# The POD recording tips, tricks, and eq-ing thread



## 7 Dying Trees

Since a lot of people use the pod, and there's no central place for tips and tricks, it's time to start a thread. For POD xt's, 2.0's, pockets, X3's, and all variations thereof!

Basically, post the following:

EQ tips: what to do with eq, where to EQ it, rough filter settings (ie freq, DB boost/cut, approximate Q)

Tone tips: which models, settings, link to the patch library, and anything that helps, ie, this patch should be double tracked to get the best out of it

Tricks: general bits and pieces of advice, maybe some things that tie in with EQ-ing, handy things to make working with the pod easier.

As example, this is the kind of thing we're looking for in this thread:


Mattayus said:


> What i tend to do is - on the two outer guitars i'll add some 'body' by means of EQ to the 250 and 650 hz range. sorta boosts the punch on the lower mids and brings up the tone of the upper mids. The patch i was using is quite light on body as it's pretty much all low end boom. I mean just listen to the song Obzen by Meshuggah. In essence it's completely toneless, just a barrage of low end chunk!
> 
> i use the dynamic mic, purely because of how it interacts with the distortion. seems to make it 'fizz' a bit more, i use the line6 4x12 cab too for the same reason. everything else sounds really muffled i think. on the EQ though i do reduce the 80hz section and bring up some of the upper mids a bit to mold it so it's not so woolly, as you said





chimp_spanner said:


> I do use the Big Bottom almost exclusively for rhythm these days, and the P-Ball for leads. What I find with the Big Bottom is that it needs a bass cut pre-head to give it djent and prevent it from being too wooly. A lot of it also has to do with cab and mic choice too. I think at the moment I'm using the t75 model with off axis placement. Kinda naturally puts some of the mids and tonality back in there.





Plankis said:


> The frequencies I find annoying on the big bottom and usually cut are at 3,2 kHZ, 4,7kHz, 5,2kHz, 6,5kHz.
> I usually try fix it in the patch later but it is tricky to remove the fizz and maintain the clarity. A way to do it is, in the pods internal eq use the "high shelf EQ band" and shelve it -10.6dB @ 4kHz. Obviously it will sound really dull, so next step is to crank the presence. I got a much nicer presence doing this, Which can be heard on the Gerudo valley-cover, didnt do any eqing at all except lpf and hpf.



Update courtesy of Plankis, cheers mate!:

General:

PODmanuals can be found here: Line 6 :: Support
About impulses: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/recording-studio/79670-the-impulse-faq-tutorial-thread.html
Presets: Sevenstring.org - Patch Library




Mattayus said:


> Bravo good sir!
> 
> i'll throw in some observations about the mics, including all pros AND cons -
> 
> *On axis* - If you want to catch the passing 'grain' of the tone then this is a good one to go for. It brings out the character of the gain but lacks oomph and punch with some cabs, and seems to be top-end biased.
> 
> *Off axis* - this is actually my new favourite, as it captures everything and has a great balance, allowing you to use EQ to shape it to how you like. I dare say it works well with most if not all cabs, but with some it can sound dry and dark. All in all though it's the most 'natural' sounding, if you will.
> 
> *Dynamic* - I used to use this a lot, and it works great with cabs that don't quite get that 'cranked' sound. It does tend to have an inherent fizz that exaggerates the well known fizz that pods have. It can be killed with EQ adjustment though. I do like this mic, and it's always my second choice, but it can be a bit over the top and digital.
> 
> *condenser* - A huge no no for rhythms. Personally i've never found a combo to use this in for rhythm guitars without it sounding murky. However - i'll never use anything else for leads, it's FANTASTIC for leads. It really brings out the Carvin Legacy brown sound style leads that i love. It does tend to blend the characteristics of all amps though and any two amps mic'd with the condenser will sound more similar than the same two mic'd with a '57. That said, just try it for leads with a bit of delay. It's very Thordendal/Van Halen. Smooth, and compressed.






mnemonic said:


> well, admittedly i've not spent much time trying to get really nice clean tones. actually, i hardly ever play cleans with it. same with lead tones, i usually just use my rhythm tone.
> 
> but heres my rhythm tone tell me what you think:
> 
> NoiseGate:
> Thresh: -55db
> Decay: 0%
> 
> Stomp:
> Boost+EQ
> Gain: 84%
> Bass: 43%
> Treble: 67%
> Mid: 77%
> Mid Freq.: 50%
> 
> Amp:
> Big Bottom
> Drive: 46%
> Bass: 73%
> Middle: 88%
> Treble: 72%
> Pres.: 71%
> Volume: 80%
> 
> Cab:
> 4x12 V30's
> 0% Room
> 421 Dynamic Mic
> 
> Parametric EQ:
> +2db @ 600hz
> +1db @ 3kHz high end shelf
> 
> 
> 
> theres a bit of fizziness to it, but as long as i dont sit infront of the speakers, it doesn't bother me at all. i use an all mahogany guitar with an EMG 707 in it tuned to Bb. tell me what you think.






damigu said:


> i always run my audio hardware at the highest resolution they are capable of. the higher the resolution, the more natural the sound is because it captures higher harmonics more faithfully (and reproduces lows with less distortion, but lows aren't really at issue with the resolutions we're talking about).
> 
> ultimately you'll be converting down to 16bit 44.1kHz because that is the CD standard, but it still pays to record at higher resolution than that.
> 
> think of it in terms of taking a picture of a picture with 2 digital cameras. lets say that 3 megapixels is equal to CD quality for the sake of this analogy, so your final picture has to be 3MP.
> if you take the first picture with a 3MP camera, and then take a picture of that picture with another 3MP camera, you'll have the requisite 3MP final product but it may have minor distortions (sometimes not-so-minor, depending on how things line up).
> if you take the first picture with a 10MP camera, and then take a picture of that picture with the 3MP camera, it'll still result in a 3MP picture, but at higher quality than otherwise.
> 
> that's essentially what you're doing with digital audio. you're taking an analog signal and converting it to digital. then, later on, you're converting it to a different digital format (different resolution). that's why it is better to do the initial recording at the highest resolution you're capable of even though the final mix will need to be 16/44.1.
> 
> of course, that's assuming you have the hard drive capacity to always be recording at highest quality.





LordHines42 said:


> Just read the whole thread. Some good info.
> 
> For anyone else new to the POD, I find I get my best djent tone using two patches at once (I would be LOST without this feature. My old patches are so painful to listen to compared to my new patches with dual tone...it's WELL worth it!), anyway, 2 patches centered, one an ENGL P-ball with a cocked WAH (SECRET TO SUPER DJENT!) at around 75 - 100 % depending on the WAH model, with your choice of stomp, whether that be tube, screamer, classic distortion, or something comparable, with the drive all the way down, and the gain and tone all the way up. This pretty much gives you the most shuggah bulb djent possible. It will be far too noisy, however, so you want to max your gate with a 0 falloff as well....
> 
> To balance this, I use another patch for the low end. I've been using the Big Bottom for that, with or without a stomp (no WAH), choice is up to you on most else. Cabs and mics are dependent on your physical amp/cab setup, or if you're recording. So experiment with that.
> 
> Of course, EQ plays a big part. Meshuggah use a lot of mids everywhere, especially on the DEI lead tone. So play with those And like many others have said, you want to drop the high end to remove most of the Line 6 fizz. I typically drop mine down to as far down as it can go at around the 7 or 8 k range, as I recall. And the obvious Compression which will fatten your tone.
> 
> So that's how I get my best live sound, but for final recordings, I've been lately experimenting with different POD X3 and WAVES bundle together with its added array of cabs and mics in post (which actually completely destroys the POD in regard to its available mics and positions), and finally with, of course, a 10 band EQ. This will give you the best recorded sound possible.
> 
> I also find it helps if you can find a section of whatever tone you are after, from your favorite band, in my case, Meshuggah (re-nothing Closed Eye Visuals is a good example of just the guitar with no drums or bass), isolate that, loop it, have an EQ frequency analyzer running on that in real time, and on your recording of the same section, then change your EQ to match it exactly. It's a great way to get a good EQ foundation for later tweaks. Sometimes that's all you need, however.
> 
> 
> I hope this info helps someone. Again, nice thread, thanks for the tips. I picked up some good tips myself here and there!
> 
> 
> 
> EDIT: some of my current patches to get you started on what I mean...
> 
> Sevenstring.org - Patch Library - Meshuggah Djent POD X3 Presets






EQ:


Plankis said:


> I use the bulbpatch, modified a lil' bit...
> 
> The frequencies I find annoying on the big bottom and usually cut are at 3,2 kHZ, 4,7kHz, 5,2kHz, 6,5kHz.
> I usually try fix it in the patch later but it is tricky to remove the fizz and maintain the clarity. A way to do it is, in the pods internal eq use the "high shelf EQ band" and shelve it -10.6dB @ 4kHz. Obviously it will sound really dull, so next step is to crank the presence. I got a much nicer presence doing this, Which can be heard on the Gerudo valley-cover, didnt do any eqing at all except lpf and hpf.
> 
> A multibandcompressor, can really help tame the palm mutes without removing body from chords and stuff. set a band at 125hz, set the threshold so that it barely reduce anything when playing other stuff than palmmutes.






Mattayus said:


> *Matt's rough guide to EQ*
> 
> Obviously this doesn't just apply to line6 gear, you can use this in your DAW, rack mounted or pedal EQ, anything. However, i think it's pertinent to have an EQ guide within the realms of using POD gear as it does tend to have characteristics of its own.
> 
> Keep in mind, this is a very rough guide, because EQ is SO subjective to mics, cabs, heads, gain settings, guitar woods, strings, pickups, everything! So take this as a very very general description. Also, feel free to add something or correct me where applicable.
> 
> So, firstly, this is pretty much how i see the EQ range -
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 0-100hz = Boom. Often this will have to be taken down on guitars, as this region is heavily dominated by the bass and the kickdrum. Too much build up here and you get rumbling in your mix, not very pretty! Alternatively, some guitars need this region boosted to sound 'big' if they're tinny or thin sounding
> 
> 100-500hz = punch. Quite a critical range indeed, as guitars are the driving force of most rock music this is where they get their 'balls' and... well.. punch! 'Body', basically. This region can also get quite nasty on palm mutes and sound too 'hard' when mixed with the other instruments. Generally speaking I find the POD tones will sometimes need a bit more body than they offer as standard, but it all depends on your mic/cab settings.
> 
> 500hz-1k = Honk. Mids, effectively. The middle of the mids to be exact, but in particular the part that makes your tone 'boing' (i cant think of another adjective!). Boosting will add clear bodied tone but may honk, reducing it will sound scooped and hollow
> 
> 1k-3k = Attack. If you like djent, then this is your friend! Mind you, some patches already have an abundance of this (particularly if you use the dynamic mic) so adding in more will inundate you with fizz! Basically, this is your pick attack range, where you get the scratch of the strings. Sounds great in certain contexts, i do like boosting mine a bit, although i've also had to tame it in the past.
> 
> 3k-7k and beyond. This is where you control the hiss and/or presence of your tone. Pods are bitches for this due to their inherent hissing and fizzing. You will have to experiment, as each mic/cab/head has it's own hot-spot for nasties. Don't go overkill on the -DB though, just shave off a couple and adjust your highs accordingly, otherwise you get dull tone that sounds like you have a blanket on your amp!
> 
> That is all.






Stephen said:


> I tend to use the T-75 cab a lot with either the Metal shop Mesa and P-Ball models
> 
> i always remove everything below 80Hz using hi pass filter.
> 
> Also remove everything over 10KHz using a low pass filter.
> 
> Reduce around 150Hz as i always find with my tones its quite boomy around that area.
> 
> And then i will notch out some harsh frequencies between 2-6KHz






budule said:


> Try this EQing to remove fizz (inspired by radley's hatmonic converger) ; just sharpen frequencies beetween 500 hz ans 2,5 khz (I tried myself with a simple graphic EQand my pod pro presets got rid of fizz). (picture here: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/1320283-post169.html)






budule said:


> Here's exactly my "fizz killer" setting on my DEQ 2496 ; for my rig and my amp sim, it doesn't kill my presence (it's about 8 khz) an doesn't mke it sound dull. Then I scoop the mids on the Parametric EQ ; Left guitar is some kind of vulgar dispkay of power tone, and the right one is some kind of reinventing the steel (I say "some kind of", because I haven't got Dime's rig and fingers, but it sounds very close to me). For both guitars, I use a combination of V30 cab 4x12 cab sim and Line 6 4x12 cab sim; panned 100% L/R.
> 
> Left:
> - vulgar display tone + v30 cab (scoop more the low mids than the line 6 cab)
> - vulgar display tone + line 6 cab (to give brightness)
> 
> right :
> - reinventing steel tone + v30 cab (scoop more the low mids than the line 6 cab)
> - reinventing steel tone + line 6 cab (to give brightness)
> 
> It rocks the world (Power metal era private joke )
> 
> I'll record a track as soon as possible
> http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/1320396-post171.html


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## Nick

there was a thread on here that explained how to get rid of the fizz which i found to work amazingly well.

so much that i saved my eq settings on a word file.

i'll post when i get home.


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## Mattayus

Bravo good sir!

i'll throw in some observations about the mics, including all pros AND cons - 

*On axis* - If you want to catch the passing 'grain' of the tone then this is a good one to go for. It brings out the character of the gain but lacks oomph and punch with some cabs, and seems to be top-end biased.

*Off axis* - this is actually my new favourite, as it captures everything and has a great balance, allowing you to use EQ to shape it to how you like. I dare say it works well with most if not all cabs, but with some it can sound dry and dark. All in all though it's the most 'natural' sounding, if you will.

*Dynamic* - I used to use this a lot, and it works great with cabs that don't quite get that 'cranked' sound. It does tend to have an inherent fizz that exaggerates the well known fizz that pods have. It can be killed with EQ adjustment though. I do like this mic, and it's always my second choice, but it can be a bit over the top and digital.

*condenser* - A huge no no for rhythms. Personally i've never found a combo to use this in for rhythm guitars without it sounding murky. However - i'll never use anything else for leads, it's FANTASTIC for leads. It really brings out the Carvin Legacy brown sound style leads that i love. It does tend to blend the characteristics of all amps though and any two amps mic'd with the condenser will sound more similar than the same two mic'd with a '57. That said, just try it for leads with a bit of delay. It's very Thordendal/Van Halen. Smooth, and compressed.


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## 7 Strings of Hate

so i'm assuming you guys all prefer the A.I.R. mode as opposed to direct line in?


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## HeavyMetal4Ever

It's not really a tip, but lately i've been using the Line6 Purge patch + the Screamer stomp model for all my tight metal riffing. I've got lots of different variations of this combo with different eq, cab, mic etc for each guitar I own.

If you havn't tried that combination, and you like really tight high gain tones, give it a go, you might find something you like too. 

Rock on!


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## Plankis

I use the bulbpatch, modified a lil' bit...

The frequencies I find annoying on the big bottom and usually cut are at 3,2 kHZ, 4,7kHz, 5,2kHz, 6,5kHz. 
I usually try fix it in the patch later but it is tricky to remove the fizz and maintain the clarity. A way to do it is, in the pods internal eq use the "high shelf EQ band" and shelve it -10.6dB @ 4kHz. Obviously it will sound really dull, so next step is to crank the presence. I got a much nicer presence doing this, Which can be heard on the Gerudo valley-cover, didnt do any eqing at all except lpf and hpf.

A multibandcompressor, can really help tame the palm mutes without removing body from chords and stuff. set a band at 125hz, set the threshold so that it barely reduce anything when playing other stuff than palmmutes.


----------



## Sang-Drax

Great thread! Since my POD will only be arriving next week, I have nothing to add - yet.


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## TomAwesome

Not a bad idea for a thread! I suppose one of my tricks would be boosting somewhere around 8k-10k. This somehow seems to make the models sound a bit more realistic, at least through my rig.


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## Jaaaaamie

I'm a little tired and busy to read this thread properly right now but it looks like my dream thread. When I can open my eyes wider than a baby hamster I'll be back.


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## Jan

I still have my good ol' POD 2.0. which I am using with a small amp to practice at home. However, I never really learned to record it properly... So if you have any experience with the 2.0., please share it too!  Don;t forget the ancestors!


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## mnemonic

i dont really have too much to add, as i pretty much only ever use the big bottom/v30/421 combination, but with this combo, i've found the midrange knob is very important to the clarity of the amp, i usually run it between 85% and 100%. the big bottom amp with this cab/mic combination is pretty scooped sounding, so i like to get as much mids as i can get, haha.

this amp also gets boomy really easy, so i try not to run the bass too high. i also run the gain low, and boost it a tiny bit with the boost+eq stomp (along with cutting bass and boosting the crap out of the mids and treble with the boost+eq stomp)

and as with all amps, use very little gain for recording, in order to have maximum clarity and cut, and minimum fizz.


also i hvaen't seen this written before, so i'll type it now; those looking to get good jamming tones out of a pod, i've found it sounds like crap with headphones (but what doesn't) and you have to treat it like a real amp when playing. ie, if you dont sit with your face infront of the speakers (PA speakers, computer speakers, whatever) you'll get alot more body to the tone, and alot less fizz. i have mine connected to my computer speakers, and i sit next to my computer when i play.


also, i've found the whole "less is more" concept holds true with the pod. its easy to get an overgained overly fizzy/overly boomy tone out of the pod if your settings are too extreme. also i try to keep it simple with the amount of fx i'm using on the pod too, i dont use the eq, modulation, reverb, delay, or compressor on my rhythm tones, because just the amp eq, boost settings, cab, and mic settings are already alot of knobs and switches to think about, and you'll learn more about how the amps react to different settings, and how to attain a tone you like better than just piling on filters and effects.


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## chimp_spanner

mnemonic said:


> ...



+1. Less gain, more mids, simple patches. Most of what you need to know about the POD!

***Deleted a whole paragraph there as it was also covered in Mnemonic's post haha.


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## friendforafoe

If you have a pod X3, try using the dual amp mode with the same preset, but with one cab with an off-axis mic and the other with a dynamic. It makes the preset sound very smooth. 

Do be careful in mixing two seperate preamps with the dual amp mode as it can lead to distortion phasing and a really crappy, fizzy gain sound ... I use a mix of chunk chunk and big bottom. Figure out what your "main" amp is (i.e. the big bottom for me) and have that set with a volume of about 70 and your "secondary" amp (chunk chunk) with a volume at about 30-35 (tweak as desired).

It's fun to experiment with the dual amp mode ... take an amp like the modern hi gain, which is very mid friendly, and mix it with something that lacks in that department. Modern hi gain and treadplate works nicely ... when experimenting, like i said before, you'll have to adjust your gain accordingly because it can get very shitty very quickly


----------



## Labrie

Ok so I just received my pod x3 live and I've been wanting to check out these patches that people on here keep raving about (ie big bottom) but for the life of me I can't seem to find it. Could someone kindly point me in the right direction?


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## bulletbass man

Cutting back some between 2 and 2.5 k helps bring out cleaner palm mutes and get rid of some of that high end noise from the percussive tone of the palm mute opposed to the note. Helps brings out the rthym tracks.

The biggest tools i've found for the pod aren't the pod itself. using the compressors and eqs and plugins from cubase has really helped bring out the pods tone. The key is using both the pod and outside tools to bring it to it's potential.

Do not treat the mics how you would a real microphone. It's my biggest complaint with the pod is the micing is pretty far from real microphones.

The best way to get the best tone out of pretty much everything when it comes to recording is expiriment. I've spent countless hours adjusting mics to find a good sound from my peavey. I'll be spending countless hours with my pod as well.

With the pod go thru nearly all the user presets and make as many different tones as you can. Then go thru them and find what you like about certain ones and what you dislike. Then keep working them over and over again till your satisfied. I"m personally never satisfied when it comes to tone (there's always ways to improve it).


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## mnemonic

Labrie said:


> Ok so I just received my pod x3 live and I've been wanting to check out these patches that people on here keep raving about (ie big bottom) but for the life of me I can't seem to find it. Could someone kindly point me in the right direction?



at the top of this page, click the link that says "features" and in the drop down menu, click "patch library," tons of patches uploaded by people from here.

my favorite is bulbs distortion patch, my current favorite distortion patch is loosely based off it.


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## MerlinTKD

For Toneport users: all POD setting suggestions work exactly the same in Gearbox (though there may be certain functionality missing, e.g. the dual amp mode mentioned earlier).

Something I discovered last night recording via Toneport GX and Gearbox (and goes along with Mnemonic's post): those extra FX _will_ subtly affect your tone! I was struggling mightily with guitar tone frustration, finally turned off the Reverb and Delay, and suddenly found the tight, thick tone I'd been listening for!

This seems obvious, but I had to re-discover it for myself: different guitars will require different settings to sound good. After finding halfway decent settings for my (then crappy pickup'd) basswood 7, I found they were absolutely unusable for my alder 6!

While Gearbox doesn't have a dual amp mode, I've found tracking two different amps with the same cab cane make a super smooth sound. I use Reaper for recording, and have found that (for example) using the Spinal Puppet for one guitar part and the J-800 for the other gives a super full sound I wouldn't be able to get without substantial multi-tracking of each part.

_For me,_ I've found that I can't "fix it in the mix"; getting the tone right in the POD/Gearbox will go a LONG way in making the mix sound good. 

If you're poor like me  don't despair - fantastic metal tones can be had with just the basic POD or Gearbox! As mentioned earlier, experimentation is the key. Play your bass through a guitar amp and cab. Try your guitar through bass settings. Find out what it sounds like with this or that knob on 0, or 10. (Mattayus deserves credit for cluing me in to some great tones)


Kudos to 7DT for starting this thread - it deserves a sticky! I wonder if there's some way to consolidate these tips without getting them lost in multiple pages?


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## 7 Dying Trees

After a few pages, I'll start collating posts into categories in the first one  Will make for easier reading!

I used the 250-650Hz midrange bump and the 4k notch filtering tip last night, and really really liked the results, so this thread has already paid off for me!


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## Jaaaaamie

Has anyone managed to record via USB with pod xt live and also managed to playback a backing track within cubase?

This is really been pissing me off to the max, I'm not too bothered about hearing the guitar whilst recording, but I need the backing and click tracks so I know where I am.

Any help?


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## -K4G-

This thread should be stickied.


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## Sang-Drax

-K4G- said:


> This thread should be stickied.



+1

It's barely started and already there's lots of useful information.


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## Tiger

My tip: Use the bass cabs cause the mics are better and make a bigass cut at 300hz.


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## mnemonic

i wish we could switch up any mic on any cab, that would be fun. like bass mics on guitar cabs, etc.


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## Mattayus

*Matt's rough guide to EQ*

Obviously this doesn't just apply to line6 gear, you can use this in your DAW, rack mounted or pedal EQ, anything. However, i think it's pertinent to have an EQ guide within the realms of using POD gear as it does tend to have characteristics of its own.

Keep in mind, this is a very rough guide, because EQ is SO subjective to mics, cabs, heads, gain settings, guitar woods, strings, pickups, everything! So take this as a very very general description. Also, feel free to add something or correct me where applicable.

So, firstly, this is pretty much how i see the EQ range -







0-100hz = Boom. Often this will have to be taken down on guitars, as this region is heavily dominated by the bass and the kickdrum. Too much build up here and you get rumbling in your mix, not very pretty! Alternatively, some guitars need this region boosted to sound 'big' if they're tinny or thin sounding

100-500hz = punch. Quite a critical range indeed, as guitars are the driving force of most rock music this is where they get their 'balls' and... well.. punch! 'Body', basically. This region can also get quite nasty on palm mutes and sound too 'hard' when mixed with the other instruments. Generally speaking I find the POD tones will sometimes need a bit more body than they offer as standard, but it all depends on your mic/cab settings.

500hz-1k = Honk. Mids, effectively. The middle of the mids to be exact, but in particular the part that makes your tone 'boing' (i cant think of another adjective!). Boosting will add clear bodied tone but may honk, reducing it will sound scooped and hollow

1k-3k = Attack. If you like djent, then this is your friend! Mind you, some patches already have an abundance of this (particularly if you use the dynamic mic) so adding in more will inundate you with fizz! Basically, this is your pick attack range, where you get the scratch of the strings. Sounds great in certain contexts, i do like boosting mine a bit, although i've also had to tame it in the past.

3k-7k and beyond. This is where you control the hiss and/or presence of your tone. Pods are bitches for this due to their inherent hissing and fizzing. You will have to experiment, as each mic/cab/head has it's own hot-spot for nasties. Don't go overkill on the -DB though, just shave off a couple and adjust your highs accordingly, otherwise you get dull tone that sounds like you have a blanket on your amp!

That is all.


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## MerlinTKD

Jeez Matt, that's fantastic!


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## bulletbass man

matt pretty much nailed it. This is true not for just pods but all guitar tones. I usually do a scoop at the 2 to 2.5 k as I'm not a big fan of djenty tones. However if You are multi tracking this can lead to a very uniformed tone that cuts into each other. So it's best to Leave it there for some tracks and have it scooped for another. 

Depending on the tone your going after the boom is fine to leave in there. However if your doing a lot of multi tracking you need to have it varried. 

The key to getting that great tone is very simple. Before your even touching the eq it should already sound good. After the Eq (on the pod) it should sound great. After the eq on the software it should sound amazing. But then you have to adjust that tone to work best with the other tracks. It's all about finding a balance between tone in each track and then tone in the mix. Lean too far for either and then you end up withsomething meh.

The compressor's on the pod are far from great. I'd highly suggest using an outside compressor if you can afford one (in the loop). If not use the pod compressor coupled with the compressor on your software.


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## -K4G-

e-rep to Matt!


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## Plankis

In the beginning of this summer I tried a Soldano for some hours, I think it was the soldano that bulb had for a while. That was the first time I tried a tubeamp on really loud volymes and I was pleasantly surprised(like: "damn, I got the GAS again"). The thing with that distortion compared to my pods is that it was more compressed and without that "highfreq crap" going on. I bet that's called tube saturation...

So, does anyone got any good tips/guides on how to get a nice (tube)distortion, with the pod?


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## Coryd

Nice Matt! Thanks for the info!


----------



## Mattayus

No problem peeps!



Plankis said:


> In the beginning of this summer I tried a Soldano for some hours, I think it was the soldano that bulb had for a while. That was the first time I tried a tubeamp on really loud volymes and I was pleasantly surprised(like: "damn, I got the GAS again"). The thing with that distortion compared to my pods is that it was more compressed and without that "highfreq crap" going on. I bet that's called tube saturation...
> 
> So, does anyone got any good tips/guides on how to get a nice (tube)distortion, with the pod?



Yeah man i know EXACTLY what you mean. What i find is that the PODs have their quirky little 'fakeness' about them singularly, but it's not until you pan and mix them that you hear their realistic qualities come through. Particularly if you're compressing your mix in your DAW.

