KVR Audio

MrTom · Post by **MrTom** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 10:37 am

Controller_C wrote:Just 2 years after I buy my Pod Pro they come out with the Pod Pro XT, and you'd think there was some kinda expansion pack or something the old Pod Pro users could purchase for less than the cost of the whole dam unit to reap the benefits but nope, line6's response is "the Pod ProXT is totally different from the Pod Pro." Oh yes I see, well that's true, the Pod ProXT is designed for direct recording and live performance, and actually re-creates the tones of many famouse amplifiers...oh wait the Pod Pro does that too!hmmm- oh I know, the Pod ProXT is red and fits on a rack using 2 slots. Then I come to find out the single most disturbing thing about the original POD pro- YOU CAN ONLY USE ONE EFFECT AT A TIME!!!What the hell is that? Come on guys!!! Dude even my freakin $100 ZOOM pedal can use several effects at once!! The Pod Pro has a built in compressor but you can't use it with any effect other than delay- ??Can somebody explain why?? Is it so they can say "Hey for another $600 you can buy the POD again!! and this time you can get all the fx features of older effects processors that cost much less for example; now you can use 6 effects at once with the POD PRO XT!" Wow that's really cutting edge, sorry I'm bitter I shoulda got something different or waited for the Pod ProXT

The world is such a rude and unfair place...

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 11:40 am

james0tucson wrote:
Sleek Month wrote:There is nothing organic, natural or magical about tubes.
Solid state amplifiers do not tend to remain useful as the components age. Tube amplifiers often actually improve with age.

This is why I still use my Fender Deluxe, and why I don't even remember what became of my Yamaha 212.

Huh? The only thing that ages differently in a tube amp is the tube. Some people claim that the tubes mellow out or get nicer-sounding with age, but it's a fact that at SOME point in time they will need to be replaced, too. Then you have new tubes and the rest is aged the same way that solid-state ages.

Some people prefer the sound of new tubes anyhow.

I suspect the reason you still use your Fender and not your Yamaha is because the Fender sounded better all along, not because it aged nicely.

Greg

Sleek Month · Post by **Sleek Month** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 5:29 pm

Solid state amplifiers do not tend to remain useful as the components age. Tube amplifiers often actually improve with age.

This is why I still use my Fender Deluxe, and why I don't even remember what became of my Yamaha 212.

Well, actually both tubes amps and solid state amps have the same problem, which is the capacitors dry out over time and need to be replaced. (Not just amps, I have a TV that the same thing happened to.)

Transitor amps seem to have the tendency of going out of fashion quicker, though.

Anything that represents the cutting edge will fall out of favor, though, while tried and true "classic" designs are already proven and will always be strong sellers within their particular niches.

That being said, I have a 17 year old solid state randall that needs some capacitors replaced. That thing is a workhorse, and will never go out of style. (It's the model that Dimebag originally used, not to be confused with the later Warheads.)

There are certain tones it gets that none of my other stuff will.

...and the pod doesn't have a Randall model, so I'm S.O.L. there, too!

-S.

feyshay · Post by **feyshay** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:23 pm

Any tube swapping recommendations in the preamp slot of my Super Reverb that will allow me to get some distortion when I want it. I turn this sucker up--totally clean. That's why I got it. I do like distortion at times. Been using the POD XT Live for that. Could I potentially swap out a preamp tube to get more of a tube type distortion? If so, what tube might give me a more distortion? The Presonus Blue Tube DP only gives a bit of fuzz.

feyshay · Post by **feyshay** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:39 pm

The more I think about it, I'll probably only get a weak fuzzy/grainy distortion with another preamp tube. I'm not changing Power Tubes. Sleek Month. You were talking about changing out Preamp tubes, what's the deal with this? Could I actually get a full sounding distortion out of the Fender Super Reverb doing this?

Sleek Month · Post by **Sleek Month** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:49 pm

Any tube swapping recommendations in the preamp slot of my Super Reverb that will allow me to get some distortion when I want it. I turn this sucker up--totally clean. That's why I got it.

Unfortunately, your amp already has 12ax7s in the preamp section. 12ax7s have a gain factor of 100%. (The other tubes are for cleaning up amps that are already way overdriven...)

