[Mattayus]

I have a weird problem.

I've always outlined mine from the left (or right, makes no odds) output jack at the back of the POD with a guitar lead, then used a big-to-small jack on the other end to put it in my computer's sound card via the line-in.

I've always noticed, though, that when i play with my POD through headphones it always sounds drastically different to what i get in the PC. It's fuller, fatter, louder, clearer. I figured that was because some of it got lost along the way to the PC, but i put my headphones in the left output last night and got the exact same sound as i do through my PC.

"Outline it via the headphone socket then!" i hear you cry. No, that sounds terrible. It clips, it's hissy, it's too loud too, for a start!

I'm not complaining about the tone i get in my PC because as a matter of fact it's sort of tighter, and is still as good a tone as i get with headphones straight in the POD, but it's just a tad different.

Am i doing something wrong or is this normal?

[Scali]

Well, technically you're doing something wrong, because you're not connecting the Pod in stereo.
It could be that (part of) the reason why it sounds different is that the stereo-effects are now lost (things like reverb, delay, chorus etc just have a way of sounding better in stereo).

Other than that, you're going through extra preamps and AD/DA converters when you run through the PC. That can impact tone aswell.
Can't you connect the Pod directly with USB? That way you get the original digital signal from the processor, and skip the whole DA/AD stage when going to an analog output and then an analog line-in.

[Mattayus]

i tried when i first got the pod a few months ago, but with no luck, so i went for the analog option instead.

I'll be willing to give it another try though, halp?

[Zak1233]

i play mine through the headphone socket lol like plug my guitar into the pod, n then the headphone socket of the pod to the input 1 on my mbox, sounds okay to me tho i'd like to use the outputs on the pod properly but dno how to yer im a no0b

[John_Strychnine]

SpDIF is the best out imo.

It's all digital signal matrix (0 and 1s) so no loss of souunnnd!

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by Scali

Can't you connect the Pod directly with USB? That way you get the original digital signal from the processor, and skip the whole DA/AD stage when going to an analog output and then an analog line-in.

You can. Any other solution with that type of conversion will drain the sound. I honestly have no idea why everybody isn't using USB for recording.

You only need a driver package from Line6 and to configure your sequencer to use the POD as the sound device. That is all there is to it. I think you would be pleased with the difference.

EDIT: added clarity.

[Ze Kink]

Originally Posted by Thomas

You can. Any other solution will just drain the sound because of the conversion. I honestly have no idea why everybody isn't using USB for recording.

You only need a driver package from Line6 and to configure your sequencer to use the POD as the sound device. That is all there is to it. I think you would be pleased with the difference.

My reason (I have the X3 Live): The POD has a huge latency compared to my EMU soundcard, and it's just far worse in almost everything compared to the EMU. Besides, I've got my monitors connected to the EMU, so I'd get no sound from them if I used the POD.

I'd use SPDIF too, but I'm now using the XLR direct out because I'm lazy and don't have a SPDIF cable. When I get a new soundcard for my laptop I'll start using it though, and use the direct out to get the DI signal for reamping.

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by Ze Kink

My reason (I have the X3 Live): The POD has a huge latency compared to my EMU soundcard

What kind of latency do you mean? If your speakers are directly hooked up to the POD, that just can't happen. However, if you are using some kind of monitoring within your sequencer, the signal will have to go through your computer first, and that is very likely causing the huge latency. You can connect your monitors directly to the POD to avoid that. You will hear your guitar signal mixed with whatever your sequencer outputs, without any latency at all, without using any other sound card.

Originally Posted by Ze Kink

it's just far worse in almost everything compared to the EMU.

It would be helpful if you could be a little more specific. I am curious if the actual sound quality is better when it comes out of the EMU instead of the POD. If it is, your set-up makes much more sense to me.

[Mattayus]

Well i figured out the USB method, i dont know why i didn't do this months ago i'm an idiot, perhaps.

[Mattayus]

seriously, i feel like re-recording everything i've ever done, it all sounds so much better, like 10 x, man, i wish i'd done that painkiller/dimarzio comparison like this now, there probably would've been a much bigger difference!!!

[Thomas]

If it makes you feel any better, I was in the exact same position. I completely lost interest in recording music because I did not know recording the POD through USB was possible, and when doing it through the line-in, it sounded terrible.

Then I read the manual.

[mnemonic]

i always just go through the USB port. never tried it any other way, haha

[Ze Kink]

Originally Posted by Thomas

What kind of latency do you mean? If your speakers are directly hooked up to the POD, that just can't happen. However, if you are using some kind of monitoring within your sequencer, the signal will have to go through your computer first, and that is very likely causing the huge latency. You can connect your monitors directly to the POD to avoid that. You will hear your guitar signal mixed with whatever your sequencer outputs, without any latency at all, without using any other sound card.

Yeah, latency with monitoring in my sequencer. I've got it in 4ms with the EMU, and it's ~50ms with the X3. And that affects vst's and everything. I do basically everything with the EMU, and it would be very annoying to have to plug everything back and forth. Also, I often use cab impulses with the POD, so I'd have to monitor with the POD without a cab model, or then stick with the latency, and I can't really keep a beat if my signal comes 50ms late.

Originally Posted by Thomas

It would be helpful if you could be a little more specific. I am curious if the actual sound quality is better when it comes out of the EMU instead of the POD. If it is, your set-up makes much more sense to me.

Well, I don't believe that the POD would somehow sound better when plugged into the EMU vs. using the POD's usb connection. But certainly all the D/A, A/D, converters etc. are better in the EMU.

I do have to admit that I'm not an audiophile or anything, I just do what other people tell me is better, or find it out on my own learning from my mistakes

[Scali]

Originally Posted by Ze Kink

Yeah, latency with monitoring in my sequencer. I've got it in 4ms with the EMU, and it's ~50ms with the X3. And that affects vst's and everything. I do basically everything with the EMU, and it would be very annoying to have to plug everything back and forth. Also, I often use cab impulses with the POD, so I'd have to monitor with the POD without a cab model, or then stick with the latency, and I can't really keep a beat if my signal comes 50ms late.

Isn't that just a driver setting though?
My Zoom G9.2tt can run at about 3-4 ms latency over USB, but I have to specify the latency manually (it is machine-dependent).

[Mattayus]

i'm gettin no latency with the USB so far, seems fine, but just in case i have problems in the future what can you do about it?

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by John_Strychnine

SpDIF is the best out imo.

It's all digital signal matrix (0 and 1s) so no loss of souunnnd!

I agree,

Shame not all the pods have it though, all the X3's do don't they?

[demonlord78]

Quick question. I've hooked up my PODxt via USB and everything sounds great but I can't hear the metronome when recording. I was previously using the metronome in my Sonar 3 PE program but when I engage that feature nothing comes through in my headphones. What am i doing wrong?

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by demonlord78

Quick question. I've hooked up my PODxt via USB and everything sounds great but I can't hear the metronome when recording. I was previously using the metronome in my Sonar 3 PE program but when I engage that feature nothing comes through in my headphones. What am i doing wrong?

Make sure the selected audio device within Sonar is your PODxt, otherwise the metronome will just come out of the default device, which is probably your computer's sound card, or the one built into the motherboard, etc.

[Shikaru]

I use the left XLR out on my XTPro, I've been meaning to switch to s/pdif though as my soundcard can support it. Just need to go out and get the cable for it.