That's another important thing I wanted to mention about the POD actually - Don't be convinced you have a great tone until you've actually panned and mixed it in your DAW, because things sound a heck of a lot different when they're multitracked and panned. Do lots of vigorous tests before you decide on a tone, and when multitracking you *always need more mids than you think*


----------



## bulletbass man

That's my main problem with the pods (and the main reason I continue to mic amps for most of my work). They simply do not sound like the real thing. Sure with the right compression, eq, and mixing they sound close. But they really lack when they're all alone. For a lot of the high gain models you have enough gain for recording at 9 o clock.

To make it sound more realistic cut some of the high mids, really turn back the gain, and mess with compression (both on the pod as well as whatever recording system you are using.)

The key is expiriment. There is no "correct tone" it all comes down to what the listener likes.

Matt could tell you his exact settings and it will still sound very different due to what guitar your using, your style of playing, how you mix the music. The only way to get the best tone that you can deliver is to spend countless hours playing and recording. 

I have about 20 hours of music recorded. About 4 minutes worth I've actually kept (this is simply my own music not bands that i've recorded).F

Nearly all of it was expirimenting with mic techniques, getting amp settings, trying different mixes, etc.

I'll have to spend quite a few more to get my pod to full potential.


----------



## bulb

in my experience, people only think it sounds like a pod when you tell them its a pod, if you say nothing then it sounds like an amp all of a sudden haha


----------



## Zepp88

bulb said:


> in my experience, people only think it sounds like a pod when you tell them its a pod, if you say nothing then it sounds like an amp all of a sudden haha



This is both true and false at the same time, unless somebody has a POD dialed in really nicely it's easy to tell that it's a POD. I've been surprised before though, like with Porcupine Tree's "Deadwing" album.


----------



## Mattayus

bulb said:


> in my experience, people only think it sounds like a pod when you tell them its a pod, if you say nothing then it sounds like an amp all of a sudden haha



right on man, but more to the point - only guitar players who have recording experience, or producers, can tell. And what percentage of the ppl that hear your music cover that refined group of ppl?? 

it's silly to worry that people are out there thinkin "i love this music but it's preposterous to think they're not using amps! i will listen to this no longer! good day!! *puts on his bowler hat and leaves* ".


----------



## bulletbass man

Eh I always notice (with one exception) and can say it's pretty rare that anyone outside of those who having lots of recording experience ever really notice. hell the average listener can't tell the difference between a mp3 and an highdefinition soundtrack. 

And if anything is mixed so poorly I won't listen to it It's definitely not the pod's fault.


----------



## MerlinTKD

Add to that the fact that, for many, recording via amp isn't an option, so a POD (or similar modeler) is a requirement.

As a drummer, you get no argument from me: real is always better! Sadly, it's just always possible. So you do the best you can with the best you can get.

And so... we have this thread.


----------



## friendforafoe

Mattayus said:


> it's silly to worry that people are out there thinkin "i love this music but it's preposterous to think they're not using amps! i will listen to this no longer! good day!! *puts on his bowler hat and leaves* ".


 
bowler hat? really?! is it that guy with the oversized moustache and monocle?? he's a royal dick.

I agree though. I think it's funny sometimes when people go "OMG ur tone is teh sex, can i has? how you get? What amp? what settings?" and you tell them "U CAN HAS!" then I forward them the pod preset, then they go "is not real amp? Nevermind" 


Like really though, the pod is not bad by any means. I'll admit some amps/cabs don't sound like their counterpart, but they weren't my favorite anyway. Listen to mine, greg pope's, mattayus's, lee cassidy's, kalevala, chimp spanner's, bulb's, or ALMOST ANYONE in this forum's music and tell me that the pod sounds shitty. Granted, we've crafted our tones for a good while with tone test after tone test, but there is no magic preset to make you sound better. It's the guitarist that makes the tone, not the pod (it does help mind you )

The AIR II cab simulation shit has it's ups and downs like with any real amp, but I've never had a problem with it. All I know is I'll more than likely buy the next pod iterration ... It'd be nice to get some more cabs/amps though (like an emulated Krank, or different engl and orange amps/cabs or some more boutique type amps)


----------



## MerlinTKD

How about some suggestions for bass?


----------



## Mattayus

MerlinTKD said:


> How about some suggestions for bass?



I usually turn the A.I.R off for my bass so it just works as a D.I but with some EQ in front of it. I'll give a nod to the 100hz area, boost 250hz like fuck (backs up the guitar's 'body' area nicely), nod at 700hz and 1khz, select the 'bass distortion' which comes as stock, play about with that till i find a nice tone that's gritty, but still bassy, then compress after tracking, and zing! You're in like a ninja.

Sorry, had to  this thread, We can't let this shit fall to the wayside. Can someone sticky this sucker please? So many of us use PODs on here. Not to mention there's NOTHING like this online anywhere else. And as my internet marketer senses are tingling, it means more targeted traffic to this website. DO IT!


----------



## TomAwesome

I might agree with the sticky if there wasn't already a stickied thread for modeling tweaking tips.

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/gear-equipment/42290-tweaking-tips-modelers.html


----------



## Mattayus

Ah, never saw that


----------



## MF_Kitten

i´ll add my latest discovery: mixing the T-75 cab with the Treadplate cab. this obviously requires the pod X3.

first of all, make a nice sound with your selection of preamp, using the T-75 cab with the 57 off-axis model. i use the big bottom amp model for this. use the parametric EQ to perfect the patch, like boost 400 Hz a little, and maybe 1.6 khz a little, lower the hi shelf filter by 1.8 db set to 4.2Khz. this will make the tone more organic.

then, copy this same patch, parametric eq and all, but change the cab model to Treadplate, and select the Dynamic 412 mic. make sure you have the dual tone mode activated. turn the amp volume all the way down, and while playing with one hand, turn it up with the other, until you hit a good spot. somewhere around 60% volume i think.

make sure you don´t have too much bass on either side, because it´ll be boosted a lot.

play around with this until you find a satisfactory mix 

this is my latest tone, and i´m not quite satisfied with the high end just yet, needs a bit more tweaking


----------



## Sang-Drax

TomAwesome said:


> I might agree with the sticky if there wasn't already a stickied thread for modeling tweaking tips.
> 
> http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/gear-equipment/42290-tweaking-tips-modelers.html



That one isn't pod-specific, though. If only it were possible to merge the two of them...


----------



## Stephen

I tend to use the T-75 cab a lot with either the Metal shop Mesa and P-Ball models

i always remove everything below 80Hz using hi pass filter.

Also remove everything over 10KHz using a low pass filter.

Reduce around 150Hz as i always find with my tones its quite boomy around that area.

And then i will notch out some harsh frequencies between 2-6KHz


----------



## CentaurPorn

I have a quick question for you POD users. I recently picked up a set of M-Audio AV40 Monitors with a Stereo TRS Input. I just want to know if this makes the most sense for a recording / playback setup with a pod as I am buying one this week off a board member. 

Should I plug my Pod Stereo into the TRS Stereo inputs on the Active monitors. And to the pc Via USB for recording and skip my pc soundcard completely for 0 Latency playback? This may seem like a stupid question to some but I do not want to risk damaging my monitors as I love them. I have never attempted any direct recording like this either.

Or would I be better off running through my PC for recording and playback?


----------



## gaunten

I don't know what pod you're getting, and I don't know how the other pods work (I have an X3 live) but on my pod, you don't use the computers soundcard, because you set the pod to be the computers soundcard, so all you need to record directly is just a pair of good headphones or computer speakers.
I might have completely misunderstood your question and I probably sound like an idiot if so, I'm pretty much a recordin n00b meself, but at least I tried


----------



## CentaurPorn

Well my studio monitors are my pc speakers. I am getting an XT. I just figured for playback it would be better to bypass my pc completely and go direct to the trs stereo inputs on the monitors *shrug*


----------



## 7 Strings of Hate

what do you guys think the mic and cab sims really add? i just want your opinions, i find that i get a better tone without them. for recording i can see were the mics and cabs can kind of tame the wildness of some of the patches, but you can also ramp back the ferocity of an uncabed and unmiced patch too. 
with out the mic and cab, it just seemes the patches have more balls and a bit more cut


----------



## 7 Strings of Hate

someone will answer, or i must break legs!


----------



## TemjinStrife

I've personally taken to using the 8x10 Ampeg bass cab with my Intrepid 8-string for some really clear, tight yet thunderous bottom end. You have to be careful with EQing, but it'll give some great crushing thump.

I wouldn't recommend using it with the Big Bottom model as that tends to flub out, but with the Purge, Spinal Puppet, and Criminal models it can really add that bass and low-mid 'wumph' that the those models can sometimes lack.


----------



## MerlinTKD

7 Strings of Hate said:


> what do you guys think the mic and cab sims really add? i just want your opinions, i find that i get a better tone without them. for recording i can see were the mics and cabs can kind of tame the wildness of some of the patches, but you can also ramp back the ferocity of an uncabed and unmiced patch too.
> with out the mic and cab, it just seemes the patches have more balls and a bit more cut



Hmm, never tried that... I'll be checking it out tomorrow!




TemjinStrife said:


> I've personally taken to using the 8x10 Ampeg bass cab with my Intrepid 8-string for some really clear, tight yet thunderous bottom end. You have to be careful with EQing, but it'll give some great crushing thump.
> 
> I wouldn't recommend using it with the Big Bottom model as that tends to flub out, but with the Purge, Spinal Puppet, and Criminal models it can really add that bass and low-mid 'wumph' that the those models can sometimes lack.



The 8x10 Ampeg... is that the 8x10 Classic that's standard, or is that on one of the Packs?


----------



## KaLeVaLA

about not using cab and stuf sounded pretty cool!
Think im gonna check that out later today 

I really dont know what to add to this thread...it pretty much covers all the basics anyone would ever need on starting to record, or to improve their sound.

I allways had a bad habbit with using too much hi end on everything instead of using the mids more active. Mids are def. improtant in every instrument imo.
It gives more body and/or punch when adding some mids ..but never go completely nuts on it...and that goes for everything when it comes to production.
Be gentle with it and choose the right spots , instead of boosting the hell out of stuff on the wrong spots 


One thing i have been wondering about is how to get the clearity in a tone.
Ofcourse...its mid based...but sometimes it can be too middy and then end up lacking clearity and abit of bite. Will this be a (around) 4-5khz work, or more in the 8-10khz?


----------



## 7 Dying Trees

Sang-Drax said:


> That one isn't pod-specific, though. If only it were possible to merge the two of them...


Possibly, point of this thread is very pod specific, as it is by far and away the most popular most used brand out there if that makes sense!

Either way, it's all good


----------



## Scootman1911

Alright so I have a Pocket POD (don't have money for the full one ) and I tried to download some presets a while ago off Line 6's site or something and I couldn't find any for the Pocket POD. It says I can download them on the box though. Anyways, are the packs on this site going to work?


----------



## TomAwesome

I think the POKèPOD is basically a POD 2.0, so I'd imagine it's compatible with 2.0 patches. XT and on, probably not so much.


----------



## Scootman1911

Hahah alright thanks a lot. I'll check them out and see if they work.


----------



## HANIAK

Very nice thread!!!

I am trying to download some POD configs you guys uploaded but I keep getting this error:



Code:


[B]Warning[/B]: copy(./downloads//ec_tmp/DEI tone.l6t.zip) [[URL="http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/function.copy"]function.copy[/URL]]: failed to open stream: Permission denied in [B][path]/downloads.php[/B] on line [B]594[/B]
ERROR: File not found.


Do any of you have the same problem??


----------



## KaLeVaLA

can someone please make this a sticky soon? 
Verry usefull thread imo !


----------



## ubarhax

whenever I use the stomp + eq it sounds too twangy. Can someone help me out here.


----------



## TomAwesome

Are you boosting the treble/mids when you use that effect? If it's the treble, back it down. If it's the mids, back it down or move the mid freq.


----------



## ubarhax

fucking hell.. every time I try to tweak my PODxt to what I want the rhythm recording sound to be like I just frustrate myself even more. I've been trying to find that tone for like a year.


----------



## MerlinTKD

ubarhax said:


> fucking hell.. every time I try to tweak my PODxt to what I want the rhythm recording sound to be like I just frustrate myself even more. I've been trying to find that tone for like a year.



Man, do I ever understand! 

I finally started liking the tone I was getting (from the Toneport/Gearbox) when Mattayus shared his setting with me; if you're as frustrated-ready to tear your hair out-smash that Pod into little pieces as I was, I'd recommend something similar.  Start with a patch or settings from someone whose tone you like, even if it's not perfect! This will get you going in the right direction, and give you something good to compare your further experimentation to.

Just recently, I started messing around with different amps and settings, and found something with the Solo-100 that I thought wasn't bad... compared it to my tweaked Mattayus patch (Spinal Puppet-based) and it reeked!  Tonight, though, I started messing with the Insane amp, and found something that's pretty interesting, that might even fit the guitar I'm using right now better!

_So far,_ the tweaks I've come to live by are: scoop the mids a little, but not too much; keep the presence between 4 and 6, depending on the amp; and keep the gain/drive as low as possible while still getting a good tone. With my current alder Gibson w/Dirty Fingers, that gets me right in the 'good tone' neighborhood, and based on others' recordings, it should work well with the basswood w/Painkiller (if I ever get it put back together!! ).


----------



## mnemonic

ubarhax said:


> whenever I use the stomp + eq it sounds too twangy. Can someone help me out here.



what are your settings? i run it with the gain pushed up a bit at around 70% to 80%, with the bass pulled waaaaay down, like 30% (bass up on the amp to compensate, too high on the boost and everything gets loose and muddy) mids pushed way up at like 70% to add clarity (mid frequency at 50%) and treble up at i think 60%. its my favorite boost, i cant get a usable tone out of any of the others.



ubarhax said:


> fucking hell.. every time I try to tweak my PODxt to what I want the rhythm recording sound to be like I just frustrate myself even more. I've been trying to find that tone for like a year.



i know what you mean, back in the day i had a podxt live and i was at it for like 6 months until i finally got so frustrated i just sold the bloody thing and bought something else, but recently i bought a toneport with the gearbox plugin and its freggin aewsome once you learn how all the eq's and things react. can definitely get some great tones from it, but they're hard to find for sure, and require tweaking for whatever kind of monitoring you're using.


----------



## raginkjinn

What I have found that works awesome is to use the treadplate cab with which ever model bc it has a lot less fizz to it. Then I take the pedal eq and set it to the highest frequency and then completely take that out. Then I use the tube drive pedal to tighten things up, bc it seems to help the modelor to react a little more like an actual amp and not have that overly processed thing going on.

heres screen shots of what I mean about the EQ


----------



## ubarhax

Thanks for the help guys.. I'm still working on it.

Do any of you happen to have Chimp Spanner's patch? That's pretty much the sound I'm going for. He seems reluctant to post it haha but I don't blame him.

Also, I've come across another problem today. I installed Gearbox because Line 6 Edit is crap but now when I try to open Reaper (my DAW) it says the PODxt ASIO will not work. I've tried reinstalling the PODxt driver like 3 times and reinstalled Gearbox but it still says it. I can't find the uninstaller for Gearbox anywhere which might fix the problem though.


----------



## Scootman1911

Man this is annoying. I've been sitting here download presets from Line 6's site trying to find a good tone to work on but they all suck. Every time I get something that's way fizzy and muddy. I can't seem to get a good, tight distorted sound. Which presets from here are for the 2.0 software?


----------



## Mattayus

ubarhax said:


> Thanks for the help guys.. I'm still working on it.
> 
> Do any of you happen to have Chimp Spanner's patch?



No i but i do know he uses the big bottom, with the T75 cab with the mic off axis


----------



## mnemonic

Scootman1911 said:


> Man this is annoying. I've been sitting here download presets from Line 6's site trying to find a good tone to work on but they all suck. Every time I get something that's way fizzy and muddy. I can't seem to get a good, tight distorted sound. Which presets from here are for the 2.0 software?



like 99% of the presets on the line 6 site suck really bad... theres a couple cool ones but they all require tweaking depending on what kind of monitoring you're using. and it doesn't help that line 6's eq's seem to work differently than most other amps i've used. seems like mids any lower than like 60% on most models doesn't sound that good.

check out the patch library here, theres some good ones. my main distorted tone is loosely based off of bulb's patch on the library here.


----------



## Scootman1911

Yeah I've figured out that they all suck. I downloaded one that was "high gain" and the gain was turned all the way off. But I'll check out Bulb's since I've heard good things about him


----------



## ubarhax

Think I'm gonna give up on trying to record with my POD which sucks because now I have no other way lol.


----------



## Mattayus

raginkjinn said:


> What I have found that works awesome is to use the treadplate cab with which ever model bc it has a lot less fizz to it.



That's true, which is why i used it for a while, but i found it to be very dull and lifeless when multitracked for some reason. I just couldn't make it work  I now use the line 6 4x12, because it's the closest sounding to the treadplate but it has MUCH more life (needs some taming in the high-end though!)


----------



## serchnetx

hi guys..I know this is not exactly the thread to ask but you know a lot more about POD than me so... i just got my first PODX3 today and the thing is i need to update all the stuff in the line 6 monkey, I already have the drivers but the problem is: i need to uptade the Device firmware (USB firmware and Flash memory) and everytime i connect my POD through USB to the computer and push the on button the internet automatically falls down, turn it off again and the internet works normally after I restart the whole wireless thing again, i'm using wireless internet meaning that i have a USB receptor... I don't know if this have to do with the problem... should i use a normal cable..? help please!


----------



## ubarhax

How do I fatten up the tone a lot? It ALWAYS sounds fizzy and weak with no punch at all.


----------



## mnemonic

when recording, i find adding bass fills out alot of low end. i also usually boost a teensy bit around 200 hz i think. 

as for the fizziness, usually the drums and cymbals tend to drown that out. if its really bad you can do a low pass between 10khz and 12khz


----------



## ephriamiv7

is the metal pack really worth it? i only want the darn bigbottom but erg ell me


----------



## mnemonic

i think it is, even if just for the big bottom amp.

i never found a tone i was happy with, using the stock models (though i hear some people like the spinal puppet amp... its cool but just not the kind of sound i go after). the big bottom and 5150 model are awesome though. i'd say its worth it. just the same as fx pack is worth it just for the goddamn boost+eq pedal, haha.


----------



## Mattayus

Mattayus said:


> That's true, which is why i used it for a while, but i found it to be very dull and lifeless when multitracked for some reason. I just couldn't make it work  I now use the line 6 4x12, because it's the closest sounding to the treadplate but it has MUCH more life (needs some taming in the high-end though!)



scratch that, make that the T75. Best cab on there imo. its the closest sounding i could get to a real mic'd tube amp and have now changed all my tones, again! wish i'd've discovered it before. Much more midrangey, and subsequently much more "real" sounding



ubarhax said:


> How do I fatten up the tone a lot? It ALWAYS sounds fizzy and weak with no punch at all.



whack some EQ on that shit man. Pull up the EQ on your patch, and at the 5k mark reduce it by 2db, usually works for me! Also, something i've discovered lately, reduce your presence to half way at the least! Pod presence = fail. Also, one last thing with pod tones, you MUST boost your mids. They're so scooped as a default that even if you have your mids on 7 it's like having them on 1 on a real amp.


----------



## Greg Pope

serchnetx said:


> hi guys..I know this is not exactly the thread to ask but you know a lot more about POD than me so... i just got my first PODX3 today and the thing is i need to update all the stuff in the line 6 monkey, I already have the drivers but the problem is: i need to uptade the Device firmware (USB firmware and Flash memory) and everytime i connect my POD through USB to the computer and push the on button the internet automatically falls down, turn it off again and the internet works normally after I restart the whole wireless thing again, i'm using wireless internet meaning that i have a USB receptor... I don't know if this have to do with the problem... should i use a normal cable..? help please!



Hey dude, I had a similer problem a little while ago, the usb devices are conflicting.
So your options are to connect to the net using a ethernet cable, or purchase a wireless PCI card.


----------



## migreeni

MerlinTKD said:


> Kudos to 7DT for starting this thread - it deserves a sticky! I wonder if there's some way to consolidate these tips without getting them lost in multiple pages?



+1!

And stickysticky


----------



## Coryd

Mattayus said:


> scratch that, make that the T75. Best cab on there imo. its the closest sounding i could get to a real mic'd tube amp and have now changed all my tones, again! wish i'd've discovered it before. Much more midrangey, and subsequently much more "real" sounding





This is the cab that i use for my main rhythm tone. I'm still testing some different frequencies from some of the info posted earlier. Good info on this thread.

bump

for

sticky?


----------



## Plankis

I haven't read much about impulses in this thread. So discuss impulses with the POD! How do you approach this method? what changes do you do to your favorite patch? 

I'll start with a howto-link: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/recording-studio/51986-big-thread-about-impluse-responses.html

I have very little experience with this but I did some testing today, I just deactivated the cab sim with my usual preset. I downloaded alot of "good" (I dunno what's good or bad so...) impulses. And my conclusion is that MY tone gets even more scooped and harsher with them. I just bypassed the cab so that might be a reason, but I never got the ZOMG ThIs Is AwEsOmE-feeling about them. They get so much praise and everyone tells they easily pwn the pod cabs. But how much tweaking do I actually need to do to make it surpass my old tone?

Oh and another thing I was thinking about: How do you edit the patches? bypassing the cabs makes everything sounding like crap, making it hard to really know what must be done. 
Sure, recording over and over is a option. I can then hear it in the mix. But it's such a big difference between the recording-tone and the mixedtone it's incredible. How do I stay focused?


----------



## halsinden

Mattayus said:


> really, really useful know-how



i think i need either to kidnap you and force you to sit down at my place to help me out of bad-tone-town, or download everything you own.

or both.

H


----------



## Mattayus

halsinden said:


> i think i need either to kidnap you and force you to sit down at my place to help me out of bad-tone-town, or download everything you own.
> 
> or both.
> 
> H



Haha dude don't worry ab00t it, i'll do it for free! Well... a shot of jack and a couple of splifftas should do the trick! 

here, have this


----------



## Mattayus

Plankis said:


> I haven't read much about impulses in this thread. So discuss impulses with the POD! How do you approach this method? what changes do you do to your favorite patch?
> 
> I'll start with a howto-link: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/recording-studio/51986-big-thread-about-impluse-responses.html
> 
> I have very little experience with this but I did some testing today, I just deactivated the cab sim with my usual preset. I downloaded alot of "good" (I dunno what's good or bad so...) impulses. And my conclusion is that MY tone gets even more scooped and harsher with them. I just bypassed the cab so that might be a reason, but I never got the ZOMG ThIs Is AwEsOmE-feeling about them. They get so much praise and everyone tells they easily pwn the pod cabs. But how much tweaking do I actually need to do to make it surpass my old tone?
> 
> Oh and another thing I was thinking about: How do you edit the patches? bypassing the cabs makes everything sounding like crap, making it hard to really know what must be done.
> Sure, recording over and over is a option. I can then hear it in the mix. But it's such a big difference between the recording-tone and the mixedtone it's incredible. How do I stay focused?



I had to tweak my pod patch a little bit to make the impulse sound great. It already sounded better than the pod cab, but i had to tweak it to suit the impulse, if you know what i mean.

It was much MUCH bassier than the pod, as a real cabinet would be, and had much more life and i found that i had to tame that a little bit, but that was more post-processing than amp tweaking.

Highs and mids is where i played around. I found that the impulse cab needed a bit more mid and highs than the podxt patch. But it makes sense when you think that the podxt is full of hiss and honk, so you have to be really tame with the highs and mids on the pod, but you can be much more liberal with them when using impulses.

*sorry for the double post!*


----------



## halsinden

Mattayus said:


> Haha dude don't worry ab00t it, i'll do it for free! Well... a shot of jack and a couple of splifftas should do the trick!
> 
> here, have this



you are the man. 

yeah, i'm just facing issues at the moment since i'm using many other people's patches and none that have been tailored to my roter.

H


----------



## Mattayus

You got BKPs in that sucker like in your 7620? What wood is it?


----------



## GazPots

Has anyone got presets and are willing to write down the actual numbers for those who have retarded pc's?


----------



## mnemonic

for those people using the big bottom amp, i've found boosting the mids in the parametric eq a couple db (i boost at about 600 hz) along with boosting the mids up on the amp makes the amp sound alot fuller and less scooped. 




GazPots said:


> Has anyone got presets and are willing to write down the actual numbers for those who have retarded pc's?



what kind of tone do you like? i've got some djenty ones that i like i can type out if you'd like.


----------



## Mattayus

Something I'd like to know - and something I've completely neglected to experiment with until recently - How do you get a decent clean tone out of the PodXT?

I have an ok one that I use, but it's lacking the glassy chime I love. Ideas?


----------



## halsinden

Mattayus said:


> You got BKPs in that sucker like in your 7620? What wood is it?



so far as i'm aware it's yer standard basswood, and i've got nailbombs in it... and it's now sold!

H

just wanted to say a big thank you to all the people who have contributed to the tone library on this site, last night i downloaded a ton of them and have found them to be seriously inspiring.

top stuff.

H


----------



## GazPots

mnemonic said:


> what kind of tone do you like? i've got some djenty ones that i like i can type out if you'd like.





Some big distorted rhythms. Some lead tones and some basic cleans.



I'm doing alright with my pod but i just don't think im getin past sounding good rather than great.


----------



## Mattayus

halsinden said:


> so far as i'm aware it's yer standard basswood, and i've got nailbombs in it... and it's now sold!
> 
> H
> 
> just wanted to say a big thank you to all the people who have contributed to the tone library on this site, last night i downloaded a ton of them and have found them to be seriously inspiring.
> 
> top stuff.
> 
> H



You sold the Rotor custom? or the 7620?


----------



## halsinden

Mattayus said:


> You sold the Rotor custom? or the 7620?



the 7620. jesus, i'd _never_ sell the roter! especially since all this GOTM nomination business!

i've still got the RG, but i'm waiting to clean off some scuff marks with fine grain polish before i hand it over. the money from it is going straight on a new roter i've just designed.

H


----------



## Mattayus

haha bloody hell you don't hang about. I take it they're rather nice then!

So did you manage to get a tone sorted?


----------



## halsinden

Mattayus said:


> haha bloody hell you don't hang about. I take it they're rather nice then!
> 
> So did you manage to get a tone sorted?



frankly mate (and i don't say this lightly) i'm committed to roter now as an artist. i'm not really interested in getting any other brand. i'll still play my les paul occasionally but frankly i'm all in for increasing my roter arsenal, sebastian really does know what he's doing.

i'm still playing around with a number of things but frankly i still need a _lot_ more know-how on how to edit things on the pod itself. i'm something of a luddite, there.

H


----------



## Mattayus

Oh i seeeee!

