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

kaffein · Post by **kaffein** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:46 am

Tone Deft wrote:
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.

In my case:

ohiowa · Post by **ohiowa** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:53 am

in all honesty, i have yet to be impressed with any guitar amp simulation. i'd say get an amp if you want great clean tones, something like an ampeg jet or reverberocket are great and cheap used, otherwise go for a fender deluxe. if you're deconstructing/rethinking the guitar ala Fennesz, trust your ear, and if it sounds right to you, it's worth the money.

edge100 · Post by **edge100** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:23 pm

My $0.02, as the owver of the following products:

PodXT
Behringer VAmp2 (previously owned)
NI Guitar Rig 2
Amplitube 2

The bottom line is: it depends!

My main amp sounds are Vox AC30, Fender Twin, and some Fender Bassman and Roland JC-120 sounds thrown in here and there. Basically clean stuff; I use external effects for OD if using the PodXT.

The PodXT has really, really good tones. It's my favourite of the bunch overall, mostly because I get good hands on control over everything. The VAmp2 was ok for the amp sims (it had a decent AC30), but it's effects SUCK. The PodXT has a mixed bag of effects; the TS808 is very nice, but the Big Muff can't touch a classic or even reissue EHX (the RI NYC Big Muff's are very nice). The XT's EHX Memory Man ("analog w/ mod") is BAD (as in awful); what the XT needs is a nice digital w/ mod delay (as found in Line6's other products).

But all in all, the XT is my favourite box; NICE amp sims, generally good effects, good integration with the computer (you can reamp very easily via USB). Plus, zero CPU hit.

Guitar Rig is a close second; actually, I prefer GR's AC30 to the PodXT's, and the effects are VERY nice (the Whammy sim is actually useful, for instance, whereas the XT's whammy sim is TERRIBLE). But I find GR2 to have a bit of a synthetic sheen to everything; my Strat doesn't sound as chimey, and my LP doesn't sound as creamy as it does through the XT. It has a reasonable CPU hit (which is nice coming from NI!)

I don't like Amplitube2 very much, although I keep it around for compatibility with a friend who does like it; I HATE the "stomp box" type approach to effects, although there are some nice emus in there. I just can't seem to dial in a sound I like with AT2. Plus it eats CPU.

If you absolutely have to go with an amp sim, I still say the PodXT is the way to go, with GR2 a close second.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:40 pm

As a Pod 2.0 user for years, I'd say it's got a lot of great sounds and emulations. The XT is prolly that much better.

Recently, I've looked into some of the software. Of all the ones I've tried, (Guitar Rig, Amplitube, Waves GTR), I'd have to say Waves GTR 2.0 is prolly my fave. Great sounds, easy patching, and really solid performance.

The Pocket Pod is nothing more than a line-level DI converting guitar to USB, and then the software is inside your computer. I don't believe it'll sound as good as a real Pod XT, and I'm pretty sure the software won't be as good as the Waves, Guitar Rig, or Amplitube.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:44 pm

nebulae wrote:The Pocket Pod is nothing more than a line-level DI converting guitar to USB, and then the software is inside your computer. I don't believe it'll sound as good as a real Pod XT, and I'm pretty sure the software won't be as good as the Waves, Guitar Rig, or Amplitube.

AH-HA!! finally a decent answer for the OP. makes sense.

kaffein - very nice rig, Ibanez and demonic kittens RAWK!! \m/

KU · Post by KU » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:34 am

nebulae wrote: The Pocket Pod is nothing more than a line-level DI converting guitar to USB, and then the software is inside your computer. I don't believe it'll sound as good as a real Pod XT, and I'm pretty sure the software won't be as good as the Waves, Guitar Rig, or Amplitube.

the Pocket Pod does not convert audio to USB. the USB is only for patch manipulation with computer software.

it is probably the same modeling and sound as a POX XT except that you can't do a lot of deep tweaking of the patches.

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:50 am

nebulae wrote: The Pocket Pod is nothing more than a line-level DI converting guitar to USB

WRONG!

You don't even need a computer to use the damn thing. You can plug in headphones or plug it into the fx loop of an amp if you wish to. It doesn't require the USB at all to get sounds out of it.

I'd get the Microcube myself. They're a lot better than the current batch of Line 6 modelling products.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 1:29 pm

My bad...I stand corrected. I was thinking of a really simplified version of the Toneport that I saw at a local Guitar Center. Thanks for providing the correct info.

OvertoneZero · Post by **OvertoneZero** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:21 pm

What about this:

http://www.softube.com/

Khazul · Post by **Khazul** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:41 pm

I have a Behringer V-Amp Pro and Bass V-Amp pro - they were ok for starting out with, but while you can get most/all of the guitar tones you could wish for from them, there is definately something fundamentally wrong as well - the sound of them have never really gelled with me.

Im actually thinking of dumping them and buying a Sansamp PSA 1.1 for the basic tones then using a TC fireworx (that I allready have) for all effects processing.

Pod series is definately alot better than the behringer equivelents, but TBH ive just gone off all these type of devices - the except is perhaps the Roland V-guitar rigs.

Also Im still using a line 6 variax guitar which probably doesnt help - hence why I thinking going analog is the way to go with this thing for tone.

rat · Post by **rat** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:56 pm

i started tis thread, and like i said before, i got a roland microcube.
very happy with it. i saw the pocketpod in store the other day, and it is SMALL as shit, but i am happy with the microcube.
its fun to play with a real amp again and not having to go tohrough computers and or monitors all the time.
just flew on a plane with the microcube in my carry on with no problem. they should call this a PocketAmp

cmcg37 · Post by **cmcg37** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:01 pm

I use the PodXT direct into live and I really like the sound. I am not a guitar player but I do record a lot of guitar (Rock/Indie/Metal) and everyone that I work with seems to like it as well (sound & work flow).

Sorry to jack the thread but I have not seen any opinions on Izotope's
Trash plug-in. I have the demo and I like it. I have not gotten any opinions from guitar players about Trash. I would like to get a software cab/distortion modeler and Amplitude is on the menu but I could use Trash for a lot more than just guitar.

Opinions on Trash from guitar players would be great.

Regards,

CMcG37

LDT · Post by **LDT** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:45 pm

I can totally recommend Izotope Trash (as well as all the other Izotope stuff). Maybe because I am not a "real" guitar player. It seems to be more open to creating unusual sounds also.
A real outsider in the hardware dept. is the Johnson J-Station which I have used with pleasure for years. I always thought it was stupid that Line6 insisted on separate bass and guitar pods, when it so easily could have been the same product. J-Station had gui AND bass amps and had less noise than the original POD, so I went for it and it has kept me happy.

itook4lefts · Post by **itook4lefts** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:08 am

i use a vox tonelab. when i was shopping around i preferred it to the pod 2 for the "almost clean" fender-type sounds.