Home recording / small gigging solution = POD + Blackstar ?

[mindwalker]

Hey guys,

I'm looking into a nice and easy on your back solution for home recording and gigging / jamming in small spaces. I want my gear to be space friendly and weight friendly as I don't have a car..

So far I own a POD X3 which I use through monitors at home but it bugs me with its USB drop out issue so I definitely need to upgrade this one. I'm thinking of a POD HD500. This will probably be my main gear for home recording / practicing with headphones as I can't really be too loud at home (old building... cranky neighbours)

For the gigging / jamming part I need it to be nice and small. I thought about an HT-5R combo but the word out is that it's not very good for a gigging situation. On the other hand there's the HT-20 which is a bit bigger/louder and probably better for gigging (but not so good for the occasional home jam).
If I'd get the HT-20 I'd probably get the head and not the combo.. and with a separate cabinet (2 x 12). In fact I might even get a separate cabinet anyway since it seems the HT-5R combo kinda sucks with its bundled speaker. The good thing about the HT-5 combo is that it's portable in one piece where as the HT-20 head would need the cabinet which would kill the portability..

In any case both amps play well with the POD right ? So I could even use the POD as a pre-amp to extend the sonic palette..

I've considered other amps but I think they're not for me since they're on the bigger / louder side of things... such as Laney Ironheart 60, EVH III 50, Mark V, Mini Rectifier..
I think either the HT-5 or the HT-20 with a boost or the POD will suit me well for now... I just need to decide if either the HT-5 or the HT-20.

 

[MF_Kitten]

I would get something more... worthy... if i were you. POD HD500, a simple solid state power amp (they can be dirt cheap!), and a 2X12 cab. This, too, can be cheap, and seeing as you're in the Netherlands, i would get the Thomann brand 2X12 with V30s. Filthy cheap, and shipped from Germany, so you don't have to pay lots for shipping.

 

[mindwalker]

I would get something more... worthy... if i were you. POD HD500, a simple solid state power amp (they can be dirt cheap!), and a 2X12 cab. This, too, can be cheap, and seeing as you're in the Netherlands, i would get the Thomann brand 2X12 with V30s. Filthy cheap, and shipped from Germany, so you don't have to pay lots for shipping.

Yep most likely ordering from Thomann..

So something like a Rocktron Velocity 100 ?
This would definitely cut it for jamming.. but on the other hand would force the dependency on the POD. With a separate amp I would get the choice to use only the amp.

Something else I would like to explore is dynamics with guitar volume / picking. Something that on the POD X3 it lacks (however on the HD 500 they say it's good). And for this I would need an actual amp...

Well I guess I have to figure out what I really want

 

[mindwalker]

I would get something more... worthy... if i were you. POD HD500, a simple solid state power amp (they can be dirt cheap!), and a 2X12 cab. This, too, can be cheap, and seeing as you're in the Netherlands, i would get the Thomann brand 2X12 with V30s. Filthy cheap, and shipped from Germany, so you don't have to pay lots for shipping.

I gotta say... this sounds quite beastly... Line 6 Pod HD Pro & Rocktron Velocity 300 Metal Test Drive - YouTube

 

[MF_Kitten]

You don't NEED the rocktron power amp, a regular cheap as hell PA power amp will work too, as long as it has jack outputs
it depends on how much money you are willing to sink into it.

Let me put together a cheap-yet-great and simple rig:

POD HD500
+
Samson Servo 120a - Thomann UK Cyberstore
+
Harley Benton G212 Vintage - Thomann UK Cyberstore
=
probably awesomeness.

edit:
my rig is a POD HD500
+
http://www.thomann.de/gb/samson_servo_200.htm
+
http://www.rivera.com/index.php/products/cabinets/151
=
actual awesomeness.

 

[sevenstringj]

Why not a full range powered speaker? 1 less thing to carry.

Something else I would like to explore is dynamics with guitar volume / picking. Something that on the POD X3 it lacks (however on the HD 500 they say it's good). And for this I would need an actual amp...

You don't need an actual amp for dynamics. With the POD HD I can go from clean to crunch on picking alone. I was able to do the same on the X3, except I didn't like how the in-between sounds tended to be fizzy/static-y. POD HD remedied that.

 

[MF_Kitten]

the built-in impulses on the POD HD series aren't exactly awesome. I would prefer a real cab over it any day. It really helps with the feeling of a real raw sounding amp.

 

[sevenstringj]

the built-in impulses on the POD HD series aren't exactly awesome. I would prefer a real cab over it any day. It really helps with the feeling of a real raw sounding amp.

So you just use the POD HD preamp versions?

 

[MF_Kitten]

So you just use the POD HD preamp versions?

nope. Solid state power amp = colourless. At least mine is, as far as i've been able to hear. So i let the POD do the power amp saturation.

 

[mindwalker]

nope. Solid state power amp = colourless. At least mine is, as far as i've been able to hear. So i let the POD do the power amp saturation.

Do you have the rackmount POD ? I figure it's more convenient if you also go the poweramp route. All in one convenient rack.. but it's almost 200 eur more...

that dedicated DI output sounds good though... but you lose the expression pedal.. (unless you buy one).. I barely use mine though.. just for the occasional wah...

 

[UnderTheSign]

Saw you mentioned the Ironheart - I've been told the "wattage control" on it works great and is very suitable for home/bedroom stuff.

 

[GhostsofAcid]

the built-in impulses on the POD HD series aren't exactly awesome. I would prefer a real cab over it any day. It really helps with the feeling of a real raw sounding amp.

I can attest to this. I've been using an hd500 -> velocity 100 -> passive PA speaker but I'm probably going to switch to a 212 cab because the hd500's cab sims are unsatisfactory.

 

[VBCheeseGrater]

Here's a clip i made of the blackstar HT20 boosted with a TS9. it's double tracked.

If you are using the pod for your main tones not sure the HT20 would be the best value, as you are paying for the nice cleans and distorted tones too. Maybe a poweramp as the others have suggested would be a good idea. As for gigging, the HT20 does fine with a good speaker even in a metal band, but as you mentioned the stock speaker doesn't cut it.

I could see using the HT20 for the main tone and POD just for effects working out nicely. Plus, you've got the emulated out on the amp for recording that works pretty well.

Also worth noting, the HT40 does "Da Br00tz" without a boost, the voice switch tightens it right up.

EDIT: don't worry about low volume playing with HT stuff, it does great at low volumes.

 

[mindwalker]

Saw you mentioned the Ironheart - I've been told the "wattage control" on it works great and is very suitable for home/bedroom stuff.

yeah that's what I heard and read too.. and judging by the youtube videos around it seems to be true. However it's a bit too big for what I was looking into.. it's a full boutique head size. Not much bigger than the HT-20 but bigger..

 

[MF_Kitten]

Do you have the rackmount POD ? I figure it's more convenient if you also go the poweramp route. All in one convenient rack.. but it's almost 200 eur more...

that dedicated DI output sounds good though... but you lose the expression pedal.. (unless you buy one).. I barely use mine though.. just for the occasional wah...

i have the HD500.

 

[primitiverebelworld]

Samson Servo 200 - Thomann UK Cyberstore
Great advice right here. I am too overbiased to Velocity 300 as my only option considering cheap poweramps and now You pointed out something that works too(better?) and is 2x cheaper!

 

[MF_Kitten]

it does work fine, and it's a sturdy unit