I'll shoot you a PM man


----------



## mnemonic

GazPots said:


> Some big distorted rhythms. Some lead tones and some basic cleans.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm doing alright with my pod but i just don't think im getin past sounding good rather than great.



well, admittedly i've not spent much time trying to get really nice clean tones. actually, i hardly ever play cleans with it. same with lead tones, i usually just use my rhythm tone.

but heres my rhythm tone tell me what you think:

NoiseGate:
Thresh: -55db
Decay: 0&#37;

Stomp:
Boost+EQ
Gain: 84%
Bass: 43%
Treble: 67%
Mid: 77%
Mid Freq.: 50%

Amp:
Big Bottom
Drive: 46%
Bass: 73%
Middle: 88%
Treble: 72%
Pres.: 71%
Volume: 80%

Cab:
4x12 V30's
0% Room
421 Dynamic Mic

Parametric EQ:
+2db @ 600hz
+1db @ 3kHz high end shelf



theres a bit of fizziness to it, but as long as i dont sit infront of the speakers, it doesn't bother me at all. i use an all mahogany guitar with an EMG 707 in it tuned to Bb. tell me what you think.




Mattayus said:


> Something I'd like to know - and something I've completely neglected to experiment with until recently - How do you get a decent clean tone out of the PodXT?
> 
> I have an ok one that I use, but it's lacking the glassy chime I love. Ideas?



i agree with this


----------



## Mattayus

haha ^ That's pretty much identical to mine, but i don't have the boost+EQ stomp, and i use the Line6 4x12 instead of the V30.


----------



## 7 Dying Trees

serchnetx said:


> hi guys..I know this is not exactly the thread to ask but you know a lot more about POD than me so... i just got my first PODX3 today and the thing is i need to update all the stuff in the line 6 monkey, I already have the drivers but the problem is: i need to uptade the Device firmware (USB firmware and Flash memory) and everytime i connect my POD through USB to the computer and push the on button the internet automatically falls down, turn it off again and the internet works normally after I restart the whole wireless thing again, i'm using wireless internet meaning that i have a USB receptor... I don't know if this have to do with the problem... should i use a normal cable..? help please!


Use a normal USB cable, try that first and see if that helps. If not, then most likely there's a driver conflict somewhere.

But my guess is that you should:

- disable this USB wireless thingy you are using (as in turn it off)
- use a cable
- see how that all works


----------



## 7 Dying Trees

Mattayus said:


> No i but i do know he uses the big bottom, with the T75 cab with the mic off axis


Same one I use I think, it's the big bottom with a marshall cab, most likely 75's

The treadplate cab has always sounded a bit, i dunno, i loved it for a while, but just always added too much woof and wool. 

I may give it another crack at some point though!


----------



## Mattayus

Yeah exactly! Which is very odd, because since i've got into impulses i refuse to use anything but the Mesa 4x12 i have. Just a shame the A.I.R Mesa isn't the same.


----------



## Mattayus

mnemonic said:


> Stomp:
> Boost+EQ
> Gain: 84&#37;
> Bass: 43%
> Treble: 67%
> Mid: 77%
> Mid Freq.: 50%



Sorry to bump this, but I think we should keep it afloat anyway.

I'm just wondering... wtf is the Boost+EQ? (I don't have the FX Junkie pack!) I know what it is, but how does it effect the sound exactly? Also, can you have it on at the same time as the tubescreamer? Seeing as it's a stomp and all...


----------



## mnemonic

naw, can't have it on at the same time as the tubescreamer. 

i usually set it so it acts kinda like a tubescreamer (cutting a bit of bottom and boosting highs and mids) but personally i can't stand the screamer model on the pod, kinda sounds like a half-open wah to me. i guess its more transparent than the tubescreamer, can add gain and tighten up an amp (plus its got an eq on it which is cool, so you have more control, so if you're using a dark amp you can boost treble infront of it)

its not as tight of a stomp as the screamer is though. i've found the screamer can make a really loose amp seem pretty tight, the boost+eq doesn't quite do that aswell. but i use it with the big bottom amp which is already a fairly tight amp so it works out.


----------



## damigu

you know what helps reduce some fizz?

on the EQ, turn the treble level all the way down, then turn the treble frequency to the max value.


----------



## MF_Kitten

damigu said:


> you know what helps reduce some fizz?
> 
> on the EQ, turn the treble level all the way down, then turn the treble frequency to the max value.



i find pulling it ALL the way down is a little too much reduction myself, but the general idea works very well indeed 

Mattayus, the EQ+Boost thingy is simply a boost pedal with a treble knob, a bass knob, a mid knob, a mid frequency sweep knob, and a gain knob. simple as that. it´s the most effective boost stomp model on the whole pod, with the screamer doing basically the same thing, but alot more "closed"-sounding. the screamer sounds really weak in comparison, if you´re using it for modern metal tones. if you´re going for leads or more old-school metal stuff though, it sounds ace 

the boost+eq stomp model is really open and natural-sounding, and makes for good djentyness, as well as good tightness/chugginess


----------



## TomAwesome

Lately I've had great results running a real OD in front of the POD and then adding the Boost+EQ stomp in. Actually, it worked really well on my Recto patch and made very little difference on my VH4 patch.


----------



## damigu

i like to turn it ALL the way down. it seems extra, but because the highest and lowest are actually shelf EQ, this means that the highest frequencies (where the fizz lives) is cut down no matter what else you do in rest of the signal path.

i then bring back the treble sounds that i do like by turning up the treble/presence on the amp more than usual.


----------



## Mattayus

mnemonic said:


> naw, can't have it on at the same time as the tubescreamer.
> 
> i usually set it so it acts kinda like a tubescreamer (cutting a bit of bottom and boosting highs and mids) but personally i can't stand the screamer model on the pod, kinda sounds like a half-open wah to me. i guess its more transparent than the tubescreamer, can add gain and tighten up an amp (plus its got an eq on it which is cool, so you have more control, so if you're using a dark amp you can boost treble infront of it)
> 
> its not as tight of a stomp as the screamer is though. i've found the screamer can make a really loose amp seem pretty tight, the boost+eq doesn't quite do that aswell. but i use it with the big bottom amp which is already a fairly tight amp so it works out.





MF_Kitten said:


> i find pulling it ALL the way down is a little too much reduction myself, but the general idea works very well indeed
> 
> Mattayus, the EQ+Boost thingy is simply a boost pedal with a treble knob, a bass knob, a mid knob, a mid frequency sweep knob, and a gain knob. simple as that. it´s the most effective boost stomp model on the whole pod, with the screamer doing basically the same thing, but alot more "closed"-sounding. the screamer sounds really weak in comparison, if you´re using it for modern metal tones. if you´re going for leads or more old-school metal stuff though, it sounds ace
> 
> the boost+eq stomp model is really open and natural-sounding, and makes for good djentyness, as well as good tightness/chugginess



So basically it's like a tubescreamer, but less compressed? And more dynamic in that you can play with the frequencies etc... Sounds awesome, I think when I get the xtpro next week i'm gonna have to invest in the fx junkie!


----------



## Ryan-ZenGtr-

Last week I bought the model packs for myself as probably the only decent Xmas gift I'll receive. 

*us guitarists are impossible to buy gifts for... everything is called the Turbo 2.7 Deluxe and whatnot these days*

I bought the Metal pack and the FX Junkie...

The process was easy enough (credit card/download/move a .AET file/authentic software/update GearBox if you want).

I found that really, all I use are perhaps a handful of patches and then tweak for the purpose.

It didn't help me get more realistic tones, although it does feel nice to know I have their emulations of some cool gear.

I own a Boogie Dual Rec and Rec 4x12, also I'm familiar with many of the hi gain amps included, especially the JCM 800 and Cornford models.

The 'Boogie patches are not like the real amp, although the model in the Metal Shop is better than the older one. It is &#37;100 to do with the cabinet emulation, in my opinion. The 'Boogie cab with Vintage 30's, in real life, owns... I have never used a better sounding cab. That isn't to say there isn't better ones around, but the Mesa cab is very good.

The Mesa cabinet emulation just sucks... I've ended up using waves C4 compressor (multiband) to destroy the high end, Waves EQ to tast and finally a touch of Waves Rverb. All on double tracked Recto/5150/Bogner/JCM800 takes, with tasty guitars.

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that post processing is the key to getting professional tones out the POD range. Not that I think it's bad, I just know it can be better... somehow!


----------



## Methilde

Can someone please give me tips on how to get tight good riffing sounds from a pocket pod? Or should I buy the Pod X3 instead to obtain those. I don't have a cabinet and I record everything directly on the line- in using Cubase.

Please guys help me out, everyone says that my guitar sounds suck monkeyballs


----------



## Mattayus

You're much better off getting either the XT or the X3 (I think XT personally, X3 seems unnecessarily complicated )

Do it!


----------



## Methilde

Teehee, there is a price difference but is there also a difference in sound?


----------



## Mattayus

The X3 comes with all the model packs as standard, where-as you have to buy them with the XT, but the only thing the X3 can actually do that's different from the XT is the 'dual tone' thing, where you can run two patches at the same time to make different sounds etc. Personally I don't think I'd ever use that feature and think it's a bit gimmicky, but hey, it's up to you!


----------



## budule

Methilde said:


> Can someone please give me tips on how to get tight good riffing sounds from a pocket pod? Or should I buy the Pod X3 instead to obtain those. I don't have a cabinet and I record everything directly on the line- in using Cubase.
> 
> Please guys help me out, everyone says that my guitar sounds suck monkeyballs


 Hi, If you're using a pocket POd try this (I've got one, a pod pro and a xt live) :

- amp model "insane" drive at 63 %, low at 60%, mid at 28 %, high at 80 %, cab sim on 4x12 brit hi gain (V30 sim cab)

- drive "on", eq "on".

with this preset ( strictly the same on my pocket and my pro) , I use an old half rack graphic eq boss :

- 500 Hz >>> -1 Db
- 1 Khz >>> -1,5 Db
- 2 Khz >>> +1,5 Db
- 4 Khz >>> +2Db
- 8 Khz >>> +0,5 Db

Then I use a parametric Eq beetween 1Khz and 8khz to get more precision in the settings and to cut the fizz.

And there's a Dimebag setting from reinventing the steel!!!

For the CFH sound, just change the cab sim to 4x12 Line 6.


In conclusion, using both of them, my preference goes to the POD 2.0 (or pocket or pro), because the insane amp sim is better than the xt one ; unfortunately, the 2.0 has'nt got enough cab sim and mic sim (the xt is better for this)


----------



## Methilde

Thanks  I could, however only do the first step since I don't have the other means with the EQ ing. I can only add those after recording in cubase


----------



## damigu

Mattayus said:


> The X3 comes with all the model packs as standard, where-as you have to buy them with the XT, but the only thing the X3 can actually do that's different from the XT is the 'dual tone' thing, where you can run two patches at the same time to make different sounds etc. Personally I don't think I'd ever use that feature and think it's a bit gimmicky, but hey, it's up to you!



the dual-tone isn't a gimmick at all. a great deal of professional recordings are done using multiple amps/cabs, often times with the same 1 track re-amped through them, or else with both cabs recorded simultaneously with a single mic between them. this allows the exploitation of the strengths of different amps to cover the weaknesses in any 1 amp. with the dual-tone, i can do that without extra steps or having to re-amp anything.

i like to use the treadplate 2001 (mesa boogie) for its treble and bass, and the diety's son (diezel herbert) for its midrange.



Methilde said:


> Thanks  I could, however only do the first step since I don't have the other means with the EQ ing. I can only add those after recording in cubase



there's a software program you can download from line6's website that'll allow you access to those settings via your PC.
http://www.line6.com/software/


----------



## mnemonic

i dunno if anyone else has done this but i thought i'd share.

while i was on a break from studying i turned the treble down to 0 on one of my big bottom amp patches, and it sounds a bit darker, but alot less fizzy. its also middier and a bit louder. the last part has me a bit confused, but i'm not complaining. when i turn the treble up, it sounds scooped and fizzy in comparison.

i'll have to save the patch and try it tomorrow to see if it still sounds good, haha


----------



## Mattayus

haha man, i've literally spent DAYS doing that sorta shit before. It's odd isn't it... the treble is horrible on the big bottom, as is the presence. I never put my presence over 50&#37; anymore because it just gives it too much slap. That allows you put to the treble quite high though, but still never over 70%.

Anyway, yes, i tried what you did and it's peculiar isn't it.. As you turn it down, obviously it gets darker, darker, darker, muffled, horrible, you go to 1 and think "eugh"... then when it hits zero it sorta pops back out again! And you're like WTF! It's very strange.


----------



## Variant

Mattayus said:


> The X3 comes with all the model packs as standard, where-as you have to buy them with the XT, but the only thing the X3 can actually do that's different from the XT is the 'dual tone' thing, where you can run two patches at the same time to make different sounds etc. Personally I don't think I'd ever use that feature and think it's a bit gimmicky, but hey, it's up to you!



Gimmicky? 

 You're *nuts*... you can come up with some awesome stuff with the dual tone feature... besides unique amp blends, you can get some killer stereo clean ambiance, biamped bass tones, and fuller leads than don't just sound "down the middle of the mix"... I could see how it wouldn't intrigue one if you're strictly a multi-tracking rhythm player (which there seems to be a large number of on here ), but I find the dual-channel configuration of my X3 Pro to be a godsend, particularly with respect to my true-stereo gear, like my Boss Slicer... and can't wait to get a Harmony Man, to throw different harmonies (differently amp'd & effected) on each side of the sound field. Though, a word of warning, if you want all to killer routing options, you need to get the Pro rackmount.


----------



## damigu

is it just me, or does the FX loop on the POD X3 (and presumably the XT, also) really *REALLY* suck?

i don't know if it's the extra digital->analog and analog->digital conversion that's necessary for it, but if i turn it on, it just makes the tone sound completely dead. even if i use a straight cable to connect the output to the input it kills the tone (in a typical FX loop, that trick wouldn't affect the sound).


----------



## Mattayus

Haha ok ok i stand corrected, i'm sure it's apt for certain things and comes in real handy but...



Variant said:


> I could see how it wouldn't intrigue one if you're strictly a multi-tracking rhythm player (which there seems to be a large number of on here )



... what the FUCK is that supposed to mean? "Goddam you kids and your industry-standard technique of recording metal"... right?


----------



## Methilde

Aaight, so the pod XT will be it. (cheapy second hand found on the interwebz) I guess the patches that should be bought are downloadable somewhere (yes I'm an evil poor student musician) 

Will keep you updated on sketches and other messy creations by yours truly 

Cheers!

Beer.


----------



## Mattayus

Yeah you get them from the line 6 website. They only take credit card though, fuckers!


----------



## Methilde

I don't have a creditcard. I'm European


----------



## Mattayus

So am I so neither did I  had to borrow my dads and give him the cash


----------



## Variant

Mattayus said:


> Haha ok ok i stand corrected, i'm sure it's apt for certain things and comes in real handy but...
> 
> 
> 
> ... what the FUCK is that supposed to mean? "Goddam you kids and your industry-standard technique of recording metal"... right?



Just saying if you're strictly a chuga-chuga guy, you are probably not likely to appreciate the dual tone feature as much as a more dynamic player. Me, I'm 60% lead, 40% rhythm kinda guy.


----------



## All_¥our_Bass

Mattayus said:


> Something I'd like to know - and something I've completely neglected to experiment with until recently - How do you get a decent clean tone out of the PodXT?
> 
> I have an ok one that I use, but it's lacking the glassy chime I love. Ideas?


 
I _don't_ own a pod but I *DO* do a lot of tweaking with multi-FX pedals and the like. What I found gives you that PWNing clean sound is to add a mild overdrive with the gain almost all the way down (like the 0-2 area)-not so it actually distorts, but rather just 'warms up' the tone. For a long time when I used my multi I never understood some of the 'super-low-gain-and-farty-sounding-and-barley-able-to-do-overdrive' amp models on there, and as a result there is a grand total of 3 amp sims I used 99&#37; of the time.

1 distortion
1 fuzz
and
1 overdrive

But I found my clean tones to be "good, but not crisp or sparkly."
And I noticed that when you took an overdrive or distortion and turn teh volume down on your guitar, the clean sound was BETTER than the 100% clean patches-then it hit me!!
THAT'S WHAT THOSE "CRAPPY" AMPS SIMS ARE FOR!!

You can have the perfect EQU, chorus, delay, and reverb combination, but still have lackluster clean tones. But when you add just the tiniest amount of grit to it-they sound fantastic!!


----------



## mnemonic

i didn't much use the dual amp thing much when i got it... mainly just for clean tones and crunch tones, but not for high gain tones. now that i've played with it a bit and i know which amps blend well together, its alot funner to use.

though one thing i dont like about it (though it probably isn't really fair to line6) is that i find myself saying "oh i'll just add another amp" when i've got a tone that i think could be improved, rather than tweaking the eq more


----------



## All_¥our_Bass




----------



## Pod_Lover

Great thread!

All you need is a POD baby!


----------



## Mattayus

I'm not sure weather I should take you seriously or not  I mean... I use a pod for everything, and I am happy with my tone, but they're not _that_ good


----------



## damigu

so no one has a suggestion/solution to the POD's FX loop sucking and ruining the tone?
i was hoping there was a setting someone knew about that could make it actually usable.


----------



## stuh84

Pod_Lover said:


> Great thread!
> 
> All you need is a POD baby!



I went to university with only a POD so I didn't have to take my rig. A week later I'd bought an amp as I couldn't deal with only a POD.


----------



## Mattayus

Well, I've sold my XT and am getting the XT Pro which a ParcelForce driver should be bringing to my doorstep any second now.

Now, I only had the metal shop on my XT. But when my Pro gets here and I register it etc I'm getting the Metal Shop + FX Junkie package.

Basically, I've never played with it before, but people have advised me in this thread that the Boost+EQ stomp is a better pedal to use than the Tubescreamer which I currently have running on my patch.

So, does anybody have any good settings for the Boost+EQ pedal to make a tight tone? I love the tone I get with the TS, and may stick with it, but it can be known to be a bit _too_ tight sounding.


----------



## Ze Kink

Mattayus said:


> Well, I've sold my XT and am getting the XT Pro which a ParcelForce driver should be bringing to my doorstep any second now.
> 
> Now, I only had the metal shop on my XT. But when my Pro gets here and I register it etc I'm getting the Metal Shop + FX Junkie package.
> 
> Basically, I've never played with it before, but people have advised me in this thread that the Boost+EQ stomp is a better pedal to use than the Tubescreamer which I currently have running on my patch.
> 
> So, does anybody have any good settings for the Boost+EQ pedal to make a tight tone? I love the tone I get with the TS, and may stick with it, but it can be known to be a bit _too_ tight sounding.



Basically, it's a boost with an eq that has sweepable midrange. Compared to the TS it can be shaped a lot better (well, the TS can't really be shaped at all, so...). My settings are different every time, so I can't give you any specific settings, just see what sounds good on a specific guitar with a specific amp model. And don't boost too much, I generally find I cut the bass, either boost or cut the mids from a frequency I like/dislike, and I might boost or cut the highs depending on the amp model, though I cut more often. So really, the only thing I always do is cut the lows.


----------



## Mattayus

is the 'mid sweep' knob kinda like the 'contour' knob on Marshalls? i.e. it changes the characteristics of the whole EQ range - all the way to the right is scooped and chuggy, all the way to the left is honky and bulbous?


----------



## Ze Kink

Mattayus said:


> is the 'mid sweep' knob kinda like the 'contour' knob on Marshalls? i.e. it changes the characteristics of the whole EQ range - all the way to the right is scooped and chuggy, all the way to the left is honky and bulbous?



Actually, I'm not certain if I used the correct word for it, but anyway, it just selects the mid frequency the boost/cut affects, so no, it's not really similar to the contour knob.

The contour knob on my Valvestate 8240 seems to adjust the crappiness of the tone; the more you dial, the crappier the tone  at near zero it's good, after that...


----------



## Variant

damigu said:


> so no one has a suggestion/solution to the POD's FX loop sucking and ruining the tone?
> i was hoping there was a setting someone knew about that could make it actually usable.



I haven't had a chance to play with mine yet on my X3 (a shortage of connection cables Variant does have... yes ) but when I do I'll report back.


----------



## Mattayus

damigu said:


> so no one has a suggestion/solution to the POD's FX loop sucking and ruining the tone?
> i was hoping there was a setting someone knew about that could make it actually usable.



There is, isn't there?  On the Pro series' I/O Dig section I think you change the FX to either Parallel or Series, and I think that's where it makes the difference.


----------



## damigu

Mattayus said:


> There is, isn't there?  On the Pro series' I/O Dig section I think you change the FX to either Parallel or Series, and I think that's where it makes the difference.



the X3 live & pro can't switch between parallel and series. only between pre/post (whether it is before or after the amp).


but i found my problem. dumbass me had the FX return mix at 50%, so the return signal's dry component was causing phase issues with the original signal.

i just turned the mix up to 100% and the tone sucking went away.
default is 50% and i didn't bother paying close enough attention to it last time.


----------



## Mattayus

Aaahhhh, that makes sense! 

Well people, my pod xt pro arrived about an hour ago, just finished installing the metal shop, and fx junkie, and all my patches from my xt! You probably wont hear from me for a few days now...


----------



## Pauly

HAY GAIZ, getting an X3 for Christmas, so I'll be looking at this thread more often!


----------



## Mattayus

Cool man have fun with it!

I'm not enjoying this boost+EQ pedal after all  i think i prefer my TS settings. I'm still playing around with it though


----------



## thedownside

Mattayus said:


> Cool man have fun with it!
> 
> I'm not enjoying this boost+EQ pedal after all  i think i prefer my TS settings. I'm still playing around with it though



i found it really depends on the amp model you are using, one is better for some, the other for others. i really preffer my real tubescreamer instead.


----------



## Mattayus

it's ok i got the hang of it, i knew it was just a case of tweaking!  i've found a nice balance. It's pretty much identical to my TS tone, but a bit more transparent, a bit beefier, and a bit more awesome 

It's a touch louder though, because it's less compressed and lets more bass seep through, which is a bitch because i've had to change all my Logic presets


----------



## bulletbass man

Variant said:


> Just saying if you're strictly a chuga-chuga guy, you are probably not likely to appreciate the dual tone feature as much as a more dynamic player. Me, I'm 60% lead, 40% rhythm kinda guy.


 
Nothing's wrong with having good rthym. 

Sure I rarely multitrack leads but for me the dual tone feature only really saves me a few minutes of time at best.


----------



## damigu

Mattayus said:


> it's ok i got the hang of it, i knew it was just a case of tweaking!  i've found a nice balance. It's pretty much identical to my TS tone, but a bit more transparent, a bit beefier, and a bit more awesome



i like the TS, too, but it's a bit too "noisy"--great to jam with but not something i'd record with for my own tone.


----------



## Mattayus

Well when I did have the TS on it was on very low settings. Like drive 15&#37;, gain 45% i think. It was just to tighten it up, but the boost+eq does that, just with more transparency so it's not as weak sounding, as someone said a couple of pages ago. it just sounds more stronger, and is more toneful.


----------



## HANIAK

Interesting... 
I almost always use the TS without any drive (0&#37, so I can control the overall distortion in only one place (the amp)...
Am I the only one doing this?! Is there any disavantage?


----------



## Mattayus

No You're not the only one. A lot of people do that, i only put it to 15&#37; for a bit of extra kick, but the difference between 0% and 15% isn't awfully noticeable tbh


----------



## thedownside

HANIAK said:


> Interesting...
> I almost always use the TS without any drive (0%), so I can control the overall distortion in only one place (the amp)...
> Am I the only one doing this?! Is there any disavantage?



i run the drive pretty low, 10% or so, but the level is almost dimed. even on a clean amp setting, there's still a fair bit of dirt


----------



## Mattayus

I have a question for Pod XT Pro users - 

What resolution do you run it at? 16 or 24-bit? what's the best to run it at?

Thanks


----------



## Rachmaninoff

Mattayus said:


> i only put it to 15% for a bit of extra kick, but the difference between 0% and 15% isn't awfully noticeable tbh


I usually leave it around 10%, sometimes more, sometimes less.
Glad to know I'm not alone on this.


----------



## HANIAK

Mattayus said:


> I have a question for Pod XT Pro users -
> 
> What resolution do you run it at? 16 or 24-bit? what's the best to run it at?
> 
> Thanks



I'd go with 24bit. 
More resolution = more quality.

On the TS subject, I need to give another try to the FX Boost+EQ, since EVERYONE seems to think it's better than the TS, which was not my opinion everytime I tested it...


----------



## Mattayus

HANIAK dude, this is my experience with it, it may help you -

Yesterday when i'd installed all my patches from my XT to my Pro, i started playing around with them (because i only had the metal shop before, not the FX pack). I, too, was sceptical about the boost+eq, and after trying it out i thought it sounded a bit plastic (for want of a better word). But in actual fact, it sounds much more natural, it's just that I was so used to the scooped and compressed nature of the TS that the boost+eq sounded much too exaggerated at first.

so, to come to this conclusion what I did was take my rhythm patch exactly how it is, replace the TS with the boost+eq, find a setting that i liked and that gave a similar sound to the TS, played with it, recorded a couple of seconds of playing, but didn't save the patch, and then let my ears cool down and switched back to the original patch with the TS... and it sounded like arse! I could really hear the cold ice-pick feel, and how week and 'thin' it was. So i went back to the boost+eq, played with it for longer, got some settings that work for me, and saved it. I shall never look back  (BTW, the TS still kicks ass for leads!)

Basically, the boost+eq tightens it up, but without losing the bass content (i actually have the bass on 25&#37; on the pedal, and it's still thicker sounding than the TS), and it's got MUCH less fizz, even with higher high settings. And, because it's before the distortion, the mids act in an awesome clear way, and don't make the tone honk, they just bring out the clarity and articulation


----------



## HANIAK

yeah, that fizz thing is the only thing I can't seem to be satisfied with my POD (without post equalizing the tracks in Cubase). 
I mean, although I can get a strong punch on the guitars, there's always too much fizz (at least more than I want)!
If the Boost+EQ stomp is somewhat good in preventing this, then I definitely got to try it for a longer while.

Rock on!


