Advice sought for Effects Newbie with Line6 Bass Pod XT Live

[Rat Blitz]

Ok so I've never had an effects unit of any kind and I bit the bullet when I saw a good deal on used Line6 BassPod XT Live.
It looked like it had everything I needed. The problem is I don't really know what I need. It seems to have too much of everything.
I went through the manual and I've got a pretty good handle on how it works.
The problem is I'm not exactly sure what kind of effects are good to use.
It's got a lot of wacky things that I would never need.
I do now I'll have to program my own settings to get the most out of it.
But can someone please give me a starting point and advice. What kind of "standard" effects work best (and that won't piss off my guitarist too badly .
The unit is a bit overwhelming at this point in time.
Do most folks bother using amp modelling if they are already happy with their current amp??
Any advice on strategies for setting up the best tones and effects greatly appreciated.
If you have the same or similar unit how did you go about setting yours up when you first got it?
Cheers

[MaxMaps]

Originally Posted by Rat Blitz

Ok so I've never had an effects unit of any kind and I bit the bullet when I saw a good deal on used Line6 BassPod XT Live.
It looked like it had everything I needed. The problem is I don't really know what I need. It seems to have too much of everything.
I went through the manual and I've got a pretty good handle on how it works.
The problem is I'm not exactly sure what kind of effects are good to use.
It's got a lot of wacky things that I would never need.
I do now I'll have to program my own settings to get the most out of it.
But can someone please give me a starting point and advice. What kind of "standard" effects work best (and that won't piss off my guitarist too badly .
The unit is a bit overwhelming at this point in time.
Do most folks bother using amp modelling if they are already happy with their current amp??
Any advice on strategies for setting up the best tones and effects greatly appreciated.
If you have the same or similar unit how did you go about setting yours up when you first got it?
Cheers

The thing about effects is that, there are so so so many different options it can get overwhelming. A multi effects units are good jumping points to figure out what works for your playing. I just drank the entire bowl of spiked punch and compulsivly sell and buy botique boxes

If I was you I would start out with an Overdrive, Chorus, Wah and yes of course Fuzz that you like on the Pod and see how it works for what you play. Start small and work your way from there. You tube is your friend for effects, any sound you like the most watch for people doing videos ABing pedals. And eventually you can upgrade to single enclosures.

Good Luck!

[cheapbasslovin]

Strip it down to one effect at a time. I'd start with the Amp/ distortion models since they are often the basis for 'tone'. Once you get the hang of what that is doing then move onto the next thing that you think you'll like the sound of. Once you get the hang of those sounds then start combining and seeing what you get.

If you run into an effect that doesn't seem right (you know that most everyone likes an effect, but all you hear is arse) then come here and ask if there is something you're doing wrong. You'll find that there are many nuances to effects that you'll miss if you give up on them too quickly.

Most importantly, read these threads and learn what effects are supposed to sound like, then go play with your new toy and see if you can get close with your unit. You won't often be able to nail a specific tone with a multi unit, but you should be able to get close with like effect types.

Good luck and have fun.

[Guiseppe]

First off, know that most of the presets are pretty much garbage. I dumped them after about two hours of playing.

I recommend picking a song that includes a bass effect you like, and begin to try emulating that tone. My choice was 'Tempus Fugit' by Yes, because I liked the 'flanged' tone in the song. I made about 3 patches that I thought were reasonably close, then recorded myself alongside the original (x3) so I could pick the best.

After picking that, I tried some auto-wah (Bootsy) and some overdrive (iron Maiden, Metallica). Have fun!

Finally, I use my gear because it gives me pretty much the tone I want. You can use the unit for modeling or versatility, I use mine for the 'over-the-top' effects.