KVR Audio

zeoy · Post by **zeoy** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:00 am

Hi, I want to know your opinions about POD XT and especially POD XT live.

I have an all tube Peavey and I love its sound (JJ tubes inside), but it's a heavy bastard to carry around. So how does it sound compared to the real thing? I am not interrested to much in Nu-Metal sounds. I prefer clean or crunchy sounds. Have you tested it direct to the PA? Can I just use its effects and connect it through send-return loop of my amp in order to use my amp's sound.

zeoy · Post by **zeoy** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:35 pm

Anyone? GuitarJeff, Sasha Frank?

Funkybot79 · Post by **Funkybot79** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:59 pm

You won't want to get it to use as an effects only processor as you'll never get a pure amp tone out of the XT. Now if you want to hook it up to a PA it'll work great, just get used to the fact that you'll be hearing a "micd guitar amp" through your PA speakers, which is a different sound than being in the room with an amp. Now as to the sound, the XT can't be beat, especially for clean/crunch tones which is where it really excells IMO. Basically I've been using it for home recording and it's working wonders, but when it comes to gigging or rehearsing with my band I don't think I'd ever replace my Fender Twin (heavy as she may be), just because I like the idea of playing with a real amp with other people. But give it a shot, it may work for you, and either way it's a great unit.

Memorex · Post by **Memorex** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:06 pm

I tried one and found its sound a bit solid state sounding, although the effects are quite good. I bought a Vox Tonelab SE from Musician's Friend, which I think sounds a lot more like tubes, but one of the foot pedals was messed up, and I had to send it back. Still waiting for the replacement. The POD XT Live would be nice, though, if you had a Variax 700 guitar, because you can hook it up digitally and save considerably on latency. Also, as I understand it, the POD XT Live can be used to automatically select your Variax 700 sound when connected digitally.

zeoy · Post by **zeoy** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:20 pm

Thanx for the replies guys

Funkybot79 wrote:

I don't think I'd ever replace my Fender Twin (heavy as she may be)

OK, I got it.

Memorex wrote:

found its sound a bit solid state sounding

That was what I was affraid off

I think I 'll stick with my Peavey. Any recommendations for a floor multiFX unit (WITHOUT amp sims) to be used as an FX loop. You know I want my reverbs and delays after the preamps overdrive.

jtxx000 · Post by **jtxx000** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:54 pm

I use it for recording and it sounds great. As for just a multi effects type thing, it might be a bit overkill but you could always turn off the amp sim...

Mephit Blue · Post by **Mephit Blue** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:33 pm

I really like the sound and flexibility I get from my PodXT. I keep an amp at the place my band practices and run the pod through the power stage of the amp by plugging the guitar into the Pod and the Pod out into the send effects in of my amp (Which is an old Line6 flextone).

While it should be possible to use it just as an effects processor, I don't think it would work that well for it.

I've read many people who argue that a true tube amp sounds better. That may be true, but a PodXT gets very close. It also allows you to get a variety of different type of tube sounds, from slightly compressed clean, to crunchy, to total distortion while maintaining a consistent volume level. Something almost impossible with a real tube amp.

Funkybot79 · Post by **Funkybot79** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:38 pm

JTX the problem is that you can turn off the amp sim but not the cab/mic modeling so you'll never get a pure effect tone out of a PodXT (at least not without another update from Line6).

Now Zeoy, I should make it clear that I love the XT and I don't think it sounds solid state at all (though there is some high end fizz that often needs to be EQ'd out of really high gain amp tones). I think people just think that the XT sounds lifeless in comparison to an amp in a room which is not what the XT is designed for, it's meant to sound like an amp on a record. Once you factor that in, it sounds very very much like recorded tube amps (wish it allowed for multiple mics at once though as I never use just one mic on an amp when recording). On the other hand I have heard that the Vox Tonelab does have more of that 'amp in the room' sound, but also doesn't record as well. But yeah, as much as a pain in the ass as tube amps are, as they're not only heavy but also requiring pretty frequent maintainence (my Twin needs to go in the shop in fact), they're still irreplacable on a stage IMO. Not only for the guitar player but also for the rest of the band. From the audiences perspective they'd never be able to hear the difference between a mic'd tube amp on a stage running through a PA or a PodXT going through the same PA, but the band may, and you certainly will. And god forbid you don't have a great PA or play a show with a weak PA. I've played a few shows where we've just run the amps straight into the audience (no mics) with only the vocals through the PA and it works great for smaller venues, but I wouldn't want my guitar sound also coming out of the PA and competing with the vocals in those situations.

jtxx000 · Post by **jtxx000** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:38 pm

i've heard that the pod xt sounds amazing through the atomic amp...

zeoy · Post by **zeoy** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:46 pm

jtxx000 wrote:i've heard that the pod xt sounds amazing through the atomic amp...

I won't buy another amp. Noway

BTW what's that atomic amp.

Thanx for the replies guys, I think I have to test it myself. Is there a downloadable demo

jtxx000 · Post by **jtxx000** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:48 pm

http://www.zzounds.com/item--ATOR112

Funkybot79 · Post by **Funkybot79** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:50 pm

If I'm not mistaken the Atomic Amp is basically a tube power amp hooked up to a full range speaker with room for your Pod XT bean. So basically you hook your XT up to it and you now have a tube/digital hybrid combo amp. I've also heard nothing but great things about it, but haven't tried it myself.

zeoy · Post by **zeoy** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:53 pm

Thanx for the link, but my peavey has already 2xEL84 and send return jacks and I don't want to sacrifise the 3x12AX7 of its preamp

dreibel · Post by **dreibel** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:03 pm

zeoy wrote:
jtxx000 wrote:i've heard that the pod xt sounds amazing through the atomic amp...
I won't buy another amp. Noway

BTW what's that atomic amp.

The Atomic is actually a speaker cabinet with a built-in tube power amp and an alcove on top for putting in a variety of amp modellers (the ads I've seen for it shows adapters for the alcove for Vox Tonelab, POD 2, POD XT and V-Amp). It's being touted as making these devices usable on stage by "de-digitizing" the modeller's signal.

realmarco · Post by **realmarco** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 7:20 pm

and don't forget that what makes the sound radically different from an amp an from a pod xt is that the amp is in a physical space thus some reflection is unavoidable which makes that sound different from a pod xt cause a pod you can choose whether or not you have those reflections

and also the fact that you Hear an amp in stereo, meaning the amp in a space and you hear it with you left and right ears

When you mik an amp you usually close mike it and usually its in mono so the podXt is more like a close miked amp because your hearing the sound in both your ears at the same so that gives a very different feel when noodling

when recording and playing back track its pretty close (if you were to a/b an amp and that amp recreation on the pod)

BTW you could rent one at your local shop and hear and use it for yourself

personnally I love my pod XT and I got the 3 xtension packs

Any pod xt users around?