----------



## Mattayus

Well i mean if a patch has fizz, the boost+eq won't take it away, i just meant that it won't add to it like the TS seems to.

the pod has inherent fizz no matter what. but you have to find the sweet spot for fizz on each patch, and each cab and each mic, and then dial it out with EQ.

generally speaking though they're all around the 5, 6, 7, and 8k range. i usually tame the big bottom's exaggerated high end with a -1 or -2db at 5 and 6k. not too much, or you'll lose presence

with the big bottom though, the highs are so OTT that even though you think you've killed them, try going to another amp model, then come back, and you'll see that it's still very high in the highs. it's a crazy amp


----------



## damigu

Mattayus said:


> I have a question for Pod XT Pro users -
> 
> What resolution do you run it at? 16 or 24-bit? what's the best to run it at?
> 
> Thanks



i always run my audio hardware at the highest resolution they are capable of. the higher the resolution, the more natural the sound is because it captures higher harmonics more faithfully (and reproduces lows with less distortion, but lows aren't really at issue with the resolutions we're talking about).

ultimately you'll be converting down to 16bit 44.1kHz because that is the CD standard, but it still pays to record at higher resolution than that.

think of it in terms of taking a picture of a picture with 2 digital cameras. lets say that 3 megapixels is equal to CD quality for the sake of this analogy, so your final picture has to be 3MP.
if you take the first picture with a 3MP camera, and then take a picture of that picture with another 3MP camera, you'll have the requisite 3MP final product but it may have minor distortions (sometimes not-so-minor, depending on how things line up).
if you take the first picture with a 10MP camera, and then take a picture of that picture with the 3MP camera, it'll still result in a 3MP picture, but at higher quality than otherwise.

that's essentially what you're doing with digital audio. you're taking an analog signal and converting it to digital. then, later on, you're converting it to a different digital format (different resolution). that's why it is better to do the initial recording at the highest resolution you're capable of even though the final mix will need to be 16/44.1.

of course, that's assuming you have the hard drive capacity to always be recording at highest quality.


----------



## Mattayus

Nice analogy, makes perfect sense


----------



## Sang-Drax

Two questions for you guys:

1. I was wondering... what kind of output you guys use live (specially those that plug the pod through a poweramp)? I used to change my output to "power amp in", "stack front", and "combo front" as the situation required, but now I just stick to "match studio". I think it sounds fuller and richer that way, on the contrary of what happens with the v-amp (which sucks a little less with the cab simulation off).

2. Has anybody tried using the "tweak" expression pedal as a whammy? Is it just me or it goes all wrong when you try to calibrate it?


----------



## damigu

1/ i set it to "stack poweramp" and turn off the cab/mic modeling.

2/ the whammy pedal does seem a bit buggy. with low notes, it kind of flutters between octaves for me. for fast use (like pantera's "suicide note part II") it works out just fine.


----------



## thedownside

Sang-Drax said:


> Two questions for you guys:
> 
> 1. I was wondering... what kind of output you guys use live (specially those that plug the pod through a poweramp)? I used to change my output to "power amp in", "stack front", and "combo front" as the situation required, but now I just stick to "match studio". I think it sounds fuller and richer that way, on the contrary of what happens with the v-amp (which sucks a little less with the cab simulation off).
> 
> 2. Has anybody tried using the "tweak" expression pedal as a whammy? Is it just me or it goes all wrong when you try to calibrate it?



1) it's been a while since i ran mine, but i would run the "power amp in" one, which then i plugged into my power amp, into a 4x12. i also left all the cab emulation on, i never like it without.

2) i've done it, sounds like ass. there whammy (or bender whatever it's called) blows. i bought a real whammy pedal instead


----------



## Scootman1911

Is there anywhere I can get some good distorted patches for a Pocket Pod (Pod 2.0)? I tried to download the ones from here but the majority don't work with it because they're for the XT or something.


----------



## zuzek

Yo!

Bursting into this thread as a new user, I really want to thank everyone for the valuable posts. I just got a Pod XT a week ago and this is the main thread that has already helped me tremendously with shaping tones. Thanks a shitload guys!

However, I have an issue I can't seem to solve. Now I also visit Andy Sneaps forum regularly and haven't found an answer for that there either. I hope anyone here is willing and/or able to help me out, cause I'm dumbfound.

Since I'm a student I'm on a pretty tight budget > recording with Reaper. The only way I've found myself able to record tracks there is by loading up GearBox outside of Reaper itself. When I try to add GearBox as a VST I can't load any tones. It just says "Compare Tone" "Save" etc. Am I fucking up anywhere in particular or?

Also, I'm pretty familiar with impulses and stuff like Revalver. But how do I use them with the Pod XT? When I have Gearbox outside of Reaper and put a program like Voxengo Boogex with correct settings in the VST chain, I'm not getting any sound whatsoever. What am I doing wrong with this? I'm not sure how to properly arrange things to have the Pod XT function as the amp and the Boogex as the cabinet. Any thoughts you have, I'd much appreciate it.

Hope anyone is able to help me out, since I've been searching forums and google for some hours but I cannot find anyone even asking these questions. Maybe they're that retarded in nature! 

Thanks again, will be sticking around here as there's a lot of valuable and helpful stuff on.


----------



## Plankis

Well, you need the vst version of gearbox to do so. Don't know its name, but it costs alot of money. You can reamp the sound, But you need to use the pods asio and change some settings. But that doesn't work too good either from my experiences. 

Btw. I uploaded my patches if someone's interested: Plankis POD XT presets - eSnips, share anything


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I usually edit my presets against rythym tracks as the signal goes directly to the PC from the POD XTL via the USB. That way, any eq'ing that is needed later is only minimal.


----------



## zuzek

Plankis said:


> Well, you need the vst version of gearbox to do so. Don't know its name, but it costs alot of money. You can reamp the sound, But you need to use the pods asio and change some settings. But that doesn't work too good either from my experiences.
> 
> Btw. I uploaded my patches if someone's interested: Plankis POD XT presets - eSnips, share anything



Thanks for the very quick reply. In essence you were partially right, but it's possible with just GearBox. The reason why I couldn't find any posts about this is because I was absolutely retarded and overlooked something in Gearbox itself (I turned the cab/amp off instead of the cab itself). Laughed at my own expense because it's a pretty big mistake. Thanks anyway for your help, much appreciated!


----------



## Plankis

Sorry, I answered only half of your questions
If you want to use impulses remove the cab in gearbox, then record that, insert a plugin like KeFir or Boogex, load a impulses. Done. 
Oh now I read whole your post. I dunno why you don't get any sound out of boogex. I have never had any such problems. Just twist knobs until you get some noise... Try some of the wet/dry knobs. Try KeFir if you don't get boogex to work, Less options but it works nicely too.


----------



## budule

Try this EQing to remove fizz (inspired by radley's hatmonic converger) ; just sharpen frequencies beetween 500 hz ans 2,5 khz (I tried myself with a simple graphic EQand my pod pro presets got rid of fizz).


----------



## Mattayus

Yeah that's pretty much exactly what I do, only don't make the dip quite that big or it'll kill the presence and will sound dull as fuck


----------



## budule

Here's exactly my "fizz killer" setting on my DEQ 2496 ; for my rig and my amp sim, it doesn't kill my presence (it's about 8 khz) an doesn't mke it sound dull. Then I scoop the mids on the Parametric EQ ; Left guitar is some kind of vulgar dispkay of power tone, and the right one is some kind of reinventing the steel (I say "some kind of", because I haven't got Dime's rig and fingers, but it sounds very close to me). For both guitars, I use a combination of V30 cab 4x12 cab sim and Line 6 4x12 cab sim; panned 100% L/R.

Left:
- vulgar display tone + v30 cab (scoop more the low mids than the line 6 cab)
- vulgar display tone + line 6 cab (to give brightness)

right :
- reinventing steel tone + v30 cab (scoop more the low mids than the line 6 cab)
- reinventing steel tone + line 6 cab (to give brightness)

It rocks the world (Power metal era private joke )

I'll record a track as soon as possible


----------



## Methilde

WHHEEEE! I has a Line 6 Pod X3!!!

Now i'm figuring out how to obtain a sweet sounding metal sound for my guitar. currently have the dual amp feature in use with Bomber X-TC (bogner based) and the Angel P-ball (ENGL powerball based)

Anyone got more tips for this dual amp kinda thing? The meshuggah sound maybe?



EDIT: Line 7 is Line 6 ofcourse. all these 7 string 777's make me confused


----------



## Mattayus

Line 7 huh??!  They've upgraded themselves!!

Here's my patch Sevenstring.org - Patch Library - Mattayus' PodXT rhythm

But that was before I got the fx junkie upgrade, so you might wanna change the tubescreamer to a Boost + EQ pedal.


----------



## Methilde

Cool! Thanks for sharing that  I cannot really figure out how it works software-wize. The vyzex thingie doesn't work/isnt available, what will?


----------



## Mattayus

What the fuck is vyzex!? 

I use line6 edit, and/or Toneport to load the patches to and from my pod and edit them


----------



## Methilde

Those aren't available for the X3


----------



## Mattayus

Really?!  Then i'm not sure what to suggest, cos I've only ever used the XT range  I'm sure they must have an equivalent though. How else can you get patches to and fro the X3!? Crazy fools...


----------



## Stephen

Mattayus said:


> Really?!  Then i'm not sure what to suggest, cos I've only ever used the XT range  I'm sure they must have an equivalent though. How else can you get patches to and fro the X3!? Crazy fools...



Gearbox i guess. Thats what my other guitarist uses for his Pod X3 Pro.

I find it confusing though, Line 6 Edit is much easier to use, just a shame it doesn't work with the X3's


----------



## TomAwesome

Yeah, I think Line 6 Edit got replaced with Gearbox.


----------



## damigu

i never used the line6 edit program so i can't comment on it. i find gearbox fairly intuitive and easy to use, though.

and PODfarm is even easier to use (fully graphic function, as opposed to gearbox which is partially menu driven), but with the X3 series PODfarm only works as a plug-in within your recording software.


----------



## Methilde

Ha, it works fine now  *goes off to shred*


----------



## MerlinTKD

/wishes he could shred... 


/wishes he had spent time _learning_ to shred 



Just to put my  in, now that I've had the Metal Shop pack for a while - I can't believe I tried to do without it!! If you don't have it, GET IT!!


----------



## LordHines42

Just read the whole thread. Some good info.

For anyone else new to the POD, I find I get my best djent tone using two patches at once (I would be LOST without this feature. My old patches are so painful to listen to compared to my new patches with dual tone...it's WELL worth it!), anyway, 2 patches centered, one an ENGL P-ball with a cocked WAH (SECRET TO SUPER DJENT!) at around 75 - 100 &#37; depending on the WAH model, with your choice of stomp, whether that be tube, screamer, classic distortion, or something comparable, with the drive all the way down, and the gain and tone all the way up. This pretty much gives you the most shuggah bulb djent possible. It will be far too noisy, however, so you want to max your gate with a 0 falloff as well....

To balance this, I use another patch for the low end. I've been using the Big Bottom for that, with or without a stomp (no WAH), choice is up to you on most else. Cabs and mics are dependent on your physical amp/cab setup, or if you're recording. So experiment with that.

Of course, EQ plays a big part. Meshuggah use a lot of mids everywhere, especially on the DEI lead tone. So play with those And like many others have said, you want to drop the high end to remove most of the Line 6 fizz. I typically drop mine down to as far down as it can go at around the 7 or 8 k range, as I recall. And the obvious Compression which will fatten your tone.

So that's how I get my best live sound, but for final recordings, I've been lately experimenting with different POD X3 and WAVES bundle together with its added array of cabs and mics in post (which actually completely destroys the POD in regard to its available mics and positions), and finally with, of course, a 10 band EQ. This will give you the best recorded sound possible.

I also find it helps if you can find a section of whatever tone you are after, from your favorite band, in my case, Meshuggah (re-nothing Closed Eye Visuals is a good example of just the guitar with no drums or bass), isolate that, loop it, have an EQ frequency analyzer running on that in real time, and on your recording of the same section, then change your EQ to match it exactly. It's a great way to get a good EQ foundation for later tweaks. Sometimes that's all you need, however.


I hope this info helps someone. Again, nice thread, thanks for the tips. I picked up some good tips myself here and there!



EDIT: some of my current patches to get you started on what I mean...

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=87


----------



## damigu

i approach dual-tone with a similar mindset. except instead of separating it into "top end" and "bottom end" like you do, i separate it into "mids" and "everything else" since the the character of the mids is the most important part of my sound.

usually i go for a thrashy amp for the highs and lows (like the marshall JCM or peavey 5150 models), and i do a drastic mid scoop.
then i fill it in with something very mid-heavy like the diezel herbert or a mesa model (i cut most of the treble but leave some bass).

i try to play to the different amps' strengths so i can get 1 good sound by manipulating the best aspects of 2 amps.


----------



## LordHines42

damigu said:


> i approach dual-tone with a similar mindset. except instead of separating it into "top end" and "bottom end" like you do, i separate it into "mids" and "everything else" since the the character of the mids is the most important part of my sound.
> 
> usually i go for a thrashy amp for the highs and lows (like the marshall JCM or peavey 5150 models), and i do a drastic mid scoop.
> then i fill it in with something very mid-heavy like the diezel herbert or a mesa model (i cut most of the treble but leave some bass).
> 
> i try to play to the different amps' strengths so i can get 1 good sound by manipulating the best aspects of 2 amps.




Actually, that's probably close to what I do. I guess what I mean to say is "higher" than the lows "high", heh, in mid territory. I drop all my highs on the EQ. Definitely. I sometimes boost the highs in post, however.


----------



## Swordwraith

Great advice throughout this thread. Got my X3 Live as 'immediate family bands together to purchase one ur-gift' present around Chrismastime, and have been near religiously devoted to it since. My only real struggle is (ironically) recording a decent, heavy, djentish tone via USB. Most of the patches I've devised (or even patches I've downloaded) sound fantastic running though a zeroed out amp (even the crappy little Peavey Rage 158 I kept lying around as a practice amp), but as soon as it comes recording via USB, the tone, particularly the palm mutes, sours and becomes almost staticky and grimy, as if the tone had been rolled off and everything else just went to town.  Its not typical POD digital fizz, at least as I've experienced it.

This is with the gain on the amp backed down to 2, and 4 on the Boost+EQ as well, with high end cuts at around 5K, so I dunno whats going on really. :/

http://swordwraith.googlepages.com/heinous2.mp3

Its a little annoying, seeing as the cleans and leads I've recorded so far have been great, and its only the really chunky rhythm that's eluding my grasp.


----------



## LordHines42

Swordwraith said:


> Great advice throughout this thread. Got my X3 Live as 'immediate family bands together to purchase one ur-gift' present around Chrismastime, and have been near religiously devoted to it since. My only real struggle is (ironically) recording a decent, heavy, djentish tone via USB. Most of the patches I've devised (or even patches I've downloaded) sound fantastic running though a zeroed out amp (even the crappy little Peavey Rage 158 I kept lying around as a practice amp), but as soon as it comes recording via USB, the tone, particularly the palm mutes, sours and becomes almost staticky and grimy, as if the tone had been rolled off and everything else just went to town.  Its not typical POD digital fizz, at least as I've experienced it.
> 
> This is with the gain on the amp backed down to 2, and 4 on the Boost+EQ as well, with high end cuts at around 5K, so I dunno whats going on really. :/
> 
> http://swordwraith.googlepages.com/heinous2.mp3
> 
> Its a little annoying, seeing as the cleans and leads I've recorded so far have been great, and its only the really chunky rhythm that's eluding my grasp.



Ahhh hahahaa. Fret not, dude. Fret not. (no pun intended... damn) Anyway, first, you need to raise the output levels of your amp tone, either that or boost the trim out of the pod (preferably, the first) to get a near red line clipping max volume in your DAW (digital audio workstation...). Second, you need to double track and pan the guitar to REALLY hear what it sounds like. Pretty much even the best tones will sound crap if mono or recorded at a SUPER low volume. All I heard was air when I turned up your recording. Not a good sign. For simple tests, try turning on the Stereo Chorus MOD at like 50 &#37; or something. That sounds good for tests you want stereo without double tracking anything. Not ideal, but better than mono!

Try that. Anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask.


EDIT: rofl. u turned the gain down to 2...? May I ask ...WHY?!........ And your high end cuts are too low... Do what EVERYONE in this thread said, and try at around 7 or 8 or higher. Be honest with me, you're joking.... right? If not, I apologize. Go ahead and do what I said, it will help your tone. Peace out.


----------



## Swordwraith

LordHines42 said:


> Ahhh hahahaa. Fret not, dude. Fret not. (no pun intended... damn) Anyway, first, you need to raise the output levels of your amp tone, either that or boost the trim out of the pod (preferably, the first) to get a near red line clipping max volume in your DAW (digital audio workstation...). Second, you need to double track and pan the guitar to REALLY hear what it sounds like. Pretty much even the best tones will sound crap if mono or recorded at a SUPER low volume. All I heard was air when I turned up your recording. Not a good sign. For simple tests, try turning on the Stereo Chorus MOD at like 50 &#37; or something. That sounds good for tests you want stereo without double tracking anything. Not ideal, but better than mono!
> 
> Try that. Anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask.
> 
> 
> EDIT: rofl. u turned the gain down to 2...? May I ask ...WHY?!........ And your high end cuts are too low... Do what EVERYONE in this thread said, and try at around 7 or 8 or higher. Be honest with me, you're joking.... right? If not, I apologize. Go ahead and do what I said, it will help your tone. Peace out.



No. My frustration level was such that I even went that far. I was thrusting myself headlong into the rabbit hole in search of a solution.  It was asinine, I know, but I figured it was worth a shot. I'm not at all adverse to admitting it: Screwing shit up is how you learn. I'm not so proud as to worry about my image on the internet. 

Obviously I'm not expecting aural greatness to spew out from an unmixed tone here, but I don't think it should sound like I decided to record a sequel to the first Darkthrone album.  I wanted to hit on at least passable before I did any sort of further tinkering: Obviously, shit there was not passable.

Honestly, cutting at 7K-8K hasn't made a whit of difference either on the parametric or a DAW EQ. (I'm using Kristal for now. Lazy, I know, but still), at least in solving the issue I'm having overall. I had only brought it down in a vain effort to clean up the mutes, which only sound like shit now, instead of 3 day old shit. 

I'll play around in the coming days, and report back with further questions, haha. The help is appreciated.


----------



## mnemonic

that recording was reeeeally low volume, yeah. try turning up the volume on the amp model, or on the output on the pod. i woudn't turn it up until it clips, because that will just make it sound bad. usually what i do, is turn up the volume on the pod until i see the "CLIP" indicator on the screen, and then i turn it down some. play hard to make sure it doesn't clip, and then save it.

also, nothing wrong with running the gain at 2, especially if you're using a stomp, and double tracking it. i try to use as little gain as i can get away with when i record, becuase too much gain can make things fizzy and undefined.

i'd recommend checking out bulbs patch on the patch library here, its a pretty good template to start from. infact, my main distortion tone is a heavily modded version of that patch.


----------



## Swordwraith

mnemonic said:


> that recording was reeeeally low volume, yeah. try turning up the volume on the amp model, or on the output on the pod. i woudn't turn it up until it clips, because that will just make it sound bad. usually what i do, is turn up the volume on the pod until i see the "CLIP" indicator on the screen, and then i turn it down some. play hard to make sure it doesn't clip, and then save it.
> 
> also, nothing wrong with running the gain at 2, especially if you're using a stomp, and double tracking it. i try to use as little gain as i can get away with when i record, becuase too much gain can make things fizzy and undefined.
> 
> i'd recommend checking out bulbs patch on the patch library here, its a pretty good template to start from. infact, my main distortion tone is a heavily modded version of that patch.



Part 1) I am a n00b. When I rearranged the 'music' room so to speak, I ended up fugerring the volume setup of the POD. Better now, but I'm still cranking patch volumes left and right. Still, improvement.

I've been running off a tweaked version of Bulb's patch to begin with, ironically. I'm still trying to clean up the mutes, though. Really, its the low end in general that's been my bane. Maybe I'm trying to get too much definition out of it before applying any real 'studio wizardry' to it, but I'd really like a lot more clarity and a lot less of that extraneous noise I can't seem to pin down to any frequency range. (So far, a fiddling around 200 hz and dramatic cuts at the high end have helped, but not eliminated)


----------



## mnemonic

i like my jamming tone, and i think i get a decent amount of definition. what are you monitoring it with? also whats your speaker placement in the room? (i've found this makes a really big difference, especially with the low end.)

what i tried to do is use as few fx as possible, so i get the best out of the amp/boost settings before adding reverb/paraEQ/modulation fx to try to fix things.


----------



## LordHines42

Swordwraith said:


> No. My frustration level was such that I even went that far. I was thrusting myself headlong into the rabbit hole in search of a solution.  It was asinine, I know, but I figured it was worth a shot. I'm not at all adverse to admitting it: Screwing shit up is how you learn. I'm not so proud as to worry about my image on the internet.
> 
> Obviously I'm not expecting aural greatness to spew out from an unmixed tone here, but I don't think it should sound like I decided to record a sequel to the first Darkthrone album.  I wanted to hit on at least passable before I did any sort of further tinkering: Obviously, shit there was not passable.
> 
> Honestly, cutting at 7K-8K hasn't made a whit of difference either on the parametric or a DAW EQ. (I'm using Kristal for now. Lazy, I know, but still), at least in solving the issue I'm having overall. I had only brought it down in a vain effort to clean up the mutes, which only sound like shit now, instead of 3 day old shit.
> 
> I'll play around in the coming days, and report back with further questions, haha. The help is appreciated.





Heh, I probably use more distortion than anyone on this forum, and I actually managed to somehow get the POD fizz down to GONE levels  Literally, if I turn off the MAXED out noise gate, all I hear is a horrid screaming sound, lol. I friggin love it. I think I actually managed to ditch the fuzz by removing the highs at around 7 or 8. Also, your setup plays a big part. Don't use too much stomp if you can get that sound or better from the amp....

Anyway, I mix stacked tones, for maximum tweakability. I use another bottom end patch to smooth out my super twangy djent patch. It's a real dream. Don't worry about cranking the volume and drive! haha. Anything is better than hearing air! I kid. Yeah, turn your levels up to clipping, then down just a tad. You want the best signal to noise ratio possible. You see, you had a bad ratio before.

And I know what you mean with tweaking tones for amp and then the levels are all FUBAR'd for USB recording. A good thing I've picked up is to KEEP your patch tone levels fixed, and then use the trim for temporary adjustments. It works especially well if you are using two patches stacked, and you don't want to ruin the exact mixing levels of the two tones. Just adjust the trim!


----------



## Swordwraith

I'm rapidly losing all patience. I can crank the volume and play with the trim till the POD's clip light flashes, and while the waveforms will look alright, the mixer will indicate that its nowhere near clip, and that I could indeed crank it even further. (Except that the POD's volume is maxed). No amount of knob turning seems to get rid of that obnoxious high end noise on the mutes, and I'm running out of anything resembling a good idea. 

I don't even know what I should be striving for, to be honest. What sort of quality should I be expected from USB recording untouched by anything but patch levels and the parametric EQ. So far it seems like nothing I do has an impact where I want it to. Even working from patches from folks whose tone I like/know is well constructed (Matt or Bulb), anything percussive and mute-tastic sounds like rubbish to me.


----------



## LordHines42

Swordwraith said:


> I'm rapidly losing all patience. I can crank the volume and play with the trim till the POD's clip light flashes, and while the waveforms will look alright, the mixer will indicate that its nowhere near clip, and that I could indeed crank it even further. (Except that the POD's volume is maxed). No amount of knob turning seems to get rid of that obnoxious high end noise on the mutes, and I'm running out of anything resembling a good idea.
> 
> I don't even know what I should be striving for, to be honest. What sort of quality should I be expected from USB recording untouched by anything but patch levels and the parametric EQ. So far it seems like nothing I do has an impact where I want it to. Even working from patches from folks whose tone I like/know is well constructed (Matt or Bulb), anything percussive and mute-tastic sounds like rubbish to me.





Hmmm... Checkout my latest mixdown on my Soundclick. That's just the POD with an EQ added in post. No volume problems at all.

I actually find that my USB POD levels are always TOO loud, and I have to take the trim down quite a bit when I record... So, not sure what your problem is. Did you try checking your PC's sound recording levels? Maybe your PC is lowering it. But I dunno, going USB is supposed to disable that stuff. Check it anyway.


----------



## Swordwraith

LordHines42 said:


> Hmmm... Checkout my latest mixdown on my Soundclick. That's just the POD with an EQ added in post. No volume problems at all.
> 
> I actually find that my USB POD levels are always TOO loud, and I have to take the trim down quite a bit when I record... So, not sure what your problem is. Did you try checking your PC's sound recording levels? Maybe your PC is lowering it. But I dunno, going USB is supposed to disable that stuff. Check it anyway.



Everything's maxed there too, as near as it appears. Unless there's something else afoot.

Also: 

N00b Moment #2: Did not realize ASIO input was switched over to MME.

Still, this is what I'm getting, and it isn't much better than before (though this was still recorded on the MME side of things), even with volume capped out. http://swordwraith.googlepages.com/stillgross.mp3

I'm honestly at a loss, and starting feel more than a little guilty consuming this highly useful thread with my bitching,.



LordHines42 said:


> Hmmm... Checkout my latest mixdown on my Soundclick. That's just the POD with an EQ added in post. No volume problems at all.



I'm so far from that quality it may as well be an invisible speck on the horizon. I'm almost considering junking the damn thing.

Granted, it may not be a fair basis of comparison as my aim is much more Evergrey than your Meshuggah, but still.


----------



## LordHines42

that sounds fine. I mean, you need to remove the high end fiz a bit more, but the levels sound fine. now you can move on.

like I said, you can't judge a guitar tone based on a mono track. you need to double track, pan, and EQ it to know if it's truly good or not. download Cool Edit Pro 2.0 if you are super new. it can do all that just fine, and it's super easy to learn and use.


----------



## Swordwraith

LordHines42 said:


> that sounds fine. I mean, you need to remove the high end fiz a bit more, but the levels sound fine. now you can move on.
> 
> like I said, you can't judge a guitar tone based on a mono track. you need to double track, pan, and EQ it to know if it's truly good or not. download Cool Edit Pro 2.0 if you are super new. it can do all that just fine, and it's super easy to learn and use.



That fizz is the omnipresent problem I'm facing actually. That's what I was bitching about, heh. Its a large contributor to making the mutes sound shitty, and I've tried making cuts at numerous locations, to no avail. I don't see how that soudns remotely good. *shrug*

It sounds like some really awful variation of Corrosion of Conformity. The mutes are all bark, not full and chunky.


----------



## LordHines42

Swordwraith said:


> That fizz is the omnipresent problem I'm facing actually. That's what I was bitching about, heh. Its a large contributor to making the mutes sound shitty, and I've tried making cuts at numerous locations, to no avail. I don't see how that soudns remotely good. *shrug*
> 
> It sounds like some really awful variation of Corrosion of Conformity. The mutes are all bark, not full and chunky.




Hey, all I can say is, try messing with some other people's presets, and go from there. Try mine in the Patch Library up under the Features section at the top. It has some good stuff in it. I use a slightly modified version of my Meshuggah 2 patch. Try it. Tweak it. Go from there. There are some other great patches in there, I'm sure. Try everyone's. It's better to start from a good tone than to hit a brick wall with your own.