Some 12ax7 will give you a little more gain, but probably not what you're looking for.

Check this out:

http://www.thetubestore.com/12ax7review.html

One thing you can try is using tube adapters in the output section to cut your wattage drastically so you can crank it and get the natural power amp distortion.

http://www.classahighperformance.com/tube_adaptors.htm

Sometimes these go cheaper on ebay...

I have a friend who has a super that he has a couple of el84's in. It runs around 12 watts now, and sounds very disorted, But at a manageable volume..

The other thing is to get a nice line boost pedal to push the preamp section into overdriving more. (Not distortion, just boost).

These will both keep it "all-tube" distortion.

If you need really high gain sounds, you kinda have the wrong amp. Supers are known for being clean and loud, but not very versatile.

-S.

feyshay · Post by **feyshay** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:45 pm

I bought it for how clean it is. Totally like the sound. I'll probably add some distortion with VST effects or with the POD. Down the road I'll probably get a Marshall or maybe even a Mesa to give me some other sounds.

Sleek Month · Post by **Sleek Month** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 9:10 pm

If you really like Fenders, try a late '80's red knob dual showman or Twin (The "Evil Twin").

Both of these are available at good prices, ($500+-), have the supercool fender clean sound, but their second channels has tons of really nice, rich distortion.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

Fender was also trying to make their stuff really modern at the time, so these things have all sorts of bells and whistles, but they're still all tube and excellent.

-K.

Coolredguitar · Post by **Coolredguitar** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 3:31 am

Just a thought here about tube amps, I am hooked on Line 6 modeling for ease of use however there is no way ever a modeling amp or DI box will ever acheive the true sound of a real tube amp. One of the most underlooked aspects of a tube amp is the output transformer that is used. Couple that with the high voltage involved and the speaker cabinets used or whatever output load and that is part of the "tube" amp sound. Its often overlooked but the transformers that are used in real (high voltage) tube amps are what gives or adds to the sound along with the "harmonic" output of a tube. Modeling amps just will never acheive a real tube amp sound unless the type of circuts that are used in real tube amps are employed.

egbert · Post by **egbert** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 3:41 am

Coolredguitar wrote:Just a thought here about tube amps, I am hooked on Line 6 modeling for ease of use however there is no way ever a modeling amp or DI box will ever acheive the true sound of a real tube amp. One of the most underlooked aspects of a tube amp is the output transformer that is used.

What makes you think that that aspect of the amp circuit is not included in the modelling? You can think of a Tube amp/cab/mic system as a transfer function. You look at the input signal and the output signal (what comes from the mic). An amp modeller attempts to model this transfer function in its entirety. The current state of the art is obviously less than perfect but who would not expect it to continue to improve with more development and more processing power?

ShawnG · Post by **ShawnG** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 3:51 am

I use tube amps AND modelers.

does that make me a bisexual?

Resonance · Post by **Resonance** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 3:54 am

ShawnG wrote:I use tube amps AND modelers.

does that make me a bisexual?

Yes

ShawnG · Post by **ShawnG** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 4:08 am

One thing that I do to give my modeled amp guitar tracks some extra realism is to crank my monitors to the roof, so that I get some good old natural feedback to play with. Thats something that a lot of tracks recorded in silence with headphones don't have going for them. Silent recording is highly overrated (but still sadly sometimes necessary)

Resonance · Post by **Resonance** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 4:27 am

If it suits the track and sits well in the mix, I don't give a shit if it's modelled or real. I just want the job done.

And I really love my pod. I've said it lots of times on this board - people couldn't pry it from my cold dead fingers. Ease of use, shiny new software editor, a bazillion presets from Line6.com, flexible tones, model packs, and it lets me record heavy guitars at 3:00am... What's cooler than that? And I can save all the PodXT presets in a folder with the song when it's time to archive so I can recall them at a later date.

I just wish I had a floorboard controller for it though...

Resonance · Post by **Resonance** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 4:33 am

Oh yeah - I can tote it around to sessions without killing myself and f*cking up my back. I just take a few different guitars now instead.

If I buy a Variax I won't even need a bunch of different guitars for session work...

Sweet.

It seems like Line6 kinda screwed people over