KVR Audio

feyshay · Post by **feyshay** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:15 pm

All the Tonecore pedals, including the POD XT Live, and the analog outs on the POD XT Pro emit a high-pitched digital signal that can be heard on my rigs quite easily. Another pedal that did this was the Boss DD-20. All of my other pedals don't have this. (It is not a groundloop BTW.)
There is a difference in sound when I can just rely on my better converters. When I want to send to the POD, I don't have to go through another series of conversions.
I suppose when sending, I could use the POD USB driver, but I never wanted to bother having to switch my audio driver.
I do think you could get by with something like Guitarzan's rigs especially with track presets in Cubase or using something like Energy XT.

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:18 pm

"high-pitched digital signal"...not sure if I've encountered anything like that with my POD. Groundloops, monitor interference, sure (my fault), but you mean like that super-high frequency a TV puts out?

frz · Post by **frz** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:20 pm

idrisguitar wrote:basically i have a chance to get a pod xt cheap, (it will only be availble for the next few hours) i have tried GR and Gr2 and amplitube and amplitube 2 without much success.

i am looking for a clean soft mellow sound with a lot of effects possibilities like delay reverb and a soft distortion/boost

i haven't been able to get this kind fo soft mellow sound from GR or amplitube, plus the effects on offer in both programs seem minial,

is the pod xt for me? based on what i have said. will i be able to get that nice tone as a base, and then have a big choice of effects so i can have many possibilities?

the price its on offer for is 150 inc delivery (pounds)

really hope you can help

I've been usng a podxt for some years and I can tell you it was the most handy piece of gear I bought for my guitars. For clean tones I'm very pleased by its sound (still not 100% satisfied with crunch & dist but I guess I'm being very picky about this). It gets updated with new amps and fx every once in a while for free and you can buy more addons too, even though I have to say that I always come back using my fav 3 or 4 models when I start building a tone...

I particularly like the possibility of turning off the amp/cab sim and leaving just the fx rig using the voice of the amp; if you have a midi capable amp you can even switch amp channels and pod fx all with the podxt floorboard - sweeet for live stuff, not to mention saving backline space.
Using it along a pc is a breeze, the software is easy and actually works very well, and plugging it direct got me some amazing results (with the right pickups, that is, don't expect it to turn every cheap axe into a monster..)

The thing that might be a little of a hassle is that resampling with amplitube & co. is much easier (at least without the line6 plugin, they could have priced it a little less IMO, didn't buy it) but to me this has never been a real problem so far.

It really packs an awful lot of stuff in a very small space, and the quality is very high, I've seen more and more sessionmen using it in studio it's embarassing, is just that the damn thing is soooo quick to setup and the sound could fool the vast majority of ppl out there hehe...

To sum up, my experience with the podxt has been very positive and, even though in an ideal situation I'd still prefer to mike a real amp, I reckon that the choice is not SO obvious. I've demoed a lot of plugins out of curiosity and the only one I got overall satisfying results with is amplitube2, but I'm staying with the pod.

hope this helps, cheers

WoJ · Post by **WoJ** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:23 pm

http://filexoom.com/files/2007/2/8/57796/xtnoodle.mp3

meh, just 3 presets, but i love noodling

feyshay · Post by **feyshay** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:34 pm

bduffy wrote:"high-pitched digital signal"...not sure if I've encountered anything like that with my POD. Groundloops, monitor interference, sure (my fault), but you mean like that super-high frequency a TV puts out?

Hard to describe, BDuffy, but amazingly consistent with the following pedals: Verbzilla, Space Chorus, Compressor, and the XT Pro. I have run those pedals on battery into the amp. You hear it. I use a Super Reverb and a Mesa Ace Stiletto. A real shame because I really liked the chorus and reverb pedal in the Tonecore collection.
I have a superclean rig and have tried a lot of pedals. The noise is there whether you have the effect engaged or not. (Same as with the POD XT Pro analog I/O.)
I guess like the super-high frequency. Very high frequency. Only would hear it with Bright switch on the Super or with the very clean tones.

WoJ · Post by **WoJ** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:36 pm

...that sounds odd...isnt it much more likely to be the amp/house-electrics-wiring rather than the fx then...?

edit: oh right i see it happens with the line 6 pedals you've tried...

ah...

feyshay · Post by **feyshay** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:43 pm

WoJ wrote:...that sounds odd...isnt it much more likely to be the amp/house-electrics-wiring rather than the fx then...?

edit: oh right i see it happens with the line 6 pedals you've tried... ah...

And without the pedals plugged in. Is it something in the conversion, in the analog staging. I have no idea. Uncanny, but undeniably true.
I've been pleased with the Pro but am suspicious of any other Line 6 product.