I just got my POD last November. Everything I did sounded like crap the entire first month, just like your current tone. All fizzy and crappy. But I kept going on my own until I arrived at the current pack I uploaded. Those I made from scratch. You can either take the time to do that yourself, or just use whatever else you can find on the internet.

I don't know what else to tell you, man.


----------



## Swordwraith

LordHines42 said:


> Hey, all I can say is, try messing with some other people's presets, and go from there. Try mine in the Patch Library up under the Features section at the top. It has some good stuff in it. I use a slightly modified version of my Meshuggah 2 patch. Try it. Tweak it. Go from there. There are some other great patches in there, I'm sure. Try everyone's. It's better to start from a good tone than to hit a brick wall with your own.
> 
> I just got my POD last November. Everything I did sounded like crap the entire first month, just like your current tone. All fizzy and crappy. But I kept going on my own until I arrived at the current pack I uploaded. Those I made from scratch. You can either take the time to do that yourself, or just use whatever else you can find on the internet.
> 
> I don't know what else to tell you, man.



It must be another issue then. As I've kept saying, I've used (and tweaked) other patches,: Bulb's, yours, Mattayus's...They all record like shit for me on either my PC or my laptop. That last recording was done with Bulb's patch, even. So I don't know what to do. Its patently fucking ridiculous that I could probably mic an $80 solid state amp running the POD and record a better tone than the direct USB recording, where half the tones sound exactly the same.

I guess I'll have to look for some external flaw. Who knows.


----------



## MerlinTKD

You know, I've realized recently how much the sampling rate setting in my DAW makes a difference in how the final result sounds. A low sampling rate (I think the default in Reaper is 64, which makes a horribly sharp and cold sound). A high sampling rate gives you a much richer and organic sound, especially if you can manage an extreme setting like 512. 

Also, it seems to make a difference if your sampling rate and encoding rate are balanced somehow - sampling at 512 and mp3 encoding at 256 seems to make a pretty nice sound, as close to what the wav mix in the DAW sounds like as I can manage.


----------



## Harry

Needs to be stickied.
Seriously, a wealth of amazing info in here, I can't believe it hasn't been stickied yet.


----------



## Stealthdjentstic

Can someone please sticky this? This just helped me actually like my pod..


----------



## Wolfster

Yes sticky this please. Or could some one give some explanantion as to why it isnt being stickied? Its been here for yonks


----------



## Shinto

Are the 2.0s a lot worse/more lacking than the XT/X3 series?
I can't do 4CM with a XT Live, can I?


----------



## FourFour

I think it's not stickied because there's a similar thread already stickied at the "Gear" section.

I'm sure people will keep bumping this thread up tho, there's so many pod users here.


----------



## Harry

Shinto said:


> Are the 2.0s a lot worse/more lacking than the XT/X3 series?
> I can't do 4CM with a XT Live, can I?



Well, I honestly don't really like much of the tones from the POD 2.0 at all, whereas the X3 is quite usable IMO.
AFAIK, you have to add your own to an XT live if you want to 4 Cable Method-it.


----------



## Shinto

HughesJB4 said:


> Well, I honestly don't really like much of the tones from the POD 2.0 at all, whereas the X3 is quite usable IMO.
> AFAIK, you have to add your own to an XT live if you want to 4 Cable Method-it.


Yeah, I kinda thought so judging from clips...
And add your own what?


----------



## Wolfster

FourFour said:


> I think it's not stickied because there's a similar thread already stickied at the "Gear" section.
> 
> I'm sure people will keep bumping this thread up tho, there's so many pod users here.



Why dont they just sticky this one insteadand move in to the gear section? This one seems more popular anyway.


----------



## Shinto

Are the POD Studios a lot better than the older Toneports? I was thinking of picking one up to record quick ideas, and using it til I get something better to record my 6505+.


----------



## ugmung

Shinto said:


> Are the POD Studios a lot better than the older Toneports? I was thinking of picking one up to record quick ideas, and using it til I get something better to record my 6505+.


 
yeah they are. i still don't think they've fixed the 1.1 USB problem. or did they finally make it a 2.0 unit? whatever, anyway. yes, they're alot better, but they're hard to find i've noticed, i've only seen them on evilbay so far. (didn't search too hard, so that's not an accurate observation)

they come with alot more than the older Toneport's, and i would recommend getting the Model Packs for sure, because they help alot. 

if you interested, Line 6 has a special deal (they sent me an email about it) i don't know how long it will last, but if you buy the Bass Expansion model pack you get another one for free, i.e Metal Shop, FX Junkie, Collector Classics (Power Pack not included in this deal) but the Metal Shop has a lot of cool models that respond better to lower tunings such as the Big Bottom, and they have a nice 5150 model i use too. 

anyway, i would definitely recommend getting one of the Studios with the Metal Shop model pack which is $25 or free if you go with the Bass Expansion deal (which is also $25)


----------



## Shinto

ugmung said:


> yeah they are. i still don't think they've fixed the 1.1 USB problem. or did they finally make it a 2.0 unit? whatever, anyway. yes, they're alot better, but they're hard to find i've noticed, i've only seen them on evilbay so far. (didn't search too hard, so that's not an accurate observation)
> 
> they come with alot more than the older Toneport's, and i would recommend getting the Model Packs for sure, because they help alot.
> 
> if you interested, Line 6 has a special deal (they sent me an email about it) i don't know how long it will last, but if you buy the Bass Expansion model pack you get another one for free, i.e Metal Shop, FX Junkie, Collector Classics (Power Pack not included in this deal) but the Metal Shop has a lot of cool models that respond better to lower tunings such as the Big Bottom, and they have a nice 5150 model i use too.
> 
> anyway, i would definitely recommend getting one of the Studios with the Metal Shop model pack which is $25 or free if you go with the Bass Expansion deal (which is also $25)


How long do you think it'll last? I don't have the dough this exact moment haha.


----------



## ugmung

what'd you mean 'how long will it last?' 
if you mean the unit, they're made of plastic but it's not like you're going to bang them around or anything, mine is on my floor getting kicked around occasionally and it works fine. i've had my for almost a year and i've had no problems with it.


----------



## Shinto

ugmung said:


> what'd you mean 'how long will it last?'
> if you mean the unit, they're made of plastic but it's not like you're going to bang them around or anything, mine is on my floor getting kicked around occasionally and it works fine. i've had my for almost a year and i've had no problems with it.


Not that, I meant the special deal.


----------



## Colbear

Line 6

The deal is going until 2/28. Might have to jump on that, I've had my podxt forever and never did get the model packs.

How is the bass expansion? It takes me FOREVER to dial in a slightly-better-than-shit bass tone with the regular amp models, I'm guessing this will make it easier?


----------



## damigu

Colbear said:


> http://line6.com/store/shop/How is the bass expansion? It takes me FOREVER to dial in a slightly-better-than-shit bass tone with the regular amp models, I'm guessing this will make it easier?



i've got an X3 which comes with everything that is an expansion pack for the XT, and it's killer for bass.
i find it's super-easy to dial in great bass tones.


----------



## techdeathdaddy

Sorry if this has already been covered...

I have the X3 live and whenever i record a death metal style tone via USB into audacity, my tone comes out muddy, fuzzy and incoherent. 

My clean sounds are completely fine and sound great, its just when we get to the METAL! that it goes balls up! 

i dont know what other info i can give you other than whether im using the Powerball, the 5150 etc whichever metal tone, death metal or 
MeCHUG CHUG CHUGah, i get muddy tonez! 

Im a bit of noob when it comes to recording so please ask me questions because i myself am not too sure what to tell you!

thanks in advance


----------



## Variant

Colbear said:


> Line 6
> 
> The deal is going until 2/28. Might have to jump on that, I've had my podxt forever and never did get the model packs.
> 
> How is the bass expansion? It takes me FOREVER to dial in a slightly-better-than-shit bass tone with the regular amp models, I'm guessing this will make it easier?



 Bass pack essential. X3 gen stuff rules for bass as well because "dual tone" = biamping.


----------



## mnemonic

i'm not the biggest fan of the bass pack. cabs are cool, but for recording bass i always go back to the jazz chorus guitar model with the compressor, and then turn off the cab model and run it into some random ampeg cab impulse i found online. then i shelf most everything above around 1000hz i think, and compress the hell out of it.



techdeathdaddy said:


> Sorry if this has already been covered...
> 
> I have the X3 live and whenever i record a death metal style tone via USB into audacity, my tone comes out muddy, fuzzy and incoherent.
> 
> My clean sounds are completely fine and sound great, its just when we get to the METAL! that it goes balls up!
> 
> i dont know what other info i can give you other than whether im using the Powerball, the 5150 etc whichever metal tone, death metal or
> MeCHUG CHUG CHUGah, i get muddy tonez!
> 
> Im a bit of noob when it comes to recording so please ask me questions because i myself am not too sure what to tell you!
> 
> thanks in advance



the pod usually takes a fair amount of eq'ing to get it to sound good in a mix. also dont forget to doubletrack it and pan it left and right, thats essential to getting a distorted recording to sound any good. 

usually in post production, i'll get a parametric eq, and pass off everything above about 11k or 12k, and then everything below 50hz. then with the eq i mess around with it to make it sound less thin by boosting a bit around 300ish hz.

also, i dunnno about other people, but i never found a usable tone with the powerball model. the 5150 model is cool, but i never really liked the way it recorded. i've always been a big fan of the big bottom model with the mids boosted way up (like 88&#37; to 100%) and then with a wide mid boost with a parametric eq in post production.


----------



## Stealthdjentstic

techdeathdaddy said:


> Sorry if this has already been covered...
> 
> I have the X3 live and whenever i record a death metal style tone via USB into audacity, my tone comes out muddy, fuzzy and incoherent.
> 
> My clean sounds are completely fine and sound great, its just when we get to the METAL! that it goes balls up!
> 
> i dont know what other info i can give you other than whether im using the Powerball, the 5150 etc whichever metal tone, death metal or
> MeCHUG CHUG CHUGah, i get muddy tonez!
> 
> Im a bit of noob when it comes to recording so please ask me questions because i myself am not too sure what to tell you!
> 
> thanks in advance



I basically have the same issue 

I even made a thread about it a few months ago..

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ge...g-a-good-distorted-sound-out-of-a-pod-xt.html

It has some good info on getting rid of fuzz etc..

Make sure you buy the metalshop packs cause they make getting a distorted tone 902X easier..


----------



## XxXPete

on a pod xt with model packs ..if im using a big bottom,what do i need to do to activate the parametric eq? what buttons or whatever control that?-thanks-P


----------



## Mattayus

Double tap the soft key under "EQ" to take you into the EQ editor. When you're done, hit Edit to come back out, and if the EQ button isn't highlighted, press the soft key under EQ just once so the EQ is activated. Then save


----------



## XxXPete

Mattayus said:


> Double tap the soft key under "EQ" to take you into the EQ editor. When you're done, hit Edit to come back out, and if the EQ button isn't highlighted, press the soft key under EQ just once so the EQ is activated. Then save


it says "eq bypassed" what do i need to do to activate it?-thanks


----------



## iceythe

In EQ menu, if it says "EQ bypassed" do this:
- Hit Edit once. This will get you to main menu for the patch (showing patch name, amp, gate, eq bar etc)
- See the screen, it should show the EQ bar not being lit. Hit the soft button right below the screen. (Each soft button below the LCD correspond to each choice shown)
- When EQ bar is lit, hit Edit again to go back to the EQ menu.


----------



## XxXPete

iceythe said:


> In EQ menu, if it says "EQ bypassed" do this:
> - Hit Edit once. This will get you to main menu for the patch (showing patch name, amp, gate, eq bar etc)
> - See the screen, it should show the EQ bar not being lit. Hit the soft button right below the screen. (Each soft button below the LCD correspond to each choice shown)
> - When EQ bar is lit, hit Edit again to go back to the EQ menu.


 Thanks iceythe.Will try when I get home!


----------



## mnemonic

argh, i finally found out why i never really liked the dual tone thing for metal, when you use two of the same amp model with different settings, it sounds all out of phase. most prevalent with the gain knob, and the boost pedal settings (boost+eq) 

anybody else noticed this? or is it just me?


----------



## willyman101

I sound totally lame for asking this.
but what do you need to record shit with the POD, obviously - the pod. I mean do you need an interface or whaaat?
I'm asking cos I may buy one for recording n shit but I'm wondering if I'll need other stuff. cheers guys


----------



## 7 Dying Trees

A recording interface helps, not just for guitars, but for recording latency, recording vocals etc. Just plug the pod into the soundcard (USB or Firewire is good) and you're away!

Also, no idea about the line6 recording stuff, but I'd advise getting something decent so you have options for recording, and there's plenty of cheap decent soundcards out there. Just remember that you may want to hook up something other than a pod, like a midi keyboard, or other midi devices, keyboard audio, microphones etc etc


----------



## damigu

willyman101 said:


> I sound totally lame for asking this.
> but what do you need to record shit with the POD, obviously - the pod. I mean do you need an interface or whaaat?
> I'm asking cos I may buy one for recording n shit but I'm wondering if I'll need other stuff. cheers guys



with a POD, the only other thing you need is recording software.
there are free ones like audacity, or you can spend a few bucks for a more robust program like ableton live, cakewalk sonar, or adobe audition.

the POD can record directly over the USB interface.
the POD X3 even has inputs and processing specifically meant for mics and vocals.

if you need more recording capability (for example, you want to mic a drum kit with a full set of mics), then you'll need an interface with more inputs like the motu 828 or presonus fp10.


----------



## willyman101

damigu said:


> with a POD, the only other thing you need is recording software.
> there are free ones like audacity, or you can spend a few bucks for a more robust program like ableton live, cakewalk sonar, or adobe audition.
> 
> the POD can record directly over the USB interface.
> the POD X3 even has inputs and processing specifically meant for mics and vocals.
> 
> if you need more recording capability (for example, you want to mic a drum kit with a full set of mics), then you'll need an interface with more inputs like the motu 828 or presonus fp10.




Thanks guys. Well I was just planning on doing guitars, bass and then programming the drums...

But you said I will only need a POD, whereas James said I would need an interface? Would the interface just reduce latency? I probably wouldn't be doing any micing of drums etc, just wanted something at home that I can record with.


----------



## Plankis

willyman101 said:


> Thanks guys. Well I was just planning on doing guitars, bass and then programming the drums...
> 
> But you said I will only need a POD, whereas James said I would need an interface? Would the interface just reduce latency? I probably wouldn't be doing any micing of drums etc, just wanted something at home that I can record with.


there are ofcourse better interfaces than the pod out there. I believe the pod has a 30ms latency or something like that, can't remember. My X-fi soundcard only has 5ms.


----------



## damigu

willyman101 said:


> Thanks guys. Well I was just planning on doing guitars, bass and then programming the drums...
> 
> But you said I will only need a POD, whereas James said I would need an interface? Would the interface just reduce latency? I probably wouldn't be doing any micing of drums etc, just wanted something at home that I can record with.



if you're using a POD for signal processing, there's no way to "reduce latency" since the POD's latency is mostly due to the signal processing itself (a little bit of the latency is due to the USB connection, but mostly it's the actual processing).

running it to another interface only adds the interface's own latency to the POD's. so you'd be increasing latency, not decreasing it.

and running a POD's analog outputs into another interface will actually degrade the signal itself. the POD does its internal processing fully digitally (not counting the FX loop). when output via analog it gets run through an digital-to-analog converter (DAC). if you then feed this into another interface, it has to go through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). running a signal through so many conversions is like using a digital camera to take a picture of a computer monitor--even if camera and monitor are ultra high quality, the end result will be degraded from the original.


that said, i run my POD X3 into another interface.
all of my gear runs through my MOTU 828mk2, and the POD X3 is connected digitally via SPDIF (eliminating unnecessary DA/AD conversions and keeping the signal fully digital all the way to the hard drive).


according to the line6 forum, the POD X3 has a latency of roughly 2ms w/o cab simulation on and about 3ms w/ cab simulation on.
if it were 30ms, as the above post states, then the PODs would be useless for playing live. 30ms is an audible delay and would throw everyone off beat.

the MOTU interface has effectively 0 latency. there is a little latency in the recording itself, but the MOTU has a special monitoring bus that routes anything you play (and any backing tracks on the PC) to the monitors in realtime. the computer and MOTU unit then communicate so that the actual USB latency is compensated for on the recording itself.


----------



## satchfrk

oh my god this forum topic is so awesome... Ever since I got my POD X3 I've never been able to get it to sound good even though I've heard other people doing so ... I downloaded a few of the patches from here and some of them are AWESOME! WOOO!! Thanks guys...


----------



## Brogen

satchfrk said:


> oh my god this forum topic is so awesome... Ever since I got my POD X3 I've never been able to get it to sound good even though I've heard other people doing so ... I downloaded a few of the patches from here and some of them are AWESOME! WOOO!! Thanks guys...



haha this is exactly what I was coming to post


----------



## XxXPete

Need help in dialing in a "rea sounding" lead patch w line 6 pod xt w metal model packs. Modern sounding.Any help would be great-thanks


----------



## Dylan S

Try using the condenser mic, as I've found it gives a great quality for leads.

I use the XTC model or the Powerball model for leads most of the time, and make sure there are plenty of mids dialed in to help the sound cut through the mix. I sometimes have a bit of reverb and delay on the patches but I generally add this sort of stuff in the mixing phase after the tone is already recorded.

Try the Treadplate or the line6 cab too. I think these cabs are underrated compared to the v30 and t-75 cabs.

The presence knob can change the sound of the digital amps drastically I've found too, so experiment a lot with it. sometimes turning it down can add more definition by removing a lot of the high end harsh sounds, so see how you go with that.

I'm sorry i can't help more. I generally dial in lead tones much more easily than I dial in rhythm tones.


----------



## XxXPete

Dylan S said:


> Try using the condenser mic, as I've found it gives a great quality for leads.
> 
> I use the XTC model or the Powerball model for leads most of the time, and make sure there are plenty of mids dialed in to help the sound cut through the mix. I sometimes have a bit of reverb and delay on the patches but I generally add this sort of stuff in the mixing phase after the tone is already recorded.
> 
> Try the Treadplate or the line6 cab too. I think these cabs are underrated compared to the v30 and t-75 cabs.
> 
> The presence knob can change the sound of the digital amps drastically I've found too, so experiment a lot with it. sometimes turning it down can add more definition by removing a lot of the high end harsh sounds, so see how you go with that.
> 
> I'm sorry i can't help more. I generally dial in lead tones much more easily than I dial in rhythm tones.


 Thanks Dylan


----------



## willyman101

damigu said:


> if you're using a POD for signal processing, there's no way to "reduce latency" since the POD's latency is mostly due to the signal processing itself (a little bit of the latency is due to the USB connection, but mostly it's the actual processing).
> 
> running it to another interface only adds the interface's own latency to the POD's. so you'd be increasing latency, not decreasing it.
> 
> and running a POD's analog outputs into another interface will actually degrade the signal itself. the POD does its internal processing fully digitally (not counting the FX loop). when output via analog it gets run through an digital-to-analog converter (DAC). if you then feed this into another interface, it has to go through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). running a signal through so many conversions is like using a digital camera to take a picture of a computer monitor--even if camera and monitor are ultra high quality, the end result will be degraded from the original.
> 
> 
> that said, i run my POD X3 into another interface.
> all of my gear runs through my MOTU 828mk2, and the POD X3 is connected digitally via SPDIF (eliminating unnecessary DA/AD conversions and keeping the signal fully digital all the way to the hard drive).
> 
> 
> according to the line6 forum, the POD X3 has a latency of roughly 2ms w/o cab simulation on and about 3ms w/ cab simulation on.
> if it were 30ms, as the above post states, then the PODs would be useless for playing live. 30ms is an audible delay and would throw everyone off beat.
> 
> the MOTU interface has effectively 0 latency. there is a little latency in the recording itself, but the MOTU has a special monitoring bus that routes anything you play (and any backing tracks on the PC) to the monitors in realtime. the computer and MOTU unit then communicate so that the actual USB latency is compensated for on the recording itself.




Thanks for the response dude.... but if I'm totally honest none of that makes sense to me haha. I'll rephrase the general question, can you record with just a POD and a DAW?


----------



## damigu

willyman101 said:


> Thanks for the response dude.... but if I'm totally honest none of that makes sense to me haha. I'll rephrase the general question, can you record with just a POD and a DAW?





what i was basically saying is this:

unless you need the additional inputs/outputs that a DAW would provide, i would just record with the POD alone.
it can act as a recording interface on its own, and the latency is so low that it isn't actually an issue.

if you feed your POD to a power amp and a real cab, then yes you will need a mic and separate DAW in order to record it.


----------



## willyman101

damigu said:


> what i was basically saying is this:
> 
> unless you need the additional inputs/outputs that a DAW would provide, i would just record with the POD alone.
> it can act as a recording interface on its own, and the latency is so low that it isn't actually an issue.
> 
> if you feed your POD to a power amp and a real cab, then yes you will need a mic and separate DAW in order to record it.



Haha cool man, thanks. So how does it work, assuming you have to plug it into your computer? Oh man I sound so stupid... but I can't find anywhere that tells you what to do!


----------



## damigu

the POD hooks up to the computer with a USB connection.
in your recording software, you have to set the input as the POD.
then you're all set to record!


----------



## willyman101

damigu said:


> the POD hooks up to the computer with a USB connection.
> in your recording software, you have to set the input as the POD.
> then you're all set to record!



Oh it all makes sense now! Except what you wrote up there ^ 
Thanks alot man.


----------



## Rick

I plan on picking up a PODX3 Pro later on and combining 2 amps for a nice, think, and brutal tone.

Has anyone done this and if so, what amps did you use? I just want to see what people have done with their sound.


----------



## Cyanide_Anima

from my exp. best to use 1 amp model at a time for recording, it gets mushy with 2. live tho, 2 rocks.


----------



## tbird11

Rick said:


> I plan on picking up a PODX3 Pro later on and combining 2 amps for a nice, think, and brutal tone.
> 
> Has anyone done this and if so, what amps did you use? I just want to see what people have done with their sound.


 
I have the Vetta II HD and i find recording with the 2 amps at once to be no problem at all. I have had best success using the big bottom model, powerball model, 5150 model and the mesa models.

My stock tone uses the BB and the powerball model on at the same time.

My only tip is that when combining two amps at once you need to eq each amp to compliment one another. Two sick amps tones does not add up to one god almighty sick amp tone. You need need to for example focus one amp on bass and treble while focusing the other on mids, Have the prescence high on one amp while dialing it back on the other so both amps work together to create a cool tone.

Post eq is a must as well, reading up on parametric eq will help you out a shit load with setting up a killer tone.


----------



## Cyanide_Anima

^yep. but tracking each one seperately will sound bigger.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I've used the 2 amps at once on some recordings recently, and rather that posting them to a stereo track in Sonor, I'll post them on individual tracks, pan 1 hard left, the other about 50&#37; left, then repeat the process on the other side, but a copied preset with just a hint of chorus, slow on the speed, a lil over mid-way in depth, and only have it on one of the dual amps in the preset. When I place the chorused signal on the track that's about 50% to the right, it adds a wider spectrum to the overall guitar mix. I drop the Hard signals just a lil' lower in the mix than the 50% tracks, and all of a sudden, the stereo image comes alive, but doesn't distract, and the Bass has a very distinctive identity in the mix, very solid, tucked in with the kicks and toms quite nicely. The rythym tracks sound wide, yet dynamic, with the bass centering nicely.

Only two recorded performances, 4 tracks recorded & well placed & mixed, priceless results.


----------



## Rick

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the input!


----------



## Skye

Hi folks, im considering to buy POD X3 or X3 PRO, I would record to Reaper, I want to ask about your experience with CPU usage using pods, i think that HW simulations use less CPU than SW.

I have 1200MhZ CPU with 512 RAM


----------



## mnemonic

the pods do all the processing in the unit, so you really shouldn't have any cpu usage i dont think. unless you're using the editor aswell, and even then i never noticed any decrease in performance when recording.


----------



## Harry

Stickied, very awesome


----------



## Omrat

I'v been allways using a Copressor and a booster ( screamer ) on my distorted rhythm patches.
Now when I have discovered a Boost + EQ stomp, there is one question:
Is there any point of useing Comp and Boost + EQ together ?


----------



## MerlinTKD

You meant the stock compressor that goes at the end of the chain? Yeah, it makes a difference, depending on how you have it set. The question is, do you need it for your sound? You can turn it off without removing it from the chain, so go back and forth, see what you think. Play with the settings, too, see if there's anything there that makes it sound better to you. If not, yank it out! 

Of course, the Boost+EQ does something very different than the Compressor... it's a clean gain boost (plus EQ ), whereas the compressor is, well, compressing and evening out the signal. True, it has a signal boost as well, but that's mainly to compensate for a overall reduction in volume you can get as you turn up the compression.


----------



## Omrat

Thanks MerlinTKD !


----------



## MerlinTKD

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I've used the 2 amps at once on some recordings recently, and rather that posting them to a stereo track in Sonor, I'll post them on individual tracks, pan 1 hard left, the other about 50% left, then repeat the process on the other side, but a copied preset with just a hint of chorus, slow on the speed, a lil over mid-way in depth, and only have it on one of the dual amps in the preset. When I place the chorused signal on the track that's about 50% to the right, it adds a wider spectrum to the overall guitar mix. I drop the Hard signals just a lil' lower in the mix than the 50% tracks, and all of a sudden, the stereo image comes alive, but doesn't distract, and the Bass has a very distinctive identity in the mix, very solid, tucked in with the kicks and toms quite nicely. The rhythm tracks sound wide, yet dynamic, with the bass centering nicely.
> 
> Only two recorded performances, 4 tracks recorded & well placed & mixed, priceless results.




I've started working with this idea, Tony, and it freaking ROCKS! 

Took me a bit to figure out how to do it in Reaper - PodFarm's outs are 1/2 and 3/4, so I had to set the ins (the Send) for the tracks to 1 and 3, and _voila_, priceless results, as you say! So far I've only done one performance/two tracks for the guitar, need to play with the amps, etc, and find a good compliment to the modified Bulb patch I'm using, see how that all goes. I really like how I've got two tracks and it's not cluttered at _all_, but sounds better than just copy/pasting a track and panning it.

I also did this with my bass track and I love how it sounds! I'm already using a dual-amped tone, the same amp on both but one dirty and effected, the other clean - it _really_ cleaned up the tone and sounds almost perfect.

If you haven't tried this, folks, DO IT!


