[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!!!