JamieSkeen · Post by **JamieSkeen** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 8:54 pm

I think the new Amplitube2 is the best of the bunch....it is so much more like a amp.

DuX · Post by **DuX** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 9:29 pm

I'm also considering PODXT Pro, bass version, not just for the guitar, but to help me with some insane "distorted" ideas I always have: for vocals, drums, bass etc., so I'm very interested in what you guys have to say about it, because I didn't have a chance to hear it and I've heard Guitar Rig and Amplitube but they doesn't sound very satisfying to me. I'm especially interested in using PODXT as a "hardware plugin" through digital I/O's.

I like http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1973.html though

. It can sound insanely distorted but nice, which is hard and formidable to accomplish with a plugin IMO.

Cheers!

Cap'n Spanky · Post by **Cap'n Spanky** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 9:47 pm

I've got a PODxt Pro and most other modelers (hard and soft). My favorite thing about the POD is how handy and convenient it is. It can sound pretty darn good if you spend some time tweaking it. Most modelers have good clean sounds and so does the PODxt. If it's really a good deal, I'd recommend buying it.

Just for the record, my personal favorite of all the modelers I own is Amplitube 2. YMMV

DuX · Post by **DuX** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:56 pm

What's your flavour Cap'n - heavy distortion or mellow distortion? I use as much distortion as I can and I think 99% of plugins just don't sound very good at these settings, except for Saro IMO I really like this little plug but unfortunately it's not very versatile. For heavy distortion, do you think PODXT Pro is worth it? or would you rather go with Amplitube2? I haven't heard Amplitube 2, yet, just 1 and I didn't like it much.

Cheers!

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:12 pm

feyshay wrote:All the Tonecore pedals, including the POD XT Live, and the analog outs on the POD XT Pro emit a high-pitched digital signal that can be heard on my rigs quite easily.

I can't hear anything like that, and I'm using my two amps at home, an amp where I rehease in one studio, an amp in another studio, and yes, an amp in another studio.

I don't hear what you're describing. If you mean "fizz" then indeed you will hear that as some of the amp models do fizz. But this isn't poor modelling, the original amps fizz also.

If you use a real dual recterfier, they fizz in the same way.

I don't believe that what you're describing is "undeniably true" at all.

As for what to buy... it really depends on your needs. If you have a fast computer and don't need to play live, I'd say Guitar Rig 2 or amplitube 2. GT2 is really crap when you use a bass with it, my subjective opinion though that one.

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:14 pm

DuX wrote:I'm also considering PODXT Pro, bass version, not just for the guitar, but to help me with some insane "distorted" ideas I always have: for vocals, drums, bass etc., so I'm very interested in what you guys have to say about it, because I didn't have a chance to hear it and I've heard Guitar Rig and Amplitube but they doesn't sound very satisfying to me. I'm especially interested in using PODXT as a "hardware plugin" through digital I/O's.

I like http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1973.html though . It can sound insanely distorted but nice, which is hard and formidable to accomplish with a plugin IMO.

Cheers!

Btw: You're probably better off buying the guitar version of the PodXT and upgrading it with the model packs.

DuX · Post by **DuX** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:40 pm

My thinking was: as I like to distort drums and bass, kicks and strong EBM moogish bass lines in particular as well as vocals, that Bass-POD would be better. You still think the sexy red one is better?

I really like the red one, but I was thinking bass amps should sound better on bass sounds. Yea and occasionally I play some guitar riffs, too, you know those "kill the neighbours drain the power plant ones"?

I definitely would like to have a "machine" not a plugin. Something you can touch, love and tweak, even piss on it if you want, but I'll take a listen to this Amplitube 2 anyway, you never know...

The only thing that bothers me is that POD is also just DSP, not the real thing. I think VOX pedals are closer to the real thing, but can't demo one. Anyone? Vox Voxtone with a real tube? Is it worth it?

Cheers!

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:42 pm

DuX wrote:What's your flavour Cap'n - heavy distortion or mellow distortion? I use as much distortion as I can and I think 99% of plugins just don't sound very good at these settings, except for Saro IMO I really like this little plug but unfortunately it's not very versatile. For heavy distortion, do you think PODXT Pro is worth it? or would you rather go with Amplitube2? I haven't heard Amplitube 2, yet, just 1 and I didn't like it much.

Cheers!

You and I agree a lot about music things. Sometimes I'll look at your posts and think "yeah I could have said that".

FWIW I sold my PodXT and got AT2. Happy happy happy.

http://www.ele4music.com/music/at2_heavy_rock.mp3

pod xt? amplitube? guitar rig? i need advice quickly :)