----------



## ryzorzen

thats a pretty wicked idea, definitely going to try that suggestion


----------



## MF_Kitten

i've written this somewhere earlier, but i'll repeat it since people seem to be asking about dual amps:

i find the dual amps awesome for making a layered sound, like having a delay that sounds different from the dry sound, making a flanged reverb, etc.

but for actual dual tone settings, i have found a specific cabinet combo that works:

T75 cab with sm57 mic, paired with Treadplate cab with 421 mic. trust me, it works like a charm! you have to tame the low end on it, but it'll sound thick and heavy 

i discovered this while using identical settings and only changing the cabs/mics, but it might work if you change amps too. not too sure about that.

as for two different amps and stuff, i've only done that with stereo settings (one amp per side) and using one amp for the dry tone and on for the delayed tone (delay set to 100% wet).

dual amp settings can be used in many interesting ways i guess, but it depends entirely on which tone types you use.


----------



## MerlinTKD

Mmm, I'll try that tomorrow night!


----------



## MF_Kitten

...well? 

i wanna see what you people can do with that little cab combo trick, i was shocked by it's awesomeness when i found out myself! 

and thanks for the rep! i gotta remember to actually check out my rep every once in a while, and the whole concept is so loose in my head that i don't even remember to rep others


----------



## Harry

Just curious, is anyone here using the ASIO X3 Live driver for recording?
I can't get a latency lower than 10.9ms with that driver because the buffer size wont go lower than 128 samples, so I've had to resort to using ASIO4All which allows under 5ms of latency but I'm no longer able to set my bit rate so I have no idea what bit rate I'm using now. I can set my sampling rate though.


----------



## damigu

on my system, the WDM drivers get better performance.

i just use whichever drivers give better performance--i'm not married to WDM or ASIO.


----------



## Omrat

Can someone explain me, how to record a dry guitartrack in Cubase SX via Pod X3 Live ? I just want to try PodFarm, but I need dry track for that.


----------



## Fikealox

I'm no expert, buy maybe try turning off the amp block and all effects and make sure your output is selected to direct (or is studio the correct one? I get them mixed up). In essence, make a dry channel. I might be way off the mark though, dude.


----------



## johnf

I hope these settings help you with recording processor, effect pedal etc. I used *POD 2.0* went directly into computer which has onboard sound chip ALC850. Line-in input has 24 bit 96 KHz, its not as good as a professional audio recording device and doesn't have low latency but does the job.

The key of the sound you will hear in my short sound clip is the CAB Simulator (I'm sure it has been discussed many times under this thread). I added just a little eq and tubedriver adds a little tube like sound (or I imagine like that ). Nothing new actually. All these plugins are FREE (afaik).

Btw, there are four guitar channels and a bass guitar channel. It's not actually a bass gitar . I have Cort X6 guitar with EMG 81-85 active pickup set loaded. So, the middle single coil pickup sounds so dark that i used it to imitate bass guitar sound . Finally, drum sounds are made by EZdrummer.

I'm posting the screenshot of the recording software to show how the settings look like and the sound clip to give some idea. I think it sounds pretty good .




last2.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage


----------



## mnemonic

wow, i just switched to the line6 412 cab, and started using the dual tone feature (combining my big bottom patch with the chunk chunk model to add some mids and thickness to it) and after some creative eqing to get rid of the added fizz from the line6 412 cab model, it sounds waaaaay thicker and more real. 

helps to experiment!


----------



## MF_Kitten

i have to get away from my amp/cab sim prejudice 

i tend to only use the big bottom or the uberschall one, and i don´t tend to use anything but the t75 cab sim. i used the v30 one in the beginning, but it´s got way too sharp a voicing for my taste. it´s hard to just try things without pre-judging them 

i really like the solo 100 amp model for lead stuff, the piezo 2 preamp thingy for cleans, and the uberschall or big bottom (mostly big bottom) for rhythm stuff.

i´ve also had a thing for the vox, marshall, and orange amp models for rock/funk type stuff with my strat. works great 

i made a really thick tone once by using a fuzz (the one that isn´t a big muff simulation), with just enough drive to add a teeny bit of dirt, and then i used one of the retifier simulations, and set the tone setting on the fuzz to suit. the actual distortion came from the volume knob of the fuzz, and the gain knob on the amp model. it ends up sounding kinda like a mix between slipknot´s tone on the iowa record (whoever is on the right-hand channel), and korn´s tone on life is peachy. i used the t75 cab for that, with the off-axis mic setting. i recorded a test clip: SoundClick artist: MF Kitten - groovy, heavy, athmospheric, moody, ambient

also, the mixing of the cabs i talked about earlier, can be heard here: SoundClick artist: MF Kitten - groovy, heavy, athmospheric, moody, ambient


----------



## Hypothermia

I've recently started to record some guitar thrhough my regular Line 6 floorpod (cheap stuff) into my soundcard and then logic.

I havent been putting down so much work at getting a decent guitar tone but i could really need some help and tip about getting my tone clearer. When you line the pedal through an amp it sounds way more different than it does through logic.

Anyways, here is a short clip i recorded today just with some standard settings at my floorpod, no eq in logic what so ever.
Free File Hosting Made Simple - MediaFire

help me


----------



## Metal Ken

MerlinTKD said:


> I really like how I've got two tracks and it's not cluttered at _all_, but sounds better than just copy/pasting a track and panning it.



You can get the same effect, essentially by doing it the way its been done for ages - just play the track a second, third or fourth time. Copying and pasting a track on the opposite side does nothing except making the existing track sound louder, and doesnt create the true effect of two guitars.


----------



## eventhetrees

Quick question.

What's the major difference with the POD X3 and the POD X3 Live. Is the only difference the volume/wah pedal and all the buttons to surf through patches/effects. I don't use the Pod Live I just use it to record. Will I get all the same sounds/recording ability as the POD X3 Live?

Lemme know if I need to rephrase my question.

I'm so excited to use the Dual Tone function.

I love my Pod XT Live. I used to layer tones (which sounds great!) but it's so tedious, cause it takes time to nail one track, then you gotta nail it again, then the 2 aren't perfect and you gotta figure out which ones bad and blah blah. I've just been doing 1 bare guitar track each (L and R) sounds raw a bit bare but it works.

I might be stacking 3-4 tones now using this dual tone (by layering the old way) get some monsterous tones (post rock kinda stuff haha)

I'm not really playing Metal like most people here. My band has metal type bits, but most of the time I just need a mid-gain rock n roll tone that's still very clear yet distorted and powerful. I'm planning on mixing some drastically different amps, like the Orange amp (what is it the ac30 on the pod? haha) and the Big bottom for rythym etc.

BTW, THIS THREAD IS AMAZING. I've been experimenting with EQ'ing and everything on my own for awhile but this thread has helped my approach a lot!

Also someone suggested using the Ampeg 8x10 cab + big bottom and cut the 300hz a quite a bit. I LOVED the sound personally haha.

The Pod X3 Live comes with ALL model packs (even the vintage amps! ?!? ) and it comes with Pod Farm?


----------



## damigu

eventhetrees said:


> Quick question.
> 
> What's the major difference with the POD X3 and the POD X3 Live. Is the only difference the volume/wah pedal and all the buttons to surf through patches/effects. I don't use the Pod Live I just use it to record. Will I get all the same sounds/recording ability as the POD X3 Live?



the sound engine in all of the POD X3 models (the bean, the live, and the pro) are all identical. the models and software that comes with all of them is identical as well.

what's different between the X3 bean and the X3 live is that the live has more input/output options and has that pedal board.


even if you're not playing live, i recommend the X3 live. for $100 more, the pedal board is a *MAJOR* convenience to have at hand--errr, foot.


----------



## mnemonic

back freshman year in college when i had an xt live i wished i had a bean, because floorspace was tight, and thaat giant pedalboard took up an asston of deskspace 


but yeah, what damigu said


also as far as i know, the x3's dont come with podfarm capabilities (like using podfarm as a vst in your DAW) but you should be able to use podfarm as an editor for the x3 if you want.


----------



## damigu

the podfarm VST plugin does work with the X3 series.
podfarm standalone version doesn't work with them, though.


----------



## eventhetrees

THanks I already have the XT Live and am used to it so I wanna keep it like that haha for the input/output variations etc

I don't want the pod farm as a vst Daw thing. I just want it as an editor like Gearbox does it come with it like that?


----------



## damigu

*none* of the POD series (not XT, not X3, etc) work with the standalone podfarm--only as a VST.

if you want to use podfarm as a standalone program, you need one of the other line6 modelers like the UX1 & UX2, or the toneport series or the guitarport.

the X3 series still work just fine with gearbox, though. and podfarm and gearbox are ultimately exactly the same animal--just with different interfaces.


----------



## eventhetrees

So with selling my current pod I'd be looking at spending about 377 on this new one.

How are the vocal pre amps on it? Usable? Cause if its good for that too then it's worth it I'd think...

Edit:

Found me a Pod X3 for a cheap price. Only costing me 130 (On top of selling my existing pod)

I don't need the live. I just want something on my desk top. I don't use any of the effects on it (Delay mods etc) I just use the tones to record and my pedal board for effects anyways! I just want mah dual tone! haha. I'm so stoked!

Like my current xt live just gets stepped cause its on the floor not cause I need it hahaha.


----------



## mnemonic

you dont particularly need an x3 to get the dual tone.

i use a toneport DI with the gearbox gold bundle (got the unit and the software for $100 from musiciansfriend, they were clearing them out) and it has all line6 models, and also does dual tone if you use podfarm (which works 100% with the gearbox gold plugin, even the VST)

i think the most cost-effective way of going about it is to get that toneport GX and then buy the metalshop, fx junkie, and classic collectors pack as a 3 pack (because for some reason the model packs are cheaper for toneports than they are for the podXT's). i think that totals like $130 or something, and you'd have all line6 models + dual tone capabilities if you use podfarm as the editor. only downside is the GX unit has limited ins and outs, all it has is the USB plug to plug into the computer, and a headphone jack to plug speakers or whatever into. 

a friend of mine has a ux2 and is able to use the dual tone with podfarm too, though the XT's aren't able to use the dual tone feature. my guess is because the XT's process the sound in the unit, and aren't set up to do dual tone, whereas the toneports use the computer's CPU to do the sound processing, and thus its all software so they can do the dual tone thing.


----------



## eventhetrees

Got my Pod X3 Live.

I LOVE DUAL TONE! Holy shit!!!! 

I'll probably post some tones when I get some good ones see what you guys think!

So worth 150 bucks to upgrade 

Quick Question:

I'm just testing how well split they are. By doing 1 clean tone and 1 distortion. In the clean I can hear the tiniest bit of distortion in the background. How can I make them 100% independant. I got it set to Match Studio/Dir and pan left and right...


----------



## El Caco

eventhetrees said:


> Got my Pod X3 Live.
> 
> I LOVE DUAL TONE! Holy shit!!!!
> 
> I'll probably post some tones when I get some good ones see what you guys think!
> 
> So worth 150 bucks to upgrade
> 
> Quick Question:
> 
> I'm just testing how well split they are. By doing 1 clean tone and 1 distortion. In the clean I can hear the tiniest bit of distortion in the background. How can I make them 100% independant. I got it set to Match Studio/Dir and pan left and right...



You can't. This fault has been complained about forever on the Line6 forums.


----------



## damigu

the fact is that even studio mixers have some bleed across the channels (depending on the brand and model line, it is sometimes much less, sometimes a little more).
it is impossible to avoid without invoking some really expensive electronics to fully isolate the channels.
in fact, home and car stereos all have bleed across the channels so fully isolated channels are lost on the listener anyway.

however, if you absolutely need to record the same track with 2 separate tones without any bleed what-so-ever, then you can always re-amp it twice (once for each tone).


----------



## MF_Kitten

for those who remember my "pod tone trick" with the mixing of cabs, i found out some cool stuff while noodling around with it: you can play around with the amp model's tone controls to change it's character in nice ways. starting from two identical tone settings, you can turn up the presence or treble on one of the tones to "morph" those characteristics more towards that cab/mic combo's sound. the two tones will battle eachother and phase eachother out, but in pleasant ways that you can use to remove unpleasant boomyness, honkyness or fizz. pretty damn nifty!

for those of you who don't know about the "trick" i'm referring to, i've detailed it earlier in this thread


----------



## mnemonic

man, i cant stand it when two tones get all phased out, the fizz goes away (which is totally awesome) but its usually replaced with some strange buzz in the high end that i can't for the life of me get rid of, tbh i prefer the fizz 

some dual tone combos dont phase eachother out though (or atleast not noticeably) and i like those ones


----------



## Sang-Drax

I just wanted to share something with you.

My first tube amp finally arrived (a DR clone), but, since the footswitch isn't here yet (long story), I decided to plug my pod through the power amp (6L6's), with no cab simulation (since I change presets _a lot_, I can't possibly gig without a footswitch).



Dude, this thing rocks! Until today, I had only tried it through ss power amps... what a difference!

I mean, this amp I purchased is hand made in Brazil, which means it goes for ~30% of the price of an import one. I have no knowledge of any builder who makes power amps, which means I'd have to buy an expensive import one.

However, for those of you with access to better stuff, pod -> good tube poweramp -> 1x12" is a compact albeit very efficient rig. I highly recommend it (specially with no cab simulation). 


Yeah, I know lots of people do it. But I can't stress enough how much of a difference it makes. I'm yet to try with the rest of the band, though.


----------



## dexmix

mnemonic said:


> man, i cant stand it when two tones get all phased out, the fizz goes away (which is totally awesome) but its usually replaced with some strange buzz in the high end that i can't for the life of me get rid of, tbh i prefer the fizz
> 
> some dual tone combos dont phase eachother out though (or atleast not noticeably) and i like those ones



you would think the POD engineers would add an adjustable delay line, on one of the signal paths to control phasing?


----------



## mnemonic

line6 seems to have a tendency of not thinking things through.


----------



## damigu

that's not really fair to line6 because they set it up kind of how real studio operations work.

real audio engineers don't typically use delays to control phasing. most often they just change mic location/spacing.

guess what? you can do exactly that with the PODs--the "room" control acts by changing the virtual distance between the mic and cab. it does help with phasing issues.


----------



## dexmix

damigu said:


> that's not really fair to line6 because they set it up kind of how real studio operations work.
> 
> real audio engineers don't typically use delays to control phasing. most often they just change mic location/spacing.
> 
> guess what? you can do exactly that with the PODs--the "room" control acts by changing the virtual distance between the mic and cab. it does help with phasing issues.



I'm surprised more studio's dont use an adjustable delay? adjustable down the the uS would be plenty. That way you can adjust the mic's for tone - and then twist a knob if theres a phasing issue.

or maybe studios dont even have issues with phasing because they can adjust the phasing of the two channels in the DAW?
or maybe phasing isnt an issue because of real world differences (buffers/cable length etc) between the 2 amp setups.


----------



## damigu

phasing usually isn't an issue because these people spend years learning/knowing equipment and how to specifically avoid phasing. professional audio engineers are on a whole different level than bedroom studio guys.

delay is just a jury rig "fix" for phasing. the fact is that phasing isn't a time issue (which is what delays affect)--changing the timing will often just put a different set of frequencies out of phase or else make the whole sound out of whack (since humans can notice delays on the order of milliseconds).
phasing is a location issue (specifically, the way that sound waves interact at different locations). altering the location of a mic yields better results than affecting the timing of the sound.

(though one can argue that moving a mic does also affect the time the sound takes to travel between the source and the mic, it is an amount far far less than any delay can accomplish)


----------



## dexmix

damigu said:


> phasing usually isn't an issue because these people spend years learning/knowing equipment and how to specifically avoid phasing. professional audio engineers are on a whole different level than bedroom studio guys.
> 
> delay is just a jury rig "fix" for phasing. the fact is that phasing isn't a time issue (which is what delays affect)--changing the timing will often just put a different set of frequencies out of phase or else make the whole sound out of whack (since humans can notice delays on the order of milliseconds).
> phasing is a location issue (specifically, the way that sound waves interact at different locations). altering the location of a mic yields better results than affecting the timing of the sound.
> 
> (though one can argue that moving a mic does also affect the time the sound takes to travel between the source and the mic, it is an amount far far less than any delay can accomplish)



I'm gonna argue that phasing is a time issue - considering thats how phasing is defined... 2 signals with respect to time.

also im not talking milliseconds - im talking uS (micro-seconds), and I can guarantee no one here can notice the difference between the signal delay of a true bypass vs buffered bypass. 

a line delay works on the order of microseconds - with multiple buffers (usually solid state or op amp buffers). this is how a phaser works... with adjustable delay lines cause constructive - destructive interference. we can hear the interference - but not the delay.

so call it what you will (a jury rig) - but a simple delay line would fix the root cause of phasing between 2 rigs.

adjusting a mic however - does alot more then adjust the signals delay - it affects the frequency response.

Also - moving a mic fixes phase differences between speakers, and is a totally different issue then phase difference between 2 separate rigs.


----------



## damigu

that is the verbal definition of phasing, but i was talking about the practical application of recording a rig--the source of the phasing, not the phasing itself. in recording guitars, it is generally the result of spacing, not timing.
as you pointed out, the buffers in effects add an exceedingly small delay but throwing another one into a rig won't alleviate phasing. to my knowledge, the only effect that tries to fix phase issues with delay is the BBE, and it is actually useless regarding phasing. but at least the BBE realizes that--as i hinted at--different frequencies interact at different time scales, so you'd need a frequency variable delay (and a lot of patience). applying a single delay to the whole signal will usually just put a different set of frequencies out of phase and not resolve your issue.

in the case of recording 2 separate rigs independently and mixing them together, if you're getting phasing then just cut out the appropriate frequencies from one of the signals.
phasing means that your two signals are almost identical in those frequencies. since they're nearly identical, you can just filter it out from one channel without affecting the overall sound.

if you're getting a *LOT* of phasing with 2 different POD tones, that basically just means you're trying to recreate the same tone in both channels. what's the point of that?
as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, a lot of us EQ out large sections of one tone or other when we're using amp/cab/mic combos with similar qualities. so that we'll be exploiting their differences and avoiding the phasing issues from their similarities.


----------



## dexmix

damigu said:


> in the case of recording 2 separate rigs independently and mixing them together, if you're getting phasing then just cut out the appropriate frequencies from one of the signals.
> phasing means that your two signals are almost identical in those frequencies. since they're nearly identical, you can just filter it out from one channel without affecting the overall sound.
> 
> if you're getting a *LOT* of phasing with 2 different POD tones, that basically just means you're trying to recreate the same tone in both channels. what's the point of that?
> as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, a lot of us* EQ out large sections of one tone or other* when we're using amp/cab/mic combos with similar qualities. so that we'll be exploiting their differences and avoiding the phasing issues from their similarities.



I could argue with you all day about phasing but think you just made the whole argument moot.

bottom line is when combing 2 seperate rigs - the best solution is to EQ out large sections of one tone or another that are causing phasing issues.

I personally like the idea of a delay line to A) move phasing out of the meat of the signals and B) add a chorusing effect to beef up the mid/low frequencies. Any high frequency phasing issues should still be EQ'd out of one signal or the other.


----------



## damigu

i'm glad we found middle ground.
you and i don't disagree on what phasing is.
i'm just saying that using minute delays isn't an ideal (or even particularly good) way to deal with it--as demonstrated by my BBE example (which *should* affect phasing issues when recording but in practice it really doesn't).


----------



## mnemonic

dexmix said:


> bottom line is when combing 2 seperate rigs - the best solution is to EQ out large sections of one tone or another that are causing phasing issues.



this is what i always end up doing on my dual tone patches. i have a big bottom patch that i like that is tight and djenty, but missing alot of low mid chunkyness and midrange, so i use a recto model with a different cab, focusing mainly on the mids and low mids with some big shelves in the eq to cut out extra treble or bass to stop it from getting screachy or overly boomy.



also to clarify on what i said earlier about line6 not thinking things through, i suppose i'm mainly referring to how they repackage old tech (they could at least rebox their newer models rather than passing off pod2.0 models as new stuff) and when they finally do something 'new' that may have some promise, (ie. spidervalve) the more or less ruin it by sticking their cheapest, worst sounding preamp infront of this tube poweramp.

ok mini-rant over, i just needed to raeg a bit about line6 in the last few years.


----------



## damigu

just another thing i realized about the whole issue of line delays and the PODs:
PODs don't run at a sample rate high enough to offer true microsecond delays. even if you take your POD X3 up to its maximum resolution (96 kHz), the shortest time interval you can tease out of it would be 1/96,000 seconds (or 1/96 millisecond, which is still an order of magnitude short for true microsecond delays). but my analysis of the frequency spectrum coming from the POD is that it doesn't do "true" 96kHz resolution--it seems to take upconvert from a 48kHz signal instead, so it might actually be limited to a minimum of 1/48 millisecond delay instead of 1/96.


----------



## VettaUser

Does anyone know which patches are compatible with the Vetta? I realy want some of the patches in the patch library

EDIT: By that I mean, which POD patches are compatible with the Vetta


----------



## silverthesky

mf kitten you RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!

dopamine rush is sick i havent stoped listening to it this is like my 15h listen in a row lol

ok I produce and mix and sound design and what not and theirs 2 saysing

you cant polish a turd and the most important thing in good sound is the beginning.

so you need to start with the bets sound possible B$ recording

Cables make a BIG diff

buy a few or try some out some how if u can. makes the world of a diff

also shorter the better


ALSO when u can invest in a di box sometimes that helps

now that takes care of the "best out come is starting with a good sound" part

now the you cant polish a turd part

if u think throwing an eq or compression after the signal is going threw fxs

and distortion is gonna help you are dead wrong .

you want ur dry signal to be eq and compressed like in real situations B4 it goes threw distortion.

throw an eq then compressor then an amp and then start tweaking the amps distortion and eq when u get it to what u like start going for the pre eq . if it needs more bite and pow then throw on the pre compressor and tweak.

also you should you tube on what compression is and how it works or else ur gonna fuck up ur sound. most of the reasons the sounds are shit is cos their is a compressor in their

rules for sound design and mixing is never compress fx never eq fx and always start with the best recording or source u can b4 actualy doing anything. remember ur guitar has its own eq use that b4 using real eqs on the pods cos the less eq and compression etc the better. and as people said here too i think record at the highest quality u can standard is 24 bit 44hkz or w/e


----------



## astrocreep

silverthesky said:


> mf kitten you RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> dopamine rush is sick i havent stoped listening to it this is like my 15h listen in a row lol
> 
> ok I produce and mix and sound design and what not and theirs 2 saysing
> 
> /snip



My eyes are bleeding, just trying to read that... 

Is a suitable summary of what he said "Don't compress, don't use too much distortion and seek out information about recording wherever you can find it, even YouTube"??


----------



## silverthesky

thats a shame cos i didnt type that much and if it wasnt important i wouldnt have said it. oh well ill just share less information then?

seems like a great site here

look forward to seeing whats all here on this site.

also ur summery is all wrong to what i said. if u said POST eq and compress then yes ud summarize well. But thats been said >9000 times.

from what i read (most of this thread) is that no one mentioned what i wrote which is even more important. fixing the "core" of the sound b4 the distortion and fxs happen.


----------



## Mattayus

Just a quick tip for any Big Bottom users - Try turning the treble off. Like, all the way off. It gets darker and darker as you turn it down, then, when it hits zero, these mids just pop out of nowhere and it becomes a totally different amp. It's bizarre, but works brilliantly and gets rid of hiss. If it's STILL too dark for you then simply use presence to brighten it, then low pass in your DAW to get rid of any upper register sibilance.


----------



## MF_Kitten

i tried that once, with the big bottom amp. works like a charm! 

it´s still a hard amp model to master. it´s very temperamental!


----------



## damigu

Mattayus said:


> Just a quick tip for any Big Bottom users - Try turning the treble off. Like, all the way off. It gets darker and darker as you turn it down, then, when it hits zero, these mids just pop out of nowhere and it becomes a totally different amp. It's bizarre, but works brilliantly and gets rid of hiss. If it's STILL too dark for you then simply use presence to brighten it, then low pass in your DAW to get rid of any upper register sibilance.



very interesting. i'm definitely going to have to try that once i'm moved into my new place and set up again.
the big bottom isn't my main amp sound, but i do like to play with it sometimes.


----------



## mnemonic

i usually do that with the big bottom amp (or keep the treble low, like between 20% and 30%, but lately i've gained a fancy for the 5150 model. which is strange cos i've always thought it was shit before. i love finding a certain combo of settings that just sounds great.


----------



## silverthesky

how many people here are using DI boxes? ive never tryed this yet would be nice to hear what the word is on that.


----------



## Mattayus

mnemonic said:


> i usually do that with the big bottom amp (or keep the treble low, like between 20% and 30%, but lately i've gained a fancy for the 5150 model. which is strange cos i've always thought it was shit before. i love finding a certain combo of settings that just sounds great.



Check out my 5150 patch man, might be a place to start

Sevenstring.org - Patch Library - Mattayus' 5150 Patch

If you want it to have more "grit" then change the mic to on axis. It works well with a blend of on axis on the right, off axis on the left.


----------



## Triple7

Seeing as how I have a Pod Studio ux2 instead of a Pod X3 or XT, can I still get these patches? I actually still have to download the FX Junkie, and Metal Shop packs.


----------



## silverthesky

the fx junkie comes with the ux. or it dose now.

dose anybody know how much it is for an upgrade to platinum? cos i know u can up grade instead of out right buying the whole package


----------



## satchfrk

Oh my god I think I've finally learnt the trick to dialing in good high gain patches on the POD X3. And the thing that made all the difference to this process is me buying studio monitors. I got a pair of Yamaha HS50's and LOVE them 

I can upload the patches I made this weekend if someone is interested.
Cheers.


----------



## feeleuphoria

I'm interested! always looking for new tones


----------



## satchfrk

Send big files the easy way. Files too large for email attachments? No problem!

There you go!


----------



## Mattayus

Does anybody know how to wipe the pod xt? I've sold mine, want to restore it to factory setting for the new owner, not sure how to do it


----------



## Mattayus

Nevermind, done it!


----------



## feeleuphoria

satchfrk said:


> Send big files the easy way. Files too large for email attachments? No problem!
> 
> There you go!


 
thanks man, they sound good!


----------



## Sliggy

hey dudes. does anyone here use the pod in conjunction with a presonus firepod? if so, what settings are your levels at? atm my output on pod is at 12:00, channels 1 and 2 (where my pod is plugged in) on the firepod are at about 10:00 and the main output on my firepod is at about 2:00. it must be the wrong way to do it though because my shit starts clipping long before it gets to the volume of.. say bulb recordings.

anyone care to share their settings volume/amp wise?


----------



## mnemonic

bulb uses alot of compression to get his mixes as loud as they are (very loud) so you'll need some tricky compression work to get them that loud without clipping/pumping/generally sounding bad.


----------



## Sliggy

i see, thanks


----------



## Harry

One thing about the uber compression, it can work well with some styles of music, but if play stuff with more dynamics (variations in volume) then don't use that much limiting.
There is still plenty of professional recordings not even as loud as Bulb's stuff, so I wouldn't worry so much if I couldn't get to that volume without clipping.
I seriously doubt anyone is going to say "Oh man, this isn't mastered loud enough" about your music


----------



## Sliggy

haha yeah I wasn't overly concerned about that, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't poor optimization or anything like that, but just an everyday occurrence.

