Anyone use modeling exclusively? Variax and Pod?

SteveC · #1 09-12-2005, 08:00 PM

Just curious if anyone has gone all digital? Seems like a great way to have all the amps, effects and basses you could ever want. Yes I know they aren't EXACTLY the same, but does anyone in the crowd really know or care. Isn't close enough good enough? How many recordings use this technology?

fourstringbliss · #2 09-13-2005, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveC

Just curious if anyone has gone all digital? Seems like a great way to have all the amps, effects and basses you could ever want. Yes I know they aren't EXACTLY the same, but does anyone in the crowd really know or care. Isn't close enough good enough? How many recordings use this technology?

I don't think you're going to get any takers here. I'm not knocking it but most if not all TB'ers are purists, even if they play cheap copies of Fender's.

I, however, am seriously considering going completely digital. I'm not a professional - purely hobbiest. I'm going to be trying out the variax bass on Thursday, and if it sounds good I'll be selling my Fender Jazz to get myself a Variax bass. Then I plan on getting the Bass Pod XT Live, and I'll be straight digital (except for my amp head/cab setup which will be set as flat as possible).

ireidt · #3 09-13-2005, 04:46 AM

I happen to like digital, but its expensive, and I don't have the money

bassmonkeee · #4 09-13-2005, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringbliss

I don't think you're going to get any takers here. I'm not knocking it but most if not all TB'ers are purists, even if they play cheap copies of Fender's.

I, however, am seriously considering going completely digital. I'm not a professional - purely hobbiest. I'm going to be trying out the variax bass on Thursday, and if it sounds good I'll be selling my Fender Jazz to get myself a Variax bass. Then I plan on getting the Bass Pod XT Live, and I'll be straight digital (except for my amp head/cab setup which will be set as flat as possible).

Please don't speak for 30,000+ people.

SteveC · #5 09-13-2005, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringbliss

I'm going to be trying out the variax bass on Thursday, and if it sounds good I'll be selling my Fender Jazz to get myself a Variax bass. Then I plan on getting the Bass Pod XT Live, and I'll be straight digital (except for my amp head/cab setup which will be set as flat as possible).

Let us know what you think of the bass after you try it.

westland · #6 09-13-2005, 06:20 AM

I have a Variax Bass and a Bass Pod Pro. I like the bass quite a bit, better than the Pod. I like the sound and feel of my Modulus Genesis and Ritter even better, but they are more expensive instruments, so I'd expect that. The Variax Bass overall is a great instrument. Perhaps the Pod XT has improved the breed, but I think the Pod Pro is a bit noisy, and you have to fiddle with it a lot to get decent sounds. The Variax bass though is more straightforward -- just select the instrument, and tweak the PUP / mic control to where you like the sound, fine tune with the bass and treble control.

I have a Thunderfunk 550 in transit right now, and when it arrives I plan to swap the Pod out of my rack, and sell it

SteveC · #7 09-13-2005, 07:49 AM

I think the Pod XT is an improvement. That said, I think that having a number of basses available is more useful than a number of amps - to me.

I could see going from a P to a Jazz to an MTD being more useful than going from an Ampeg to an Eden to an SWR.

I'm interested, but no one has one I can try locally.

Lyle Caldwell · #8 09-13-2005, 08:03 AM

I'd be more interested in the Variax bass and guitar if the system was installed in a good instrument. These are Rogue/Samick/Squier level instruments. No thanks.

Lyle Caldwell · #9 09-13-2005, 08:04 AM

Plus they're dorky looking.

keb · #10 09-13-2005, 10:15 AM

It's interesting technology, and the Variax bass clips I've heard sound pretty good, but it's not really for me. I've read Steve Howe of Yes has gotten into the Variax guitar a little bit.

On the amp modelling front, I have a couple SansAmp units, but those are analog, not digital. I'm not an analog snob though (my synthesizer is a digital analog-modelling synth, I record digitally to hard disk, etc). My choice in the SansAmps is that I wanted something quick and dirty without built-in multi-effects (I like to pick and choose from different stomp boxes.)

CamMcIntyre · #11 09-13-2005, 12:45 PM

I'm interested to see where the technology goes within the next few years. Right now-i don't have any chance of being able to afford it, but-the Variax Bass intrigues me-back home, i played in a Praise and Worship band with a guy who used a Variax Guitar into the POD XT Live thing and then just went into the PA. Sounded great.

I figure, once i'm out of college [or if by some chance i get some money that i have nothing else to do with], i'll investigate the level of the instruments at that point. The idea of having a wide variety of basses all at the turn of a knob seems really great to me, but-until i feel comfortable with it, i'll stick with the "normal" basses.

edit: for recording purposes, i use an older Bass POD Pro to do hard disk recording on my computer. I dig that.

That's all

westland · #12 09-13-2005, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveC

I think the Pod XT is an improvement. That said, I think that having a number of basses available is more useful than a number of amps - to me

I agree. The choice of amps and effects on the Pod is more educational than aesthetic ... I've learned a lot about the classic sounds without having to buy pedals or tubes (also, something to associate with what I read).

Same with the Variax Bass, but the acoustic bass sounds alone are worth the price (no need to buy an EUB, or worse, learn how to play it

).

fourstringbliss · #13 09-14-2005, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmonkeee

Please don't speak for 30,000+ people.

Sorry about the generalization. I think I've just been hearing some squeaky wheels in need of grease. Every time someone starts talking about the Variax or modeling in general there's a very vocal group who say it all sucks, and I don't see as many on the other side who like it. Maybe it's just that the others (who aren't in the "modeling sucks" lobby) are more realistic in their opinions.

fourstringbliss · #14 09-14-2005, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveC

I think the Pod XT is an improvement. That said, I think that having a number of basses available is more useful than a number of amps - to me.

I could see going from a P to a Jazz to an MTD being more useful than going from an Ampeg to an Eden to an SWR.

I'm interested, but no one has one I can try locally.

I agree, and I'm actually more interested in the bass than the amp modeling. I might just get the VB700 and a sansamp programmable. I've had a sansamp before and I got all of the amp sounds I really wanted in something really small and easy to use.

fourstringbliss · #15 09-14-2005, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lyle Caldwell

Plus they're dorky looking.

Except for the little point on the headstock and the thumbrest I actually like the way the sunburst model looks. I like the lack of pickups and the flowing look of the tortoise pickguard.

That being said, I think the black one looks dumb, but just because black with black pearl doesn't work for me. I think black/white pearl would have been better or even black/tortoise.

I would like to see if the guts can eventually be retrofitted into another bass, but I'm more interested in sounding good than looking good (so it's good that I like the way it looks).