeling. My nighborhood is a better place now that i don`t have to use the amps all the time!!
IT`s NOT FANTASTIC but i could`nt live without it!!

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

Anybody who expects a $250 piece of plastic to outperform a $1000+ tube amp should probably sell all their gear, and go back to coloring books and big fat crayons.

 

[Voxman]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

Anybody who expects a $250 piece of plastic to outperform a $1000+ tube amp should probably sell all their gear, and go back to coloring books and big fat crayons.

:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:
That`s soooo true! keep it real guys:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Who here can't stand PODs?

I like the Pod 2.x just fine and I make it work when I need to. The thing is that I don't expect it to be what it is not. Saying that the Pod is great for recording on the fly or for getting tones at 2am without waking the neighbors but it sucks as a tube amp replacement is just silly. Does the Pod look like a tube amp? If not then how did you get tricked.

BTW, the song "World With A View" that can be found on my soundclick account has several guitar parts recorded, some with the Pod and some were mic'ed off of my Mesa rack. To this date no one has been able to tell me which are live and which are modeled.

It isn't a tube amp, and I don't think anybody expects it to replace one. That said, I still say that they're great for recording tracks on the fly or for getting tones at 2am, it still sucks immensely compared to a mic'd up rig.


As far as nobody being able to tell which tones on that song are POD and which are Mesa... it's because the mix on the guitars isn't that good. Not to knock you, I have a ton of respect for you Rob, but all the guitars... hell, the whole thing sounds really, really dull, and the frequencies that normally would be the tell-tale difference between a DI and a mic'd amp (the high-end sizzle) are completely rolled off. The guitars aren't high enough in the mix to fully judge, either, and there's too much conflict with the other instruments to fully make it out.