+ bulb is king so I can't feel too bad about my mixes not being of his quality yet


----------



## shanejohnson02

Here's my personal POD X3 Pro setup:

I use the Diezel Herbert model through the Mesa 4x12 cab model. To my ears, that amp gets the best mix between harmonic richness and low-end thunk. I add a *slight* bit of room reverb at the POD to make it sound less artificial, and to let the sound breathe a little.

Until recently, I copied the same settings to Tone 1 and Tone 2, and panned the outputs hard L/R. To separate it in stereo, I would use a 57 on-axis on the L channel and a 57 off-axis on the R. That worked fairly well for most things. If I wanted it even fatter, I would double-track the guitars and swap the L/R tracks on the second take.

These days, I like a much less "cluttered" sound. I simply record a single take, panned straight up the center. If I want the guitar to be "stereo-ized", I simply copy the track, pan them hard L/R, and apply between 5 and 10ms of delay (depending on how wide I want it) to the R track. For lead sounds, I do the same thing but use a stereo track (since I'm a fan of stereo delays). It still sounds mono-esque until you apply the 5-10ms though.

I just recently got into re-amping. Now I basically repeat the process above, except instead of copy-pasting the original track, I re-amp it. The original track is hard L and the re-amped is hard R with a 5-10ms delay. This creates less phasing problems and gets an overall thicker sound.

The final secret I use to recording the POD is to get away from the USB setup as soon as possible. A lot of the "fizz" I've found comes from using the USB outputs. When I run the POD into a proper interface (M-Audio Delta 1010 in my case) it sounds leaps and bounds better.

To record bass, I use the Big 360 setting through a 1x15 cab. Bass for me is *always* mono, straight up the middle.

Now if only I could get my vocals to sound decent...


----------



## Triple7

When you say pan hard L/R, does that mean all the way to the left and all the way to the right?


----------



## shanejohnson02

Yep. I know most pros frown on hard L/R pans, but I love the way they sound. At the minimum, I'll do a 60% L/R spread when I want stereo sounds.


----------



## alex103188

most frown upon it? Interesting. I'm self taught in the whole recording thing but I learned very quickly that the guitars sit best in the mix when panned hard to allow the drums come up the center.


----------



## damigu

alex103188 said:


> most frown upon it? Interesting. I'm self taught in the whole recording thing but I learned very quickly that the guitars sit best in the mix when panned hard to allow the drums come up the center.



pro recordings generally don't have anything panned hard in any direction.

but everyone self-taught pans hard because it's the easiest way to make more "central channel" type things (drums, bass, lead guitar work) be more present.

a good general rule to work with is that everything in your mix should be present and sound decent regardless of what is panned where. if you can achieve that, then you won't have to rely on tricks (like hard panning) just to make things listenable.


----------



## VettaUser

What IS the usual "professional" panning technique? Guitars 80/80?


----------



## mnemonic

i used to go 80/80 back when i first started recording, but it sounds way more open and bigger if i go 100/100. only downside i see is that i have to play tighter, because discrepancies between tracks is more noticeable when panning hard, but thats not really bad anyway, cos it just forces you to be better at playing.


----------



## machinica_band

I was wondering, what is a better way to hook up the Toneport UX8. I have it hooked up USB right now but would it perform/sound better hooked up through S/PDIF?


----------



## damigu

the sound on the USB bus and the SPDIF should be identical. both are digitally transmitted.

you'll have a higher latency on the USB than the SPDIF because the USB connection itself has additional latency beyond just the miniscule processing latency. that's the only real difference as far as recording/sounding goes.


----------



## machinica_band

thanx. It shouldn't really make to much of a difference then when I set it up.


----------



## alex103188

damigu said:


> pro recordings generally don't have anything panned hard in any direction.
> 
> but everyone self-taught pans hard because it's the easiest way to make more "central channel" type things (drums, bass, lead guitar work) be more present.
> 
> a good general rule to work with is that everything in your mix should be present and sound decent regardless of what is panned where. if you can achieve that, then you won't have to rely on tricks (like hard panning) just to make things listenable.




wellll shit there you go then!


----------



## shanejohnson02

It should be identical, but it isn't to my ears. I think it has to do with the USB bus on the computer vs using a dedicated full-range sound card like the M-Audio 1010.


----------



## Metalus

Is the PODX3 a worthy invesment? ive been thinking of upgrading


----------



## VettaUser

yes


----------



## damigu

yes.


----------



## TreWatson

my question.

I just got a toneport UX8 and someone keeps telling me to get an XT, i don't see why.


----------



## VettaUser

Theres no reason to.


----------



## TreWatson

that's what i was thinking. thanks dude.


----------



## damigu

shanejohnson02 said:


> It should be identical, but it isn't to my ears. I think it has to do with the USB bus on the computer vs using a dedicated full-range sound card like the M-Audio 1010.



whether you're running USB or S/PDIF, it is an identical signal being moved on both of those busses.
however, running it through a higher quality DAC like what is in the delta 1010 (and other recording interfaces) will yield a higher quality analog output (AKA "sound from speakers/headphones") despite the input data being the same.


----------



## Wolfenstein

So I've been getting to grips with the Line6 X3 Live and it's PC interface.
And I've noticed among other users there can be issues with XT/X3's when interfacing with you computer.

So here are some tips that I've got for any one looking to use their XT/X3 with thier Computer.

Firstly when you connect your POD to your PC make sure youve downloaded all the most recent versions of its drivers the quickest and easiest way to do this is goto 

Line 6 :: Software[/URL]

and download the Line 6 Monkey application.







Update all of your drivers and then either restart your PC or disconnect/Switch off your pod.

Secondly when you've updated and connected your pod check your computer has recognised the hardware and is actually accessing it!
Again I recommend a system restart when installing drivers.

If you check your sound properties the X3 should behave like a USB SoundCard and have its own set of properties 






Remember that when recording direct some applications require you to select your input source , so check your application settings in the app as well as your system settings such as using the correct device in your Playback/Recording settings.

I found setting up my X3 for direct USB to PC play a bit frustating at first but once I figured out what settings in windows needed changing it's relatively simple and easy to use your POD for direct playback/recording with your guitar/bass.

Please Add your advice and comments and any tips of tricks for interfacing with POD below.

Thanks 

Mark =)


----------



## Harry

damigu said:


> pro recordings generally don't have anything panned hard in any direction.
> 
> but everyone self-taught pans hard because it's the easiest way to make more "central channel" type things (drums, bass, lead guitar work) be more present.
> 
> a good general rule to work with is that everything in your mix should be present and sound decent regardless of what is panned where. if you can achieve that, then you won't have to rely on tricks (like hard panning) just to make things listenable.



This just isn't correct.
Pros DO hard pan guitars all the time in the metal realm. Metal is all about clarity and separation in a lot of it's sub genres.

For quad tracking, Andy Sneap uses 100/80 L and 80/100 R. He used this on Dead Heart In a Dead World, This Godless Endeavor and Doomsday Machine, to name a few recordings.
All very much professional level.


----------



## TreWatson

that's weird though. I never quad track guitars. I just kinda doubletrack, and they seem to come out fine.

though i also pan 85L/85R


----------



## damigu

Harry said:


> This just isn't correct.
> Pros DO hard pan guitars all the time in the metal realm. Metal is all about clarity and separation in a lot of it's sub genres.
> 
> For quad tracking, Andy Sneap uses 100/80 L and 80/100 R. He used this on Dead Heart In a Dead World, This Godless Endeavor and Doomsday Machine, to name a few recordings.
> All very much professional level.



i said "generally don't" because i'm aware of a lot of exceptions. my point was that it isn't the normal method.

in older metal it used to be done all the time--one guitarist in one side and the other guitarist in the other. these days it's *usually* not done so clearly/simply anymore.


----------



## Harry

TreKita said:


> that's weird though. I never quad track guitars. I just kinda doubletrack, and they seem to come out fine.
> 
> though i also pan 85L/85R



Quad tracking is quite optional, never really necessary.
You gotta be super tight to quad track, which is why a lot of guys don't do it because their chops aren't good enough.
Jeff Loomis quad tracks, but then again, the fucker is a machine on legs


----------



## Harry

damigu said:


> i said "generally don't" because i'm aware of a lot of exceptions. my point was that it isn't the normal method.
> 
> in older metal it used to be done all the time--one guitarist in one side and the other guitarist in the other. these days it's *usually* not done so clearly/simply anymore.



Hm, interesting.
I generally don't listen to much metal before the 90s. Any examples of stuff you can think of where guitars aren't panned totally hard right and left?
I'm interested to hear what albums have been done that way.


----------



## nihilist

damigu said:


> i said "generally don't" because i'm aware of a lot of exceptions. my point was that it isn't the normal method.
> 
> in older metal it used to be done all the time--one guitarist in one side and the other guitarist in the other. these days it's *usually* not done so clearly/simply anymore.



It is _always _done. You won't find a single industry professional that doesnt hard pan the rhythm guitars left and right when recording, except when quad tracking. What you're thinking of is when the left guitar and right guitar is playing different things, whereas now most people double track, meaning record the same thing twice, as close as possible, and hard pan left and right.


----------



## Sang-Drax

On an unrelated topic (but still under the scope of this thread), I've just changed my main distortion patch from the SLO model to the 5150 one. I haven't tried it in a rehearsal, but as far as bedroom rocking goes, it's working wonderfully so far! In the case, I ran my pod through a tube poweramp w/o cab simulation. Tweaking it around is a pain in the ass, but when you get there, it sounds very organic and warm.


----------



## shred101

Anyone ever tried to model a Krankstein or anything like that? What type of amp/cab simul model should I go for as I really like the sound of Krank amps but dont know a whole lot about their build,etc.


----------



## Colton165

I just got a POD, and it sounds huge/insane through the computer after recording, but on headphones (pioneer monitoring), it sounds like shit.

also theres a background noise i cant avoid

any tips?


----------



## Arminius

Colton165 said:


> I just got a POD, and it sounds huge/insane through the computer after recording, but on headphones (pioneer monitoring), it sounds like shit.
> 
> also theres a background noise i cant avoid
> 
> any tips?




The onboard cab simulator can definitely be a source of woe, try impulses and see if the noise goes away.


----------



## mnemonic

Colton165 said:


> I just got a POD, and it sounds huge/insane through the computer after recording, but on headphones (pioneer monitoring), it sounds like shit.
> 
> also theres a background noise i cant avoid
> 
> any tips?



what kind of background noise, from the amps/distortion or from interference of some sort?


----------



## Colton165

like a slight tsssssssssssssssssss. im not sure where its coming from, be it the POD/amp modeler, or FL 9.

also, when i use heaphones (Pioneer $120 pair, HDJ-1000), with the big bottom.

when they are plugged in, everything sounds flat, no distortion, scooped everything, etc.

after i unplug, it sounds the same on the recording.

i fixed this by reflashing, re updating, and reinstalling drivers. now im too scared to use my headphones.

anyone have any input whatsoever?

EDIT: I know headphones puts it in "studio mode", but i mean it sounds nothing like a big bottom stock Bulb patch on recordings before i used the phones.


----------



## mnemonic

most pod patches sound pretty flat and scooped and fizzy and boring through headphones, but when they're piped through computer speakers or PA speakers, etc. and doubletracked in a mix they usually sound a whole lot fuller and better.

check to see if its from the amps by adding a noisegate and turning it up, or by switching amps or turning the amps off. if the noise changes/stops, its from the amps, but if it doesn't change its from something else.


----------



## Colton165

mnemonic said:


> most pod patches sound pretty flat and scooped and fizzy and boring through headphones, but when they're piped through computer speakers or PA speakers, etc. and doubletracked in a mix they usually sound a whole lot fuller and better.
> 
> check to see if its from the amps by adding a noisegate and turning it up, or by switching amps or turning the amps off. if the noise changes/stops, its from the amps, but if it doesn't change its from something else.


the thing is... is sounds flat after i unplug them and re-record with it.

only way to get it back to normal it seems is to re-flash, reinstall drivers and firmware, etc through monkey.

that is the only way to get it back to sounding like a big bottom did out of the box that i can find, restoring 'factory settings' erased my patches, but when headphones were unplugged, it still sounded like sh*t. i had to reflash and update it.

it sounds fine now through recording, but im scared to plug my headphones in lol


----------



## musicaldeath

EDIT- Figured out my problem.


----------



## Colton165

Ok I figured out my problem headphones wise it was the adapter.

Now anyone able to help me get a decent lead tone. I mean most of the ones on Line 6 suck. And Chimp Spanners seemed to be noisy, idk


----------



## Marv Attaxx

I'm stil having a fucking hard time to record some nice tones with my pod xt 
Sounds awesome through my amp, clean stuff sounds recorded really nice but the high gain stuff sounds fizzy and way too hard (yeah, I tried to turn down the drive but then it sounds really thin).
Got no idea what to do now 
Could someone of the "pros" here (Bulb, Greg, Chris, Drew and all the other dudes with kickass recordings) please post a detailed tutorial?
Gear, Software, Set-Up, how you wire things up??
That would be awesome guys!
You'd be helping a lot of recording n00bs like me to finally record their ideas


----------



## shanejohnson02

I've been getting some pretty decent results lately messing with different models and mixing them. 

Right now I'm using a combination of two patches to record with: an the Angel P-Ball and Criminal (Engl Powerball and Peavey 5150 II, respectively). Both are set on the 4x12 T-75 cabinet. 

After eqing and gating to taste, I copy the same amp to both tones. I then set different mics for tone 1 and 2...usually an On-Axis 57 for tone 1, and an Off-Axis 57 or 421 for tone 2. Then I pan the amps to different spots. I pan the 5150 patch wide 100% L/R, and pan the Powerball patch within that (I've been getting good results with 80/80). I then double-track everything, once with the 5150 recorded in stereo and then once with the Powerball.

After that, I just raise and lower volume levels to make the amps sound good together. Not enough high-end fizz? raise the 5150. Need some mid-range punch? raise the Engl. Combined they get this cool grind-y sound that I love. I can't wait to try this on a real-life 5150 and Fireball!

Here's an example. I removed the bass guitar from this mix so you could hear the guitars clearly:

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9261508

I'll download the patches to my laptop and post them later for anyone who's interested.


----------



## Werwolf999

I'd been trying to dial in a good rhythm tone using the 4X12s mostly for cabs, but really wasn't getting anywhere until I switched over to the 2X12 Class A-30/67 Condenser and the 2X12 Line 6/421 Dynamic. 

Don't know what it is w/ the POD's 4X12s, but they just never sounded as good to me as the 2X12s.


----------



## RudiVanDiSarzio

Has anyone actually created anything decent sounding WITHOUT the metalshop addon?

The best custom tone (for me) that i've come across is based on the Treadplate Dual model that was made by a guy named ArthurDestroyer. Sounds sweet, and i'm currently tweaking that to see if i can get anything else out of it.

So if you're out there Arthur, you're a legend.


----------



## Sang-Drax

My main rhythm tone comes from the SLO model, which I'm not sure it's from the metal shop (my pod is the X3). It's very mid-rich and cuts nicely live through a tube poweramp. It's good enough to play metal but I also use it for crunchy rock tones.


----------



## RudiVanDiSarzio

The Soldano model comes with the basic Pod Farm, and after the Treadplate Dual, my favourite amp


----------



## Werwolf999

Marv Attaxx said:


> I'm stil having a fucking hard time to record some nice tones with my pod xt
> Sounds awesome through my amp, clean stuff sounds recorded really nice but the high gain stuff sounds fizzy and way too hard (yeah, I tried to turn down the drive but then it sounds really thin).
> Got no idea what to do now
> Could someone of the "pros" here (Bulb, Greg, Chris, Drew and all the other dudes with kickass recordings) please post a detailed tutorial?
> Gear, Software, Set-Up, how you wire things up??
> That would be awesome guys!
> You'd be helping a lot of recording n00bs like me to finally record their ideas



"Turn down the gain" seems to be the official panacea for all tone related problems around here. But, if you want a really thick, saturated sounding metal tone, this advice will only lead to hours of knob turning induced frustration. This is especially true for all the djent tones. While they work for their intended purpose, they generally sound like crap for slow to mid-paced stuff (Sabbath, CF, Electric Wizard, etc,).

What you want to do, if you want a thick, saturated sounding metal tone, is to use the 4 Band EQ to kill the fizz. Depending on the kind of tone you like, you need to get in their and kill the fizz at anywhere from between 5.1 kHz - 7.0 kHz. Do this by simply cutting it at the maximum, which is like 12.6 dB I believe. 

You might also want to consider pumping your tone at 2.2 kHz and 3.2 kHz as well. I found that by doing this, I found I could get rid of a lot of that "flub" sound that was driving me crazy.

There's also a sticky called "know a lot about recording heavy guitars". You should read it when you get a chance. 99% of it is just useless sarcasm and adolescent name calling, but the chart explaining what frequencies relate to what tone-wise should be a big help.

You might also want to learn the ins and outs of doing low and high end passes to filter out most of the extraneous low and high end frequencies as well.


----------



## Rick

shanejohnson02 said:


> I've been getting some pretty decent results lately messing with different models and mixing them.
> 
> Right now I'm using a combination of two patches to record with: an the Angel P-Ball and Criminal (Engl Powerball and Peavey 5150 II, respectively). Both are set on the 4x12 T-75 cabinet.
> 
> After eqing and gating to taste, I copy the same amp to both tones. I then set different mics for tone 1 and 2...usually an On-Axis 57 for tone 1, and an Off-Axis 57 or 421 for tone 2. Then I pan the amps to different spots. I pan the 5150 patch wide 100% L/R, and pan the Powerball patch within that (I've been getting good results with 80/80). I then double-track everything, once with the 5150 recorded in stereo and then once with the Powerball.
> 
> After that, I just raise and lower volume levels to make the amps sound good together. Not enough high-end fizz? raise the 5150. Need some mid-range punch? raise the Engl. Combined they get this cool grind-y sound that I love. I can't wait to try this on a real-life 5150 and Fireball!
> 
> Here's an example. I removed the bass guitar from this mix so you could hear the guitars clearly:
> 
> SoundClick artist: Shane Johnson (Solo) - Sounds like me, I hope.
> 
> I'll download the patches to my laptop and post them later for anyone who's interested.



I'll take that.


----------



## BabUShka

WOW.. This place is a fucking goldmine. 
I just got my POD XT, haven't been able to tweak any good sounds yet.. But have been away from home for weeks now. But Im maybe going home today and trying it again.. Have done some research meanwhile and found many tips and presets here that might help. 

Kuddos. 
Used the Toneport and Gearbox for a year now.. Found the 1x6 O-cab pretty heavy. At least for me it gives better punchy sound than the 4x12 models. 

But one question.. If running a POD through an amp.. Before, or arter the preamp in the loop.. Which settings should I use? 
Turn off the cab simulations.. More?


----------



## Sang-Drax

BabUShka said:


> But one question.. If running a POD through an amp.. Before, or arter the preamp in the loop.. Which settings should I use?
> Turn off the cab simulations.. More?



It depends whether you're using it for fx only or as your preamp.

Assuming it's the later:

guitar -> pod -> fx loop (return)

That way, your pod will work as a preamp for your (hopefully tube ) poweramp. And yes, turn your cab sim off... although, if I'm not mistaken, if you choose the appropriate output mode (like, "stack poweramp in"), the pod automatically disables cab sim.


If you want to use the pod as your fx unit:

guitar -> amp input -> fx loop (send) out -> pod -> fx loop (return) in


In that case, you'll have to turn not only the cab off, but also the preamp sim. AFAIK, you'll have to do it manually.

Hope that helps


----------



## BabUShka

Yeh, that helps a lot! 
Thanks.. again


----------



## Sang-Drax

No prob 

IMO, the pod works a lot better when run into poweramps when compared to using cab sim - at least in live settings. It works fine even through a decent ss power section.


----------



## Kstring

Hey one quick question, do the X3s come with all the packs(metal mainly) allready installed or do i have to get them seperate?


----------



## Michael T

The X3 comes with EVERYTHING that you'd have to purchase separately for the XT, or so i do believe. I'd bought ALL the model packs for the XT then got a X3 recently and uploaded every patch i had on the XT to the X3 and they worked flawlessly. it said nothing about not being able to locate any model packs or such. I'd highly recommend the X3 over the XT. thats just my s


----------



## Sang-Drax

Cobhcxiii said:


> The X3 comes with EVERYTHING that you'd have to purchase separately for the XT, or so i do believe.



It does indeed =)


----------



## SSK0909

Has anyone come up with some sweet tricks/tones for the pod hd?


----------



## JayYouth

Can some one please make a podx3 patch that sounds like the new Deftones guitar tone? sounds sooo good.


----------



## Ravelle17

SSK0909 said:


> Has anyone come up with some sweet tricks/tones for the pod hd?



From my experiences it's been pretty damn easy to get good tone out of the thing.


----------



## ALAN_C

where can i find for mac user ? i just using POD and garageband . how can i use the impulse ?

i'm new for this ,sorry .


----------



## Kstring

I got a POD X3 for CMAS and it worked fine until yesterday. I turned it on and all i got was a bunch of crackeling that gets louder and louder(this was while wearing headphones so it was really fucking loud and pissed me off) . Anyone know the problem or give mee some advice on what to do?


----------



## chylder

JayYouth said:


> Can some one please make a podx3 patch that sounds like the new Deftones guitar tone? sounds sooo good.




Hey I've made a few. I have a preset for; be quite and drive + intro; main; kimDracula; rocket skates. It be nice if someone help me refine them to sound more like stephs recorded sound.


[email protected]

Does it matter if I use a pod x3 live?


----------



## JayYouth

chylder said:


> Hey I've made a few. I have a preset for; be quite and drive + intro; main; kimDracula; rocket skates. It be nice if someone help me refine them to sound more like stephs recorded sound.
> 
> 
> [email protected]
> 
> Does it matter if I use a pod x3 live?



Send them to me. I'm playing a few different 8 string and 7's. I'd love to give them a whirl.

[email protected]


----------



## wslead

Just purchased a Pod XT from the local music shop at a great price. I am having one major problems though. Using Reaper, and connecting my Pod via USB, when I go to record guitar parts, theres a huge distortion to the signal. Everytime I play something, the Pod has this "clicking" added to it. I am wondering if it's a faulty USB cord or a problem with my computer because if I run it in front of my amp, works without any trouble at all. I am running an iMac 20" with 4gz of RAM and had nothing but excellent results with it, so I am leaning more towards the USB cord. Any thoughts on what this could be? Thanks for helping a n00b out.


----------



## GATA4

So has it been agreed upon that running the PODX3 through a recording interface (like a Presonus or M-Audio) instead of through USB will produce better sound?


----------



## wildchild

whenever I try to download a patch I get this error
Warning: copy(./downloads//ec_tmp/NevermoreXt.rar) [function.copy]: failed to open stream: Permission denied in [path]/downloads.php on line 594
ERROR: File not found.

any ideas?


----------



## wildchild

wildchild said:


> whenever I try to download a patch I get this error
> Warning: copy(./downloads//ec_tmp/NevermoreXt.rar) [function.copy]: failed to open stream: Permission denied in [path]/downloads.php on line 594
> ERROR: File not found.
> 
> any ideas?


anyone have a solution?

I tried it again and I get the same error

have they been removed or do you need to have certain number of posts before I can download?


----------



## The Beard

wildchild said:


> whenever I try to download a patch I get this error
> Warning: copy(./downloads//ec_tmp/NevermoreXt.rar) [function.copy]: failed to open stream: Permission denied in [path]/downloads.php on line 594
> ERROR: File not found.
> 
> any ideas?


 I recently made a thread about this same problem, you're not the only one that gets this message  I haven't found a solution yet either


----------



## wildchild

stc423 said:


> I recently made a thread about this same problem, you're not the only one that gets this message  I haven't found a solution yet either


I emailed a mod and its broken and has been for a while


----------



## Behaving_badly

since its broken is there a possibility that we can start some a thread for posting patches or another site that has good patches. I've been using the Custom Tone site but lots of those suck and I really trust you guys more in terms of tone, EQ and whatnot.


----------



## wildchild

Behaving_badly said:


> since its broken is there a possibility that we can start some a thread for posting patches or another site that has good patches. I've been using the Custom Tone site but lots of those suck and I really trust you guys more in terms of tone, EQ and whatnot.



thats a good idea but it seems no one responds to this thread


----------



## cfrank

I don't think it's worth it creating a thread about this, so i'll put it here. I just got an POD UX1 last week and it's pretty cool, though i'm having some noise problems. I disconnect every instrument cable, but i still get noise. This only happens with metal/loud volume, but is it supposed to be like this? There's no input connected, but there's noise coming from the output like some bad shielding is going on.


----------



## Raxa

maybe PC problem? not POD?


----------



## Lukifer

Wow I have alot of pages of back reading to do!!

I just got an XT Live so need tips and tricks!


----------



## benfan

Fellas,

Iv downloaded a preset from a user on SS.ORG (i think) - Heres a link to the video 



It sounds nice and crunchy, but im having problems getting it to really grunt and give me some nice heavy low end for palm muted riffs. Iv tried boosting around 200hz and tweaking around with the settings but im having no luck. Anyone got any ideas? Im looking for a Sylosis type tone, nice and tight but with a heavy chuggy low end.

Im gonna use this as a tone reference 



Btw, im using a Les Paul custom with EMG 81b/85n.

Thanks for any help, or if you could point me in the direction of any other presets i could look into.



EDIT - Sorry about the screwed up post. Didnt realise that the forum embedded links!


----------



## Lukifer

Your lead tone is awesome!!! I love it! But I know what your saying about the bottom end. If you had the Metal Shop pack I would say replace one amp with either L6 Big Bottom or Chunk Chunk. But you have the eq and compressor going so besides boosting it Im at a loss.


----------



## Angus Clark

Is it possible to upload patches onto this thread? I'd be happy to share some that i'm quite proud of, and are based upon the above tone. I think they're an improvement.


----------



## niffnoff

Angus Clark said:


> Is it possible to upload patches onto this thread? I'd be happy to share some that i'm quite proud of, and are based upon the above tone. I think they're an improvement.



Upload em to custom tone buddy, and just link us to em, or alternatively upload a .rar file to megaupload and share here.


----------



## benfan

Lukifer said:


> Your lead tone is awesome!!! I love it! But I know what your saying about the bottom end. If you had the Metal Shop pack I would say replace one amp with either L6 Big Bottom or Chunk Chunk. But you have the eq and compressor going so besides boosting it Im at a loss.




I do have the metal shop pack so i might try that. That patch leaves alot of room for the bass to fill out in the mix, but i want some dense and meaty bottom end from my guitar tracks.

