PODxt help

[mike2558]

I got my pod xt about 3 weeks ago I think and it's all great and dandy but I'm having trouble getting good sounding tones out of it. I fiddled around with some of the amp models and already made tone settings like Master of Puppets and Cliffs of Dover but I can't really get a quality sounding tone that's perfect.

I understand you can hook it up to your computer so can somebody give me a quick run down of the things you can do. (although I probably could look it up in that thick manual) You can download and install custom tones others have made or something? I was wondering if people could post their good tones for me. I'd be interested in a Steve Vai tone, Joe Satriani (midnight, Surfiing with the Alien and maybe some others) and any other good sounding metal tones. Thanks in advance.

[ibanezcollector]

ok first and fore most make sure you have the cabinet and mic simulation on..

Then I would 100% seriously invest in the metal add on model pack the amps in there are 9000 times better than the stock..

Customtone.com is a joke and most of the tones on there suck.. I would really suggest playing with it yourself.

First hint I will give ya is dont over EQ which is a common mistake, read the manual not all these amps had bass,mid,treble, and presence..

Play with odd settings like say the dual recto thru a 1 x 6" speaker you may be surprised at some of the outcomes.

Take some of the harshness and brittleness out by adding very very slight chorus to it, to mellow it out..

Play with the EQ section that is based on post amp and remember adding will cause more harm then good, its better to cut out what you dont like then try to add what you do.

Buy the expansion packs, the metal pack is excellent the Bogner Ubershall and 5150 models are worth the price of admission alone. The Classic has some nice clean amps and the effects has some really good ones as well like the boost and eq


here is the Diezel VH4 model with slight chorus and some deep reverb
http://www.ibanezcollectorboxes.com/Glasgow.mp3

[mike2558]

I think I just might do that and get that pack. by the way, what should my settings be on my amp? I have a Line 6 Spider II 212 and I usually have my custom insane setting on. Should it be on clean? I've noticed it sounds really quiet and there is just no tone when the amp is on a clean setting. thanks for the advice anyways. I'll try some of those tips out.

[KissMyAxe]

The Pod XT sounds a million times better through the effects loop of a good tube amp...

[ibanezcollector]

x2 on the effects loop

I run mine thru a full rnage fender acoustisonic and its incredible..

[ibanezcollector]

ok here is some more recommendations..

first and foremost the PODxt is a very very versatile unit but gets some negative feedback from people for being brittle and toneless etc etc.

I myself sorta felt the same way at first, you really have to tweak and tweak but if you start finding out some of its little tricks you can nail convincing tones really quick..

If ya get the metal pack go to www.peavey.com and download the 5150mkII manual in there you will find the settings for Eddies tone and its perfect on the pod.

Get manuals for all the amps where applicable most will give ya some sort of preset guide to dialing in some tones.. IE Mesa, Peavey, Bogner, etc etc.

Again play with combinations never heard of.. One of my sweetest tones is the Bogner Ubershall thru a small 1 x 10 cabinet..

Really play with the mic's theres only 4 but you add 4 mic's to say 20 cabinets each will have a different tonallity. This is where most people get frustrated cause they want instant gratification. Tweak those parameters and tone will follow.

And last but not least if you have AIM shoot me a IM by the name Ibanezcollector2 and I can help ya out as much as I can and share some more secrets I have learned from reading and absorbing as much as I could.

And I got some cool patches too

[ibanezlover]

Hey Mike! Welcome to the Pod family. First of all, I would hook up your Podxt to your pc, via the usb cable. Install the monkey, and get all the updates. You can purchase the packs here as well. The metal pack rocks! I have more patches than I know what to do with them...lol. As for finding good tones, yes it is an art in itself. I use mostly the patches from customtone, and tweak them to my liking. There are tonnes of tones there, you should beable to find some that you'll like. I had a spider 112 amp, then I picked up a Podxt. I didn't like the two together so I got rid of the spider amp. Now I run my Podxt either through my studio monitors, or my Behringer KX1200 keyboard amp. If it were me I would get rid of the spider amp. The spider amp, and the Podxt were not ment to be together. If the spider has an effects loop/bypass, run your Podxt through that. If it doesn't, keep the amp on a very neutral clean channel. I hope i've been of help, and sorry to rain on your parade about the amp. On its own I do love the spider amp.

[mike2558]

I installed monkey and when I connected my POD to my computer with the USB cable it still said not connected on monkey. I made sure all the cables are in. odd...

and sorry if this is a noob question but what do you mean mics?

[RSVampire]

mics = microphones. The Pod XT has what they call a CAB/A.I.R. emulation where it emulates/simulates the cabinet (speaker enclosure) in a room with a microphone. The microphone emulation settings can be changed and you can change the microphone model/type and where it sits in the room.

Also for all of you who think the Pod sounds great in the FX Loop... I very much so 100% agree. But you can acually get pretty close with a couple setting changes. Here's how to do it.

Turn on the pod, press the Tune system button, rotate 1 page down with the Select knob, Use the Effect Twaek knob to change to different settings such as Studio Direct, Combo Front (has tone corrections so it won't sound terrible), combo poweramp (that's the fx loop), Stack front, stack poweramp, bose ps-1.

[mike2558]

wow I did that an came up with a totally awesome sounding tone. Thanks.