KVR Audio

jess123 · Post by **jess123** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:37 pm

Hi,

I've got a Line 6 POD 2.0.

But, with all this software hype from IK Amplitube, NI Guitar Rig & Combo ...and listening to the demo clips.....makes me wonder should I abandon Line 6 POD.

I've got an electric guitar to do hardrock/nue metal sound...What's your opinion? Via POD's effects or these software effects? (or both?)

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:53 pm

You want us to make the music for you too??

Look.. a Pod 2.0 is still a good piece of equipment. It still sounds good even though new software is coming out.

A Pod is capable of helping to make rock and metal. I dunno quite what else to say.

Mephit Blue · Post by **Mephit Blue** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:07 pm

Sounds like someone has a case of GAS.

Does the POD produce the tone you want? Have you tried demo's of the software programs you mentioned and have been able to get a better tone?

Different tone aside, the software provides one advantage over using the POD for recording. You can go back after you've recorded a track and change the amp settings to dial in a tone that works better with your song since the signal is recorded clean and the amp sound is applied over it. (I'm sure if you work hard enough you can do that with a POD as well, but it would definitely not be as easy.) If you do a lot of recording, have the money to spare, are constantly tweaking your sounds after laying down a track and you like how the software amps sound then maybe you should use amplitude or guitar rig instead of the POD.

Me? I have a PodXT and I get better sound out of it then the software amps I have tried. Plus, I play live so I can use it where ever I go. It isn't worth it to me to spend a couple of hundred bucks to get a software amp I need to tweak when I've already spent plenty of time tweaking the sound of my Pod to where I like it.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:11 pm

if it aint broke dont fix it

edit: it use to be that people got new amps because either their amp crapped out, they wanted more power or they don't like the sound they have now. I use to call it ear fatigue, I got sick of my plexi, I got sick of the ampeg I had before that...all because the sound got stale (too me) so it was time for anew amp when that happenws as most amps were very limited to the amount of tones.

But POD gives you many choices, it has many fine sounds, mine is working and if I want more power I could (and have) replace my whole rack rig minust the power amp....if it aint broke don't fix it...

LijEyasu · Post by **LijEyasu** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:13 pm

Do not believe the hype. The POD--especially the XT--will kill all of those emulations. I only sold my POD because I bought a Roland VGA7 modelling amp. The POD is fantastic. Only sell it if you're upgrading to the XT.

shanecgriffo · Post by **shanecgriffo** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:19 pm

i've tried guitar rig and amplitibe and various others and now i have a pod xtlive and basically i have no desire or use for anything but the pod now.(but i also have a variax 500 which with the pod gives me just about any sound i need and can carry them in 2 hands, anywhere.)

Funkybot · Post by **Funkybot** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:26 pm

The other big question is do you want to process other sounds than guitar? For instance, when it comes to recording guitar I either mic up my Twin, or use my Guitarport. But I do keep a bunch of freeware amp sims around for when I want to try distorting a vocal or beefing up electric piano samples, etc. As far as I'm concerned though, as of yet (as far as anything I've actually spent time and played with myself) the Guitarport beats the pants off of anything in software for guitar. In fact every so often I'll risk the feedback and reamp tracks from my sequencer through it when I can't get the sound from the plug-ins I want. For me though, the sound is the most important thing, so I'd advise you to check out the demos of Guitar Rig, GTR, and Amplitube 2 (should be out in a month, hopefully a demo will be available to all). If you dig the sounds, keep the Pod around anyway, if you don't, stick with your Pod.

rogerperrin · Post by **rogerperrin** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:39 pm

...Via POD's effects or these software effects? (or both?)

I'd go with both, but lean heavily toward the POD. I played through a POD-1 about 2 years agao for a few nights - a loaner - and I was absolutely awestruck by the accuracy of the emulations and the available sound palette.

My first suggestion would be to use the POD as a clean DI box to get your guitar signal into the soundcard and recorded on a track. Then, using something like Hubi's Loopback utility, play the guitar track out the soundcard into the POD and then back into the soundcard and re-record the track with all the metal effects you want. Then you've got 2 tracks - one clean and one metalized and you can still put software effects on either one.

Experiment like crazy, but KEEP THE POD!

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:08 pm

my stack gets turned on like once a year...I think I keep it because quite simply, I gotta have a stack

Hey maybe I'll go jam on it now....do you suppose if I put an order in for my lunch now the cops could stop and picked it up on th way to get me?

DeBro · Post by **DeBro** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:08 pm

Funkybot wrote:As far as I'm concerned though, as of yet (as far as anything I've actually spent time and played with myself) the Guitarport beats the pants off of anything in software for guitar.

I'd second that.

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:34 pm

I find nothing - not even Thy Holy Guitar Rig - sounds as true and meaty as the POD. Since you already have a POD, I'd recommend getting a good tube pre-amp to go through; it really took my POD tone to a new level. Pretty hard to match with an amp sim. I find the amp sims don't provide as satisying saturation + sustain for metal, either.

fritzman · Post by **fritzman** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:20 pm

Hey Jess,

are you happy with PODs tone? Did you try the demos of the other stuff?
For heavy sounds I use mostly the insane and the rectifier amps inside my POD. That gives me 90% of the sound qualities that I want. As soon as something brings me to a least 98% of what I want I'll consider buying it. Until then I've got my POD and it's OK for a non real amp situation which is simply to loud here often (kids).

Best wishes, FRitz

feyshay · Post by **feyshay** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 5:03 pm

I'd stick with the POD and spend any money you were going to spend on a tube amp, preamp, some microphones, and effect pedals. (Maybe working toward microphoning an amp to get you further sound.) I don't think the programs that you mention will improve things much over the POD. I have a POD XT Live. The sound is very good. The amp sims are very good. The effects are pretty good. Same as with the drums. BFD doesn't cut it compared to real drums, but does a pretty good job. To go further, you don't get another drum program, you go for real drums.

ravasb · Post by **ravasb** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 5:16 pm

I have all three. I do not think Amplitube or Guitar rig are better than the POD for metal sounds. They are a little better for effects and delays. Of the two software plug-ins I like guitar rig better because of the ability to split the signal into two different paths. My favorite distortion plug-in is Trash by Izotope. It has an intense but musical feel.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 5:17 pm

bduffy wrote:I find nothing - not even Thy Holy Guitar Rig - sounds as true and meaty as the POD. Since you already have a POD, I'd recommend getting a good tube pre-amp to go through; it really took my POD tone to a new level. Pretty hard to match with an amp sim. I find the amp sims don't provide as satisying saturation + sustain for metal, either.

bduffy, did the tone editor workout better for you then soud diver did?

Line 6 POD or use virtual effects/amp?