Pocket Pod or Amp Sims? Which sounds fuller for clean tones?

rat · Post by **rat** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:19 am

Hey. i play some guitar. I have tried revalver mk2, amplitube 2 and guitar rig 2.
dont love em and i think they are all over priced,
i saw Line 6 pocket pod for $130. i dont have a way to test it.
can anyone recoomend it?
i want to record moslty clean sounds (like a fender twin or somethin like that).

i am on intel mac, and unfortunately there aint shit for free (but tons on PC)

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:41 am

generally discussions on guitar sims start with talk about amplitube vs guitar rig, guitar rig edges out amplitube then the Pod comes into play and across the board people like its sound better. I don't know what they put into the new version but if the price is right get it. IMO it's also better to have your guitar tone not take up CPU that way CPU can't limit your playing.

I can say I'm incredibly impressed by the way my Pod XT works with the computer, excellent integration. I can hit the Line 6 web site, click on a user submitted guitar tone and in a few seconds the patch is loaded onto the pod and I can play it.

the digitech RP series sucks balls and the V Amp is crap but better than the digitech series. I like the digitech for its onboard drum patters, they're lame but any drums are more fun to jam with than no drums.

maybe others will post, lots of opinions on these bits of gear, some people will disagree with me.

edit - actually there are user testimonials here
http://line6.com/support/thread.jspa?messageID=70109
thumbs up.

rat · Post by **rat** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:14 am

i just bought a roland microcube amp at guitar center for 99 bucks.
this thing solved all my problems. it weighs 7lbs,and sounds ill. i can plug direct into my interface, or i can pu a mic to the grill and it sounds phat either way.
check this out if you havent and you r lookin for a believable guitar tone for your recordings.
its really small and light so its easy to move around. best hundred bucks i spent in a long time

kaffein · Post by **kaffein** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:23 am

Pocket Pod might do you if you just need the basics.
I use an old POD Pro rack, it has server me well for studio and live.

For studio, most stuff I just do direct since it has direct outs and it sounds damn good w/ cab emulation. Live I just plug it into a Carvin DCM1500 and into a modded Marshall 1960a 4x12 cab.

I would love a POD Pro XT but I'm probably going to be getting back into bass soon, so the bass one will be on the list...

xxxmorphicxxx · Post by **xxxmorphicxxx** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:56 pm

I have an old Pod 2.0 (that i record with) and a Vetta 2 head (that I gig with), and have spent a lot of time with Guitar Rig 2, Amplitube 2, and Waves GTR plug-ins.

My personal experience is that nothing touches Line 6 as far as emulation... ESPECIALLY for any type of distortion. I would never record an album using Guitar Rig, Amplitube or GTR.

I still think the original 2.0 sounds great, and the new stuff sounds even better.

Just buy a POD Xt, or a used 2.0 for $100 or so. They blow away the vst's I mentioned above.

KU · Post by KU » Sun Aug 12, 2007 12:42 am

i love my pod xt...

but when I record I use amplitube 2 and get superior results. much better dynamics and tube modeling.

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 12:57 am

My Pod XT handles all my guitar sounds, honestly one of the best things I've ever bought. The extra packs for it are so worth it.

jrathkopf · Post by **jrathkopf** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 1:58 am

i heard a pod 2.0 yesterday in action.
i prefer the roland microcube. i still think an amp recorded into live sounds better than emulations.
i could just record the pod 2.0 going thru speakers, but with the microcube i can just use the tiny speaker it has, mike it, throw on a few plugs , and boom!

kaffein · Post by **kaffein** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:19 am

jrathkopf wrote:i heard a pod 2.0 yesterday in action.
i prefer the roland microcube. i still think an amp recorded into live sounds better than emulations.
i could just record the pod 2.0 going thru speakers, but with the microcube i can just use the tiny speaker it has, mike it, throw on a few plugs , and boom!

A 5" 2watt amp may be ok for somethings, but you can't beat micing a 4x12 half stack in a properly treated live room w/ gobos, 2 direct mics, 1 ambience mic and a direct in.

jrathkopf · Post by **jrathkopf** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:36 am

kaffein wrote:
jrathkopf wrote:i heard a pod 2.0 yesterday in action.
i prefer the roland microcube. i still think an amp recorded into live sounds better than emulations.
i could just record the pod 2.0 going thru speakers, but with the microcube i can just use the tiny speaker it has, mike it, throw on a few plugs , and boom!
A 5" 2watt amp may be ok for somethings, but you can't beat micing a 4x12 half stack in a properly treated live room w/ gobos, 2 direct mics, 1 ambience mic and a direct in.

thats true...i was just talking about recording at home or in a small room where you cant get too crazy

kaffein · Post by **kaffein** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 3:02 am

jrathkopf wrote:
kaffein wrote:
jrathkopf wrote:i heard a pod 2.0 yesterday in action.
i prefer the roland microcube. i still think an amp recorded into live sounds better than emulations.
i could just record the pod 2.0 going thru speakers, but with the microcube i can just use the tiny speaker it has, mike it, throw on a few plugs , and boom!
A 5" 2watt amp may be ok for somethings, but you can't beat micing a 4x12 half stack in a properly treated live room w/ gobos, 2 direct mics, 1 ambience mic and a direct in.
thats true...i was just talking about recording at home or in a small room where you cant get too crazy

Try this.

Put that tiny amp you got in a corner to get as much low end as possible out of it, place a cardioid or omni condenser mic way up high in an adjacent corner -- make sure to listen for any phasing issues and move it around until there are none mixed with a direct input signal. Alternatively you can mic the cab up close with a dynamic mic and do the ambient mic as well instead of the direct in.

The amient mic is really the key to the organic airy room sound you're probably after. Results will vary depending on the shape/size of the room and how well you've treated it.

Meef Chaloin · Post by **Meef Chaloin** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:19 am

if everyone could do that what would be the point in them even making the PODs?!

kaffein · Post by **kaffein** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:05 pm

Meef Chaloin wrote:if everyone could do that what would be the point in them even making the PODs?!

Pod -> Amp -> Mics = best of both worlds.
Pod -> direct = quick scratch tracks or demos.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 6:22 pm

kaffein wrote:
Meef Chaloin wrote:if everyone could do that what would be the point in them even making the PODs?!
Pod -> Amp -> Mics = best of both worlds.
Pod -> direct = quick scratch tracks or demos.

pod -> amp = bad idea, the pod colors the sound, amps color the sound, don't play it through an amp, play it through monitors.

OvertoneZero · Post by **OvertoneZero** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:38 am

Guitarists who know, trust Amplitube 2. Except that one guy, Kramer.