It isnt my preset btw, the guy who made that video created it! (dont want people to think im taking credit for someone elses good work)

I feel it might help to add that im not using the Pad input on my UX2 even though i have actives in my LP. I go in through the Norm.


----------



## pitbulltodd

2 videos i made for the podx3. the first is a heavy riff tone with different cabs and the second is a decent lead preset.

cabs-compare.wmv - YouTube

podx3solo.wmv - YouTube


----------



## Angus Clark

These tones were made on POD farm, but I think they'll work on the units:

Line 6 :: Custom Tone VH4
Line 6 :: Custom Tone Djentiness
Line 6 :: Custom Tone Soldano
Line 6 :: Custom Tone VH4 Lead
Line 6 :: Custom Tone Big Bottom 

Keep in mind they were made in an ibanez rga42 with the infamous LoZ pickups, so you might want to add or remove certain eqs


----------



## meambobbo

Someone asked about the HD. I have some recent patches here:
Index of /podhd/Metal_Xmas

Tone demo of older patches here (These tones aren't too great, I recommend trying the ones from the prior link but I thought I'd post them just in case it helps anyone):
Tone Demo

30+ page Tone Guide I wrote for high gain (specific to the Pod HD but a lot of it will apply to the XT/X3 or even real amps):
http://foobazaar.com/podhd/Meambobbo's Pod HD Guide.pdf

X3vsHD comparison clips with links to patches used:
X3vsHD by meambobbo on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

As for some general tips:
Boosting around 800-1200HZ before your distortion will bring out the djent. 

Cutting around 100-300HZ before your distortion will reduce any muddiness or flub in the tone.

To find fizzy/hissy spots, start with an EQ that is boosting a narrow frequency range. As you play, move through the frequency range, starting at 3kHZ and moving upwards from there. Find the spot where tone sounds noisiest and harshest. Then try to make as small of a cut there as possible. You don't want to completely remove it from the tone, just make sure it is de-emphasized to the point where it doesn't stand out. If you totally kill the frequencies, your tone will sound like it's missing something. I usually cut around 4.5 kHZ on the Pod HD, and additionally around 3.8 kHZ if I can. On the X3/XT, I like to cut around 9.5 kHZ.

I like to cut around 600 or 650 HZ to make the tone sound more metal and scooped, but if you cut too much your tone disappears, especially in a mix. Try to make the cut as narrow as possible, and only cut a little bit - don't completely kill those frequencies.

I've found the best tone from the onboard cab/mic sims comes by combining a bright cab that has good upper mids and high end definition and clarity with the SM57 on axis mic with a cab that has good low end punch and lower mids warmth with a dynamic mic. For the PodHD, it's the Treaplate 4x12 + SM57 on axis mic and the XXL 4x12 with 409 Dynamic. For the XT/X3, it's the Brit V30 4x12 or T75 4x12 with SM57 on axis plus the Treadplate 4x12 with 421 Dynamic. I believe this is because the IR's on modelers aren't as high resolution as IR's usable in a DAW. Even the Axe-FX II can only support 2,048 sample IR's, about 1/5 the size of the DAW versions. Axe-FX Ultra is half that. I assume Pod HD is around that size, and XT/X3 is even lower. Digitech GSP1101 is 256 samples mono, 128 stereo. I find this means you'll only get good definition on one part of the frequency range, and the rest sounds washed out, missing, or noisy. So combining cabs/mics helps dials in a full range sound with clarity and richness.

For dual tones, I like to use the same amp on both tones, only varying the cab/mic. Mixing amps can cause a tone that sounds like the amps are "fighting" each other, causing interference and making the tone sound washed out. I'll often even use the exact same settings on both amps. I also make sure both amps are panned to center to truly mix them. Be sure to adjust the volume of one amp to get a balanced blend of both amps - depending on the amp and cab/mic, one is usually a little louder than the other for the same settings.

For the Pod HD, you can get a great Mesa/Boogie Mark IV tone from the Uber model by putting a Studio EQ in front the amp. I cut 150 HZ completely and I boost 800 HZ completely. The low cut sucks out all the muddiness. The mids boost dials in the djent.

I have A/B'ed the Mississippi Criminal (5150 II) model on the Xt/X3 to the pre-amp of a real 6505+. I thought they sounded VERY close. It is my favorite amp model in the XT/X3. The Angel P-ball (ENGL Powerball) model is also awesome with a Screamer in front. And the Diamondplate (Triple Recto) is the best Recto sound I think, but it sounds a little too buzzy without a Screamer in front. The Uber is also great, but it's not as djenty as I like. Big Bottom is great, but I find it's too boomy - be sure to trim some lows if you use it. I think it sounds almost identical to the Mississippi Criminal model but has too much low end.

On the HD, with the Screamer, turning drive to 0% won't completely clean up the tone. This can make a lead tone sound less smooth than you want. I like to use the Classic Distortion instead, because it's completely clean at 0%. Just think the filter control is opposite of what you might expect - turning down adds more bite, while turning up is less djent and more smooth, full, warm mids sound.

Don't use a noise gate unless you have to. If you do, don't set it so high so that it completely sucks all the noise out the tone - just try to reduce the amount of noise it lets through. This will preserve a natural-sounding attack and decay, rather than an off-putting stutter type sound.

EQ is great, but it won't get you everywhere. If you try to dial in a frequency via EQ that isn't there to begin with, you are only boosting noise, not tone. I prefer to start with dual tones and good cab/mic choices, then EQ in a more subtle fashion, usually making narrow cuts to suck out the "warts" or wide subtle boosts/cuts to set the overall brightness/darkness or mid-emphasis.

For the HD, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read the "Clipping" section of the pdf guide posted above. I don't know how many people I've met who thought the HD sucked because it was harsh or whatever, when they were getting clipping. This isn't as simple as making sure you don't boost the shit out of the signal. There's no clipping meters. You can clip the input A->D convertor, the internal signal resolution, external gear, and individual effects inside the Pod even when you aren't clipping the overall signal level. It can be very deceptive. I provide a detailed patch-building process to prevent ever getting clipping.

If you are building a patch, the ABSOLUTE BEST thing you can do is find an artist whose tone is the closest to what you want to achieve, and finding a section in their music where the guitars are playing without any other instruments. If you can find one where it's only one guitar, not a double-track or quad-tracking, even better. Even if this clip is only 2 seconds long, it's an incredible reference point.

Use headphones or re-amp to find your tone, especially if you are trying to dial in tone at lower volumes (which is generally a bad idea). The acoustic tone from your electric guitar will mislead you as to what your recorded/amplified tone actually sounds like. Using the HD's looper pre-position is a great way to dial in a tone. Or you can record a dry guitar, output it to a mp3 player, then play the clip on repeat from your mp3 player into your Pod. I use a 1/8" male to 1/8" male cable into a 1/8" female to 1/4" male converter into the guitar input of the Pod. You may need to adjust the gain, because your mp3 player's output level may vary from your guitar, but that's a simple adjustment. It's a good process that works.

The best process for making a patch is to use the Edit/Gearbox computer editor. Start by dialing in a tone you like. Rather than editing that patch, Ctrl+mouse drag the patch to the next patch slot to copy it. Make your changes to the copy. Now you can A/B your edits to your initial patch. I'll repeat this process anywhere from 4 - 20 times before I finalize my patch (no stoner reference intended). You can compare a number of cab/mic options, as well as EQ'ing tweaks, or compare effects models.

For the HD, I like to use the Full amp models and turn down the "Master Volume" deep-editing parameter (to 10-30%) rather than use the pre-amp models. For the J800 model, you can get a good power amp distortion with Mater Volume in the 60-70% range, and turn down the Bias and Bias X parameters. This is how I get that nasty EVH distortion that sounds like the amp is being pummeled.

The only high gain amps on the XT I like are in the Metal Pack, so be sure to factor in the cost of that addition to your price if you are contemplating buying.


----------



## Stealthdjentstic

Best..new member ever.


----------



## MiPwnYew

Stealthdjentstic said:


> Best..new member ever.



THIS.


----------



## dantel666

That was quite the tutorial. Haven't looked through everything but what I have read has already made my tone a lot better. thanks!


----------



## meambobbo

This is a great thread - I agree with a lot of the info in the initial post and am just glad to make some contribution. I need to get my new tones recorded and post a new tone demo. They sound much better than the older ones - they have way more punch.


----------



## Lukifer

Awesome info and gives me some direction for dialing in tones. 

My question is what is the best approach to an XT, because I cant dual amp and switch cabs like you said. On limited on effects and eq and all that. So whats the best approach on dialing In that sweet tone on an XT?

I do have the metal shop pack so I have all the good amps. Just need to bring the best out of those amps.


----------



## meambobbo

Really your best option in that case is to run to a laptop and use an external IR or run to a power amp and speaker cab. If you don't want to do that, I would stick with the SM57 off axis or 421 Dynamic mics and test out the Brit and Treadplate 4x12's. I've also heard ppl got good results with the 2x12's but I don't think I ever did. Maybe the Matchless?

The best amp IMO is the Mississippi Criminal. The Big Bottom is basically the same model but with much more punch and low end - I found it to be too much, so I stuck with the Mississippi Criminal, but you could use the EQ to tame it. Certain cab/mic combinations would likely roll off the bass a bit as well. Other good amps I find are the Angel Pball and Diamondplate. I don't think I've used the Chunk Chunk, but I see a lot of people endorse it. Uber is pretty good too. The Diety models are Diezel. Not sure which is which, but they sound ok if you like that kind of tone.

If an amp initially sounds a bit buzzy or muddy and not djent enough, stick a Screamer in front. Set the drive all the way down and turn the gain up. That should help make it sound tighter. I find most of the amps are improved by doing this, but the Mississippi Criminal and Big Bottom are already quite djenty.

The EQ control has a high pass, a low pass, and two peak/valleys. I like to use the shelves to brighten or darken the tone to make it sound more balanced. I boost both so it actually works as a small mids cut. Sometimes I'll also use a peak/valley to cut around 650 HZ. I find that's the real nasty spot in the mids that makes the tone honk. Just don't cut too much. The other peak/valley can be used to dial out a fizzy spot in the high end. Boost the control and slowly move it upwards from 3kHZ until you find the fizziest noisiest spot you can. You'll know you've found it when you play a bunch of different power chords and they all sound like the same fizzy/hissy sound. It's noise, not tone. Dial it down but don't kill it, just make sure it's not noticeable. If you are ok with the mids without using a peak/valley on them, you can dial out an additional fizzy spot. If you feel like this kills some of your high end, dial it back in with the treble/presence controls or the low pass of the EQ.

If you give me an idea of a band whose tone you are shooting close to sounding like, I'd be happy to make a patch. I still have my XT.


----------



## Lukifer

Awesome!! Thanks for the info. I'll try it out tonight when I get home from work. 

Currently I run my XT Live into the power amp section of my 6505+ into an Avatar 4x12 with V30s if that helps. That's for my live sound and jamming with a band and all that. But I record on my computer a lot so i want good time there too. Since I do run it through a cab should I turn cab sims off when its run into my stack??


----------



## meambobbo

yes, I always use "no cabinet" when I run to a power amp and guitar speaker cab, but I know some people who like to run the cab/mic modeling even with such a setup. It really depends on how bright your guitar speaker is. With a 4x12 loaded with V30's, I'm sure you'd prefer "no cabinet" - that's how I ran my rig when I had a 4x12 with the same speakers. Now I have a 1x12 with a V30 (don't laugh - it's all I need!). I still use "no cabinet".

Don't be afraid to make two sets of patches - you're not likely going to get identical tone for a patch "live" vs. "direct" just by adding or removing the cabinet/mic modeling. When running live, there's less fizziness to to the tone. I find the cab/mic modeling is where a lot of it comes from. Also, the cab/mic modeling is going to change the way your tone gets EQ'ed, so you will likely have to use different settings to compensate.


----------



## JDWhite

Hey All,

New user, 1st post. I saw this thread from Google and joined immediately. Thank you all for the great tips. I have had an X3 for awhile, but am still very new to it. especially after reading these posts, I realize I have no clue what I am doing, so Thanks.

A question I have would be how to get just a basic nice sounding metal mix. What recommendations would you guys have for possibly a left and right (dual tone) which amps, cabs, and bass amps? What percentage of left and right pan etc........? Maybe something clean and tight like KSE? (just for example)

I use cubase with EZdrummer (I know there are much better drums out there, but cannot afford metal foundry right now  plus I have heard my buddy Leech's recordings with EZdrummer, and they are sick (although he uses foundry now 

So what do you guys think?

Thanks again for the already wealth of knowledge,

JD


----------



## meambobbo

I know I'm not fully answering your question, but I would like to make a quick point. If you recording, rather than creating a dual tone and panning one amp full left and one amp full right, I think it sounds better to record a mono track with one amp, pan it left, then record another mono track with the second amp, and pan it right. In other words, double-tracking sounds better than dual tones.

I like to make dual amp tones to use dual cab/mic choices, not to mix two different amps. I pan both tones to center. I use one bright cab (Brit V30 4x12) with a bright mic (SM57 on axis) and one darker cab (Treadplate 4x12) with a darker mic (421 Dynamic).

When I'm recording I want to do two takes with that same tone, then I'll pan one like 60-70% right and the other 60-70% left. If it doesn't sound good, it's because the playing between the tracks wasn't in time. TIGHTER!!!! as Adam D would say!

I like the Mississippi Criminal (5150) the best. I think KSE generally use the 5150 to record. I want to say I heard the End of Heartache tone was 5150+Dual Recto. KSE's tone is very dark, though - I would use the Big Bottom to get the 5150 tone. I think the Diamondplate model is the best Recto in the X3. I have a patch that uses such a setup, but it's not EQ'ed in for a KSE tone.

http://foobazaar.com/podhd/X3vsHD/maB_X3vsHD_3xRecto+5150.l6t

I would change the Mississippi Criminal to Big Bottom, trim a bit of treble on both amps, and reduce the volume on the Big Bottom.


----------



## Lukifer

Hey meambobbo, since I have an XT and cant do the whole dual tone jobby what settings do you use on your Mississippi Criminal?? Im still striving to get that awesome almost perfect tone out of one amp!


----------



## Lukifer

JDWhite said:


> Hey All,
> 
> New user, 1st post. I saw this thread from Google and joined immediately. Thank you all for the great tips. I have had an X3 for awhile, but am still very new to it. especially after reading these posts, I realize I have no clue what I am doing, so Thanks.
> 
> A question I have would be how to get just a basic nice sounding metal mix. What recommendations would you guys have for possibly a left and right (dual tone) which amps, cabs, and bass amps? What percentage of left and right pan etc........? Maybe something clean and tight like KSE? (just for example)
> 
> I use cubase with EZdrummer (I know there are much better drums out there, but cannot afford metal foundry right now  plus I have heard my buddy Leech's recordings with EZdrummer, and they are sick (although he uses foundry now
> 
> So what do you guys think?
> 
> Thanks again for the already wealth of knowledge,
> 
> JD



Im in the same boat with my XT Live. Great place to learn!! 

Welcome to the forums!!


----------



## pitbulltodd

halfway decent metal tone using podfarm and recabinet3


----------



## Lukifer

So after tweaking with some tones o realized I have cab sims on all my patches that I fun through my stack. So I turned them all off and it changed the tone! So now I have to go back and redo all my tones to get them to sound better with no cab modelling!


----------



## pitbulltodd

used pod farm to try and recreate the 1978 van halen tone


----------



## Handbanana

is it worth upgrading to an HD if you already have an X3?


----------



## damigu

the HD does have a more professional sound. not quite as good as AXE-FX, but definitely a step up from the X3.

that said, i have no plans to upgrade anytime soon. i'll stick with my X3 for a number of years still--i've pretty much got it set to do everything i want at this point so there is no reason for me to upgrade.


----------



## Handbanana

haha so its either axe fx or nothing right? I should probably just keep mine and tweak it.


----------



## meambobbo

I thought going from x3 to hd was quite a leap. Esp if you plan to use the inboard cab/mic sims. If you use external Irs or a guitar power amp and cab then the difference is less profound but still higher quality imo


----------



## Handbanana

I plan on using whatever sounds good. I plan on buying an ultra when i get back from deployment anyways, so I might as well hold out.


----------



## cyb

I used to own an axe standard and now I have a pod hd. (long story lol)

I think one of the biggest differences is the cab sims. The stock cab sims on the pod are alright but if you turn off the cab on the pod and use a third party impulse like redwirez you can get some really, really good results.


----------



## Rob_Ec

the Hd pod is epic sounding once tweaked properly


----------



## Davey

I need some general advice on using the x3 live, live. Not a fan of how it sounds through my amp with or without cab sims on. Was thinking of getting a 2x12 cab or something like that, would i need a poweramp or preamp aswell? I like the tones I get for recording when I dial them in but I use computer speakers for that. They sound good thorugh a proper PA too. How can I go about recreating them live? Sorry I'm pretty nooby when it comes to the gear sides of things!


----------



## damigu

you have different options for live sound:

1/ feed it (with cab sim on) directly into the mixing board that runs the PA system. no mic or cab or power amp required (except the amp that run the PA, of course)

2/ turn cab sim off, run it into a power amp, and run the cab off of the power amp (this is what i do).
that's how i use my X3 live.
it takes a little bit of tweaking to get it to sound completely right (particularly the treble frequencies), but it does sound great once you get the tone settings how you like them.


----------



## TrashJuice

edit - nevermind.


----------



## Davey

damigu said:


> you have different options for live sound:
> 
> 1/ feed it (with cab sim on) directly into the mixing board that runs the PA system. no mic or cab or power amp required (except the amp that run the PA, of course)
> 
> 2/ turn cab sim off, run it into a power amp, and run the cab off of the power amp (this is what i do).
> that's how i use my X3 live.
> it takes a little bit of tweaking to get it to sound completely right (particularly the treble frequencies), but it does sound great once you get the tone settings how you like them.




I might do something like option 2 just cos I don't wanna rely on the PA system of everywhere I play. Then again I don't know whether to just ditch the pod and get a head+cab instead. But then again everyone who uses a head and cab always has a load of pedals in front of it anyway...

Another POD question: I have a hard time finding satisfying reverb settings. Were there any reverb tips posted in this thread/anyone got some general advice? I always find it soundsa little harsh and not warm enough


----------



## Lukifer

Davey said:


> I might do something like option 2 just cos I don't wanna rely on the PA system of everywhere I play. Then again I don't know whether to just ditch the pod and get a head+cab instead. But then again everyone who uses a head and cab always has a load of pedals in front of it anyway...
> 
> Another POD question: I have a hard time finding satisfying reverb settings. Were there any reverb tips posted in this thread/anyone got some general advice? I always find it soundsa little harsh and not warm enough



I run my XT Live into the power section of my head and use it to power my 4x12. I like it alot and I cant even do all the dual tone shit and what not. They just takes LOADS of tweaking and make sure you have the output setting on the appropraite output you are using, like me I use Stack Poweramp.


----------



## damigu

i'm the wrong person to ask about reverb. i don't use it in my guitar tones.

on recordings i usually do add a bit afterward, but i never use it in the tone itself--i let the room i'm in provide any reverb.


----------



## Lukifer

The only time I add reverb is on clean tones and lead tones and both have so many effects going on it doesnt make a whole big difference which one I use.


I dont always use reverb, but when I do, I use Spring Reverb.


----------



## bluediamond

Hello, I bought a POD XT a week ago and I've just found this thread.
I tried to nail Petrucci's train of thought tone, and here's what I come with:
Treadplate sim with bass, mid on 9 o clock, treble, presence on 3 o clock, 57 off axis, also I found that adding gain from the amp kinda flub up the bass, so I use screamer, set too 100% gain, zero drive, 35% tone.. EQ set to slight boost at 440hz to add thickness, severe cut at 1.9khz harsh frequency, and moderate cut (3-5db) 8khz onward


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## benfan

Do any of you guys have any good starting points to get a half decent bass tone out of Pod Farm 2. Im at a loss, every time i think iv nailed it, it never quite translates very well into Cubase. If anyone has any links to any presets they have used that would be great. I just need some reference points before i blow my brains out. The genre is metal, but im after a nice punchy tone with tonnes of clarity. Cheers.


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## Davey

I have this problem with my POD X3 Live. When it is connected to my computer via USB and I'm listening to sound through it/recording with it, the audio will occasionally cut out for half a second. This is a real pain in the arse when recording because I have to re do the take. Sometimes it will record fine all day. Sometimes it stutters after 1 minute

I don't think it's the audio usb drop out issue I already had it fixed for that and when it did have that problem it would cut out for ages/completely after recording for only 30 seconds max. This is different

I've noticed that when it cuts out for a half second what happens is my computer fan gets louder, it's like my pc is stuttering. So I don't know if it's my pod or pc. Any ideas anyone?

ALSO, anyone know if you can still get the old ones with dodgy footswitches fixed for free? I haven't been able to since I needed the pod too much the last couple of years


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## damigu

if your computer's fan kicks into high at that point, it's your computer that's causing the issue.

try increasing the buffer size of the POD's driver and in your recording program. this might result in higher latency (if you're listening through the computer and not from the POD's audio outs, that is), but should get rid of the stutters.

also, make sure you've closed all other programs in the background on your computer. audio/video stuff is very processor and memory intensive, so having an internet browser and other programs open at the same time can cause all sorts of hiccups like what you described.


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## Davey

damigu said:


> try increasing the buffer size of the POD's driver and in your recording program. this might result in higher latency (if you're listening through the computer and not from the POD's audio outs, that is), but should get rid of the stutters.



I think I know where to change buffer size in Reaper's options but where do I do it for the POD or is it the same thing?


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## Lukifer

So looking for a super sparkly chimey clean tone. Anyone have one wrote for an XT??


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## damigu

Davey said:


> I think I know where to change buffer size in Reaper's options but where do I do it for the POD or is it the same thing?



it's been a while since i've had it hooked up to the computer, but IIRC there is a setting in the line6 driver (or perhaps in monkey that affects the driver?) where you can adjust the buffer for the driver itself.

i don't use reaper, so i'm not sure if reaper's adjustment is done to the driver or just for reaper's own performance independent of what soundcard is being used.


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## benfan

Is it against the rules to bump this super old thread?

What do you guys using Pod farm 2 have your main output (top right corner) set to?

I'm unsure, previously i've had it around halfway (-12dB) but have recently read somewhere that it should be whacked all the way up to 0.0dB and then the faders used to adjust the volume before recording.

Are there not any issues with running the signal so hot into the DAW?


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## mnemonic

I've always left mine all the way up. I just reduce the channel volume of the amp so I have plenty of headroom. As long as you're not clipping I don't think it should matter either way. 

I wonder how many people still use the old XT models. I still do, and I've learned tons over the last year or so since I got back into electric guitar, since I forgot everything I remembered about how I used to EQ line 6 stuff.


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## benfan

mnemonic said:


> I've always left mine all the way up. I just reduce the channel volume of the amp so I have plenty of headroom. As long as you're not clipping I don't think it should matter either way.
> 
> I wonder how many people still use the old XT models. I still do, and I've learned tons over the last year or so since I got back into electric guitar, since I forgot everything I remembered about how I used to EQ line 6 stuff.



Volume from the amp or the send fader?

I never really questioned it before. I sort of taught myself everything to do with recording and using the thing but i watched the video Misha put up about recording guitars and he was talking about maxing the output into his DAW so it was as hot as possible before clipping.


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## mnemonic

Volume from the amp.

I dunno, I'm by no means good at recording but I don't like getting as close to clipping as Misha did in his video. Maybe if it were the 80's and we were still recording on tape it would be worth doing, but these days the noise floor is going to be so low, you don't need a hot signal into the DAW. Boosting it louder in the DAW isn't going to make it significantly noisier at all. 

I think someone went over that in his thread though.


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## benfan

I've been having a hard time getting anything approaching a good tone when I have the output all the way up.

I've reverted back to using the patch I posted a few pages back. Dual amp with the Output at half way. I suppose as long it sounds good to my ears it doesn't matter if it's 'right' or not.

With the output cranked the signal is hot, but for high gain tones it's overkill when double-tracking, and when I roll back on the gain/drive the tone just falls away and leaves me with a pile of junk.

I've been playing around with it though, and the aforementioned patch sounds even better now i'm running it with my newly installed BKP Nailbomb.


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## Conner

After 7 years of Struggling with Fizz from AMP Models in the X3 live



This is the Fix - don't use the parametric EQ after the amp, it does not fix the Fizz effectively to leave you with a good sound

Do:

1. Set the amp tone knobs to midway - 50% to start. The presets are many times way extreme

2. Set the Microphone to Condenser - it is flatter and doesn't boost the cap out of 5k and leaves the highs alone. The SM57 sim is the problem. it boosts the crap out if 5k and you cannot eq it out with the onboard tools.

3. Once you do that now it may sound a little dull or even a lot dull/mush - you can use the amp tone knobs to add back some treble and presence. This works.





That is it.



Line 6 has to know this is the problem, I am guessing that they don't want people to know because then people won't upgrade to the HD models or Helix


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## lewis

Conner said:


> After 7 years of Struggling with Fizz from AMP Models in the X3 live
> 
> 
> 
> This is the Fix - don't use the parametric EQ after the amp, it does not fix the Fizz effectively to leave you with a good sound
> 
> Do:
> 
> 1. Set the amp tone knobs to midway - 50% to start. The presets are many times way extreme
> 
> 2. Set the Microphone to Condenser - it is flatter and doesn't boost the cap out of 5k and leaves the highs alone. The SM57 sim is the problem. it boosts the crap out if 5k and you cannot eq it out with the onboard tools.
> 
> 3. Once you do that now it may sound a little dull or even a lot dull/mush - you can use the amp tone knobs to add back some treble and presence. This works.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That is it.
> 
> 
> 
> Line 6 has to know this is the problem, I am guessing that they don't want people to know because then people won't upgrade to the HD models or Helix



Or run it into a poweramp>real cab and avoid using their terrible Cabinet and Mic IR sounds?.
Thats what I plan to do with mine long term.


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## Spinedriver

lewis said:


> Or run it into a poweramp>real cab and avoid using their terrible Cabinet and Mic IR sounds?.
> Thats what I plan to do with mine long term.



I just bypass the internal cabs altogether and use 3rd party IRs. The amps sound SO much better it's almost ridiculous.


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## lewis

set it up earlier. Sent the John Browne (MONUMENTS) tones to it (including an ambient tone I found online) sounds sweet!. Super metallic (I use EMG 81) twangy sounding!. No doubt would sound sweet into a real cabinet but even the stock tones he has dialed in sound decent. Im going to get the Seymour Duncan Powerstage 170 for this pedal board aswell as the Line 6 g10 and the Digitech Whammy DT and use that specifically for small/quick gigs.
Would be perfect for that.


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